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Chapter 04
“Your daughter grew up too fast.”
A few weeks ago.
This was back when Raytan and Berry were still living in a countryside village.
In a dim room lit by flickering candlelight, Marshall, a half-human and half-other-race woman, closed the lid of a medicine bottle as she spoke.
Berry, whose fever had finally gone down, was sleeping on the bed, while Raytan sat beside her holding her small hand.
“When a child has a fever of 40 degrees, they can’t even recognize what’s in front of them. A normal seven-year-old would cry their eyes out saying it hurts. But your kid smiles and says she’s fine instead. That tiny thing hates making her father worry.”
“…Marshall, what illness does Berry have? Getting high fevers almost every month can’t just be explained as a weak constitution.”
“If I knew, I would’ve told you already. There are no warning signs, no cause either. In all my years as an apothecary, I’ve never even heard of a sickness like this. Maybe that sword you left behind at the Grand Temple cursed her.”
“Windis is not that kind of sword.”
Marshall looked at Raytan through her glasses.
Funny how fate worked.
Who would have thought she would spend six years taking care of the lunatic who once pointed a sword at an old herb-gathering woman and demanded water?
His dry, cracked lips.
The desperate determination in his eyes to keep living.
The crying sound of the newborn baby he hadn’t even realized he was holding.
People say old age makes you soft-hearted. She had only intended to feed him for a few days out of pity, but Raytan ended up settling down in her village permanently.
He said he liked how isolated it was from the outside world.
Still, even a remote village like this couldn’t completely shut out news from the world.
“They say Count Travel put a bounty on your head.”
“…I saw it at the market today.”
“Guess the rumors about him being richer than the emperor are true. The amount is enough to make people lose their minds. Someone has probably already reported seeing you.”
“Did you report me too, Marshall?”
“Oh, please. If I sold you for money, I’d try squeezing ten times more out of you afterward. I’ve never seen someone hate losing money as much as you do. I’m stingy myself, but you’re even worse.”
For someone like that to be called a man with the reverse touch.
The thought was so absurd it almost made her laugh.
A ruthless man who could even carefully craft the reputation he wanted within the Travel family.
And yet Marshall couldn’t hate him, because she knew there was only one thing he desperately wanted to protect.
She shifted her gaze toward the bedside table.
“You know this too, but until that bounty goes down, you’ll keep getting chased. And Berry will get chased too just because she’s your daughter.”
There was a worn-out book sitting there, its pages frayed from constant handling.
It was Raytan’s favorite book.
How to Raise Your Child Well Even Alone.
Marshall spoke toward Raytan’s broad silent back.
“A wandering life isn’t good for a child.”
That night again.
Raytan walked down the quiet hallway, lost in thought.
The last time he visited the main house had also been at night. It was the best time to meet the Count while avoiding the eyes of the direct family members.
Callet, walking ahead of him, stayed silent.
The childhood friend he was seeing again after six years had become Count Travel’s aide.
Raytan remained wary, trying to catch up on the years that had passed.
Who was still on his side?
Who should he keep close, and who should he be wary of?
Even if he planned to leave soon, lowering his guard was dangerous.
“The Count is waiting in his study.”
Callet stopped in front of a closed door.
Not even light leaked out from beneath it.
It was a loyal door that revealed nothing about its master to the outside world.
Since everything had apparently been arranged beforehand, Callet knocked twice and opened the door.
Instead of the bright ceiling lights, dim lamps softly illuminated the room.
“You stupid fool.”
The moment Raytan stepped inside, a harsh voice burst out together with the sound of the door closing.
The owner of the voice was a huge old man with white hair tinged in gold.
Raksek Iron Travel.
The man who raised the Travel Count family to heights never before reached in its history.
“What kind of idiot gives up being a Grand Master just to raise a child? How are you supposed to survive without understanding profit and loss?”
Raksek spoke toward his son entering the room.
The displeasure on his face was obvious in the deep wrinkles between his brows.
His authority was overwhelming.
A single word from him could move mountains and split seas.
Within the Heyshel Empire, he was second only to the emperor and the high pope in influence.
There was almost nothing in the world that Count Travel could not control.
Except for one person.
“I’ve been living just fine.”
Raytan stopped at the edge of the carpet and answered lazily.
The bounty his father had placed on his head a month ago.
Because of it, he had to abandon the life he’d been living, and his daughter almost ended up becoming a fugitive too.
Naturally, Raytan was not in a good mood.
“You dare say that to your father after six years? Tsk tsk. How did I end up raising a son like you? If your dead mother saw you now, she’d cry.”
“Well, probably not as much as the tears she shed while alive because of you. You should’ve treated her better when people looked down on her for being your second wife.”
“Y-you little…!”
Count Travel slammed his chair back and pointed furiously at Raytan.
Even while facing the enraged golden eyes of the family head, Raytan didn’t so much as change his breathing.
If it were the other children, they would already be trembling on their knees begging forgiveness.
Though honestly, aside from Raytan, who else would be insane enough to openly provoke Count Travel to his face?
“So the young master troublemaker has returned.”
Callet, Count Travel’s aide, silently watched from near the door.
Callet wasn’t someone who showed much emotion.
So it didn’t appear on his face, but to be honest, the past few days of watching Raytan act like a father had given him goosebumps several times.
Who was Raytan Quartz Travel?
He was the man nicknamed things like “Bloody Mad Dog” and “Grim Reaper,” someone always covered in blood on the battlefield.
Even when he acted lazy about everything, he never left openings.
Even when he looked relaxed, he was always sharp underneath.
And on top of that, his extraordinary swordsmanship and the title of one chosen by a Holy Sword.
Among knights, Raytan was an untouchable existence high above the heavens.
That was the Raytan Callet remembered…
“Ooh, Uncle Callet is Daddy’s friend? Want some cookies?”
“Berryberry, you should say, ‘Would you like some?’”
“Ahh. Would you like some?”
“Thank you, Lady Berry.”
“What about Daddy’s?”
“Uh, that was the last one…”
“I… see. There’s none for Daddy. There are cookies for the mister I just met today, though…”
“Aww, don’t be upset. Next time you eat cookies, ask Daddy first!”
“First priority.”
“Yes, first priority!”
Leaving aside how petty Raytan became when Berry subtly called him “mister” instead of father, he had actually gotten gloomy because someone stole his top priority spot.
Callet had seen scenes like that several times during the carriage ride from the countryside village to the Travel estate.
Time really was terrifying.
Goosebumps rose along Callet’s arm despite his expressionless face.
Meanwhile, the tense atmosphere between father and son continued.
Raytan looked at his father and asked,
“Why did you place the bounty?”
The reason Raytan returned to the Travel estate was to settle things once and for all.
The public excuse that the Count missed his second son enough to place a bounty on him was complete nonsense.
“I doubt my life or death is worth one billion Kona to you. More importantly, since I came here willingly, do I get to collect the bounty myself?”
“Why would you get it? Do you know how much money it cost to raise you? Pay me back first, brat.”
“Did you pay your father back, Count?”
Bang!
The Count slammed his massive fist onto the desk hard enough to shake the floor.
It was the middle of the night.
No matter how soundproof the study was, the vibration probably reached the ceiling of the floor below.
Callet quickly stepped in to calm things down.
“My lord, if you make too much noise, the madam sleeping downstairs may wake up.”
“…Right. Insolent brat. Always talking back to your father.”
There was a reason the Count secretly summoned Raytan at night while avoiding the eyes of the other direct family members.
Perhaps it was something important enough to greatly influence the next annex competition.
Raytan had already guessed as much.
“Well, we can talk about the bounty later. What kind of opportunity is valuable enough for you to call me back for?”
At Raytan’s question, Count Travel groaned and sat back down, pressing a hand against his aching temple.
“The church bastards are causing trouble.”
If not for the High Pope, he would never have gone this far just to find his son.
“That bizarre Holy Sword you abandoned refuses to choose its next master.”
