NOVEL NEXT Chapter 30
I can’t just sit back and take this.
Before I let go of Brontee’s handshake, I tightened my grip.
Crack!
With my awakened mana, my physical abilities outclass those of other men.
Even my grip strength was no exception, considering the expression now twisting Brontee’s face.
“You little… I’m starting to feel better now.”
Seeing those bushy eyebrows droop made the buildup of frustration inside me finally ease.
“…What are you doing right now?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re putting strength in your hand.”
“Oh, if that’s the case…”
I made a deliberate ‘oops’ expression and covered my mouth with my right hand.
As I exaggerated my actions, Brontee’s expression soured even further.
“I sometimes forget about my enhanced physical capabilities since I awakened my mana….”
“I’ve heard that even women who’ve just awakened their mana don’t make such trivial mistakes.”
“That refers to women, not guys like me, doesn’t it?”
“What nonsense—”
“Have you seen any male awakeners other than me around here?”
Brontee gritted his teeth.
Now that he wasn’t even snorting anymore, it seemed my provocation had successfully hooked him.
“…No.”
“Exactly. Sir Brontee, male awakeners tend to be clumsy in handling their physicality, which is why we sometimes forget our strength.”
With a smile, I kindly explained, knowing that people can’t spit on a happy face.
Brontee clamped his mouth shut, swallowing his anger.
Over a little hand-strength, and he’s acting like that.
Siabel was known for being a responsible and respected knight, yet why was her attendant so petty?
It was all Brontee’s fault for trying to get under my skin first.
Seeing him express disdain so openly had me grinning ear to ear.
Finally, he decided to fold and engaged with me first.
“I’ve told you my name, so now please tell me yours.”
“You can just call me Ray.”
“Hmm….”
Well, a name is just a name. I casually shared it, and Brontee murmured it to himself several times.
It seemed he was trying to memorize it, but hearing him say my name with that distinctive snort wasn’t exactly pleasant.
“By the way, why are you and Princess Shione here?”
“Is there really a reason for two sisters to have a chat?”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“Hmm… if you really want a reason, I guess I have something….”
As I took my time loosely dodging the question, Brontee’s expression began to turn sour.
At this point, I was feeling less angry, so switching to a bit more productive conversation might not be a bad idea.
“This time, Princess Shione will be joining the monster eradication in the Beltlin Mountains. She’ll be heading there with Lady Siabel.”
“…That Shione?”
But my thoughts shattered along with his words.
This guy seemed to be a spectacularly useless attendant, completely contrary to his lord’s status.
It left me wondering how someone like him could stick close to the respected Siabel.
I figured I’d keep observing, but if he doesn’t change this attitude soon, he wouldn’t comprehend mere verbal caution.
It might be a hassle, but I’d have to make sure he got the point before I lost my cool.
“Brontee.”
I erased all expression and took a step closer to him.
My voice came out cold, and as that change in atmosphere reached him, Brontee took a step back.
“You’d do well to choose your words wisely. Are you now a duke of the kingdom or something?”
“W-What do you mean…!”
“How dare a mere servant of Sianel conjure such disrespectful words towards Princess Shione, the lady of Sianel?”
“…….”
“Do you wish for your rude actions to reach the ears of Lady Siabel and Princess Shione?”
“…No.”
“Then repeat after me.”
Brontee began to tremble.
Whether it was because he was caught up in the atmosphere or from my warning backed by mana, it didn’t matter.
Even though it was a small amount of mana, combined with the ambiance, my words carried enough pressure and killing intent to rattle Brontee.
Plus, I wasn’t wrong.
If he dared to yell, I could just report him straight to Shione or Siabel.
I couldn’t fathom why he’d repeat the same mistake after I warned him once outside the dining hall.
This was Brontee’s last chance.
“Servants should act like servants.”
“Servants should act like… servants….”
“Your voice is too soft.”
“…Servants should act like servants.”
“Good.”
Finally, I relaxed and stepped back.
Brontee looked at me as if in disbelief.
Well, what’s he going to do about it?
He should’ve avoided messing around with me from the start.
As I looked at him with a bright face, he quickly averted his gaze.
Now that we could actually talk, I began asking what I had been curious about.
“Anyway, if I may ask, Sir Brontee, what kind of monsters typically appear in the Beltlin Mountains?”
“…The Beltlin Mountains have orcs, goblins, and—”
“Brontee, your expression and tone are a bit too dark, don’t you think?”
“Anyone would think I’m the bad guy here!”
“Ah….”
“Smile, will you? You look much more natural and pleasant when you do.”
“Ahaha.”
“Perfect.”
Brontee wore an awkward smile as he looked at me.
I could clearly read the intention behind his gaze, but I could overlook that for now.
“So, could you continue your explanation?”
Brontee nodded quietly.
“In the Beltlin Mountains, goblins and orcs, along with Ashen Wolves, usually appear.”
“Not so threatening monsters, after all?”
Besides goblins, neither orcs nor Ashen Wolves posed a high level of danger.
When thinking of orcs, one might picture massive, muscular beasts, but reality was a bit different.
They were incredibly dumb and often fell into traps if prepared ahead of time.
They had strength only from their thick, massive bodies and little else to boast about.
Ashen Wolves also were easy to dismantle; as long as you took down the alpha, the pack would splinter soon after.
For someone like Siabel, taking down an Ashen Wolf would be child’s play.
“They’re not threatening… but their reproduction rate is monstrous. If we don’t eradicate them regularly, they might encroach on the territory.”
“Well, that makes sense.”
Their problem stemmed from their high reproduction rate.
It seemed that they were gearing up for extermination since this was the time of year when their numbers surged.
Orcs and Ashen Wolves would be the limits of what I could cover for Shione.
If it were just those, it seemed safe enough for Shione to practice her archery during the hunt.
“Are there any other monsters?”
“Sometimes ogres and Arachne also appear, but they generally dwell deep in the mountains, so unless we search for them, we aren’t likely to run into them.”
“Hmm.”
I nodded at Brontee’s words.
Both could be tricky opponents at the moment, but as long as we didn’t search for them, we’d be alright.
We just needed to focus on taking out orcs and wolves.
I’d get a good deal of practical experience for Shione’s insufficient archery skills this time around.
As I was thinking,
I noticed Brontee, who had been watching me.
“By the way, will you be climbing the Beltlin Mountains along with Lady Siabel as well?”
“…Of course. I have to serve Lady Siabel.”
“Still, the mountains with monsters are dangerous. Why not send some other servants?”
“Lady Siabel doesn’t really like unfamiliar servants, so she preferred having me nearby since she doesn’t see it as too dangerous.”
“Then it looks like I’ll be seeing a lot of you. I’ll also be following princess Shione into the mountains.”
As I said that, I reached out to Brontee.
“Let’s get along from now on, shall we?”
As I extended my hand for a handshake, he flinched.
“Please… take care of me….”
We shook hands again, but it seemed he expected more pressure from me this time.
Just then, Siabel’s door opened, and she and Shione began to step outside.
Seeing Brontee’s expression stiffen again, I tightened my grip.
“Ah…!”
Brontee looked at me in surprise from my sudden action.
I smiled at him, moving my lips.
A smile. Or—
Before I finished my thought, he figured it out and lifted the corners of his mouth.
That’s when I finally relaxed my grip.
After Shione stepped outside, Siabel followed, and they both saw Brontee and me shaking hands.
Siabel, upon seeing Brontee’s faint smile, turned to me and said with a grin.
“It seems Brontee has made a new friend. Please take good care of him.”
“Of course, that’s how it is, right, Brontee?”
Crack!
I tightened my grip.
Feeling Brontee’s hand slowly tightening in response, he quickly said.
“Y-Yes, of course, Ray.”
Yeah, it’s great to get along like this.
Now the world finally feels like it’s back on track.