Chapteer 274: Extra 14 – The Bastard of the Frausen Family (2)
rXpConsuegra.89AE
NTQyzNpAn ordinary town within the baron of Turrek’s territory. However, although it was a common place, even this town had a special landscape: windmills lined up on top of a hill.EI9EA
lMcak5“Uuugh…”0Kv4yCa
I1MY2mOn the hill, where spring had arrived, sheep wandered around grazing, spreading out like white clouds.teP7XlW
0ctWjMAdditionally, flowers of various colors were beginning to bloom. Seen from afar, it was a peaceful scene, as though it were part of a painting. But on the face of the young woman standing there, there was only an expression of displeasure.EC3
GxPhaK“Why has the wind been so strong lately?”twYi6X
ljJkl4The fact that there were windmills in the town meant that it was a windy area.3QK
AM5E2However, compared to previous years, the wind was so sharp that the young woman had to hold her hat tightly so it wouldn’t blow away.UTM
31md“Huh?”PdjTFz
pJayAfter the strong wind subsided and Consuegra calmed down again, the young woman opened her eyes and stared intently at one of the windmills, as if she had discovered something.KgNeAhr
hlhGYL“What is that?”oZE22fm
CAcaIThere was a flickering light like a candle glowing faintly from a small window in the tall windmill.iMcw
H2CarX0A light that seemed to be calling for attention with its intermittent flashes.5hU5
ei9bovBut by the time the girl noticed that light, the strong wind was once again whipping the hill.54X3Hua
X246***b99B
MAeEkx“Is this supposed to be a path for walking?”N4bTPm
aRtKEA group of travelers was making their way along a trail that wound through the forest.EYIVG
yk55VbQThey were holding the reins of an old horse and a small donkey, struggling to move forward.FQXaB0R
beUhmOne of them was Kihano Frausen. His face covered with bruises, as if he had been beaten, Kihano struggled to pull his horse out of the mud it was stuck in.Z77cBc
V4lg“Honestly! I don’t get it! How is it possible to charge a toll for something that doesn’t even look like a road?”jfDGqU
Nla48Perhaps because it was spring, the wind carried a warm scent.92hz
Es7WdydBut on the other hand, that same weather had turned the path into pure mud. In other words, it was a difficult road for any traveler.4ZHXGy
u3STUfI“Damn dragons. They only care about their own matters up there and never bother to check these things.”6nQUlT2
Ka6“Sir Kihano, what if someone hears you?”oNL
9n8Alarmed by Kihano’s words, Yan looked around nervously.VXWS3C
hg2“In my town, in the past, someone was arrested for saying things like that.”sKaKsx
8s0gie“…”bjugj
P29“It’s true!”zyG2Sjk
RpbjgcOYan waved his hands, visibly scared, while Kihano frowned.ag4XA
OVAnjbIndeed, that was how this world worked. Even if they were on a lonely forest path, it wasn’t wise to speak ill of the dragons. In this era ruled by them, survival meant submitting and continuing to pull the reins, step by step.odrzZmE
gyM3“All I’m saying is that it would be great if the roads were well built. If it were up to me, I’d build great roads from the capital going north, south, east, and west.”ez0W
sifXNhThe dragons ruled this perfect world. Complaining meant rebelling against them. However, for a young man like Kihano, imagining a better future was inevitable.IYRhUHj
jpe“Idiot! Saying nonsense like that is why you got kicked out of the family!”P6hq9pM
YvIK4uKBut imagining a better future was a right reserved only for the dragons. So Kihano’s dreams were nothing more than an unrealizable fantasy.P8m7SZ
RZNO38y“If you still have the energy to talk nonsense, focus on getting to the town. Young people these days. Tsk, tsk.”aqz
yjLvIG3The frog sitting on Yan’s head waved a paw as it spoke. Kihano sighed deeply.5hQ
RdqGDHis dreams were big, but his reality was being stuck in the mud, pulling the reins of an old horse. If he didn’t want to sink like the animal, he would have to adapt to the world the dragons had created.4wWXv
oOaUNqF“…Well, at least the scenery isn’t bad.”sk6c
hIFrWAs they climbed the hill with effort, a green open meadow of Consuegra stretched out before them. A wave of green that seemed to soothe Kihano’s burning chest. He took a deep breath as he admired the view.qm7Rc
H48Bkl***H8d1Pz
7R7Y9“Name.”0LW
H89h“…Kihano.”HoWx
xgfc“Age.”RKLKy
he2J4v“Twenty.”jdjMua
W34lUm“Why have you come here?”ZYIIaJC
6lcwETAlthough it seemed like an insignificant town, the strict attitude of the guards watching over it was quite irritating.5wBQ
L2C3wjo“It says right there. I’ve been sent by your feudal lord; don’t you see?”bKt9E
n8xLUaEven after showing them the order with the lord’s seal, the guards’ attitude didn’t change. Kihano’s frustration grew as he found no solution.AmFso
mXWH0Mt“They say there’s been a witch around here lately. I’ve come to capture her.”bxF
rzREIirAlthough his appearance, covered in mud, didn’t inspire much confidence, the feudal lord’s order was authentic.mh1
yUIMoreover, since he had a squire with him, he fulfilled the appearance of a knight. There was no reason to hold him any longer, though the frog he carried as a pet aroused suspicion.PrRw
KZGKB“…Welcome to Consuegra, Sir Kihano.”WrC0PN
h0mX“So, can I go in now, gentlemen?”1PWsyQ
7268“Yes, go ahead.”RvbZG
uqqWWhen the spear blocking his way was lifted, the palisade granting access to Consuegra appeared. However, as he was about to enter, a voice from the guards made him stop.98zk73x
4xx“Once inside the town, please report immediately to the tax collector.”Bl0h4Ae
w3Z“…The tax collector? Isn’t that usually the mayor?”4wuuo
xiU7In small towns like this, it was usually the mayor who handled everything. The presence of a tax collector sent directly by the lord piqued Kihano’s curiosity.g5cnyZ
Z3Ar4“Yes. And if possible, please maintain discretion…”kAU54La
1o4“Well, what an expensive town. Hard to enter and complicated to move around in.”jXX
WoBxRYWWith an enigmatic smile, Kihano turned toward the guards.upAonN
ZII“It really seems like there’s a witch here, doesn’t it?”cFY
C6LJ21Witch.f762XJ
ed1Unlike mages, who used magic through mysteries, witches performed all sorts of illicit acts by dark means.E3Mah
jbQThe possibility that one was here sparked a glimmer of interest on Kihano’s face.Irz
6IFo***RW9
in4XY“Kihano, sir, this is not the right way.”x51
kXIj1PcYan’s voice sounded desperate from behind, but he didn’t dare stop him.LTS
qR5“The guards said we should go directly to the tax collector…”YEj
XCyd57H“I know.”pPD3VeJ
Ib7pIUTBecause the place they were standing in front of was not the tax collector’s office, but, inexplicably, a tavern.h6G
NpZGYan could only hop anxiously while Kihano, with complete ease, entered the place.TCE
4vxWh1c“Yan, don’t you know? Before meeting someone important, it’s good manners to shake off the dust and freshen up with a bit of liquor.”gltc
EnAN“…Really?”SYflCpG
QkT3D“What other choice do you have? Just follow me.”ELuLn
q5hcAlthough Yan frowned in doubt, Kihano had already opened the tavern door and entered.vw8El
O4B0f“Hmm, not bad.”t8a
S2H2TIt was the typical tavern of a small town. The ground floor served food and drinks, and the upper floor functioned as an inn. The smell of food was enough for Kihano to decide that it wasn’t a bad place.Yk6
kTAnR“I’d like to order something.”Sj7Z
ZTftU“What’s the most popular thing here?”XLLSZ
b1zm4D“We only sell one thing.”pyPdiry
J6spqC“Then bring me that and a beer.”fBY3ca
wipgvn“Kihano, sir…”3rB2i
ZDB8e9“Better make it two of those and a beer.”xlPaA
3dROCxVAfter placing the order with the tavern owner, Kihano looked around and spoke to Yan.xXzX9o
1WicFz“There are a lot of people.”bJRjd
zXIe“Yes, it seems the food is really good. In the tavern in our village, there was never this many people.”5vr10
2irD6For a large city, this was normal, but this was a small town on the outskirts of the territory. It was odd that so many people were gathered in the tavern.akI
bWeG1m“How good can it be for them to leave their work and come here?”tzqcn7C
BiKHe estimated there were about thirty people, all men of working age.cJFp3
4E2“Here you go.”RTYzbU
602“Oh, that was quick.”YeqO
onu“The stew is always ready.”CmH1S41
TMF3The stew came out shortly after ordering. It was a thick mixture of meat and vegetables. Yan, seeing the hot food, smiled from ear to ear.00Xu
gh3“Thank you, Sir Kihano!”GvCHT
jPU5y“Yes, eat up. This will be added to the 20 gold you owe.”hCgEd90
uWi7“…Understood.”k5HDERx
CiFvGivYan hung his head, dejected, while Kihano took a spoonful of stew to his mouth.J19eW
kp4L5gI“Mmm, it’s good.”ITUD4E
1KmThe stew, cooked for a long time, had a thick and comforting flavor, typical of rural towns.77b
2f69j“…But I don’t think it’s so good that people would crowd in like this.”Ez0L
hf3lrIt wasn’t delicious enough to abandon work and pack the tavern.avZE
FbNA“…On my farm, the sheep were torn apart. At first, I didn’t even know what it was.”Febs
ZNpj“At night, the children get so scared they have fits.”tZ3lN3C
e6Eezzc“This is the work of a witch. What else could it be?”nODd
H8MRHpO“…”uK16M
HBMKihano chewed slowly as he listened to the conversations in the tavern.obWZ29
ghkpMHe had gone there on purpose to hear the town’s rumors before carrying out the feudal lord’s mission.LqZ
lUkPRx***vE4Pi
geYh0g“W-What an honor to have such a distinguished person in such a humble place…”ydSD
77GbhUIn the city of Enares, near Consuegra, tension filled the mayor’s office as the sun set.P73
9N2mB“If you had informed us, we would have come to greet you.”**Pfb5bjK
o8nDB“…”XpkQ
ZjYgmThe mayor bowed deeply, with a pathetic expression. He could barely breathe from the effort of holding in his belly.5OtB4
AEo“I received the report from the mages. They say the investigation is about to conclude.”5h8PCoP
RrZ“That’s right! They told me so themselves!”IMMC
qkWMSThe mayor, ignoring his shortness of breath, rubbed his hands as he spoke to the man before him.rhH
U75P2uP“I made sure to assist them in everything and gave them the best possible treatment… I did everything I could to contribute to their goal.”3p5y
mwICfIn a way, he seemed servile.ZbkUt
393V7It wasn’t a look befitting a mayor responsible for a city, but the reason he did his utmost to bow his head was because the man in front of him was naturally in a position to demand it.xxT7
6ij6yVf“…Good work.”mMAJZ
z4XThe man’s golden hair gleamed in the light of the setting sun. Even in twilight, his hair maintained its golden luster.r4c0SC
Un4Uc6“If this succeeds, I will remember your name.”ZDvjBf
p0sNThe man’s eyes, a cold blue, reflected pure perfection. The mayor bowed even deeper.JIMCX6U
Fqj“T-Thank you, Lord Sarnus!”ghN
TBeSarnus Dragulia. A young dragon who was beginning to stand out in his family. He smiled as he looked at the mayor bowed before him.L0i
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