Henri de Candillon
Or Sir Henri of the Candillon family. That was the name of the knight who looked as greasy as butter.
Keldric accepted the wine glass Sir Henri handed him with a reluctant expression. The glass, filled to the brim with wine, sloshed every time it moved.
“So, the Belavre family? Sir Seldreck of the Bellaf family? Keldric? No, if we’re using the Empire’s pronunciation… Sir Keldrich! Is that correct?”
“…Are you doing this on purpose?”
“Hmm… If I offended you, I apologize. The Imperial tongue is quite difficult. The old-fashioned dialect of the Republic feels much easier.”
It didn’t seem like Henri intended to mock or insult Keldric. He genuinely appeared to struggle with pronouncing Keldric’s name.
As could be guessed from his name, Henri of the Candillon family seemed to hail from the Frankish Kingdom, where the pronunciation of the Empire’s language proved to be quite a challenge.
The heavily rolled pronunciation unique to Frankish made it worse, forcing Keldric to repeatedly correct him.
From Keldric’s perspective, too, understanding Sir Henri’s overly slick Imperial speech required extra concentration.
“Belavre. Bellaf. No, that’s not it… hmm…”
“Bel—la—fr—. Repeat after me.”
“Ber? Bel? Ah, right. Bel. Then ‘fié’… no, wait. Bellaf!”
“You’re getting closer now. Just a bit more.”
“Sir Keldric of the Bellaf family! No, not Keldric either? Sir Keldric of the Bellaf family!”
“That’s right!”
When Sir Henri finally pronounced it correctly, Keldric couldn’t help but clap and cheer along with him.
“Ahem! I may struggle with the Imperial pronunciation, but I’ve spent three years in the Empire, you know! I know what I’m doing!”
“Oh my. You’re quite impressive, Sir Henri.”
“You’re so intelligent~.”
“Wahahaha! I’ve had a good head for studying since I was young!”
Delighted over having pronounced a single name correctly, Sir Henri downed his wine like water, laughing heartily. The women seated beside him giggled along, encouraging his mood.
Seeing this, Keldric, who had inadvertently joined in the excitement, felt his enthusiasm cool rapidly.
‘What am I even doing?’
It felt absurd, matching the energy of a Frankish knight who couldn’t even pronounce Imperial properly. Keldric couldn’t help but find it pathetic.
While Keldric, with a slightly unsettled expression, sipped his wine, Sir Henri had already emptied his glass. Pulling his hands away from the women he had been fondling, he spoke up.
“Lovely ladies, would you mind stepping out for a moment? I’d like to have a word with the honorable Sir Keldric here.”
With surprising smoothness, he sent out the women he had been pawing at just moments earlier.
Keldric stared at him blankly, unaware of Henri’s intentions.
The drunken glaze in Sir Henri’s eyes seemed to slowly clear, sharpening into focus.
“My apologies. The mood was just getting good.”
“It’s fine. I wasn’t paying attention anyway.”
“Were they not to your liking? Or do you have particularly high standards…? You’re quite picky, it seems!”
“That’s not it.”
They were not exactly the same as the harlots of Bellam’s brothels, but ultimately, these women were entertainers earning their keep through such company.
Keldric was a man with fully functional desires, but he had no intention of recklessly ruining that functionality.
No matter how clean they looked on the outside, no one could truly know what lay within.
“So… Sir Keldric, I heard you’re planning to participate in the Bogenberg Tournament?”
“Hmm. The opportunity came up at just the right time.”
“That’s enviable. I wish I could have such an honorable chance myself…”
“And what brings you to Bogenberg, then?”
“Well… I have various reasons.”
Like Keldric, Sir Henri’s destination was also Bogenberg, but he wasn’t going there to participate in the tournament directly.
A tournament—especially one held in honor of a count as influential as the Count of Bogenberg’s birthday—was not merely a brutal arena of combat.
The event was also a festival and a form of entertainment, complete with banquets, dances, and music. As a result, many nobles appeared at such occasions.
Sometimes, marriage alliances or political negotiations were even arranged.
Because such events attracted numerous nobles, many also brought along unmarried children or relatives in hopes of making beneficial matches.
In addition, it served as an excellent opportunity for sharing political news and information. Occasionally, famous knights of great renown also attended.
A count like the one in Bogenberg was a high-ranking noble, so the presence of well-known knights alone elevated his prestige and earned him favor.
For these reasons, even those not participating in the tournament found it valuable simply to attend, socialize, and make themselves known.
“I was planning to return to the Frankish Kingdom soon, but before I go, I thought I’d visit a distant relative staying in Bogenberg.”
“I see.”
“And, this is just a rumor… but there’s widespread talk that the famous Sir Theodore will be in Bogenberg!”
“Sir Theodore?”
Sir Theodore of the Mistfall family—the *Silver Lion*. It was a name Keldric had heard in passing.
Also known by nicknames like *The Strategist* or *The Fierce Assault in the Mist,* Sir Theodore was famous for his ingenious use of terrain during the Holy Land reclamation campaign. His masterful maneuvers had led to the annihilation of countless heretic armies.
Sir Theodore’s fame was evident even in his nickname.
Ordinary knights rarely dared to associate themselves with titles involving lions.
After all, lions were symbols of bravery, strength, and authority, and using such an image without merit often felt excessive unless one was a king or an influential noble.
However, Sir Theodore had earned the title of *Silver Lion.*
It was not just any nickname—King Brittas himself had personally bestowed it upon him.
“The only flaw is that he’s a knight of Brittas. Sir Theodore would be a far better fit for the Frankish Kingdom!”
Under such circumstances, even Frankish knights, who typically detested all things related to Brittas, could not deny Sir Theodore’s achievements.
Sir Henri was no exception. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he spoke of Sir Theodore.
“But isn’t there a war going on? Coming to a tournament during times like these seems a bit…”
“Sir Theodore isn’t the head of the Mistfall family. He has some obligations, of course, but a tournament hosted by the Count of Bogenberg shouldn’t be an issue.”
Hearing Henri’s explanation, Keldric nodded and organized his thoughts.
‘Sir Theodore, huh… That’s unexpected information.’
This was potentially good news for Keldric as well.
Sir Theodore was a knight regarded as a rank above Sir Werner of the Henzer family.
A knight of such caliber coming to the tournament—and the slim chance of meeting him in person—was not an opportunity Keldric wanted to miss.
If Sir Theodore had participated in the Holy Land reclamation campaign, he might have known something about Keldric’s father, Sir Volfen.
‘Please, let this fulfill my long-standing wish…’
While Keldric held no particular grief over Sir Volfen’s death, his father’s final words still lingered in his mind.
Perhaps this tournament would give him a chance to uncover the truth behind Volfen’s so-called “wish.”
“Anyway! Talking about Sir Theodore is fine and all, but I’d rather hear about *you*, Sir Keldric.”
“Me?”
“Hmm. You’ve got the build of a knight… a knightly face… and even a knightly voice! You’re a knight to the bone!”
Keldric wasn’t sure what being “knightly” even meant, but he found himself nodding absentmindedly.
Sir Henri, already refilling his wine glass, was looking at him with sparkling eyes.
“Well then, if you insist, I’ll share a little something to accompany our drinks.”
“Excellent! A story like this calls for good food to match. Hey! Bring out the finest dishes you have!”
Sir Henri’s servant came scurrying in, bowed deeply, and disappeared to fulfill the order. Soon, mouth-watering food and bottles of wine began arriving one after another. Keldric, however, couldn’t help but worry about the cost.
“Sir, forgive the rude question, but… do you have money?”
“Don’t worry about that! I know a trading company. I’ll just put it on their tab and pay it back later!”
“Uh… hmm…”
Keldric was momentarily speechless.
Sir Henri wasn’t an ill-tempered man, but he had an eye for women and a taste for luxury.
That was, after all, fairly average for a knight. Compared to him, Keldric probably seemed strange in their eyes.
‘I’ll just pay my share separately.’
Keldric could already picture the distressed face of the innkeeper and the unnamed merchants who would eventually foot Sir Henri’s bill.
No matter whose name it was charged to, it was still Henri’s debt in the end. If Keldric offered to pay even a portion, Sir Henri would surely accept it with pleasure.
“Bring back the lovely ladies, too! Heroic tales from an honorable knight like Sir Keldric deserve an audience!”
“No, there’s really no need for that.”
“Come now, Sir! Don’t be shy. Isn’t traveling lonely? Take this chance to let loose a little!”
“What do you mean by that…”
Before Keldric could protest further, the same women from earlier entered the room once again. No—there were even three or four more this time. The innkeeper must have gone out of his way to pull some strings.
“Oh my, Sir Knight. You’re built quite solidly.”
“Hmm, you look like you’re full of strength.”
“…”
Amid the suggestive atmosphere and the gathering of soft colors and sweet scents, Keldric struggled to find a place to rest his eyes.
The slow, torturous night of self-restraint dragged on at an agonizing pace.
☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩
“Looks like you had quite the pleasant night.”
“…Nothing of the sort.”
Keldric awkwardly covered the red mark on his neck and avoided Alyssa’s steady gaze.
He swore to the gods, Keldric hadn’t done anything improper with the inn’s prostitutes.
No matter how clean and upscale an inn might be, it was hard to trust that the prostitutes of this era were mindful of hygiene, particularly regarding venereal diseases.
Sir Henri, who had taken two prostitutes to another room midway through, seemed fine for now—but even that wasn’t certain.
Still, it had been nearly impossible to avoid being surrounded by three or four women at once, their hands constantly wandering over his body.
‘Damn it.’
Explaining himself desperately to Alyssa would have been ridiculous, so Keldric chose to keep his mouth shut.
“Oh! Sir Keldric! There you are!”
Right on cue, Sir Henri, the very source of this misunderstanding, approached Keldric, riding his horse.
Since their destination was the same—Bogenberg—they had decided to travel together.
Dressed sharply, Sir Henri certainly looked the part of a knight.
After wandering the empire for three years and even participating in a few territorial wars, it made sense.
“Oh? And who might this lovely lady be?”
Scanning the area, Sir Henri finally laid eyes on Alyssa and spoke in an excessively suave tone.
As Alyssa’s expression gradually darkened, Keldric shot Sir Henri a displeased glance and said,
“She’s a mage traveling with me. Her name is Alyssa….”
“A-a mage, you say?”
“…Is there a problem with that?”
Sir Henri, who had been leaning in uncomfortably close with a wriggling eyebrow, froze the moment the word “mage” was uttered.
His expression shifted as if he’d seen a ghost.
“N-no. Ahem… So, you’re a mage, madam! Ha ha!”
“Are you all right, sir?”
“F-fine! Of course! More importantly, Sir Keldric! Come here for a moment!”
Henri urgently pulled Keldric a few steps away, leaving behind Alyssa and Henri’s squire, who exchanged confused glances.
“Sir Keldric…! You’ve been traveling with a mage? You should’ve told me earlier! I nearly got myself into big trouble!”
“And how exactly is this a problem?”
“It’s not a problem, per se, but… well… I have some bad memories when it comes to mages.”
Keldric didn’t know the full story, but it was clear Henri was terrified of Alyssa.
His earlier flirtatious demeanor had completely vanished; instead, he couldn’t even hide his unease and eagerness to distance himself.
“S-sir… does the mage really need to come with us? Does she *really* have to?”
“I have no intention of sending her away. There’s no reason to.”
“Ugh… That’s true, but still…”
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but Alyssa isn’t that kind of mage.”
Perhaps Henri had once encountered a truly wicked mage.
Yet no matter how Keldric pressed him, Henri would only mutter, “It’s not that,” without providing any clear explanation.
“Sir Henri. As a knight, you must display courage. You can’t show such a cowardly attitude.”
“T-that’s true… Fine, I’ll try to endure it as best I can.”
“Good choice. That’s a knightly attitude.”
Only after Keldric calmed Sir Henri down could their group resume the journey.
It would take about three to four more days to reach Bogenberg.
During that time, Keldric could only hope nothing would go wrong.
The good news was that the weather was gradually warming up.
In the north, where snow rarely melted year-round, there was a limit to how warm it could get, but it was still better than midwinter.
The Bogenberg County to the southwest would be even warmer.
Keldric imagined the grain fields that stretched across the southern plains of Bogenberg County.
Endless golden wheat fields, the likes of which he had never seen in the north, came to mind.
It was as if he could already smell the rich, earthy scent carried by the breeze.
“Let’s move out.”
It was as though the land itself were urging Keldric to resume their journey.