Chapter 77

Chapter 77

***

Time passed after Rickart completed the Special Class request and returned to Ehrenberg.

The withered grass dried up even more, and the leaves clinging to the trees fell without exception, becoming leaf litter. Snow covered all those gaunt remains.

A wind like a whip blew. In the harsh and ruthless winter, all humans seemed to become miserable slaves.

But the movement of the celestial bodies wasn't indifferent only to humans particularly. Even winter ended slowly, but surely.

Before anyone knew it, rain fell instead of snow. Spring had come. The snow that had piled up throughout the winter gathered in the river water and was driven out to the sea like prisoners of war.

As the weather warmed up a little, people moved little by little, like sprouts sprouting. Like that, again, they put strength into living. That was life, and that was living.

However, swordsmen sharpen their swords if there is no work to do. When other people raise life, they earn money with death. It wasn't that they rested continuously because it was winter either.

Of course, usually they brushed off snow piled on roofs, chopped firewood, or repaired buildings, doing maintenance too, but finally, mainly earning a living meant swinging a sword.

Nevertheless, the Ehrenberg Branch of the Beringen Adventurer Guild wasn't an object of fear. Rather, it was close to being friendly and receiving trust.

Moreover, putting forward prompt, accurate, and high-class work processing, their reputation in the surrounding region was good too. Request completion was close to a hundred percent, with a full refund in case of failure.

Especially Ice and Bori-bori, headed by Rickart, were called 'Viola's Three Swordsmen', and in the whole Siegfinger region, no match could be found for them.

So, to nominate these three people and entrust a request, the unit price was forced to be high.

But saying so, Rickart's life didn't change dramatically. Even if he was a swordsman completing Special Class requests and it was difficult to find a match, it wasn't that he lived a grand daily life.

Living adjusting to the seasons like others, and seeing largely nothing changed either; he just lived silently, or enjoyed the joy of daily life with friends only.

Really so? Seemingly not.

Outwardly it might not have changed, but in a deep place inside his mind, the seed Armand planted existed. 'Face yourself. Even if your mind is torn to shreds.'

Ice laughed more often, and Volca told him to go back to the old days, saying a handsome guy shouldn't be good until his personality too.

By the way, conversely, Rickart's number of words decreased compared to the old days, and his laughing decreased. He wasn't gloomy. He wasn't feeling bad either.

Why it was so, his own self didn't know either. Bori-bori said Rickart was becoming an adult, she guessed.

Well, the answer will exist inside me finally, but I couldn't find it. Or I might be ignoring it unconsciously.

Anyway, when the season changes, rain surely fell. From winter to spring, from spring to summer.

The ears of grain hadn't all headed yet, but green barley fields and wheat fields spread in the Ehrenberg suburbs jjak. Very little by little, they were ripening yellow.

At that time, a document arrived from the Guild Headquarters. Thinking it was a bounty paper as usual, but one special document was stuck in.

It stated that the Imperial Swordsmanship Tournament would open in autumn. It was written that huge prize money, land, and the glory of able to become a member of the Imperial Family would be given to the Winner.

Becoming a member of the Imperial Family was not anything else but saying they would let the winner engage with the 32nd Princess.

Martelia von Nibelingen.

Seeing that name, from the seed planted in Rickart's mind, a sprout started to sprout little by little.

"Eeng? Marie was a Princess?"

Bori-bori, walking along the bank road riding the donkey—the Clan's Asset No. 1—opened her eyes roundly.

Rickart, whose height had grown excessively, was walking at her side; the two were on the way returning to the Branch after finishing a request together.

"Didn't you know? At that time, we were together, weren't we?"

"At that time, when?"

"Graduation time."

"Ah, at that time? But at that time the distance was far, so I didn't hear what was said."

"Anyway, so it is."

"Then Ricky is participating in the tournament?"

"......Don't know."

"Don't know what don't know? Marie is too pitiful, isn't she?"

A commoner pitying a Princess was usually no work to happen. But, Bori-bori wasn't an ordinary commoner; she had watched Marie's heart suffering at her side.

"Maybe it might become good with this."

"Became what? The relation with Marie?"

"Yeah."

"Ricky, you are also really, truly stubborn. I know well you are stubborn, but this seems a bit wrong. Just, you and Marie will become unhappy."

"Life is originally unhappy. Happening to be happy momentarily once each. Struggling to be happy, you become more unhappy."

"No. I don't think so. Look at me. Do I seem unhappy? Or seem happy?"

Bori-bori had experienced a time more unhappy than anyone, so she understood well that happiness and unhappiness depend on how one makes up their mind.

"You just have no thoughts, and..."

"What, what? Too much, Ricky. Even if I look like this, I studied much, you said."

Actually, Bori-bori read many books, and studied much on the side too. Her knowledge level was rather higher than Rickart's.

"So you won't go?"

"I said I don't know, didn't I?"

"Mm, understood. Have to push a bit."

"Hahaha, does it seem like I'm a person to be pushed? Me?"

"Not me alone. Talk to the kids, they'll all say go?"

"......Everyone had that much interest in me and Marie?"

"Of course. You two match well. When I saw Marie, she looked like a Female Ricky? You two resemble each other extremely."

"What? Female Ricky?"

"Right, not bullying the weak, conversely facing against strong people, looking naive but actually smart, and heart warm too while cold-hearted when called for; above all you are also brave, but Marie is braver than you."

"......"

When others saw, did it look like that? Rickart came to look back about Marie anew. She, smiling shyly, shimmered in front of his eyes.

"And it's too much, isn't it? Winner trophy? Is Marie an object? She's not a kid to receive such treatment, Ricky, you also know."

Actually, from ancient tribal society, giving a daughter to a skilled wandering wanderer taking him as a son-in-law was a long tradition. Doing like that protected the family, and moving forward, protected the village.

That tradition coming down, marrying the Jousting Tournament Winner and the Princess was work existing often.

To a Knight, it became an opportunity for a status rise, and the King obtained military force. Not simple romance, such interest relations existed. Maybe it might be a characteristic of warrior culture.

So the Imperial Family holding a Swordsmanship Tournament and letting the Winner and Princess engage, although unconventional, was a sufficiently possible work.

By the way, people weren't fools. They knew the Emperor was a Debauchee, and had numerous illegitimate children, and was throwing a Princess existing down there just as if showing kindness. The 32nd.

But even saying so, the clear thing was it was an honorable work. Calculating the maternal family side, Marie had no problem genealogically, and the land coming followed as a prize was attractive.

Of course, Rickart didn't have one bit of interest in such things. Just, he seemed to be hit on the head with a hammer at Bori-bori's word.

Why does Marie have to receive such treatment? Thinking about it, it was an angry work.

"Your words are correct, Bori-ya. I didn't think until there."

"Hehe, saw? I have thoughts, right?"

Rickart, laughing, stroked Bori-bori's head roughly and uselessly.

"Right, now you are better than me."

Bori-bori, whom Rickart almost picked up from the street and raised, became an existence thinking for herself and able to give advice or counsel to Rickart now.

Moreover, she was a swordsman making fame in the Central North of the Empire in name and reality too. Of course, unwillingly she came to possess the notoriety called the 'Mad Dismemberer' also, but.

Returning to the Branch, it was crowded with adventurers. Also, the Branch was going well most in the Siegfinger whole area, and because having signboard adventurers called Rickart, Ice, and Bori-bori, people were flocking much.

To Volca, another homework was distinguishing jade and stone when receiving Viola Clan rookies and managing other Clans. He was now Branch Manager and Clan Master too.

Rickart didn't intend it, but his human relations were somewhat closed. Not blunt, but he didn't share deep conversation except with friends.

So even with the same Viola Clan person, often he didn't know their name or was seeing them for the first time. Just 'is that so', and passed only.

Surprisingly, people following Bori-bori were many. Because she was kind, and transmitted swordsmanship or battle experience unsparingly.

Conversely, Rickart feeling unable to approach, people didn't approach well.

Ice also, even saying he was better than the old days, treated unfamiliar ones coldly, so people were not well in his surroundings.

The Ehrenberg Branch just flowed well in such a way. In the world, troubles were full and overflowing, so business was unable to fail as requests were not disconnected.

Anyway, Rickart reported progress to Volca, and told him regarding the Swordsmanship Tournament and Marie. Then friends said like this with one voice.

"Why not go?"

As Bori-bori said, Rickart was pushed almost as if kicked out.

Packing equipment and luggage in the bewildered middle, he loaded his body on a merchant ship. While riding the boat looking back at Ehrenberg City, it was small but vitality overflowed.

But the boat was proceeding to bigger water. To a place where one might die if wrong, as the raging waves were severe.

The Imperial Swordsmanship Tournament opens in autumn, yet it was not autumn either, but already Nibelungen was crowded with outsiders gathered from each place of the Empire. Moreover, those outsiders were mostly swordsmen.

As doing so, incident and accident occurred day after day. Fist fights were a common occurrence and outside tavern duels betting pride more important than life happened frequently.

Imperial Knights stepped forward in the crackdown, but actually, the crackdown wasn't done well.

Because, rather, work finished neatly with one side dying. Interfering in a fight uselessly, causing an accident in another place was more of a headache.

So Knights or Soldiers stayed in line protecting locals. Virtually, people who came from other regions didn't receive protection, and it was a structure of having to survive by oneself.

Only undertakers and priests, and grave robbers enjoyed an unseasonable boom. In this midst, outsiders were flocking more and more gradually. The degree exceeded the city's accommodation limit.

Rickart, getting off the boat, stepped foot in such a place. Humble luggage and one Meteor Iron Sword, and a dagger inside his bosom were all.

Checking the city roughly facing the river wind, truly it was an antique and beautiful city. On the opposite side of the river, a forest existed, and the paved road was wide.

As there was no Castle Wall, the wind roamed freely. Moreover, installed until water supply and drainage pipes, it didn't smell of the peculiar stench of a city.

The Emperor's Castle was on the hill but was more petite than thought. Just, the place Imperial Family members actually lived was a Palace separated a little from the city.

They lived in the Castle in the old days, but as the residential space was not good particularly, so now virtually it operated as barracks.

Rickart strolled the main road first. As it was the Capital anyhow, rich persons seemed many; sometimes carriages passed. So on the road horse dung fell here and there.

There was a person putting that dung in a sack; not a cleaner but a person trying to sell it as fertilizer. Anyway, so the city was on the pleasant side.

Rickart, grasping the structure of the city roughly first, roamed to take lodging. By the way, exiting the main road, gazes were felt here and there.

That was different a little from a bandit's gaze aiming for money and equipment. Just, it was a provocative gaze.

To survive safely in a situation like now, one method existed. That was exactly going lowering one's eyes.

But Rickart didn't do so, and just stared blankly only. What? Will you do what?

Fortunately, locals didn't seem to care particularly. Outsiders and locals knew exactly by looking. Attire, or strange atmosphere, or.

Rickart, approaching a person moving an oak barrel, asked.

"Will ask a word a bit. Where does a decent Inn exist here?"

"Inn? Probably full all."

"Yes?"

"Expensive Inns close to the Imperial Palace, famous swordsmen took all; the rest, what, gave funny money entering all already probably. Going to that side exiting the city, a tent village will exist; telling in advance but there is dangerous. Often sword fights occur, can you sleep properly?"

Persons living in Capital Nibelungen were on the kind side quite. But saying kind was not able to solve the problem.

"Ah...... Yes, understood. Thanks."

"Will wish the luck of a warrior. Hope having a good result."

Rickart greeted the citizen of the Capital and turned back.

By the way, truly difficult. Where do I have to go? Taking a boat again going back, have to come again matching the tournament schedule?

The thought 'let's do registration first as I came anyhow' occurred. So he approached an Imperial Knight doing jokes, eating etc., with soldiers standing on the roadside. It was a person wearing a white surcoat on chain mail.

"Hello, Sir."

As Rickart talked, the Knight talking and laughing sil-sil hardened his expression and looked back.

"I want to do tournament registration, where do I have to go?"

Then the Knight looked through Rickart top and bottom, simply pointed somewhere with his chin without speaking. It was the Castle side existing on the hill.

Rickart trying to go greeting, the Knight asked.

"Name is what? Seem age young."

"Is Ricky. Adventurer."

"......Ricky you said? Don't tell me Ricky of the Red Cloak you mean?"

"Seem called like that."

Then the Knight seemed surprised a little, smiled ssik.

"Glory to see the real thing. Follow."

And taking Rickart, he walked to the Imperial Palace side.

"An order existed to serve VIPs separately. Should have given contact in advance."

"Is it? Didn't know."

"In the Imperial Palace, sleeping only at night will be good. Because in the daytime you might suffer uselessly from the children of that fucking guy."

"Chi, Children of that fucking guy?"

Rickart was bewildered at the sudden swear word. And an ominous feeling was felt.

"You also don't know hearing the rumor? That Debauchee Emperor. Such a guy also has an original wife existing separately in his own way. The children of the Empress are exactly those fucking guys."

Rickart doubted his ears. TH, This person saying what now? Saying those fucking guys mean the Princes?

He looked like he had not one point of loyalty to the Emperor or Imperial Family. Felt clearly it was just work doing because of money.

Pathetic also has a degree; hurting the Emperor's authority was the Emperor himself, not another. Blame whom?

Not one or two years, doing pathetic acts only for tens of years, so subordinates also eohyu, think 'that idiot'.

"The Empress Dowager better manage. Just don't catch the eye of Imperial Family people. Nothing good involved. If by any chance you win, sell the fief immediately and packing money, leave. As I saw, that is the most benefit. Does the Princess or whatever 32nd have what succession right? Rather with that as an excuse, be called to battlefields here and there only."

Very, very cynical advice was.

"......"

Rickart's speech was blocked. Words to answer didn't occur completely. So whether so, now occurring thought only Marie was.

Wasn't the Emperor the peak of all humans? The Imperial Family is a house corner, became how on earth?