"Hey! Did you sleep well?"

Lucas and Skir, who had slept in until lunch, were the last to arrive at the restaurant.

As they entered the restaurant, the mercenary guild members who had arrived first raised their hands high and greeted them.

"Khuk! Day drinking is the best, I'm telling you!"

The mercenary guild members, who didn't seem to have arrived long ago, were already surrounded by empty glasses and barrels of alcohol.

"Miss Pola! How old did you say you were this year?"

"I'm eighteen!"

"Ooh, then has your birthday passed?"

"Hmm... not yet."

"What a shame, if only your birthday had passed, I could have shown you this amazing taste today!"

The captain, Alex, who shook his head, slapping his knee as if he were very disappointed.

"Then there, the young master of the noble family? You look old enough. How about it, want a drink?"

"...I'm fine."

"Khaha! As expected of a young master of a noble family, you don't seem to like the alcohol in a place like this!"

"T-that's not it! I..."

"Are you perhaps not good with alcohol?"

"..."

Skir had once had a terrible experience with alcohol he had drunk without knowing any better after he had become an adult.

The memory of that time remained like a trauma, and he had not had a single sip of alcohol since then.

"Then this body will have to teach you a lesson! Come over here and sit down!"

Skir's pupils began to tremble uncontrollably as he looked at the captain who was patting the seat next to him.

He began to feel that it would be very unseemly if he refused the captain's offer here.

"Ah, come on! I said sit down!"

"Alright!"

At the captain's urging, Skir answered in a loud voice as if he had made up his mind.

"Oh, that's right! As expected of a man!"

Skir had been completely taken in by the captain's enticement, who seemed to be playing with him on the palm of his hand.

"Khaha, the little young master has grown up a lot! Give me another barrel of beer here!"

And so Skir was mixed in with the group of mercenary guild members and was receiving a glass of alcohol.

"Hey, is it okay to leave him like that?"

"He'll manage. Nella, did you order food?"

Lucas, who had answered Pola's question as if it were no big deal, turned his gaze to Nella.

"Yes. What about you, oppa?"

"I have to order now too."

It was when Lucas, who had picked up the menu, was carefully looking through the menu.

"Huh? Hey, isn't that the young master?"

A bad feeling flashed through his mind at the voice coming from behind.

"It looks like him... when did he come?"

"Nah, it can't be. Isn't he still in the middle of the semester?"

Although they seemed to be talking in a small voice, it was clearly audible to Lucas's ears.

'...Damn it.'

A hitch began to form in his plan to eat quietly and then leave for the county estate.

After that, as the people who had been whispering for a long time left the restaurant, he began to feel other people who had overheard the story glancing at him.

"It is, it's the young master of the county."

"That's right. The person next to him is a young lady."

"Isn't the person over there the young master of the O'Neil family? Why is he among the mercenary guild...?"

Fortunately, the mercenary guild members, who were engrossed in drinking, didn't seem to have heard yet.

"Excuse me..."

In the end, it had come.

The moment he had hoped would not come.

"What can I do for you?"

The waiter who had approached Lucas was holding a lot of food that he had not ordered.

"This is..."

The waiter began to carefully place the food in his hand on the table, hesitating.

"I didn't order this."

"This is the sincerity of our restaurant. We are always grateful for the grace of the county."

"..."

It was awkward. The face of the waiter who had brought the warm food, which was not money but sincerity, was not a fake smile but was dripping with a sincere expression of gratitude.

The same went for the owner and his wife who were watching the waiter, so he couldn't refuse the food he had brought.

"Thank you. I will eat well with my companions."

The mercenary guild members also began to stare at the table where Lucas was sitting.

"What? Which young master is he?"

"..."

The captain, who had noticed the situation, asked Sament, whom he had known.

But Sament just kept his mouth shut and was just rolling his eyes.

"W-what's going on?"

"No, the waiter here gave us a service he didn't give before. And so much of it."

"...That's a service?"

The member's mouth dropped open at the sight of the delicacies piled up like a mountain on Lucas's table.

'Why did they have to give such a service!'

In fact, it was not a very difficult situation.

He could just say coolly and comfortably, 'I am the eldest son of the Rodrigo County.'

But... still, he didn't want to burden the hearts of those he had been with for over two days.

This world was a perfect class society. Although the mercenary guild already knew that Lucas was a noble, they had treated the group comfortably because they didn't know which family he was from.

But if they knew who he was, and who Skir and Nella were, this whole situation would become an uncomfortable situation where the upper and lower relationships were divided.

"Don't tell me... the young master of the Rodrigo County?"

The captain poked Sament in the side.

"T-that's..."

Sament, who couldn't finish his words.

The faces of the members who were looking at Sament began to harden rapidly.

Skir, who had drunk several glasses of the bitter alcohol mixed with them, also's expression gradually hardened.

He also did not want a situation where the relationship with the mercenary guild members he had been with for two days would become uncomfortable in an instant.

"Since it's come to this..."

Lucas looked at them and smiled brightly.

"Welcome to our territory. But, I don't want to be anyone's young master yet. The same goes for Skir, who is sitting next to you. Right?"

"That's right."

Skir also quickly nodded his head at Lucas's words.

"So just think of it as you've gotten to know some rich friends."

"Well... that's... how..."

As the members' eyes, who were at a loss for words, were wandering, Lucas added.

"If you do that, I'll introduce you to the requests that come out of Citata, or some good Gold Nine requests."

Lucas, who even winked one eye naturally, made all the mercenary guild members swallow a dry gulp.

"Right! What the hell. We're fine as long as no one gets in trouble!"

The members also nodded their heads at the captain's cool answer.

"Right, I'm fine too!"

"But you bastard... how could you not tell me a single word?"

The arrow turned to Sament.

"T-that's, captain..."

"You'd better not be able to walk on your own two feet today! Now, drink! Drink!"

The atmosphere that had been instantly relaxed. Although he had met many mercenary guilds in his past life as a dragon, it was rare to see a mercenary guild as close-knit as this one.

Jealousy and envy among the members were basic, and it was common for them to intercept requests behind the captain's back or to take out members and create a new mercenary guild.

But they showed a close-knit bond as if they were brothers.

"Don't mind them and eat a lot."

"Yes. You too, oppa..."

"Yes. You too, Rookie!"

Pola and Nella also continued their meal in the relaxed atmosphere.

"Try this. It's really delicious!"

"You try this too, sister."

The two now had a strong sense of being real sisters, as they even looked quite similar.

Lucas, who was watching them eat with a pleased expression, began to worry about Skir, who was sitting at the next table.

'He's not good with alcohol...'

Skir, who had never drunk properly, was accepting the alcohol that the members were giving him without any hesitation.

"Ooh, young master of the duchy! You're drinking very well?"

"Khuk... a-am I drinking well?"

"Of course, of course! You're drinking very well! Amazing!"

Skir, who was as innocent as a child on the inside, was as excited as a puppy on a snowfield at the members' praise.

"Then give me another glass!"

"Kiya! He's a real man! Amazing!"

"Puhaha... a real man... right! I'm a real man!"

"Of course, of course! Now, cheers!!!"

"Cheers!!!"

Every time the sound of glasses clinking was heard, Lucas's anxiety grew.

'I'll have to clean up after him. He should drink in moderation...'

Lucas, who had picked up a piece of meat and had brought it to his mouth, felt his anger rise.

The memory of the hard time he had had at the camp was also slowly coming back.

-Bang!

Then the sound of someone kicking open the door was heard.

"Lucas! Nella!"

There stood Count Cibie with a flushed face.

"We greet the lord!"

The people in the restaurant all got up from their seats and began to show their respect.

'Damn it. How did he know I was here!'

***

All of Lucas's group were dragged to the county estate without even having time to be surprised at Count Cibie's sudden visit.

The most nervous ones were probably the mercenary guild.

"Now, you must all be surprised, so please sit down."

Although the members had drunk enough to be tipsy, they had all sobered up at the Count's appearance.

Even at the gentle words of the lady of the county, Blaine, the members were all hesitating and just looking at each other.

"Mother, I'll guide the guests separately..."

"Lucas! Don't you say a word!"

Lucas, who was trying to be considerate of the uncomfortable members, had no choice but to close his mouth at Cibie's shout.

He had heard Count Cibie's nagging until his ears were about to burst while riding in the carriage together, and he knew instinctively that the situation would only get worse if he said anything here.

"Lucas. I'm very disappointed."

"That's..."

"Shut up!"

Count Cibie was in a very bad mood because he had heard from someone else that his son and daughter had returned.

"How in the world! How could you not come straight home!"

"..."

"Don't you ever say again that it was because it was late! Which child comes home, checking the time! Huh?"

It was a word he had heard more than ten times already.

"No, how in the world! What will the residents think of me! The rumor has already spread far and wide in the territory. The rumor that the children of the county stayed at an inn for a day and were eating at a restaurant!"

"..."

"Let's say Nella followed her older brother! But how could you think of not coming straight home!"

He was very sulky. It seemed that no matter what excuse he made, it would not be easy to get through.

"H-hey... father..."

The Count's eyes began to tremble as he saw Nella pulling on his sleeve.

As Nella sent a desperate look with her big eyes, the Count's anger instantly subsided.

"I'm sorry... I said let's go tomorrow because I thought it was too late..."

"Ahem... still..."

"I wanted to come home too. I missed you... so please forgive me just this once."

"That's right. Honey."

As Blaine also joined in to support Nella's attack, the Count shook his head as if he had no choice.

"Don't do it again! Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"...Did you. Eat?"

The Count asked, as if he had forgotten that he had dragged them away while they were eating at the restaurant, as if he were embarrassed.

"..."

Everyone just stared at the floor, unable to answer the Count's question.

"Ah, my introduction was late. I am Cibie Rodrigo."

"W-we greet the lord!"

At the Count's sudden introduction, the mercenary guild members all bowed their heads as if their heads would hit the ground.

"Hoho, you don't have to be so formal. I've heard roughly. That you brought our children here safely."

"N-no. We were the ones who were indebted."

"Hoho, is that so?"

All the mercenary guild members were flustered at the Count's different face, who had been sulking and getting angry just a moment ago.

"Please rest comfortably here today, not at the inn."

"T-thank you!"

"Prepare a meal. We will eat separately so that the guests will not be uncomfortable. Would it be alright if we had breakfast together tomorrow?"

"Of course."

Even at the Count's benevolent smile, the members were sweating profusely.

"Now, then..."

The Count, who was leaving the lobby, glared at Lucas once.

'...This is a disaster.'

It was clear that he would be milking this incident for several years.

(End of Chapter)