episode_0051

He said he would help, but there were a lot of problems he needed to take care of right away.

“Before attending the banquet, you must ask for permission from merchants named ‘Faviel’ and ‘Rama’ in the village. According to the contract, I am the escort for two people.”

“We will inform you after reviewing the entry and exit records and the processing records of lodging establishments in the village.”

“Please proceed quickly. I’m not sure if I’m alive since I fell for some reason two days ago.”

“Okay.”

Vampires from all over the continent gather for the bloody banquet that will be held in two days.

Rumi also had to attend the banquet, but she said that other vampires valued her for her unique gentle personality.

The need for an escort was taken into consideration as there was a physical hack at the last banquet.

However, Alfred was old and the other butlers lacked the courage to fight back against the vampire.

A strong man who is skilled in battle and can hold his neck stiff even in front of vampires.

He had nominated me as the right person.

“I heard it from Hibana! My brother’s military power is the best in the world!”

“Being the best in the world is a leap and it’s not something you can go around and get beaten up.”

[The difficulty of the owner’s strategy is easy!]

“Kuhm… !”

Is there anyone who wouldn’t be happy when they hear praise?

The automatic reflex twitching of the corners of the mouth was actually close to instinct.

You may have a desire for recognition because you have been alone for a long time or have only heard stingy stories from swords.

“Somehow the topic got diverted. Before the butler comes back, tell me in detail what your relationship is with Hibana.”

“Good!”

Rumi jumped on my lap and climbed up onto the table.

He leaped again and landed on the sofa on the other side.

I definitely think that facing each other is the right position for conversation.

“Rumi met Hibana in Touhou 4 years ago!”

Rumi settled in this village two years ago.

Of course, I expected that I would have met Hibana long before that, and I was right.

However, the fact that they had been friends for 4 years was somewhat surprising.

If you compare the timeline with the stories of other swords, Hibana is the first sword to gain polymorph abilities.

Hibana was the first to obtain a human body, but she did not go looking for me.

Unlike other swords, it seems to be leading a fairly satisfactory life.

Okay, I guess you don’t have to worry about Hibana.

I was wondering what I should do if she tried to come back to me.

“What reason did you go to the eastern country before that?”

“Alfred said there was no money! He said he needed money to make a living and suggested moving to an eastern country!”

“It looks like he was making money by traveling between continents.”

Crossing the sea between continents is always fraught with risk, but it is also difficult and lucrative.

However, since vampires and certain clans possess the ability to fly, they will be able to traverse the sea without having to board a ship.

It was an excellent means of earning money using one’s characteristics.

“Alfred was very busy, so he asked Rumi to wait quietly on the bed, but Rumi was lonely at the time, so he ignored Alfred’s advice and went outside.”

“I have a rough feeling. Were you kidnapped by a stranger?”

Rumi nodded cautiously.

Outstanding beauty befits a vampire.

Anyone who sees a girl who is beautiful from the outside and has a lively demeanor will covet her.

Moreover, the Eastern countries were a continent in constant war.

The land was stained with blood as various forces seeking to unify the world were waging war.

Kidnapping a child would have been laughable if one were to survive in a land hit by severe famine.

“When she was separated from Alfred and shivering in the dark without knowing where she was, Hibana-nee came to save Rumi!”

“That’s right.”

It was a little surprising.

I expected Hibana to have harmed Rumi, saying that vampire blood would help Haeju.

However, Rumi said that he saved her without expecting anything in return.

“After that, she stayed by her sister’s side for two years and heard stories about her brother often!”

“Wait, Hibana talked about me often?”

“Yes! It was said that one day I would rule all continents with a single sword!”

The unification of not just the Eastern countries but the entire continent with a single sword.

If anyone had heard it, they would have laughed at it and said it was a lie.

It was something that could never have happened to me, but it bothered me that the person who said it was Hibana.

That’s because Hibana was a sword that considered reality more than anyone else.

We were careful not to make false claims, and we eliminated unclear possibilities early on.

Hibana always loudly demanded corrections when making plans or schedules.

She evaluates me as the person who will unify the continent? It was impossible.

“I can’t believe Hibana said that… … .”

“It’s not a lie!”

“Ah, okay. I will believe it.”

There was no gain for Rumi by lying.

When people like her lie, it will be revealed in their body language and facial expressions.

It was absurd to see him again as a vampire who felt remorse.

“Boo! The pretty and kind Hibana unnie doesn’t lie to Rumi! He liked Rumi so much that he even gave him land as a gift!”

“Then the territory in this area is… … .”

“It was originally my sister’s territory, but I handed it over to Hibana with an important mission!”

“What mission?”

“Someday, there will be something that will connect my older brother and older sister… Was it a crow? Was it a magpie? Anyway, I asked to be a bird, so I said I would be a bat instead!”

“It will turn.”

Rumi is making a V shape with both hands and her eyes are shining.

The crows and magpies she mentioned were referring to Ojakgyo Bridge, one of the famous anecdotes of the Eastern Kingdom.

It was a legend that a lover fell apart according to God’s will, and a crow and a magpie, who felt sorry for this, became a bridge to connect the two.

Hibana entrusted the role of misbehaving to Rumi.

In the end, I had no choice but to see that Hibana also had some regrets towards me.

“The Hibana story is over now.”

“Oppa, you’re embarrassed!”

“It’s not that I heard it so much that I don’t need to listen to it anymore. And it seems like the news I was waiting for has finally arrived.”

Tap, tap, tap.

Alfred, the butler, enters the parlor with the sound of footsteps he has heard before.

He thrust a letter and a cutting knife in front of me.

“It has been confirmed that the people you mentioned left the village the day before. It is said that this is a letter entrusted to the guard post to be delivered to anyone looking for him.”

“He left the day before, not today… … .”

Without a cutting knife, I cut the wax part with my fingernail and took out the letter and read it.

“… … This can’t be helped.”

The letter was left by Fabiel and began with an apology.

My wife’s condition worsened and I couldn’t wait.

The letter conveyed his regret for not being able to keep his promise.

It ended with a statement that he hoped they would meet again in the future and that he would head to a port city in the southeast once his wife’s chronic illness improved.

“Okay, there will be no problem at all if I participate in the banquet.”

“That’s very good news.”

“Yay!”

Rumi jumped up and down on the sofa and immediately clung to my neck.

He seems genuinely happy that I am accompanying him.

I guess we can say that the harassment from fellow countrymen is that severe?

I might have to use a lot of force this time too.

“Lian, please accept this… … .”

“What is this?”

“This is a butler’s uniform and banquet mask that take Rian’s body type into consideration. Vampires cannot hide their identity, but in the case of squires, it is okay to hide their identity.”

“I like the fact that you can hide your identity.”

“The size may not fit slightly, so we recommend trying it on.”

“Then where… … .”

After coming out of retirement, I went around wearing loose clothes and a shabby robe.

Meanwhile, it was quite refreshing to see the neat butler uniform and pure white mask.

When I looked at myself in the mirror, I strangely felt like I needed to behave more politely.

“Kyaaa! Cool!”

“Hehe, the clothes are wings.”

[What a piece of shit! My uterus is so soft!]

“… … .”

I think the last review was quite unhealthy.

Anyway, despite the opinions of those around me, the butler’s uniform I tried on for the first time in my life wasn’t bad.

“I wore it, but it doesn’t mean I have to learn how to behave like a butler or manners or anything like that, right?”

“Of course you should learn it. However, we would like to make an exception this time.”

“Why?”

“Is there a need to be polite to those who are rude to Miss Rumi?”

“Ho-oh, does that mean it’s okay for me to play the instrument at the banquet?”

“If something happens to you, I will do my best as the head of the house.”

It means that you will take care of the cleanup yourself.

I grinned and shook Alfred’s hand.

I was already looking forward to the banquet in two days.