Chapter 77 - Seventy-Seven ... An Unwelcome Neighbor

Chapter 77: Chapter Seventy-Seven ... An Unwelcome Neighbor

Chapter Seventy-Seven ... An Unwelcome Neighbor

The soldiers exchanged looks.

"Hm?"

How would a mere forester know that? Taken aback, Jan and his vassals stared at him. Under their gaze, the forester trembled and carefully spoke.

"W-well... it’s just that... right now there’s an envoy of the Papal See and some noble lords staying in our domain."

"I see."

So that was all. For a moment, Jan had been startled, thinking some strange rumor had spread everywhere.

"Right now, our lord Bardo is inviting everyone on their way to the Papal See. If it wouldn’t be too presumptuous, would you like to come and rest? I’d gladly show you the way."

"Oho? Is that so?"

"An invitation! It’s an invitation, my lord!"

The moment the forester finished speaking, everyone began glancing at Jan. After their long forced march, it was plain they all wanted a rest.

"Well, fine. That works out nicely. We could use a proper rest ourselves, after all."

Everyone cheered at Jan’s words. Besides, before entering the Papal See, it would be good to clean themselves up.

Jan turned to the forester.

"Lead the way."

"Oh! It’s an honor, my lord."

After following the forester down through the forest for a while, they saw a city wall in the distance, with an army and soldiers encamped below it.

"Oh, he must be quite a great noble. Then again, if the Papal See’s envoy brought him personally, that makes sense."

"Indeed, Master Agphiel. I wonder which noble it is?"

With no banners flying, there was no way to tell.

As they were talking, the city gate opened, and a group came out to greet Jan.

"Ohhh! The knight of miracles, the Gold-rank lord of Lupton! Welcome to my domain!"

It was Bardo, the lord of this region. He was laughing heartily and greeting Jan with a beaming face.

"I hear you’ve come a long way around, all the way from the canton."

"Er, that’s right."

"Ha ha ha. To come all the way through the treacherous Arhen Mountains! Truly remarkable. Rest well in my domain before you go on to the Papal See. Come, come. This way."

With that, Bardo led Jan to his manor along with his vassals. ℯℯ𝑙.

He said he had prepared a grand feast. Sure enough, when they entered the manor’s great hall, a lavish banquet was underway.

And there were the Papal See’s envoy, who had visited Jan before, and an unexpected, unwelcome guest.

Jan’s uncomfortable neighbor.

The head of House Franklin.

"A pleasure to meet you, Lupton. I’m Franklin. I wonder how my sister is doing?"

"Ha ha ha! Glory to the Gold-rank lord of Lupton and the envoy of the Papal See, who have honored us with their presence!"

"Glory!"

"Blessings upon the worker of miracles!"

"Blessings! Ha ha! Let’s drink!"

The banquet hall wasn’t lavish, but it had been put together with real substance.

There was a whole roast boar rubbed with all sorts of spices, a succulent roast swan, cold beer imported from the dwarves, and wine requisitioned from a nearby monastery.

For Bardo’s remote and barren domain, it was a considerable strain on the purse. But Bardo was happier than he had ever been.

A noble’s prestige came from the faces of those who accepted his invitations.

The Papal See’s envoy, the head of House Franklin, the great lord next door, and the Gold-rank lord of Lupton, whose fame had lately been spreading far and wide, all at this one banquet! For a lord in a remote province, there could be nothing more worth boasting about.

The trouble, if there was any, was that contrary to what Bardo thought, the nobles attending were far from comfortable.

"He asked after his sister, so I assumed you two were on good terms?"

"Who do you mean? Ah, Franklin?"

"Yes. From the looks of it now, he’s rather..."

Agphiel broke off mid-sentence.

He simply couldn’t understand how Franklin was behaving at the banquet. Flanked by mercenary captains fawning over him, he was going around showing off the Papal See’s envoy as though he were a trophy. Something about it was a little... strange.

"He seems to have a rather odd sense of rivalry toward you."

"Franklin is the lord right next to me. He’s an ambitious man who has grown his power considerably of late."

"Ah, I see."

At Jan’s explanation, Agphiel clicked his tongue at such pointless behavior. From Agphiel’s point of view, the competitive streak of young nobles like that was hard to understand.

Wasn’t it a bit... childish? Like a small boy’s?

And just look.

Even now, Franklin kept glancing their way from time to time, nose held high, as if to say, This is the difference between you and me.

"How unsightly. Don’t you be like that."

"Well, he has some reason to be pleased with himself."

Jan said it with a small smile.

After all, the envoy himself was escorting Franklin to the Papal See, while Jan was trudging along there on his own.

Of course, Agphiel wondered whether that was really anything to puff oneself up over.

"Still, that young noble is going too far. He’s far too conscious of you. Even if you are neighbors, trying so openly to belittle you is a bit much."

"Ah, there’s actually a reason for it, Master Agphiel."

"A reason?"

"Well, the truth is, I had his sister confined. Ahem."

Agphiel sprayed out the wine he had been drinking and looked at Jan in disbelief.

"Truly?"

"Yes. She had designs on my lands, so..."

"..."

Apparently at a loss for words, Agphiel shook his head.

"It’s a wonder no blades have been drawn. By that measure, he’s behaving quite well. Honestly, you."

"But I have every reason. If I hadn’t confined her, that woman would have tried to kill me..."

"Shh, shh."

As Jan began to offer something that was not quite an excuse, Agphiel pointed to one side. Turning his head, Jan saw the Papal See’s envoy coming toward him.

"Oh! Most faithful lord. Have you been well?"

The moment their eyes met, the envoy greeted Jan and embraced him. By rights, Jan should have embraced him in return, but...

"Ha ha. Quite well, thanks to your concern, envoy."

’Ugh. One slip and it’ll be a disaster.’

Breaking into a cold sweat, Jan carefully only pretended to hug him. If he failed to control his strength for even a moment, the envoy would be crushed in his arms.

The envoy drew back slightly, sensing something odd, and tilted his head.

"Hm, my lord? Are you unwell, by any chance? You didn’t catch the plague in the canton, did you?"

"Ah, no. It’s not that."

Jan broke into a sweat. For a moment, he had no idea how to answer. He could hardly tell him honestly, Envoy, I didn’t hug you because I nearly popped you like a grape.

Then a plausible answer came to him.

"As one who serves the faith, how could I lay hands carelessly on the person of an envoy of the Papal See? It’s meant as a sign of my reverence for the faith. Did it... offend you?"

"Ohhh... How could it? You truly are a man of deep faith, my lord."

Fortunately, the envoy seemed deeply moved by Jan’s words. With a solemn look, he suddenly knelt, prayed, and made the sign of the cross.