Chapter 43 : No Getting Distracted
Chapter 43. No Getting Distracted
Robin rose among the mercenaries, all groaning from their hangovers.
The room was thick with the stench of alcohol, evidence of how much they had drunk.
Felix rubbed his uneasy stomach and muttered.
“Robin, where are you going this early?”
“I have something to tell Baron Tefir. I’ll be back soon.”
Felix burped and nodded.
Robin expected the mercenary band to spend the entire day sprawled out like that, and he stepped outside.
“Black-haired ten-year-old. You’re Robin, right?”
A guard was standing outside the inn.
Looking closely, Robin realized it was one of the guards who had accompanied Greg to the bandits’ den.
“Yes, I’m Robin. What’s going on?”
“The Baron is looking for you. Follow me.”
The guard turned away without waiting for an answer.
Since Robin had planned to visit the Baron’s mansion anyway, he followed without protest.
“Do you know why the Baron is calling for me?”
“That, I don’t know.”
The guard was merely carrying out Tefir’s orders.
‘I’ll find out when I meet him.’
Though it was still early in the morning, the streets were already crowded.
Unlike Stonegoth, there were no beggar orphans on the streets.
Guards were patrolling every corner of the market.
‘The public order here is impressive.’
Robin’s opinion of Regiville went up a notch.
When they arrived at the mansion gates, the guards greeted each other, and they entered.
Had he come alone, Robin might have had to wait or be turned away—but this saved time.
The guard led him to a different place than yesterday.
At a long table, Baron Tefir and Imelda were having breakfast.
“My lord, I’ve brought the boy you requested—Robin.”
“Well done.”
Once the guard left the room, Imelda’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Robin.
She didn’t blurt out anything recklessly as she had yesterday, but her gaze was still burdensome.
“Have you eaten breakfast?”
“Not yet.”
“Then join us.”
“No, I’m fine…”
His eyes met the Baron’s.
Though the man was smiling, there was a firmness behind it.
A servant pulled out a chair for Robin.
‘Didn’t think I’d be sharing a meal with a noble.’
As Robin sat down, steaming stew was served before him.
Not just stew—the table was laden with grilled fish, smoked ham, cheese, and bread.
“Then, I’ll eat well.”
Baron Tefir gestured for the servants to leave.
Moments after Robin picked up his utensils, only three people remained at the table.
At last, Imelda broke her silence.
“Eat lots, oppa! The food in our house is delicious!”
Just as she said, the food was excellent.
Unlike anything Robin had eaten before, it had rich flavor and depth.
To think the same dishes could taste so different—it was a revelation to him.
“How does it taste?”
“It’s delicious. I can’t help but feel jealous that you get to eat food like this every day.”
“I’m glad it suits your taste. No need to be jealous. You’ll get to eat it too—perhaps once a week.”
‘So he already knows I plan to work for him? I haven’t even brought it up yet.’
“It’ll be fun to play with oppa! Come live with us in our house!”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’ll explain.”
Tefir spoke in her stead.
“Imelda seems quite fond of you. Have you given thought to what I mentioned yesterday?”
“Yes. I actually came to talk about that. I’d like to work in your mansion, my lord.”
“Then that makes things simple. As I said, I’ll provide room and board. The servants have their own quarters in this mansion. You can stay there while you work.”
“There’s something I’d like to ask regarding that. Instead of living here, could I commute from outside?”
If he stayed in the Baron’s mansion, safety would be guaranteed—after all, it was guarded around the clock.
But there was one fatal flaw.
It would restrict Robin’s sword practice.
After being advised to hide his talent, he couldn’t train openly.
Even if he did practice, he’d have to keep it at the level of a mere child.
“No! Oppa’s going to be my personal servant!”
Imelda declared firmly.
‘Personal servant?’
“Heh, my daughter wants to become close to you.”
“May I ask what exactly a personal servant does?”
“You’d stay by my daughter’s side and attend to her. The one currently serving her will remain, and you’ll be added, so it shouldn’t be difficult.”
Seeing the bright glimmer in Imelda’s eyes, Robin could roughly guess how this came to be.
She must have thrown a fit and demanded to have him assigned to her.
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m afraid that won’t work. I need my own space. I also need to keep work and personal time separate.”
An orphan with nothing had just refused a noble’s offer.
Had Tefir been a cruel noble, Robin might have been accused of insolence and hanged.
“No! No! Oppa, do you not want to play with me?”
“Imelda, you’re past the age of crying and whining like that.”
Robin had been right all along.
It was Imelda’s insistence that had prompted the offer of becoming her personal servant.
He didn’t know why she was so attached to him, but it wasn’t a tempting proposal.
More than anything, the freedom to train with his sword was crucial.
“Then how about this? I’ll give you a private room, and you won’t be called after working hours. Your wage will be two silver per week—quite generous for a trainee servant.”
“Would it be all right if I go out late at night?”
“That would be difficult. Is there a reason you need to go out?”
“I enjoy exercise. I go running every day.”
It wasn’t entirely a lie—being chased by monsters or fighting meant quick feet were vital.
He had also planned to continue physical training once settled in Regiville.
“Hm.”
Tefir pondered for a moment.
Robin waited calmly for his answer, but Imelda was too impatient.
“Dad, just let him use the knights’ training yard!”
“I’ll lend you a space to exercise in the evening. How does that sound?”
“You mean the knights’ training yard?”
“Yes. It’s a place where those who make their living through combat train. You can not only run there but also use equipment for weapon and strength training.”
“That sounds great.”
For Robin, who dreamed of becoming a knight, it was an ideal offer.
If anyone else had heard it, rumors would have spread about such an exceptional condition.
“Can I start working today?”
“Yes! Yes! Jessie!”
At Imelda’s call, a servant who had been waiting outside entered.
The woman, in her mid-twenties, responded with polite familiarity.
“You called for me, my lady.”
“This is Robin oppa. He’s my personal servant starting today.”
“Understood. I’ll teach him well. Please call for me when the meal is over.”
Her manner was precise and courteous, without a hint of excess.
‘So that’s what a noble’s servant looks like.’
Though she served a baron—the lowest of the five noble ranks—her posture was disciplined and exact.
Imelda beamed with satisfaction, clearly pleased that things had gone her way.
Since she was said to be the same age as Jeremy—eight—it felt oddly mismatched.
The Jeremy he had met at the general store had a mature air about him, but Imelda was pure innocence.
“Welcome to our family.”
“I’ll learn diligently and repay your kindness.”
Imelda’s personal servant, Jessie, was a veteran who had worked for Baron Tefir’s household for ten years since the age of fifteen.
Having served since before Imelda was even born, she knew every detail about the household.
“Since it’s your first day, I’ll start by explaining the layout of the mansion.”
“You can speak comfortably to me.”
“I can’t do that. As my lady’s personal servant, our ranks are the same.”
Robin found her formality awkward, but he let it go.
It was probably a habit formed from years of working in a noble’s household.
The mansion was the largest house Robin had ever seen.
Partly because he had grown up in Stonegoth and never been inside a proper noble’s home—but still, it was big enough that he worried he might get lost.
Jessie guided Robin through the halls, explaining each area.
“There are areas servants may enter, areas where you must never go, and places my lady frequents. It’s easy to get confused at first.”
“I can see that. This is the biggest house I’ve ever seen.”
“You don’t need to memorize the structure right away. Take your time.”
“No, I’ve already memorized it.”
Jessie’s eyes narrowed slightly.
‘A child already memorized the entire layout of this enormous mansion?’
“How would you get to my lady’s room?”
“Go up the central staircase to the second floor, then head to the far east end.”
“And the Baron’s office?”
“It’s on the third floor, the second room from the west end.”
“Where do the servants take their meals?”
“In the annex, first-floor hall of the servants’ quarters. Meals are free between twelve and one.”
Jessie suppressed her surprise.
‘He only needs to act as my lady’s companion, yet he’s quite intelligent.’
“Is that all for today’s training?”
“Yes. Normally, it would take a week to learn the mansion’s layout, but you’re quite a fast learner, Robin.”
“I’ve spent a lot of time wandering alleys, so I’ve gotten good at remembering layouts.”
At the word alleys, Jessie flinched slightly.
She had momentarily forgotten, thanks to his refined appearance, that the boy before her was a commoner.
“Tomorrow, I’ll teach you the precautions to take when accompanying my lady. You may take your leave for today.”
“Already? There’s still plenty of time left.”
It wasn’t even lunchtime yet.
Robin, who never intended to do things half-heartedly, found it strange.
Jessie straightened her tone.
“I’ll look after my lady well, so I’ll call for you when you’re needed, Robin.”
“But Imelda—I mean, my lady—seemed eager to see me today.”
“That’s not the case. Lady Imelda will one day succeed Baron Tefir’s house. She’s young, but she has many responsibilities.”
Robin could only nod.
He didn’t know what a noble girl’s daily schedule looked like.
If her personal servant said so, then it must be true.
It was an unexpectedly early dismissal, but Robin didn’t mind.
“Then, see you tomorrow, Jessie.”
Jessie’s gaze followed Robin as he headed to his private quarters, sharp and measuring.
“We can’t just assign anyone to serve my lady. I’ll make sure he’s truly fit for the role.”
Jessie took her duty seriously.
“I’m ready, Captain.”
The outskirts of Regiville—an empty clearing.
The one who had shown him this secluded spot was Calimacos.
With his arms crossed, Calimacos looked at Robin and said,
“Alright, come at me.”
Robin leapt forward, bringing his sword down from above.
He was no longer a ten-year-old child who could be dismissed easily.
‘Still not fast enough.’
Calimacos watched with bored eyes and dodged with a single step.
As expected.
Before his blade could hit the ground, Robin swung diagonally upward.
Whoosh—
Only the sound of air being sliced followed.
Calimacos bent back to avoid it.
Thud.
He hooked Robin’s leg mid-dodge, toppling him over.
Robin tried to regain his balance but had to plant his hands on the ground.
Calimacos, cleaning his ear with a pinky, said lazily,
“See? You’re no match at all.”
Robin dusted himself off and sheathed his sword.
As he set the longsword down, a smirk curved Calimacos’s lips.
“I heard from Paul. You copied swordsmanship from the Mercenary King’s tomb, didn’t you?”
“Yes. I saw the murals and imitated the techniques.”
“Good. You’ll need something like that if you ever hope to face me.”
“Didn’t you also learn the same swordsmanship as I did, Captain?”
When Calimacos had fought Ralph, the leader of the bandits, Robin had seen him use the same twin-blade technique he knew.
At Robin’s bold question, Calimacos drew his sword.
But it wasn’t two blades—only one.
‘That sword… I’ve never seen it before. No… it feels familiar somehow.’
Before he could recall why Calimacos’s weapon seemed familiar, a fierce gust whipped around them.
“No getting distracted during sparring, right?”
Smack.
The flat of Calimacos’s blade struck Robin squarely on the buttocks.