Chapter 36

As we moved away from the town's hustle and bustle, the darkness around us gradually deepened. The moon was out, but its light was weak, blocked by clouds, making it hard to see the ground. I thought it was the perfect situation for an attacker.

To be honest, I'm scared. Just the sound and impact of stepping on a twig make me flinch.

I was reborn into a noble family with the memories of my previous life, and I had the best assassin and a genius scholar as my teachers. Just hearing my specs, I could almost pass for the protagonist of a light novel or a game. However, what I inherited from my past life wasn't just memories. Even as a noble, I'm still a side character, a middle-class salaryman at heart.

The fear of not knowing when I would be attacked and the tension of having to catch the attacker made my walk noticeably stiff. The training as an assassin had taught me to sense the presence behind me, but it was now working against me...

(If I keep this up, I'll be noticed... Mika, please.)

Mika, in her stealth mode (a name I gave her), was apparently unnoticed by anyone, making her perfect for giving me a live telepathic commentary of the attacker's movements.

"Pitiful... Your right hand and right foot are moving together. You look like a suspicious person. The attacker is more confident than you."

I could sense the attacker following me, but I couldn't read their movements. Just a change in Tandra's walking rhythm made me act suspiciously. When I say a change in rhythm, it was just the attacker trying to catch up with me, moving from a stealthy pace to a quick one.

"I'm not a hero or a hero. I'm just a salaryman. I don't have the nerves to act calmly in a situation like this."

In a crowded train, I keep my hands up properly, and when my boss is in a bad mood, I try to disappear.

"Right now, you're a noble, not a salaryman. Have some pride."

The Akoji family motto: A noble should always be proud. Even if captured by the enemy, one should never bow... It's a ridiculous motto, but it's serious.

"I'll throw away my noble pride if I need to. I don't even have it in the first place. If the guy behind me moves, let me know."

"Coming..."

(Not good!! The distance from where the ambush is hiding is too far.)

Cold sweat ran down my back, and my body tensed up to withstand the impact. However, nothing happened, no matter how long I waited.

"Hey, nothing's happening."

A gust of wind passed by, mocking my fear. The cold sweat made me feel even colder, both physically and mentally.

"Coming... If a mosquito bites your ankle, it's a big deal, so be careful."

Indeed, if a mosquito bites your ankle, it's very itchy... very itchy, but...

"Sure, it's a big deal... but getting hit on the head with a blunt object is much worse."

The pointless conversation seemed to help me relax, and my stiffness gradually faded.

"Coming..."

Mika's telepathy cut off as she said "coming." However, Tandra's walking rhythm didn't change, and there was no sign of an attack.

"Is that a pun? 'Car coming'?"

After years of knowing Mika, I could predict what she would say.

"Coming... What plant has a gun attached? Car coming... So cold!! Someone, put me in a kotatsu. I'm freezing!!"

It was a good thing it was dark... My face was bright red.

Despite everything, we reached the spot where the ambush was hiding. It was a forest road surrounded by small trees, providing cover and making it a perfect spot for an attack.

A few minutes after stepping onto the forest road, Tandra's footsteps changed. They went from a stealthy pace to a quick one.

"Here he comes."

"Hey, what's wrong with you? You're making weird movements and scaring me!"

As soon as Tandra shouted, a sharp pain shot through my head. I collapsed on the ground, not acting but genuinely in pain.

"Since you were attacked before the ambush, it's all for nothing... George, are you okay?"

I don't know if I'm okay, but my head really hurts. Tears streamed down my face.

"Protect Lord George!! Capture the attacker!!"

The knights' shouts echoed through the forest road, but I couldn't get up due to the pain.

"Lord George, are you okay? You're being too reckless."

Mr. Sander, though exasperated, gently helped me up. On the other side, Tandra was restrained by the knights. Tandra seemed bewildered by the sudden appearance of the knights.

"Tandra Watters... You've done something terrible."

Rocco said this and then punched Tandra's face. Tandra's face caved in, but with his body restrained, only his wig flew off.

"R, Rocco Watter..."

Both the Watter and Watters families are branches of the Wartek family. Rocco, in particular, is known for his political skills within the family.

"You attacked Lord George Akoji, the lord of Bouble. You can't deny it."

"I was set up... I was only trying to attack a beastman. If something happens to me, Lord Bont will not stay silent!!"

Mentioning the mastermind's name in such a situation is a childish mistake.

"The Onizori family is a viscount, and the Akoji family is a baron. Moreover, Lord George is the heir and the ruler of Bouble. This is not something that can be forgiven. You will be expelled and disinherited, and the Watters family may be dissolved."

While it's a possibility, the Wartek family will decide Tandra and the Watters family's punishment. Tandra, however, seemed so cornered that he didn't realize this. His face was pale, and he was shaking.

"It's too harsh... I only attacked a lowly beastman. Beastmen and elves, a noble race, should not be treated equally."

Indeed, beastmen are discriminated against by law and are treated more like objects than people.

"Yes, but the person you attacked is undoubtedly Bouble's property. The economic impact of this incident is significant. You hurt my precious citizens. If you treat my citizens like objects, I will demand compensation. He is a criminal. Lock him up."

I tried to sound cool, but the bump on my head hurt.

---

One problem gone, another comes. My dinner with Marina hadn't gone well, and my hair hadn't grown back.

"It's not good. Meeting a woman with a shaved head is almost insulting."

According to Mr. Sander, a nobleman shaving his head before meeting a woman is like showing disdain for her. As expected, when I met Marina again, she cried.

"That's terrible... Did you shave your head just to spite me!?"

I didn't do it to spite her; I did it because it was necessary.

(Indeed, it was a bad move to shave my head before meeting my fiancée.)

In Japan, it would be like getting a mohawk or a perm before meeting your fiancée.

"Miss, Lord George shaved his head to catch the attacker... Lord George, your sister prepared a meal for today."

Shine, as always, came to my rescue.

"S, that sounds nice... What did she make?"

"Herb-roasted shrimp hopper..."

The dish served was the leg of a giant grasshopper, the same one I saw during the inspection of Bouble. The legs of shrimp hoppers are said to be similar to shrimp. Marina had caught and prepared the shrimp hopper herself for today.

(Now is not the time to say I'm full...)

It did taste like shrimp, but I felt sick afterward and threw it up. Once Marina confirmed that I had eaten the grasshopper's leg, she left immediately.

As I tried to recover from my nausea, Ami approached with a big smile.

"Brother, can I spend my summer vacation in Bouble?"

Needless to say, my brother's condition improved instantly.