Chapter 189: The Knight Hates Rofan Events (1)
by Afuhfuihgs
A certain boy was moving his legs hard, pedaling the bicycle he was riding. The more he did, the faster it went, and the more he sweated.
Even though it was a cool autumn morning where the heat of summer had subsided, making sweat evaporate quickly, the boy’s sweat didn’t seem like it would stop anytime soon.
Creak-!
Upon a closer look, the bike that he rode was loaded with a lot of stuff, so it was only natural that his sweat would pour like rain. The load was so huge that it was unbelievable to see him carrying them all with his small body. Regardless, the boy carrying all those loads was wearing a satisfied smile.
Because, even though it was hard work…
“Here’s your milk and newspaper for today!”
“Thanks again, Patrick. It’s definitely faster when I order them from you.”
“Hahaha, please use Patrick’s delivery service a lot in the future!”
…The boy couldn’t help but feel satisfied because he was making money.
“I already spread words about your service to all the people I know. I mentioned how sincere you are, so there are people who want to meet you.”
“Ah! T-Thank you, Ma’am! God blesses you!”
“Hehehe, then, you’re gonna give me a discount, right?”
“That’s a separate matter.”
“…What a firm young man.”
“Hehehe, please understand, Ma’am, I’m running on a deficit right now. But! I promise I’ll give you a lot of service when I finally turn a profit later! That day will surely come! I’ll definitely repay all your favor!”
“Hahaha, I’m looking forward to that.”
The boy, Patrick, let out a confident smile and pedaled his bike again. A month had passed since the orphaned boy from the street of the empire came to the Pendragon. It didn’t take long for him to blend into the kingdom.
…Honestly, I still feel like I’m dreaming.
Patrick still remembered. No, it would probably be a memory that he wouldn’t be able to forget even if he tried to for his whole life.
The day when his hated enemy, the Magic Tower, collapsed, and the return of the Spring Fairy. That day was still vivid in his mind.
He also remembered that time when he was blown away by the Fairy’s spring wind together with the knights…
Honestly, he thought about staying in the empire after the Magic Tower disappeared and the Spring Fairy returned.
-But no!
Even if the source of all evil, the Magic Tower, had collapsed, and the spring had returned, in his eyes, the empire was still a mess. He just made a quick calculation, but he knew that soon enough, war would break out in the empire. Regardless of whether a new emperor ended up getting throned or not, the country would be thrown into chaos for a while.
So, he decided to go to Pendragon instead. Now in Pendragon, he already started his ‘first business’, as if proving that his decision was right. Since he had some money saved from the time when he lived on the street, add that to the funds he got from a bank loan, he had enough to start his first business.
I have to grow quickly! Right now, there are no merchants who’ve taken the lead on this business!
Delivery business. A business revolved around delivering items on a promised schedule. He received orders for everything, like newspapers, milk, or even fruits and grains. Of course, what he had right now was nowhere near enough since there was a severe lack of manpower, so he had been busy going around on his own.
However, if there were more customers looking for him and he gathered enough manpower, he was sure that his business would develop into a fairly large business.
Some might mock him for being childish or for having too big of a dream, but he genuinely saw hope in this business. Besides, his head was filled with countless business ideas other than the delivery, so he wasn’t afraid of failure.
I never thought I would have this kind of personality.
Patrick was amazed at himself for living so passionately.
And then another thought struck him.
So this is why the environment someone lives in is important…
“Of course, having a good guardian is also important…”
Patrick scratched his cheek in embarrassment as he thought of the knight who had willingly taken him in.
He already thought that he’d owe him a lifelong debt when he took down the Magic Tower, but never in his wildest imagination did he ever think that he’d also take care of him in Pendragon.
In the end, the reason why he was able to start his business with confidence despite his tender age was because the knight trusted him. After all, it was thanks to him that he was able to join the Merchant’s Guild.
As it turned out, he felt like he was only getting more debt to pay back.
Although, when he brought it up to his benefactor, he…
-Debt? Did I lend you money? Did I stand as your guarantor? I just lent you my name, so, just work hard and succeed. Don’t ever think you are working to pay off your debt, but think that you’re doing it for yourself. Do you understand?
…Just told him to eat well and live well.
I will definitely pay you back! A hundredfold, no, a thousandfold! Including all the interest!
However, such words only added fuel to Patrick’s fire. Though he was from the streets, he had no history of stealing or doing illegal things to make money, as he had resolved himself to be a son who would not besmirch the name of his parents.
So, how could he dare not pay back anything to the person who had avenged his parents?
If he didn’t do that, then he’d be no human. His pride also wouldn’t allow it.
I will definitely succeed, no matter what… !
Still being a teenager, he was burning with ambition. He was determined to succeed in business and become a tycoon who would make a name for himself in this kingdom, or rather, on the continent.
Though, he was still living off of others right now.
“…Once I have the money, I’ll become independent.”
Haa…!
Patrick let out a deep sigh that was not appropriate for a child his age and shook his head as if to shake off his worries. Then, he decided to focus on the task at hand.
It was always better to not have any depressing thoughts.
“The next delivery location is… Huh?”
Screech-!
Patrick, who was pedaling busily, suddenly pressed the brake hard.
It was still quite a distance away, but he noticed a familiar face.
“That person…”
An eye-catching red hair and a dark complexion. Though she looked like a man, she was actually a female priest who disguised herself as a man. Moreover, she was currently a guest in the house where Patrick was living—no, she wasn’t a guest.
She is that, right? Interns?
Priest Pierre.
Seeing her wandering around the street, Patrick blinked his eyes.
* * *
In Lee Han’s front yard, there were ten dog houses—or rather, boarding facilities built.
Those were all for the assistant and the nine interns who worked under him to live in. One only needed to look at the boarding facilities, to see how much ‘care’ the landlord put on the building. Each of them had [Made by Lee Han] written on it.
He had learned carpentry as a hobby, and due to his kind but clumsy maid, he had to fix things every single day, which forced his skills to improve rapidly. So, even though its appearance was unsightly, the boarding houses built by him were actually quite cozy and comfortable to live in.
Even though it looked a bit like a doghouse, it still had enough space for one person to sleep in, to store some luggage, and he even provided soft blankets on top of that. So in a way, it was the perfect house for those who pursued a minimalist life.
In other words, the level of completion and comfort wasn’t that bad, and because of that…
“…Somehow, I feel attached to this house these days.”
“It’s really frustrating, but this house is really well-made.”
“It rained the day before yesterday, right? There wasn’t even a single drop of rain trickling in that day. Also, it didn’t get blown away when the typhoon struck two weeks ago. Crazy.”
“…Is that why I feel like I’m being domesticated more and more these days?”
“…”
Haaa…!
The nine interns—no, the nine heretic inquisitors let out a heavy sigh. They felt sad that they were being domesticated instead of running around busily, especially considering that there should be many heretics running around like mushrooms around this time.
They felt heartbroken that they couldn’t punish them and instead live in such a leisure.
“Stop talking nonsense. Half of the people you punish are innocent, you rotten butchers.”
“…”
“Anyway, I see that you guys are getting comfortable, that’s why you guys are able to talk such nonsense. You think you can get away with being lazy, huh?”
“Um…”
The frivolous tone the guy used when he spoke to them reminded them of their landlord. However, he wasn’t the landlord who made them live like this.
But rather…
“Assistant Damien…”
Damien Paulet, a scion of a prestigious knight family, as well as their senior who had been working under the knight for over half a year.
“The world is so easy for you, Isn’t it? When I was in your position, I didn’t even have time to laze around like you, tsk! Yeah, yeah, I get it. It’s not your fault. The instructor is busy with his training these days, so no one is really punishing you guys… Haha… What a fucked up world…”
Normally, Damien would speak politely to others, but whenever he met with someone who had a lower rank than him like this, he’d readily use such a rude tone.
And when they saw him talking like that, they couldn’t help but wonder if the guy forgot that they were originally heretic inquisitors.
…Is he not afraid of the consequences?
“You bastard! How dare you address me casually?! Put some respect into it! Mere interns! Dare to speak as if you’re on the same rank as me!”
“I-I’m sorry….”
“Do you think you’re gonna stop being interns when you apologize?!”
“T-That…”
“What’s with those eyes? Oh, are you trying to defy me? Are you mad because an assistant swore at you? Oh my, it seemed like I didn’t show enough respect to the great heretic inquisitors…! I made a big mistake!”
“…”
“No answer?”
“I-I’m sorry….”
“Do you think you’re gonna stop being interns when you apologize?!”
“…Keheuk.”
But, Damien’s tone was a little rougher than usual.
Was it because he had stayed up all night the day before yesterday?
No. Him staying up all night was nothing new, so that wasn’t the reason why he was so angry.
“You wanna cry? Pfft, even if you cry, there’ll be no one who’ll side with you guys! Just how comfortable you guys have it when you grow up…? Well, at least I know now no matter what you did, the temple would dismiss it, saying ‘It’s fine’, so you guys must’ve grown up so arrogantly. The instructor did say you were worse than a bunch of troublemakers, now I understand why he said that.”
“!?!!”
“What? Wanna deny it? Are you angry? Then go protest to the instructor yourself. Ah, you can’t do that, right? You were the assassins who attacked him first… A bunch of vile trash who are selling the name of light!”
“!!!”
It was because he truly despised them.
What’s wrong with these guys? They’re still the same as they were!
At first, Damien Paulet was just happy to have people he could kick around. But, after he spent less than two months with them, he came to realize.
These guys are hopeless!
Are heretic inquisitors all like this?
Maybe they had been brainwashed too much?
If Damien had to put into words the feeling he got about them, they were like people who had been stripped of something basic that every person should have.
According to the instructor, that something could be ‘sympathy’, or ‘guilt’.
Even he himself, who was said to be crooked, still had sympathy and a little bit of guilt.
However, he didn’t see such things in the guys in front of him. Even the conversation he just heard was like that.
Punishing heretics, when they’re also heretics themselves…
They had no hesitation in killing people.
Or in carrying orders.
They were no different from assassins whose will had been removed.
…And so, he became certain that these guys were just ‘puppets’.
They were puppets who used the name of the great [Light of Brilliance] as a shield to wield their power freely…
Haa… Why are these abnormal things being assigned under me?
Damien was disgusted by these interns, and he wished they could just leave now.
They did their jobs well, but just looking at them made him disgusted.
Now he knew why the inquisitors were ostracized and feared by society.
These guys definitely…
…would cause trouble whenever they get the chance.
* * *
He’s suspicious about me.
One of the interns’ eyes secretly flashed. Damien Paulet’s danger level just skyrocketed in his mind.
…He’s not stupid.
Looking at his actions, he looked like a typical reckless noble child, but he had quick thinking, and his observation skills weren’t bad.
He’s dangerous. Should I deal with him?
…No, that’s not a good move.
Damien might look tired and lethargic, but he had been beaten by that knight every day, granting him great stamina and skills, a rarity for a cadet his age.
The guy didn’t have the confidence to deal with him immediately, there was a huge risk of him achieving bad results.
So…
Now is the time to lay low.
The worst was yet to come, so there was always a chance.
A chance to escape from the knight and carry out the ‘mission given to him by the temple’…
Irene Windler…
A chance to kidnap her.
In Rofan, just like pasta and baguette that often came together…
…The heroine was also often targeted by the bad guys.
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