/
I tried my best to keep a calm expression, but I couldn’t help my face from tensing up.
The grandmother and Erul tribe village…
These things weren’t really important to me. What kept echoing in my head was the fact that Anis wanted to take Speranza with her.
Seeing my mood change, Anis quickly added more.
“Of course, we don’t want to force Speranza to come with us or take her away. I just want to give my mother a chance to meet her granddaughter, whom she’s never met before.”
“Uh-huh… I see.”
Luckily, it seemed like they didn’t plan to make a scene to take Speranza away like last time.
Anis was really careful with her words, and she kept looking at me while talking.
Still, her request left me confused.
Speranza’s grandmother was alive, and only her mom and dad knew the details. I had just found out about her grandmother for the first time.
“Are there any other relatives of Speranza’s in the village?”
With my question, Anis shook her head slightly.
“Only my mother and I are her close relatives.”
So, besides Anis, the grandmother would be Speranza’s only blood relative.
My heart felt heavy.
I glanced at Speranza, who was busy eating Namira’s snack. I couldn’t tell if she was really into the snack or just pretending not to notice.
Even if I decided to send Speranza, it was a long way, and I couldn’t leave her just in their care.
As her guardian, I’d have to go with her, and we’d need a group to join us in case of unexpected situations.
As I thought about all this, I heard more noise outside the reception room window.
Andras, who was in the back, went to the window to see what was going on outside.
But Andras’s expression quickly became serious as he looked out the window.
“Ms. Anis.”
“Yes?”
“Do you have any other companions who came with you?”
“Companions? Oh, no. It’s just my uncle, Namira, and me… the three of us.”
“Hmm… It seems like we have some uninvited guests then.”
“Andras, what do you mean?”
Andras pointed to the window and answered my question.
“Right now, the guards are clashing with someone. I can’t be sure from this distance, but it seems like they might be related to the Erul tribe guests.”
“That can’t be… Really?!”
Daur opened his eyes wide and abruptly stood up. Anis also quickly got up from her seat.
“I think we should go check it out, Uncle.”
“Alright.”
“I’m sorry, Sihyeon. Let’s continue our conversation later. Namira wait here.”
After briefly asking for understanding, Anis swiftly left the reception room with Daur.
Namira, who remained, looked worriedly at their retreating figures.
“Let’s follow them.”
“Understood.”
“It was getting a bit suffocating. This is a good opportunity.”
“Namira, could you please play with Speranza for a while?”
“Of course. Don’t worry about the little lady.”
I entrusted Speranza to Namira and hurried out of the reception room. Andras and Alfred followed behind me.
The crowd of townspeople in front of the mansion had already scattered, and the guards, led by Reville, were blocking some unfamiliar visitors.
But their appearance was pretty unusual. They had fox ears and tails like the Erul tribe people, but their fur color wasn’t silver – it was more of a reddish hue.
“Their fur color isn’t silver but red. Are they also part of the Erul tribe?”
Andras didn’t hesitate to answer.
“They are indeed part of the Erul tribe. Even though the name Erul tribe makes you think of silver fur, there are some with red fur in the tribe. I’ve heard that the red-furred Erul tribe are known for their rough and aggressive personalities.”
“I see.”
I thought all the Erul tribe people had silver fur…
‘Wait a sec, didn’t Speranza have a slight reddish tint in her eyes?’
As I pictured Speranza in my head, I suddenly snapped back to reality because of the sharp voices coming from up ahead.
“Did you follow us?”
“Heh! If you had just told us where the child was, we wouldn’t have had to go through all this trouble.”
There was a tense atmosphere between Anis and the red-furred Erul tribe.
“Speranza… No, the issue with Miwo is already settled. It’s not your business!”
“The situation’s changed now. With the priestess’s health getting worse, we need someone to succeed her.”
“It has to be the child with the blood of the priestess!”
Even if I couldn’t fully understand the conversation, it was clear what the red Erul tribe wanted.
It looked like a similar situation to when Anis and her group first came here.
The difference was that there were over twenty of them now, and they seemed really intimidating.
Naturally, the atmosphere among the nearby guards got more tense.
I felt like I needed to step in and calm things down before everything went south. I moved up next to Anis, who was raising her voice.
The red-furred Erul tribe looked at me, their faces seeming to ask, ‘Who are you to butt in?’
Before they could say anything, Anis spoke up.
“This is the lord of the Cardis Estate, Sihyeon.”
“……!”
The red-furred Erul tribe shuddered and stared at me with an unhappy and slightly doubtful expression.
Well, I don’t really look like a lord…
The red-furred Erul tribe spoke nervously, their confidence somewhat shaken.
“Are you really the lord of this place?”
“Yes, I am. My name is Sihyeon Lefmiere Cardis.”
“Hmm. My name is Kunah! I apologize for coming into your territory uninvited. Once we finish our business, we’ll leave quietly.”
Kunah’s words might have sounded polite, but their intentions weren’t.
The fact that they barged into our territory without permission was a big issue, and their statement about leaving ‘quietly’ seemed kinda threatening.
Naturally, our people’s faces hardened, and the guards became more hostile.
I felt my anger rising but didn’t want a fight in our peaceful territory. Trying to hide my emotions, I spoke calmly.
“Today is an important event in the territory. I’m sorry, but I’d appreciate it if you could leave quietly.”
“We also have a very important matter. Since we came from far away, just let us take what we want.”
Kunah didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving and stubbornly answered with his chin raised. Anis, fed up, shouted sharply.
“Get out of here! Do you want to start trouble with nobles recognized by the Demon Lord?”
“Tsk! Well, this territory doesn’t look that great. You’re making too big of a deal. The Demon Lord won’t bother with a minor dispute in a place like this.”
What?
Not that great… A place like this? Kunah didn’t hold back with his insults.
No matter how much I liked peaceful solutions, it was tough to endure when the other party was this rude. No, it was impossible to endure.
And in the eyes of Andras, Alfred, and everyone in the territory, emotions were boiling.
“I can’t just let that comment go. Even if they came from Speranza’s hometown.”
“It’s fine, I was feeling annoyed anyway. Sihyeon, you’re not gonna try to stop, right?”
“Sihyeon, just give the order. Our soldiers are skilled and will show them.”
Reville was so pumped up that he forgot his manners and growled. He was ready to charge at Kunah right away.
I gathered my patience and spoke one last time.
“I’ll say it one more time. Please back off quietly. You won’t be able to take the child you’re looking for.”
Kunah’s eyes lit up, and the corners of his mouth twisted into a grin.
“Oh? You know about the Erul tribe child? This makes things easier. Hand over the child right now.”
“Your guest status is over. If you don’t back down, you’ll be considered an intruder.”
“Looks like we can’t talk this out. I guess I’ll have to force the info out of you.”
“Kunah!”
“Captain Kunah! What are you doing?”
Anis and Daur desperately yelled, but the situation was already beyond fixing.
Both sides quickly got ready for battle.
“Everyone, get ready to fight! Protect the Lord!”
The soldiers grabbed their weapons and shields and got into formation. Reville’s actions were as quick and efficient as he was confident.
I spoke with a bitter tone to Anis and Daur.
“Both of you, step back so you don’t get caught up in this.”
“I’m sorry. Because of us…”
“Step back. We’ll talk later.”
I knew it wasn’t their fault, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed at them. After all, their visit was the cause of this situation.
The soldiers and the Red Erul tribe faced off.
Even though the soldiers hugely outnumbered the Red Erul tribe, they didn’t seem to lose their momentum. They even looked pretty relaxed.
In the middle of the tense atmosphere, something unexpected happened.
“Hey, guys! Let’s show them the power of the Erul tribe, huh?!”
“Gotcha.”
“Ca-Captain?!”
Terzan, appearing out of nowhere, quickly took down Kunah.
And then Terzan easily picked up the subdued Kunah and slung him over her shoulder, taking off into the air.
-Thump!
“Ugh!”
Terzan tossed Kunah down in front of me. I glanced back and forth between her and Kunah with a puzzled expression.
“Terzan, what the heck…?”
“Isn’t this enough?”
“Huh?”
She casually pointed towards the mansion.
“House payment.”
“….”
“Hmm… Seems it wasn’t enough. Wait a sec.”
Before I could respond, her figure blurred again. Simultaneously, screams broke out among the Red Erul tribe.
“What the?!”
“Argh!”
“It’s a ghost! A ghost!”
Like a cat bringing its owner one captured mouse after another, Terzan tossed down the subdued Red Erul tribe members one by one.
As everyone watched Terzan’s hunting spree with stunned expressions, Andras handed me a communication artifact, calling my name.
“Sihyeon, we have a call from the farm.”
“What? From the farm?”
As soon as I took the artifact, a clearly annoyed voice came through.
– What’s going on? Why is there such a commotion coming from down there? My nap got interrupted.
“Ah. Boss.”
– Wasn’t there some kind of mansion completion ceremony today?
It seemed that the Red Erul tribe’s hostile vibe had disturbed the peace of the distant Kaneff.
“Well… It’s not that…”
“You, bastards! Do you think you’ll be safe after doing this to us?”
-I hear a very rude voice.
‘Oh, no. You insensitive guy! Just stay quiet for a moment.’
“Hand over the Erul tribe child right now! If not, we’ll destroy this pathetic territory!”
“……”
“Can’t you hear me?! Hand over the Erul tribe child… Uh, eugh!”
I quickly covered Kunah’s mouth. Unfortunately, the high-quality communication artifact had already transmitted his voice loud and clear.
-Sihyeon…
At Kaneff’s icy voice.
Not just me, but Andras and Alfred beside me turned pale as well.
“Yes, Boss.”
-That rude-voiced guy… He’s not really trying to take Speranza away, is he?
For a moment, a thunderous sound, like a clap of thunder, came from the distant farm.
I shook my head vigorously, looking at Kunah who was still struggling.
These guys… they’re totally screwed.
(To be Continued)