Chapter 53 : I Am Very Shy
Chapter 53: I Am Very Shy
A voice with irritation seeping through.
Light attire that contrasted with the guard wearing a helmet and gambeson.
Even so, he had a sword worn at his waist.
‘Why is a knight here.’
Robin raised his tension.
A head-on collision had to be avoided.
Guards were one thing, but dealing with a knight was troublesome.
“You came to sell items you found while on patrol, right?”
At Palacio’s question, he swallowed hard.
Getting out of here came first.
In a brief moment, he finished sorting things out.
“Yeah. There were a lot of heavy things that looked expensive.”
“Let’s have a look.”
Showing up suddenly in the middle of the night should have been startling, but Palacio casually scanned Robin’s backpack.
When the backpack was opened, a brooch came out, and a peculiar light settled in Palacio’s eyes.
“This is…….”
“Oh. This looks pretty expensive, doesn’t it?”
Juggly, who had been sitting inside the carriage, cut in.
Before Palacio could say anything, he snatched the brooch and examined it here and there.
“Where did you get this brooch?”
“It was inside the backpack.”
“That’s strange. Something that obviously looks valuable mixed in with this kind of junk?”
Juggly stepped completely out of the carriage.
Standing next to Palacio made the difference in their builds feel even more pronounced.
“You, what’s your name?”
“Roy.”
“I want to see your face.”
Cold sweat formed on Imelda’s forehead.
If Robin took off his helmet, she might be next.
She resolved to jump in at the slightest wrong move.
As if he had read Imelda’s thoughts, the helmet covering Robin’s face slowly lifted, then stopped halfway.
Juggly crossed his arms and raised his left eyebrow.
“What are you doing. I said I want to see your face.”
“Ah, I didn’t mention it. I am very shy.”
“What?”
Robin’s hand moved quickly.
He pulled out five or six coin-sized pouches from his pocket and threw them backward.
Boom.
Smoke billowed thickly from the pouches that landed precisely in the brazier.
The guards on watch had their vision blocked, and coughing sounds spread.
“You bastard!”
Shing.
Juggly immediately drew his sword and charged.
Clang.
The sound of steel colliding with steel rang out.
Perhaps surprised that his sword had been blocked, Juggly narrowed his eyes.
“You, what are you.”
“I told you, I’m very shy.”
Clang clang clang.
Robin’s sword scattered Juggly’s focus.
An attack that emphasized speed rather than force.
“What are you all doing! Catch this bastard!”
Juggly shouted toward Imelda, but Imelda already had her sword at Palacio’s neck.
She murmured softly, just loud enough for Palacio to hear.
“Sorry. Please be my hostage for a moment.”
Using Palacio as cover, Imelda loaded the fallen luggage onto the carriage.
“Untie the horse.”
Palacio silently loosened the reins of the tethered horse.
Taking the reins and turning around, she saw Robin and Juggly’s swords colliding.
“I understand roughly what’s going on. Take the brooch. You should receive VIP treatment from the Elize Merchant Company.”
“…Why are you helping me.”
“Helping? I’m telling you under threat. I do not help criminals. Saying that nearby cities are dangerous and that you should go as far away as possible is something I’m forced to do as well.”
Imelda was slightly surprised.
In this brief moment, Palacio had grasped the situation and extended goodwill.
She offered a barely audible word of thanks.
Now only Robin needed to come.
That should have been enough…….
“You slippery bastard! Are you just going to keep running away!”
Robin weaved around, avoiding Juggly’s fierce attacks.
As if he were wary of something.
Palacio cleared his throat and shouted.
“Sir Juggly! Do not concern yourself with my life and show the dignity of an apprentice knight!”
‘Apprentice knight?’
Robin’s gaze changed.
The defensive posture he had been taking shifted.
Juggly, who had been pressing relentlessly, could no longer advance.
He even began to be pushed back little by little.
“You bastard! What did you do!”
Juggly’s face twisted at the sudden change.
He had stepped forward confidently, but now he was barely managing to block Robin’s sword.
‘If you take out aura, I have the advantage in swordsmanship.’
A knight’s strength lay partly in individual physical power, but the core was aura.
Without aura that could cut through anything, Robin had nothing to fear.
And an apprentice knight could not handle aura.
Even if it manifested, it would be only a tiny portion, and its power would be weak.
Recalling what he had heard from Greg, he seized the initiative.
“Guards! What are you all doing!”
Juggly shouted, but there was no response.
The smoke bombs Robin had thrown were mixed with sleepweed.
The guards who inhaled the smoke fell asleep or collapsed in a dazed state.
“I bear no ill will. We don’t have time, so let’s end it here.”
After turning his head to evade Juggly’s thrust, he struck his temple with the hilt.
“Ghk…….”
With a clean blow, Juggly collapsed on the spot.
Thinking he was a knight, he had been prepared to half die, but things ended easily.
“Melida, are you okay?”
“Mm.”
Palacio was quietly restrained, and there was nothing wrong with the carriage.
The minimum preparations for escape were complete.
“Get on the carriage. I’ll drive.”
As Imelda climbed inside, Palacio asked,
“What will you do now.”
“Well. We’ll have to run.”
“Verman, Commander of the Third Imperial Knights. You should be careful. He is a cruel and merciless man.”
Palacio had immediately recognized Robin’s identity.
And that the girl Robin was taking with him was Imelda.
Even so, he did not withhold advice.
“I’ll pay you back for the carriage later. I don’t know when it’ll be, though.”
“That’s fine. Focus only on surviving. It won’t be easy.”
“Hearing that puts me at ease.”
“…?”
When Palacio looked at him in puzzlement, Robin continued.
“It won’t be easy, but you didn’t say it would be impossible.”
“That’s how it works? Haha…….”
Palacio let out a hollow laugh.
When he had first seen him, he had been a tiny kid.
Seven years was enough time for a kid to grow up.
“Anyway, thank you for helping.”
Robin raised the sword hilt.
Palacio closed his eyes as if resigned.
After wrapping the end with his hand to make it hurt as little as possible, he struck Palacio’s head and knocked him unconscious.
Now only Robin and Imelda remained nearby.
He climbed onto the driver’s seat and opened his mouth.
“I’ll get going.”
“Who says you can.”
Whoooong!
As the smoke from the smoke bomb cleared, a silhouette drew closer.
A man approached, moving aside the guards collapsed on the ground.
It was Verman.
Robin’s heartbeat quickened.
Verman approached slowly with indifferent eyes.
‘Damn it.’
Could he drive the carriage and flee right now.
‘If I fight, I lose.’
He judged the current situation calmly.
Watching Greg the night before had made him realize it.
Right now, Robin could not defeat Verman.
The aura he had seen then was far too vast to be called an individual’s strength.
It did not even seem like his full power.
Facing him head-on offered no answer.
If he turned his back and ran, he would be caught.
Somehow, he had to shake him off here.
As he brought his hand to his pocket while considering the best move.
A ripple formed on Verman’s expression.
“Juggly? What was that guy doing here.”
“I don’t know the details myself, but I suspect it was because he had something he wanted to obtain secretly.”
As Robin answered politely and helped Juggly to his feet, Verman stopped.
At a glance, it looked like he was tending to an injured superior, but it was the opposite.
Juggly was now a hostage.
‘I need to lower his guard through conversation. If I use Juggly as a bargaining chip and put distance between us…….’
“Interesting. Usually, people tremble when they see me, or grovel as if they’ve done something wrong.”
“Is that so. Everyone seems rather disrespectful toward someone who works for the peace of the Empire.”
At Robin’s agreement, the corner of Verman’s mouth lifted as if intrigued.
It was an expression that seemed to urge him to continue.
“It’s rare to see someone who cares for the Empire like Commander Verman, yet such reactions. If I meet them, I’ll be sure to give them a proper scolding.”
“What a funny fellow. Stalling for time.”
Boom.
The smoke bomb wedged between Robin’s fingers detonated.
“How……?”
He had not drawn his sword and swung it.
Just by looking, aura passed between Robin’s fingers.
It was as small as a needle, yet distinct.
If that force had deviated even slightly, his fingers would have been severed.
Cold sweat ran down the back of his neck.
The man before him could take Robin’s life at any moment.
Judging the hostage to be meaningless, he gently set Juggly down.
“Looks like you beat Juggly. You seem to know how to use a sword.”
“One of my few talents.”
“I’ll give you a chance to live. Hand over the traitor in the carriage. Then I’ll personally write you a recommendation letter to the Knight Academy.”
“…Really?”
Verman looked at Robin without denying or affirming.
‘Does he think I’ll jump at the offer.’
A recommendation letter from an active Imperial Knights commander was priceless.
Any renowned noble house would have paid a fortune for it.
But Robin had no intention of abandoning Imelda, and he could not take those words at face value.
From Verman’s perspective, was he not just a criminal?
A knight should naturally strive to uphold justice.
Saying such things could only be seen as an attempt to humiliate him.
‘What happens if I refuse here.’
The problem was that no solution came to mind to break this situation.
He might somehow escape alone, but taking Imelda with him was impossible.
“I’ll check the time.”
Without waiting for permission, he quickly opened the silver pocket watch.
Along with the sensation of wracking his brain, a golden needle appeared.
The direction the needle pointed was north.
Should he flee with the carriage as is.
Should he abandon the carriage and ride only the horse.
As countless thoughts flashed by, the needle moved slightly.
Clatter clatter.
Something approached from far away.
The sound of hooves and wheels told him it was a carriage.
Verman, having heard it as well, frowned.
At this late hour, it was uncommon for a carriage to be passing.
Two aged horses snorted and stopped in front of the gate.
One man got down from the driver’s seat.
It was hard to see in the dark, but he was limping on his left leg.
At that feeble gait, the taut tension loosened slightly.
The man slowly led the horse and approached Verman.
It was someone Robin knew.
‘Boss Burt?’
Before he could understand what was happening, Burt came to a stop in front of Verman.
“Hey, this Regiville?”
“Yes, sir. It is. Who might you be, and what brings you here at this hour.”
“I’ve got acquaintance with the lord here. And there’s a kid I’m seeing while I’m at it.”
“I’m afraid you’ll have to turn back. Regiville is currently restricting entry by outsiders.”
The golden needle of the silver pocket watch pointed at Burt, then turned into particles and vanished.
Robin’s eyes gleamed.
Now was the chance.
‘Boss Burt hasn’t changed at all.’
He was glad to see Burt after seven years, but Robin slowly shifted his position.
If Burt got involved with him, it would only cause trouble.
He desperately wanted to greet him, but he put it off for later.
Robin sprang up onto the driver’s seat and cracked the whip.
“Hyah!”
Seeing the carriage lurch forward, Verman wore an amused expression.
Shing.
Verman lightly swung his sword.
A blue horizontal line drawn through the air advanced straight ahead.
“Ho?”
Kagagak!
The roof of the carriage was cleanly sliced off.
Robin hurriedly ducked his head, but his helmet was torn away.
Soon, a face with short black hair and black eyes was revealed.
Robin, wearing a discomfited expression, met Burt’s eyes.
“Hm, you’ve grown so much I barely recognized you.”
“Stop. Next time, I’ll split your body in two.”
Despite Verman’s murderous warning, Robin did not stop.
Instead, he urged the horse on even faster.
Even as he ran toward the darkness, a blue light illuminated the road ahead from behind.
Faced with a bizarre phenomenon he had never experienced in his life, Robin grew frantic.
All he could think was that he had to escape this place faster.
Wung wung wung.
A chilling power, as if it would grind away anything it touched, condensed and shot toward Robin.
Kwaaaaaa!
The sky briefly brightened as if struck by lightning.
A vertically drawn blue line brushed past the side of the carriage.
“This is aura?!”
“Robin! No, Roy! What in the world is happening outside!”
“It’s dangerous, so don’t stick your head out and stay flat on the floor!”
Imelda lay flat on the carriage floor.
The thunderous sounds coming from behind stimulated her survival instinct.
Dagidak dagidak dagidak.
Robin could not even properly control the direction, but he ran blindly.
To avoid being devoured by the monster behind him.
When Verman’s aura was fired toward Robin.
Burt stepped in front of it.
More precisely, he swung his leg toward the aura.
The left leg fitted with a prosthetic should have been severed the moment it touched the aura, but the result was the opposite.
The direction of the aura changed.
“You, just what are you.”
“When did you politely call me sir, and now that’s your attitude?”
“This… is impossible.”
Verman fired his aura once more, but Burt deflected it again.
Verman’s eyes, as he looked at Burt, sank deeply.
“I am Verman, Commander of the Third Imperial Knights. Interfere any further, and I will regard it as obstruction of imperial duty.”
“So that’s why your aura quantity is so large. You’re a knight commander, huh.”
“Step aside.”
The third aura was fired.
Burt once again swung his leg.
The blue light that lit up the night sky vanished into the air.
It was a miracle no one would believe, yet Burt was yawning.
“Why are you going this far. Aren’t you afraid of the Empire.”
“I hear you’re the one who chopped off Baron Tefir’s head? I came because he said he really wanted to say something to your face, but it was a wasted trip.”
“So… you too are a traitor.”
“Traitor my ass. I’ve got no interest in your political games, so deal with it yourselves.”
“You’d better withdraw now. Unless you want to be dismembered.”
“As you can see, I’m missing a leg. It’s not dismemberment, it’d be corpse dismemberment.”
Verman’s aura gathered on his sword.
Unlike before, when it took a long, wide-ranging form, it was now concentrated solely on the blade.
As if he had teleported, he appeared before Burt and struck straight down.
Thud.
Kwa-gwaaaang!
With the sound of the ground collapsing, the earth was gouged out in a ten-meter-long trench.
The wound carved into the ground avoided Burt.
Verman’s eyes twitched.
“…How did you do that?”
“Skill.”
Verman realized that further conversation was useless.
Blue aura surged, and a thunderous roar spread throughout Regiville.
‘That kid Robin. He saw me, and didn’t even say hello?’
A smile formed for the first time in a long while.
He had thought about sending word once a month and even giving him gifts…….
‘First, I should deal with this guy.’
Burt grinned broadly as he flicked away the blood seeping from a scratch on the back of his hand.