Chapter 10
Judging by how the staff of House Tusslena had treated Rin so far, it was clear enough—this so-called escort knight was nothing more than a goldfish trailing after her, useless in any real way.
Even so, the man, in an attempt to act the part of a knight, dropped to one knee before her. With one hand over his chest and head bowed in exaggerated courtesy, he replied,
“Please call me Sir Smith.”
“Then, Sir Smith, if you don’t mind, could you check the area thoroughly? There might be a boy around my age being held hostage or dragged away.”
Lifting his head, Smith gave her a troubled look and declined.
“But my lady, my duty is to protect you.”
Protect me? I’ve never even seen your face before today, buddy.
“I’m just really worried. I’ll stay here quietly with this gentleman while you check, alright? You can come back after a quick search, can’t you?”
“Tch! What’s with these pests in broad daylight? This is my establishment—what the hell do you think you’re doing? Get out, now!”
Smith shot a sidelong glance at the grumbling pub owner, then looked back at Rin, clearly torn.
“In that case, this alley is unsafe in many ways. Allow me to escort you elsewhere—my lady!”
Smith suddenly rushed to support Rin as she collapsed weakly into his arms. Rin had decided to fully exploit the image of frail Lady Yana and let out a dramatic fit of coughing.
“Cough, cough… I’m sorry… I ran too much and now my head… it’s spinning…”
It was her Feigning Illness Strategy.
Yana had a peculiar reaction—apologizing triggered nausea almost instantly. Her body would genuinely pale, making the deception all the more convincing.
As expected, the self-proclaimed escort knight, Sir Smith, looked completely flustered by the sudden situation.
‘I knew it—he’s all talk.’
If he had truly been at Yana’s side before, he wouldn’t be this panicked. Yana had always been a weak child, after all.
Thanks to that, Rin figured just a little more pressure would be enough to shake him off.
“A-Are you alright? I’ll take you to your room at once!”
No sooner had he spoken than Smith hoisted Rin over his shoulder and hurriedly headed up to the third floor.
The door to what seemed to be the pub owner’s bedroom was slightly ajar. Without hesitation, Smith barged in and laid Yana down on the bed.
But something felt off.
‘There’s no warmth in the bed at all.’
“What is going on in my room…?”
Rin eyed the pub owner, who stood awkwardly near the door, muttering under his breath.
Suspicion confirmed.
First of all, he was far too young to be the owner of a rundown pub tucked in a back alley. More than that, his face was clean-shaven, without a trace of stubble, and he didn’t smell at all.
‘If he was naturally tidy, the pub wouldn’t be in such disarray. But the first floor was a mess.’
And despite just waking up, the bed was cold and undisturbed—no sign anyone had slept there.
This man didn’t belong here at all.
“Thank you, Sir Smith. But if I move too soon, I might faint or vomit. I just need a little rest. Could you check the area again in the meantime? Please, I’m asking you now.”
Smith glanced at the pub owner, hesitation still in his eyes. Then—shring—his sword rang coldly as it was drawn.
“Be warned: if anything happens to her, you’ll pay dearly. That’s not a request—it’s a threat.”
As the blade tip touched his chin, the pub owner paled instantly, nodding frantically.
“H-Hic! Y-Yes, of course, sir! I-I’ll watch over her—don’t worry and go!”
As Smith disappeared from the room, Rin silently clicked her tongue.
‘He’s so naive.’
No matter how unwell his lady seemed, or what orders he received, he had just left her alone in a strange place with a stranger. For all he knew, this pub owner could do anything to Yana.
Not that Rin minded—his foolishness had worked in her favor.
“Sigh… What kind of hellish morning is this?”
The pub owner’s irritation was clear as he turned to Rin.
“So, miss, right? I’m heading downstairs to work. Rest here if you want. If anything happens, come down—I’ve got to get ready to open…”
Rin’s eyes narrowed.
‘A common shopkeeper not only ignoring a knight’s warning, but also leaving someone who’s clearly from a noble house alone? And he looks like he’s from a well-off family himself?’
That didn’t add up.
Years of being a mercenary had sharpened Rin’s instincts, and they screamed at her—this man was connected to that shadow mage.
Now certain, Rin slowly sat up in bed.
The moment the man turned his back toward the door, completely relaxed around the delicate young lady—
Whoosh.
Rin drew forth invisible aura into the weapon she’d hidden—the kitchen knife she’d grabbed from the first floor—and hurled it straight at the man.
As expected, the man wasn’t ordinary. With sharp reflexes, he dodged the kitchen knife that flew at him from behind.
“What the hell… Who are you?!”
Instead of answering, Rin channeled aura into the blade lodged in the wall and yanked it back.
Her grip faltered slightly due to the unstable energy, leaving a shallow cut on her fingers—but it was still usable. The man’s eyes widened in shock as he murmured,
“Gods… Aura Swordsmanship?”
In the world of martial arts, there’s one unshakable rule—whether facing a swordsman or a mage, strike first, win fast, especially when the power gap is small.
Thwack!
The knife’s handle struck the man’s head with a dull thud, and he collapsed, staggering.
‘…Hmph.’
Using Aura Swordsmanship in this body had been pushing it. A wave of dizziness hit her like a hammer.
‘Just that brief usage, and I’m already like this. I’ll need to wait until this body’s stronger.’
Locking the door tightly, Rin approached the fallen man. She grabbed the water pitcher from the table and poured it straight over his face.
“Wake up, old man.”
“Gah—ptoo!”
“I’ll ask just two questions. Answer them properly, and you get to live.”
She gently laid the fallen knife by his side and met his dazed, confused gaze.
“One: where is the boy who was with you earlier—the one around my age? And two…”
This was the more important question.
“Do you know how to make Wolfshade Pills?”
On the bridge leading from the market to the central square.
Inside a lavish four-horse carriage that had suddenly come to a stop, a middle-aged man lifted his gaze.
Seated in leisure, he fixed his eyes on a young man visible through the bustling crowd, swarming like ants. As soon as the youth returned to the carriage, the man asked calmly,
“So, what’s the commotion about?”
“Seems there was a child abduction near the market, sir.”
“Abduction?”
“Yes, sir.”
At the unexpected answer, the man’s expression turned cold.
He was just on his way back to Tusslena Manor, but the road today was unusually noisy. Curious about the disturbance, he had paused to investigate.
‘Could it be slavers?’
It had been quiet for years, but it seemed the scum were back in business.
Besides, they were expecting a guest soon. He couldn’t allow such filth anywhere near Tusslena.
‘Measures must be taken.’
His sharp eyes scanned the crowd—and soon, his brow furrowed.
“Hmph. I thought my eyesight was holding up well for my age… Am I going senile? I see a Tusslena knight’s uniform among those merchants, Jihad.”
From across the carriage, a black-haired man replied indifferently,
“Maybe he’s running errands.”
The answer was so careless that the younger man glanced up in surprise, subtly studying him.
Whether the head of the household cared about this abduction or not, Jihad was entirely absorbed in reviewing official documents. Tall enough to fill the two-person seat with ease, he exuded a chilly air and striking beauty.
He was none other than the renowned fourth son of House Tusslena—Marquis Jihad Tusslena of Rethe.
