Chapter 171

Chapter 171

171: Trick And Treat / The Lanche Barony was, literally, a tiny territory. Centered around the lord’s manor, ‘Metriville,’ the barony consisted of three nearby villages, with a small population and almost no distinguishing features. If anything, the presence of a nearby river, which facilitated agriculture and provided fish, could be considered a unique characteristic. It was a typical example of a territory with neither significant advantages nor disadvantages. Just because a noble held a territory didn’t automatically mean they lived lavishly. In most cases, nobles with territories were wealthier than those who only held titles, but this wasn’t always the case. This was especially true in Kilkard, where commerce and industry were developed, and particularly noticeable among nobles of small territories. Even if magic made crop failures rare, agricultural taxes alone didn’t generate much income. Moreover, if the lord was the type to show benevolence to his people, even that meager income would be halved. Naturally, the only remaining way to earn money was through the traditional method of accumulating wealth through long-term frugality, which everyone knew was easier said than done. In the end, Baron Lanche was a prime example of a noble with little money or power. By the time El and I arrived at ‘Metriville,’ the manor where Baron Lanche’s residence was located, the sun was already setting. Instead of heading straight to the lord’s mansion, we chose to stay at an inn to rest from our journey. The reason for not going directly to the lord’s mansion was simple. No matter how powerless the baron might be, it would be impolite to visit him in our travel-worn, grimy state. Unless El and I were renowned nobles or wealthy merchants, we wouldn’t receive a grand welcome with just the status of a baron’s second daughter’s friend. Therefore, we planned to relax at the inn, freshen up, and then head to the lord’s mansion in a presentable state. In that regard, the inn in Metriville was quite satisfactory. At least this inn had a decent bathhouse. After unpacking our few belongings in a room on the second floor with El, we returned to the first floor, where a relaxed-looking landlady had replaced the gruff owner behind the counter. “Is the bathhouse available now?” “Of course. It’s 20 rads.” She nodded readily in response to my question. Perhaps because there weren’t many travelers with business in the barony, we were the only guests at the inn. “Then please heat it up.” “Alright.” After handing the landlady the money and heading to the bathhouse, we were greeted by a humble scene that fell short of our expectations: a narrow stone tub that could barely fit two people. However, for El and me, who hadn’t been able to wash properly for a long time, even that was a blessing. “Ugh, I feel alive again…” We lowered ourselves into the warmed tub together and chatted as usual. “We haven’t been able to wash properly for a while.” “Yeah. I almost started smelling like a slutty female.” “…What’s that supposed to mean?” I tilted my head, watching El answer nonchalantly, and she soon stiffened. Could it be that she had said it without realizing it? It wouldn’t be strange for El, who enjoyed lewd jokes, but it seemed to have a slightly different meaning for her. Sure enough, she soon answered with a wry smile. “…It’s just a habit. Whenever I say I haven’t washed for a while, Lutian says that. I must have picked it up.” “….” That was unhelpful but interesting information. And El, who had been smiling wryly, immediately changed the subject as if trying to divert the conversation. “By the way, this is Aram’s territory, isn’t it?” “Yeah.” “Then she’s the only noble among us?” I tilted my head and asked El, who was wringing her wet hair. “…Weren’t you a noble too?” “I’m from a cadet branch. Being from a cadet branch is almost the same as being a commoner. Besides, I’m not even from this country.” Looking back, El was from the Nekar Kingdom Union in the west. If the five countries combined their strength, they would be somewhat equal to the Kilkard Kingdom, but due to the nature of the union, they couldn’t be considered a major power. I nodded at her words and added to the story. “There’s one more person I suspect, so she’s not the only one.” It was obvious who I was talking about, so El also grumbled in agreement. “…A princess. She’s so lucky.” I had to admit that she was lucky. We, who had been reincarnated into this world, could feel it even more vividly. The royal family was practically the pinnacle of this kingdom. To be born as a princess of a country, breaking through those extremely low odds, was truly a stroke of divine luck. “This damn life gacha… Why am I not a princess?” El, who had been complaining with a wry smile, suddenly added with a flustered expression. “…No, take back what I just said. Why am I not a prince?” “Isn’t it too late to say that?” “….” El didn’t answer. It seemed she also thought it was too late. Whether it was because of her concept as a noble vampire or because of her (temporarily) separated lover, I didn’t know. “I’m satisfied with my reincarnation. If I had been born as a noble or royalty, it would have been hard for me to live.” When I told El my honest feelings, she remained silent and seemed to be thinking deeply. I wondered if my words were worth thinking about, but her expression afterwards showed that she really sympathized. “…If you were a princess of this country, you would probably be recorded in the history books.” Wouldn’t that be a bit too much? At El’s relentless words, I pondered for a moment and retorted. “Couldn’t I just not get caught?” “…The fact that you even think that way means you’re already doomed.” This time, it seemed like she was really right, so I couldn’t argue. Was this what El had been feeling when she was silent? Admiring the fact that she could sometimes say wise things, I tried to protest. “Just in case, I’m telling you, I had no choice but to learn martial arts.” “Ah… yes…” That was a truly unbelievable expression. // The characteristic of a small village is that rumors spread quickly. The next morning, when I went down to the first floor of the inn for breakfast, I noticed several unfamiliar young men huddled together in a corner of the table. And we both knew that this was not a normal occurrence. “….” “….” Both El and I had considerable experience as travelers. We exchanged a light conversation with each other through eye contact and sat down at a table on the first floor, pretending not to notice. Then we talked in Korean. “…Is that what I think it is?” “Yeah. A group of sturdy, horny young men that every village has.” We could easily guess why they, who should have been busy working in the fields, were lingering in a small inn. Their glances, while trying to pretend otherwise, were so blatant that even someone without a keen eye could notice. “What do you usually do in these cases?” “Hmm… I usually don’t refuse. It’s rare to come back to a rural village, so it’s okay to enjoy it to the fullest.” “….Wait, you….” “No, I’m not going to do it today.” When I stated firmly, El looked slightly disappointed. I was the one doing it, so why was she looking disappointed? When I asked her why, El answered with a serious expression. “Vicarious satisfaction.” “Are you interested in orgies?” “No, are you crazy? I’m not getting vicarious satisfaction from you, but vicarious satisfaction from the men.” “You, don’t tell me you’ve been looking at me like that….?” When I made a spontaneous joke, El looked momentarily dumbfounded. “Wouldn’t it be strange not to look at you that way?” “…Is that so?” “Honestly, let’s admit what we need to admit.” As we were having a light conversation and receiving the gazes of the group of young men in the corner,

-Creak.

The door of the store opened, and an unfamiliar girl appeared. “….” Everyone in the store, including us, couldn’t help but focus their attention on her. At first glance, it was clear that she was no ordinary girl. Clean and smooth blue-black hair that shone with luster. Her slightly dark olive skin had a refreshing vitality that was typical of girls her age, but her attire was not. A simple yet somehow luxurious traveling outfit, an arming sword at her waist, and a round shield on her back were not typical attire for a girl in this world. The reason I called her a girl was because she wasn’t very tall. But the spirit emanating from her was so intense that she could be called a knight rather than a girl. Amidst that intense impression, the girl smiled and quietly muttered. “So, this is the place.” It was a familiar language. A language that only a few in this world remembered. The girl, who had spoken in Korean, was looking straight at us. “….” It’s not often that a stranger looks at us with a familiar aura. Intuitively, or through logical judgment that could be considered obvious, I could tell that the girl was a reincarnator like us and a friend from our previous life. And it seemed that I wasn’t the only one who felt that way, as El, who was next to me, poked my side and whispered. “…Is that Kim Aram? She has a different vibe than I heard.” I shook my head at El’s question and answered. “No. I’ve never seen her before.” It’s not Kim Aram. She doesn’t look like that. The girl in front of me was a friend from my previous life that I had never seen before. But I could tell who she was. Because the arming sword at her waist had a lightning-shaped pattern engraved on it. In the Kilkard Kingdom, there is no one who doesn’t know the family that uses blue lightning as their emblem. Because that is the emblem of the Lynein royal family that rules this kingdom. Trisellina Lu Lynein. Perhaps that is the girl’s identity. // Because of her intense appearance, the group of young men sitting in the corner had become as docile as could be. Unlike us, who were relatively shabbily dressed, the girl, who looked noble at first glance, had a noble atmosphere that even the commoners of the barony could notice. The Kilkard Kingdom is not a failed state where nobles can do whatever they want to commoners, but it’s never a bad idea to be careful.

-Chuck.

Walking through that silence, the girl naturally sat down at the table where we were sitting and looked at me. After looking at me for a while, the girl smiled innocently and commented on her impressions. “….A Korean.” At her evaluation, I smiled wryly and asked back. “Aren’t the features themselves different? I thought I looked like a mixed-race person.” “Even that’s exotic enough by the standards here. It’s the kind of appearance you’d only find in Nekar.” “…Do I stand out a lot?” “Yeah.” The girl nodded without hesitation and picked up a piece of rye bread on the table. Perhaps because our conversation that followed was so natural, El looked back and forth between me and the girl and whispered to me. “You said you’ve never seen her before?” “That’s right.” “But why are you so natural?” It’s hard to answer that question. It’s just that the girl’s atmosphere was like that. And on the other hand, I don’t think there’s any need to be awkward with a friend from my previous life. But before I could say that, the girl looked at El and tilted her head. “….The smell of blood is strong. Is it Blood Shadow Magic?” “Are you a dog?” “I knew it.” El asked back as if she was dumbfounded, but she didn’t deny it. The girl nodded as if she was satisfied with that fact and looked at me again. “….Huh?” And, as if she didn’t know what was going on, she tilted her head. “This is… I feel like I’ve smelled it somewhere before?” “….She’s still young, so she probably doesn’t know what the smell is.”

“Don’t call me a kid. I’m thirteen now.” “Goodness, this is just a baby! Have you even gone through puberty yet?” “…Are you crazy?” How long had it been since they met, and they were already bickering? But I felt like I could guess the reason why. Even in our past lives, these two probably didn’t have good chemistry. Perhaps it was only natural that the two of them were bickering. I quietly opened my mouth towards the girl who was looking at El with a shocked expression. “It’s been a while.” I felt like I knew who she was. I just had that feeling. He probably never exchanged a single word with me in our past lives. Nevertheless, that tone and feeling were vividly etched in my memory. “…Do you know who I am?” “I’m not sure, but I think I do.” “Oh…” To the girl who was smiling as if telling me to speak, I whispered softly. “Kim Nam-geun.” A person with a personality as rigid as their name. Their massive physique from their past life and their current small appearance don’t match at all, but I’m probably sure. “…This kid is that guy?” Perhaps surprised by my words, El asked back with a surprised expression. And to that question, the girl shook her head in embarrassment. “N-No, I’m not?” …It seemed like it was definitely them. ———= Author’s Note ———= There is a novel called Rynesis Chronicles. I’m sorry for the late reply to the comments… Rynesis -> Changed to Rynin Royal Family.