Chapter 15
When I threw open the door, the scene before me looked as if the village’s only large tavern had been lifted and placed right here.
The location had changed, but from the patrons to the owner, every single person was someone I had seen before.
“Heh! That’s some clever thinking! A tavern in the middle of nowhere, only known to those who can find it!”
“My wife won’t be able to track me down here!”
The usual drunks, whom I had labeled as Drunkard 1 and Drunkard 2, helpfully provided a running commentary on the situation.
Who gave them permission to set up a tavern here?!
Sure, this old castle might be nothing more than a useless ruin, but technically speaking, it was still part of our family’s estate!
Ignoring the drunks, I pushed forward to find the owner of the establishment.
He wasn’t just any tavern keeper. With his dark skin and sunglasses, he looked more suited to wielding a gun than running a bar. Thanks to his distinctive appearance, I spotted him right away.
As soon as I reached him, I quietly asked,
“Did you get permission to run a business here?”
“Hmm.”
In response, the tavern owner simply jerked his chin toward a corner of the room.
I turned to look—
“…Father?”
There, sitting in the corner, leisurely sipping his drink, was none other than my father.
Next to him sat an old man I had never seen before.
“Grandfather?”
Behind me, El, who had just entered the tavern, widened her eyes at the sight of the elderly man.
It seemed like he was someone El knew.
“Grandfather! What are you doing here, leaving only me behind?!”
“Y-Your High… No, I was instructed to leave everything alone and let things be as they are.”
“That didn’t mean to abandon me all alone!”
They seemed to have their own issues to sort out, so I left them to it.
Turning back to my father, I asked,
“Father?”
“What?”
“What exactly is this place?”
“Isn’t it obvious? A tavern.”
“You know that’s not what I’m asking.”
For a moment, my father fell silent and avoided my gaze.
I immediately adjusted my position to meet his eyes again.
In response, my father averted his gaze once more.
As I tried to lock eyes with him again, his movements suddenly sped up at an absurd rate.
Is he seriously using his martial arts skills just to avoid my gaze?!
With a warrior’s agility, he dodged my gaze so swiftly that it became nearly impossible to meet his eyes.
“Hah… Hah… No, seriously, what are you doing?! At least try to explain yourself!”
“A married man sometimes needs a place of his own.”
Letting out a deep sigh, my father finally gave up avoiding my gaze and muttered weakly.
To the average person, he might have looked like a pitiful, overburdened family man.
But—
“I wouldn’t know. I’m not married.”
Not my problem.
“I mean, even if this place is considered a useless structure now, it’s still part of our family estate. What exactly do you think you’re doing with it?”
“…Can’t you just turn a blind eye?”
His shoulders slumped even further.
At this point, even I started feeling a little bad for him.
“…I’ll think about it.”
If he weren’t family, I would have demanded something in return. But since he was, I let it slide.
[You’re surprisingly soft when it comes to family.]
‘I never said I wouldn’t tell. The moment we get home, I’m telling Mother everything.’
[…]
‘What? You got a problem with that?’
The usually noisy voice in my head fell silent, which was an added bonus.
Not a bad outcome—aside from the money I squeezed out of El during our castle exploration, this was an extra little profit.
“It seems your conversation is over.”
Just then, El approached me, apparently finished with her discussion with the old man.
"It's over. Are you done too?"
"That's right."
I couldn't hear the conversation over there because I was too focused on my father, but seeing El's bright expression, it seemed to have ended well.
If that's the case, then the only thing left is—
"How about we wrap up our exploration of the castle around here?"
We've both already seen each other at our worst, and after discovering that a secret tavern is being run here with my father’s permission, all my enthusiasm has completely disappeared.
Forget the guide work or whatever. I just want to go home, stretch out, and get some sleep.
"Hmm? Why? Shouldn't we at least explore the first floor and below?"
"There's a tavern with people coming and going here. I doubt anything is really hidden."
"That may be true, but we haven't explored the entire castle yet, have we? There might still be a secret workshop tucked away somewhere."
That would be in the warehouse at my family’s estate.
"And at the very least, I want to find even a small clue about the black armor!"
[Wouldn't it be easier to just take out the adorable me and introduce me, Master?]
‘Shut up.’
Someone as outstanding as me, who has transcended time, must be careful.
In the end, I decided to keep exploring the castle until this little one got tired.
No way this kid has more stamina than me.
"Hah… Well, I guess there's no choice. We're continuing the search, right?"
"Of course!"
"Alright, let's go. We have to. I got paid, so I have to do my job."
Even though I wasn’t too keen on it, we left the tavern and resumed our exploration.
The first floor, now that we knew there was a tavern, wasn’t scary at all—just disappointing.
Most of the space was taken up by wide halls rather than corridors, so there wasn’t actually much to explore.
So, that was enough of the first floor.
"Let's pick one—either the second floor or the basement—and call it a day."
The castle isn’t small, so checking everything would take a few days.
So, I proposed a choice between the two.
Without a moment’s hesitation, El immediately spoke.
"Then let’s go to the basement."
"Why the basement, of all places?"
I barely held back the words: You're scared too!
"Doesn’t it just seem more suspicious?"
That’s true. Anywhere you go, the basement is usually more suspicious than the second floor.
But this is a castle, and if it's the basement, then surely—
We headed downstairs.
The atmosphere was on a whole different level compared to the first floor—way more eerie.
Well, no surprise there. The first basement level is a dungeon.
"Ugh, it's creepy."
"You still want to keep going?"
"Of course!"
Even though this little one was clearly scared, he still wanted to explore the basement.
I had no choice but to take the lead.
With no windows at all, it felt even darker than upstairs.
Maybe that’s why my mouth started itching to speak.
"Honestly, isn’t wandering around like this kind of pointless?"
I’d been holding it in, but I finally let it out.
Since I got paid, I was just going to play along quietly, but I was too scared to stay silent anymore.
"It is pointless."
As expected, this kid knew it too.
"But isn’t it fun to wander around with someone similar to you?"
At those words, I turned around and looked at El.
Because of the dim light, even though he was smiling, there was a strangely bitter feeling to it.
Not that I really cared, but—similar to me?
"What are you talking about? I’m not like you."
"You might not know yourself, but I know you."
"Well, this is the first time I've seen it in person, though."
I must have paused for a moment because El walked past me and started leading the way.
"I do have some interest in black armor, but in truth, I came here today to meet you."
"I didn't know I was that famous."
"I just happened to hear some stories, that's all."
I slowly started walking again, staring at the back of the small, lonely-looking kid in front of me.
"You brought up black armor so suddenly in the plaza—was that for me to hear?"
"I thought it was a topic we might have in common. I didn't expect so many people to gather, though."
Huh, so that wasn't just some random self-promotion, but actually an attempt to talk to me?
It's ridiculous, but I guess I kind of understand.
"Alright, fine, but why did you give me so much money for no reason?"
"I heard there's such a thing as a 'friendship fee' in this world."
Does this place have that, too?
[Wow, this world really has a lot of similarities to Earth's culture, doesn't it?]
'Seriously, it's almost ridiculously similar. Even stupid jokes like that.'
"That's probably just an old saying."
"Is that so? Please understand. I hardly have any friends or even allies, so I'm not very good at making connections."
Man, this kid makes it really hard to respond. How am I even supposed to reply to that?
[Master, you're good at bossing people around, but you're not exactly great at making friends either.]
'At least I know how to maintain relationships.'
The little kid in front of me really was starting to look like an actual little kid.
Based on their tablet and the way they spoke, they seemed to be knowledgeable, but could someone who actually pays a "friendship fee" really be considered a proper adult?
Nope. I should probably explain how human relationships work.
"A friend isn’t something you get by paying money. You just talk, hang out, study together, eat together, and at some point, you just become friends naturally."
[That's a pretty simplistic explanation.]
'Then how would you explain it?'
[The database defines a friend as someone you've been close to for a long time and have formed a deep bond with.]
'Wow, that's a really cold, detached definition.'
I mean, yeah, that’s the dictionary meaning, but when you actually try to explain it, it's not that easy.
"Is that so?"
Well, it looked like the kid more or less understood.
"But people I've talked with, played with, and eaten with have also pointed swords at my neck before."
"That's just because they were bad people."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. At the very least, I have no interest in your neck."
Since they still seemed unsure, I decided to hammer the point home.
Since I'd already accepted the so-called "friendship fee," I should at least do this much.
"Then… does that mean you're my friend?"
"Hmm… well, it's kind of a cringe-worthy way to put it, but yeah, I guess you could say that."
"Why would your hands and feet be in danger? Are you injured somewhere?"
"It's a figure of speech."
At my words, the kid turned around.
And then, they smiled brightly.
Up until now, I'd only thought of them as a scared little hamster, but at that moment, they looked…
With their silver hair shining under the moonlight, their refined presence, and their soft yet radiant smile, they truly stood out.
Well, anyway, they looked nice when they smiled.
Even if the setting—a ruined prison—was a bit of a problem.
"Then that means you are my first friend."
"You keep saying things that make me cringe, but sure, think whatever you want."
"Alright. I look forward to our friendship, my first friend."
The place was eerie, and my hands and feet were curling in embarrassment, but still…
There was a sense of fulfillment, and the atmosphere was warm.
Then, at that moment.
A particular room caught my eye.
Unlike the others, it had a distinctly different feeling, and inside, I saw a shadowy figure.
“AAAAAAAHHH!!!”
“WAAAAAAAHHH!!!”
Without thinking, I screamed and bolted.
A silhouette inside a ruined prison?!
That’s absolutely impossible!!
What the hell is going on?!
“W-where are you going, leaving me behind again?!”
I could sense El following behind me, her voice trembling, but that was the least of my concerns.
More importantly, what was that figure inside the iron bars?!
[Master.]
What the hell was it?! Could it be… a ghost…?
[Masteeeeer!!!]
Why is this thing unnecessarily stretching out its words when it's just text?!
‘What?!’
[That was not a spiritual entity that you’re afraid of, but simply an ordinary human displaying biological signs.]
‘Oh? Really?’
[There’s no way my sensors would fail to detect a spiritual being.]
I see. So it was just a person.
But why would a person be here?
Are they insane?
I stopped in my tracks and turned my gaze back toward the iron bars.
The person I had seen earlier had disappeared, as if they had also run away after spotting me. The space was now empty.
“Huff, huff, huff… Y-you left me behind again!!”
Shortly after, I spotted El glaring at me with puffed-up cheeks and teary eyes.
I shifted my gaze away from the iron bars and stared into space, lost in thought.
What should I say this time?
After a brief moment of contemplation, I decided to give El an advanced lesson on friendship.
“That’s just how friendship works.”
“What do you mean by that?”
El tilted her head at my words.
I suppose that wasn’t enough of an explanation.
“A friend will always stab you in the back when you least expect it.”
“Is… is that really how it works? That’s not what I’ve learned…”
El questioned my words with uncertainty, but she didn’t know any better.
“That’s exactly how it works. There’s even an advanced term for it—‘Friend Shield.’”
“A term like that exists? I’ve never heard of it before.”
“Of course not. Someone who actually pays a friendship fee wouldn’t know these advanced concepts.”
I smirked and shrugged. That was a perfectly natural explanation.
“Do you take me for a fool?”
But it didn’t work on El.
She narrowed her eyes at me with a skeptical glare.
If it had been Linia, she would have fallen for it instantly, but El was sharp. I guess that’s why it didn’t work.
“Anyway, confirming the identity of that suspicious figure takes priority.”
And with that, I swiftly changed the subject.
Verifying an unknown danger was far more important than discussing something as ambiguous as friendship.
---
Meanwhile, after Raniel and El had left, the lights of the secret tavern remained on.
While they had managed to avoid getting caught by the tavern owner, going home meant facing their wives and getting smacked.
Perhaps that’s why the men’s steps were reluctant to leave.
But as the night deepened, one by one, they finally got up from their seats.
Eventually, even the tavern owner handed over the keys to the landlord and left for the night.
And so, in the end, only two people remained.
“By the way, is it really safe for Your Highness to be wandering around so carelessly?”
At Raniel’s question, the old man gave a heavy nod.
“It’s actually safer for me to be out here than inside the palace.”
“Is the situation that bad?”
“It’s not good. Ever since the Third Empress left, the factions have completely…”
“There’s an abundance of spies from the other faction.”
“Spies? If they’re confirmed to be spies, shouldn’t they be eliminated?”
“If we eliminate all of them, there won’t be anyone left to serve the princess.”
That was how severe the oppression and scrutiny from the other factions were.
Raniel’s gaze softened with sympathy as he looked at the old man.
“And what about you? Are you all right?”
“Sometimes, I think that perhaps this is for the best.”
“What do you mean?”
“No one bothers to humiliate an old man with no power or influence.”
He was someone who would have to be removed someday, but for now and in the foreseeable future, he wasn’t a threat. However, the moment Lyael decided to remove him, he would have to bear the weight of political risks and countless criticisms.
That was the nature of the old man’s position, and that was why he was still able to remain by the princess’s side.
“In any case, that’s how things are in the palace. That’s part of the reason why His Highness is entering the academy this time.”
He had been delighted, thinking he could study magical engineering.
The old man trailed off with a bitter smile before continuing.
“Raniel, have you thought about returning to the palace?”
“Sorry, but I must refuse. All I want now is to spend the rest of my life quietly while protecting my family.”
The old man understood his feelings.
A remote, insignificant barony in the countryside—Leventesia.
And the title of a baron.
None of it suited Lyael, yet he had left the palace satisfied with just that.
“Well, it wasn’t a serious request.”
“Then is that all you had to say?”
“Actually, I came to ask you for a favor…”
“Oh, I refuse. Absolutely not.”
“You won’t even hear me out?”
“Sorry, but I’ve had enough of the palace’s political games.”
“It’s not for you—I wanted to ask your son.”
“My son? Don’t tell me…”
“I heard that he’s also enrolling in the Imperial Academy this year.”
Raniel’s eyes narrowed.
“Look at that expression. Do you really think I’d ask your son to risk his life protecting Her Highness?”
“It’s nothing like that. I just wanted to ask him to look after her.”
The old man turned his gaze toward the hallway where El and Raniel had disappeared some time ago.
“Well… it seems I won’t even need to ask.”
