Having already faced a threat to my life once, I suspected this might be a new approach by assassins.
Surprisingly, however, it was not. They genuinely just wanted to offer me something.
Each time, Samuel stepped forward to act as my proxy. Just as he is now, having switched places with Soana to deal with the people beyond the open window on my behalf.
"A kind offer, but I must decline. We have urgent matters to resolve and cannot afford to delay."
Listening briefly to Samuel's explanation, it seemed he had grown so weary of dealing with priests and believers that he could handle such situations smoothly even now.
*Come to think of it, even at the imperial palace, he was always cleaning up after priests.*
Moreover, there was no one who did not know why I was now wandering through cities and towns like this. It was quite convenient that simply saying we were busy could convey everything without the need for lengthy explanations.
Generally, when Samuel stepped in, people would accept it reasonably and move on.
"Of course you must be busy, but you still need to have a meal, don't you?"
Not like now, where they were clinging on.
"As I said, we cannot delay."
"We won't detain you for long."
Unlike others who had invited us for meals before, the people standing outside now were quite persistent. They apologized verbally but showed no intention of backing down, making me wonder if this time, assassins had indeed approached.
Perhaps thinking the same, Samuel also revealed wariness on his face and glared at the people.
"Whatever your intentions, they will not work."
The stoic-looking holy knight, already stern, issued a warning with a serious expression, causing the people to flinch reflexively and step back.
At a glance, it looked as though we were needlessly pressuring these innocent residents.
"N-no, it's not about intentions, we just......"
The man at the forefront, who had been putting on airs as a representative, hesitated and glanced back behind him.
With a clearly troubled expression, he moved his lips, and as if finally having made up his mind, he took a step toward the carriage and lowered his voice.
"Our lord is deeply concerned, wondering if there might be any inconvenience in your travels."
"...Your lord?"
The lord's castle was located a short distance from here.
This man was now indirectly conveying that the lord was either coming here to meet me or had already arrived.
The lord of the Montel territory was Margrave Ruejak. Margrave Ruejak could not possibly be unaware of the relationship between me and the young lady of Baron Ruejak...
I couldn't help but laugh at the obvious situation. I abandoned my initial plan to leave it to Samuel and remain silent.
For something like this, it would be more effective for me to handle it directly than for Samuel.
"For a lord's invitation, there isn't a single letter to be found; anyone might think you've come to arrest me. The upright Ruejak is a thing of the past. Coming here like this is no different from a rat, isn't it?"
When I asked with a mocking tone, the man was startled and his eyes widened.
It was unclear whether he was shocked by my casual speech or the blunt content of my words.
"Well, it's not that I don't understand such petty behavior."
Resting my chin, I gave the man a crooked smile.
"If he had invited me officially and been rejected officially, rumors would spread far and wide across the nation. How could he bear such shame?"
The man profusely sweated, repeatedly wiping his forehead and neck with a handkerchief. Yet, despite his diligent efforts, his bangs were thoroughly soaked with sweat.
If this man was guilty of anything, it was simply having chosen the wrong master, but that was no reason to treat him kindly.
I stared at him with a cold gaze.
"He knew that if he revealed his name and invited me, I wouldn't come, so he disguised it as pure goodwill."
As I concluded, the man, who had frozen with a foolish expression, finally came to his senses and waved his hands in denial.
"We truly wish to express our gratitude to the Resurrected One! This is sincere!"
Shouting like that, he genuinely looked wronged. Of course, I believed it was true.
Simply because I had passed through, many villages had seen their atmosphere improve. The prestige of the Resurrected One was something I didn't even need to make an effort to confirm.
The empire's people feared Monsters. Among them, they were especially terrified of the Dullahan, which the Temple had specifically named as a rampant evil.
*'So, the Resurrected One who stands against the rampant evil must seem like a god in their eyes.'*
At the very least, I could confidently say that anyone in the Montel territory who openly opposed me would be stoned in the marketplace.
Margrave Ruejak could not be unaware of this sentiment in his territory. For him, conscious of his people's gaze, he had to at least pretend to treat me well.
Regardless of any unfortunate past entanglements.
*'Of course, I have no obligation to consider his circumstances.'*
Whatever Margrave Ruejak's circumstances were, it was none of my concern.
"Fine. Then step back and continue being grateful."
"But......"
"Surely the lord of this territory, while lacking the power to protect his own people, isn't so petty-minded that he can't endure a simple rejection of an invitation?"
The man's face flushed red, not so much from anger but from the embarrassment of hearing something he shouldn't have.
The man eventually faltered and retreated. Watching him turn away with slumped shoulders, I pressed my temples firmly and leaned back against the seat.
"We shouldn't stay in this village tonight."
Xenon, who had been quietly observing the situation from the side, subtly spoke up. Samuel, also checking the people lingering in the distance, agreed with Xenon's words.
Of course, I agreed with their opinion as well.
The problem was, even if we left this village, it seemed unlikely the lord's interest would easily fade away.
* * *
In the dark evening, Xenon once again sat before the fire to prepare dinner.
Whenever he passed through villages or cities, he diligently replenished ingredients, and now he had sufficiently secured the desired supplies.
*'What should I feed Lady Anelli today?'*
Xenon tapped his lower lip with his index finger, lost in thought.
Lately, due to the increasing number of territorial residents flocking to offer food to Anelli, Xenon was feeling inwardly threatened.
She was already accustomed to his cooking, but what if some new chef, appearing like a comet from somewhere, caught her eye...?
Xenon, having thought that far, clicked his tongue briefly and shook his head.
Experiencing the first love of his life, he was learning new things about himself every day.
For instance, he had recently discovered that he was more jealous than he had thought.
*'To think I've reached a point where I can't even concede something like this.'*
However, watching Anelli enjoy the food he made was a pleasure only Xenon could feel.
Anelli enjoying food made by another human? How could he bear to watch such a sight with his own eyes!
"Tonight, I should make something a bit more elaborate..."
As he rummaged through fresh vegetables, recalling a few dishes Anelli particularly enjoyed, Xenon suddenly stopped.
He quietly closed the lid of the box storing the ingredients and stood up.
Samuel, busy hammering stakes to secure the tent, also paused, hammer in hand, and looked around.
Xenon was the first to speak.
"Enemies?"
"If they are enemies, they are approaching far too openly."
After Anelli was attacked by assassins, the two men's tension had heightened considerably.
Of course, Anelli always kept the Dullahans, transformed into animals, by her side, so even if assassins came again, there would be no danger.
But regardless of whether the Dullahans stood guard or not, Xenon and Samuel maintained their own vigilance.
"Those are..."
The uninvited guests, approaching without hesitation, finally emerged from the bushes.
Judging by their attire, they were not ordinary travelers. Xenon scanned the armaments of those at the front.
"Good evening."
In the darkness, silver decorations on their uniforms glinted, asserting their presence. The scabbards at their waists were also quite ornate.
It was a rather flashy and stiff attire for wandering in the mountains after nightfall.
"I understand our sudden visit may have startled you, but could you spare a moment? We are not bad people."
If someone shows up while you're camping and immediately declares they're not bad people, who would believe that kindly?
Perhaps aware of this fact, they coughed awkwardly with slightly embarrassed expressions.
"We came at this late hour to catch you before you left. I am Sir Cheddler Carol, a knight serving Baron Ruejak. Please call me Sir Cheddler."
Baron Ruejak or Sir Cheddler, what did it matter? Xenon continued to glare at them with a displeased expression, remaining silent.
Of course, Samuel also showed no particular reaction to their words.
Despite revealing his status, the unyielding wariness left Cheddler with a perplexed expression.
However, he soon calmed his emotions and continued speaking.
"We heard that our people approached the Resurrected One this morning to serve him but ended up offending him instead."
At that, Xenon crossed his arms and muttered sarcastically.
"I don't understand why, knowing that, you'd still chase after us like this."
Samuel also added in a cold voice.
"Seeing them at the imperial palace before, imperial nobles generally seem to lack shame."
At least in their approach to dealing with this knight, Xenon and Samuel's attitudes were perfectly aligned.
Perhaps because they had bickered so much. The moment a common enemy appeared, the two could naturally engage in back-and-forth conversation without needing to coordinate.
"Indeed, those who should know better are even worse."
"At this point, shamelessness might be a basic quality for imperial nobles."
"Wow, I never thought I'd agree with a holy knight's opinion."
"It's simply the difference between knowing and not knowing how to be a proper person."
Truthfully, Xenon sometimes thought of Samuel as 'someone who doesn't know how to be a proper person,' but he didn't spoil the mood by pointing it out now.
Instead, he glanced at Cheddler, whose face had hardened into silence.
One might have expected him to draw his sword in anger at the insulting mockery delivered to his face, but surprisingly, he stood there, suppressing his emotions.
There must be a reason he was enduring so stubbornly. Yet, despite his admirable effort, Xenon wanted to drive them away quickly.
Just as Xenon was about to make another sarcastic remark.
"So he finally sent his dogs."
At the newly interjected, sneering voice, Xenon let out a small sigh.
Damn, I wanted to send them away before Anelli came.