“What!”
Baron Nolson, the lord of the small city, received unexpected news while enjoying a solitary dinner.
“Who came to visit?”
“The, the Hero, they say.”
“That’s nonsense! Why would the Hero be here?”
Baron Nolson moved under Duke West’s orders, but that didn’t mean the Duke explained much to him.
Because of that, the Baron only knew the Duke was monitoring the Hero’s movements, but didn’t know well what happened after.
There was no way the incompetent Hero imprisoned would have escaped… which meant the person who sent the Hero was the Duke…
“Hieek!”
The color drained from the Baron’s face.
Leaving someone the Duke sent standing outside this long wasn’t the right choice.
“Hurry… why aren’t you hurrying to let the Hero inside!”
The Baron hastily brought the Hero and his party into the castle. Blond hair and blue eyes, even the familiar face resembling Duke West. It was definitely the Hero.
Baron Nolson glanced at the black-haired man following behind the Hero rather than the Hero himself. He was surely the Duke’s person monitoring the Hero.
Then what the Baron needed to look good to wasn’t the Hero but his companion. The Baron greeted Jake and Klad with a beaming smile, thinking his eyes substituted for the Duke’s gaze.
“Oh my, Hero-nim! You must have had a hard time coming such a long way. I’ve prepared refreshments, please come this way.”
It was Jake who was flustered by the Baron bowing and scraping.
‘What’s going on?’
What Jake expected was the Baron’s shocked appearance at the Hero’s sudden visit.
He never imagined he’d be welcomed as if expected. Jake grew anxious at the Baron’s attitude, which seemed like he knew he would come.
‘Don’t tell me… Father is watching me.’
If so, it was serious. All of this could be a trap.
“Kla—”
“Now, now. This way.”
Jake, who was about to suggest they return for today, headed to the reception room as if pushed before he could even open his mouth. Klad also noticed Jake’s hardened face but just thought he was nervous and didn’t pay much attention.
Rather, there was something else Klad needed to pay attention to.
‘A rat is hiding.’
In a hidden space in the reception room ceiling, a mage with a communication crystal sphere was concealing himself.
Communication crystal spheres that help exchange conversation even from far away are expensive objects. Since they require a mage’s help, high-level personnel, each time they’re used, even among nobles there were few who used crystal spheres. Yet such a small city had both a crystal sphere and a mage together. Clearly some high person planted them there out of necessity.
For example, a Duke.
*Snap,*
Klad cut off the flow of mana heading to the magic crystal sphere just by nodding toward the ceiling. The mage, who had planned to inform Duke West of the Hero’s arrival and transmit the entire conversation in the reception room, became unable to do anything.
“This is tea that’s popular in our territory these days. You must be tired from the long journey, so please have a cup of tea and rest from your travels.”
Baron Nolson bowed so low his belly nearly touched the ground. Though he was the Hero, it was excessive treatment for dealing with a young duke who hadn’t yet received a title.
Klad, worried poison might have been added, looked down at the teacup the Baron prepared. The tea and refreshments said to be popular here were things that swept through the capital until a few years ago. Looking at them, a thought suddenly occurred.
Baron Nolson was… just slow with news, wasn’t he?
‘He doesn’t even know the Hero escaped from the Duke’s castle?’
It was quite possible. Duke West wouldn’t have explained everything even to subordinates entrusted with important missions.
Not knowing that would become his own downfall.
“I’m grateful for the tea, but now isn’t the time for this.”
“P-perhaps I did something wrong…”
Baron Nolson fidgeted restlessly, unable to sit still even at Jake’s meaningless remark.
How grateful that he’s using all his strength to show he knows nothing like that.
Klad, who had been standing like a knight protecting his master, took a step forward and placed his hand on the shoulder of Jake, who sat in the guest chair.
‘From now on, listen well without reacting.’
Despite Klad’s warning, Jake was startled and tried to turn his head.
‘I said don’t react.’
Jake froze in an awkward position, unable to turn to look at Klad or straighten his body.
Klad’s voice was echoing in his head, not by his ear. Seeing Baron Nolson sitting across from him show no reaction, it seemed this sound was only audible to him.
Was this magic too?
Magic that transmitted thoughts instead of speaking words aloud didn’t look easy at all.
While Jake was reevaluating Klad’s skills, the voice in his head spoke again.
‘That guy doesn’t know you escaped the underground prison and fled.’
Jake forgot about not reacting and immediately answered.
“No way.”
“Y-yes?”
Only Baron Nolson, who couldn’t understand Jake’s action, rolled his eyes and watched carefully.
‘Don’t answer.’
Instead of answering, Jake made a serious expression. From his appearance, he seemed to believe his thoughts would be transmitted too, and was recalling what he wanted to say in his head. It was behavior befitting someone whose understanding of magic was less than a bean.
‘If you don’t believe my words, ask directly.’
With those words, Klad removed his hand from Jake’s shoulder. Jake glanced at Klad, then soon turned to sit properly.
It was a different atmosphere from moments ago when he’d been shrinking his shoulders in tension.
“Did you not hear from Father that I was coming?”
Oh, excellent question selection.
Baron Nolson’s gaze toward Jake changed with just one question.
“I-I’m sorry. As you know, the mage Duke-nim sent is still inexperienced, so there are often errors in communication connection.”
“Are you blaming Father for not sending a proper mage?”
“N-no! Absolutely not!”
Having grasped the entire situation in that short time, Jake pressed the Baron without hesitation. Baron Nolson bowed as if he would even kneel before Jake, trembling.
“What should I do, Hero-nim!”
“Is the work Father ordered you to proceed with going well?”
“Y-yes, yes. Of course.”
“The village?”
“I’m managing it well. Though the number of bait has drastically decreased recently…”
Klad’s eyes grew fierce upon realizing the ‘bait’ the Baron mentioned were the village residents. The Baron, who misunderstood Klad as a knight sent by the Duke, took that gaze as criticism for not handling work properly and didn’t know what to do.
“I-I’ll fill in personnel from elsewhere right away! I’ll make sure there’s no disruption to the plan!”
Jake barely continued the next conversation, suppressing his desire to ask what that plan was.
“As you might have guessed from my coming here, there’s been a change in plans.”
“A-a change?”
“The demons…”
To prevent any possible slip of the tongue, Jake trailed off instead of asking directly and waited for the Baron’s reaction.
“There are five secured, about three that can be lured. Including the one set aside to send to the village in four days, it’s about nine.”
Jake sighed as if deeply troubled.
“Hmm.”
“The number is v-very small, isn’t it? It couldn’t be helped. Perhaps because the Demon King isn’t actively moving, the demons aren’t wandering around…”
“Sending demons to the village must be stopped.”
“Pardon?”
“All the remaining demons have become necessary.”
Jake stood up without giving the Baron time to ask questions.
“You must know well what happened in the capital.”
“Yees…”
He looked completely unaware.
“Father has decided to present me as the real Hero.”
“T-the Duke has…?”
“Do you think I’m falsely conveying Father’s words?”
“N-no! Not at all!”
Each time Jake emphasized the word ‘Father,’ Baron Nolson’s shoulders trembled. His fear toward Duke West further scattered the Baron’s already practically nonexistent judgment.
Baron Nolson rushed at him as if to cling to Jake’s pant leg.
“What should I do?”
“Father expects me to eliminate demons under the Hero’s name and elevate our family’s prestige with that.”
“S-so the Hero… no, Hero-nim came all the way here personally… But…”
Baron Nolson hesitated for a long while over whether it was okay to say what would follow, then carefully spoke while watching Jake’s reaction.
“Hero-nim doesn’t have the ability to face demons.”
“Are you doubting Father’s judgment in sending me here right now?”
“N-no! Absolutely not. I was just asking in case there were more duties I should help Hero-nim with… that’s why I asked, yes.”
“Of course I don’t have the ability to face demons. So…”
Jake smiled deeply and pointed to Klad standing by his side.
“Father attached an excellent talent to me.”
“Ah…! As expected!”
It was the moment the hypothesis that he sent a trustworthy knight together as the Hero’s monitor became certain.
Baron Nolson sent sparkling eyes toward him, hoping he would give a good evaluation about himself when Klad made his report.
Klad, who was already annoyed at being treated as Duke West’s subordinate, became twice as displeased.
