"...Well, thanks to that, the guild members were completely demoralized too."
Lou rubbed his heart while speaking nonchalantly.
His heart pounded whenever he thought back to that moment. Was it because he was startled by the sudden situation, or was it because it had been such a long time since he had stood behind someone's protection?
"Anyway, Les. If you keep acting like this, I can't be your business partner. Next time, at least give me a hint."
"...I will keep that in mind."
But now that the deal is over, is there a next time? Peleus thought.
The carriage stopped briefly at the guild master's quarters and then quickly sped away from Bart.
"Lou!"
“My lord!”
And their party was waiting at the fork in the road.
"You succeeded! I thought you were caught because it took a long time..."
"It took a while to exchange the bill."
"The ice iron deal is done, and the transaction with Warmia is wrapped up, so I just need to go back now, right?"
At Eick's question, Lou turned to look at Les.
"...Send it to..."
A whispering sound was heard.
He appeared to be sending the iron and gold extracted from each side to another place.
"You guys go back first."
She removed the makeup from her face and approached Les.
"Thanks to you, the work was finished easily."
Les held out a pouch of gold coins to Lou.
Inside, there was also a promissory note stamped with the seal of the Valdina Imperial Household.
"It is a currency that can be used anywhere in Valdina."
"Gold coins and even a promissory note. That's way too generous for such a short request."
Lou looked up at him with an awkward smile.
With his messy skin, wig, and makeup removed, Les's face even looked mysterious.
To be honest, Lou felt a strange sense of guilt for having turned such a good-looking man into someone who was so condemned, even if only for a brief moment, but...
'After all, you need something completely unexpected to exploit a weakness.'
Warmia's agents and the Black Anchor gang will waste their time searching for the hunchback man and the ugly escort who no longer exist.
"It was that dangerous of a job... I hope this serves as some small compensation."
Peleus paused for a moment. Lou, having cast off his hunchback disguise, shone fresh in the sweat and sunlight.
For some reason, the shining vitality felt to him like a hangnail.
"If you happen to leave Karkan, go to the border and find me."
He unwittingly worried about the boy's future.
'He wasn't event look like Dea.'
Why does it bother me as if I were leaving a child by the water's edge?
'I guess I can just leave the horses at the border.'
Even after he leaves, some Agema remain at the border. What if they were to take in the Lou?
His dazzling wit and talent have already been confirmed, so if he undergoes formal training, he will be able to go much further than he is now.
"Are you going to Lord Ousric's Castle?"
Then Lou asked.
"You heard exactly what the Guild Master said. Next, aren't you planning to go to the Lord's Castle to retrieve the item the Black Anchor is supposed to deliver?"
"The lord is holding a banquet at my castle. Do you know I'm the main character in His Excellency's presence?"
The only person in Warmia who can be called Your Excellency is Joachim; he is the only one.
Joachim Lanz. Royalty and governor of Warmia. And, Lou's enemy.
The killer sets foot in Osric's banquet himself.
"We are quite sensitive to the internal situation of the Lord Castle. You would need help rather than moving alone."
"..."
Les's blue gaze turned to Lou.
"It takes about three days from here to the castle. The banquet is in a week. If the head of Warmia is attending a banquet and decorating something, shouldn't he use his hands in advance?"
The Indifferent gaze touched the cold as if scratching his insides. Lou curled the tips of his toes without realizing it.
"Of course, I have something to gain from it."
"What is that?"
Straightforward questions flew in like rainbows. Lou bit his cheek and smiled.
"...It's a personal matter. But it will never get in the way. I promise you."
Maybe it will be helpful. After Les opens the way. I'll get rid of him myself.
Lou struggled to suppress her throbbing chest and returned the gold pouch.
"Why don't you combine the commission fees after all the work is done?"
Peleus looked down at Lou, who was biting his lip nervously.
He tried his best to pretend to be his usual self, but he couldn't help but realize that Lou was hiding something.
If it were the original Peleus, he would have refused. He doesn't tolerate any danger.
However, he felt like he didn't want to do that.
Hands clenched under the sleeves. Amber eyes are waiting for his answer.
Of course, his eyes are too clear.
"...Do you know how to ride a horse?"
When he thought about it. It had been a long time since words had popped out of his mouth. Peleus stood tall.
"Oh, of course!"
That's approval. Lou, who had quickly adapted to the man's unique way of speaking, understood what he meant at once.
Lou's voice was strengthened as he answered.
Thus, the two of them and their group set off for the Lord Castle once again.
***
Lou overlooked.
Even though he learned to ride a horse as a child, he had never ridden a horse for three days in a row.
He said that he had never experienced how hard the time spent on horses was.
Still, it was a delicacy that could not be missed as much as being in the cool breeze.
Next to them were the Eric siblings.
"You don't have to come."
Glancing at Maya, whose mouth was sticking out, Lou persuaded Eric again. But he just shook his head and silently took the reins.
The road to the Lord Castle was always difficult, and they ran together like shadows for three days.
As they had no choice but to be together, there were inevitably times when their boundaries were loosened little by little.
Tap tap.
For example, rubbing sleepy eyes while standing guard after dinner.
It's the kind of time when you sit in front of the bonfire and watch the flames burn in a daze.
Les looked at the dagger that Lou always carried with him and hinted at how to throw it more clearly.
"No, aren't we in a hurry right now? Do we need to spend so much time practicing the dagger...?"
He was unnecessarily picky, more so than expected.
The man made him practice at every meal.
If you didn't hit the target properly, polite but strict criticism followed.
"Les, you have a rougher mouth than I thought."
Lou pursed his lips.
The boy's amber eyes sparkled in the light of the bonfire.
"Why don't you learn more swordsmanship?"
"Swordsmanship? It's too late at this age."
Lou shrugged lightly.
"I'm not really Interested in it now. Of course, it doesn't seem to be of much help. Of course, this blood won't come anywhere, so my skills won't be bad. Where will our blood go? Father..."
How did the bars come loose? He even started talking about his family without realizing it.
"Are you from Valdina?"
"It's where I was born. My father always wanted to go back. That's why I also want to go to the Yellow Fortress someday."
"Have you ever seen the imperial castle of Valdina? It's a very nice place. The sky is blue, and the wind is cold. It's just enough to cool off your sweat. I still miss that wish..."
He said to Lou, who was looking at the bonfire and the black sky alternately.
"If you want. I will take you to the Yellow City."
Then Lou shook his head slightly.
"For now... I have work to do. After that, let's stop by the Yellow Fortress, well, the sky is so blue in my home country. The wind is cold, but that's why it's so..."
"Did your father tell you that, too?"
Lou stood still for a moment and then smiled.
"I don't want to devote my whole life to just one thing. The sky is blue, and if I forget these pleasant moments, my family will be sad."
Peleus, who had been listening quietly, asked indifferently.
"Isn't it heavy?"
His voice scratched more deeply than usual.
"I've never felt like I was too much to handle on my own."
"Well, I never thought about it that way."
The boy smiled again.
In that, playfulness was an unshakable and firm will.
"I'm grateful. I still have a mission."
The wind blew, and a few strands of hair fell from under Lou's hat, brushing against the boy's cheeks.
Peleus involuntarily tried to reach out and stopped.
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