Chapter 55: Chapter 57

Benko couldn’t tell if food went into his nose or into his mouth.

He just mechanically moves the fork and knife.

‘Ha… This is definitely going to upset my stomach.’

Benko closed his eyes tightly in the breathtaking air created by his master and the Grand Duke.

Let’s just stand up first even if it’s rude…!

“Ahmm…”

But Benko’s determination fizzled out before it was even implemented.

This is because the conversation between the two, who only ate without saying anything but a simple greeting, began.

“Do you like the tower?”

“Yes, well, I think it’s pretty good.”

“It’s a little surprising to see you come without any notice.”

“Although I’m called the sage, that doesn’t mean I’m not an ivory tower scholar.”

“I’m not talking about that right now.”

“Oh, really?”

Benko watched the argument between the two with a choking expression. His eyes constantly alternated between Ivan and Yohan.

“First of all, the ivory tower scholar wanted to do some research here in the principality, so I had no choice but to accept it, but… It’s still a question. Why does it have to be here?”

Many nations, including the Ivory Tower and the Empire, made a pact long ago. The condition was the Ivory tower will share their research with them and they will give the Ivory tower scholar the right to stay at their place anytime they want.

Of course, the right to stay was only available for research purposes, but scholars often abused this contract for vacation.

“That’s…”

Yohan opened his mouth with a wistful look. At that moment, Benko, who could not stand the anxiety, intervened in Yohan’s words.

“Ahm, may I answer…?”

Benko felt the sting of his teacher’s gaze, but it couldn’t be helped. He might make a mistake that will cause them to be kicked out of the principality. No matter how long the contract has been kept, there is no reason to not kick them out if they cannot give any justified reason.

“…let’s hear it.”

“T, thank you.”

Benko was visibly relieved and swept down his chest. Across from him, Yohan’s tongue-kicking flew into Benko’s ear. Benko steadfastly ignored the sound and spoke.

“I have been curious about the continent beyond the cradle of dragons since I was a child. And the duchy is closest to the rest of the continent. In fact, sometimes a merchant comes from a mountain range….”

After a long time, he started to have a numb pain in his tongue because he made a speech after a long time.

“That’s how much information and stories about other continents remain in the Duchy more than anywhere else on our continent. I wanted to take this opportunity to come to the Duchy because the research I was working on just in time was completed.”

Benko, who has been writing research papers for many years, showed his true value. He thought that his words came out smoothly today and felt relieved.

The Grand Duke’s lips lifted as he listened in silence. It was not a positive smile. It was a smile that said, “Let’s see how far you can go.”

“So… I asked my master to… come to the Duchy.”

Benko, who was discouraged by the Grand Duke’s significant smile, hurriedly wrapped up his words. Yohan looked at Benko and held his forehead.

“Then shouldn’t you go alone? I still don’t know why the busy sage accompanied you here.”

“That’s…”

“What about that?”

Benko’s back was wet with cold sweat. Yohan looked at his student with his chin on the back of his hand with a bored expression

‘W, what do I do, master?’

‘You interrupted me. You take care of it.’

There was a silent conversation between the disciple and the teacher. Benko slowly opened his mouth with a look of relief.

“I need a guardian….”

At the words, Ivan’s face, which had been smiling leisurely so far, hardened.

“…did I mishear that?”

“Guardian. I needed a guardian.”

Ivan looked as if he was listening to a strange sound. He can’t believe a man who looks over forty needs a guardian.

“Well, I’ve never been away from my master….”

Benko wanted to disappear right now. Ivan nodded with a laugh.

“Everyone has their own reasons.”

“…….”

Fortunately, the Grand Duke accepted Benko’s clumsy excuse, but Benko’s pride was hurt.

“I hope you get what you want.”

Ivan said, staring Yohan in the eye. Yohan gave a pretentious greeting with a graceful smile.

“I’m just grateful for your hospitality and encouragement.”

Ivan’s eyebrows soared and sank for a moment when he saw the sage Yohan Kerban’s glazed smile. Somehow, he didn’t like that smile.

“Tell me whenever you need anything. I’ll give you a lot of support if possible.”

“I’m satisfied that you gave us a place to stay and a warm meal.”

“And there’s one thing I want you to be careful about.”

“Well, just tell me. I’ll be as careful as I can.”

“I want you to refrain from entering the main castle as much as possible.”

Yohan’s eyes narrowed. It was to gauge why the Grand Duke refrained them from entering the main castle. Yohan could easily guess the answer.

‘He’s afraid I would be in contact with the saint. Wait a minute. Is he jealous?’

Yohan’s intuition quickly sensed the Grand Duke’s feelings. He almost burst out laughing, but he held it in.

Yohan’s intuition was always right.

“Of course. We’re going to study quietly in the east tower, so don’t worry.”

After the stifling dinner, Benko was finally able to enjoy his freedom.

“Hmm… I’ll try to avoid it as much as possible.”

“Tsk. I have a weak mental strength. Are you going to stay like that? I’ll go back to the tower first.”

Yohan said so and went back to the tower first. Benko looked at his master’s cold back and murmured curses inside.

“Did you enjoy the dinner?”

“Oh… Haha, the chefs are great.”

Benko replied in a rigid voice to the approaching servant. Actually, he didn’t feel the taste of the food thanks to someone, but he couldn’t say that he ate it without knowing what it tasted like.

“As I said earlier, I brought a servant to guide you through the Grand duchy.”

“Ah! Good! Let’s go!”

Benko’s exhausted face instantly turned bright. He followed the servant around the castle and engraved the great legacy of Mikaea in his head.

‘Ha… it’s such an ecstatic time.’

Until just now, Benko thought he had come to the Duchy for no reason, but now he thought he was lucky to have come here.

‘Whoa… It would have been perfect without you.’

Benko, who was sighing with regret, saw a carriage entering the castle.

“Huh? That’s the pattern of a grand duchy.”

Usually, a carriage with a family pattern was only available to family members or family guests. As far as he knew, the only one named after Hamilton was the Grand Duke.

So, the person in that carriage is a guest….

‘Do they have any other guests in the Grand duchy besides us? Oh! Is that why they asked us to refrain from entering the castle?’

I don’t know who it is, but it seemed like a great guest.

Otherwise, He wouldn’t ask a sage to refrain from entering the castle. As soon as he wondered about the identity of the person in the carriage, the carriage door opened.

“Uh…”

A woman got out of the carriage.

A familiar look.

“Gasp!”

“What’s wrong?”

The servant, who had been explaining the long history of the castle, turned to the sound of Benko losing his breath. Benko stared at one place with astonished eyes.

Naturally, the gaze of the servant was directed in the direction where Benko’s gaze was headed. The servant soon confirmed that the Viscount of Yurpheon had just arrived at the castle.

The Grand Duke advised the servants to keep the guests’ movements from becoming entangled as much as possible. The servant smiled naturally and led Benko in the other direction.

Benko walked almost as if he were being dragged by the servant and thought to himself.

‘Why is she here…?’

A woman who caused many problems because she was jealous of Hestine, the worst evil woman in society, who was abandoned by her father.

Adelia Sorne

***

Benko hurried back to the east tower. He immediately informed his teacher of what he had seen. Yohan smiled strangely when the name Adelia came out of Benko’s mouth.

“Hmm… So what? What did you think?”

“What?”

Benko’s face stiffened by his master’s question of unknown intention.

“How did it feel?”

“How did I feel?”

Benko brooded over Adelia’s face that he had just seen. A face that is very aristocratic and would look good in looking down at people. Benko frankly expressed his appreciation.

“…terrifyingly beautiful?”

At his student’s answer, Yohan breathed a deep sigh as if he were frustrated.

“When did I say I’m curious about her appearance?”

“Well, what are you talking about…?”

“Tsk. You still have a long way to go before the eyes of truth can be opened. It’s a long way off.”

“Ugh…”

Benko made a sound of pain, wondering if the teacher’s nagging would start again.

“She’s the saint.”

Benko’s eyes have grown so big that they can’t get any bigger.

What the hell is this nonsense?

“What do you mean, saint? Isn’t the saint Hestine Valkyr?”

“No, she’s not a saint.”

“…you’re kidding, are you?”

“Do you think I’m joking about this?”

Yohan’s face was as serious as it could be. Benko touched his forehead with a confused face.

“The temple… did they put a fake as a saint? Did they misinterpret the trust? Why is this happening….”

“Well, this could happen without the Pope.”

Perhaps even with the Pope, this situation would still happen. In the current situation where the new language cannot be fully interpreted, the oracle was nothing but words depending on the interpretation.

“Well, let’s just let them know…”

“Don’t be silly. Have you forgotten the rules of the ivory tower?”

“Then what can we do….”

Yohan pondered for a moment. The ivory tower is not in a position where they could take care of things on their own. The trouble wasn’t long. Because they’ve always been in the same position.

“What do we do?”

Yohan had an ambiguous smile on his lips.

“We have no choice but to watch as we always do.”

Thankyou Amber for the Kofi. :))