Paladin of a Fallen Order (Novel) - Chapter 62 - Request

Chapter 62 – Request

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Translated by Pratt

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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With the butter knife pressed against Marquis Solenion’s neck, Elbridge quietly glared at him.

But contrary to his firm expression, Elbridge’s mind was in turmoil.

Was it right to threaten the other party like this just because they had figured out his identity?

How would he deal with it if another person figured out his identity in the future?

Could he handle the aftermath of this situation?

All kinds of thoughts floated around in his head.

Marquis Solenion raised his hands with an embarrassed expression.

“I thought you were hiding your identity for some reason, but I didn’t expect you to show such a sharp reaction.”

“Answer first. Who else knows?”

In an instant, the positions of Elbridge and Marquis Solenion were completely reversed.

Now, it was Marquis Solenion who lowered his stance.

“No one else. I am not so indiscreet as to blabber about such information here and there. It wouldn’t benefit me to ramble on about Sir Elbridge anyway.”

Yet Elbridge was still not reassured.

“Saying it won’t benefit you isn’t a sufficient explanation. People often gossip about others for entertainment, even when it doesn’t help them in the slightest.”

“But few people talk about things that would cause them harm.”

“Harm?”

“I wish to share the same interests as Sir Elbridge.”

Shared interests. It was a statement hard for Elbridge to fathom.

“Elaborate.”

“I will tell you about that in a moment. Now, let me ask you one thing as well, Sir Elbridge. Why are you reacting so aggressively?”

“Did you think I would just laugh it off when someone who figured out my hidden identity appeared?”

“No, I did not. I thought you might be displeased, but I simply didn’t expect it to go this far. Sir Elbridge, why is revealing your identity a problem? Rather, it should be an opportunity to expand your order’s influence in these turbulent times.”

It was a seemingly reasonable point.

However, Elbridge clearly remembered the oracle he had received from the Goddess as soon as he arrived in Solenion.

– Even when people see a levee that has collapsed after hundreds of years, they do not thank the levee for its long service. Instead, they are bound to harbor dissatisfaction with its flaws.

– The hardships people must endure due to the demons’ outbreak will be immense, and those who long for the peaceful times will want to create someone to blame. That target will undoubtedly be you.

– Furthermore, there will certainly be people who believe that only when you disappear will the demons also vanish. Just as there were those in the distant past who shouted that the paladins must disappear for the demons to vanish.

It was for that reason that Elbridge hid his identity behind the plausible lie of being his own descendant.

If he had not revealed his name on the way to Solenion, he wouldn’t have used the name Elbridge at all.

Elbridge lumped all those thoughts together and replied briefly.

“Because while you can prepare for the enemy in front of you, you cannot prepare for the enemy approaching from behind.”

“What is the enemy from behind?”

“Dissatisfaction that has lost its way, and envy.”

“Dissatisfaction and envy…”

Marquis Solenion replied only after slowly chewing over Elbridge’s answer.

“I understand. In this world, there are too many fools to count who blather about things they cannot take responsibility for, without any intention of doing so.”

The Marquis gently pushed the butter knife touching his neck downward.

“But as time passes, more people will notice Sir Elbridge’s true identity. What do you plan to do then?”

“That is something I will have to think about slowly.”

“If you wish, Sir Elbridge, I can help you.”

Elbridge’s eyebrows twitched.

“How?”

“I will create fake records about your old portraits or appearance, and hide them in places where people digging for information on Sir Elbridge are likely to find them. This can deceive people or serve as evidence to refute their speculations. It is not a difficult task for me.”

“For what reason are you offering this goodwill?”

“I told you, didn’t I? I wish to share the same interests as Sir Elbridge…”

Tinkle, tinkle.

When Marquis Solenion shook a small bell, the door opened immediately and the polite butler appeared.

However, the butler did not appear alone this time. By his side was a young woman.

She looked to be about twenty years old. Her thick, jet-black hair and small, delicate face stood out. Along with her flushed cheeks and slightly red ears.

“This is my youngest daughter, Aveline.”

Unlike just moments ago, Marquis Solenion addressed Elbridge more casually, as if speaking to a younger person.

This meant he had not disclosed Elbridge’s true identity to his youngest daughter either.

Aveline slightly pinched the hem of her skirt and curtsied politely.

However, Aveline’s hand holding her skirt was trembling. An unusual level of tension.

“I am Aveline Solenion.”

Elbridge also paid his respects briefly.

“I am Elbridge of the Order of the Rusty Shield.”

At that, Aveline forced herself to look up and meet Elbridge’s eyes.

As their eyes met for a moment, a bright smile that was hard to put into words bloomed on Aveline’s face.

But perhaps feeling embarrassed by her own behavior, Aveline avoided Elbridge’s gaze and desperately tried to control her expression.

Though no separate explanation was given, Elbridge understood the Lord’s intention from that reaction alone.

The butler brought a chair and placed it beside the Lord. Sitting by the Marquis’s side, Aveline stole glances at Elbridge from time to time.

“Aveline dropped hints so many times to arrange a meeting with you that I had no choice but to send the invitation, even though I figured you would be busy.”

At Marquis Solenion’s words, Aveline was startled.

“Father! When did I ever do that?”

“What do you mean, ‘Father’? You usually call me ‘Dad’…”

Solenion chuckled slightly before continuing.

“A child who had never spoken of another man in front of me had been subtly showing interest in Sir Elbridge since around the Grand Festival. I brushed it off at the time, but for the past few days, it went beyond that. Aveline was also the first to bring up the story of the battle with the demon. When I tested the waters out of suspicion, she went on to say…”

“Father, please stop…!”

Aveline spoke softly, but imploringly.

However, her ears were already dyed so bright red that they couldn’t possibly get any redder.

Looking at her, only one thought came to Elbridge’s mind.

‘She was raised with a lot of love.’

Marquis Solenion bickered playfully with his daughter, and then said with a broad smile on his face.

“Sir Elbridge. I mentioned that I wanted to share interests with you.”

“Yes.”

“How about coming to the castle once in a while to be a conversational partner for Aveline? In return, Aveline can show you around Solenion.”

Though he framed it as a conversational partner, in reality, he was proposing courtship and marriage.

Was he seeking something political?

No. Marquis Solenion’s expression was that of a father rather than a lord.

“I have no intention of demanding anything from you. It is an offer made purely as a father of a child. However, conversely, there is a lot that I can do for you.”

The fastest way to expand the influence of the Order of the Rusty Shield would be to accept the Marquis’s proposal.

However, Elbridge immediately declined the Marquis’s offer.

“It is impossible.”

“I know. You must be incredibly busy. But…”

“Being busy is not the issue.”

It would be better to show rather than speak.

Tap, tap.

Elbridge unbuttoned the cuff of his formal wear and placed his left forearm on the table.

Aveline’s gaze landed on Elbridge’s hand, the back of his hand, and his sturdy forearm.

Elbridge’s hand was not the neat, slender hand that Aveline had dreamed of.

Crushed and missing fingernails. Fingers covered in thick calluses.

And scars that filled his skin from the back of his hand to the very top of his forearm like intricate patterns.

“…”

When wounds were treated with healing authority, a significant portion of the scars disappeared, leaving only small traces.

However, there were simply too many such scars left behind. Enough to slightly fluster not just Aveline but Marquis Solenion as well.

“If you marry me, Lady Aveline will become a widow.”

It was neither a warning nor a rejection.

He had simply stated it calmly, as if presenting an obvious fact.

“I am not telling you to think about marriage right away. Just slowly, like friends…”

Buttoning up his cuff again, Elbridge replied.

“If she becomes friends with me, Lady Aveline will lose a friend. It might be better than losing a spouse, but that too will not be a pleasant experience.”

Elbridge stood up from his seat and spoke.

“Thank you for the overly generous offer. I am only sorry that I cannot accept it due to my circumstances.”

Leaving behind the dumbfounded Aveline and Marquis Solenion, Elbridge stepped out of the private room.

It was winter, the new year having just begun.

Stepping outdoors in light clothing, his mind snapped awake.

Elbridge walked slowly across the dim garden of the Lord’s castle.

As he walked like that for a long while, the Goddess’s oracle came down.

– Elbridge.

“Yes, Goddess.”

– What do you think about going back even now and sincerely meeting that young lady named Aveline?

“If I stay by that lady’s side, who else could become your strength, Goddess?”

– As I have said before, your Goddess wishes for you to reclaim a peaceful life, even if it is only now.

“Yet when I stood before the demon, did you not send me infinite trust, Goddess? And you were pleased when I said I would rebuild the order.”

– Yes. But…

“Goddess, I have seen too many times what kind of end those who fall in love meet on the battlefield. I have also seen what became of the ones left behind. And I, too, will not avoid battle.”

Elbridge spoke clearly and firmly.

“My life does not require a partner.”

Only after a long while did the Goddess’s oracle come down with a deep sigh.

– Elbridge. I am gratified when I see you fight bravely. It is also clear that the fate of the order rests in your hands. I hope you will do many things for the order.

“I will meet your expectations, Goddess.”

– But at the same time, the contradictory statement that I wish for you to cast off all duties, meet a fitting partner, and find peace is also not a lie, Elbridge.

“Is it not natural for human hearts to be contradictory and difficult to understand? The Goddess’s heart must be the same. I have never once doubted your words.”

By the time Elbridge had almost stepped out of the garden with slow steps, he sensed someone approaching.

Turning back, he saw Marquis Solenion raising a hand toward him.

“Sir Elbridge.”

“I will say it again. I cannot fulfill that request. If not for me, then for Aveline’s sake.”

When Elbridge declined firmly, Marquis Solenion shook his head.

“I have no intention of repeating the same proposal. I also do not wish for my daughter to lose a spouse. Though I certainly didn’t expect to be rejected so outright…”

“Then?”

“We might not be joined by blood, but I wanted to say that we could be of help to each other as a paladin and a lord. First, I will take measures to make it difficult for other nobles to guess your true identity. If you ever have a favor to ask, feel free to seek me out anytime.”

Marquis Solenion was a clever man.

Even if the marriage talk he had subtly brought up fell through, he knew all too well that Elbridge’s value had not diminished in the slightest.

“…A favor…”

At that moment, Elbridge realized that he had almost forgotten something very important.

“Marquis Solenion. If so, there is something I would like to ask of you first.”

“What is it?”

“Please pack up a generous amount of those cookies from earlier.”

Then, an oracle immediately reached his ears.

– Truly magnificent, Elbridge.