Leaving the building, Kaiser was greeted by the sight of two armored soldiers led by another armored soldier. Their leader was a knight, who had awakened his aura. Only at the third tier. While the two others are humans.
The chief, along with the other villagers, knelt on the ground, careless of the dirt and grime clinging to their clothes.
"Have you prepared the offering?" the Knight asked. His eyes looked down on the chief from atop his horse.
"Y-yes, Sir. The Honorable Baron's representative has also personally checked it," the chief replied.
"Lord Baron's representative?" The Knight turned toward the two soldiers beside him. "Did we accidentally miss Lord Baron's message? I don't recall the servant telling us about anyone being Lord Baron's representative coming at all."
"We also haven't heard any news that Lord Baron has sent any representative except us, Sir!" replied one of the soldiers.
The Knight swept the gathered villagers with a sharp gaze. His gaze stopped on an unfamiliar man in a piece of foreign clothes he had never seen and a beautiful woman at his side.
The man is clearly emitting a thin trace of Auras. Not much, but enough for the Third-rate Knight to know that he was also a knight. While the woman is just a normal woman. Not a witch or magic caster.
"Who is he?" the Knight asked the chief.
"... He is … the representative of the Honorable Lord Baron … Sir," said the chief hesitantly.
The Knight's interest moved upon hearing that. He rode his horse and moved in front of Kaiser and Sol-yure. "Greetings," greet the third-rate Knight.
"It's an honor to meet you, Sir," Kaiser replied. Meanwhile, Sol-yure only nodded slightly without making a sound.
"Are you the one called the representative of Lord Baron, foreign knight?"
There was a slight pause of silence before Kaiser shook his head. "I never said that I was a representative of the Baron or any noble."
"Then, does that mean you are lying?"
"If I never claimed it from the start, do I count as a liar? And illegal use of a noble's name was an act of criminality."
"Hmm, true indeed." The Knight nodded. He was not foolish enough to provoke a knight from a foreign land, especially when he could not read any energy fluctuations from that knight more than a hint. "Then, are you saying that the chief is a liar?"
"I say that he jumped to his own conclusion without asking me first," Kaiser shot back. "A Knight in general belongs to a noble family. We are an unusual case for these villagers, because I have no lord to serve."
The third-rate Knight nodded from atop his horse saddle. Once again, he was not a fool who did not know how to reason.
"That means it is the mistake of this old man chief again." The Knight's eyes stared sharply at the village chief from atop his horse. "Harming a noble and making a misleading conclusion about a Knight, your punishment will be doubled, old man. Of course, if the Honorable Lord Baron is still kind enough to let you live."
The chief shivers in silence. Couldn't even form a sentence in his mouth.
"There was no need. From the start, I'm stopping by only to restock our supplies. I will forgive his mistake if you would be kind enough to show the direction of the nearest city to me and my companion."
"O-oh, great Sir Knight … You are very generous," praised the chief to him. He was practically a prey between two predators. Being played back and forth.
Kaiser ignored him.
Two wanderers, a Knight and a noblewoman, that was what could be concluded from their appearance. And thinking about it, the most common story about a Knight and a noblewoman meant either they lost in a war or they eloped.
The third-rate Knight nodded in silence, understanding their situation and not intending to know too deeply. He still cherished his life.
The third-rate Knight straightened his body and looked Kaiser straight in the eye with confidence. "Kind Sir, my name is Cines, Knight of the Honorable Lord Baron Tomavel, squire to the late Knight of Banner, Sir Tirus, and these are my two squires. Allow us to guide you back to Tomavel after we are finished with the task given by the Honorable Lord Baron."
"How ignorant of me … Glad to meet you, Sir Cines, the name is Kaiser. A Wandering Knight. And this is my companion, Solus." Kaiser introduced himself and Sol-yure in return.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir Kaiser and Lady Solus," Cines the Knight replied.
"If it's okay, may I know what kind of task Lord Baron ordered you to do?" asked Kaiser.
"We were ordered to bring the most beautiful and youngest virgin girl in the village. Lord Baron wants a concubine for his son as a replacement for the mistake they have made," revealed Cines.
Kaiser held chin thoughtfully. "I have heard a bit, actually, what did they do?"
"You are asking the right person, because I also saw it directly a few days ago. Lord Baron's son slipped on a muddy road after a villager spilled water from a bucket onto the road," Cines replied cheerfully.
Kaiser speechless.
It can be dangerous, indeed, but it was a trivial mistake that was not even intentional or planned by a simple peasant. This punishment is quite unnecessary for this little mistake.
Or, it's just all planned by the Baron's family because they didn't want to be all demanding without a reason. They use punishment as a reason to make the girl accept it either way.
But it's just a theory.
A baseless theory.
Kaiser nodded in understanding. "After the concubine for Lord Baron's son has been received, will this place be allowed to return to how it was? Without food, they will become poor and weak, unable to pay taxes to the government."
"For that … we are not quite sure of Lord Baron's plan for them."
"... I see. Thank you, Sir Cines."
"My pleasure, Sir Kaiser."
Kaiser decided to end his conversation and returned to Sol-yure's side.
"We will go with them, so wait until they are finished."
"Alright."
After some time passed, Knight Cines and his soldiers brought a young girl on top of a horse. It was the same girl who had been offered to Kaiser earlier.
"Be careful, she is the future concubine of the Baron's Heir." Knight Cines warned his two squires. "We will lead the horses because someone will join the journey later."
"General. Aren't they a bit suspicious? The woman looks very clean. Chances are, she is a runaway noble," whispered one of his squires.
Cines was silent, but his eyes did not leave his squire and made the soldier nervous.
"... Do you remember the story of a Knight who lost his arm after accidentally provoking a Grand Knight?" said Cines.
They nodded at the same time.
"I was his squire in the past. And because of his confidence, he unknowingly provokes a grand knight in disguise. If not for that grand knight's kindness, I wouldn't be leading and guiding you now. I'll be home without having a right arm right now."
His two squires fell silent.
"Don't say anything and don't do anything stupid. He's a knight. While I may be able to defeat him, you two will be dead first. As long as he doesn't do anything against our task, he's with us."
They only give him silent nods.
…
"With all these threats … Humans can still drown in their own problems and selfishness, no matter what world it is," Kaiser murmured under his breath. His golden eyes appeared to look calmly, but hidden disappointment and frustration from a quite far distance.
He didn't care about what those people thought of him.
He was disappointed because humans cared more about small problems like this.
A small child sold for the safety of their village, because of a mistake that was actually trivial. This is the injustice that exists in any world. Nousterra was never a land about happiness and rainbows. It was always a cruel and demanding world that will take everything from you.
Kaiser breathed a sigh.
It was amazing humans could still survive among dangerous creatures lurking from all directions, like Sol-yure who was by his side. Was it intelligence? To Kaiser, they didn't look educated. Was it numbers? Kaiser could wipe everyone out here along with the Knight and his squires without blinking in a few seconds.
This is a miracle.
But also a sense of pity and mercy from the greater power to the ignorant humans.
One of Knight Cines' squires approached Kaiser. He stood straight and gave a standard salute form of the kingdom to Kaiser.
"Sir Knight, we are ready to go."
"My thanks, squire." Kaiser nodded.
"Of course, Sir."
Kaiser and Sol-yure followed the squire approaching Cines and the other squire who were putting the village girl on top of the horse.
"Because we are traveling by foot, the journey will take two days and one night."
Cines looked at his journey members and ended on Kaiser and Sol-yure. "Are you both ready?"
Kaiser steal a gaze to Sol-yure for a moment.
"Certainly," said him.