How to Live as a Knight After the Ending - Chapter 58
Only Noblemtl
Episode 58. Anxiety (1)
A cold silence hung over the airship station.
Although there were fewer people than usual due to restricted access because a princess from a neighboring kingdom was visiting, it was still a fairly crowded place even taking that into account.
The place became so quiet that even the maintenance workers who were working stopped what they were doing and looked over to see what was going on.
The person who shouted was a man in his 40s with long sideburns and a mustache.
He was wearing nice clothes and had an old-fashioned look to him. He always had a frown on his face, as if he didn’t like it.
Even though all eyes were on him, he snorted roughly as if asking what they were looking at.
‘Where would you, a lowly commoner, dare to go?’
The Marquis de Dubuie was not pleased with his arrival in Tirna.
To think that I had to come to this dirty and polluted place as a delegation.
He was an arrogant noble to the core and did not like anything about Tirna.
I was already full of irritation, but when that troubleshooter bastard didn’t even bow his head in my direction, my patience exploded.
That’s why I screamed.
‘Yeah, you’re in good hands.’
The Marquis de Dubuie was secretly delighted.
It was also a chance to vent his frustration, but it was also something he always did first when he came to a place like this.
This is what is called ‘maintaining discipline’.
One of his hobbies was to deliberately tease or find fault with others and create a bad atmosphere wherever he visited.
Because he is of noble blood.
Because they are nobles who can treat commoners like insects.
Ossian just happened to be unlucky enough to catch his eye.
If it were normal, a commoner would have been startled and hung his head in shock.
But the reaction of the black-haired young man exceeded the Marquis de Dubuie’s expectations.
“… … .”
He just leans his back against the cargo, crosses his arms, and stares blankly as if he doesn’t know what to do.
The Marquis de Dubuie was rather embarrassed by that sight.
‘What’s that guy?’
I heard that Tirna is a place where there is no class system. Naturally, there was no reaction like the common people in their own country.
But that was something the Marquis de Debuer had also considered.
But since he’s a guy who works here, I thought he’d come out bowing and grumbling, but there’s no response at all?
‘Wait a minute. Could that guy be a noble too?’
At first, I yelled at him because I didn’t like his behavior, but when I looked closely at his behavior, there were more than one or two things that caught my eye.
First of all, his behavior is like that.
The other troubleshooters had a look on their faces that said they were destined for something bad.
But the black-haired young man had nothing like that.
Her skin was white and her figure was beautiful. Her lips were tightly shut and she was staring at something, showing off her noble appearance that even the Marquis de Dubuie would admire.
At this point, you might think it’s another noble, but seeing him alone in a place where the troubleshooters are gathered, that wasn’t it.
There was a moment of confusion, but the Marquis de Dubuie, who was a nobleman by birth, knew intuitively.
Ossian is a commoner, not a noble, and he is the same person as the troubleshooters gathered there.
‘Yes. Even if he was of noble birth, if he came to Tirna, it means he was essentially ruined or had no support.’
There, the voice of the Marquis de Dubuie, who had gained confidence, gained strength.
“How dare you still hold your head up stiffly!”
The Marquis de Dubuie strode towards Ossian as if he had been caught.
No one tried to stop the Marquis de Dubuie from his impulsive actions.
Even though he looked like this, he was the person in charge of Princess Orlea’s bodyguard.
The only person higher than her was the princess, but even she seemed to have no intention of interfering with the current situation.
It was no wonder that the Marquis de Debuer was so arrogant.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty.”
At that moment, a problem solver stood in front of the Marquis de Dubuie.
He was the oldest of the problem solvers gathered here, bowing with a smiling face and a hint of embarrassment.
As if to prove it, his dark face was covered in wrinkles and scars.
“What are you?”
“My name is Bolen, the problem solver.”
“so.”
“That young man over there is a problem solver, but he has not been able to find out much recently. I hope the Marquis understands with a generous heart like Ha-hae… .”
Bolen couldn’t finish his sentence.
Ouch-!
The Marquis de Dubuie slapped Bohlen in the face with all his might.
Bolen touched his red, swollen cheek with a puzzled look on his face.
The Marquis de Dubuie said with a distorted face.
“Where the hell is that arrogant commoner telling a noble what to do? Huh?”
“That, that’s not it… … .”
“You incompetent troubleshooter bastard, you called me just to fill up the numbers, do you think you’ve accomplished anything? Have you still not grasped reality? Or should I let you do it?”
The Marquis de Dubuie pressed his white-gloved fingers against Bohlen’s shoulder.
Even though he was slapped and insulted in front of everyone, Bolen was unable to respond.
In Tirna, everyone is equal.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a noble or a commoner.
But that doesn’t mean that the Marquis de Dubuie and Bohlen were on equal footing.
Regardless of rank, the Marquis de Dubuie, who was in charge of this procession, was a man of much higher rank than Bohlen.
Although Tirna is said to be an equal city, this was the reality.
“What is something like you… …!”
“That, that… … .”
The moment Bolen was about to bow his head again.
A voice from behind cut in between the two.
“Stop it.”
A voice that was lightly sung, but had a deep, weighty ring to it.
People who had been keeping their mouths shut until now and had heard the voice, forgot about the current situation and found themselves exclaiming in admiration, “That was the voice.”
“what?”
The Marquis de Dubuie was also embarrassed.
“Did you really just say that to me?”
“Then who else is here besides you?”
The Marquis de Dubuie burst out laughing at Ossian’s shameless answer.
He approached Ossian, thinking that the insolent commoner had finally gone mad.
This guy doesn’t get enough of a slap in the face.
I guess I’ll have to beat him with my fist to make him come to his senses.
It was at that time that I approached Ossian with that thought in mind.
“Stop.”
This time, the person who stopped the Marquis de Debuer’s steps was a completely unexpected person.
The Marquis de Dubuie stopped and looked back.
“… … Princess?”
“Just stop there. If you keep doing this, you’ll be late for the celebration.”
“Your Highness, that commoner just ignored me. Are you telling me to just let it go?”
Ossian arched his eyebrows slightly after hearing the Marquis de Dubuie’s rebuttal.
‘You talk back to the royalty you serve?’
Moreover, Princess Orléas did not bother to point out the Marquis de Dubuie’s behavior.
This meant that the relationship between the two was not a simple master-servant relationship.
‘So then it means that the real power is held by this man in front of you.’
Royals without power were worse off than nobles.
If this had been a private occasion, the Marquis de Dubuie would have scoffed and ignored the princess’s words.
But this is a public place where many people are watching.
The Marquis de Dubuie also knew that, so he glanced around and clicked his tongue.
He said, glaring at Ossian with hostile eyes.
“Consider yourself lucky. If it weren’t for the princess’s mercy, you wouldn’t have been able to join the parade today.”
Even though it was an official occasion, he did mention the princess, but I couldn’t sense any loyalty in his voice.
Ossian responded without responding to Marquis de Dubuie’s words.
The Marquis de Dubuie was about to explode again, but he held back as if he had some sense of humor, and tried to return to his original position.
Ossian opened his mouth towards the back of the Marquis de Dubuie, who was walking away.
“Frenfitz.”
“what?”
“That’s the name of the person who hired me.”
Ossian said so and looked to one side.
There, Frenfitz, who had half-threatened Ronan into asking for the favor, was seen looking flustered.
“Just so you know.”
Ossian said so, adding a faint smile.
The Marquis de Dubuie quivered his lips and returned to the princess with rough steps.
His sharp eyes turned to Frenfitz, who lowered his head in thought.
Perhaps the two will have a private meeting separately.
Considering the fiery temper of the Marquis de Dubuie, Frenfitz would not be finished with just one blow.
After the princess and her men withdrew, Bolen came to Ossian and thanked him.
“Thanks for your help.”
“Rather, it seems like I’m the one who received the help. Why did you come forward? Isn’t this our first meeting?”
“Yeah, but my brother got help. During the power plant incident.”
Oh, so one of the problem solvers you worked with back then was a family member?
The younger brother and older brother are problem solvers in pairs.
‘That’s true. The guys I first got into trouble with when I came here were the three brothers.’
I never thought that a strange connection would develop in this area.
Even if his brother owed him his life, there was no reason for Valen to step forward.
Even if there was some calculation involved, it was ultimately pure goodwill that moved him.
“It was fate that we met like this, so let me introduce myself again. My name is Valen.”
“I’m Ossian. I work at Violet Fox.”
“I know that. It’s quite famous. That office.”
“I see.”
“I almost got in big trouble. If you get caught by that nasty noble, even Tirna will get tired.”
Is that so?
It was a statement that didn’t really hit home for Ossian, since he wasn’t particularly worried about it.
“Because if you touch it, I was going to give you more in return anyway.”
“Hahaha. Your jokes are funny too.”
“… … .”
“… … Are you kidding?”
Valen didn’t see it coming.
Because I heard an announcement from far away that the march would begin soon.
“egg plant.”
“Oh, oh. That’s right.”
Valen followed Ossian, who was walking first, answering in a bewildered manner.
*
As we stepped outside the airship station, blue skies and hot sunlight greeted us.
Princess Orlean boarded a luxury vehicle.
It was a vehicle with an open design without a roof.
Ossian, who was watching the scene, discovered the Marquis de Dubuie.
Contrary to expectations that he would be riding in the same vehicle as the princess, the Marquis de Dubuie was conversing with someone else.
‘Who is it?’
He wore something like a poncho over his body and a brass mask on his face.
Judging by the guns they were carrying, they appeared to be an official escort.
“You are a soldier.”
Valen noticed what Ossian was looking at and answered his curiosity.
“There was talk that the military was there to provide security, and that was true. We’re really just hanging around. Come to think of it, it was the military that pushed for this peace delegation.”
Ossian nodded in agreement at Valen’s words.
He also knew the inside story because he had read the article in the newspaper.
But strangely, it bothered me.
‘What is the Marquis Dubuie talking about with that soldier?’
The vehicle carrying the princess was about to depart, but he paid no attention to it.
Rather, it was Frenfitz who was getting anxious as both cheeks were red and swollen.
The march has begun.
First, the vehicle to clear the road departed, followed by the vehicle carrying the princess.
Steam motorcycles and military vehicles followed as an escort.
When the princess of a neighboring country visited, the citizens stopped what they were doing and came out onto the streets to watch the procession.
Although all kinds of people gathered, only a very small number of them were cheering or rejoicing.
Most people were just watching the event unfold with interest.
‘Are we stationed at the back?’
The troubleshooters, including Ossian, were given seats far away from the vehicle carrying the princess.
It could be seen as the last and rearmost part of the line.
In fact, it was treated as a folding screen.
But even though they were far apart, Ossian could see what was happening from afar.
His eyesight, which transcended common sense, clearly saw even the pensive expression of the princess from afar.
‘I don’t have a good feeling.’
Ossian looked around the surrounding buildings.
Soldiers were stationed on the roof of a fairly tall building.
To prevent any possible assassination attempts.
There is no one with the audacity to attempt an assassination in broad daylight, especially in front of so many people.
But even though reason told me so, my instincts kept telling me otherwise.
Anxious thoughts quickly became reality.
The march was slowed by a slight disturbance up ahead.
“What’s going on?”
Seeing the same reaction from people around me, it seemed like it wasn’t something that was decided in advance.
Soon the march began.
In a different direction than before.
‘The route changed?’
Stab.
The feeling of anxiety burning in my mind grew stronger.