The Former Holy Knight. Having Lost My Job and Childhood Friend, I Decided to Start a Dark Guild - Chapter 26

Jean LeBlanc. A nobleman who held a commercial city second only to the royal capital within his domain said his wealth surpassed even that of the king. Indeed, given the royal family’s finances are not in the best shape, a portion of the national maintenance costs rely on the LeBlanc family.

Thus, even the royal family cannot hold their heads high before the LeBlancs, and it’s a well-known story that when Prince Raymond seduced the wife of a LeBlanc vassal, Jean LeBlanc was furious as wildfire, making the prince tremble in fear.

Under normal circumstances, receiving a direct request from such a grand noble would be unthinkable. Naturally, the name Sofia Gracier comes to mind, but regardless, a request is a request. Any job is welcome.

I went to the LeBlanc residence in the royal capital with Kano. For this day, Sani, skilled at sewing, had tailored our clothes, and we came dressed more neatly than usual.

Still, it seemed our attire was unsuitable for visitors to this massive residence, as the guard at the gate stared at us with a puzzled look even after we presented the request letter.

After verification, we were allowed into the mansion, but Kano was visibly nervous. “It’s my first time coming to a place like this. Is it okay?”

“We’re from the Dark Guild, so we’re not expected to know all their formalities,” I reassured her.

“But it’s Duke Jean LeBlanc we’re talking about.”

“Don’t worry. It’s unlikely that Jean LeBlanc himself will meet us directly.”

As expected, in a room of the LeBlanc family’s mansion in the royal capital, the butler conveyed the details of the request to us.

The task was to escort Lady Elena LeBlanc to her villa. Of course, we wouldn’t be the only ones on the job; the main escort would be the LeBlanc family’s guards. They needed our help because they were short-handed. The reward was a whopping hundred silver coins. For installing a bath in our house, I was keen on taking this job.

However, I felt unease listening to the LeBlanc family butler, who didn’t change his expression once. The escort of the lady was usually the duty of the Holy Knights. I had escorted Elena LeBlanc several times before. There must be some special circumstance.

The job required two people, so Kano and I were chosen. Seneca had a career as a bodyguard, and it was too risky to engage Nina, who could become the Demon Lord.

After signing the contract and stepping outside the mansion gates, Kano expressed her concern. “I thought it would be a quest to find a cat or something, but an escort mission? While Don is suitable, am I up for guarding nobility? If bandits attack us, all I can do is run.”

“Your scouting skills will be useful for the escort, and dealing with ordinary bandits is easy. The real trouble with this quest is just one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Not upsetting Lady Elena LeBlanc. Let’s focus on that.”

“Do you know her?”

“Well, somewhat.”

On the day of the escort, Kano and I met with the LeBlanc family guards we would be teaming up with at the mansion.

The captain of the escort looked at Kano and sneered. “They said they called adventurers from the guild, but what do we get? A kid elf girl.”

Then, looking at me, he said, “And the other one looks like a thug with a bad mug. Really, why do we elites have to team up with these types?”

I had anticipated this kind of reaction to some extent. I knew all too well that Holy Knights and guards of grand nobles often looked down on adventurers from common guilds and those whose backgrounds were unclear.

The captain spat out his words. “Don’t even think about getting close to the lady. If you make any suspicious moves, I won’t hesitate to beat you to death.”

Today’s escort mission details were as follows: surround the carriage carrying Elena LeBlanc with five mounted individuals. Three guards would be in the vanguard, while Kano and I would take the rear.

The destination, the LeBlanc family’s villa, was about half a day’s journey by carriage. This meant that once we delivered Elena LeBlanc, we could return to the Loser’s District by night, assuming the lady behaved herself.

The journey from the royal capital went smoothly at first. It was a cloudless, somewhat hot day, but it felt far more comfortable than the steaming heat I endured wearing heavy armor during my knight days. The road was well-maintained, making for a pleasant ride. I was thinking how lucky I was to earn a hundred silver coins for such a job when suddenly, the carriage stopped.

The captain, who was in the front, dismounted and headed towards the carriage. After a brief conversation with someone inside, bowing deeply, he announced, “We’ll take a break. Give the horses some water.”

Kano and I also dismounted, and then I heard a familiar voice echoing along the road.

“I want to go back! I want to go back! I want to go back!”

The one who descended from the carriage, dressed in a brand new blue dress and clutching a teddy bear, was Lady Elena LeBlanc herself. She began to smack the butler’s rear with her teddy bear.

“I don’t want to go to the villa! Such a remote place is boring!”

“Lady, have you forgotten? You pleaded with your father to go to the villa.”

Elena LeBlanc glared at the butler with a stern look. “I might have said that then, but I’m not in the mood now! How many years must you serve before you can understand my feelings? Stupid butler!”

The butler tried to appease her, but Elena’s tantrum showed no signs of abating. Her irritation even extended to the LeBlanc family guards.

“Why are my guards failed knights who couldn’t even become Holy Knights? Does Father not care if something happens to me? I used to be protected by the Holy Knights!”

The captain’s brow twitched at her words. Children have a way of bluntly stating what adults are most sensitive about.

Many who served as private soldiers for nobles failed the entrance exams for the Holy Knights. For those who did not want the unstable life of an adventurer, their second choice was to be directly employed by a noble. So, the words the lady just uttered hit now on their complex.

The butler spoke soothingly, “My lady, have you forgotten how much you said you hated the Holy Knights to your father?”

“I remember! Because they unjustly dismissed that incompetent knight I was fond of! I hate the Holy Knights for that!”

“My lady, Lord Leon, was not dismissed. He chose to leave the knights on his own.”

Elena turned her face away with a huff. “That’s impossible. Leon would never quit being a Holy Knight on his own. He must have been dismissed and is now lost. Really, what is Cecil doing? She never gives me a straight answer. Oh, I must find poor Leon soon.”

Listening to their exchange with a wry smile, Kano whispered to me, “Don, it seems like the lady has taken a liking to you.”

“Yeah, I was put through the wringer.”

Despite saying this, I’ve been feeling anxious for a while now. The LeBlanc family’s soldiers are taking things too easy. They can’t complete the job on schedule with this kind of work attitude. Is this okay with you guys?