48. Mercenary King Recruitment Quest Activated!

“You’ll help me if I’m in danger, right? I am a promising talent in the spirit realm, after all.”

The way to safely navigate the back alleys without Sir Lucion’s help was to borrow the power of the Spirit King Sylphid.

I was anxious since it had been a while since I’d drawn a spirit summoning circle, but Sylphid responded to the summons immediately.

Even when I didn’t call him, this Spirit King who watched over me whenever he was bored started nagging as soon as we faced each other.

「If you want to use someone effectively, is barging in like that the way to go?」

“Is giving me life advice your hobby these days?”

「I was quietly watching, thinking you might finally buckle down and train diligently, but there’s not even a hint of that. Just thinking about cutting corners as usual.」

So he’s been enthusiastically watching the Weekly Anette TV again. Do you pay viewing fees for that?

“It’s just so bothersome. He’s an illegitimate child with family issues, complicated relationships with women, and he even walked away from becoming a respected knight after overcoming his unfortunate circumstances. He clearly has a headache-inducing backstory.”

「That’s exactly why you’re in the wrong. If you want to win someone over, you need to put in corresponding effort.」

“Why should I? I already know what will happen to Barbarossa in the future.”

Wasn’t Barbarossa already designated as a great mercenary in the original story?

Such important settings tend to flow according to the original story even without my intervention.

Just like Rose, who almost died in the Ash Tree Forest.

〈Don’t misunderstand just because Brother Darius is being a little nice to you.〉

And likewise, the way Rose hated me as soon as she saw me was part of the same flow.

So even if I don’t bother to examine Barbarossa’s twisted mindset, he will become the Mercenary King.

‘All I need to do is secure the talented Barbarossa and place him as the leader of the mercenary group I’m going to run.’

I should use the information I know from the original story now. While no one else recognizes Barbarossa’s value yet, I’ll take him and develop his aptitude for being a mercenary.

I really don’t want to get involved with Barbarossa’s family history, which is like holding a nuclear bomb.

* * *

The next day, there was a ladies’ meeting at Castle Inkheart.

This ladies’ meeting was the only gathering that Rose, who loved to meddle everywhere, absolutely detested.

〈Ugh, if they see me, they’ll just pour out a ton of nagging in that prim voice!〉

“I’ve heard that you’ve become close with Miss Rose Temeri. I suppose it’s more comfortable for you to be with Rose than with us older ladies.”

“That spirited filly with horns…… Oh my, I meant that as a compliment. Anyway, it’s rare for Rose to follow anyone. Is it because you and Miss Rose are around the same age, Lady Anette?”

Haha, hoho. I, young and green, exchanged pleasantries with the middle-aged noble ladies.

As long as I didn’t get on their nerves, they wouldn’t badmouth me saying ‘since when has that young thing been the Grand Duchess,’ and I had no desire to use my position to put them down as long as they showed me respect.

“Now that Rose is no longer a child, she should learn from Lady Anette’s dignified attitude and become a bit more ladylike.”

“But isn’t she cute? A young lady should have that kind of vivacity.”

Lady Temeri, Rose’s mother, was a senior figure at Castle Inkheart, but she chose not to attend this gathering, probably judging that listening to people criticize her daughter would be unbearable.

‘I envy her. Give me the freedom to skip this meeting too.’

Among everyone exchanging words in the conversation, one lady caught my eye. She only sipped her tea a little and remained silent.

Lady Maude, Sir Percival’s wife, covered her hair with a rough cloth. Lady Maude had revealed only her face below her forehead and covered all her skin with clothes.

The lady, whose attire showed a remarkable faith toward religion, had a bleak and dry personality.

Though she was silent, whenever she did speak, she only made strict remarks, causing Rose to run away with her tail between her legs at the mere sight of Lady Maude’s shadow.

‘Lady Maude’s husband, Sir Percival, is now retired but was once a master of mounted combat, and his son Sir Donau also became a knight, following in his father’s footsteps.’

Though he wasn’t as excellent a knight as his father, Sir Donau was a knight of decent skill whom Sir Lucion couldn’t find fault with.

“By the way, Sir Lucion praised Sir Donau. He said he’s a diligent knight who never misses training.”

“That child merely did what he was supposed to do. It’s not particularly praiseworthy.”

Lady Maude answered without a smile even at my compliment. It wasn’t a polite modesty to refrain from boasting about her child; she truly seemed to think that way.

“I see.”

I swallowed my tea with a bitter smile. She was a difficult person to get close to.

* * *

After the ladies’ meeting ended, while cleaning up the table where we had tea, I found a brooch someone had left behind.

A black brooch. Even though it was an accessory, its gloomy color gave me a good idea of whose it was.

“Judging by where she sat, it must be Lady Maude’s.”

Not much time had passed since the tea party ended, so if I went after her now, I could return it right away.

“My lady!”

Lady Maude, who was about to get into her carriage, looked at me when I called out.

“You dropped this.”

“Thank you.”

Lady Maude looked at me quietly and then thanked me with her usual calm demeanor.

“It’s nothing. Thank you for coming today. Take care on your way home.”

It was just a few words of casual conversation. Nothing special.

But it seems someone didn’t see it that way.

“Didn’t you promise me that you would no longer show interest in Barbarossa!”

After saying goodbye and turning back, Sir Lucion caught me with a troubled face and whispered secretly, afraid someone might hear.

“Barbarossa?”

“If you continue like this, I’ll have no choice but to report to His Grace the Grand Duke that Lady Anette is associating with a dangerous person.”

“Why is that name coming up here?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know? Sir Percival’s illegitimate child is Barbarossa, and Lady Maude is Barbarossa’s stepmother!”

Seeing my face frozen in shock with my mouth wide open, Lucion covered his own mouth.

“Good heavens.”

Yeah, I didn’t know. Not until you just spilled it all…

Sir Lucion must have thought I was questioning Lady Maude about Barbarossa when he saw me talking to her separately.

“Sir Percival’s illegitimate child. So that’s how Barbarossa could enter the knight order despite being illegitimate, because he had such a father.”

I stared at Sir Lucion in shock at the secret of birth I had just learned.

“Why did you tell me?”

“I, well. That’s….”

“Ah, why did you tell me! I didn’t want to know any of this!”

Fate whispered to me, handing me a handful of Barbarossa’s private settings.

Telling me to go and fix Barbarossa’s messed-up life.

I felt like I could hear the damned Spirit King laughing at me from somewhere.

* * *

That day was also unforgettable for Lady Maude.

〈……Hello.〉

The child greeted with a cowed face.

The painfully red hair seemed to prove his lowly birth. That was Lady Maude’s first impression upon seeing her husband’s illegitimate child.

〈I’m not asking you to treat him like your own child. Just make sure he has enough to eat and wear.〉

Sir Percival’s attitude was casual, as if merely noting that there was one more mouth to feed. He didn’t consider the feelings of his wife or the intruder he had brought into the home, who had to figure out how to accept this foreign element.

He was simply offended by the sight of his own blood wandering the back alleys in a shabby state. He was a successful knight with abundant wealth. So he brought Barbarossa home.

〈Just don’t make him go around stealing things.〉

The husband who had broken his marriage vows spoke to her in an indifferent voice.

Lady Maude knew her husband hadn’t married her out of love. In fact, she didn’t love her husband either, so it didn’t matter much.

But that didn’t mean she could maintain her composure when presented with an illegitimate child.

〈Mother, who is that?〉

Holding her son Donau, who nestled in her arms, Lady Maude looked at her husband’s illegitimate child.

‘What is that? That is the result of your father’s infidelity, and proof that your father doesn’t respect me at all.’

She couldn’t bring herself to say that.

〈You just heard what Sir said. Take him and feed and clothe him adequately. And keep him out of my sight as much as possible.〉

So Lady Maude chose to ignore Barbarossa.

* * *

“I heard from the priest. Lady Maude, you’re an admirable woman whom all noble ladies in the temple should emulate.”

Despite being the wife of a high-ranking knight, she always lived frugally and faithfully participated in temple events. The temple could only speak well of her.

“But even so, to take care of a child her husband brought home from outside and support him to become a knight…. Although the result didn’t live up to those efforts, it’s still amazing.”

Despite me bringing up a sensitive topic, Lady Maude merely raised an eyebrow.

Today, Lady Maude and I were having tea alone.

“In your discerning eyes, was Barbarossa’s talent too precious to waste?”

“It’s been a long time since someone mentioned that child’s name in front of me. Everyone knows he’s my sore spot.”

“That’s because my husband is Darius Inkheart. While it’s morally wrong to upset you, realistically it poses no problem for me.”

War was about to begin. To freely reap benefits from the conflict in the neighboring territory, I absolutely needed a mercenary group.

“He’s a person who went astray once, but I’m thinking of picking him up and using him. I can’t make him a knight, but still.”

I put my elbows on the table, folded my hands, and spoke to Lady Maude.