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Chapter 127
Chapter 127
Chapter 127 – Baron Ancelot (2)
“I have a house in the northern part of the capital. It was a gift from my Mother during my days as a prince, but I no longer have any use for it. Baron Ancelot, you may use it as your own.”
At the end of his speech, the King personally bestowed upon me a comfortable residence.
“You’ve done well. I’m proud of you.”
In the warm atmosphere, the royal council finally adjourned.
“Wow……”
I headed straight for the estate I was gifted. The estate’s condition exceeded my expectations—as expected of its extraordinary owner.
“Welcome. We’ve been awaiting your arrival.”
His Majesty had even arranged for all essential staff needed to maintain the estate.
“Could you take this baggage for me?”
“Ah, yes. Of course.”
I handed my belongings to the butler who greeted me. Though I wanted to leisurely explore the estate, there were other tasks I needed to prioritize.
‘Taking kindness for granted is dangerous. That’s how relationships crumble.’
A one-sided dynamic where one only receives cannot last long. I had received considerable help from many people recently.
Although they might not express dissatisfaction openly, resentment could build over time, potentially leading to an eventual fallout.
So, if you received something, you should remember it and give back.
‘Even if they consider themselves like foster parents, they’re not my real parents. Friends aren’t subordinates either.’
With that in mind, I decided to visit Milon first.
“I’m here!”
Despite looking visibly exhausted, likely just having returned himself, Milon personally came to greet me.
“What do you want now?”
“Do I need a reason to visit? You’re going to make me feel hurt.”
“It’s not that. My social battery is completely drained……”
As Milon started to protest, he let out a deep sigh.
“……Sigh. Well, knowing you, I’d only be wasting my breath. Come in.”
“Pardon the intrusion.”
I promptly entered his house. As expected of a marquis, the interior was breathtakingly grand.
The first-floor lobby was entirely covered with what appeared to be a plush carpet that practically screamed luxury.
“Wow…… How much did all this cost?”
A single roll of such a carpet would be exorbitantly expensive, yet it was laid across the entire building.
“You really splurged, didn’t you? And here I thought you weren’t one for extravagance……”
“……It’s not like that.”
But just then—
Bang!
“Wow!”
A door nearest to the first-floor entrance swung open. The butler, who had disappeared earlier, emerged from it, along with someone else.
“Are you perhaps Prince Andrew?”
“Ah……”
It was a girl who bore a striking resemblance to Milon. Judging by her appearance, she seemed around my age, perhaps younger.
The issue was.
‘……A wheelchair……’
The butler pushed her custom-made wheelchair closer to us with a faint squeak.
“This is my sister, May. Although she might seem young, she’s much older than you, so I hope you’ll forgive any unintentional discourtesies.”
“Ah.”
As Milon explained, I quietly closed my eyes to sense her energy more clearly. Just as I suspected, there was no energy flowing through her legs.
‘In other words, she’s unable to use them.’
Beyond that, her overall vitality seemed quite faint.
‘Much like Raven.’
This must be the family curse that has plagued their lineage for generations.
“She wasn’t like this at first. Her legs were fine, and both her eyes were normal, too.”
Now that she was closer, I noticed one of May’s retinas had lost its color.
“I’m truly delighted to meet you! I’ve wanted to for so long!”
She extended her hand to me from her seat. Lowering myself, I clasped her hand gently with both of mine.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Please feel free to call me Ancelot.”
“Pardon? ‘Ancelot’?”
“It’s something of a nickname.”
Hearing this, May’s face lit up with joy.
No, she practically radiated cheerfulness. It was easy to imagine her personality from this short interaction.
“It’s an honor! But…… Is it okay for me to call you by a nickname?”
“Please, it’s not much. Compared to your brother, I’m nothing.”
“That’s not true!”
May quickly shook her head.
‘……She’s even kind-hearted.’
Just as I felt a pang of pity rising again—
“My lazy brother, who’s always stuck at home muttering ‘the outside world is scary!’, actually went on a trip thanks to you!”
“Hey, May……”
Milon sighed heavily, trying to interject.
“Am I wrong, brother? Without Ancelot, you’d have holed up in your room for at least a week after a single visit to the royal palace, right?”
“That’s……”
At that moment, I caught it. A wry smile flickered across Milon’s face mid-conversation.
‘……I had a vague idea about his situation, but……’
His impatience now resonated sharply with me. Seeing his sister’s condition with my own eyes, I understood why he was so restless.
“Now that I think about it, it’s almost time……”
“……Huh?”
My muttering made the siblings turn their heads toward me. A faint smile crept across my face.
“I called for someone. There’s some unfinished business I need to settle.”
I had been covertly searching for someone through Narakas until now. A week ago, I finally received the message I had been waiting for.
“We found the person you mentioned, Leo.”
“Really?”
A long time ago, there was a kid who used to tail Raven everywhere.
She was an orphan, and although she was a nuisance to him, Raven taught her a great deal.
Moreover, it was with a passion he hadn’t shown ever since he’d pledged allegiance to me. It seemed he wanted to have at least one disciple since death was always one wrong step away on the battlefield.
After all, he was a pitiable bachelor who never married, let alone had children.
“Who do you think we are? We’re the Mask of Night, an organization that worked closely with Raven, the famed poison master.”
Narakas replied with a sly grin.
That’s exactly why I entrusted him with this task.
The diverse herbs and poisons scattered across the continent. Gathering them required extensive intelligence.
And when it came to information, the Mask of Night was unmatched.
“If you’d told me from the beginning that her name was ‘Nella’, we might’ve found them sooner……”
“Huh? Nella?”
“I guess she changed her name.”
I had some idea why, but that wasn’t the issue right now.
“So, where is she now?”
“Actually, I brought her here myself.”
“What? S-She’s here? In person?”
My eyes widened in disbelief.
I hadn’t dared to hope for that.
‘That kid had quite the temper, even back then.’
After all, there was a time when the child claimed she wanted to be exactly like her teacher over and over. If she’d even taken on Raven’s personality,
“You weren’t clobbered with a staff?”
At that, Narakas shrugged.
“As if. We’re business partners now. I told them we should get along as fellow successors, and she was all for it—packed her bags and came right away. I even spent a fortune to bring her here safely via the Magic Tower’s teleportation.”
“……?”
My mouth hung open at the implications.
“By that, do you mean…… Have you decided to live as a whole new leader?”
A faint smile played on Narakas’s lips.
“Well, thanks to someone.”
***
Milon watched the new guest with guarded eyes.
A slender woman wearing an absurdly tall pointed hat was examining May from head to toe.
‘She’s grown so much.’
That kid.
Or rather, that woman, now a full-fledged adult, was Nella, Raven’s former apprentice.
“Hmm……”
Adjusting her expensive glasses, Nella studied May, who was sitting with an awkward smile, before delivering her diagnosis.
“As expected, it’s dwarfism. The same curse that once afflicted Raven, the Empire’s greatest poison master……”
She seemed reluctant to reveal her connection to her teacher.
Thud!
Nella closed the hefty book she had been reading.
“To get straight to the point, it can be cured.”
“……!”
Even Milon, who rarely showed emotion, widened his eyes at the revelation. His sister May, too, stared in astonishment.
“I-Is that true?”
Milon asked urgently, yet uncharacteristically respectfully.
“Yes, my teacher…… Ahem. It’s not a completely new ailment, but a curse with precedents. I’ve researched it extensively in the past. Not only can the symptoms be halted, but full recovery is entirely possible.”
“F-Full recovery……!”
Milon’s eyes lit up with hope.
“However.”
Nella adjusted her glasses again.
“That’s only if we have all the necessary materials.”
“Wh-What materials? Whatever they are, I’ll get them no matter what!”
Milon’s voice was filled with desperate resolve. After all, it was a matter of fulfilling his lifelong wish.
“It’ll cost quite a bit of money.”
“If money’s the issue, I’ll sell this estate—or even my title. Just tell me what’s needed.”
“……”
After glancing between Milon and May.
“……Tsk. If you come out like this, I can’t even overcharge you.”
Nella sighed deeply.
“Just give me the material cost. I’ll get the ingredients for you.”
“I-I couldn’t possibly ask that of you……”
“It’s fine. I’m not doing this for free either. Thanks to a certain someone, I’m getting a good deal and direct access to the leader of the Mask of Night……”
Trailing off, Nella turned toward me.
“……It’s you, right? That An……celot.”
I nodded silently.
“You’re younger than I expected.”
“But can all the materials be obtained with money?”
At my question, Nella furrowed her brows, as if recalling a headache-inducing problem.
“……Just one. Out of all of them, there’s one that even I can’t guarantee. For this, I’ll need to consult the leader of the Mask of Night……”
“What is it?”
“A blue herb called Panella. It only grows in one specific area on this vast continent—as far as I know.”
“And that place is probably quite dangerous.”
Nella smirked.
“Dangerous doesn’t even begin to cut it. Going there means certain death.”
“Where is it?”
“In this country, it’s called the Black Swan, the land of death. Panella only grows deep in the heart of the elven forest.”
As Nella tucked her hair behind her ear, she continued.
“You know about it, right? That land once spurred a war between two nations. Even they were driven out, and no one has claimed it since. At this point, it’s better to hope I’m wrong about it being the only place Panella grows.”
The more she explained, the broader my smile grew. Fate seemed to have a hand in this.
“Perfect. I have a promise to a friend, anyway.”
No point in waiting—should I give that crazy elf a visit?
Grab!
“Wait. If you’re doing this because you feel indebted to me, you really don’t have to.”
At that moment, Milon grabbed my wrist.
“Thanks to you, May is already much better. I don’t want to burden you further. I’ll find a way to get that Panella.”
I frowned.
“Hey, did you forget? That land belongs to me now. Even if we’re both nobles from the same nation, did you think you could wander around in it without my permission?”
“……”
Milon’s gaze darkened.
“……But……”
“That’s enough.”
After staring at me for a long moment, he finally relented.
“……Thank you. This debt……”
“Oh, stop it. Again—if you’re grateful, just buy me a drink.”
Milon chuckled.
“……Again, orange juice for you, you cheeky friend of mine.”
* * *