The Banished Black Swordsman Wants a Peaceful Life with the White Saint in the Frontier ~Huh? You Want Him to Come Back with the Saint? It’s Already Too Late~ - 63

Chapter 63: Reunion with Former Companions

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“Elena, Fran… What business do you have with me now, of all times?”

Naturally, Lloyd’s voice had dropped menacingly low.

His right hand remained resting on the hilt of the magic sword, his elbow angled so he could draw it at any moment. He took in their faces, their positions, the direction of their feet, the balance of their hips, all from the corner of his eye, while at the same time sweeping his gaze around the street.

The smell of frying oil from the stalls and the creak of signboards. There were curious, half-amused stares, but no sign—at least for now—of soldiers holding their breath. He searched for presences in the shadows of the awnings, behind barrels on the corners, around the chimney sweep’s ladder, but it didn’t seem like they had placed any ambushers. Or perhaps they had judged there was no need to.

What are these two after?

The buoyant feeling he’d had just moments ago tightened all at once. He couldn’t think of any reason why they would come looking for him now. If there was one possibility, it was that the Hero’s party had been given a secret royal order to search for the “false saint.” But if that were the case, it made no sense for Julius not to be here.

Behind him, he sensed movement as someone held the edge of a hood. Lusha drew in a small breath.

“Um, Lloyd… Who are these people?”

Lusha asked in a voice so soft that only Lloyd could hear it, one that seemed ready to vanish into the wind of the street. So her voice wouldn’t be picked up unnecessarily, he stepped half a pace forward, shielding her from the wind.

“They’re companions from my days in the Hero’s party. …Don’t let your guard down.”

When he told her that briefly, she pressed her lips together and nodded slightly. Her throat moved. Her fingertips clenched faintly at the edge of the cloth. Lloyd shifted his left side forward in front of her and turned to face the two women again.

Elena stood as she always had, her posture never losing its dignity. Her blue hair was neatly gathered, a slender staff held in one hand, her heels placed precisely on the stonework. She showed no openings, yet neither did she provoke. She was maintaining a careful distance between her and them.

Fran, by contrast, leaned her back lightly against a pillar along the street, tapping the stone in rhythm with the heel of one foot. Her smile was carefree. Yet her fingertips looked poised to begin a chant at any moment.

Lloyd checked Lusha’s position and then the position of her hands. At worst, he would take only Lusha and run. He’d have to abandon the horse and wagon, but this wasn’t the time to complain about that.

“Hey, don’t be so on edge.”

Elena let out a small snort and spoke in an exasperated tone. Her shoulders were relaxed. She didn’t look like she was here to pick a fight.

“Yeah, yeah. It’s not like we came to drag Lloyd back or anything. I mean, we’re on the side that quit too.”

Fran piled on lightly. Her bright voice loosened the tension in part of the gathered crowd, and they dispersed. Still cautious, Lloyd asked.

“You quit? From Julius’s group?”

“Yes. As if we could keep working with people like that. You’d need more lives than you could count on one hand.”

Elena replied indignantly. From her tone, neither Elena nor Fran seemed to be lying. Most likely, they really had clashed with Julius and left the party. That was easy enough to imagine.

All the miscellaneous work and gap-filling Lloyd had handled would have vanished at once, and he couldn’t imagine Julius covering for it. If the new recruits had been able to manage it, the party could have continued without issue but apparently, that hadn’t gone well either.

If that was the case, though, another problem arose. Appointment to the Hero’s party was a royal command. Lloyd didn’t know how Julius had explained Lloyd’s departure to His Majesty, but Elena and Fran were clearly acting in defiance of a royal order. There was a chance—however small—that they weren’t being pursued.

Lloyd swept his gaze around once more. A street tout on the corner glanced at them briefly, then turned to call out to another passerby. For now, there didn’t seem to be any pursuers or assassins nearby. Still, there was no telling when that card might flip.

“So then… Who is that person with you? I never imagined Lloyd would be traveling with a woman, so I couldn’t believe it until I saw it myself.”

Elena raised one eyebrow as she said that. There was no barb in her voice or maybe just a slight one. Beside her, Fran let out a quiet chuckle. Lloyd couldn’t quite read the intent behind Elena’s edge or Fran’s laughter. From beneath her hood, Lusha looked up at him anxiously.

Right. She had no grasp of this situation at all. The Hero and his companions, royal commands… These were things she’d had little direct contact with. Still, Fran was connected to the church. It wasn’t accurate to say this had nothing to do with Lusha.

It’s probably not good to talk too long here.

Lloyd took a deep breath, then glanced at the sign of the Barmasty Trading Company behind him. The image of the “boy merchant’s” exasperated face came to mind. He hated trouble, but he was sharp when it came to sensing its scent. If Lloyd brought these two inside, he’d surely make a very displeased expression. Still, it was better than talking outside. More importantly, Cron knew the circumstances. He might be able to handle things well.

“…Let’s talk inside. This isn’t really something to discuss in public.”

“Is that ‘boy merchant’ really that trustworthy?”

Elena tilted her head at Lloyd’s suggestion.

“Yeah. At least, he’s one of the two people I trust right now.”

He glanced briefly at Lusha as he said it. She blinked, then realized what he meant, her cheeks flushing with happiness. He would be causing Cron trouble, but this was an emergency. It couldn’t be helped. Since Lloyd had answered their urgent request yesterday, he’d have to hope they’d let this slide.

Lloyd put his hand on the door and shifted half a step to the side. He let Lusha go in first, then ushered Elena and Fran inside after her. Last of all, he cast a glance down the street, but there were no unnatural shadows within his line of sight. The horse merely snorted and flicked its ears atop the hitching post.

The air inside was a little cooler than outside. The scents of leather, paper, and dried spices tickled his nose. Lloyd closed the door behind him without making a sound. The clamor from outside faded away, leaving only the sound of his own heartbeat clear for a moment. When he looked forward, Cron—having apparently grasped the situation—was wearing exactly the displeased expression Lloyd had expected.

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