BXBX NOVEL Chapter 50 – The Princess and the Escort (3)
Chapter 50 – The Princess and the Escort (3)
Chapter 50 – The Princess and the Escort (3)
Elene waited with a pounding heart.
Soon, Aaron delivered the news.
“The date has been set. Tonight. It’s been decided that you’ll meet the mercenary directly.”
“Oh, yes.”
Elene nodded.
“Do we know what kind of person they are?”
“Not in detail… but from what I’ve heard, they have a very good reputation. They seem to be a good person.”
“A good person?”
“Yes.”
Helping others without compensation.
Even with the skills of a C-rank mercenary, they solve the miscellaneous requests of the territory’s citizens.
That indeed was close to a good person.
“…A good person.”
Rosa didn’t mention anything related to demons.
She didn’t fundamentally trust Aaron.
But even without that, Ketal was an excellent person.
That’s why Elene’s feelings grew even stronger.
Aaron smiled slightly at the emotions visible in her eyes.
Elene returned a wry smile at his expression.
“…In a situation where we’re being chased by the unknown, it’s such a frivolous thought. I know that too.”
“No, Princess. Rather, I think it’s necessary because of such a situation. There’s no need to consider your own feelings as a sin.”
Everyone needs comfort for their heart.
They had embarked on a perilous journey without anyone they could trust.
Aaron comforted her.
“I heard that he also has the qualifications to enter the Church of the Sun God. He is definitely trustworthy.”
“That’s really impressive.”
Elene’s eyes widened.
The Church of the Sun God doesn’t accept just anyone.
Only those with a definite guarantee of identity and faith can enter.
It was very rare for a mercenary to have such qualifications.
Elene’s expectations grew even more.
And that night, when darkness settled over the territory.
Elene followed Aaron to the meeting hall.
The door opened, and the two of them entered the hall.
Rosa, who was waiting, greeted them.
“Have you arrived? Is the person beside you your companion?”
“Yes.”
Elene quietly nodded.
Rosa narrowed her eyes.
‘Damn.’
She cursed inwardly.
The woman was wearing a black robe, so it was hard to make out her features, but she was young.
From the shape of her lower face visible under the hood, she could tell she was quite beautiful.
And the elegance that was evident from even the smallest movements.
Rosa had encountered nobles a few times due to her profession.
But none of them displayed as much grace as this woman.
She was someone beyond a mere noble.
For such a woman to come to the mercenary guild in the middle of the night, wearing a robe and accompanied by only one attendant?
‘…This is too suspicious.’
If things went wrong, Rosa could be held accountable for taking on this request.
Her mouth tasted bitter, but she had no choice since it was what Ketal wanted.
Rosa suppressed a sigh and spoke.
“The mercenary who will escort you will arrive shortly. Please wait for a moment.”
“Understood.”
Aaron responded.
Elene tried to suppress her pounding heart.
Her anticipation for the mercenary was almost unbearable.
And soon, there was a knock.
Rosa spoke calmly.
“He has arrived.”
“I-I’ll open it.”
Elene hurriedly got up and headed for the door.
The mercenary who would escort and guide her was beyond the door.
She rushed over and grabbed the door handle.
Creak.
The door opened.
With a bright face, she looked at the person beyond the door.
And her expression froze.
“…Oh?”
There stood a barbarian.
The barbarian was huge.
He was three heads taller than her.
Not just tall, his entire body was massive.
But rather than fat, his body was entirely composed of muscle.
He was dressed fairly neatly, but even that couldn’t hide all the muscles.
“Oh, this is. A beautiful lady.”
The barbarian muttered with interest, looking down at her.
And he grinned.
“Nice to meet you.”
* * *
Elene stared blankly up at Ketal.
What is this?
What is she seeing right now?
Unable to grasp the situation, Ketal tilted his head at her appearance.
“Are you okay?”
Ketal raised his hand.
At that moment, Elene came to her senses.
“…Ah.”
She stumbled backward.
Aaron shouted in surprise.
“Lady Elene!”
He hurriedly supported Elene.
“Are you alright?”
“I, I….”
Elene couldn’t respond.
She just stared at Ketal with a pale face.
“Barbarian!”
Aaron stepped back, holding Elene in his arms.
His eyes were filled with obvious wariness.
“Who are you!”
“Hmm.”
Ketal stroked his chin.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve faced such hostility.’
After defeating the demon, the people of the territory didn’t reject him.
They didn’t get close, but they didn’t distance themselves either.
It had been a while since he’d encountered this level of hostility and wariness.
“Even wearing clothes, I’m still a barbarian. It’s a sad reality.”
“Haha… you can’t hide the atmosphere.”
Rosa smiled wryly.
Ketal looked at her.
“Rosa, are these my employers?”
“Yes.”
Rosa nodded.
“The mercenary’s name is Ketal. He will be responsible for your protection.”
“…What?”
Aaron exclaimed in astonishment.
After a moment, Aaron, who had barely regained his composure, immediately protested to Rosa.
“Please request a different mercenary! A barbarian? A barbarian for protection? What nonsense is this!”
Barbarians.
They are rude and lack etiquette.
They don’t follow societal order and act based solely on strength.
They hate nobles more than anything, considering them weak and pretentious.
There have been numerous clashes between nobles and barbarians, some even resulting in the death of nobles.
A barbarian for protection?
This was ridiculous.
Aaron vehemently protested.
“Well… I won’t deny that.”
Rosa didn’t particularly deny it.
In fact, she had a similar perception of barbarians, and that hadn’t changed much.
“He is different from the typical barbarian. As I mentioned earlier, he is trusted within the territory. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Nonsense!”
Aaron shouted as if Rosa were speaking gibberish.
A barbarian!
That barbarian as their mercenary.
To accompany them to the Kingdom of Denian!
To entrust him with the princess’s safety!
His head felt like it was going to explode from anxiety.
“How can we trust a barbarian! A rude, uneducated being! Change him immediately!”
“…Is that so?”
Rosa’s eyes darkened.
There was a faint displeasure in her eyes.
“So, you are questioning the decision of our mercenary guild?”
Aaron flinched at the sudden hostility in her words.
Rosa smiled coldly.
“Our guild promoted him to a C-rank mercenary. You do know what the criteria for a C-rank mercenary are, don’t you?”
C-rank.
The rank recognized as a true mercenary.
It was a level that bore the responsibility of being the core of the mercenary guild.
It wasn’t just about skill; it required recognition, trust, and achievements.
In other words, Aaron saying he couldn’t trust Ketal was equivalent to saying he couldn’t trust the mercenary guild that promoted him to C-rank.
Rosa never had good feelings towards Aaron from the start.
Now, he was questioning the judgment of the mercenary guild and, more importantly, insulting Ketal.
The Ketal she knew was a kind and good person.
He had a unique personality, but he was polite enough to more than make up for it.
She had a personal fondness for him.
Seeing him being insulted made her feel very unpleasant.
“If you doubt the judgment of our mercenary guild, I understand. I will refund your payment.”
“No, that’s not it.”
Aaron said, flustered.
He couldn’t leave without a mercenary.
He just realized he had doubted the mercenary guild itself.
He had focused too much on the fact that Ketal was a barbarian.
At that moment, Elene, who had been silent, spoke up.
“I’ll accept it.”
“Pardon? Lady Elene, but…”
“A C-rank mercenary means he is recognized. There won’t be any problems. Right?”
“Yes.”
Rosa nodded.
Elene bit her lip.
“We can’t refuse. There’s no reason to. Right, Aaron?”
“…That is true.”
If they refused the mercenary now, they would have to leave alone.
That would be even worse.
They had no choice.
“Then it’s settled. The conversation is over.”
Aaron closed his mouth.
And Ketal, who had been sitting in a chair, had listened to the entire conversation.
‘It feels like having a bomb.’
A presence that was scary and unsettling but had to be accepted for the sake of their goal. That was exactly what he was.
It was a strange feeling.
Rosa, with an expressionless face, organized the documents.
“Then I’ll proceed as if the request has been accepted. The request is approved. You can discuss the rest directly with the mercenary.”
“Directly…?”
“Lady Elene. I’ll handle this from here.”
“No. I’ll do it myself.”
Elene stood up.
Then, she cautiously walked towards Ketal.
Her body was trembling.
She wanted to step back out of fear right now, but she suppressed her emotions and moved forward.
“P-Pleased to meet you. I am Elene.”
“Alright. I am Ketal. I look forward to working with you.”
Ketal nodded and looked at Elene.
‘She looks like a squirrel.’
Her head was bowed low, and she was trembling visibly even under her robe.
She looked very young.
She might have just become an adult.
And the traces of education were evident in her hood and movements.
This confirmed Ketal’s suspicions.
He could sense it.
And it was a very strong scent.
“Good.”
Ketal murmured, pleased that his guess was correct.
Elene’s body flinched as if she had heard his voice.
‘Ah. This won’t do.’
This woman was his employer.
They were going to travel together.
He needed to gain her trust.
Ketal smiled as warmly as possible.
“Trust me. As long as I’m protecting you, nothing will happen. I promise.”
“I-I…”
Elene trembled.
‘He’s targeting me!’
This barbarian’s goal was her body!
She could see the hidden desire and greed in that smile.
Elene knew it.
‘Why is this happening?’
She had been so hopeful just before meeting him.
Like a young girl filled with anticipation, she had spent the whole day wondering what kind of person he would be.
And this was the result, a barbarian.
She felt like she was about to cry.
‘…I have to travel with this barbarian for several days?’
The dreams of the girl shattered in the worst possible way.
“I look forward to working with you.”
“Y-Yes….”
Elene held back her tears and answered.