Like Recognizes Like

The next morning.

While eating at the resort restaurant, the manager approaches.

Nervous steps, wiping his face incessantly with a handkerchief as if sweating profusely, eyes unable to meet mine with confidence.

“Excuse me, Baron Bernatore.”

“What is it?”

“An envoy from Count Drake Sharkline, the magistrate of Sanuf, has arrived. He asked me to convey an invitation to the Bernatore party to his mansion.”

Since the resort is in Sanuf, even the most expensive place cannot escape Shakline’s influence.

The manager himself seems to think it absurd to convey such a fact to a noble guest, as he cannot lift his head.

‘Did Shakline take the bait?’

I show no reaction.

I scan the four people looking at the manager with displeasure and slowly begin to speak.

“Was there anything else?”

Feeling pressured by our gazes, the manager, now sweating even more, adds what he couldn’t say at first.

“I’m just delivering the message, but… Viscount Brookrudi said he has something he wants to say to Flare. He specifically asked her to come.”

‘He’s prepared something.’

“Flare.”

At my words, everyone looks at Flare.

“…I don’t have to go, you know. I don’t.”

Speaking in a tone that clearly wants to avoid a fight, Flare glances at me, raises the corner of her lips briefly, and then, looking at Luna, says,

“I’ll do whatever the professor decides.”

I slowly tap the table with my index finger.

I pretend to consider it, looking at the four of them.

Flare avoids my gaze and keeps glancing at Luna.

Luna looks at Flare, wondering what this is all about.

Sophia looks like she doesn’t want to go, and Kasha is expressionless as always.

‘Flare didn’t tell them.’

“Alright. Let’s go.”

“Brother?”

“Professor?”

Sophia and Flare look utterly dismayed.

I know you both don’t want to go back there.

“Don’t argue, Flare.”

Flare sighs softly and pouts.

“Understood.”

The manager’s face brightens at my affirmative response.

“Shakline has prepared a carriage, so―”

As if anyone would ride in such a pirate’s carriage.

‘Who knows what kind of tricks they’ve set up.’

“Get rid of it. I won’t ride in such a cheap carriage. Kasha, prepare one.”

This is a kind of reconnaissance mission from now on.

They started the trouble first, so all I have to do is show them who’s in charge.

“Understood.”

Before leaving, I call Kasha to my room.

“Don’t reveal the identity of Aiden Master. I’ll be acting as Baron Bernatore as usual.”

Kasha hesitates, unlike before.

“Understood, Master.”

Seeing the questioning look on Kasha’s face, wondering what’s suddenly going on, I roughly explain the situation.

“I used the tracking magic coin I made at Aiden yesterday. I also did something that will make Shakline quite angry. Later, no matter what I do, don’t be surprised, as it’s not my true intention.”

I plan to use Kasha to provoke Shakline.

“…Understood.”

I place my hand on her head.

Her eyes, looking up at me, are clear, without a hint of doubt, showing no distrust towards me.

Our first meeting was the worst.

Kasha doesn’t know what kind of person Scarl is.

I fall into the delusion that there might be more to her blindly following me than just the fact that I pay her a lot of money.

‘That can’t be.’

“You always work so hard.”

Kasha’s pupils dilate, her hair stands on end, and her ears perk up.

I did it once because it was an action she didn’t dislike before… her emotional expression is excessively intense.

‘I didn’t expect her to react this much.’

“…?!”

Luna, Flare, and Sophia were all able to join me at the end of the first semester thanks to Kasha’s hard work behind the scenes.

I think it’s not bad to give her rewards like this sometimes, and I dismiss Kasha, feeling unnecessarily embarrassed.

“I’ll change and come out. Have the carriage prepared.”

“…Yes.”

The carriage quietly enters the Shakline mansion.

The desolate mansion was situated on a low hill overlooking the sea.

‘What a pathetic pirate.’

Due to its location on the hill, the mansion is not symmetrical. It seems they tried to decorate it, but the garden landscaping is unbalanced. They’ve displayed broken sculptures, clearly picked up or stolen from somewhere, as if they were stylish.

It’s a large and extravagant mansion, but to those who know the truth, it’s just an empty shell with no substance.

It reminds me of Scarl’s mansion in the Bernatore territory, and I can’t help but chuckle.

“Let’s go in.”

Drake Sharkline and his men are waiting in the main hall of the mansion.

‘So that’s what he looks like.’

The once sharp jawline is gone, replaced by fat, making his face round.

His cheeks are greedy, and his face is shiny with oil, showing how well he eats.

His eyes are long and narrow, and his teeth are rotten in places, sharpened like a shark’s.

Coarse hair sticks out from under his clothes on his arms, and expensive clothes don’t suit him.

The imposing presence comes from his large build, and his skin, aged by life on the sea, is impressive.

He seems to have natural muscles under the fat, befitting his title as a pirate lord, but that’s all.

Like recognizes like.

It’s amusing to see him giving me a similar reaction, smirking as he looks at me.

Sharkline greets me arrogantly.

“Welcome, Baron Bernatore.”

I respond lightly.

“Greetings, Count Sharkline.”

“…Shouldn’t I be higher in rank?”

I pick at my ear and sneer.

“Who cares about the title of a single-generation noble?”

The guy’s lips twitch.

“…I’ve learned something else. Follow me inside.”

There are antique knight armors lining the hallway, but they smell of rust, indicating a lack of maintenance.

“Inside.”

The reception room is quite impressively decorated.

‘He made me wait an extra day to do this.’

Ruijin, gagged and blindfolded, is kneeling with his arms tied behind his back, as if imitating the traditional execution method of feeding disliked pirates to sharks. His parents, Viscount and Viscountess Brookrudi, who appear to be his parents, are forcing smiles behind him, and Shakline’s subordinates surrounding them are staring at us as we enter with sharp, unspoken gazes.

Fear. Intimidation. Anxiety. Whatever it is, the reception room now resembles a pirate’s execution ritual.

“Welcome, Princess and party. I am Viscount Louis Brookrudi.”

“O-Oh, welcome, Princess Sophia. I am Nana Brookrudi.”

“Mmph! Mmph! Mmph!”

Regardless of what their son is saying, the two are sending desperate looks towards Sophia, making me guess that Flare is the reason Brookrudi was captured.

‘But Flare isn’t the reason he called us here.’

“Shak―”

I block Sophia, who is about to step forward.

And I give Flare a look that tells her to stay still as well.

“Count Sharkline. What is the meaning of this?”

“It doesn’t seem like a place for a mere baron to interfere.”

He must have really disliked my greeting.

“I am not only a baron but also a professor of swordsmanship at the academy. I believe the child tied up before us is a student at the academy.”

“Mmph! Mmmph! Mmmph!!”

Sharkline approaches Ruijin and removes everything, including the gag in his mouth.

“Baron Scarl Bernatore. This is Sanuf. As the magistrate, I find your intentions suspicious.”

“Phew―! Thank you, Count!”

Before I knew it, Viscount and Viscountess Brookrudi quickly stood behind Ruijin.

The situation is taking a strange turn.

His target wasn’t Flare, nor was it Sophia.

‘He’s more cunning than I thought.’

He’s trying to separate me from Sophia first.

“What do you mean?”

Sharkline scoffs at my nonchalant reaction, as if he’s dumbfounded.

He looks around, making eye contact with each person.

Once each with Flare, Luna, and Kasha, who are next to me, and lingering on Sophia.

And finally, looking at me, he boasts with a confident voice, full of composure.

“You can’t fool me. Ruijin Brookrudi here has told me everything. You bumpkin lord.”

He raises his eyebrows, as if telling me to say more.

Sharkline gestures grandly, like a stage actor trying to gain the audience’s favor with each word.

“An honorary professor with no regular classes! A parachute with questionable skills! A low-quality human who wasn’t seen on the day of the demon invasion in the capital! What more explanation is needed in front of your party, Baron?”

Sophia, unable to bear it any longer, steps forward.

Her voice is shrill and loud.

A female soprano who is clearly angry.

“That’s too much, Count!”

Sharkline directs his aggrieved face and gestures towards Sophia, but he doesn’t stop his crude accusations against Scarl.

“Princess. I am truly speaking the truth. Besides, he brought a woman named Luna and now even Flare, who is a student, to Sanuf, trying to reach out to them…”

Instead of continuing, Sharkline looks at Sophia.

The meaning of that look was obvious.

Scarl is extending his reach even to the princess.

“Stop! Stop it, Count!”

If yesterday she was full of the emperor’s charisma, today Sophia only seems to be trying to prevent her flaws from being exposed.

The princess’s words lose their dignity, and the count’s words gain power like a lead actor.

Everyone except the Bernatore party is paying attention to his words and focusing on his every action.

“That’s why I couldn’t help but look for the baron. I even heard that Flare was very docile. I heard she made very bad friends after associating with the baron.”

Shaking his hand as if brushing off the accusations against Scarl, those other than Scarl’s party nod in agreement.

Especially Ruijin, who is next to him, glares intensely at Flare.

The atmosphere has completely shifted to the stage set by Sharkline.

On the other hand, Scarl is watching this and thinking.

Is that all?

“Anything else?”