DSB 24

At that moment, the sound of metal striking metal reached Lebel’s ears. He didn’t need anyone to tell him they had arrived.

He already knew that was their destination.

A large training ground spread before them, and a duel was in full swing. The cold wind couldn’t block their heat as they fiercely fought, snow and dust scattering in the air.

“Knock him down!”

“Show him what you’ve got!”

It was more like a fight for survival than a sparring match. The duel, close to an actual battle, included every sort of trick, even killing intent.

Those fighting swung their swords, then threw them aside and charged barehanded. When one fell, he grabbed a handful of white snow mixed with sand from the ground and threw it into his opponent’s eyes.

It was the kind of fight that should’ve taken place in a back alley. The word brawl fit best, with bodies rolling this way and that, tangled in a rough struggle.

Yutis clicked his tongue at the knights who were too caught up in the duel to notice Lebel’s arrival. Then he cleared his throat to draw their attention.

“Everyone, attention.”

“Young Master?”

“Oh? What brings you here….”

The gazes of the two men who had been rolling on the ground, and those of the onlookers cheering around them, all turned toward Yutis, then shifted to Lebel beside him.

“Form up.”

Yutis spoke with his teeth clenched, and everyone came to their senses and moved in perfect order.

“I said I’d introduce my wife today.”

“W-we didn’t think you’d actually bring him.”

Yutis sighed as he watched his subordinates scratch their heads awkwardly.

“I’m sorry for showing you such a sight. You might recognize a few faces.”

But to Lebel, they all just looked human.

He had only managed to memorize Mahan’s name and face after a week, so there was no way he could remember people he’d seen only a few times.

Yutis realized that Lebel didn’t recognize them and pointed with his hand.

“These men were with me both when we met in the imperial palace and when we were in the northern mountains.”

One of the men Yutis pointed to grinned and spoke.

“I’m Bron. For the record, I’m Lord Yutis’s right hand.”

“How long do you think that’ll last?”

“Theo, you can say that after you beat me once.”

“If we’re only using swords, I win.”

“Sword skills aren’t everything.”

The two of them snarled at each other, as if they were rivals. Looking closer, one of them didn’t seem to be a knight but a mage.

“A mage?”

“You can tell?”

He could tell by the energy. For a demon, his mana amount wasn’t unusual, but for a human, it was.

Yutis carefully introduced each one by name, and Lebel only gave a few indifferent nods. After that, Yutis got to the main point.

“I intend to assign guards for my wife.”

“Guards?”

“They’re necessary. When I go on campaign, there could be an attack by demonic beasts. The guards in the territory will patrol the villages, but unexpected things can happen.”

Guards. When Lebel thought of what had happened in the Empire, he didn’t have pleasant memories. Why would he need guards in the first place?

Lebel disliked moving around with a group, and he didn’t like being interfered with.

Even now, Mahan was already troublesome enough.

“Mahan is enough.”

“That won’t do.”

“Isn’t it enough if you protect me?”

The moment Lebel finished speaking, hostility spread among the subordinates. Since they were comrades who had shared life and death with Yutis, their loyalty went beyond that of servants.

Lebel didn’t care, but Yutis sensed their gazes and scolded them.

“He’s my wife.”

“Lord Yutis, you really….”

“I won’t say it twice. Enough.”

Yutis’s eyes were cold, and his subordinates lowered their heads reluctantly. But their displeased expression remained.

Lebel didn’t mind. The servants at the mansion had behaved the same way when he first arrived.

Only the man in front of him looked like a drenched puppy as he murmured an apology.

“I’m sorry. These men tend to be aggressive. I’ll discipline them properly so nothing like this happens again.”

As Yutis went on, the men behind him nervously swallowed.

“I don’t care what you do, but I’m not bothered. More importantly, there’s no need for guards. I know your men are strong, but they’re weaker than you. Mahan looks fairly strong too.”

“That’s….”

“And I told you already. I don’t like troublesome things. I don’t like moving around in groups either.”

Besides, these men weren’t even hiding their hostility toward him.

“You’re unusual for a prince.”

That came from the man who had introduced himself as Bron. When Lebel looked at him, he smiled amiably, but the falsehood behind that smile was obvious.

Lebel turned his eyes back to Yutis.

“Do they train like this every day?”

“When it’s cold, it’s bad if our bodies stiffen.”

“You too?”

“Yes. I never know when I’ll be called to go on campaign.”

“Will you go again?”

“For a while, it should be fine. We’ve eliminated not only the beasts that attacked the village but also those that roamed nearby. We’ve also secured enough food.”

He said that, but Lebel didn’t believe it, since he had already heard several times that their campaigns were frequent.

“Father said you often go to war. How often is that?”

“It depends on the situation. The beasts don’t act according to our schedule.”

“Are you busy not only in winter but in other seasons too?”

“To be honest, it’s all about the same. It’s just that winter is deadly for both the beasts and us, so there are more things we have to take care of. But for now, I plan to focus on my wife, so you don’t need to worry.”

Yutis put strength into his last words, but Lebel’s attention was on the sentence before it.

So this northern land isn’t safe from the beasts.

Lebel calmly looked at his subordinates. They were strong for humans, but compared to demonic beasts, many were weak.

The proof was there. A few were injured from the recent subjugation.

Lebel looked at Yutis. He didn’t see any serious wounds on him. But since Yutis seemed to care for his men, he might get hurt trying to protect them.

But he couldn’t fight the beasts alone, so he went with them.

Lebel also never fought wars alone. He always moved with many demons, even if, in the end, only one survived.

“I’m not planning to use the men who protect you as my guards.”

“…What? We protect Lord Yutis?”

Even Yutis looked surprised, along with his men.

“If something serious happens to you, isn’t that a problem? In that sense, the ones who move with you are important.”

Lebel might not care if he died here, but Yutis was different. No matter how strong he was, Lebel never intended to bring someone who fought by his side into danger.

“I won’t leave this place. But you will. If the beasts attack, you’ll be the first to run out. Don’t forget that if you die, I’ll be in trouble too.”

If this man dies, there will be nowhere for him to stay.

“See? I told you.”

“Watch your mouth.”

“You’re just going to let that go? He’s talking to Lord Yutis like that!”

“I told you to show respect to my wife!”

As noise rose among the knights, Yutis glared at them with a fiercer aura than before.

Lebel’s eyes sparkled. It was like when Edmund had revealed his demonic energy and unconsciously overwhelmed people, and now Yutis was doing the same.

The instinctive fear made sweat trickle down the knights’s face.

Yutis was threatening them with demonic energy, but Lebel was unaffected.

He can handle demonic energy better than expected. Is he subconsciously using it?

“I clearly said I’d introduce my wife today. And not only were you unprepared to receive him, you even showed insolent looks and words toward him. Should I overlook that? Bow your heads. Anyone whose head is higher than my wife’s, I’ll personally cut it off.”

Yutis clenched his teeth and tapped the sword beside him. At his warning, the knights put their hands behind their backs and prostrated.

They did it naturally, as if this wasn’t the first time.

The knights of the north were all taller and broader than Lebel. Naturally, when they stood, their eyes were above his.

Their lowered their eyes filled with hostility. The sound of someone swallowing dryly echoed.

Yutis’s gaze swept over his men coldly while his hand still held his sword.

Lebel reached out and held Yutis’s arm.

“That’s enough. I’m fine.”

“No. I’m not fine.”

He kept his firm tone.

“Do they think they can be disrespectful because my wife didn’t notice?”

“No, sir!”

It wasn’t that Lebel hadn’t noticed.

The problem wasn’t just the knights. The servants were the same.

Even when Lebel said several times that he was fine and that no one had behaved rudely, Yutis had still overheard the servants whispering before, so he couldn’t help being sensitive.

“Or did you think the position of my wife is one you can disgrace?”

“N-no, sir!”

The knights shouted in voices filled with fear.

“Until I return, you’ll reflect on how you behaved toward my wife. Anyone whose posture falters will face consequences.”

“That’s too much….”

“Wife, let’s go. I’m sorry you had to see that.”

When Lebel looked at the motionless knights in concern, Yutis told him not to mind and gently led him away.

His back seemed to tremble with anger.

Lebel could understand the knights’ hostility, but he didn’t understand Yutis’s behavior.

He simply watched Yutis in silence.