RTTFW CH 3.4

Actually, it’s fine as long as I keep my head down, right?’

Having already decided to go, Ent resolved to think positively.

Even if he arrived in the Kingdom of Kerban, it was simply a matter of not committing the despicable act of buying slaves himself.

It was true that Ent Harbilta had purchased slaves in the Kingdom of Kerban, as described in that book. After all, illegal slave markets were held periodically in the capital of the Kingdom of Kerban.

But what on earth did that have to do with Ent Harbilta now?

Regardless of what the book said, he absolutely had no intention of buying people as slaves. It just so happened that he was arriving in the Kingdom of Kerban, where he was said to have bought slaves, at a time when he hadn’t even met Omb yet. But Ent had no intention of following the book’s path.

After all, he only needed to avoid the capital of the Kerban Kingdom where the illegal slave markets operated. Of course, a lingering unease nagged at the back of his mind: ‘What if things don’t go according to plan…?’

“Haa…”
”A-oong…”
“Huh? Ion, why are you so listless?”

Ion stretched his body ou-t long, as if sighing. Come to think of it, ever since they started heading towards the village of Sharo in the Kingdom of Kerban, something about Ion’s state had been a bit off. He’d wander restlessly around the carriage, seeming anxious, and often sighed or looked dejected.

“You’re not sick, are you?”
“I don’t think so.”
“He’s still just a young puppy. He could be hurt somewhere.”
“… I don’t know.”

Izel didn’t give a proper answer to Ent’s words and looked away. When Ion whimpered and pressed himself tightly against Ent’s thigh, Ent gently stroked Ion’s scarred back.

‘…It seems rather large to be called young in the first place.’

Ent didn’t know why he called it a young puppy, but objectively speaking, Ion was quite large for a young puppy. Lying beside Ent, it was big enough to fill the space next to him. In fact, Ent, who possessed not even a shred of muscle strength, found it difficult to hold Ion for long, even using both hands.

Since his young master liked it so much, Izel decided not to tell the truth. Izel’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Ion.

Why did Ent think that thing was a dog? You wouldn’t normally encounter dogs in these mountain ranges. Even if it had escaped from abuse, would it flee into the mountains during such a cold winter? An ordinary dog, unable to hunt for food, wouldn’t make that choice.

‘That’s a wolf.’

Though similar in appearance, dogs and wolves had completely different natures. The wounds Ent had treated with expensive potions weren’t just signs of abuse. There were also clear scars from fighting other beasts in the wild.

Particularly the unusually sharp, vicious fangs and the strange scar on its belly. Unlike the ones on its back, the one on its belly was a very old scar, clawed by its own kind. Izel was beginning to vaguely grasp Ion’s true nature. He was not simply an ordinary wolf.

“A beastman…”

“Right, Izel?”
“Huh?”
“Ion, I mean. He seems listless too, probably because he doesn’t want to go to the Kingdom of Kerban.”
“Ah, yes…”
“How does Ion know my thoughts so well? He must be a genius, right?”

As Ent’s eyes sparkled, Izel suddenly felt reluctant to answer. Even though Izel ignored him and pretended to be busy, Ent paid no mind and lifted Ion up with both hands. It seemed like Ion was getting heavier and heavier the more Izel took care of his meals.

“It’s like he understands me. Ion’s a genius.”
”A-ong…”

Ion turned his head away, avoiding Ent’s gaze fixed on him. Izel shrugged his shoulders watching the two. Well, Ent would figure it out naturally someday.

The village of Sharo in the Kingdom of Kerban wasn’t a huge settlement, but it wasn’t small either. It was a fairly developed commercial town, home to resident mages – a sight usually reserved for the great capital – and many skilled artisans.

Its iron weapons were also quite famous.

“It’s a pretty decent inn, right?”
“Yeah. Paladin, you’ve worked hard.”

After arriving in Sharo Village, while Izel and Ent waited nearby, Paladin quickly secured an inn for about a week’s stay. He found it in less than 30 minutes, so Ent assumed he’d just asked a villager and picked any place, but it turned out to be cleaner and more upscale than expected.

It was a large building with the first floor as a restaurant and the second through fifth floors as the inn. Ent had rented every single room on the top floor, the fifth floor, for a full week.

“Um, Izel. If we spend too much money, the Count might get angry…”
“That won’t happen.”

Of course, renting the entire floor was Izel’s idea. Even though it was an unavoidable journey, Ent was the second young master of the Harbilta family. There were already many unfavorable rumors about him, so this was to prepare for any possible threats.

When Ent first heard Izel’s words, he fell deep in thought and tried to dissuade him. Of course, it wasn’t the we might face threats part that made him think; it was the renting an entire floor part that had him pondering.

‘Well, I wonder. Can I really do that…?’

How could someone like him, who was of no help whatsoever to the Harbilta family, possibly spend such a large sum? It was far too much money for someone like him, a disgrace to the family, to spend.

“… If it bothers you that much, I’ll take responsibility, so please do it.”

Only after Izel said this did Ent finally nod. He hadn’t wanted to waste money renting an entire floor of the inn just to protect his own body, but since it was Izel who said it, Ent had no choice but to comply.

“Um, Izel.”
“Yes.”
“Just wondering… how much of the family’s money could I actually use?”
“Why do you ask?”

Following behind Paladin as they ascended to the top floor, Ent quietly asked Izel. At the counterquestion, Ent felt strangely embarrassed to answer and scratched his cheek.

“Well, Izel, it’s a bit embarrassing to tell you this, but… I wanted to treat you and Paladin to something tasty.”

Ent himself didn’t need to eat; the food he’d eaten while roughing it was enough. But the two of them were stronger and bigger than him. The food they’d hunted and cooked on the spot surely hadn’t provided enough calories. Now that they’d reached the village, he wanted to buy them something delicious, even if it was late.

“…”

It wasn’t necessary for Ent to provide meals for his servant and Paladin, but Izel understood his young master’s intentions.

“Well…”

Who was Ent Harbilta? Wasn’t he the second young master of the Harbilta family, overflowing with wealth? Though Ent himself seemed completely unaware of his own privileges, Izel could roughly estimate the scale of money he could personally access.

“Probably…” Since this was information no one else should hear, Izel leaned close to Ent and whispered quietly. Ion, who had been cuddled by Paladin, gave a small growl when Izel suddenly approached Ent. “… That much, I suppose.”

“Ah… Ah?”

Ent was momentarily confused, wondering if he’d forgotten this world’s monetary system. Faced with an astronomical figure that didn’t immediately register, he raised both hands, folding his fingers one by one as he counted the number Izel had named.

“R-Really?”
“Yes. With that amount, you should be able to manage operations without needing to report separately to the Count.”

Ent’s jaw dropped wide open at Izel’s words, unable to close. That amount of money wasn’t just enough for a single meal – it could buy an entire restaurant. No, it was enough to buy land in the capital of the Empire and build several buildings.

‘… Wait, you mean that’s considered just enough?’

Ent was utterly flabbergasted. He wasn’t even his elder brother Bernil, the family heir. Could a nobody like Ent Harbilta really spend that much money without permission?

‘The Harbilta family really is overflowing with cash.’

Ent was genuinely astonished. He knew the Harbilta family was wealthy, but to this extent? Of course, Ent hadn’t given even a moment’s thought to the fact that he himself was of bloodline entitled to authority within the family, no less than Bernil’s.

Someone like Izel wouldn’t lie.

Bolstered by that belief and Izel’s words, Ent treated Paladin and Izel to a lavish meal.

It was merely a meal on the first floor of the inn where they were staying, but Paladin was quite touched by Ent’s thoughtfulness.

“Young Master, why aren’t you eating?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. You eat more, Paladin. You’ve worked hard hunting for us all this time.”

Hearing Ent’s words, Paladin felt like hunting down whoever had called this young master ‘demon-like’ or whatever nonsense.

Yet Ent, who had actually prepared the meal, couldn’t eat properly due to the overwhelming aroma of spices filling the air, making his stomach churn.

‘This is incredibly pungent.’

He’d heard Kerban Kingdom’s food was unusually salty and spicy compared to other places. He’d expected it, but seeing it right before him made it much harder to eat.

‘Ah, I feel queasy.’

Ent smiled with an unhappy expression.

Somehow, he already had a bad feeling about this.