NB Chapter 10

Magnolia looked at the old man while hiding her appearance with Gale's body. Despite having a sword at his throat, the old man was only slightly surprised and remained calm.

Without showing any sign of fear, the old man simply narrowed his eyes as if trying to get a better look at Magnolia.

Gale let out a long sigh and leaned his head against the doorframe.

"I told you not to make a big deal out of it."

At Gale's weary muttering, Atelman, who had been frozen in the position of drawing his sword, ground his teeth.

The old man asked in a gentle voice.

"Are you Miss Magia?"

"......"

No answer came back, but the old man was certain.

Although she was hiding her appearance with Gale's body, he could glimpse long, disheveled pale blonde hair.

Such shining platinum hair like sunlight was not common. Moreover, though he couldn't be certain, her age seemed similar too.

The old man realized he was about to get uncharacteristically excited and tried to calm his breathing.

Gale watched the old man with strange eyes.

"We received a telegram from Schmidt's shop regarding a dagger. There's something we'd like to confirm—would you permit us?"

At the old man's polite behavior, Magnolia glanced at Gale.

Gale, looking down at the old man, seemed far from pleased.

"...What are you trying to confirm?"

"I would like to see the dagger myself."

"Is that all?"

"For now, yes."

"That's quite a dagger. Making knights come rushing in like this."

The old man chuckled with a low rumble.

"If we've startled you, I apologize. These knights are only accompanying us just in case."

"Just in case of what?"

"For your safety, miss."

Magnolia rarely frowned.

"For the safety of someone you've never met, you tried to enter my room with rough men. Even drawing swords?"

Magnolia spoke while glancing at the knights who were about to draw their swords.

At her incredulous tone, Atelman cleared his throat while fingering his sword hilt. The old man maintained his gentle smile and spoke kindly.

"Please allow us to confirm."

Magnolia found this situation suspicious even to herself. But she had no choice either.

If there was any option other than bloodshed, she had to take it. Currently, they only had Gale's one sword as a weapon.

'If only we had one more sword.' Magnolia bit her lip.

Moreover, the way things were going was strange. If they had come from Clark to arrest them, the atmosphere was quite gentle.

Magnolia reluctantly withdrew the sword she had been pointing at the old man's throat. Gale opened the door and stepped aside. Magnolia revealed herself from behind Gale.

"...Good heavens."

Atelman muttered in a trembling voice. He couldn't believe his eyes.

The moment his eyes met Magnolia's, Atelman recalled his lord's sister whom he had met when he received his knightly oath over twenty years ago. For a moment, longing and guilt raised their heads, and his vision briefly blurred.

Fortunately, the dazzling platinum hair pulled Atelman from his memories of the past.

Atelman wasn't the only one who felt like he was dreaming.

Toren, the deputy commander of the Aster Knights standing next to Atelman, felt the same way. He looked at Magnolia as if she were a mirage.

Magnolia looked puzzled at them, who stood tall at the door with no intention of entering, just staring.

From the old man to the knights, everyone was staring at Magnolia with bulging eyes, standing dumbfounded in amazement. Toren stared penetratingly at Magnolia, muttering 'Dear God...' as if he couldn't believe it.

The old man's eyes, trying to meet Magnolia's gaze, were even slightly moist.

Magnolia and Gale were flustered by the three people's strange behavior. Magnolia tugged slightly at the sleeve of Gale, who was retrieving his sword.

'Were they amazed by my beauty?' Gale coldly brushed off Magnolia's hand. Don't talk nonsense.

Magnolia hesitantly took out the dagger she had kept in her breast, hesitating under the old man's excessively kind gaze.

Upon seeing the dagger, Atelman was almost certain. He barely swallowed what was surging up and knelt on one knee, bowing his head.

Only then did Magnolia confirm the crest on Atelman's armor. It was the same seal as the dagger's crest.

Rose vines and a sword. Magnolia's eyes widened greatly. Clark? But there was no time for her thoughts to continue.

The old man, having confirmed the sword blade, slowly knelt with an overwhelmed face. Following him, Toren took the same position as Atelman.

Having also confirmed the wolf crest on Toren's armor, Magnolia was instantly terrified.

'What kind of situation is this?' Magnolia and Gale just exchanged bewildered glances.

The old man respectfully held out the dagger to Magnolia.

"I deeply apologize for the rudeness of visiting so early and so suddenly, miss."

"...Could you explain first?"

Magnolia asked in a pale voice as she put the dagger back in her breast.

The old man, slowly rising, bowed deeply to Magnolia.

"I am Garet Briton, head butler of the Aster ducal house. Please call me Garet, miss."

The old man's behavior was utterly respectful and devoted, as if treating his master.

"I will escort you to the Starna estate of Aster."

Magnolia's face turned ashen.

Following Garet's guidance, Magnolia uncomfortably came downstairs with the knights. The knights said they were escorts, but to Magnolia they seemed nothing more than surveillance and restraint.

When she faced the grandeur and majesty of the magnificent carriage at the inn entrance, her complexion instantly hardened.

To Magnolia's repeated requests for explanation, Garet only repeated that he would escort her to the mansion.

"Could you at least tell me why you're trying to take me to that mansion?"

She couldn't understand why they wanted to guide her to none other than 'Duke Aster's' mansion.

Magnolia glanced sideways at Atelman. Atelman was mixed in with the procession escorting the carriage alongside knights wearing the same armor. Seeing that he was in the same party as Garet, who called himself Aster's head butler, he seemed to have a deep relationship with Duke Aster.

Anyway, Schmidt's weapons forge must have contacted them properly. She just hadn't expected knights to come rushing in droves from morning.

Had they come for the dagger? Since the family crest was engraved on the dagger, it might be something that only family members could possess. They had hurried to retrieve it upon news that some girl had the family heirloom.

This much was within expectations. That was what she had aimed for in the first place. If they had said they were going to the Clark estate, it would have meant she had achieved her goal quite successfully.

The plan was to return the dagger while learning about the Clark family to find the person who killed Zycklint.

But the place they were guiding her to was the Aster ducal estate.

Why on earth was Duke Aster suddenly coming up here?

"If you board the carriage, I'll explain on the way."

Garet smiled kindly and guided her to the carriage. Magnolia quickly counted the number of men surrounding the inn.

Six Aster knights, seven other knights.

Too many to have come just to take one girl. Magnolia tried to suppress her rising unease.

It wasn't that they had been found out as the killers of Rosemary Clark. Somehow she felt it had nothing to do with Clark. Because these people's attitudes had become excessively kind after confirming the dagger.

Then she felt someone watching her from somewhere.

When she looked up, she immediately met eyes with one of Aster's knights. A knight with disheveled hair who looked to be in his early twenties was staring penetratingly at Magnolia with a stern face.

His dry gray eyes didn't look away even when they met Magnolia's gaze, but soon dropped down along with his head.

"Please board the carriage."

Magnolia hesitantly accepted Garet's escort and climbed into the carriage to sit.

When Gale naturally tried to board the carriage after her, Atelman blocked his way. Gale raised one eyebrow.

"You wait here."

Atelman roughly pushed Gale's shoulder. Magnolia cried out in surprise.

"Gale is my friend!"

Garet didn't bother to stop Atelman.

Gale looked at Atelman, who had pushed his shoulder, for a moment before trying to get back into the carriage.

"Didn't you hear me?"

"Sorry, but."

Gale shrugged, avoiding Atelman's hand.

"I don't trust you people. I need to accompany her."

Fire sparked in Atelman's eyes.

"You're not someone to discuss trust or distrust. Wait here while I'm being nice."

"Didn't I say not to make a big deal?"

Gale placed his hand on the sword at his waist.

"While I'm being nice."

At that sight, Atelman, who had been displeased with Gale all along, finally drew his sword. Of course, he had no intention of seriously fighting. He just intended to scare him a little.

But when Gale drew his sword without hesitation in response, a sword fight broke out in an instant. At the sound of clashing blades, several knights escorting the carriage rushed over. Even in this situation, Gale showed no sign of backing down.

Watching several exchanges happen in an instant, Magnolia sighed.

"Excuse me, Garet? Gale will come with me. Please stop the knight."

"Miss, it's dangerous, so please stay seated inside the carriage."

Watching Garet completely ignore her words, Magnolia felt heat rising in her temples.

When Garet tried to close the carriage door, Magnolia blocked it from closing with her foot.

"Garet, I'll say it again. I'm not going without Gale."

"Miss, I don't know who that person is, but..."

"I told you he's my friend."

"I cannot trust that friend."

Magnolia gritted her teeth. After staring at the sword fight in front for a moment, Magnolia glanced to the right.

The knight who had been staring penetratingly at Magnolia earlier was watching Gale with interest, his hands behind his back. Magnolia glimpsed the sword at that knight's waist and looked at Gale.

Gale was fighting Atelman with his sword without much difficulty.

Feeling Magnolia's gaze, Gale looked at her while dodging Atelman's sword. The two, who had trained in swordsmanship together for so long, didn't need words.

Magnolia kicked off from the carriage and snatched the sword of the knight standing on the right.

She mercilessly kicked the back of the knee of the surprised knight who was turning to approach, and Magnolia instantly wedged herself into the middle of the sword fight.