Amidst the cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.
From the outside, it looked as if the young adventurer was glaring with anger.
Cain was quite angry that Enak had been kicked away.
It was still evening, and there were quite a few people around the shop.
Suddenly, a person was thrown out of the shop and rolled onto the road, and then a child walked out after them.
A crowd quickly gathered around the five people, surrounding the adventurers and Cain.
"Damn brat! I won't hold back anymore!"
One of them drew his sword, and the other three followed suit.
"Master Cain, it's dangerous!!"
Dash shouted.
Then, one of the adventurers swung his sword from above at Cain.
Cain took half a step back, dodged the sword, and then landed a punch in the stomach.
"Ugh!"
The adventurer who was hit in the stomach flew several meters, foamed at the mouth, and fainted.
For a moment, the others were stunned, but they quickly regained their composure and focused their gaze on Cain.
"The brat did it, huh."
Next, the three of them attacked simultaneously. To Cain, their sword movements seemed slow.
He dodged the swords in an instant and struck each of them one by one.
The three of them fell to the ground within three seconds.
Cain looked down at the four unconscious people and muttered just one thing.
"Using violence against others is absolutely unacceptable!"
"......"
Everyone around wanted to say, "You're the one saying that?" but no one could bring themselves to do so.
It was a momentary event, but everyone knew that the silver-haired boy was that strong.
No one dared to challenge Cain, but with so many people gathered, someone would inevitably report it.
"What's going on here!!!"
Shouting, several guards pushed their way through the crowd and confirmed the four people lying on the ground with their swords drawn and Cain standing beside them.
"What happened here?"
A guard captain, wearing slightly more elaborate armor, asked.
"Drunk adventurers kicked a girl from behind in this shop. So, I asked them to leave. When they drew their swords and attacked, this is what happened."
Cain pointed at the four and answered succinctly.
"Alright, you should come to the station with us."
The captain asked, and Cain replied immediately.
"No, I don't want to. I still have some Minotaur steak left. It would be a waste..."
At this answer, the captain, the other guards, Dash, Himika, and everyone around were speechless.
"Hey... Master Cain..."
Dash was surprised that Cain would refuse the captain's request.
"What are you saying! If you don't come, we'll take you by force!"
The captain, taken aback by Cain's unexpected response, became angry.
"If you're going to take someone, take those four. They were drunk, so let them spend a night in the station's cell to reflect on their actions. Thank you for your hard work."
Cain bowed to the captain and tried to return to the shop.
Everyone around was stunned by his response.
"Are you kidding me!! Who do you think you are!!"
The captain, who had been taken aback, grabbed Cain's shoulder in a fit of rage.
Cain turned around, shook off the hand, and then asked in return.
"Didn't they do the wrong thing? Taking them to the station should be enough. Besides, if I tell you my name, it will cause problems, so I don't want to."
"What are you saying!? You guys! Take him too."
At the captain's words, the other guards, who had been carrying the unconscious adventurers, gathered around.
"You need to reflect on your actions too."
Surrounded by the four guards, Cain sighed.
"I understand that you're just doing your job. I can tell you my name, but can you keep it quiet? I don't want anyone else to hear."
The captain nodded at this. He noticed that this child was wearing fine clothes even in casual attire. He might be a noble's child, which could cause problems. The four guards gathered around Cain.
"...Cain. Cain von Silford Drantel, the new lord of this region..."
Cain whispered so that only the four could hear. Then he took out a dagger, proof of his noble status, and showed it to the captain.
At that moment, the four guards froze.
They had thought he was at worst a noble's child or a distant relative, but he was the head of a noble family.
Moreover, he was the lord of this town. They had been addressing the lord as "you" and talking about taking him to the station. The captain had even grabbed his shoulder in anger. If he were just a noble's child, it would be one thing, but this was the head of a viscount family and the lord of this town.
If they made a mistake, they could be punished for disrespect and have no grounds to complain.
The four guards silently nodded at each other.
"......We apologize, my lord."
The four guards bowed deeply on the spot.
"......The lord?!"
Everyone around was shocked by the guards' words.
No one had expected that a child in casual clothes would be the new lord of this town.
Since the lord was present, the commoners had to bow.
Everyone around knelt down in respect.
Cain was surrounded by dozens of kneeling commoners.
"......"
He had whispered to the guards to avoid this, but he hadn't expected such a reaction. Cain looked up at the sky and muttered.
"That's why I didn't want to say it..."
Just as Cain was slumping his shoulders, Enak approached.
Enak hadn't learned the proper etiquette for nobles yet.
"Brother Cain, you're the lord?"
Enak looked up at Cain with shining eyes.
"......Yes, that's right."
Cain was worried that being the lord would mean he couldn't relax.
"Brother Cain is a strong and kind lord. I'm so happy!"
Enak was delighted to call Cain the lord.
Hearing this, Dash and Himika were stunned.
"Master Cain is the lord... Master Cain is the lord..."
Dash was in shock, repeating the words to himself.
The residents who had gathered also remained on their knees, so Cain addressed everyone.
"Everyone, I apologize for the suddenness. I am Cain von Silford Drantel, the new lord of Drantel. I didn't intend to cause a commotion here, and I apologize for the inconvenience. Please stand up without worrying. ——You too, please stand up. I have no intention of punishing anyone for disrespect."
Hearing this, the guards, who had been bowing, looked up in relief.
"However, these men were drunk and used violence against a child. Could you let them spend a night in the station's cell to reflect on their actions?"
Cain patted Enak's head and told the guards.
"Understood. Everyone, the lord has spoken, please return. Hey, take these men to the station."
With the captain's words, the residents, who had been surprised and confused by the appearance of the new lord, who had seemed like just a child, returned home.
The adventurers who had come out of the shop also went back inside.
The guards bowed to Cain and carried the unconscious four away.
Left behind were Cain, Dash, Himika, and Enak.
"Oh, the Minotaur steak will get cold!"
Cain remembered that he was in the middle of a meal. He had been eating that delicious steak.
He ran back to the shop. Enak chased after him, shouting, "Wait!"
Dash and Himika looked at each other and nodded.
"The new lord seems like a good person."
"Yes, he does."
They smiled and returned to the shop.
Thank you for reading.
Thank you to everyone who has bookmarked and rated this story.
The author will be attending year-end parties for a few days, so there may be delays in corrections and responses to comments.