Chapter Nineteen: A New Invitation Arrives

Licia departed at sunrise the next morning.

She was still too small to manage a horse alone for a long journey, so she rode with a female knight.

Ren later learned how she had reached him by herself the previous day. When Weiss’s party stopped near the bridge to rest and inspect the area, Licia slipped away and rode ahead because she could no longer wait to test Ren’s strength.

(She was remarkably reckless just because she wanted a duel.)

Nearly half a day had passed since Ren saw her off. The sky was already turning deep red as he stood near the bridge she had crossed.

He had hunted Little Boars again. The Clausel knights stationed in the village were transporting the carcasses, allowing Ren to walk home alone.

Then he heard the distant pounding of hooves.

“What now?”

The only mounted visitors Ren knew were knights of House Clausel. The group that had departed that morning flashed through his mind.

“Don’t tell me that troublesome saint came back…”

He stopped and braced himself. It seemed impossible, yet after the previous day he could no longer dismiss anything.

A mounted group soon approached, but Ren recognized none of them. Their armor bore a crest different from House Clausel’s.

The riders surrounded him and looked down from their horses.

“Are you from the village governed by House Ashton?” the apparent leader demanded through his helmet.

“Answer!”

His voice carried such force that Ren could almost imagine him drawing his sword if ignored.

(Who are these people?)

Wary but unable to refuse, Ren replied.

“Yes. Who might you be?”

“Convenient.”

The man’s tone grew even more arrogant.

“We carry an official letter from Viscount Given. Take us to the Ashton residence.”

Ren was confused. These were not Clausel knights, and a viscount outranked Baron Clausel.

(Viscount Given…)

Ren had read about him in the manor’s records. Clausel lay to the east, while Viscount Given’s territory was to the northeast. Both residences were a similar distance from the village, but Given ruled a significantly larger town befitting his rank.

“What are you waiting for? Lead us there.”

Their impatience was clearly worsening.

“My apologies. I will take you to our manor immediately.”

“Our manor?”

“My name is Ren Ashton. I am the only son of Roy Ashton, the current head of the family.”

The riders exchanged glances. After several nods, their leader addressed Ren again in a calmer tone.

“Then rejoice. The viscount has a message for you as well.”

The hostility of the surrounding knights diminished at once.

“A message for me?” Ren asked carefully.

“Yes. His lordship wishes to take you into his service as a personal attendant. We will explain the details at your home.”

The knights urged their horses forward.

Ren followed with a grimace hidden from them.

(I don’t understand anything anymore.)

Too much had happened since the previous morning. As he led the procession along the farm road, every villager they passed turned to stare.

* * * *

The Clausel knights stationed at the manor greeted the newcomers with open surprise. Roy and Mireille were equally startled, though they maintained their composure and invited only the visitors’ representative into Roy’s sickroom.

Ren remained in the garden with the Clausel knights. Their tense expressions made him uneasy.

“May I ask something?”

“What is it, Lord Ren?”

“Why are all of you angry?”

The knight he addressed struggled to answer. Another came to his aid.

“We may as well explain.”

“But…”

“Depending on what happens, Lord Ren cannot remain uninvolved. Lord Weiss would not reprimand us for warning him.”

The words reminded Ren of the invitation he had just received.

(So that is why they’re angry.)

Before they could elaborate, Viscount Given’s representative emerged from the manor.

“Ren Ashton. There you are.”

The same knight who had ordered Ren about near the bridge approached. The Clausel knights instinctively stiffened.

The envoy noticed and sneered.

“I have already spoken with Roy Ashton, but I must address you directly as well.”

“What business do you have with me?”

“As I told you in the forest, Viscount Given values your ability and wishes to welcome you into his household.”

Ren already knew his answer was no. The difficulty was whether the son of an impoverished country knight could safely refuse a viscount.

“I…”

“You do not intend to reject such an honor, do you?”

Ren’s brows tightened at the coercive tone.

To a viscount, a minor knightly family like House Ashton was insignificant. Ren disliked being forced to confront that fact—and disliked even more the assumption that he had no right to choose.

“What is your answer?”

Realizing he could not avoid the matter, Ren selected his words with care.

“I am merely the son of a rural knight. I possess neither the status nor the ability required to serve Viscount Given.”

The wording might have sounded as though service to Baron Clausel required less, but the Clausel knights showed no offense. They understood what he was trying to do.

Given’s envoy remained proud and dismissive.

“Do not worry. The viscount does not judge people by their birth. He has heard that you defeated a Thief Wolfen and asks only that you visit him.”

A Clausel knight immediately stepped forward.

“My apologies, but Lord Ren has already received an invitation from Baron Clausel.”

Strictly speaking, Licia had invited him rather than her father, but Ren saw no reason to correct the statement.

“You serve House Clausel, do you not?” the envoy replied. “An invitation is not an agreement. He has not accepted. There is no reason we cannot invite him as well.”

“That is not the issue. This village lies within House Clausel’s territory.”

“Oh? Does House Clausel object whenever someone born in its lands wishes to serve His Majesty? Many knights serving in the imperial capital were born elsewhere.”

“Of course not. But anyone wishing to recruit Lord Ren should first approach House Clausel.”

Ren listened as the exchange grew heated.

“Regardless of differences in rank or faction, proper courtesy must be observed,” the Clausel knight continued. “As a servant of the esteemed Viscount Given, surely you understand that.”

The envoy fell silent for a moment.

“Very well. We will return another time.”

He turned away as though the matter bored him. The other messengers followed, mounted their horses, and called to Ren that they would come again before riding from the village.

Their departure was unexpectedly simple.

(What a high-handed group.)

A noble’s authority made them difficult to oppose. The unfairness left Ren deeply frustrated.

“Lord Ren,” said one of the Clausel knights, “we should explain what just happened in greater detail. Let us speak inside with your father present.”

“You mean the reason all of you were so angry?”

“Yes. The Ashton family should be informed of the circumstances.”

Ren followed them toward Roy’s room.

“This situation is suspicious,” another knight murmured.

“Indeed. It is probably connected to the struggle between the political factions.”

(Factions?)

Ren’s cheek twitched. The problem was apparently more serious than he had imagined, and his steps quickened as they crossed the manor.　

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