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Chapter : 28
Eventually, Tris returned to the inn.
“Back already?”
Peta greeted him.
“How was it? Did you really get a bounty?”
Tris shook his leather pouch. Jingle, jingle. Peta’s eyes went wide.
“Oh, it’s real. From now on, if we run into criminals on the road, we should catch them whenever we can.”
Tris chuckled and nodded. Just a while ago, Peta had looked like the world was ending at the thought of doing such things. Seeing the money seemed to change his mind. Anyway, it was a good sign.
Rubbing his palms together, Peta said excitedly,
“Then shall we order dinner?”
They ate a warm stew with bread, talking occasionally, until Tris suddenly spoke as if a thought had struck him.
“We’ll be sleeping outdoors for a while. I’m telling you in advance—don’t complain.”
Peta nodded.
“Let’s stop by the blacksmith tomorrow before we go.”
It was a small town, so he didn’t have high expectations, but one never knows.
“Aren’t we buying any food?”
“Wouldn’t the inn have some?”
Ron spoke up.
“I asked anyway. They said the merchant from the capital was supposed to arrive a long time ago. Probably because of the snow. Anyway, they have no stock left.”
“I see. That’s a problem. We should check the market just in case.”
“All right.”
Peta muttered to himself. Four mouths to feed. It would be easier with two… Then he remembered something.
“But why the blacksmith? Did your sword get dull?”
He wondered if Tris’ sword had been damaged while fighting criminals yesterday. Tris replied calmly.
“I’ll make new ones.”
“For whom?”
“For Ron and Sean.”
Tris added,
“At least they should be able to protect themselves.”
Peta’s eyebrows furrowed sharply, and he immediately started nagging.
“They’re not even knights. What good is giving them swords? And save some money. Who spends on servants?”
For a moment, Tris lifted his head. His deep blue eyes turned icy. He asked quietly,
“Servants? Who?”
Peta hastily mumbled something vague.
“Well… if you think about it, that’s kind of true. They can’t be the same as us.”
Tris stared at him intently, then pretended not to notice and said,
“Why? The stew’s getting cold. Let’s eat.”
“Peta.”
Gulp. Peta swallowed dryly. He felt as if Tris’ gaze could pierce through him. Reluctantly, he lifted his head and met Tris’ eyes.
“There are no servants here for us. Just you and me, Ron, and Sean.”
Tris’ gaze was chilling. Peta said in a shrinking voice,
“Ah, a-alright.”
It felt like his noble pride had crumbled. Too harsh. To humiliate a noble like him in front of an illegitimate child… Peta’s face burned with shame.
“Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Peta, red-faced, nodded. Tris said firmly,
“I’ll say it clearly again—there are only the four of us here.”
Ron and Sean exchanged glances, cautious. It was inevitable. How could things change overnight? One had lived a life of discrimination, the other had been treated with respect.
Tris added quietly,
“I know it’s hard. But since you came here for what you wanted, try your hardest to achieve it.”
Peta kept his mouth tightly shut. Tris had always been unusually sociable and well-liked, which often earned him scolding for lowering a noble’s dignity.
Tris stared coldly at Peta.
“Peta.”
“Yes?”
“I need friends and comrades, not the son of Melton.”
Peta Melton. Peta held his breath. After a long pause, he said in a locked voice,
“I’ll be careful.”
Tris nodded. Despite being narrow-minded and gullible, Peta had more good qualities than bad.
Tris tore off a piece of bread and dipped it in the stew.
“As a form of reflection, teach Ron and Sean the basics of swordsmanship.”
Peta’s eyes shot open.
“What? Me?”
“Yes. You have more patience than I do, so you can do it well.”
True, Tris could get physical if annoyed—he had tried to kick twice already. Peta sighed.
“I’ll only repeat it three times each.”
No sooner had he said that than Sean jumped up and banged his head on the table in salute.
“I’ll do my best!”
Peta’s eyes went wide at Sean’s unusually vigorous gratitude. Tris calmly explained,
“Sean’s dream was to become a knight. He’s practiced a lot too.”
Ron was surprised by that. This fool? Really?
Tris chuckled and said to Ron,
“You’ve been secretly watching my training too, right? You’ll need a good memory, Ron, or the fool will be you.”
Ron’s mouth fell open like a fool.
The next day, Tris grabbed his two swords and went to the blacksmith with Ron and Sean. When he explained what he wanted, the small-town blacksmith hesitated.
“I’m not confident I can do it.”
Tris asked again,
“Then may I do it myself?”
“Well… if you insist…”
The blacksmith was uneasy. Judging by his clothes, Tris was obviously a noble, and yet he wanted to make swords himself. It was the first time he’d ever heard of such a thing. He must have thought Tris was trying to find fault, but there was no other reason to refuse. So he let Tris proceed, thinking he might as well watch.
Tris removed his cape, rolled up his sleeves, and stepped forward. He took out the two swords he had prepared and, without hesitation, stoked the forge fire with a bellows. Everyone watching was astonished.
While Tris worked at the forge, he sent Ron and Sean to browse the market.
The two walked awkwardly, not speaking and avoiding eye contact. It wasn’t intentional, just awkward.
Ron cleared his throat.
“When I see you… I don’t really want to be close to you.”
Sean nodded.
“Same here.”
Ron glared at Sean. This fool was mimicking him. A strange competitive feeling flared. Ron sneered,
“How badly must he have wanted approval to practice swordsmanship in secret?”
“Because I thought I’d get more money as a servant.”
Ron was speechless. Sean’s mother, Anna, was notorious for her cruelty. She still supported Duke Aik. In contrast, Ron’s mother died shortly after giving birth. He had no memory of her.
Sean smiled and added,
“It was fun though.”
“Yeah, I enjoy horses too. Especially when a stubborn one allows only my touch—it’s thrilling.”
Though illegitimate, he must have inherited some talents from Duke Aik. This showed in his enjoyment of swords and horses.
Ron asked curiously,
“Did she really let you go so easily?”
“Mother?”
“Yes.”
Sean shook his head.
“No.”
“Then how did you leave?”
“Rooni told me what had happened, and I felt like my heart would burst. When I heard she was leaving first, it was like something snapped in my mind.”
Ron nodded.
“I think I know that feeling.”
He couldn’t describe it in words, but he had felt a burning desire in his whole body.
Sean continued steadily,
“So I told my mother I was leaving. She cried and clung to me, saying if not me, we’d starve. I apologized.”
“You won’t starve. Your mother… oh, sorry.”
Sean smiled.
“I know. We won’t. She’ll be fine.”
Ron agreed.
“Right, right.”
Sean stretched his arms.
“I never thought I’d actually leave the estate. I thought I’d live there and die.”
“Me too.”
They were silent again. But this time, it felt like they were closer. Sean spoke first.
“Why did Tris make me call him ‘brother’?”
Ron gave Sean a startled look. Sean had done it without thinking, while Ron had agonized over countless fears and thoughts. Though they shared the same father, their personalities were opposites: one simple, one sensitive to the extreme.
Ron sighed.
“He said to call him brother from now on. It’s maddening.”
“Why are we brothers? We have different social statuses.”
“Exactly. And I can’t stand being conscious of Peta.”
Sean replied earnestly,
“True. That is maddening.”
“Hey! You’re in the same situation.”
“Oh, is that it?”
“Ugh, what can I say to a fool like you.”
Sean fell silent. Ron felt uneasy. Sean’s simplicity wasn’t new. Then Sean asked seriously,
“If I call Tris ‘brother,’ what should I call Peta?”
Ron’s chest burned with irritation.
“You call him Peta. What else?”
Peta’s gaze on him was one of disdain. Peta saw them as the lowest class. That wouldn’t change. And that was normal—Tris was the unusual one.
Sean tilted his head and muttered,
“That’s weird. Then does that make Peta higher than Tris?”
Ron could no longer contain himself. He smacked Sean on the back of the head. Thwack! That finally shut Sean up.
