Chapter 9 - Episode 9: After the Commotion
"Um... for starters, is that guy—Radley, was it?—all right?"
"This one's selling point is how sturdy his body is. He won't die."
Radley, who a moment ago looked as if the toe of Matilda's combat boot had sunk straight into his face, was now standing there with a nonchalant expression, saying, "Yep, I ain't dyin'."
His nose was bleeding again, but the fact that it ended with a nosebleed likely meant exactly that.
"I see. That's good... and, Matilda?"
"Yes, Noein-sama."
"Thank you for breaking your restraints and rushing to my aid. Thank you."
"I picked up a sharp piece of wood with my foot and cut the rope. I apologize for being late in rescuing you."
While answering Noein, Matilda continued to glare at Yuri and the others with eyes like ice.
"...Matilda, as I said before, they are no longer enemies."
"Yes, Noein-sama."
"And I've learned that they, too, are victims whose lives were ruined by that piece-of-shit father of mine."
"Yes, Noein-sama."
"That's why I intend to welcome them, who have nowhere to go, as residents of my territory."
"Yes, Noein-sama."
"...Matilda, are you angry?"
"It is impossible for me to be angry with Noein-sama. However..."
Matilda held Noein as if to shield him. Her gaze remained fixed piercingly on Yuri and the others.
"I am concerned for your safety. I cannot trust them yet. Even if they were unaware of the circumstances, they did attempt to kill Noein-sama once."
As Yuri took a step forward and opened his mouth to speak, Matilda released a bloodlust that made it seem as if she would pounce at any moment.
"...I understand why you don't trust us. If you want us to prove our loyalty, I'll offer one of my fingers or one of my ears, so feel free to cut it off. I'll even give both if that's what it takes."
"Then, starting with a finger."
"Understood."
"N-no! Stop! Wait a minute!"
Noein hurriedly stopped Yuri, who had attempted to swing the knife toward his own finger without hesitation at Matilda's words.
"If they intended to harm me, there would be no reason to go through the trouble of pretending to serve me. They could just attack me by force right here and now. The fact that they aren't doing that means they truly intend to become my residents. Right?"
"...Indeed, it is as you say."
"Besides, Yuri's loyalty was clear from that action. Right, Matilda? No matter how you look at it, he was seriously trying to cut his own finger just now, wasn't he?"
"...Yes."
Matilda answered, looking truly reluctant, as if she were doing so against her will.
"Yuri, and the other four, you are now my residents. Both in terms of protecting you, and in terms of having you exert your maximum strength for the Arqvist territory, I do not wish for you to harm yourselves. Understood?"
"...Yeah. I'm grateful."
Yuri bowed his head to Noein. His subordinates followed suit.
Even from Matilda's perspective, there was certainly no longer any malice toward Noein felt in his eyes.
"If they take even the slightest... the slightest suspicious action, please allow me to kill them at my own discretion then, Noein-sama. For the sake of protecting you, I beg of you."
"I understand, Matilda. Yuri and the others, is that okay with you?"
"Yeah, I don't mind. I'll show you through my work from now on so that I can earn your trust."
Saying this, Yuri returned the knife to its sheath and stood up.
"Ah, wait a moment, kneel once more."
Though finding Noein's instruction strange, Yuri obeyed.
"...When you kidnapped me, you insulted Matilda as a 'female rabbit' twice, didn't you? My precious Matilda."
A wicked color, like the one from before, mixed into the eyes of the quietly smiling Noein.
"...Yeah."
So that's how it is.
It seemed this woman, Matilda, was not just a chore slave or a guard slave, but also a favorite pet slave. It was rare for a noble to be so obsessed with a beastman slave.
"You will receive punishment for that. Two hits. Grit your teeth."
As Yuri tightened his lips as told, Noein kicked him twice in the face with a somewhat clumsy posture, letting out a somewhat clumsy shout of "Teeh! Deah!"
He was likely unfamiliar with fighting. They weren't significant kicks.
Even if they weren't significant kicks, it still hurt a bit to take them to the face without being allowed any defense. Yuri's lip split and blood seeped out.
"...Sigh. You can stand up now. Matilda is a beastman and a slave, but never insult or belittle her again."
"Understood. I'll obey. I'll make sure these four do as well."
Whether he was satisfied or not, the wicked color had vanished from Noein's face.
Meanwhile, Matilda was looking at Noein with a faint smile—so faint one wouldn't notice unless looking closely—amidst her ice-like expressionless face.
Seeing Noein, who had easily forgiven the fact that Yuri and the others had kidnapped and tried to kill him, get angry because Matilda was insulted seemed to have filled her with something.
What a strange master and servant, Yuri thought as he watched them.
.....
"...There really is nothing here."
"I told you, didn't I? It's only been a month since I started developing the forest, and there was only me, Matilda, and the golem."
Upon seeing the residential area of the Arqvist territory, Yuri muttered this as his first words, and Noein replied accordingly.
On the way here, he had been told repeatedly, "There aren't even any buildings in the residential area yet, so don't expect much, okay?" but seeing it in person, he couldn't help but mutter.
Tents, fields, a reasonably wide flat area, and piles of lumber surrounding it—that was all. It could hardly be called a noble's territory yet.
Only the area of the flat land cleared from the forest was wide, but that instead emphasized the state of "nothingness."
The tents were high-quality ones like those used by commanders in the army, and he heard there was enough money to not worry about food as well as convenient magic tools like "Boiling" and "Tinder," and since there was a clear river nearby, they probably wouldn't struggle with daily life itself.
But even so, trying to build a territory in a place like this with only two people was a staggering amount of work. Yuri wondered how such a youngster hadn't given up.
"Actually, I want to prepare tents for you all as well. But it's already evening today. I'll go to Retovik again tomorrow to buy items for your living, so please bear with sleeping outside for today."
"Yeah, of course I don't mind. Rather, we're fine with sleeping outside for a while, you know? Buying tents for us as well would only be a burden."
He had confirmed it when he tried to rob him earlier, but while Noein's assets were reasonable for an individual, they were very precarious as development funds.
Tents are reasonably expensive tools. It should be a costly purchase for him right now.
"Don't joke around. There's no way I'd let my important residents sleep outdoors forever, right?"
Noein said this with a smile and a face that suggested it was only natural.
.....
That night, they had a welcome party for Yuri and the others... though it wasn't much of one, but they shared a meal around a bonfire to get to know each other's personalities.
Noein opened some alcohol he had bought for occasional luxuries and served the new residents bread he had just bought today, intended as food for several days, and dried meat made in this residential area.
According to Yuri's introductions, the slender man with the bad look in his eyes who had held a sword to Noein's stomach during the attack was Pence, the younger, refined man among the two who joined halfway was Bart, and the other beautiful woman was Mai. The introduction for the sturdy Radley was already old news.
To the four who once again offered greetings and thanks for being accepted into the territory, Noein replied with a smile, "I'm looking forward to your future work."
Seeing this, Yuri secretly thought that despite having such a wicked way of smiling, he could also manage such a kind smile.
"Come to think of it, Bart and Mai joined halfway, but why were you acting separately?"
"We heard rumors of the 'Forest Baronet-sama' in that town and planned to steal his money and luggage. I had these two keep watch on the road from the town to the Bezel Great Forest and report around when you guys would return from the town to the entrance of the Great Forest."
"Report, you say? A means of reporting over such a distance... ah, I see, 'Dialogue Magic'."
Yuri grinned and nodded to Noein, who seemed to have suddenly realized.
"That's right, I've been granted the talent for 'Dialogue Magic'. If I use 'Dialogue Magic: Far-Talk', I can converse inside the head with a person far away."
Yuri's final words, "Like this," echoed doubly in Noein's ears and inside his head.
"I see. If you were a mercenary, that talent must have been prized... but if you have such an ability, wasn't there a path to serve some noble?"
"Sadly, my talent isn't that strong. 'Far-Talk' doesn't even reach 10km, and it has the flaw that I can only converse with one person whom I've approached in advance and linked as a target for 'Far-Talk'."
It seemed Yuri's "Far-Talk" could only be established with someone he had faced directly and thought, "Make this person the target of 'Far-Talk'."
To change the target to another person, he would have to make direct contact with that person and think it again.
Compared to general dialogue magic users who could make anyone an acquaintance a target at any time and whose range extended dozens of kilometers, it was certainly an ability that looked significantly inferior.
"Still, at the very least, you can operate within a few kilometers of the residential area while staying in contact with me, the lord. It's a great power for my territory. It helps a lot."
"...Yeah."
Yuri thought for a moment that he was being told something just to soothe him, but looking at Noein's face, it seemed he was genuinely welcoming his mediocre talent.
I can't tell if this guy's personality is good or bad, he thought.
.....
Deciding to have Yuri and the others sleep beside the residential area's fields tonight, Noein entered the tent with Matilda.
The moment they were alone, Matilda hugged Noein. There was so much strength in her arms that Noein felt it was slightly painful.
"Noein-sama..."
"Matilda? Are you crying?"
Noein said, noticing warm droplets hitting his cheek.
"When Noein-sama was kidnapped, I thought I might never see you again... I thought I had lost you... I am sorry for being so powerless, so powerless... I'm sorry."
Hearing that trembling voice, Noein hugged her back, stroking her back.
"I'm the one who's sorry. It's not Matilda's fault. I was too defenseless and powerless as a lord to have allowed a situation where I could be kidnapped. I'm glad you aren't injured, Matilda. I love you, Matilda."
Hearing the words spoken in the gentlest tone Noein could produce—even gentler than the voice he used when calling out to Yuri and the others who had become residents—Matilda let out a quiet sob as if holding her breath.
"To keep Matilda from being anxious, I will never again create a situation where I can be kidnapped. Those who pointed blades at me have now been turned into shields that protect me. So it's all right."
"...Yes."
Until Matilda calmed down, Noein continued to stroke her back while talking to her.