Chapter 83: The Mountains Roar, But Only a Mouse Appears
“Because they attacked all at once, I asked them to stop, but the excited bees also attacked the knights who tried to flee.”
“That’s absurd, the head of the house did not order such a thing! Moreover, Consort Cindyra wouldn’t be able to do such a thing without the head’s permission, and as for the Halewood family, they have no connection whatsoever with the knights.”
“In fact, I was challenged to a fight right in front of these guys, and to my question, ‘Is this the work of Marquis Grandes or Consort Cindyra? Or is Earl Halewood… the Viscount’s family involved?’ they answered with a surprise attack, saying, ‘You’re one to chirp about unnecessary things. Don’t worry about it and die.’ If it were some street ruffians or Adventurers, I could just say it was retribution for attacking me and leave it at that, but when it’s knights from a Marquis’s house who attacked me, it’s not so simple. Look up. Just as they were getting agitated from me being attacked, this time they were hit by a Fireball attack and many of their comrades died. I asked them to stop attacking too, but it was useless.”
“You’re saying you didn’t use the bees to attack?”
“Bees, do you think I can Tame Killer Bees? As a Tamer, my ability is the lowest, a 1. What I received as a Divine Protection from the Tamer God, who took pity on me, was the protection of Killer Bees. Those protectors are raging, and I’m somehow managing to placate them, but depending on your previous answer, that might also be futile.”
“Then what should we do?”
“You can only ask the bees not to attack. Also, the Tamer God assigned them as my protectors, and if it’s just a matter of someone showing hostility towards me, I can ask them to stop and they will. But I can’t ask them not to attack someone who is attacking me and expect them to stop. I’m only making requests like ‘help me’ or ‘stop.'”
“Then, we will not hold you responsible, and we will prohibit any attacks, so could you please withdraw as things are?”
“What have you been listening to? I haven’t killed a single person. Even the guy who tried a surprise attack, I forgave him with a slap. The ones who didn’t forgive were my guardian bees. On the way here, I encountered mounted knights, but they were startled by the bees and fell off their horses. Those guys lying around over there just attacked the bees and were counterattacked. More importantly, answer my question!”
“We absolutely have not ordered anyone to harm you!”
“You expect me to believe what you, a Butler, say? I was attacked by knights from the Marquis’s house at the town entrance after they picked a fight, and you think you can just say the Marquis’s house has nothing to do with it? If the wolf I command were to bite you to death, even if I said the wolf did it on its own, I’d be held accountable. Can nobles get away with feigning ignorance?”
“Then, what would it take for you to be satisfied?”
“From the head of the house, a written statement that he is not involved in this dispute at all, but apologizing for what his subordinates did. And also, a document acknowledging that I haven’t killed anyone in this incident, and that the knights who unnecessarily interfered brought about their own destruction.”
“The head of the house, Marquis Blend Grandes-sama, is currently at the Royal Capital residence. This land is currently under the care of his heir, Weruva Grandes-sama.”
“Then, an apology letter and a certificate from this Weruva fellow.”
“I will speak to Weruva-sama and arrange it, so could you please wait a short while?”
“I’ll have this Weruva fellow write it in front of me. It’ll be a problem if he feigns ignorance later, and if that happens, I’ll have to fight the Marquis’s house with all my strength.”
With things having escalated this much, rumors in town will probably reach the Royal Capital.
If they try to pass off something written by a proxy then, don’t think they can feign ignorance.
Guided by the Butler, I herded the knights who had lost their nerve and headed towards the Marquis’s mansion.
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Seeing me with two Forest Wolves and Mii-chan on my shoulder, the dumbfounded man seemed to be the heir, Weruva Grandes.
“Who’s that! Who is he!”
“I am Shinya, an Adventurer. At the entrance of this town, suddenly…”
“Insolent fool! Do you know in whose presence you stand? This is the heir of Marquis Blend Grandes-sama…”
Ignoring the man who was shouting angrily, I simultaneously unleashed killing intent and King’s Pressure upon him, glaring at him intently.
As expected of the Marquis’s guard knights, they brushed off the pressure and drew their swords, but when Hoo-chan and the others flanked the heir and bared their fangs, they froze.
“What I’m about to say concerns the rise or fall of the Blend Grandes Marquis house, whose member just shouted so arrogantly. If you intend to interfere, be prepared for the consequences.”
Looking at the Butler, he was nodding desperately, but his body was trembling from the pressure.
The pressure and glare were supposed to be limited to the one I was staring at, but the fact that it’s affecting those around too must mean my training is insufficient.
“At the entrance of this town, I was approached by knights of your esteemed house, and the commotion started when a man, their captain, suddenly attacked me. Hear the details from the Butler.”
Releasing the pressure, I urged the Butler to explain to the young master.
The Butler hurriedly approached the young master’s side and began explaining in a low voice so the guards wouldn’t hear.
He was glaring at me while listening to the explanation, but his complexion gradually worsened, and midway, he started questioning the Butler harshly.
And then, the look in his eyes grew increasingly stern.
If you’re up for it, I’ll take you on anytime.
That’s why, since stepping into the mansion, I’ve had my hood up and gloves on.
Indoors, magic attacks and bows can’t be used. In that case, in close combat, if I use Agility, Super Strength, and Jump, I probably won’t lose easily.
The Butler is desperately saying something, but since he seems dissatisfied, I’ll summon Bee-chan and the others.
When the low, deep buzzing of wings began to be heard, the Butler turned pale and rushed to the window.
Seeing that, the young master also approached the window, and came face-to-face with Killer Bees through the glass.
They began to gather outside the window one after another, and in no time, a curtain of Killer Bees formed outside the window, dimming the room. The room filled with the low, deep buzzing, making it difficult to hear voices.
Good thing it’s winter. If the window had been even slightly open, Killer Bees would probably be swarming wildly inside by now.
The young master looked alternately at Bee-chan and the others, me, and the Butler, his face looking like he was about to foam at the mouth.
The guard knights were completely unnerved, looking like they would flee instantly if given another shock.
Since we weren’t getting anywhere like this, I beckoned the Butler over.
“Is the young master dissatisfied with my conditions? If he doesn’t like them, I’ll just leave, but since I’ve shown the Queen-sama’s Identification, you can’t pretend nothing happened.”
“I will definitely persuade him, so please wait a little longer.”
Taking pity on the Butler’s desperate face, I gave him a little more time.
Perhaps his spirit broke seeing the massive swarm of Bee-chan and the others outside the window, as he surprisingly readily nodded to the Butler’s persuasion and headed to his desk.
I asked Bee-chan and the others to wait in the sky again, and stood in front of the desk.
“I hate trouble, so I’ll say this upfront. Don’t try to change your handwriting or tamper with the signature. I’ll compare it with the documents lying around, and if it’s different, that’s the end of it.”
“Understood!”
The Butler replied with the deepest bow, and the young master also nodded without resisting.
While waiting for him to fill it out, consulting with the Butler here and there, I helped myself to some alcohol and a glass from the cabinet and drank standing up.
Every time I barge into a noble’s mansion, I end up drinking for free. It seems my drinking habits are getting worse.
However, as expected of a Marquis, the alcohol is better than what I tasted at the Earl’s house, making me want to explore their wine cellar.
I checked the two documents the Butler respectfully presented, comparing them with the documents on the desk.
The handwriting and signature were fine, but I wasn’t satisfied.
“Is this a child’s scribble?”
“What are you dissatisfied with? I wrote it as requested, and I have no intention of holding you responsible.”
“Do you intend to call this an official document? Why isn’t the Marquis house’s official seal with the crest stamped on it? Should you press your blood seal instead?”
“My apologies! I’ll have it stamped immediately.”
He replied in a fluster, but if you underestimate me too much, you’ll die.
I rolled up the two documents stamped with the official seal and crest and tossed them into my Magic Pouch. When I wheedled for a carriage ride to the south gate, he kindly agreed immediately.
I thought, ‘You should have done that from the start,’ but since he wasn’t the same person who intended to cut me down, I refrained from complaining.
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The Butler rode with me to the south gate to see me off, even giving me a send-off with the deepest bow, so I thanked him and left the town of Darssen.
After confirming there was no tail and walking for a while, there was a single stone pillar standing beside the road.
Looking around the Grassland, I saw another small stone pillar in the distance, so I headed that way. I placed meat on the trees and rocks, treating Bee-chan and the others, and thanked them.
Inside the Dome, Dorado and the rest of Osius’s Fang, along with Fran, were relaxing comfortably.
“It took quite a while, didn’t it?” Fran commented.
“Well, yeah,” I replied. “Nobles and their retainers… so many of them are stubborn, it’s exhausting.”
“But, you smell a little of alcohol. Did you go drinking again?” Fran asked, sniffing the air.
“Fran, you’re developing quite an unpleasant personality, aren’t you?” I teased.
“Well, that’s because Master’s personality is rubbing off on me,” she retorted.
“What’s this, what’s this?” Dorado chimed in. “You barged into a noble’s mansion and had them serve you drinks?”
“What an enviable guy!” another member of Osius’s Fang added.
“If that was the case, we would have gone with you!” a third lamented.
Fran shook her head. “You’re better off not. Being with Shinya-san is like sticking your head into a Golden Bear’s mouth; you’ll end up needing a stiff drink just to steady your nerves.”
“If Fran, who knows him well, says so, then it’s best we don’t get near Shinya except when we’re hunting,” Dorado mused.
“That’s right, that’s right,” another agreed. “We’re Adventurers, after all. We don’t have any dealings with those noble-samas.”
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Later, I heard that when the butler, Oruwez, got back to the mansion, the eight knights who had returned with me from the North Gate were being interrogated.
Apparently, what they found out was that about ten days ago, their captain had suddenly declared “outdoor training” and had been leading them out of the North Gate every day.
They’d exit from the North Gate onto the Brynge Highway but wouldn’t go far. That, and the fact that today he’d suddenly canceled the training, returned to the city, and challenged me to a match at the North Gate, was all they managed to learn.
From the knights’ testimonies, it sounded like the captain had been targeting me. But since the man himself was dead, they couldn’t find out anything more.
I was told a document detailing the entire incident, including these points, was rushed to Marquis Blend Grandes at his mansion in the Royal Capital.