NOVEL NEXT Chapter 175
Chapter 175. Childhood Friend – Delmizari Grass
“…Is this edible enough?”
A moment of silence passed. Leo de Yeriel scratched his head in front of the soup he made.
His younger sister Lena didn’t look the slightest bit hopeful. Despite the fact that the dish contained the meat Lev had caught, which should have ensured it tasted good.
“Let’s see…”
Lev took a sip of the sticky soup. He noted the fishy smell,
“It’s okay. But you added too little water.”
As he poured water and brought it to a boil, he slyly added some ‘Delmizari Grass’.
The road offered limited ingredients, so this was a bit of culinary resuscitation. Fortunately, the scent of the grass with its autumn aroma masked the smell of the meat.
That guy’s handy skills.
Cooking is not just about skills, yet Leo de Yeriel seemed to mess up everything he did. Knowing this, Lena forced herself to say “Let’s eat well~” and suppressed her high expectations from her time living in the theater.
Though the fishy smell was masked, it still didn’t taste good.
Delmizari Grass was commonly found in the southern continent. Its conical leaves were pretty and edible, but the leaves had a sharp spine inside, making them unsuitable for consumption. The spine hardened the more it was boiled.
Picking out the Delmizari Grass from the soup, Leo lamented.
“…It would be better if I were the one hunting from now on. I might be slower than you, Lev, but you can’t handle everything.”
“I told you, it’s fine.”
“No, I need to do at least that much. You’re also handling the wagon…”
Lev shrugged. With a gesture that said ‘Do as you please’, he started to gather the pots and bowls.
“Oh… Lev Brother, let me do the dishes.”
Lena quickly stood up and, despite Lev’s reassurances, took the pot (still containing some soup) and headed towards the stream.
Being diligent, though, Lev found another task.
He fetched ‘Kuss’, who was allowed to graze, and hitched him to the wagon, cleaning the weeds off his coat. Thinking the horse needed a wash, he unhitched him again.
“Let’s go together.”
Leo brought some laundry.
Though there wasn’t much, they didn’t have many changes of clothes, so they had to seize opportunities when they arose. Leo scraped some ashes from the small fire used to prepare lunch and headed towards the stream.
– Hee-eeh!
Leo was using the only water bucket, while Lev splashed water over Kuss. It felt like they had done this before, yet the big black horse, Kuss, didn’t seem to mind.
Splashing, Leo mixed ash in the bucket for washing, while Lev scrubbed Kuss’s body. Lena approached them.
“I finished the dishes. Anything… eek!”
Upon spotting the undergarments in her brother’s hands, Lena rushed over. She snatched the still-soapy undergarments and hid them behind her.
“What-what are you doing with my laundry, Brother!”
“…What?”
“Why are you handling my laundry…”
Leo’s expression was blank and nonchalant, making Lena blush. Glancing sideways at Lev Brother, she noticed he had the same expression.
‘Brother you dummy, idiot.’
If you’re going to help, then do it secretly. Why would you do this in front of Lev Brother? How embarrassing.
“L-laundry has always been my job. Leave it to me. I’ll take it.”
“Um? Since when…”
“Now. Go.”
Frowning, Lena drew close to Leo, her eyebrows raised, but he found it rather cute.
Leo gave Lev a look that seemed to say ‘What’s her problem?’, to which Lev shrugged, indicating ‘How should I know?’.
Due to Lena’s insistence, Lev and Leo were chased away from the stream. Kuss was also shooed along, and the three males stood idly, watching Lena do laundry. Squatting and splashing, her efforts were both endearing and commendable.
“…Our little sister has grown up. She even knows how to do laundry.”
“Indeed. It used to be Cassia noona who did it… Guess Xenia taught her well, huh.”
“…”
Leo fell silent. He thought of his parted lover, Xenia, while Lev recalled Cassia’s last moments.
Kuss thought about carrots.
* * *
“Next!”
A long line snaked before the gate leading out of the kingdom.
Occasionally, a guard’s voice announcing “Next” could be heard, and Lev and Leo were making plans while stopping their wagon at a distance.
“Good. Luckily, it fits.”
“…It’s a bit tight.”
“But you can wear it because it’s you. If it were Leo Dexter, he wouldn’t fit.”
“I suppose so.”
Lev pulled at the short sleeve of the royal guard uniform. The uniform that Leo de Yeriel had worn was slightly small for Lev.
After nearly two months of travel, Leo’s party reached the gate.
Their journey had been rather leisurely, causing Leo de Yeriel to ask anxiously, even after hearing all the stories.
“Are you sure it’s okay to go this slowly?”
“Probably.”
“I don’t get it. Astaroth showed an interest in me?”
It was the difference between hearing someone’s words and experiencing it firsthand. Lev nodded to reassure ‘Leo, who had never met the king.’
Astaroth.
That ancient being did indeed show favor towards Leo. He had warmly embraced him, saying he was glad to see him again, and the enchanted Princess Tatalia had kissed him and said, “See you again.” eagerly anticipating the next meeting.
Lev didn’t understand why the king did that, but he was sure of one thing: the king liked Leo.
Thanks to this, they were able to leisurely arrive at the gate. Ashtaroth didn’t get angry until he realized that Leo was a ‘toy of the gods.’
Moreover, ‘so far,’ the only thing Leo de Yeriel has done wrong was kiss the princess.
It wasn’t something that would necessitate dispatching the knights, especially since Prince Arnold de Klaus, who had come to meet the princess, returned in anger, worsening relations between the Belita Kingdom and the Astin Kingdom. The knights couldn’t afford to focus on such trivial matters.
Of course, they couldn’t be completely at ease. Since the fake ID under the name ‘Noel’ had probably been exposed, Leo and his party had traveled while trying to avoid attracting attention.
A bounty must have been issued. Though not directly related to the war, the Royal Guard would be closely monitoring the whereabouts of the suspicious knight ‘Noel,’ who had learned about the secret pathways of the castle.
Thus, when passing through the gate, the person who needed to pretend to be a Royal Guard was not Leo but Lev. Leo de Jeriel advised him on what to do and then hid in the carriage.
– Clack.
The carriage of the theater troupe, or rather, Leo’s group, which had finished its preparation for the act, set off.
Lev ignored the line at the gate and directly steered the carriage towards it. With an arrogant expression, he looked down at the gate guards.
“Li, loyalty!”
“Yes, you’ve been working hard.”
“Well… Sir Knight, excuse me, but please halt for a moment.”
How convenient would it have been if they had passed through unchallenged, but the soldiers blocked the carriage. They bowed with very apologetic expressions, and Lev scolded them.
“How dare you! Do you think you can block this carriage?”
Lev’s face turned red.
It was the smallest and shabbiest carriage. Even he felt embarrassed at his own brashness, but he also genuinely seemed angry.
A soldier cautiously asked, “We’re really sorry. It’s not that we doubt you, but could you show us your ID or pass?”
“ID? Pass? Why would a Royal Guard need such things?”
The soldier thought, ‘How are we supposed to know if you’re a Royal Guard or not?’, but bowed again because it would be problematic if he was real.
“A bounty has been issued for capturing a certain blonde Royal Guard. We have to tighten our procedures… Please understand our position.”
“Ridiculous. Do I look blonde to you?”
“N-no, sir! But as a matter of procedure…”
Hmph.
Lev snorted. His disdainful expression intimidated the soldier, and he jumped down from the driver’s seat. Just as he was about to grab the helmet of the trembling guard…
“Sir Bart, stop.”
The carriage window opened. Ready to chastise, Lev immediately knelt down, saying, “I apologize for causing a disturbance, Princess,” loud enough for everyone to hear.
Princess?! The soldier raised his head and was astonished.
Through the window, an incredibly beautiful lady appeared. Her delicate head peeking out, her lips as pretty as fruits.
The soldier was convinced beyond doubt that she was the princess and bowed his head. Unable to bear the moist voice saying, “Raise your head,” he dared to glance again at the princess’s face.
Beautiful.
Even squinting at the bright sunlight seemed elegant. When she stretched out her flower-like hand and beckoned him, his heart skipped a beat.
“I-I greet the Princess… I’m sorry. We failed to recognize the Princess’s entourage…”
“Not at all. I’m very impressed by your dedication to your duty. Here, this should prove my identity.”
Lena handed over the emblem of ‘Danizela Tatalia Grand Princess’ that Leo had obtained, and the soldier, who received the golden emblem, was overwhelmed with gratitude.
“Th-thank you for considering this humble subject. Well then…”
What should a soldier do when meeting royalty? Such things weren’t even in the duty manual, so he returned the emblem as politely as possible.
However, the princess did not take it back.
“I have one favor to ask.”
“Anything, please command us.”
“I am heading to the Orun kingdom. Stealthily. So… could you keep it a secret that I passed through here?”
“O-of course. We will keep it absolutely confidential. No one will know that the Princess passed through this gate.”
“Thank you. And one more thing…”
Had there been a busier day in his twenty-one years of life? When the beautiful princess winked at him, his heart fluttered even though he was married.
“I heard there’s another gate on the way to the Orun kingdom. There, similar procedures may be enforced… Do I have to reveal myself to foreign soldiers as well?”
“N-no! That’s absolutely unnecessary. If you allow me, I’ll accompany you. I have made acquaintances with the sentinels during my patrols, so please leave it to me.”
Leo and his party passed through the gate.
At the gate of the Orun Kingdom, Lev presented ‘Noel’s’ emblem, claiming to be a messenger, and the soldier emphasized that carriage inspection was unnecessary.
He did not realize that Leo was complimenting, “Our younger sister’s acting skills are great,” inside the carriage.
* * *
“Lev, what are you planning to do now?”
As they entered the Orun Kingdom, Leo, sitting in the coachman’s seat, asked. Lena was napping inside the carriage.
Lev, who was driving the carriage, organized his thoughts for a moment and spoke.
“…I plan to meet Marquis Guidan first. I’m thinking of enlisting the barbarian tribes, but it’s crucial to captivate the Marquis to secure his allegiance first.”
“Captivate?”
“Yes. With this bracelet.”
Lev had two red beads left on his {Bracelet of Barbatos}. Leo had an identical bracelet as well, but his beads lacked color.
“Well… it doesn’t seem like a good idea to me.”
“…Why?”
“That won’t ensure the Marquis’s loyalty for long. You know better than anyone that charms aren’t permanent. The ‘Master-Servant Relationship’ achievement is similar.”
[Achievement: Master-Servant Relationship – ‘0’, as long as loyalty is unwavering, those who swear allegiance will trust and follow Leo.]
“…That’s true. But we don’t have any other options. No matter how many barbarians we gather, a rebellion isn’t possible without the support of the nobles.”
“Yes, but… I wouldn’t charm the Marquis.”
“Then?”
Leo de Yeriel smiled. He seemed to have a good idea, but he didn’t want to interfere with the decisions of Lev, the protagonist of this scenario.
“It’s fine, just tell me.”
“Alright. If it were me… I would charm the Marquis’s wife.”
“What?”
For a moment, Lev thought his good-looking friend had lost his mind. But then he recalled the secret history of the Guidan family he had heard from a maid.
“Ah… right. The Marquis’s wife…”
He remembered from the last episode of Childhood Friend. The heir of the Guidan family, ‘Harvney Guidan,’ had been kicked to death by a pony.
Marquis Guidan had smashed all possessions related to the Church of the Cross in their mansion, and the Marquis’s wife had collapsed and never got up. They said she closed her heart and stared blankly into space.
The only ones who got a response from her were her husband and daughter, but when she saw them, she would burst into tears and faint, so she was recuperating in the Guidan estate in the northeast of the Orun Kingdom.
“Right. If it were me, I’d charm the Marquis’s wife. Remember? The charmed Harvey Guidan Marquis had given you his son’s room. Perhaps… the Marquis’s wife might also think of you as her son. That might snap her out of it.”
Lev, astonished, unintentionally stopped the carriage. He had been worried, but this plan would gain much more favor than temporarily charming the Marquis.
At the very least, he would be generously treated as a benefactor who cured the Marquis’s wife.
“Let’s do that. That’s much better. Thanks. That’s a really good idea.”
Lev sincerely expressed his gratitude. However, Leo de Yeriel still had more advice to give.
“And don’t forget, the Theovic Family’s weapon caravan will be arriving here soon.”