Chapter 225: Robert’s Request
“It’s such an incredible coincidence…”
“However, it seems to be the truth. With so much matching information, it’s harder to believe he is someone else.”
After being thoroughly questioned about Chirik, Tigar and Decius crossed their arms and groaned in disbelief. Even I who had met him in person was astounded by such great coincidence. It was no wonder the two found it hard to believe.
But the truth was, there was enough information to make them accept the reality of things. It wasn’t as if he had come forward on his own; the fact that we had met by chance reinforced the authenticity of this story.
“So, what are we going to do? I’m not even sure if it’s right to call him your son…but are we going to take him with us?”
“No, that’s not what he wants. He has people he can call family, even though they’re not related by blood. He would be happier with them than with someone who is connected by blood with him through strange means.”
Chirik called Magna, the leader of the children, “big brother”. This meant that, to him, the people inside those walls were his true family.
I couldn’t imagine that being torn away from his family would make Chirik happy. That’s why I chose not to forcefully take him away, but rather to fulfill his wishes.
“It’s better to respect his wishes. But I must admit, I was surprised by what he wanted.”
“Indeed. He’s only four or five years old, right? Leo didn’t start training on his own at that age.”
“There’s no doubt he’s much smarter than other children his age. If he were physically stronger, he would have been the leader of the children, no doubt about that.”
Decius and Tigar were also amazed by Chirik’s intelligence. Chirik’s current age was almost the same as Lappy’s when I first met her. This just went to show how brave and intelligent he was to negotiate with me, an adult, at an age when he should be most pampered by his parents.
While we were discussing Chirik, I sensed that Liselotte and the other two returned. It seemed that Hilda and Chris were carrying some bags; they had apparently been sightseeing around the royal capital and had done some shopping as well.
“The young ladies have returned… huh?”
“Gina is coming. Does she need something?”
The man who seemed to be the head of the Rowell family came down from the mansion with Gina to greet Liselotte and the others outside. From the way Lieselotte greeted him, it was clear that this person was indeed the head of the Rowell family. This meant he was probably the son of the lady she called “great aunt”. He could be said to be a distant relative of Liselotte.
The family head took Liselotte and the other two upstairs, but Gina, for some reason, started walking towards us. It seemed she had something to discuss with us. We quickly wrapped up our conversation, and I put on the iron mask that was on the table. Right after that, she knocked on my room’s door.
“Come in.”
“Excuse me. It seems you’re all here. I apologize for the sudden intrusion, but the master wishes to meet with you.”
“The master… The head of this house wants to meet us?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Gina’s statement was quite unexpected. We were merely hired by Liselotte and, to the Rowell family, we should only be seen as suspicious mercenaries. Why would the head of the house want to meet us?
Perhaps he was trying to get rid of the suspicious mercenaries trying to ingratiate themselves with Lieseotte, who was a distant relative of his. If this was the case, we would need to find new lodging… but where should we go then?
“Please be assured. I have informed the master of your general abilities and that you pose us no harm. On hearing that, he said that there was something he would like to tell you all.”
“I see… Understood.”
Just as we had assessed Gina’s capabilities, it seemed she had also gauged ours. And for reasons unknown, she did not suspect us of harboring any hostile intentions or schemes. This was fortunate for us, yet utterly puzzling.
As for the family head’s request for a meeting, our only sensible option was to accept. The man was a noble and moreover, a distant relative of our employer Liselotte, who had also arranged our lodgings. Declining his invitation would not only be an insult to the family head but would also inconvenience Liselotte. The idea of refusal was never even an option.
“After dinner, I will call upon you again. The meal is prepared; would you prefer to dine in your room? If so, I will bring it later.”
“That would be appreciated. I’d rather not show my face too much.”
“Understood.”
After I pointed to my iron mask and responded, Gina bowed and left without looking back. Once her presence faded from the vicinity, we resumed our discussion. The focus of the discussion was on the Rawell family head’s intentions and how we should respond.
“I wonder why we’ve been summoned.”
“If they’ve figured out we can fight, maybe they’re interested in our skills?”
“It’s certainly likely, but he might simply want to have a conversation. Let’s not jump to conclusions and keep an open mind.”
The purpose of the family head wanting to meet with us, just like Tigar suggested, was most likely our combat power. However, Decius cautioned that if we assumed this was the only reason, we might be surprised if it turned out otherwise. He had a point, so I resolved to keep an open mind as much as possible.
A while later, Gina arrived with our meal. The menu consisted of bread, soup, and grilled meat sprinkled with herbs. Whether this was considered luxurious might vary from person to person, but it was certainly more than sufficient for a meal served to mercenaries brought by a distant relative.
Since there was no unpleasant smell of poison, it appeared that the family head intended to treat us hospitably. This led me to believe that the upcoming conversation with him would not be anything strange. While I was thinking of this, Gina arrived at my room after we had finished our dinner.
For the meeting with the family head, Gina wanted not just me but the entire group, including Tigar and Decius, to come. This was convenient for me as it saved the effort of explaining everything to them later.
“Master, I have brought the guests.”
The room Gina led us to was different from the one where I had greeted the lady with Liselotte. Upon entering, the first thing that caught my eye was an abundance of books. The walls of the room were entirely lined with bookshelves that were filled with impressively bound volumes arranged neatly in rows.
Apparently, this was the study of the family head. While I was curious about the books, now was not the time for such thoughts. I forced my mind away from the books and focused instead on a person who was busy writing something on a document while sitting at a heavy, well-worn, antique desk.
“Oh, you’re earlier than expected. I’ve heard about you. My name is Robert Rowell. I am the head of the Rowell family, and I serve as the Minister of Finance for this country.”
“…My name is Antares. I came here because you called me.”
The head of the Rowell family looked up from his documents and stood up, walking towards us with a warm smile. Then he reached out his hand and asked for a handshake.
His friendliness was more than I had expected, and I was slightly taken aback. However, I shook Robert’s hand, responding as planned. As I had sensed from the vibrations earlier, his hand bore calluses typical of someone who regularly wielded a weapon. Though he appeared slim, his body was well-toned. He looked to be a person who never skipped his daily training.
What surprised me, however, was that he was the Minister of Finance, which was a high-ranking position in the nation. What could such a heavyweight in the kingdom want with mere mercenaries like us?
“First, I would like to express my gratitude. I didn’t have many opportunities to meet Liselotte, but her father—my cousin—and I were very close, almost like best friends. I am deeply thankful to you for having escorted her until now and for agreeing to escort her back to her homeland.”
Robert made us sit on what seemed to be reception chairs positioned at the center of his study, then assumed a serious expression and expressed his gratitude. However, it was a coincidence that we protected Liselotte, and the reason we accepted the escort request was because it would be of great benefit to us.
Therefore, I didn’t believe his gratitude was warranted to such an extent. I shook my head and replied that there was no need for thanks.
“There’s no need for thanks, Your Excellency. Since we have an agreement to receive compensation from Lady Liselotte, escorting her is merely our duty.”
“Hmm, you’re as humble as Liselotte said. A more cunning and greedy mercenary might have used polite words to demand more payment.”
“Your humility was why I felt you guys could be trusted with the task,” Robert added. However, it seemed he was not referring to the task of escorting Liselotte. I wondered what he was planning to entrust to us and waited for him to speak.
“You’re aware that an evening party is being held the day after tomorrow, aren’t you? I heard my mother invited Liselotte in front of you.”
“Yes, I am aware.”
“I’d like you to join the security team for the party.”
Security for a party? Why would he ask us? And wouldn’t a noble’s party already have adequate security?
It was natural for me to be curious, and Robert seemed to understand this. He explained the reason for his request as follows.
“I’ve heard you were shopping in the royal capital. So, you must have heard some rumors, right? About how, despite its peaceful appearance, there are various undercurrents in this city.”
“Yes, we have heard various rumors related to the refugees.”
“Exactly, that’s it. There’s been some concerning information. About how some discontented refugees are planning to attack the party.”
“Is that… true?”
It was indeed true that among the refugees, there were rumors of factions harboring discontent and planning to incite riots. However, these were just rumors; no one had ever met a member of such a force. Personally, I imagined it to be a group that didn’t actually exist.
I found it hard to believe that such individuals would really take action. Yet, standing before me, Robert didn’t seem to be joking. He looked to be genuinely concerned.
“The information comes from the garrison responsible for guarding the royal capital, so I don’t think it’s an implausible story. Security has already been arranged, but I believe having more manpower is better. I’ll inform them about you in advance, and you’re free to move as you wish. What do you say? Of course, you’ll be compensated for this task, even if nothing happens.”
“…Understood. We’ll take the job.”
Even if an attack were to occur, I think it would be fine as long as Chris and Hilda were there, but it seemed Robert wanted us as additional insurance. Even if it turned out to be a false alarm, it would still mean extra income for us.
The decisive factor for me was the freedom to act as we pleased. Falling under someone else’s command would inevitably lead to complications, and being independent would allow us to give our best. And so, I accepted Robert’s request and agreed to join the security team for the evening party.
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