Chapter 41
The summit venue was an inn in a town located far to the west of the tower.
The group had advanced for two days while camping along the way, and by today, their arrival was finally imminent.
"You will see the town soon."
Said Rodwell, who was mounted on a horse.
Even after two days had passed, Tania could not take her eyes off the horse, as if it were still a miracle to her.
Horses were a convenient means of transportation in this era.
They were also a symbol of wealth.
The reason Rodwell brought horses was closer to the latter.
Just as a noble lady displays her authority by hanging luxury items all over herself.
He chose horses as a means to indirectly show the level of his group.
"You are enduring better than I expected."
Rodwell looked at the two of them with a proud gaze.
During the journey to this place, they had not complained even once.
Even when eating tasteless meals.
Even when laying their bodies down on hard wooden floors.
They accepted every situation without a single word of grievance.
"I learned that I should build a body that can adapt to any environment."
"From whom?"
Tania silently pointed toward Joshua with a glance.
"When this situation ends, how about becoming a professor? I think you would be good at it."
"I have never thought about a future that far away,"
Joshua answered calmly.
"Then what do you usually imagine when you are meditating?"
"I mainly imagine the things that are about to happen."
"How boring. I thought you might be having lewd fantasies. How about going to a brothel with me later? I know a good place. If you are eighteen, wouldn't you be very interested in such things? You might have already done it with a few people."
Tania flushed at Rodwell's trivial joke.
The fifteen-year-old girl had that kind of interest.
Getting married and having children before becoming an adult.
Having marriage talks exchanged by parents at a young age.
The fact that boys slept with several women because they were dissatisfied with those arrangements.
None of these were surprising things in this world.
"I think the brothels might have gone out of business. Perhaps the prostitutes have turned into monsters too. Wouldn't it be uncomfortable to cut down someone you know?"
"The flow of this conversation is strange."
Rodwell replied with a dissatisfied voice.
He had intended to ask how many people Joshua had done it with, what the age difference was, and what his style was.
"Are you a eunuch? If not, then don't tell me..."
This time, too, it was Tania who was agitated by his question.
With noticeably flushed cheeks, she waited for the answer from Joshua, who was walking in front.
"I have a type that I like. And I like women, not men."
"Now we are talking. So, what kind of women do you like?"
"I don't want to tell you."
"Why?"
"Because we aren't close."
Rodwell slumped his shoulders with a shocked face.
Tania, who was behind him, also looked disappointed and dropped her head.
"Grrrr."
As if drawn by the voices of their chatter, zombies appeared from the bushes.
There were three of them, and they weren't variants.
The corpses, which appeared to be those of adult males, screamed and rushed toward them.
Rodwell took out three daggers that were on his saddle.
Then, he threw them toward the heads of the zombies.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
It was like the rapid fire of a pistol.
The daggers, thrown at a fierce speed, pierced through the zombies' heads aided by Rodwell's physical strength.
Sticky zombie brain matter was smeared on the daggers that were driven into the ground.
"I am sorry, but I ask you to retrieve them. It is inconvenient for me to get off the horse."
Rodwell answered in a commanding tone.
Joshua knew that this was revenge for the answer he gave earlier about not being close.
What a childish human being.
As if to prove the saying that the captain is just like his subordinates, he had aspects similar to Lucille.
"Here you go."
He retrieved the daggers stuck in the ground and held them out to return them.
Rodwell did not take them.
He pointed to the green bloodstains on the handles with a playful look.
"Don't you know the saying, 'When returning things to a superior, do it cleanly'?"
"I am sorry, but I did not accompany you as a member of the knighthood, and I have no intention of becoming a member even after this task is finished."
"Even so, while staying at the summit venue, you are a member of the group I manage. If you are a member of the group, there is strictly a hierarchy and there are rules."
Joshua let out a long sigh.
"You might regret this twice as much later."
"...If you say it like that, it doesn't sound like a joke. However, I have my own prestige to maintain. I cannot yield on this."
Rodwell's eyes felt pathetic.
Joshua took a step back.
He wiped the blood off on the hem of the coat he was wearing and held them out to him once more.
"I finally feel like I have beaten you once."
"Are you that happy?"
"Try to imagine having a subordinate who doesn't listen as much as you do. You will understand."
Rodwell received the daggers back with an emotional expression.
Joshua smiled lightly.
He had clearly warned him.
That there would be a reason for regret later.
He had intended to extort a reasonable amount because he felt sorry for the fact that Rodwell had run away for three weeks.
But it seemed Rodwell was completely unaware of his own position.
"I see the town. That is Rosenwald over there."
His finger pointed to the town below the hill.
It was a small town where a small scale of people had settled, just like Trident.
"Smoke is rising up."
Tania caught the characteristics of the town.
Smoke was rising from the chimney of a building that looked like an inn.
It was evidence that someone was lighting a fire in a stove connected to the chimney.
They descended the hill in one breath and reached the vicinity of the entrance.
"Welcome."
An old man approached from the front of the entrance as if he had been waiting.
Messy boots and work clothes covered in dung.
Beneath the hunting cap he wore on his head, wrinkles reflecting his years were settled.
He was a stableman.
Rodwell put his foot in the stirrup, got down, and handed the reins to the stableman.
The old man seemed to nod and led the horse toward a building that looked like a stable.
"...Oh my god."
Tania saw it.
Inside the open entrance of the stable, she saw four horses.
Whether they were well-managed or not, they were all overflowing with elegance and dignity, and their eyes were clear.
"I thought it was hard to see even one, but there are four."
She let out an exclamation with a cute voice typical of a girl her age.
"It is no wonder you are surprised, but while you are here, it is better to hide your emotions."
Joshua gave advice to the innocent girl.
There were many people here who tried to look into a person's inner thoughts by examining their voice or expression.
The stableman was no exception.
"Why do you think that old man is here?"
"Isn't he a survivor of the town?"
"No, that person isn't a survivor. This town is already dead."
Tania's eyes widened as if she were flustered.
"Why do you think so?"
"Because the lights are only on in the inn."
"Ah!"
Tania blinked as if she understood.
While the summit was in progress.
The inn was used as a reception area for guests coming from outside.
If that were the case, signs of human presence should also be felt in buildings other than the inn.
Unfortunately.
Such signs could not be found in the other buildings.
"Then where did that old man come from?"
"Someone must have brought him. He is likely with the group that arrived earliest."
"I don't understand the reason. Did they need someone to manage the horses?"
"No, it's to gather information."
"Huh?"
Tania's eyes widened.
Rodwell, who was next to them, also focused on Joshua's conversation.
"It's the same logic as maids knowing the affairs of the royal palace or a family well. If it's a powerless old man, people think he's fine as a conversation partner and unintentionally reveal their inner thoughts. Among those stories, there will be a variety of things ranging from personal matters to matters about the group. He will listen to that and report it to the person who brought him."
Tania nodded her head as she understood.
And Rodwell's entire body trembled.
The boy's insight was even more outstanding than he had imagined.
Facts that were mere guesses turned into certainties through the boy's words.
He covered his mouth with his hand.
Despite having bickered on the way here.
He seriously contemplated whether he should propose again that Joshua become a knight.
"Follow me. Don't leave my side until we enter the room."
Rodwell shook off his thoughts and moved his steps toward the inn.
The two followed behind him.
People who had come out to the entrance to get some fresh air saw Rodwell and stopped what they were doing to stand up.
Then they saluted with courtesy.
On the navy blue suit he wore, several medals and ribbons obtained for meritorious service were pinned.
Symbols of honor.
There were still many people in this world who were obsessed with such things.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Rodwell Dandelion."
With disciplined movements, Rodwell gave a satisfied smile and waved his hand.
While climbing the stairs.
He turned his head slightly and gave a wink to Joshua.
It was the look of envy that other students showed him.
It was an attitude as if he were showing off the evaluation of others more than necessary.
"You must be proud."
Joshua answered coldly.
The meaning of the smile he showed was blatant.
It meant that he should show respect like the people they encountered at the entrance.
Hypocritical acting isn't difficult.
However, moving according to the opponent's intention didn't suit his temperament.
Above all.
Rodwell was bound to collapse before me without me even needing to put in effort.
"What a heartless fellow you are."
Rodwell grumbled and entered the inn.
In the hall, there were five tables based on the center.
Among them, the table in the center was noticeably larger than the others.
It was a size comparable to the one in the Line Tower conference room.
That seat, which looked like a head table, was naturally the place where the leaders sat.
"You are late, Sir Rodwell."
"It has been a long time, Sir Carius."
A man who arrived first welcomed Rodwell, who had just entered.
Carius Gillan.
He was the Captain of the Sunlight Knights.
If there was a characteristic, it was a large scar connecting his jaw and cheek.
Befitting a human who manages a group through turbulence and violence.
He was wearing armor instead of a suit even in the summit venue, which has a strong social nature.
"The armor looks uncomfortable."
"As a rule, if you're a knight, you must be able to protect yourself anytime and anywhere. Especially in a place where you don't know what kind of rat might be present, you should be even more prepared."
"I think that expression is a bit excessive."
"I don't trust anyone unless they are my own family. Even in this place today, there are more than one or two suspicious people."
Rodwell undid several of the ties of his blouse that were tightening around his neck.
Judging by Carius's reaction.
Difficulties were expected for this summit even before it started.
"Oho, are you protecting Tania Rainwood? It seems you have landed a big catch."
Carius recognized Tania at once.
If someone had even a little interest in the Academy, there was no case where they didn't know her.
"It would be better if you corrected your wording, which sounds like you're calling her an object."
"I didn't intend to offend you. If you were offended by what I said, I'm sorry, Miss Tania."
Tania froze in her spot.
It felt like her thoughts stopped due to the intimidation emitted by the two.
She had to say something.
Or at least make a gesture of nodding her head.
"It seems you aren't used to such a place."
"Anyone would be like that if they saw Sir Carius's face."
"Hahaha, if you're going to be scared of this scar, how can you say you'll fight monsters?"
Carius turned his gaze toward the boy who was guarding Rodwell's side.
The greasy look as if he were appraising an object was still there.
He rolled his eyes up and down a few times.
Ash-colored hair and silver eyes.
The face, like white marble, was beautiful enough to be noticeable even among nobles.
An appearance that looked as if it had received God's blessing.
However, for those who knew the boy's past, that appearance was used as a tool to look down on him.
Calling him an idiot who only has a good frame.
"Look who it is. Isn't this the son of the Pallarion family? Ah, my apologies. Since the family has collapsed, it wouldn't be right to call you that."
Joshua was calm.
It was a situation Rodwell had warned about, and it was also a situation he himself had expected.
"To think you brought a Novice. It seems there were no useful survivors in the Starlight Knights, Sir Rodwell."
Rodwell remained silent.
There was no sign of anger on his face.
He looked as if he were suppressing laughter.
However, that wasn't meant to mock the boy.
Even the Knight Captain in front of him couldn't see through Joshua's true worth at once.
That fact was so ridiculously funny that he couldn't stand it.
"If you lack skill, it would be good if you were at least polite. Aren't you being a bit too stiff in the waist?"
When Rodwell remained silent, Carius pointed his finger at Joshua as if he were excited.
Joshua took a step forward.
Carius seemed a bit surprised.
"I don't usually greet Sir Rodwell well either. I am conscious that it is a point I should correct as a subordinate, but... Sir Carius, it seems I won't have a reason to greet you for eternity."
"Puhahahaha!!"
At Joshua's surprisingly heartless reaction.
Rodwell finally burst into a fit of laughter.