Chapter 84.2: Proof of Spring (6)
Cain returned straight to Grand Central Station.
Trains to Lindbloom ran hourly, so he purchased the fastest ticket and boarded.
The conversation with Archbishop Barbetta had taken longer than expected, and the sun was beginning to rise outside the window.
A faint glow.
However, dark clouds still lingered, making it difficult to discern the exact brightness.
Cain leaned back in the hard seat and watched the gloomy sunrise.
Clank━. Clank.
As he observed the rain-soaked scenery outside the slow-moving train gradually being painted by the sunlight, Cain turned his head to look beside him.
“I’ve heard a lot of stories, but I never knew you were such a handsome young man.”
A skinny old man was sitting there.
Having just endured Barbetta’s nagging, Cain considered ignoring him but realized he couldn’t.
As the old man appeared, everyone in the carriage Cain was in was moving to a different carriage under the guidance of a railroad worker.
“It’s quite early for you to be traveling by train, sir.”
Before Cain could ask who he was, he politely questioned the old man’s reason for the early morning disturbance. The old man grinned.
“You see, when you get old, you lose your morning sleep.”
“Even so, I doubt the Lord Marquis McLoud, ruler of West Airian, would have the time to be here.”
“Hoo?”
The old man, Marquis McLoud, widened his eyes. Then, he scanned Cain from head to toe.
“Nothing missing, nothing out of place. Clever. How did you guess?”
“It’s nothing special. To command the conductors like this, you must be the head of one of the Seven Great Noble Houses. I’ve met most of them.”
“Ross is out of the question, and Count Bradley is not old. So, it must be me.”
“Yes.”
“I like you already. Aren’t you worried?”
“……?”
At the unexpected question, Cain frowned and stared at him.
However, sensing McLoud’s escort knights in the compartment, he smiled faintly.
“Worried about whether Lord Marquis will kill me or not?”
“Yes, yes. We are enemies, aren’t we? You support Princess Oleciren, and I support my beloved granddaughter.”
Cain didn’t know much about Marquis McLoud.
In the previous world line as well, the one he had clashed with most, as he was now, was Marquis Ross.
‘I’ve only heard the name McLoud from afar.’
All he knew were two facts: that he was old and greedy.
However, the Marquis McLoud he faced in person was not someone who could be judged by just two traits.
“But it seems Lord Marquis doesn’t see me as an enemy.”
“Why is that?”
“If you did, you would have sent assassins or knights, not come yourself.”
“Hahahaha, you’re right!”
Clap━.
Marquis McLoud seemed pleased with Cain’s clear words and slapped his knee in agreement.
He was like a cheerful grandfather you’d find in any town.
“Then let me ask you one more thing.”
“Go ahead. It’s up to me whether I answer or not.”
He was always ready to fight if necessary.
However, since his opponent had come to talk first, Cain had no intention of drawing his sword first either.
‘If it were Ross, it would have been different.’
He had joined hands with the elves, made humans into sacrifices to create the Elveknights, deceived Abel, and targeted Ethelred.
He had a lot to settle, and he might just separate Ross’s head from his body upon seeing that shiny head, but at least he could hear Marquis McLoud out.
“Do you have any women you’re seeing?”
“……Excuse me?”
It was such an unexpected question that Cain, uncharacteristically, asked back.
Marquis McLoud laughed heartily and asked again.
“I would have asked Count Edmund officially if he were here, but he’s not, so I’ll ask you directly. Do you have a fiancée or a woman you’re seriously seeing?”
Oleciren’s face flashed through Cain’s mind.
However, their relationship couldn’t be defined as what McLoud was referring to.
“I don’t.”
“You’re wasting your life as a young man. You should meet a lot of people while you can!”
The Marquis McLoud Cain had vaguely imagined was a fussy and greedy old man. However, the one he met in person was truly like any ordinary grandfather.
“Not because she’s my granddaughter, but what do you think of our Olivia?”
“…….”
Of course, an old man who suddenly suggests meeting a princess couldn’t be just any ordinary grandfather.
“I hear she’s doing quite well these days, even serving as the commander-in-chief of the Northern Expedition!”
Translator’s Blog
Blog
- When You Realize You’re Too Old for Anime: A Midlife Crisis in 2D
- Naruto Runners Storming Area 51: A Weeb’s Perspective
- Unlocking Your Inner Naruto Fox: Finding Your Sasuke and Mastering the Sharingan
- Is Ramen Overrated Because of Naruto? A Ramen-Loving Anime Fan’s Take
- Why You Can Read Light Novels But Can’t Speak English: A Guide to Unlocking Your Inner Voice
Leave a Reply