Ch. 49 - A Simple Multiple Choice Question
"You're saying that beside that orc, there was an eye similar to this one?"
Before the wide desk, Melade maintained his upright posture as dictated by noble etiquette, his fingers pointing at the eyeball flying around his shoulder. He couldn't believe it.
"Impossible! My father used his connections to personally rent this from the [Duchess].
It's a rare item that can only operate three at the same time.
How could those monsters possibly possess one!?"
Before them, Catherine, who had maintained a bowing posture throughout, shook her head.
She was just a farm girl who knew nothing about the world of magic and had never even heard the name of this great personage, the [Duchess].
She could only answer roughly:
"I do not know of its importance, my lord. I am merely relaying to you the information I heard from that [Black Snake]'s—
According to his dying words, what attacked you was an entire tribe advancing toward Starberry Town."
"Complete nonsense! Longgold City and the southern Great Wall are thousands of miles apart, with who knows how many well-armed towns standing between them.
Unless they broke through the defensive line and slaughtered their way up here from the south, how could an entire organized orc tribe possibly appear?
Catherine, I thought you had inherited your mother's honesty.
I never expected you would dare fabricate such an absurd lie—deceiving nobility, attempting to incite panic, what exactly are you trying to achieve?"
"My lord, I did not..."
"Enough! Perhaps the tolerance of the master and young master has spoiled you.
If we don't discipline you now, I fear you'll forget your place!
Someone, take her away and administer a whipping—"
"Wait, Mr. Huss."
Melade hastily stopped him. Under the urgent yet helpless gaze of the old steward, he bit the bullet and said,
"I think she was just worried about me, which is why she so easily believed that mercenary's tall tale. After all, she's just a farm girl who doesn't understand the world beyond the town, right?
Since her original intention was considerate, excessively harsh punishment would seem inhumane.
So I'll punish you by having you return home and bring the tavern's sweetest wine to help me pass this boring evening."
"Young master..."
Huss bent down somewhat awkwardly and said in a low voice, "I suggest you leave tonight."
Melade blinked his eyelids and asked blankly:
"What do you mean? You also think those orcs will come plunder this small town?"
Huss stroked his refined little goatee and said worriedly:
"Logically speaking, I don't actually think so, nor do I want to believe their objective is this town—after all, it's an entire orc tribe.
But the appearance of orcs is a fact, and this is already highly unusual.
So considering your personal safety, I should immediately prepare two good horses for you and that mercenary captain.
He will escort you all the way back to Longgold City. If the town isn't plundered, everyone will be happy.
Even if disaster truly strikes, you'll be completely safe.
This is the most prudent approach in my opinion."
Huss scrupulously followed the teachings of his teacher, the renowned, outstanding, and benevolent old butler—
As the most loyal and capable assistant to the nobility, they should possess two faces.
The first was their true interior, the loyalty that genuinely considered their master's interests.
The second was their severity toward lower servants, which sometimes inevitably contained an element of performance.
Like now.
It wasn't that he didn't believe Catherine.
Rather, he couldn't let Catherine, a farm girl, see his master frightened out of his wits by orcs and planning to abandon his territory and flee in panic.
He had to protect his master's safety and image.
If Lord Merle had been present, he would surely have praised this steward greatly.
But the still-underage young master Melade remained naive and asked uncomprehendingly:
"Why that mercenary and me?"
"He needs to keep you alive to collect his payment. Unless absolutely necessary, you'll be very safe."
"But if the orcs really plan to plunder here, what about you and the subjects remaining here?"
"I'm very grateful for your concern. But as steward, I have the duty to guard this territory and protect the lord's property—
This so-called 'orc tribe' is ultimately just hearsay. They might not even be able to leave the forest in a short time.
Even if they do find a way out, I can try to lead troops and hold out until reinforcements from Longgold City arrive.
As for those subjects... we absolutely cannot let them leave."
"Why?"
Huss answered matter-of-factly:
"If we inform them of this news and cause panic, many will want to flee outside the town, resulting in population loss.
What if the orcs never leave the forest and never plunder the territory—but this delays labor and harvests?"
For Huss, this was actually a very simple multiple choice question.
If orcs plundered, he would organize resistance. Success would be cause for celebration; failure would mean bearing the losses himself.
If there was no orc plunder but panic was created instead, losing what little population they had would be equivalent to directly causing losses.
And any choice he made could first ensure the young master would be protected by Explosivewolf.
All these considerations meant he didn't even need to hesitate.
Melade nodded in sudden understanding.
Then after hesitating for a long while, he said uncertainly:
"Then can you fulfill one small request of mine?"
"Speak."
"One horse can carry two people, right? I want to take Catherine with me when I leave."
"Young master, this—"
"Mr. Huss!"
Melade pouted, looking somewhat aggrieved yet pleading,
"You watched me grow up, and you're the only one in the household who knows my true orientation.
So you can understand that if I go back and marry a noble lady, they won't tolerate their husband keeping male lovers outside.
But if I only marry a commoner, Father would absolutely never agree.
Only Catherine—her beauty was enough to conceal her farm girl status. With just a bit of cultivation, she might become a diplomatic asset.
That's the reason Father would allow me to marry Catherine...
I need a woman without status and power to be my shield.
Just for the sake of my future happiness, please allow me to take her back to Longgold City together, won't you?"
As Melade said, Huss found it hard not to feel compassion for a young master he had personally cared for as he grew up, the future master of this family.
After a long while, he sighed:
"Alright, but you must promise me. If anything happens, you must abandon this woman first to ensure your own safety."
"Of course, how could I possibly die for a commoner?"
Melade beamed with joy, and even his earlier fear from the attack faded somewhat.
He finally looked at Catherine, who had kept her head lowered in silence the entire time, and declared loudly:
"Then it's settled. Catherine, bring your wine personally in an hour. You know this is my mercy toward you."
"Of course, young master Melade. May Gragas's joy always accompany you."
Catherine inadvertently sighed and hurriedly retreated with her waist bowed.
After leaving the village official's residence surrounded and protected by mercenaries,
She immediately lifted her dress, revealing a stretch of fair and slender calf muscle as she rushed along the village dirt roads.
When she arrived at the tavern out of breath, she saw Father Lynn looking utterly dejected, reporting something to Tang Qi in the courtyard.
So she approached:
"Things went very smoothly on my end. How did it go on your end?"
Father Lynn shook his head, the wrinkles on his face twisting together, making him look even older:
"Unfortunately, it was not ideal."