Roan could see that the situation was getting worse. He thought for a second as he looked at everyone around him. He wasn't used to this. People bowing down to him, standing up for him, it was all odd. But he understood that they didn't do it exactly for him but because his father ordered it. His father who had a high-ranking title and power beyond the average noble.
No one here really respected him, at the end of the day it was all about carrying out their job. And reporting back to the Duke. Nothing more nothing less.
'My father?...'
He had a parent. No, correction. He had parents in this lifetime. A whole family, a father, a mother, and three siblings. The idea of it all was weird to him. That a person like him who had lived alone all his life could now have a family. It was completely out of his expectations. But it didn't matter, because he couldn't care less if he had one. His disposition wouldn't change.
He didn't plan on staying here forever so it didn't matter if he had 'a family' or not. He was used to always moving around because of missions and always having to cover his tracks. This habit was already embedded deep in his bones to the point that he could never stay in one place for too long at a time. He never had a place to call home so he'd see the wonders that were here, and then quickly leave.
Waving his hand he beckoned for the Captain to stop. "Enough." He lightly stirred his horse around toward the direction they came from. "Let them go. I am fine."
The Captain of the knights and his group of men looked at Roan in shock. Let them go? They threatened your life. Why let them go? But even more so where was the young master that was a tyrant and bullied the weak at every chance he got? Where was the man that disliked commoners and would always get even no matter what? Even if it was the smallest of things, he would never let it slide. He wasn't a killer but he was the same young man that sent a maid's family to jail because she had simply destroyed his favorite shirt.
This was all true, not a single thing mentioned was a lie but it only applied to the old Roan. The same Roan who in order to not be seen as a pushover because he was untalented, did everything in his power to protect himself.
The present Roan was completely different. He had killed for thirteen years of his life. He did not care what anyone thought of him. Or how they felt about him. He had no feelings of kinship, justice, love, or what was right and wrong.
He was a man that didn't share the normal thoughts of the average person. He was a man that didn't take unnecessary actions. So of course he wouldn't uselessly punish someone for doing their job. Not when it didn't threaten him nor convenience him in any way.
Roan ignored their looks of shock and continued. "The cost is 2 lens. But since I've made a bit of trouble for them, triple it."
In this world, a lens was equivalent to one silver coin. Now tripled it was now six silver coins which was a lot of money for this shabby inn. As one silver was a hundred copper coins. All together the inn's owner had now received six hundred bronze coins in equivalency. He was compensated generously.
Roan was a man of his word, as he stated before he would give them three times the money he owed them. He kept his word and in doing so he received another look of surprise from everyone.
The Captain of the knights was surprised yet again, but he could only nod in agreement. He followed the order and tossed the Inn Keeper a potch of money. "My apologies. There seemed to have been a misunderstanding. But it's all cleared now." He gave a small bow and smiled. But his eyes were still cold and threatening. He would comply as it was his job but he didn't necessarily agree with it.
Roan witnessed the look in his knight's eyes and quickly understood the meaning within them. He would report the incident that happened today to the Duke. And after he'd request a punishment for the Inn Keeper and the Knight.
Their ending would surely be death. In his past life, he would have also wanted them dead. Matter of fact he would of straight up killed them himself, no questions asked. Just simply for the fact that they had gotten in his way. They would've quickly became a corpse.
But he didn't kill them and because he didn't someone else was going to.
Maybe this was fate. In the end, everything living would eventually die. So what difference did it make if it was sooner rather than later?
Roan looked at the two with a gaze that was empty and unmoving. If they died, they died. And if they survived they'd get a chance to live longer. What would be, would be.
Lightly kicking the side of his horse and making a clicking sound with his tongue, he ushered the horse forward into a gallop. He didn't wait for the others and rode his horse at full speed toward the direction of the duke's mansion. He had wasted enough time already, it was about time they returned.
~•~•~•~
The Captain of the Knights saw this and hurriedly got back on his horse.
"Lord Roan, please wait up!"
But to no avail, the young Lord did not slow down for not even a second. He clicked his tongue and ushered the horse forward at maximum speed. If the Lord wouldn't slow down he'd just catch up.
"Lord Roan, you need to be careful."
Maybe it was because he was a knight but he had easily and quickly caught up to the other. He road directly next to the Lord as if they had departed at the same time.
"Lord Roan, it's dangerous to travel alone."
"Travel alone?" Roan tossed the knight a sideways glance. "How do you think I got here in the first place?"
Of course, he traveled alone. From the time he left to the time he returned to the capital, he had been traveling alone. Such words were frivolous to say.
Noticing his mistake the Knight had become silent. "..."
"Sir Eric, correct?"
"Yes."
"Do you think I need protecting?"
The Knight had slightly paused before answering. "As ordered by The Duke and The Duchess, we are positioned to keep you safe at all times. Even with your own great strength, us being here puts The Duke and The Duchess heart at ease."
Roan nodded in agreement and excepted the answer. He understood that Eric couldn't give his honest opinion because his words would be deemed offensive. Agreeing to the fact that Roan needed protection was equal to saying that he was weak. And no one in the Rosemore family was weak. To incline that they were, was an insult.
But the original owner was in fact; weak.
And he did constantly need to be protected.
There wasn't an independent bone in his body. He was sheltered by the power of his father. He gave out punishments to others but he had never received one himself. He was dainty and fair, never lifting a sword a day in his life. He couldn't protect himself, nor could he protect anyone for that matter.
So the answer to Roan's question would remain unsaid, but they both understood the situation in their own way.
In Eric's eyes, Roan needed protection. But in Roan's eyes, protection would no longer be needed. The present young Lord was fully capable of protecting himself. And anybody else for that matter.