Chapter 20 – The Hero (1)
Translated by : betterdays
Proofread and Edited by : ch17175
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“No.”
Reika refused with a stoic expression. Lord Halvark sighed.
“Reika, you’re fifteen years old. You’re old enough to get married.”
It was rather late. The fact that Lord Halvark had not allowed suitors to come meet Reika, was already proof that he had cared deeply for Reika’s wellbeing.
“…I don’t want to get married yet.”
“I know how you feel. That’s why I turned down the other households’ proposals to introduce their heirs.”
But this time, Lord Halvark couldn’t help it either.
“But, you know that. If you do, then what is the target of this political maneuver?”
“…….”
Reika bit her lips without saying a word. Lord Halvark spoke in a sad but firm tone.
“Let’s just meet him for now. Maybe he’ll be a good guy. You’re totally free to think however you want at least once you’ve met him.”
“…I see.”
Reika left the room. She left and went to the training area as she trudged along with a sulky expression. As she entered the vicinity of the training area, the sounds of a sword whistled.
“Hey, Asher.”
“You’re late today.”
“You’re still the same.”
“You can’t skip training or you’ll become dull.”
Asher shook off the sweat. Reika grabbed the sword with a melancholic look.
“I didn’t like where my life would head, so I picked up the sword with you. But… in the end, it still ended up like this.”
“Is it marriage?”
“That’s right.”
The whole village had been having a gloomy atmosphere recently as well. It was because of the suitor that had come to propose to Reika a few days ago. It also was coming from a place that not even the Halvark Estate could reject.
No matter how much she tried to resist it, the suitor who was proposing had been moving large weight in the political scenery, in terms of power. The Townspeople knew this and also had a very high appraisal of Reika’s character, hence why the atmosphere was tense and melancholic.
“Is from a place that is higher in nobility?”
It was not yet known exactly where the suitor had come from. Lord Halvark was a decent sized household and it’s name was rated highly enough to refuse someone of a slightly higher status. However, in front of the higher nobilities and crown themselves, the Halvarks did not have much of a chance without disgracing their name.
“Yes, you know of the Belturia Nobility?”
“…Belturia?”
Asher stopped swinging the sword.
“Really?”
“Then it’s pretty much forced one-sidedly, isn’t it?
Reika sat down with her hands clasped atop her head.
“Why would a hero want anything to do with our small little estate? There’s nothing to gain from marrying into our family….”
Belturia was a place that Asher knew of.
Well more accurately, it was a person he knew, a hero from back in the day.
‘Is he scheming something?’
Asher furrowed his brows. He thought of the Lord of the Belturia Territory, Balbaca Belturia.
He wasn’t that great of a man. His frame was weaker than a farmer’s and rather poor academics as well.
Nevertheless, the reason for being called a hero was no big deal. It was because Balbacca was a perfectly virtuous and righteous man for the Empire.
“Is he expecting the Lord to marry you?”
“No, it’s the son. No matter how disgusting he may be, he can’t marry someone at the age of fifty.”
Reika shivered as if she felt like vomiting.
“I’d rather run away than marry him.”
‘That’s weird.’
Balbaca and Asher used to talk all the time back in the day. He had boasted that he would let his son marry whomever he fell in love with and not force the marriage.
Balbaca was called a hero because he practiced righteous virtues, although it was difficult as he was born as an illegitimate child.
Suddenly the words of the lead assassin came to Asher’s mind.
‘Most of the heroes disappeared abruptly 20 years ago, was it?.’
“…the Lord of Belturia is Balbaca, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“Did he ever have a brief period of abrupt leave or a sudden disappearance?”
“Huh? he never did that. Oh wait. I think about twenty years ago, they said he was missing for about a week. The Lord disappeared without saying a word, and there was a little bit of commotion.”
Asher closed his eyes. 20 years ago. Missing heroes. What did it all mean?
“So what are you going to do about the marriage?”
“What do you mean? I’ll have to visit the Belturia territory in the near future, talk with him, and schedule a time to meet again. I have no other justifications to possibly refuse.”
Reika was the daughter of a noble. It was her bitter fate that was damned to be met one day. Reika laughed bitterly.
“I can’t help it.”
Her laughter contained a sad acceptance. She was mature beyond words and her age. Asher respected her for that.
“I’m already going to see the suitor soon. Goodbye.”
If she was to be used as a political chess piece, it was likely that the two of them would never see each other again after this. Reika bitterly smiles as she waved her hand.
“It’s been fun.”
“Then let’s have a final spar before you go.”
Asher lifted the sword. Reika stared blankly and burst into laughter.
“You’re going to stay the same till the end?”
She grabbed the sword with a smile.
“Yeah. You won’t even hold a sword anymore, so it’s good to at least leave everything in the sword before you go.”
She rushed at Asher with determined eyes.
***
After the duel, Lady Venecia appeared when Reika was sobbing and lying on the ground of the training area.
“My poor child.”
She caressed Reika as she could see the tears in her eyes. Reika lifted her head and stopped sobbing. She noticed she should comfort her mother, since it seemed that her mother was even more disappointed and affected than she had thought.
“Don’t worry. Mother, I’m sure he’s a good person.”
“But still….”
“He was an illegitimate child but, he’s still a good person and does good deeds.”
“I’ve heard of his father once. But, I haven’t ever seen him in person.”
“They’re a family of heroes, what could possibly go wrong? If anything, this is the chance for us to establish a great relationship with another household like theirs.”
It was only after Reika held on firmly that she would be alright, that Venicia regained her stability. Her eyes were on Asher this time.
“Asher, I have a favor to ask of you.”
“Of course Miss, just ask.”
“In a few days, Reika will have to go by there to meet the man. Could you go with her on the trip and make sure she stays safe?”
“…Myself, Miss?”
“That’s right. Shouldn’t there be someone else for Reika to go with her that she feels comfortable with? I don’t think she’s that lonely, but you’re still the closest to Reika.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Asher agreed because there was no justification to refuse.
‘It’s good that I might get the chance to meet him in this life.’
Balbaca Belturia.
The hero of the past.
And one of his closest friends.
***
“It’s uncomfortable.”
In the carriage to the Belturia estate, Reika murmured with a sulky face.
“You two are too quiet.”
“I’m sorry, miss.”
“I’m not particularly talkative.”
“Ugh…”
Inside the carriage were Reika and Asher, and the knight of the estate, Charon. Reika clicked her tongue at the two men who were used to silence.
“Why did you do this?”
“It’s a matter of your safety.”
“I know that. The question is, why are you both here?”
Charon had been absolutely thrashed by Asher before he could even properly swing his sword. The uncomfortability and strained relationship between the two could not be described with words.
She couldn’t possibly fathom why both of them were sent together in the same carriage to act as her escort.
“That’s just how it was arranged.”
“There’s no point in complaining any further anyways.”
“Nonsense, there has to be a reason for this. My father wouldn’t do things like this without a reason.”
The Lord still was wary of Asher. Even though Van Ester had accepted him as a disciple in name, the Lord still remained suspicious even after half a year.
Lord Halvark was a prudent man. And such a man needed certainty, not ‘what-if’s’.
“They just want to find out whatever they think I’m hiding.”
At Asher’s words that hit the nail on the head, Charon flinched for a moment. The eyes looking at Asher sank narrowed even further.
“Ugh.”
Reika groaned as if she couldn’t stand it.
“I’ll go get some fresh air for a minute.”
She stepped out of the carriage as if she were running away from the situation entirely.
The carriage stopped.
Charon was still staring at Asher with his mouth shut.
“You.”
Charon glared at Asher, as arch-enemies would at each other.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Asher.”
“What a bunch of bullshit.”
Charon dismissed the possibility entirely. He gripped the sword handle tightly.
“I don`t know who you are. But I will not stand still if I try to hurt the Lord or her for that matter.”
Thick eyes of distrust were directed at Asher. Asher replied briefly.
“You? harm me?”
Charon had already been defeated by Asher. However, with a confident face, he gave strength to his hand holding the handle.
“The role of knights is to give their lives and loyalty to their Lord.”
Charon was determined to give up his life.
“Remember, I don’t trust you.”
“Feel free to think whatever you want.”
Asher answered nonchalantly, but was slightly surprised inside by Charon’s blatant distrust.
‘You’re still suspicious?’
He understood that Lord Halvark would still be suspicious, but Asher thought that Charon might be a little less distrustful since he was a knight and was devoted to the sword. He idolized the Swordmaster, Van Ester, and Vane Ester had confirmed that Asher was not a harmful person. Yet, Charon still did not trust him.
‘I’m getting curious again.’
What kind of person was ‘Asher’ before he had reincarnated into this body. The reactions were simply too hostile to be directed at a mere little troublemaker of the territory. It piqued his interest.
“What’s with the tense atmosphere?”
Reika, who came back into the carriage, murmured with a hint of annoyance as she looked at Asher and Charon. No one answered the question.
“…okay, let’s just go.”
Reika sighed as if she had given up.
***
It had been two days since the carriage left the territory. Reika asked Charon, twirling her feet in the seat in boredom.
“How much longer do we have to go?”
“Now that we have entered the territory of the Count… We’ll be there in about two days.”
“It’s not that far away.”
It had only been two days after they had left. Due to this, it seemed it would be a 4 day trip to reach the Belturia territory.
“Why didn’t the two territories interact prior to this even though they’re so close to each other?”
“It’s because there was not much profit to do so for them. It may be an estate from the family of the hero, but they didn’t have any need to make connections with us and neither did we.”
There was no need for the Halvark and Belturia territories to associate with each other since they were both more than satisfied with their own estates. There was no reason for them to interact as long as there was nothing left to be desired between them.
“Most of all, about 20 years ago, the Belturia estate had ceased to interact with the outside world.”
“Why?”
“We don’t know. It’s still unknown to this day. We don’t even know how the territory had been managed up until now, since there were no representatives sent between the two of us during this time. That’s why this sudden request was all the more surprising.”
After twenty years of complete silence, the estate suddenly discussed political marriage with their neighbors. It was bound to be strange for anyone looking at the situation. Reika clicked her tongue.
“I’ve been thinking about it for some time, but I need to know something before we get there.”
“Ask me anything.”
Charon replied with a smile.
“I know that Balbaca, the lord of Belturia, was called a hero. But why was he named a hero?”
Balbaca was a hero. He did not defeat a dragon nor defeat the demons. There was no notable feat recorded in history for any kind of world-saving deed like the other heroes.
Thus, very few people knew that Balbaca was a hero. And that was because there was only one reason why Balbacca was called a hero.
“It was because Balbacca was a good man that transcended his status of nobility.”
“…because of that one thing?”
“Yes.”
“Of course he would be a dog of a hero….”
Reika murmured in disappointment. She couldn’t understand how a man could be called a hero just because he was nice.
“Balbaca was a perfectly good-natured man in every way. He was like a saint of sorts.”
Balbaca was born as an illegitimate heir to the Count title, as the son of a concubine. Although he was able to live a life of nobility, he abandoned his title and walked around the world to experience the misery of the warring era with his own two eyes. When he returned to his estate and became the lord, Balbaca had made a decision.
“He had decided to make his territory a safe haven for all under his umbrella regardless of status and background.”
And Balbaca practiced his will without holding anything back.
“He gave land free of charge to all who came, and the taxes were the smallest amount possible that was required by the Empire. He himself also, decided to live in the same conditions as a commoner.”
Born as the son of a concubine, he took care of the people and made a place for the poor. He gave land to war refugees with nowhere to go, and sent those who wished to gain education, to the Academy for free.
They dismantled the city, sold all the ornaments and items of value within the estate, and paid for the weak and poor with that money without sparing a cent.
“The Belturia was a Noble Household without having a proper household. The Lord himself had farmed as a commoner and only ate what he had grown himself.”
“Really?”
Reika blinked her eyes repeatedly in disbelief.
“That’s what he did?”
Recently, the status system had weakened amongst the nobility, but decades ago, there was an absolute gap between the aristocracy and the common people. As such, Balbaca was a complete outlier to the old system.
“That’s why he was called a hero. When the world heard of the rumors, and bandits and troublemakers seeking a profit came, they ended up being appalled with just how sincere he was, and gave up their ways.”
“Really?”
Reika’s face turned a little brighter. Such a good man could not have been such a bad suitor even if it was arranged marriage. Charon smiled lightly.
“The land was a place where there were no bandits or murders. It wasn’t like some sort of paradise on earth, but everyone was more or less, happy.”
All of a sudden
Coooong!
Neeeeigh~
As soon as Charon finished talking, the carriage stopped. The horseman called for Charon in an urgent tone.
“Sir Knight, it’s bandits!”
“…bandits?”
Charon’s face distorted in confusion. Reika opened her mouth in a shaky tone.
“Didn’t you say there wasn’t crime or thievery here?”
Chapter 20 – Fin