Chapter 22

“What is this strange feeling?”

Serpens’s eyebrow twitched.

A day had passed since they revisited Oratio because of Lucas’s whim.
After lying on the inn bed for a while.
The boy faced the stifling feeling wriggling inside his heart.

Was it because he was training in a cramped space?
He did not need a large space to practice only one movement.
Was it because he could not go outside the inn?
Rather, not going out was comfortable and nice.

Then what in the world was the problem?
Serpens had no way of knowing.

“Whatever.”

He grabbed his sword again to sort out his thoughts.
He had already grown used to his trembling arms.

Whoosh-

When the sword moved, the curtain blocking the sunlight fluttered.

“Kkehek!”

Dust rose along with it.
Serpens coughed noisily.

After coughing hard enough to gag, the boy soon stared blankly into the air.
After thinking for a moment, Serpens soon opened the door to the inn room.

‘Let’s just eat. Eat.’

The few coins Lucas had tossed him, saying he was going to meet the emperor.
It was not enough to order food until his stomach burst, but it was enough to take care of the day’s meals.
Now Serpens was satisfied even with that much.

Eating until his stomach burst was not a good thing.
Filling his stomach moderately.
That was the most ideal meal.

It was only a few days ago that he had realized that fact.
It was after the incident where he stuffed all kinds of meat into his mouth and threw it all up.

“If you get greedy, your stomach will burst.”

Serpens hummed as he went down the stairs.
As he trotted down, the wooden stairs creaked.

The first floor of the inn had not changed.
Drunk people.
People enjoying their leisure.
People laughing.
People sobbing.
And busy employees.

The inn that had seemed fascinating when he first saw it no longer felt particularly amusing.

“Could I get one chicken leg that came to its senses in the tiger’s den?”
“Yes! We will prepare one chicken leg that came to its senses in the tiger’s den!”

Serpens laughed softly.
It was not because of the menu names he could never get used to no matter how many times he saw them.

He found it funny that he had gotten used to this kind of luxurious life.

A life where he could eat when he wanted to eat, and sleep when he wanted to sleep.
It was astonishing that he was living a life that was natural to some and like a dream to others.

‘I couldn’t even imagine this two months ago.’

Serpens took a seat and propped up his chin.
He no longer felt the stifling feeling he had felt in the room.
As expected, people became happy when they ate foo-.

Clatter.

Step. Step.

The inn door opened, and two armored guards entered.

“Is there perhaps a boy staying here who looks like this?”

The server smoothly handed over information about Serpens.
On it was a boy drawn exactly like Serpens.

“Ah! If it is this child, he’s over there…… or he was.”

The place the employee pointed to was clearly the table where Serpens had taken a seat.
But no one was sitting there.

“Why did those bastards come here?”

Serpens had swiftly lowered himself and hidden.
His heart began to pound for the first time in a while.

The boy had not seen the paper they handed over.
The reason Serpens hid himself was simply instinct.
It was an automatic, reflexive instinct engraved into his body over the past ten or so years.

That instinct continued to prod the boy.

“There is a room where this child is staying. Go upstairs, and it is the second room on the left.”

The employee smoothly handed over information about Serpens.
He was busy, and he had no time to deal with the guards on top of that.

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

The guards moved upstairs.

‘Second room on the left upstairs? That’s my room.’

Serpens’s head began to work explosively.

Was there anything important upstairs?
No, there definitely was not.
Forget important items, there was hardly anything there at all.

Both Lucas and the boy only carried around swords and money.
Lucas was not upstairs, and his own sword and money were all on him.

Then what he had to do here was clear.

“Let’s fucking run.”

Kudangtang-

At the same time as the sound of a chair falling over, Serpens went out the door.

“Uh, uh! Kid!”

Seeing that, the server called out to the boy, flustered.

Serpens didn’t look back.
Until he had some room to spare, the best plan was to run without looking back.

If there was a problem with running away, it was that he was not familiar with the geography here.
He had to run only far enough that he would not get lost.

The boy chose to run straight ahead.
He planned to go forward and hide if there was a decent spot.

“Huu…….”

After running for a few minutes, he found a suitable alley.
Catching his rough breath, Serpens looked back the way he had come.

“Damn. Running after so long is tiring.”

The guards were nowhere to be seen.

‘But why did they come looking for me?’

The conversation between the employee and the guards.
They had clearly been looking for the boy, not Lucas.

He had done countless wrong things in the past.
But those had only ever happened in a village called Satus.
He had never done anything wrong enough to be chased all the way to the imperial capital.

“……Hmm.”

Only one thing came to mind.
What had happened at that merchant house called Quantums or whatever.

“Tsk. They sure know how to hold a grudge.”

Was it because he had used up stamina on an unexpected situation?
His stomach, which had not been particularly hungry, became hungry.

“Tsk. I was curious what kind of dish it would be.”

Every inn had dishes with distinctive names.
A chicken leg that came to its senses in the tiger’s den.
The menu item he had ordered before rushing out was one example.

“Anyway, where is that guy and what is he do-.”

Step.

Familiar footsteps sounded.
A small but weighty step.

“I believe I told you not to leave the inn.”

It was Lucas.

“Ahyu. If you knew what happened at the inn, you wouldn’t be able to say that.”

Serpens grumbled.
To think the first thing he said after seeing him in a day was a scolding.
He wondered if he should feel glad.

“The guards came looking for me.”
“Last time it was Quantums, and this time it is the guards? You cause trouble whenever you are separated from me.”
“No, I really didn’t do anything this time! And last time, I did a good deed, okay?”

Lucas walked forward without answering.
The boy chattered as he followed him.

“In my opinion, it’s definitely Quantums, those bastards. They are clearly finding fault with what happened last time. I mean, what happened a few days ago.”
“Did you not say you did a good deed?”
“Of course! I saved a whole family, you know?”
“…….”
“……You don’t believe me?”
“…….”
“Hah?”

Serpens turned his head with a sulky face.
To think no one knew even when he did a good deed.
Would that not lessen his pride?

“You look as if you regret it.”

Lucas said.
Serpens could not answer for a moment, but eventually opened his mouth.

“I don’t regret it. I’m just a little disappointed.”

It was true.
Even if no one believed him, the fact that he had saved one life and one family didn’t change.
Even though he ended up being chased by the guards, the boy would make the same choice if he went back to the past.
Even so, he could not help feeling disappointed.
Serpens had thought Lucas, of all people, would believe him.
Still, it was not something he could not understand.
Considering his past karma, it might be natural that it was hard to believe him.
If that was something to be disappointed about, then he was disappointed.

“……I see.”

After the two walked a little more, they soon arrived at the inn.
Serpens stayed tense and stuck close to Lucas.

Fortunately, the guards were nowhere to be seen.
Even so, the boy did not relax until the moment they went upstairs.

‘Someone did come here.’

Lucas looked at the room that had been disturbed.
The bed with its corners crooked.
The open closet door.
They had not left anything particularly precious, but it was certainly not a pleasant sight.

“Ahyu.”

Thud.

Serpens sighed and lay down on the bed.
After rolling side to side for a moment, the boy soon sat up on the bed.

“So. How did it feel to meet the emperor?”

Serpens’s eyes sparkled.
His eyes blinked with curiosity.

The castle’s audience chamber.
It was particularly noisy compared to other days.

“Is that man truly returning?”
“He left as if he would never return!”
“Still, it is fortunate that he is returning. In troubled times like these, he will surely be a great help.”
“If he returns, the hierarchy will become a mess.”
“Tsk. Do you know how much money we poured into the candidates for the next Great Knight Commander?”

Even though it was only news of one person’s visit, the murmuring didn’t stop.
For the first time in a while, tension and unease settled over the audience chamber that countless people had visited.

And in that place.
A very small number of people could not hold back their smiles.

The man sitting on the highest chair.
The name of the middle-aged man with dark-red hair was Kerum de Evgenia.
The emperor of the Oratio Empire was one of that small number.

The past three years.
They had been harder than any other period Kerum had lived through.
His retainers coveted authority, and chaos in the world grew worse.
He had formed an alliance with the other empires, but it had never been easy.
But now it was fine.

Because the person who would solve the problem had come here.

Clatter.

The enormous door of the audience chamber opened.
At the same time, only silence lingered there.

Step. Step.

Very faint footsteps.
Even so, the sound that made everyone tense slowly approached.

Everyone, without a single exception, looked at him.

Thud.

The enormous sword, which made one wonder whether it could even be swung, struck the ground with a heavy sound.

The emperor of the empire showed a bright smile.

“Welcome. My dear friend.”
“Knight Lucas Liberator greets the emperor of the empire.”

Even after Lucas’s greeting ended, most of the retainers did not smile.
Because they were not certain whether his appearance would benefit them or harm them.

“Yes. Are you returning now?”
“……No.”

The emperor’s face stiffened.

“Then…… why have you come?”

His voice changed sharply.

Lucas looked at the emperor quietly, as always.

The emperor could not control his emotions.
The reason was probably that Lucas had not answered his expectations.
Or perhaps it was because the past three years had been difficult.

“Did you not clearly say that the day you stood before me would be the day your will stood again?”

The emperor’s voice trembled faintly.
The retainers did not notice.

“……The reason I came here is to give a warning.”

Shring-

The imperial knight order drew their swords.
Lucas paid them no mind.

“Please set aside your anger. The warning is not directed at Your Majesty.”
“……You have grown insolent in such a short time.”

When Kerum raised his hand, the knight order sheathed their swords.

“Very well. Speak.”

Kerum said after briefly collecting his emotions.

It was clearly a conversation between the emperor and a single knight.
A conversation between above and below, tilted to one side.
In ordinary circumstances, a knight could not say such things.

“I do not know who it was……. But someone sent hired killers to my house.”
“……!”
“Is that not strange? The people who know the location of my house should be Your Majesty and only a few high-ranking officials.”

Even so, everyone there felt it.

“I do not know which foolish bastard did it……. But I trust Your Majesty will properly deal with that incompetent retainer.”

This was a conversation between a king and a knight, tilted to one side.

“To your house, Lucas?”
“…….”
“I understand. I will deal with it.”
“I leave it to you.”

The one holding the upper hand in the conversation was none other than the knight.