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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: The Start of the Journey (2)
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It was simply hard to fathom that someone who looked like they hailed from a distinguished family would count cleaning among their hobbies.
“Is the bathwater prepared?”
“Huh? Oh, yes! I’ll get it ready right away. Please, just a moment.”
Sei-an’s continued words snapped Tina back to attention. She quickly joined the other staff, hurrying to carry the hot water containers from outside into the small bathroom connected to the room.
“Once you’ve finished your bath, please come downstairs. I’ll have your meal ready for you straight away.”
“Thank you.”
“Oh, no, it’s nothing. Well then.”
A moment later, having filled the tub, Tina was about to leave the room when Sei-an gave a slight bow and thanked her. She quickly bowed back, flustered, and hurried out.
As Tina slowly descended to the first floor, she couldn’t help but repeatedly tilt her head in confusion.
‘Is he not a noble?’
His appearance certainly suggested nobility, yet his behavior and manner of speaking were utterly un-noble.
Certainly, many nobles would complain about a room being dirty no matter how much it was cleaned, but she had never once seen someone like Sei-an actually do the cleaning himself.
She had worked as an inn attendant here for quite some time, meeting countless individuals, and prided herself on her accurate judgment of people. Yet today, Tina found herself utterly perplexed by everything.
“Huh?”
As Tina emerged from Sei-an’s room and made her way downstairs, she instantly scowled upon spotting someone seated on the lower floor.
‘Those guys, they’re back again!’
There they were, radiating an aura that screamed ‘it’s best to steer clear, a fight’s brewing,’ causing considerable disruption to the other patrons trying to eat nearby.
Tina halted her descent, quickly ducking out of sight, and began to glare at them from her hidden vantage point.
“Hey, Innkeeper! Where’s Tina, huh? Tina!”
“Tell her to come out!”
“When her big brothers come calling, she should come out to greet us, not hide her face!”
The men, who looked like mercenaries, seemed to be regulars, as they began to shout Tina’s name at the innkeeper.
“Tina’s busy with work, so if you’re not here to eat, you’d best be on your way.”
The innkeeper, his face hardened, pleaded with the men searching for his daughter, Tina, to just leave.
“What!”
“Hah! Looks like you don’t want to run this place anymore, eh?”
Thud!
But the mercenaries merely hurled their drinking cups to the floor, their expressions growing even more menacing as they yelled at the innkeeper.
‘Those scoundrels, honestly!’
Tina’s face contorted with fury as she watched the mercenaries’ insolent words and actions towards her father, but she couldn’t easily rise from her hiding spot.
Because her father had always told her to hide whenever they came to the inn.
Poke!
“Hey.”
“…! Ah… ah!”
Tina, who had been crouched and hidden on the side of the stairs, observing the situation for some time, was startled when someone suddenly tapped her shoulder and spoke. She tried to stand, but lost her balance and tumbled forward.
No, she would have tumbled.
A firm grip!
If not for another’s hand firmly gripping her arm at that very instant.
“Oh… th-thank you.”
Tina, who had squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for a fall down the stairs, slowly opened them at the touch of help and looked up at her rescuer.
She then hastily offered her thanks, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks.
It was none other than Sei-an, the very person who had so piqued her curiosity moments before, standing there, supporting her arm.
And beside Sei-an stood Jeron, the man she had initially mistaken for his companion, wearing an awkward expression.
Sei-an fixed Jeron with a cold, steady gaze and spoke quietly.
“Do you believe only intentional killing counts as murder? Even if it’s done in jest, murder is still murder.”
“…It was a mistake.”
At Sei-an’s words, Jeron’s awkward smile deepened as he offered a lame excuse.
It had been Jeron who, moments ago, had tapped Tina’s shoulder and startled her.
And it was Sei-an who had swiftly caught her just as she was about to tumble down the stairs.
“My bad, it was an accident.”
“Oh, no, it’s okay.”
“But why were you crouching like that? Are you feeling unwell?”
“Well…”
Jeron, hearing the commotion downstairs and seeing Tina’s distress, seemed to sense something was amiss. But his hunger took precedence, and he spoke to her again.
“The meal? Is it prepared?”
“Huh? Oh! M-my apologies. I’ll get it ready for you right away.”
“Right.”
Realizing she hadn’t yet prepared their meal, Tina quickly headed downstairs to guide the two men to an available spot.
“I apologize, but we’re quite short on tables. Would you two mind sharing a table…?”
Thanks to the mercenaries who had suddenly appeared, occupying several tables and causing a ruckus, there weren’t many seats left in the dining area.
Only a single spot in one corner remained, just enough for two.
Tina, with an apologetic expression, asked Sei-an and Jeron if they would be willing to share a table.
“Hmm, I don’t see why not.”
“That’s perfectly fine.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Tina smiled faintly at their ready agreement to share a table, then resumed her walk.
“Oh, it’s Tina.”
“Haha! So you finally decided to show your face.”
At Tina’s appearance, the mercenaries, who had been causing such a loud commotion, smirked and began to address her.
“Come this way.”
But Tina completely ignored their words, speaking only to Sei-an and Jeron as she guided the two men to their table.
“I’ll bring your food out shortly, so please wait just a moment.”
With that, Tina hurried towards the kitchen to fetch their meals.
A rough grab!
“…! What are you doing?!”
But at that instant, as the mercenaries seized Tina and pulled her onto one of their laps, she couldn’t help but shriek.
“We just want to talk, why are you playing so hard to get?”
“Let go of me!”
“I don’t think I will.”
“Tina! Let go of her at once!”
Seeing Tina’s predicament, her father, the innkeeper, quickly rushed forward and yelled at the mercenary in an enraged voice.
“Tsk! Playing the doting father, are we?”
“Get out right now!”
“What did you say? What drivel are you spouting now?”
“I said, get out of my inn, *now*!”
“…”
At the innkeeper’s demand to leave his establishment, the smiles swiftly vanished from the mercenaries’ faces.
But that was only for a moment. Soon, the mercenaries, their sneers deepening even further than before, kicked the table they were seated at with all their might, sending it flying towards the glaring innkeeper.
CRASH!
“…! Urgh…!”
The table slammed into the innkeeper’s body, sending him sprawling to the ground with a pained groan.
“Oh, Dad!”
At the sight, Tina’s face went ashen, and she tried to rush to her father.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. He’s not dead, is he?”
“…”
But the mercenary Becker, still whispering taunts into her ear and refusing to release her, prevented Tina from reaching her father.
“Excuse me, but may I have a moment of your time?”
“…”
But then, someone quietly approached them and calmly spoke: it was Jeron.
Becker and his crew scowled and turned to face him, their expressions momentarily turning quizzical. He was a stranger, yet his face seemed oddly familiar.
“What is it?”
“If you don’t want to get hurt, mind your own business and get lost.”
But then, seeing their opponent’s slender frame and seemingly unimpressive strength, the mercenaries all scowled even deeper and began to speak in an even more intimidating tone.
However, Jeron merely smirked back and continued speaking.
“You see, I’m rather hungry.”
“What?”
“Because if you release the young lady you’re holding, I believe she’ll be able to bring me the food I ordered.”
“…”
Becker and the mercenaries stared, dumbfounded, at Jeron, who was demanding they release Tina for a reason utterly unrelated to the present situation.
“Is this some kind of joke?!”
“He must be out of his mind, practically begging to die.”
Then, quickly rising, they instantly surrounded Jeron, mocking him with menacing glares and words.
‘Oh… what am I going to do!’
Released from Becker’s grip, Tina wrung her hands, watching Jeron, who was now in danger because of her.
“…”
Then, Tina quickly turned her head, searching for someone to help, and her eyes landed on Sei-an, who was quietly seated in a corner.
She stared blankly at him, seated silently, gazing out the window as if the commotion had nothing to do with him.
It was utterly beyond her comprehension how he could appear so utterly nonchalant amidst such a ruckus.
The other patrons who had been seated had long since fled the inn the moment the mercenaries kicked the table.
“Urgh…”
“…! Dad!”
Then, a soft groan from behind made Tina tear her gaze from Sei-an and rush to her fallen father.
“D-dad, are you okay?”
“Haa…”
The impact seemed far greater than expected; Tina’s father couldn’t easily gather himself at her question, only managing a groan.
“Hey, you! Please, help me!”
Tina, supporting her father, frantically called out to Sei-an, who was still silently staring out the window.
“…Me, you mean?”
At that, Sei-an, turning his head for the first time to glance around the inn, pointed at himself, then finally met Tina’s gaze and spoke.
“Well, who else is here besides you?”
“…”
Tina felt a surge of frustration, and without thinking, she scowled and snapped.
Because Sei-an, seeming utterly detached as if in a world of his own, suddenly struck her as infuriatingly smug.
“What are you waiting for?! Help us!”
“…Very well.”
Sei-an slowly rose from his seat and approached her. He then helped her fallen father to a safe corner table and settled him there.
“…”
After that, he turned his head and calmly observed Jeron and the mercenaries.
“Are you planning to fight me? It won’t be much fun, I assure you.”
“What utter nonsense are you spouting, you fool!”
“Don’t even dream of escaping.”
Meanwhile, the tension between Jeron and the mercenaries was steadily escalating.
Of course, Jeron never let the smile fade from his lips, even amidst such a hostile atmosphere.
