Chapter 74 – Hide-and-Seek (4)

Saying that he followed the traces was not a lie.

After all, the movement of mana was also a trace.

Of course, Henry had no intention of revealing the honest truth to the guards of the Levi Earldom.

“Traces are all the changes you can cause while moving. It might sound complicated, but it is actually simple.”

*Slide.*

Henry swept his finger over the shelf next to him.

He held up his index finger, showing the black dust that had rubbed off.

“There is a lot of dust. My finger has turned black. If so, what do you think happened to the top of this shelf?”

“Well, obviously…”

“The dust would have been wiped off. A trace was left. Of course, I am not trying to say that you left such an obvious clue.”

*Step. Step.*

Henry slowly began to walk back and forth.

His gaze was directed slightly downward.

With an attitude as if he were reconstructing the distant past, Henry began to explain.

“Among the numerous footprints, I examined the most recently made ones. I tried to find yours among them. It seems the officers here use shoes of a slightly different standard?”

*Glance.*

Henry looked at the officers with only one eyebrow raised.

They unconsciously looked down at their shoes.

In fact, it was natural.

Even if it was a rural earldom, the difference between officers and ordinary soldiers stemmed from their attire.

“Footprints do not leave easily on this training ground.”

“They are certainly faint. Faint as they are, I have the eyes to see those traces. Moreover, that is not all.”

At Mutai’s refutation, Henry responded calmly.

“Whether to call it a curse or a blessing. I can see things that others cannot. I am facing a slightly smaller world.”

“What do you mean by…”

“Like this.”

*Swish.* Henry waved his hand in the air.

“When I moved, what did you see?”

“Your arm moved.”

“Right. You would see the arm. But I am different.”

“…?”

“The flow of air that I caused still remains. Although it is a trace that fades rapidly, the fact that I can see it is clear. It is the same even now when I speak.”

The expressions of the officers turned complex.

He seemed like a crazy guy, but since he had already demonstrated his ability, they could not just dismiss him.

“The words flowing from my mouth create air currents and make the vision I see wobble. I am used to it, so I am fine, but anyone facing this situation for the first time would surely feel dizzy.”

“I do not know exactly what you are talking about.”

“I can see things you cannot see. It may not be related to direct military force, but I assure you. There is no ability more useful than this when tracking bandits hiding in all directions.”

“So.”

Mutai blinked a few times and said,

“You can see the flow of air? If I move like this…”

“It is like a water current. When you wave your arm in water, can anyone not see the movement of the water? Even if they cannot see it, they can feel it.”

“…Indeed.”

“It is similar to that. Of course, you may also be able to ‘feel’ the movement of the air to some extent, but it means I can feel it much more clearly. Do you understand?”

“It is hard to believe, but I understand.”

“Then that is fine. There is plenty of time left to prove it. Which way should we do it this time?”

“No, not a proof…”

Mutai exhaled a sigh, letting out a huff.

Looking around, the expressions of the officers were not much different from Mutai’s own.

“In the end, is that not what you want? Asking us to follow your instructions for five days.”

“Yes. However, I want you to help me with all your heart. For that to happen, no matter how long it takes, I need to instill confidence in you.”

“…Could you give us a moment?”

“As much as you need. I will wait outside.”

Dignified, yet not arrogant.

Henry Camilton stepped out of the meeting room.

Only then did it happen.

“Phew!”

Starting from the moment someone let out a breath, the tension of the officers eased all at once.

“My goodness, Captain. Who on earth is that guy?”

“What do you mean by ‘guy’? Mind your language.”

“Ah, he is a noble, right? Didn’t you say he is an Academy trainee?”

“He is not a knight yet.”

“But what… Did you see earlier? When we hid in the same place, he climbed up the ladder again…”

The conversation they had held back burst out like a flood.

The officers continuously brought up the experience they had just undergone.

Most of it was about how, when their eyes met Henry’s at the hiding spot, he showed no sign of surprise, as if he had known from the beginning.

Also, how his footsteps as he turned and walked away were nothing but leisurely.

In other words, the atmosphere was one where everyone ‘believed’ Henry’s words.

“Captain, didn’t you watch him from the side? Did he use some other trick?”

At that moment, someone asked Mutai.

The officers, who shut their mouths simultaneously, stared at Mutai, and their captain spoke calmly.

“Not at all.”

“Oh my god. Then it is real? The talk about the flow of air and whatnot.”

“I wouldn’t know. Though he is not a knight yet, doesn’t he live in a different world from us anyway? There must be something my eyes cannot read…”

“If you did not see it, Captain, it does not exist. Is our Lord an ordinary person? He did not just hand over the captain’s position for no reason.”

“It is embarrassing.”

“It is the truth, so what of it?”

Vice-captain Rayleigh chimed in.

Their Lord was definitely a person worthy of being called a knight, and the person that Lord had placed in the captain’s position was Mutai.

“…So what are your thoughts?”

“There is no reason for him to lie, is there? And that confident attitude earlier…”

“Honestly, I feel the same about that part.”

“Then shouldn’t we just do as that fellow… no, that gentleman wants?”

One of the officers quickly corrected his words.

It was partly because of Mutai’s warning to watch their mouths, but also because of the display Henry had shown earlier.

“To follow him?”

“It is only five days.”

“Do the rest of you feel the same?”

Mutai swept his gaze around the room.

The ten officers, including Vice-captain Rayleigh, expressed their agreement all at once.

Henry’s demand was not excessive.

They were in a position where they had to follow anyway due to the Lord’s command, and the period he asked them to follow with all their heart was only five days.

“Frankly, it is not like we have anything to lose, right?”

“You did not take up guard duty just to make a profit, did you?”

“By ‘us’, I mean our territory, not the guard. Even if he does not intervene, it is obvious we cannot solve the problem anyway, and actually…”

“So even if we fail, nothing changes. I understand. That is true. It is good if we succeed, and if not, we just return to square one.”

The officers’ intentions were firm.

After all, three or four of them were already starting to feel favorable toward Henry.

Mutai reached a conclusion.

“I will report to the Lord.”

Ultimately, the final decision lay with the Lord.

Although they had already received instructions to follow, it was an action born of a duty to let him know what was happening.

However.

When Mutai came out of the meeting room,

“…My Lord?”

“Ah, Captain Mutai. I was just waiting for you. The meeting ended faster than expected.”

Count Levi was sitting there with a highly flushed face.

***

“He is an extremely energetic person. It is a personality rarely seen among nobles. He pursues practical benefits over empty formalities… For this Count, rather than honor or whatnot, securing immediate benefits can be said to be important.”

That is to say,

Henry added.

“I am referring to the benefits given to the entire territory, not the Count’s personal gain.”

Just as Henry had said,

Count Levi was indeed a very rare noble.

The philosophy he laid out was focused on the stability of the territory rather than his own advancement.

“Subjugation? We do not have to do it if they just get lost. What would we do by catching them? Locking people up in prison also requires money, and there is no need to give the soldiers useless work, right?”

“I understand.”

“But taking their heads… They are guys who stole a few sacks of grain just to scrape by. It is very exasperating, but they are not wicked enough to lose their lives. The residents might rejoice for now, but I have no intention of letting them get used to such a situation. A situation where one might lose their life for a small crime, that is.”

“I know what you mean.”

Henry nodded calmly.

Count Levi was now enthusiastically sharing his management theory.

Because he had already shown his capability.

He had watched Henry’s performance from his office and had come all the way here to confirm that what he saw was unmistakable.

The reason he had ignored Henry was simply because he thought of him as a childish kid.

But now,

the person named Henry Camilton had become the only individual who could resolve Count Levi’s headache.

“So I had a headache… but it seems you can do it. If you lack strength, I can assign knights to you, and if you lack manpower, you can take all the soldiers with you.”

“Thank you for the words.”

“Not at all. I am the one who should thank you. In all my life, I have never heard of a human who can see the flow of air. If it were a mage walking a different path from ours, that would be one thing, but those fellows are also precious beings, so…”

Henry flinched.

He used the term “fellows” for mages, but fortunately, no particular reaction appeared in the chat window.

“Mages are truly amazing people.”

“I think so too. If only they were not so heavy-bottomed, I would have willingly harbored respect for them.”

“Well…”

“I apologize for the rudeness I showed at first, Henry Camilton.”

Suddenly, the Count bowed his head.

At that unprecedented treatment, everyone’s eyes, including Henry’s, widened.

“Please help me. As long as you can solve our territory’s headache, I will spare no support. Also, in the report to be submitted to the Academy, I will record your contribution without a single lie…”

“You do not have to go that far.”

“You wish to hide your ability? Understood. I shall relay it while leaving that fact out.”

“…Yes.”

Count Levi was a quick-witted man.

In fact, it was a detail that would be revealed someday anyway, and he wondered if there was a need to hide it.

After all, he was already receiving more than enough attention.

‘But the mere fact that it isn’t revealed can be a useful card.’

If rumors spread, there was nothing he could do, but there was no need to take the lead in spreading them.

“So, Henry.”

“Yes.”

“Will you help me?”

The Count asked with earnest eyes. It was an excessively low posture for a count-level noble.

[It seems okay to help at this point?]

[You have to do the mission anyway, Hyung! Let’s help him!]

[Lol, but what if he can’t catch them after saying all this?]

The chat window was also in a favorable mood toward Count Levi.

As they said, he had to perform the mission anyway.

“It would be great if we could start from today.”

“Indeed! I knew you would say that. Yes, a fellow like you must become a knight for the world to be right. You are a fellow who is different from the roots from those rotten ones early on.”

Speaking energetically, Count Levi rose from his seat,

“Excuse me for a moment. Captain Mutai!”

“Yes, my Lord.”

The Count conversed with Guard Captain Mutai.

It was a voice loud enough for Henry to hear.

It was a conversation to reach a conclusion that Mutai had also seen Henry’s ability and thought he was someone worth following.

It was clear that it was actually meant for the other officers to hear rather than Henry.

“He is serious. He is quick to take action.”

Soon, the Count finished the conversation and returned to Henry.

He sat opposite Henry, unable to hide his smile.

“Fortunately, Captain Mutai also seems to have been impressed by you. With this, enough manpower is secured, and you will need knights, right?”

“Thank you for the words, but before that, there is something I want to ask.”

“Ask. Anything.”

“Well…”

Henry began awkwardly, and once again, the Count showed his characteristic quick wits.

“Ah, let us go to my office. That would be better. Let’s have a warm cup of tea and chat leisurely.”

BJ Swordmaster