Chapter 156
Chapter 156
The Honor of the Lily (2)
Sitting on the train, I rested my chin in one hand and took a sip of coffee.
“Ugh.”
The taste of instant coffee was intense. I imagined this was what drinking asphalt might taste like.
The more I thought about the Vasella family, the more suspicious they seemed. Apparently, Ethan Vasella had been collecting procedures and add-ons over the past few years.
He told others that he had simply picked up a new hobby.
“But battle gear is the one thing he’s left out.”
Why was he gathering add-ons and researching various procedures, yet showing no interest in battle gear?
Unlike the Featherwing family, the Vasellas didn’t even have a signature battle gear to represent their lineage.
“Very suspicious.”
Once you start suspecting something, everything begins to look suspicious. Even things others would just dismiss with a “Maybe he picked up a new hobby” kept spinning in my head.
“Wow! Dates!”
While I was deep in thought, Nora—who didn’t seem the least bit curious—had bought a huge bundle of dates and was gleefully devouring them.
“You’ve probably got sugar flowing through your veins instead of blood.”
Nora didn’t respond to my comment. Not that I was expecting her to.
“Do you know much about the Vasella family?”
Unlike before, I actually wanted an answer to this question I directed at Irena.
“I’ve heard Ethan Vasella has a strong sense of ambition.”
All heads of noble families want to make their name known, but if even Irena was mentioning it, then his ambition had to be exceptional.
“Looking into add-ons and procedures might be part of that effort.”
They were a family known for their impressive spear techniques. A family built on martial prowess would, naturally, want success in that field.
“Well, his goal is to be the next Featherwing.”
I smirked inwardly at Irena’s words. There was a definite edge in her tone.
“Someone’s got to take Featherwing’s place.”
But that hadn’t happened in six years. Honestly, the Featherwing family had been considered the strongest even before the Valorn Empire was established. It would be even more surprising if another family managed to catch up in just six years.
“Is that just a rumor, or is he actually saying it out loud?”
“He runs his mouth about it in private settings.”
If he was saying it aloud, then he must have some degree of confidence. What I wanted to know was the source of that confidence.
“Oh, and for a noble, he supposedly lives a rather ascetic lifestyle.”
I heard he ate clam chowder and black bread for breakfast. Sure, for someone living on the streets, that’d be a feast, but in an environment where he could easily eat something better, choosing that kind of breakfast did make him sound pretty austere.
Breakfast was merely an example; from what I heard, he led a fairly frugal lifestyle overall.
“And, he really hates seeing women wield weapons.”
Now I understood why Irena had been a little prickly just moments ago.
“Then he must hate your captain too.”
“I’m keeping my damn mouth shut because I don’t feel like getting my skull split open.”
If you ever dared to talk about women swinging swords around in front of Dana Watson, there was no way you'd meet a peaceful end.
“Do you know his reason?”
“Problems that arise when men and women travel together. And the aftermath of what happens after they’re taken prisoner.”
“Yikes. That could definitely cause some issues.”
Falling in love during war, getting captured as a female soldier and suffering through hellish things—those were all scenarios easy enough for anyone to imagine.
“What do you think?”
“It’s not just women who go through hell when they get captured.”
Anyone who ends up as a prisoner has a horrific time.
It’s not like men suffer less, or that women face something uniquely harsher.
“And if you want to be treated like a woman, then go to places where that treatment exists.”
If you want to use separate toilets and have your own lodging, there’s no need to crawl into a battlefield with a weapon.
“Anyway, thanks for the info on Ethan Vasella.”
Still, if I wanted to know what kind of person he really was, I’d have to meet him face-to-face.
While I was on the train heading to the Vasella estate with the others, Ethan Vasella, too, had already heard the news from Simid.
Learning that someone was visiting his estate, it was only natural that he’d start digging into them.
And among the details on me, one piece of information particularly got under Ethan Vasella’s skin.
“So he’s the guy collecting Featherwing relics.”
Ethan clicked his tongue quietly. Honestly, he wanted to refuse Simid Kellogg’s request.
And in fact, he did refuse. But Simid Kellogg’s response had been simple.
[If you want to refuse, that’s fine. But even so, nothing’s going to change.]
Either way, I would come to the Vasella estate. Ethan Vasella had heard some things about what I’d done.
‘I’m not confident I can stop him.’
I had extracted data from the Security Bureau’s branch office, and looted the artifact list from the Rezantin Museum’s vault.
No matter how well-prepared Ethan Vasella was, stopping someone like me wouldn’t be easy.
‘Better a guest who comes openly than one who sneaks in.’
That was the conclusion Ethan Vasella came to. Since I was going to come anyway, it was easier to let me come openly and just keep a tight watch afterward.
“The guests have arrived. I’ve guided them to the drawing room.”
“Understood.”
Ethan, who had been awaiting our arrival, stood up from his seat at the attendant’s words.
Inside the mansion’s drawing room, I, Irena, and Nora stood as the door opened.
“I’ve heard a great deal from the Treasury Chief. It seems you were quite helpful.”
“I’m grateful to hear you think so.”
Ethan was the first to sit down, and the rest of us followed. Tea and cake were promptly served.
Ethan’s gaze lingered on me for a moment before shifting to Irena.
“You grow more beautiful by the day. It’s almost a shame you carry a sword.”
“Is that so.”
Irena showed little reaction to his words, only offering a slight bow in response.
“I heard you’re still only a squire. If you think this path isn’t for you, it may be wise to look elsewhere.”
Hearing that, Irena smiled.
“I’m glad. I don’t think I’ll need to change paths.”
Irena’s skills had grown beyond anything Ethan could imagine. If this were the old Irena, it would’ve taken fifty people to bring down the Irena of today.
“I suppose that one’s helped you a bit.”
“‘Helped’ is putting it lightly. At this point, I think I could easily take down your son.”
At Irena’s words, Ethan laughed heartily. He must’ve thought she was joking—and honestly, it made sense.
Her rate of growth had been staggering—thanks to her original talent, countless experiences, and my guidance, she’d improved at an unbelievable pace.
“Getting some fresh air does a person good. Even your sense of humor’s improved.”
Listening in, I chuckled.
“She still doesn’t know how big the world is. Since you brought it up, how about offering her a little instruction?”
It was a suggestion that Ethan spar with Irena. Of course, that wasn’t my only motive.
‘We might have to fight later.’
I wanted to get a sense of just how skilled he really was.
“I heard you came for a different reason.”
“It’s always nice to accomplish something extra along the way. But yes, my main reason is simple.”
I set down my teacup.
“I heard that among your collection, there are relics of Featherwing. I’d like the chance to examine them.”
“So the whole ‘wanting to experience Vasella spear techniques’ was just an excuse? …And this one?”
Instead of responding directly to me, Ethan looked over at Nora.
“She’s a colleague I work with.”
Nora gave a slight bow. It wasn’t in the fashion of Imperial nobility. Concluding she was from Bennett City, Ethan quickly lost interest.
Even if I was a known criminal, that didn’t mean he was open to welcoming more into the fold.
“I answered your question. Now I’m curious when you’ll answer mine.”
At my words, Ethan let out a soft sigh and replied.
“When you see something good, it’s only natural to want it. But it’s not easy to show outsiders what our family spent generations collecting.”
He spoke at length, but the core message was clear: a refusal. He didn’t intend to show me anything. Even though I was being turned down to my face, I kept a pleasant expression.
After all, I hadn’t expected him to say “Sure, I’ll open the vault!” in the first place.
“Why do you think I’m working with the Treasury Chief, even though I’m just a criminal scumbag from Bennett City?”
Sensing the edge in my tone, Ethan responded right away.
“I have wondered about that.”
“Because it’s profitable. And in the process, I’ve been able to pursue some of my own goals.”
I continued speaking in a calm, gentle voice.
“You said it’s natural to want something when it’s good—well, I won’t deny that. I want to see the Featherwing relics for myself, and if you do have them, I want to acquire them. I’m willing to pay accordingly.”
At that, Ethan immediately shook his head.
“I’ve already refused once. Even if you offered me a fortune, I won’t make a deal. That’s final.”
There’s no way a conversation this uncooperative could stay friendly. The air grew heavy in the silence. Only the clinking of teacups and the tapping of forks on plates filled the room.
“Why don’t we talk about who’s qualified to own them?”
If I kept playing nice like this, we’d never reach an agreement.
“Qualification? These are items our family discovered and collected. What qualifications are you even talking about?”
“People who hold things they can’t protect are bound to lose them.”
At my words, Ethan slammed the table with a loud bang and slowly stood up.
“I think I can guess where you’re going with this. Choose your next words carefully.”
“I think I could beat you in a fight. So if you have the Featherwing relics here, wouldn’t it be better to hand them over?”
I said exactly what Ethan had just warned me not to say—with no filter whatsoever.
In short, I had ignored him. Twice. Ethan trembled slightly with a clenched fist, then let out a deep breath and finally spoke.
“I understand your intent. And I’m not the type to fall for such cheap provocations.”
I gave a small nod with a smile.
“That’s fine too. It just gives me another story to tell over drinks.”
Ethan, who had been trying to calm himself and relax his expression, froze the moment he heard my words.
“A story?”
“That the head of House Vasella tucked tail and dodged a challenge. That’s quite the entertaining tale, isn’t it?”
A criminal from Bennett City picked a fight—and instead of responding with punishment, all Ethan did was avoid it.
For someone like Ethan, with such a strong sense of ambition, it was a rumor that would be hard to endure. The time and effort he had spent raising the prestige of his family would be undermined in an instant.
And it wasn’t even a renowned knight from some order challenging him—just a criminal from Bennett City. If word spread that Ethan Vasella had dodged such a provocation, it would do serious damage to the family’s reputation.