CHAPTER 40

The unwelcome guests have all departed, and now the only ones remaining in the mansion are Josef and his people.

The only true guest was Bayezid, who came from the north, so Alicia prepared a farewell party for them on the day of their departure.

In her heart, she wanted to host a grand banquet, but now was the time for the Hainal family to barely mend the broken rift.

Knowing this situation, Josef subtly let slip a few words in advance, allowing Alicia to arrange the current situation without any burden.

"The squire of Bayezid, Vlad of Shoara, comes forward in front of Lady Alicia."

At the call of Duncan, who was still wearing bandages, the boy stepped forward looking a little bewildered.

Because he had not heard anything from Josef or Zayar about this.

"On your knee... No, the left one. That's right, just kneel."

Watching Vlad awkwardly kneel and give a bow at Duncan's gesture, Alicia couldn't help but smile mischievously.

Although she wanted to tease him a bit more, the situation was such that she couldn't help it.

"Thank you very much, Vlad of Shoara. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here now."

In the small ceremony discussed only by Alicia and Duncan, people in the hall started to murmur little by little.

"Thank you for protecting my honor and even brightened up a duel full of fraud, so no amount of gratitude can be enough. Therefore..."

She already paid a generous price for borrowing Zayar.

However, Alicia wanted to give something directly equivalent to the price for the boy.

As dramatic and grateful as it was.

In the midst of the ceremony, Alicia took out a handkerchief she had neatly folded in her bosom.

A handkerchief embroidered with something in golden silk on purple fabric.

Even just looking at it, it was undoubtedly a handkerchief made of extremely luxurious silk that reflected light without a single wrinkle.

"You may not be a knight, but on that day, you were more honorable than any knight. I would like to entrust my name to you, Vlad of Shoara."

"······!"

The vassals of the Hainal family were shocked to see Alicia handing the boy a handkerchief with her name engraved on it, but Josef, who silently listened to her words, nodded quietly.

"Well."

Because he noticed why Alicia was handing the handkerchief to Vlad.

She's a smart woman.

She wants to prove the relationship between Bayezid and Hainal by sharing a promising young man named Vlad.

Expressing gratitude and at the same time gaining benefits – it was indeed the best move.

'In that case.'

Josef was understandably dissatisfied with the ceremony that had been suddenly arranged without his knowledge, but he allowed it to proceed because it was at least not a loss.

If he had known that something would happen shortly afterward, he would have naturally intervened.

"······."

Looking at Alicia intending to hand the handkerchief to him, Vlad thought.

'If a noble gives, one must accept. That is courtesy.'

The words Zayar had said were deeply ingrained in Vlad's mind.

'I can't afford to be beaten again.'

Remember how embarrassed he was when he first arrived at the Bayezid mansion and refused the peanuts Rutger offered.

So, if he didn't accept the handkerchief now, it would undoubtedly be a lack of courtesy towards her.

He might also get hit by Zayar again.

"Thank you, Lady Alicia."

Therefore, he decided to accept it.

Politely with both hands, following the best etiquette he knew.

"······!"

It happened so naturally that no one could stop the action.

Alicia could not hide her surprised expression as she looked at Vlad who took the handkerchief with both hands.

"······?"

Around this time, Vlad was wondering as he looked at the light-colored haired woman whose face was becoming increasingly red.

"That, well. I mean, it's not like that."

The face of Duncan, the old knight next to her, distorted greatly and he began to stutter.

"Oh, I see. I didn't know."

Even Josef sighed, realizing his own mistake.

The boy who grew up in the back alleys had little knowledge of the noble world.

"Well... Will you use it well?"

Not understanding why Alicia was making a big deal out of a mere handkerchief, Vlad just rolled his eyes in confusion.

A handkerchief with Lady Alicia's name embroidered on it.

There were two ways for a lady to give a handkerchief, symbolizing her honor.

One way was to tie it to the tip of a sword.

And the other way was to hand it from hand to hand.

Vlad had just received her name using the latter method.

※※※※

On the way back to Sturma, leaving Deomar.

"······."

Josef, sitting inside the carriage, couldn't hold back his laughter from earlier.

"It was truly an awkward feeling that I haven't felt in a long time. Of course, my mistake was significant."

"······I apologize."

Now that Vlad knew the situation, he couldn't lift his head since he got on the carriage.

It was truly an inexplicable mistake.

"Like the peanuts last time, why do you make such a fuss every time you receive something?"

Zayar, who was riding a horse alongside the carriage, began growling at Vlad as if he had been waiting.

"Just... because she gave it to me."

"Why did you awkwardly crawl up to her with both hands, picking it up, when you were already kneeling?"

"······Because I thought nobles shouldn't move."

"Sigh······."

Zayar sighed loudly while massaging his temples.

There was nothing to say about not knowing in the first place.

And since he did what he was told, there was nothing more to say.

He could only let his frustration burn inward.

Zayar has now realized that in order to grow something properly, pain and patience like now are needed.

"Just look at me first when you receive something from nobles in the future! Got it?"

"······."

In response to Zayar's yelling, Vlad simply lowered his head without saying a word.

Receiving a handkerchief with a lady's name on it had two significant meanings.

One was for honor.

The other was for love.

When a knight received honor, he would present his scabbard, and the lady would tie the handkerchief herself.

It was an act so simple that in some cases a mother would hand it to her son.

However, if it was received hand to hand, it was different.

It held a meaning of encouragement exclusively for a lover.

"I guess the bards around here won't have to worry about making a living for a while."

Josef, who claimed to have been laughing for the longest time in recent days, began to massage the muscles of his face that had stiffened from the prolonged smile.

"Well, congratulations on being promoted to an Associate Knight."

"Associate knight?"

Vlad asked back, reacting sensitively to the words in Josef's words.

"Yeah, you're a man who received the honor of Lady Alicia, a noblewoman. At least in places where her name carries weight, you can expect treatment similar to that of a knight."

A knight.

A knight!

Vlad, who was just feeling down moments ago, started to show signs of life in his blue eyes for the first time in a while.

"Well, now that she has just become a baroness, at least in Deomar, you can be acknowledged almost like a knight under her name."

"Ahh······."

That's why he says he is an associate knight, not a knight.

The emotions that seemed like they would overflow at any moment quickly cooled down.

'That's right. It couldn't have been that easy.'

Since Vlad had unintentionally met only great knights, he would not have accepted it sincerely even if a knighthood were bestowed on him now.

Because he knew very well that he was still lacking a lot to be in the same position as them.

"Tsk."

Vlad felt a sense of regret and fiddled with the handkerchief Alicia gave him.

The soft texture was quite pleasant to touch.

"You should cherish that handkerchief she gave you. While you made a mistake while receiving it, you now know its significance, so make sure not to lose it."

"What happens if I lose it?"

Josef shrugged his shoulders and answered Vlad's innocent question.

"You have to handle it yourself. It became such a thing because you accepted it with both hands."

"...I must absolutely not lose it."

Hearing Josef's response, Vlad tucked the handkerchief that Alicia had given him deep into his chest. 

Because it was the first time in his life that he had received something that had to be treated with care, his heart began to feel heavy.

"Well, the end was awkward, but thanks to you, things went well. Now, I don't need this anymore."

Josef took out a piece of paper and waved it in front of Vlad. It was a piece of paper with tiny letters written on it.

"Once again, thanks for your hard work. Things didn't get complicated thanks to you."

"What is this?"

In response to Vlad's question, Josef handed over the now useless paper. 

It explained the essence of the incident and revealed the position the boy had been in. It was a kind of lesson and a reward for Vlad.

"It's a document in case you lose in a duel."

"Ah..."

Taking the paper Josef handed him, Vlad recalled the events of that day. 

Josef had asked him to endure for just ten minutes, mentioning that he had prepared something.

"A...borrowing certificate?"

Thanks to Haven, Vlad had learned to recognize letters, and he stumbled through the contents written on the paper.

"Still, I praise you for learning to read. Good job."

"Thank you."

As Vlad responded to Josef's praise, he continued reading down to the bottom of the paper, where there was a place for a signature.

'Alicia?'

The person lending the money was Alicia Hainal.

The amount was...

'Ten thousand gold!'

Vlad, who discovered an astonishing amount, widened his eyes and looked at Josef in disbelief.

His master, sitting across from him, was smiling darkly.

"It was a means to secure her recruits in case she lost the duel. I didn't actually rent it, but that's the idea."

Joseph, pulling out the paper from Vlad, continued the explanation.

"If Alicia were to lose to Ender, she had decided to surrender herself."

If Alicia had lost to Ender, she would probably be dead.

From Ender's point of view, he wouldn't have wanted to leave even a single seed behind.

Therefore, Joseph established a justification to secure her before Ender.

And even had the coercive power to execute that justification.

"Why did you bother bringing Alicia? You knew she would lose her right of succession if she lost the duel, right?"

Vlad asked, feeling a strange emotion that made him sentimental when he called her name.

"Well, that's true."

Joseph put the paper, which was the certificate, back into his pocket and spoke.

"However, a justification is like a spark hidden in a pile of ash. If it meets the wind just right, you can revive it at any time."

Even if Ender became the new Baron of Hainal family, he would feel great pressure as long as Alicia was in the hands of Bayezid.

Because a justification is such a thing.

It was like an arrow that could come flying at any moment.

"I see."

The boy, who somewhat understood the world of nobles, was impressed.

It seemed like now he understood why nobles live by holding onto justifications.

"In that case, can I eventually have a rematch with Sir Pablo?"

"... Yes?"

According to what Vlad had just learned, as long as Ender was alive, the spark of the right of succession was still alive.

If so, someday there might be a day when I face Pablo of Arnstein.

Vlad asked Josef with that in mind, but for some reason the answer he received was only a lukewarm and ambiguous answer.

When Vlad looked puzzled by Joseph's reaction, Zayar suddenly spoke from outside the window.

"Lord Josef, unidentified individuals are approaching us."

"The color of their clothes?"

"Black attire with blue scarves around their arms."

Upon Zayar's report, Josef nodded.

"Alright. Send a signal."

"Yes."

In response to Josef's command, Zayar signaled Vordan.

Bee-ee-eeing-!

An old and chubby knight took out a horn and blew it with all his might. The sound was thin and sharp, a sound only trained individuals could recognize. It was a signal that only someone with keen hearing like Vlad could pick up.

Bee-ee-eeing-

Or, it was a sound that only Vlad, who had sensitive hearing, could hear.

"The answer has arrived."

"Okay. As a result, I ended up using it for other purposes."

"...?"

While Vlad, who couldn't participate in the conversation, stared at the two alternately, the men in black clothing began to approach on horseback from a distance. The men approached in an instant without any time to move, as if they were guarding the road.

"We were a bit late, as we were collecting a fair fee. Lord Josef."

"Good job."

Among them, the one who seemed to be the leader approached the carriage without any obstruction, handing Josef a black bundle and asking a question.

"Is it this guy?"

"Yeah."

"There are already rumors spreading around the area."

"Please be cute to him later."

Although Vlad realized that the unfamiliar man was an ally by the casual conversation with Josef, he couldn't hide the tension in his expression.

Now that Vlad has created his own world, he has felt a new sensation that he didn't feel before. So, the man in front of him was giving off enough energy to be wary.

With numerous scars covering his face and an unmistakably dangerous smell lingering around him, instinctively spoke to Vlad, warning him not to let his guard down around the man in black.

"Shall we go together?"

"We need to return a bit faster."

"It's a pity. Thank you for your hard work."

"We were just fulfilling our duties as Bayezid's swords."

Following the signal from the man covered in scars, the men in black clothing began to disperse with disciplined movements, resembling a well-trained army.

"Well, you were actually looking forward to the duel, but it seems it's not happening."

"Yes?"

While Vlad was distracted watching the men approach like the wind and leave abruptly, Josef opened the bundle given by the man in black and subtly smiled.

"It seems you'll need a different excuse to see your lady again, rather than a duel."

"....."

Vlad felt a chilling undertone in Josef's joke.

The sensation he had become familiar with in the back alleys.

Cautiously, Vlad opened the black bundle that Josef had handed him. A familiar smell accompanied by damp energy.

"······I guess so."

The black bundle that Vlad opened contained the world of nobility.

Ruthless, cruel, and unforgiving.

The man who had played a trick on the Bayezid family, Ender, was there.

With eyes wide open that Vlad couldn't bear to close.