Chapter 52
From the Commander’s proposition, Sunhyuk shook his head. Though he was soon swept away by his words at some point, but knowing him too well, he rejected his offer.
“For the moment, I do not have any thoughts about such things.”
As a result, the Commander stood silent seeing him not even hesitate. Just by looking, Sunhyuk could recognize that he was going to recommend someone to him, in which that person would monitor him and could influence him in some manner as well.
“A shame. I had thought that you would need a s.h.i.+eld or a weapon attendant.”
A fully armed Rider, or a Knight would have countless heavy equipment. If someone did not help, then you would be exhausted even before you arrive at a battlefield. However, he was a Dragon Rider and not a normal Rider, and with his high end strength and his formidable Drake, he could march on for a whole day.
That was why he didn’t need any servants under him.
“Since I am done, you can go now.”
Then the Commander said that he would give him a guide when he departs before waving him goodbye.
*****
Clink.
After finis.h.i.+ng their visit from the Commander’s place, they headed over to Emma’s restaurant and opened the door, soon hearing a sharp noise.
“You idiots!”
After consecutive shouts, he was able to notice the situation inside the restaurant.
“That’s not it, Emma.”
“Do you really want to boast about your coat in front of me? How many died for you to receive that?! How many did you have to kill? What’s so great about a squad t.i.tle, and now you’re boasting such things in front of me.”
He could see the large burly men trying to settle and hang onto Emma who was full of tears.
“Do you have no heart?! You have no heart! Don’t you know how I feel?!”
“Emma. Calm down first.. We’re soldiers anyways. This is our job.”
It seems that Jonathan who was regarded as an eloquent man inside the cavalry was ignorant of Emma’s feelings. From that excessive, unsettling comment, Sunhyuk couldn’t help but only sigh.
“How long will you live like this? How long will you continue that life when you may suddenly die whenever?”
It felt that it was getting harder for Emma to scream at them much longer.
“Ugh.”
Jonathan and Hansen who were clinging onto Emma discovered Sunhyuk, and gave a brief helpless glance. Since he didn’t know what to do even if he interjected, he just stood by the door and watched.
Giiiiiiiiiik.
Emma left her seat briefly, brought back a bag, flipped it upside down, and opened it. The opened bag started to pour down all of the salary which the cavalrymen had gifted her.
“Take it. I don’t need this money. This bloodstained money earned by you, my children and I can’t accept it.”
“Emma. Don’t be like this. Please settle down.”
Hansen and Jonathan were desperately trying to convince Emma, but she did not intend to step down easily. It seems that the victims of over half of the cavalry in the last battle was a major reason why she was like this.
“Let’s open a store at least. With this money, I’m not sure if we can operate in a large city, but we can still open for business at a good place. I can cook and you guys can help out. If so, then you can retire from that life where you could die at any time.”
“Mmm. Emma. Let’s talk about this later. We’re currently on a mission.”
After belatedly discovering Sunhyuk, Emma gave a glance before disappearing into the hallway.
“Ugh. I showed a bad side of me.”
“So why did you try to even boast.”
“You think I would? I never imagined that Hansen, this stupid b.a.s.t.a.r.d, would say such a thing in front of Emma.”
“Okay. I committed a grave sin. It’s all my fault.”
Admitting his fault, Hansen lowered his head in defeat.
“If you committed a grave sin, then you should die.”
Then Jonathan kicked Hansen just like that.
“What sin did Jackson have?”
“Ah, Jackson.”
Hansen and Jonathan turned around, and kneeling down organizing the dishes was Jackson.
“Well, we tried to give you a good experience, but I feel it’ll be hard today.”
“I am fine.”
However, Jackson was rather moved after seeing the truth that the cavalrymen were helping someone. Jonathan, who unfamiliarly looked at his eyes before sighing.
“So is everything finished? Can we drink now?”
If he could, he would immediately go and look around the possible fiefs, but after seeing Hansen and Jonathan’s depressed faces, Sunhyuk could not. So he nodded, and then Hansen immediately grabbed a bottle and raised it high.
“I think I’ll have to drink a bit today.”
With dejected faces, they continued to gulp down the alcohol, and soon the bottle was empty. Then, Jonathan went over and brought a new one, which also hit rock bottle.
Bang.
So after several bottles, Emma brought over a plate and angrily left it on the table. It seems that she had prepared something to eat so that they wouldn’t drink on empty stomachs.
“Thanks, Emma. There’s only Emma that cares about our bodies.”
“Even you do not take care of your precious bodies, so why would I?”
Though Hansen tried to be friendly wondering if her mood had settled down, but the reply was quite cold. Despite that, she had provided appetizers, confirming that the typhoon had pa.s.sed.
*****
Hansen and Jonathan were completely drunk as they lay on the table. Jackson was eerily strong with alcohol, and Sunhyuk did not have a single drink due to concerns about himself. As a result, he was stuck with two large drunk men.
“Aish. Drink moderately. To be so weak despite such large frames.”
Expecting this situation, Emma had already prepared some beds, and Sunhyuk and Jackson groaned as they carried the two large men on their backs.
Jackson, looking slightly back and seeing the two snoring men, spoke.
“Before I came, I was really scrutinizing the situation, but I think I did well in coming.”
Wondering what kind of unexpected revelation this was, Jackson continued to praise Hansen and Jonathan’s good deed. Then, with a somewhat reddened face, he added another comment.
“That Emma person, she’s really cool I think?”
He chuckled knowing that she was the main reason behind this.
“You’ve fallen for her?”
“Yes.”
Receiving such a straightforward answer, Sunhyuk was taken back as he replied awkwardly.
“Well… Try your best.”
It was then that Emma appeared and properly laid down Hansen and Jonathan who were a mess before tucking them in.
“What are you looking at? I made food downstairs, so eat it. I can see that you two haven’t eaten properly because of these two buffoons.”
Sunhyuk smoothly laughed after seeing how she had the appearance of a motherly, older sister figure. Emma, flabbergasted, sneered before disappearing to somewhere once again.
“Mmm.. Sunbae. If she is Sunbae’s target, I can give up on her.”
“What the h.e.l.l are you saying?!”
Sunhyuk exclaimed out in shock at Jackson’s useless, but honest statement.
*****
The next day, Hansen and Jonathan who were sober were nagged by Emma before being let go.
“She’s a really strong person. Truly.”
From Jackson’s words, Jonathan who still hadn’t fully recovered from yesterday night’s debacle answered.
“Of course she’s strong. It’s impossible to live on the borders without being strong.”
Though the devilish threat of the Sastanes who once lingered on the borders as if it was their homes had disappeared, it doesn’t mean that that the Noctane soldiers consisted solely of the Sastane cavalry. If one were to claim that they were accustomed to the sight of burning villages, and bearing the weight of beloved dead ones, then Emma was one of them.
After leaving the restaurant, they soon found the Commander for their exploratory journey, and he provided them with a Rider with the sole task of guiding them.
But the guide that they were a.s.signed with was too young to be called an elite of the Mengsk Cavalry. Not only that, his skin was s.h.i.+ning and pale like a girl, and also had a graceful face, so much so that one would believe he was a n.o.ble if he were in more elegant clothes.
“Forward! Nice to meet you. I am Julien Bankish. Due to the Commander’s order, I have been a.s.signed with the task of guiding you around his estates. Please ask of me anything along the way.”
Not only that, that confident, eloquent tone of voice made it hard to believe he was an ordinary guide at all.
“Ah, that sly old man.”
It didn’t take long before Sunhyuk realized that he was probably one of the recommended candidates that the Commander had wanted to a.s.sign under him. It seemed that sneaky Commander had schemed once again.
“Is there a problem?”
The boy who did not look even fifteen years old asked curiously. Seeing the expectation and worry behind his eyes, he didn’t have the urge to say this either.
“No. That’s not it…”
Well, even if this happened, the situation did not change much since the Commander is a man capable of preparing several candidates as a servant under him.
“Let’s go.”
“Please speak comfortably, Viscount. I have admired the t.i.tle of Drake Knight ever since…”
“Stop! From now on, the t.i.tle of Drake Knight or whatever is forbidden in front of me.”
Sunhyuk nearly fainted after hearing that ominous t.i.tle of Drake Knight from the capital once again. Though Julien displayed a dumbfounded face, but he did not necessarily ask why.
Before they left Mengsk Fortress, while Julien had left to bring his horse, Jackson approached him and spoke.
“Sunbae. That Julien person is, in all likelihood, a n.o.ble.”
“I know as well.”
“And she’s a woman.”
It would be rather strange for him to not recognize Julien as a n.o.ble, but he had never noticed that she was a girl.
“She’s young so it’s hard to distinguish, but she’s definitely a woman dressed as a man. I’ve seen it a couple of times where women have dressed up as men.”
Sunhyuk began to become troubled. Now he couldn’t figure out what kind of purpose the Commander had with this scheme.
“You’re sure?”
“I’m sure. If you want, you can confirm later.”
Jackson’s reply was full of confidence, and at that time Julien returned. For an original Rider, the white horse she was riding on was of a high-quality bloodline, which confirmed that Julien had no intention of hiding his background.
“Is something on my face?”
With Sunhyuk and the men staring at her blatantly, Julien asked somewhat confused.
“No, that’s not…”
“Are you a woman?”
All of a sudden, Hansen threw out a fastball, so much so that he was fully taken aback.
“Yes. I am a woman. Is that a problem?”
However, Julien admitted the truth too cooly with an apathetic face. Rather, the polite mask that she had been wearing from the start had cooled down as well.
“I am a dignified Rider, who can sufficiently defend myself. I have experience in battles, and also have achieved some minor merits. If you think that I won’t be able to properly guide you to the destination due to the reason of being a woman, I will immediately call for someone else.”
With a slight poke, a rush of words had poured out of her mouth. It seems that due to her being a woman, she had previously received quite a harsh treatment. Well, it was difficult to try and integrate with these prideful men, so it would be even more difficult if one were the opposite gender.
“No. There’s no need for that. Since we will be going together for a couple of days, I wanted to know about each others needs.”
If the Commander had recommended her, then she was definitely a person that was not lacking in ability. So there was no reason to bring in the issue of gender.
“Is that so? I would like to apologize if I had spoken out of line.”
Though her apology was courteous, but it was also dignified. Once the situation had cleared up, the woman stood in front, while the men talked in low whispers with one another.
“I told you she was a n.o.ble.”
“And one with quite a lot of reputation.”
Seeing that dignified att.i.tude despite her young age, they were certain that Julien Bankish was from a high-ranking family.
*****
Though Julien briefly caused an uproar after seeing the Drake, but they were still able to arrive at the first fief as planned.
“Even after seeing it myself, I’m not sure.”
Though Julien had explained about the population here, the specialities and special features of the land here, Sunhyuk could not come up with a decision. As a result, he had decided that he would tour around the other places before deciding.
“I’m not sure about here either other than the fact that there’s more people here than the prior place.”
“Is that so? Then we will immediately head for the next destination.”
Hansen and Jonathan weren’t of any help, and it was Jackson who rather aided him the most.
“If it were me, I would choose the first place that we saw rather than this place.”
“How so?”
“Although it looks like there are a lot more people and it is quite busy, if you look closely, they’re all vagabonds. It would be alright if the merchants were somewhat well-off, but from what I can tell, I feel like they are mostly refugees from the previous war. It will probably take quite a long time before they settled down here.”
From that somewhat informative answer, Sunhyuk wanted to compliment him with a surprised look, but Jackson, who was even more excited, continued.
“Not only that, unlike here, the first fief we saw had roads that were well-maintained. However, the roads are too isolated here.”
After listening to his explanation, it was somewhat helpful in his decision. But while they were talking, they had soon arrived at the third fief.
“That is all. The Commander had said that if it was difficult to decide immediately, he had advised that it wouldn’t be bad to request or receive the help of other experts in this. It seems that this matter is too important to decide right…”
“No. There’s no need.”
From Julien’s words, Sunhyuk shook his head.
“Let’s go with this place.”
Though she had encouraged him to ponder about his decision more, but he was unconvinced.
“Please don’t rashly decide and think…”
“No. I like this place.”
Then Sunhyuk, as if he felt something, grabbed the air.
“Since this place has what I’m looking for.”
[Earth Vein has been discovered.]