Chapter 154

The inn had closed its doors.

It wasn't just the inn. The streets of Valentine themselves were completely quiet.

No matter how early it was, it was morning and the sun had risen.

There should have been people busy starting their daily routines.

"There's really no one here."

Amelia and Verde, who had been sitting pitifully in front of the inn, nodded vigorously.

"It's s-strange! No m-matter what, there sh-shouldn't be this few p-people!"

"My legs hurt, my heart hurts, and I just want to rest quickly!"

"Why on earth is your heart hurting?"

This was ridiculous.

After looking at Verde, he sighed as he looked around the quiet streets.

Not being able to secure accommodation was a major disadvantage.

Sleeping on the street was physically limiting, and they could be caught by guards at any time.

At this rate, they would be captured just by wandering around.

Leandros whispered.

"I'm hesitant to make such an assumption, but Your Grace."

"Yes. This is not just strange."

"Indeed. I think it might have already started."

In Glico and Gallo, incidents had occurred after they arrived.

Because of that, they had been following a flow of investigating incidents, understanding the truth, and then responding.

But in Valentine, no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was already happening.

Leandros seemed to have caught that with his unique sense as well.

There were two options.

One was to find the representative of the direct territory, regardless of what was happening in Valentine, extract support, and quickly move to another city.

Valentine had not been on the schedule, and although it was famous for its beautiful people and alcohol, it had no political, geographical, or strategic advantages.

If they wanted to minimize time, this approach was worth considering.

Then what was the other option?

Naturally, it was to poke their noses into everything in Valentine from A to Z and resolve this incident.

He absolutely wanted to choose the former.

With his current body and the fate of a supporting character—being rolled around here and there and becoming a catalyst for the protagonist's awakening—if he experienced it one more time, he would truly die.

Would he just die?

Like in the first iteration, if he was revived without sensitivity, he would eat away at Leandros and Amelia's mental strength and end up being stabbed to death while being denied as a monster.

He wanted no more of that.

As he was weighing which path to choose, Leandros glanced at him and whispered once more.

"Do as your heart desires."

"Huh? What?"

"Weren't you thinking that you couldn't ignore what's happening in Valentine? It's written all over your face."

What was he talking about?

What did he think he was pondering?

For a moment, he didn't know how to refute and kept his mouth shut, and Leandros offered advice with full consideration.

"Though Valentine wasn't on the schedule, it's still a city that belongs to the ducal territory. If Your Grace makes a decision, we will follow."

"No, I was just."

"In the past, you wouldn't have cared about something like this. You've changed quite a bit."

"...I never thought that?"

"It's no use pretending. You don't have to worry about us on purpose."

What was he really saying?

He wished he wouldn't speak with an undertone of pride, like an uncle watching his grown nephew.

Seeing this, Amelia opened her eyes wide.

"D-don't tell me, Your Grace. N-not just meeting the r-representative, but Valentine itself?"

"Your lady's guess is correct. However, I think His Grace might have found it difficult to speak rashly. After all, he needs to borrow the strength of everyone here, including Lady."

"B-but for that, there's n-no time, and we d-don't even know what h-happened here yet."

That's right! Amelia was right!

Fearing that an opinion to resolve the incident related to Valentine might arise, he boarded Amelia's negative flow with all his might.

"Hmm. Miss Amelia is right. Leandros, I'm sorry for worrying everyone. Rather than my opinion, considering everyone's circumstances..."

Suddenly, Verde, who had been quiet, interjected.

"Whether you consider everyone's circumstances or not, I don't have any particular thoughts."

Verde was a strangely contrarian fellow, so he had expected him to say they should quickly find the representative and leave since time was tight.

But Verde overturned his expectations and continued.

"Since we're already here, wouldn't it be better to resolve it? Going to discuss with the representative, then to Gallo, then somewhere else?"

"I-is that so?"

"In terms of wasting time, isn't going around in circles worse? Don't you think?"

Verde! You useless man! Don't butt in!

Regardless of his silent scream, his companions began to share their opinions as they pleased.

"W-well, this is also d-ducal territory."

"His Grace seems to be concerned about this place anyway."

"It's troublesome to leave here too. With guards outside, when will we be able to escape again?"

"Then understanding the current situation in Valentine seems most urgent."

"If s-so, for now, shall we all s-spread out and c-carefully survey the city?"

Children? I don't think I said I agreed?

While he watched with an incredulous face from the side, the capable Hartmann household members efficiently divided the tasks among themselves before turning to look at him.

Leandros smiled slightly.

"Don't worry. The residents of Valentine will be glad that Your Grace came."

Those eyes. Look at those eyes.

In the past, they were like the eyes of an office worker sitting in front of a computer at 3 PM.

Why were they now unnecessarily looking at him with a respectful gaze that seemed to say 'I understand without you having to say it'?

"Look, I didn't mean we absolutely had to do this. I think the Valentine residents would be fine even if left alone. So..."

"Weren't you pitying them, Your Grace? It's a good thing to lend a helping hand to those suffering while taking revenge on the Crown Prince."

Under Leandros's gaze that seemed to add, "You've become quite the proper Duke," his will to oppose melted away.

Fine, you bastard.

Have it your way.

Since it was confirmed after Gallo that you're the protagonist.

"...What should I do?"

Be a proper supporting character, right?

* * *

Glico, and then Gallo.

The incidents that occurred in these villages, not even cities, were gradually spreading, riding the wind or passing from mouth to mouth.

"I'm telling you! I've seen that knight, now a hero, the hero!"

"Really?"

"Of course! I was in Gallo with my son. And that hero came personally the day before the incident and even warned us! He knew everything that was going to happen!"

"Wow, if that's true, it's incredible."

"Hearing this, he seems like such a noble knight, but where had he been hiding all this time before revealing himself now?"

"The first time I saw him was in the Hartmann ducal territory, and now it seems he's wandering around to fulfill the Duke's mission."

"What? And he's going around saving people while doing that?"

"Ah, that's why he's a real knight! Unlike those who just get drunk in bars and grab people or throw punches! How pure and clean his heart must be!"

"Indeed. If that's true, he truly deserves to be called the 'Hero of Gallo.'"

Especially since a certain mercenary had been going around talking in detail about how the "Black Knight" had been active in Gallo, people gradually lent their ears to this strange and interesting story.

The rumor spread and reached the royal family,

And the reaction of the Crown Prince, who heard this news first, was quite intense.

"Ahahahaha! To think he would make such a clamorous entrance."

Really. Both then and now.

Was he demonstrating that he could do well if he just put his mind to it?

The attendant who came to deliver the news was seeing his master laugh so heartily for the first time, so he just bowed his head.

Regardless, the Crown Prince read and reread the content, which was just a few lines, as if he had received a letter from a lover.

A faint smile remained on his lips throughout.

"It says he's in Valentine now. At this rate, he'll soon be here."

Yurik knew what peculiar abilities the person he cherished possessed.

He was like the eye of a storm, fiercely stirring up everything around him, yet he himself remained silent and unresponsive.

People admired yet despised him, were jealous yet felt attracted to him.

A force that repelled yet attracted people at the same time.

Leandros had such an attraction.

If that was the case, it wouldn't be difficult for him to pass through the cities and villages within the ducal territory and reach the castle.

Though Yurik didn't believe in deities,

Sometimes when he thought of Leandros, he wondered if this was what a person beloved by a deity was like.

And as someone with a great interest in a deity's favorite, it was true that he wanted to enjoy this tension with Leandros for as long as possible.

Though "too long" might be difficult.

Yurik fluttered the paper between his fingers and asked as if he had just remembered.

"You said he's still with the Hartmann ducal family. How are the politics of the ducal family? Didn't they sweep away the Eastern merchant group?"

"At present, there's no notable movement."

"I heard the Duke is sickly."

He recalled the Duke who had coughed detestably and gasped right in front of him.

It was obviously an act, but he had let him withdraw out of courtesy.

Actually, he had contemplated breaking the Duke's neck at that time.

Breaking a human's neck bone wasn't a difficult task.

It would have been good to disguise it as an accident, but in the end, he had given up.

If he had just killed him then, it would have been a big problem.

Yurik slowly rose from his seat.

The official duties piled on the desk had long been out of his interest.

"Now that he has arrived, it seems there's no need to interfere further with Valentine. If a letter comes from the 'Black Goat,' dispose of it. And find out if the Duke of Hartmann is still holed up in his ducal residence. If he's ill, sending medicine is what a lord should properly do."

"I will do as you command."

As Yurik left the office without even glancing at the attendant who bowed deeply, he added.

"If the young Duke can move, find any excuse to make him set foot in the royal palace. A scheme should be planned face to face."