How To Live As A Writer In A Fantasy World[part1]

Chapter 47: Crisis (6)

Then, Leort gently placed his hand on Rina's to soothe her anxiety.

"Fortunately, nothing like what you feared happened. It stopped at an attempted kidnapping. The perpetrator ended up being attacked instead, by the very person he had intended to harm – Baron Michelle's wife. The Imperial side placed bodyguards around her at Baron Michelle's request."

"So, he retired because of that? Because he was worried about his family being in danger like before?"

"Yes. When he retired, Baron Michelle said something like this: 'What's the point of having superior martial prowess if you can't protect the people who are dear to you?' It's just my conjecture, but I think he started feeling uneasy since losing his close friend in the Ascanal incident."

Leort nodded in response to Rina's question, surprising her with the revelation.

She had thought that he refrained from boasting about his accomplishments simply because of lingering trauma, but it turned out that there was more to it than that. It was why the siblings didn't know much about Hawk's achievements.

He must have worried that if he became too famous, there would be people who would target his vulnerable family members in retaliation. He had actually experienced such an incident before, so he would have refrained from publicizing his achievements as a preventative measure.

It was likely that the royal family had taken measures to keep Hawk's name out of the Ascanal incident as well. As a hero among the nobles and military leaders, Hawk had been willing to accept requests from those in higher positions.

Furthermore, it would have been a win-win situation for both sides, as the royal family would have been able to reduce Hawk's growing influence to a manageable level.

"...Wait a minute."

Rina, initially fascinated by the story, soon found herself frowning.

If Hawk had retired and forsaken all his honor and reputation for those reasons, shouldn't they have left him alone?

Leort's actions towards his brother could only have stirred up unpleasant memories and made him resentful.

"If that's the case, you shouldn't have done it. Especially to someone who already has trauma."

"As I mentioned earlier, Baron Michelle is one of the people who knows our royal family well. Would he really bother to do something just for the sake of it? Maybe he would invite us to the mansion to talk about it."

It may seem unreasonable for a mere baron to invite royalty, but it's different when it comes to Hawk.

It's rare for commoners to receive noble status, let alone a baron almost becoming a count. It can be asserted that his rank may be lower, but his status is by no means inferior to that of high-ranking nobles.

While Rina was thinking about this, Leort seemed to have something bothering him and he said while rubbing his chin.

"But there's still something suspicious."

"What is it?"

"Isn't it suspicious that Nicole accepted it without hesitation? It feels like Baron Michelle is being used as a shield. If it were her, she would never say such a thing."

"They probably wanted to leave as soon as possible. They'll be suspicious of whatever we say."

"It's heartbreaking that we can't deny it."

Leort let out a bitter laugh. He had only invited Isaac and Nicole to confirm the situation.

However, given their positions, it would only seem like a threat to the two siblings. To be honest, if someone of royal birth invited anyone separately, they would have been suspicious of what they were up to.