"Wait here."
Charon stepped out of the carriage with a stiff expression. Asher followed suit.
"You stay here."
"Why? I'm not weak enough to be beaten by bandits either."
"This is not a matter of how strong you may be with your sword, it's a matter with how tough your mind is."
Reika was not ready to kill people yet, and Asher knew that would only be a hindrance right now. Asher came out and closed the door. Charon frowned at Asher, but he looked at the bandits without saying anything.
"Well."
Charon was flustered at the sight of the so-called bandits. The bandits that were blocking the carriage's way were holding farming tools and dirty rags. One of the bandits reached their hand out and begged.
"Oh please, I just need something to eat."
He was so skinny that Asher could break his bones even if I tapped him lightly. Half of the members were women and children.
They were clearly farmers who had fled and were begging to survive and in need of food. Charon's eyes slightly shook at the sad scene but then strengthened his resolve as a knight.
Boom-
Charon brought his sword out it's sheath and stabbed it in the ground, stomping his foot with a loud sound. The farmers trembled at the display of strength as the ground slightly shook from Charon's stomp.
"Back off. This carriage is property of the lord of our estate, Lord Halvark. I will cut down any of you who dare to come closer."
The reality of the knight's cruel words scared the farmers. The women and children especially paled their faces.
But they didn't move out of the way. With eyes full of desperation, they still tried to break through the line and reach the carriage where the food was kept.. Charon clasped the sword with a firm grip and cold expression.
As soon as he tried to move, Asher pulled him back the armor placed around his neck.
"Stop."
"Cough-!"
Caron violently coughed by choking himself on the armor for a moment. He then turned around with a riled expression at Asher.
"What are you doing?"
"All you know is fighting because you're an ignorant knight."
"Are you insulting me?"
The attention of Charon and the farmers turned to Asher. It was a glare from charon that emitted a cold and dense pressure of killing intent, but Asher shrugged it off and patted Charon's shoulder with nonchalance.
"If I am, are you going to continue and try to shed blood in front of her?"
At Asher's words, Charon paused. He soon opened his mouth as if to protest.
"…I don't intend to. I'm only going to make them run away."
"They won't run away and you know that. They'll die either from your blade or starvation, are you prepared to do that?"
The people who had collapsed from Charon's stomp earlier, slowly rose up, but they were still blocking the carriage. Chron clenched his teeth.
"So you want to make a deal with… bandits?! As a knight of the great Halvark territory, you can't…."
"For the dignity and pride of your servitude as a knight, you should never compromise with bandits."
Asher took out the gold coins and threw them at the farmers and then spoke to them instead of Charon.
"If you go to a nearby village with it, you'll get something to eat."
The farmers seized the gold coins in a hurry. They shook their heads gratefully and got out of the way.
"But I'm just an employee of the estate, so I have no honor…."
"…then… that would be your money, that you've saved up.."
He was being paid because he was an employee. Asher spoke in a profound way.
"There's no place to spend it anyways."
"...."
They went back into the carriage. Asher followed behind Charon and Reika asked with a bored face.
"How did it go?"
"It worked out well."
"That's a relief. Though, why did we meet thieves if we just entered the Belturia Territory?"
Reika grumbled and Asher closed his eyes and recalled something. The clothes the farmers were wearing were familiar to him.
They didn't come from a distant area. They had escaped from the Belaturia estate.
'What's going on, Balbaca?'
***
It had been two days. Fortunately, the group had not encountered any more bandits as they reached the Belturia Estate.
"Didn't you say they didn't have a proper manor or estate?"
It was Reika's first impression of the large, white buildings with spires. It was clearly a noble household, which also went against what Charon had mentioned earlier in the trip about Balbaca Belturia not owning a small castle or manor like most nobles.
Charon stuttered.
"Oh…what… how?"
"Charon…."
"No, miss. It certainly wasn't there in the past."
"When was that?"
"I'm talking about the time twenty years ago."
"So it was before I was born. Then, I'm sure he made one in the meantime it seems."
"I can't believe it."
Charon muttered as if he had just lost complete faith, but the carriage continued to approach the tall-standing property.
"I can't believe Balbaca Belturia did this…."
"What do you mean?"
The door opened. A young man, who appeared to be in teens, approached Reika with several guards. The man reached out to Reika with a smile.
"The eldest daughter of the Halvark estate. Are you Reika Halvark?"
"That's right."
"I humbly welcome you to our estate and am glad for your visit. I'm Boros Bellaturia. The young heir to the Belturia name."
Reika let out a small exclamation. She soon realized the identity of the young man before her.
"Then you must be…"
"Yes, your fiance."
Boros smiled bitterly.
"I don't want to."
"What?"
Reika was flustered by the rather unwelcome atmosphere that Boros suddenly had created. Charon took a step forward as if he were protecting Reika behind him.
"I don't think this is the Belaturia estate."
"Oh, how impolite. What's the name of the knight?
"The Knight of the Halvark family. It's Charon."
"Charon?"
Boros frowned and soon burst into admiration.
"Ah… it's you. I was wondering where you went, and it seems you were wandering around on that estate."
Charon's expression hardened slightly. Boros continued with an expression of interest plastered across his face.
"The Headmaster of the Academy said you were the most talented swordsman to graduate in your knightage. Every family wanted your loyalty, but you suddenly disappeared and left everyone wondering where you went. I personally didn't even expect you to still be in this Empire."
"…you seem to have good ears in the right places."
Boros just laughed at the stoic words from Charon.
"You have to get information to survive."
"...."
"If I remember correctly, haven't you met my father?"
"It was 20 years ago, the last time."
"Then you know my father. You'd better erase those memories."
Boros said with a gloomy face.
"Because now my father is nothing but a simple monster."
"...."
For the heir to the lord, the words from Boros that were directed at his father were too harsh for him to say, but Charon shut his mouth. Boros turned his eyes away to face the young teen boy looking at him indifferently.
"Who are you?"
"Asher, I'm an employee of the estate."
"Is that so? Oh, I didn't greet you out of courtesy up until now."
Boros bent down in a restrained position.
"Welcome to the Belturia Estate then."