HBWnovel Chapter 209 : Chapter 209
Chapter 209 : Chapter 209
“I had no intention of deceiving you. But as you know, we had no choice but to be cautious regarding Bihen Benkou.”Bolero bowed his head to Isaac. It was a clear sign of apology.
“I will introduce myself formally. I am Bolero, a Martial Priest of Solari.”
Isaac's pupils dilated. The man, who was already a giant, felt uniquely larger.
Thinking about it, even though he was the only one who had been made a fool, strangely, anger did not go well up.
Isaac stared at Bolero for a moment before speaking.
“……Well, I understand. If that is the case, it is true that Bihen Benkou was in Pretoria.”
“That is correct. However, I do not know his whereabouts after that. Well, he is a friend who is quite unpredictable.”
He couldn't plainly say that Bihen had gone to Springeus, so he made such an excuse.
Then, Roxy flinched. It was the moment Bolero's gaze suddenly reached her.
“It is true that I met the young lady by chance in front of Pretoria.”
Bolero narrowed his eyes. It contained the meaning that she should conduct herself appropriately.
Roxy nodded her head repeatedly toward Isaac, who was glancing at her.
‘Ugh……. I don't understand what's what at all.’
Even without that, Roxy's head was on the verge of exploding.
A complexly tangled relationship map floated before her eyes.
‘Uncle Bolero wasn't an Imperial citizen either.’
Based on the circumstances, Bolero, the Cult Leader, and Bihen Benkou seemed to have deep ties even with the Duke of Conwell, who was said to rival the current King in power.
‘Uee……, I think I've made a lot of slips of the tongue, what should I do?’
As the truth was gradually revealed, Roxy was belatedly realizing the fact that the person named Bihen Benkou was a much more massive existence than she had thought.
‘By the way, why is Brother Isaac so intent on finding the Cult Leader?’
Roxy glanced at Isaac and then watched Bolero, who stood side-by-side with him, reuniting with the people.
‘Theodore? I've heard of that family. Strangely, everyone's ages are similar.’
Roxy's attention was stolen by Adeline and Linda.
It wasn't just to the extent of admiration.
Their beauty was so dazzling it took her breath away.
‘This is crazy.’
Roxy's head, entranced by Adeline and Linda, turned to the side by chance.
The person her gaze happened to meet was Declen. When Declen winked with one eye, Roxy's face scrunched up.
‘Eek, what is that?’
When she hurriedly turned her eyes again…….
Janson was there.
He went a step further, lightly touching his index and middle fingers to his forehead and then pulling them away in a greeting. It was accompanied by an expression he firmly believed to be fatal.
‘Why is he like that, seriously.’
A sigh escaped automatically. It was the moment Roxy was looking for a place to rest her eyes while feeling disgusted.
A familiar person was approaching behind the gathered group.
Roxy covered her opening mouth with her hand.
“B-brother Rowen?”
Rowen Windermere.
He was the second son of the Windermere family head. His face was paler than the white cloak wrapped around his body.
“Now you see, Roxy.”
Roxy turned her head to the side. Isaac, clenching his teeth, said in a low voice.
“The survival of our family depends on this war.”
“…….”
There was no need to ask about the omitted parts of his words in detail.
Roxy felt that her second brother, whom she was seeing outside of his sickbed, was unfamiliar. He still looked very ill.
Once, they said he was followed by all sorts of various descriptions, such as the future of Windermere, the Kingdom's finest sword, and a genius swordsman.
‘He looks like it wouldn't be strange if he died right now…….’
Of course, Roxy felt like those words were all nonsensical legends.
***
This was the vanguard of the front line established by Windermere.
A tense atmosphere flowed throughout the camp at the news that the Mercenary King had finally set out in person.
Rowen's field tent.
The three siblings of the Windermere family were gathered.
“Seeing that Father has put Brother at the vanguard, I can feel his firm resolve to wrap up this war quickly.”
“Cough, cough.”
At the sound of Rowen's dry coughing, Isaac's complexion darkened slightly.
Roxy was busy reading the atmosphere between those two.
No matter how tomboyish she was, the strict hierarchy among blood relatives was ingrained in her, so she could not cut in recklessly.
“……Isaac.”
Rowen raised his eyes. His wheezing breath was difficult to even listen to.
“Yes, Brother. Please speak.”
“Cough, I hear that it was you who gathered the nobles from various places……”
“…….”
“Is that really true? Cough.”
Roxy's eyes widened.
Her pupils moved sharply to the side. Her third brother, Isaac, was just composed.
He looked like someone who had known such a moment would come someday and had finished full preparations.
“It is true.”
“Cough, cough……!”
“Father also agreed.”
“F-Father, there's no way he would. Do not try to deceive me.”
“Springeus already used the mercenaries first—”
“Shut up!”
Kwang!
Rowen struck the table with his fist. Roxy, startled, trembled her shoulders.
“What meaning is there in a victory obtained this way?”
“…….”
“There is no way Father— cough! Wouldn't know that fact.”
Isaac quietly raised his head. His voice was extremely dry.
“Wouldn't it be better than losing.”
“……What?”
“Father also said so.”
The silence that lasted for a while was broken by a word from the attendant outside.
“Young Master, the preparations for the meeting are finished.”
“Cough! Tell them I am coming soon.”
Rowen stood up, shaking off his cloak.
Even the energy to argue was a waste.
However, he was by no means in agreement.
He replaced it by coldly glaring at Isaac, who followed behind him.
In the central tent, the leadership of the Windermere camp, made up of nobles, was gathered.
As soon as Rowen, Isaac, and Roxy entered the tent, the meeting began.
The meeting was led by the staff officers of both the Windermere and Conwell families.
It was a way to share the enemy's strength gathered through intelligence and various war situations.
“I will, cough, handle the Mercenary King myself.”
It was near the end of the meeting.
About ten or so nobles sitting around the round table all looked at Rowen.
“I believe there is no need for everyone here to get blood on their hands. Cough! Moreover, it is not our duty to impose such a burden on you.”
Soon, the nobles whispered. Coincidentally, only Adeline, who sat across from Rowen, had no reaction, so she stood out even more.
Perhaps because of that, Rowen's gaze naturally went to Adeline.
“By now, everyone in the world must know the will of those who supported Windermere, cough! So I hope you will leave the remaining matters to us.”
“Ahem! Your words are excessive, Young Master! Do you think we moved while being drawn by some personal purpose?”
A middle-aged noble feigned anger.
Rowen didn't even know who he was or where he was from.
He was someone not very important.
“Are you not?”
“W-what did you say just now……!”
The gazes of the nobles turned to Isaac, who was sitting next to Rowen.
There was silent pressure that he, who had called them together, shouldn't stay silently with his mouth shut.
“Ah, everyone please calm down. As you have seen and heard, the Mercenary King accounts for more than half of the Springeus camp's strength. If we only take him down, the tide of victory will surely tilt toward us.”
Isaac stepped forward. Because a single minor slip of the tongue could offend their feelings, his tone was cautious.
“But as you all know, the Mercenary King is no ordinary opponent. Therefore, while Young Master Rowen ties him down, it seems much safer and more reasonable for you all to take care of the rest.”
Isaac slowly stood up from his seat.
He added his opinion while pointing to the terrain map the staff officers had used a moment ago.
“Ultimately, the subject of this fight is the Windermere family. Therefore, it is only proper to follow the will of Windermere.”
Adeline, who had been silent all along, finally spoke. the chaotic atmosphere was settled at once.
She was effectively in a position representing the nobles.
“However, let us not move rashly, and instead judge after seeing how they step forward first. Regardless of who faces the Mercenary King.”
It was a sound argument.
Isaac nodded his head.
“I agree with Your Grace's words.”
The other nobles did not raise any objections either. She was the victor of the Conwell civil war.
No one here had experienced a war of that scale.
Since both her position and experience were overwhelming, no one dared to cross her.
Isaac looked back and forth between the nobles who couldn't even make a sound and Adeline.
‘She's to this extent even without Bihen Benkou.’
While I was secretly marveling, he himself was in a state where he didn't notice at all that Adeline was looking at him.
‘…….’
A look of interest flashed in Adeline's bright blue eyes.
Before coming to the meeting, she had heard a message urgently from Bolero.
It was the news that Bihen Benkou had headed for Springeus.
‘If Bihen moved, there must be a reason.’
Adeline believed firmly in that point.
The only thing to do now was to buy time for Bihen.
***
It's funny to say it with my own mouth, but I brought about a larger ripple than I expected.
It wasn't unreasonable that these people were flustered.
An Imperial ronin who appeared out of nowhere told them to stop the war all of a sudden,
Pointed out the hereditary disease they had been suffering from,
To the question of what my identity was, I said I was some Cult Leader,
And finally, I even mentioned my ties with Luke, the symbolic figure produced by their family.
After that single word, the room seethed once again.
In the end, the Family Head reached the point of asking me to give them time.
They had to reach a conclusion through a meeting among family members about how to accept me, and it seemed they didn't want to show that process in front of me.
Consequently, I ended up being under something like house arrest, yet not quite.
Well, it's not something to be angry about.
Rather, it's correct for me to yield a step as well if I want to show my sincerity to them.
From the moment I came here, I had made up my mind to endure things like insulting words or uncomfortable situations anyway.
Besides, it's a luxurious annex.
It seemed to be a place to host external VIPs who visited the family.
“Please tell me whenever you need anything.”
The person in charge of attending to me during my stay was someone whose tone and attitude showed quite a bit of refinement. He seemed to be a servant who specialized in such hospitality.
Thanks to that, I felt at ease.
‘Then shall I rest for a few days.’
……That plan of mine was shattered the very next morning.
I was woken up by the servant's voice heard from outside the door.
“Mister, are you awake.”
“What is the matter?”
“Sir Richardson wishes to see you.”
……Who is that.
“He is the grandson of the sister of the previous-previous Family Head, and a member of the Council of Elders.”
If it's the previous-previous Family Head, it would probably be someone around the grandfather of the current Family Head.
Roughly, it seemed he was a distant person from a branch line who stayed in the Council of Elders and looked after family matters without branching out.
But what business could that person have with me from early in the morning…….
I prepared roughly and let them inside.
Richardson came in following behind the servant.
He was holding some small kid in his hand.
She looked not even ten years old yet.
“What is it?”
“…….”
While asking while looking at the kid, a yawn escaped me without me realizing it.
Honestly, it's too early.
However, the attire of the two was the problem.
Richardson looked to be in his mid-to-late thirties, and he was wearing clothes that were excessively neat and formal.
His hair, slicked back neatly with fragrant oil, was shiny, and his clothes and shoes were clean without a single speck of dust.
The small kid next to him, presumed to be his daughter, was the same. It was to the point that I would believe it even if they said it was an outfit for going to some ceremony.
‘He's determined to put pressure on me on purpose.’
So that I wouldn't be able to kick them out from the door.
Sure enough, Richardson bowed his head politely all of a sudden.
“Bihen Benkou. I am the grandson of the grandfather of the current Family Head, and the previous-previous Family Head—”
“Ah, the introduction is enough. What business did you come for?”
“…….”
Richardson pushed the child's shoulder and said in a low voice.
“Could you take a look at this child's condition.”
No matter how hard he tried to hide it, it couldn't be helped.
Desperation was seeping through his voice.
I stared at Richardson blankly.
‘…….’
I naturally felt stifled.
As if noticing my gaze, Richardson shook his head.
“I am alright. Because I also know well enough that I don't have much of my life left.”
My gaze slid downward.
My eyes met with the child's.
She stared at me blankly, perhaps finding my appearance, which was slightly different from ordinary Kingdom people, to be fascinating.
‘Whew.’
Is it a blessing from heaven, or a curse, that a father and daughter might leave the world on the same day at the same hour.