Chapter 36 : The Claw and the Wave

“What? How did you know······.”

Failer was visibly flustered, surprised that she knew his anguish. It was not unreasonable to feel strange that she, who seemed unrelated to this matter, knew his pain.

“I heard it directly from that child.”

“What? Do you know Jonan? ······Ah, come to think of it, the maid’s hometown······.”

“Estel. It’s a small but cozy village in the east. That child is like a grandson to me.”

“······That friend told the maid.”

Failer gritted his teeth at the thought that Jonan was trying to persuade him through Mirey. He thought that bringing in another person in this matter was very different from the Jonan he had seen so far.

“If you’re trying to persuade me to take you to the Count, I’ll tell you it’s impossible.”

But Mirey gave him an answer he didn’t expect.

“Of course. I told him it was impossible from the beginning.”

“······Yes?”

“That child came to me in the afternoon and said without any charm. He asked me to let him meet the Count. So I refused.”

“······.”

Mirey’s tone, with her two hands neatly gathered and her eyes slightly closed with a benevolent smile, was calm and flat, like a still lake.

She was someone who looked after others better than anyone else, so he couldn’t believe that she had refused Jonan’s request—Jonan, who was from the same hometown and like a grandson to her.

“Sir Knight. Do you know that that child has a subtly clumsy side?”

“I don’t know.”

“That’s understandable. He’s a hard-working child. But sometimes when he tries too hard, he shows flaws in many ways.”

“I see.”

“That’s why I tried to give that child a chance. I reminded him of what he was missing because he thought it was too obvious, and I gave him another chance.”

“···If you say that opportunity, do you mean that if Jonan finds what he missed, you would let him meet the Count?”

Then Mirey nodded her head softly.

“Yes.”

“Maid. But the Count is not in a situation to meet outsiders now.”

“Well, that opportunity has become useless anyway.”

“Yes?”

“That child, when I was about to leave, suddenly realized what he had missed. Instead of asking me to let him meet the Count, he made another request.”

“What kind of request······.”

Mirey’s brown eyes turned to Failer. They were the eyes of an elderly woman, but they contained the wisdom of many years.

“He asked me to let him meet the knight.”

“······.”

“I couldn’t know what he realized. Because that child didn’t tell me. Instead, he said that the knight would know.”

“Jonan···.”

“The children said that the knight hasn’t been able to work properly since this morning.”

“···I’m sorry for worrying you unnecessarily.”

“It’s okay. We’re family. You were probably worried after listening to Jonan’s words. Because I know your loyalty.”

Mirey slowly got up and stood in front of Failer. A young 3rd-class expert male knight and an old female maid.

There was a physical difference between the two, but the wisdom of the old woman reduced that difference in an instant.

“Sir Knight. Please meet the child once. Please listen to what that child is saying, and see what that child is bringing out.”

“Then, I’ll be leaving now.”

With those words, Mirey left Failer’s room. Failer stood still for a long time after she left.

What to choose. What to choose for himself, for the Count.

Thoughts boiled in his head again.

But thanks to the advice of the old maid, the anguish that had seemed eternal disappeared from his head the next day.

In the morning, Failer headed to a place in the mansion.

There, an old maid was being helped by a younger maid.

“Maid.”

“Sir Knight.”

When Failer called the old maid, the younger maid next to her hurriedly bowed her head. But the old maid, who was called by him, smiled.

As if she knew he would come.

Rachel. Five years old, a girl. An age to receive a lot of love from her parents.

But it was already the third day since she came here, and she had no memory of receiving love from Jonan.

In the daytime, he went somewhere, and when he tried to eat dinner together and play, he repeatedly told her to go to sleep.

Of course, Jonan expressed his love to Rachel steadily when he was with her, but it felt insufficient to Rachel.

She could get rid of boredom by playing with the bear uncle, but it was still lonely.

‘I can’t forgive you!’

That’s why Rachel made up her mind. She would follow her dad no matter what today!

“Isn’t Daddy going out?”

But for some reason, Jonan, who wasn’t in his seat when she woke up, was lying next to her and looking at her with a happy expression.

Rachel was quite embarrassed by that fact.

“Huh? Ah, I don’t have work today.”

To be precise, he was waiting for Mirey’s reply, but it didn’t matter to Rachel.

“Then can we play today?!”

“That’s right······? But daughter, if you came along to play······.”

“Wow!!”

Seeing her daughter rejoice, Jonan felt complicated. It was a job, but he felt he had neglected his daughter, so he thought he should take care of her before the reply came.

But he had to put that thought aside while eating breakfast.

A guard entered the Red Inn.

“Who is Jonan?”

“Ah, it’s me.”

“The maid sent a letter.”

The letter came earlier than expected. In other words, Mirey had persuaded Failer overnight.

It was a surprisingly fast pace, but it didn’t matter.

‘Rather, the faster the better.’

Jonan had to finish his work as quickly as possible and wait for his master, not knowing when the Dragon God’s work would be finished.

“Before lunch, behind the pub we met before······. Then I have to prepare from now on······?”

If you focus on one thing, you can’t pay attention to other things. For a moment, Jonan couldn’t think of Rachel next to him.

“·········.”

Rachel’s fork was already on the plate, and her ferocious gaze was directed at her father.

“···Sorry.”

But contrary to Jonan’s expectation that she would be furious, Rachel quietly bowed her head.

“No. Daddy said it was the work that the Dragon told him to do. I’m not angry.”

Rachel’s expression, as she said, did not seem to be really angry. Rather, a worried expression was on her face, telling him to be careful.

“······Daddy will go as quickly as possible! And let’s play to our heart’s content! Daughter, you know?”

“Ugh.”

Jonan was relieved and quickly finished his preparations and left the inn.

Jonan’s shortcomings: if you focus on one thing, you can’t pay attention to your surroundings. So, he didn’t see the door he closed open slightly behind him.

“Honey pot! This time, I’ll feed you a special beef stew······ huh?”

The pub that Failer used was located on the outskirts of the city, near the ramparts.

Behind it was an open space where the pub owner did various chores.

Failer called Jonan there.

‘If by any chance Jonan tries to deceive us···.’

He didn’t want to break the pub owner’s things for no reason. The heart of Failer, who was agonizing until the end, called Jonan here.

And now, the culprit who caused the anguish had arrived.

“······Jonan.”

“Sir Failer.”

“It’s been a day. No, is it two days? I’m sorry, I was out of my mind.”

“That’s right.”

Their first conversation ended with a simple greeting. It was a conversation that didn’t seem like the kind they would have as people who used to enjoy hunting together.

Awkwardness and silence began to dominate the open space.

A little later, the one who broke the awkwardness and started the conversation was Jonan.

“I asked Grandma Mirey. I wanted to meet Sir Failer again.”

“I heard. If it weren’t for her request, I wouldn’t have come to see you.”

In fact, he might have visited once to hear what that method was.

“Grandma Mirey enlightened me on what I was lacking, so I was able to request a conversation with Sir Failer again.”

“What is that lacking?”

“Before that, may I tell you about the method I was going to tell you two days ago?”

Jonan’s suggestion was rather welcomed by Failer. In the current situation, the treatment method for the young lady was much more important than the hunter’s shortcomings.

Jonan told Failer what he had told Mirey yesterday.

Failer listened to Jonan’s story to the end and remained silent.

But the difference from Mirey was that his expression was very serious.

“Red demons···? Red demons appeared in the northern mountain? Is that impossible! And the red demons and the young lady’s illness are related!”

Then, as if waiting, Jonan took out something from the bag he was carrying. It was the huge claw of the red demon that the Dragon God had caught.

“This, is···.”

Failer recognized it dimly when he saw the claw in Jonan’s hand and was convinced when he held it in his own.

It was the sense of the demon that he had killed many times.

This was the claw of a red demon that had not been dead for long.

“Grandma Mirey told me about my shortcomings. It was evidence for persuasion. That claw is the first evidence.”

Jonan’s words were true.

Failer had no choice but to believe Jonan’s words the moment he saw the claw.

Then, was there a second one?

As soon as that thought passed, Jonan suddenly rushed at him.

“What!”

Failer, who was caught off guard by the shock of seeing the red demon, hurriedly drew his sword and defended.

Clang!

Then, a great vibration came through the sword to Failer’s hand. He quickly regained his senses and looked ahead, and there was an unfamiliar sword in his field of vision.

It was a sword with a blue wave embroidered on the entire blade, which was clearly unusual at first glance.

‘What is this······ wait, but how did Jonan block my sword?’

Even if he didn’t wrap it in Aura, there was a significant difference in physical ability between a knight and a hunter.

But this young hunter had a calm face as if there was no difference.

Besides, this sword that touched his sword… it wasn’t an ordinary sword.

Failer, who had touched the sword with blue waves, felt the illusion of hearing the sound of waves somewhere. At the same time, he also felt the sword sparkle.

Jonan quietly recited to Failer, who was embarrassed to see the sword.

“This is the second evidence.”

Swoosh.

Jonan’s blue eyes fluttered like waves.