Chapter 8

Gibran Kino would go hunting on Par Mountain whenever the two brothers were struggling to make ends meet, usually staying away for two days and two nights at a time.

He would return punctually on the morning of the third day.

However, Toby Kino had gotten up early today and sat waiting by the door, yet Gibran Kino still had not returned by the time the sun reached its highest point.

Behind Toby Kino stood a row of crude, dilapidated rammed-earth houses, built unevenly in a crowded, shabby corner at the very edge of the city.

This was the poorest neighborhood in Visas, and also its most neglected, chaotic, and lawless district. It was not only filthy and disorderly, but even the knights patrolling the city were unwilling to come here.

The door next door opened.

Seeing Toby Kino's tiny figure still curled up by the wall, waiting, Aunt Tana could not help walking over. Somewhat forcefully, she took his little hand and pressed a piece of black bread into it.

"Poor little thing, eat something first and fill your stomach. Your brother is clever. He'll come back. The Creator God will bless him and keep him safe."

In truth, she was worried about Gibran Kino's safety too.

There were wild beasts on Par Mountain. If he encountered one... oh, little Toby certainly would not be able to bear such a blow.

The people living on the outskirts of Visas had originally formed a hunting party to go up the mountain, and Gibran Kino had been among them.

But later, fierce arguments broke out over the unequal distribution of prey. When some people even came to blows over it, the party disbanded.

Gibran Kino had learned quite a few hunting skills. In order to earn more money, he had continued going to Par Mountain alone ever since.

"Really? Aunt Tana, my brother will definitely come back, right?"

Toby Kino raised his head hopefully. He clutched the dry black bread in his hand but had no appetite to eat it, desperately trying to get a definite answer.

Of course, of course.

Aunt Tana had wanted to answer that way, but someone else spoke first.

"Looks to me like your brother isn't coming back."

Old drunk Jeff lay sprawled across a chair and said, "Since he dared to go to Par Mountain alone, he should have been prepared for all sorts of accidents."

"For example, slipping and falling off a cliff, running into a large wild beast, or having the bad luck to meet bandits. The Creator God won't favor your brother with luck every single time."

Old drunk Jeff was jealous that Gibran Kino could bring back one or two animals every time he went up the mountain. He had been especially resentful after being mocked and ridiculed when he wanted to follow Gibran Kino to Par Mountain.

Toby Kino's eyes immediately filled with tears. He held them back and did not cry. "You're lying!"

Aunt Tana said, "Shut your mouth, Jeff! This has nothing to do with you!"

Old drunk Jeff gave a derisive snort. Just as he was about to say more, he heard someone shout that Gibran Kino had returned.

He turned to look.

Gibran Kino did indeed appear before them, but a tall knight was following beside him.

Toby Kino's tears rolled from his eyes. He let out an excited cry of "Brother!" and sprinted over, throwing himself into Gibran Kino's arms.

The knight was clearly completely out of place here.

He stood where he was. No one around him dared to speak loudly, and for a moment, only the quiet conversation between the Kino brothers could be heard.

Aunt Tana was afraid Gibran Kino had gotten into some sort of trouble. Otherwise, why would a knight have followed him here?

She quietly pulled him aside and asked.

Gibran Kino said, "Don't worry, Aunt Tana. I didn't cause any trouble, but I'm leaving this place."

"Leaving... where are you going?" Aunt Tana was still uneasy.

"The Count has taken me on as a manservant."

Aunt Tana's eyes widened in shock.

Old drunk Jeff, who overheard nearby, could not believe it either.

But the knight was standing not far away, so it was probably... true.

Gibran Kino carried Toby Kino into the house to pack their things.

Old drunk Jeff muttered under his breath, "...What damn luck."

There was not much to pack, really.

After all, the house was bare to the walls.

Gibran Kino packed up their clothes, took his usual tools, and after coming out again with Toby Kino, handed all the food remaining in the house to Aunt Tana.

"Thank you for looking after my brother."

Aunt Tana accepted it. This was the payment he gave her every time she helped look after Toby.

After the Kino brothers left with the knight.

Aunt Tana sighed to herself, then said to old drunk Jeff, "See? The Creator God still favors him with luck."

Old drunk Jeff got up resentfully and returned to his house.

The castle drew closer and closer.

Toby Kino asked uneasily in a quiet voice, "Brother, if I don't serve the Count well, will he get angry?"

Would he hit me?

Gibran recalled the little noble's fair, soft, adorable appearance and shook his head. "You'll know once we get to the castle."

With a mixture of apprehension and curiosity, Toby walked into the castle.

Everything inside was completely different from the place where he had lived since childhood. It was clean and tidy, with portraits hanging on the walls and soft carpets spread across the floor. The furnishings around him made him afraid to reach out and touch anything.

He felt as though his eyes were not enough.

A maid led them to a door and knocked. After it opened, she exchanged a few words with Judas, who had appeared inside, then gestured for them to enter.

Toby followed behind, held by Gibran's hand.

He nervously swallowed. His heart pounded in his chest. Then, he saw the little Count sitting by the window.

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Toby Kino resembled Gibran Kino. He too had brown hair and brown eyes, delicate features, and a frail body. He was about five years old and wore patched but clean clothes.

At that moment, his mouth hung slightly open as he stared blankly up at Cyrus.

Only after Gibran Kino gently tugged him did he hurriedly and quietly say, "Count."

Cyrus said, "A room has already been prepared in the castle. You may live there with your younger brother."

"Before that, I have a question for you."

"How did you know that the distance from Par Mountain to Visas was roughly over three thousand one hundred feet?"

The round-trip time of two hourglasses could be explained by saying that he had simply paid attention after going to Par Mountain a few times.

But there were currently no tools on the Western Continent capable of measuring mountain roads.

How had Gibran Kino arrived at such a specific approximate number?

Gibran clearly did not understand why the little noble was asking such a question.

After thinking for a moment, he answered truthfully, "To be precise, the distance from the cave to Visas is over three thousand one hundred feet. The distance from the foot of Par Mountain to Visas is over two thousand eight hundred feet. I measured it with my steps before."

"Can you explain in detail?"

Gibran said, "First, I measured the distance between my steps. Then I counted how many steps I would take from Par Mountain to Visas... I estimated it all myself, so it isn't actually very accurate."

He grew a little embarrassed toward the end.

Ordinary people probably would not count their steps for no reason just to calculate distance.

But Gibran found it very interesting.

He liked the changes between numbers.

Cyrus asked, "How did you learn arithmetic?"

Mathematics in this era developed slowly under the restrictions of theology.

However, simple arithmetic, geometry, and the like had already appeared. It was simply that the upper and lower classes here were clearly divided, and the hierarchy was strict. Commoners rarely had the qualifications or means to learn knowledge.

Gibran said, "My father taught me, Count, but he died when I was ten. After that, I worked odd jobs for people everywhere and learned a little more on my own."

Cyrus stroked his little chin in thought. "Would you be willing to become an apprentice under the financial steward?"

Gibran doubted his own ears. "Y-you said..."

He knew the difference in importance between being a manservant and an apprentice. Precisely because of that, he could not believe that an even greater stroke of luck had fallen upon him.

Cyrus said, "If your performance as an apprentice is unsatisfactory, you will remain a manservant. I will not give you a second chance."

Gibran immediately reacted. "No, the one chance you have given me is already a blessing. I won't disappoint you!"

Cyrus nodded.

He then looked at Toby Kino, who appeared somewhat blank and foolish. "As for your younger brother, he will stay by my side for now."

"Thank you, Count!" Gibran secretly poked Toby in the lower back.

Toby's face turned red. "Th-thank you, Count."

News that Count Desinia had encountered bandits and been injured on Par Mountain eventually reached His Majesty the King's ears.

When he heard that few of the accompanying knights remained, and that Cyrus Desinia had been so frightened that he rolled down a slope and could not even raise his arm.

The old king, Duke Patch, sent twelve of the knights guarding the royal city to Visas as a gift for Cyrus.

Clearly, the old king considered this a "gift" of consolation.

The knights of Visas naturally could not compare to those who guarded the royal city.

Furthermore, for some reason, the knights sent to Visas included a knight commander—Walker William. His father was Harry William, a marquis who currently held an important position in the royal city.

This move by the old king caused Bass Riches to temporarily rein in some of his schemes.

However, the failure of his plot infuriated him. He immediately wrote a letter fiercely reprimanding Bevis Elliot.

Aside from cursing Bevis Elliot as incompetent and useless, the letter warned him to clean up all loose ends and not let anyone discover them.

Not to mention how Bevis Elliot was angered until his chest felt tight and his liver ached.

A party of twelve knights was traveling toward Visas.

"Sigh, I heard Visas is poor and run-down. Since it's close to the sea, the environment is damp too. I wonder if we'll be able to eat white bread and meat in the future... Why was I unlucky enough to be chosen?" said a knight named Bana Larry.

"Stop complaining. You lost the competition too," said another knight, Taylor Kennedy.

A remote little place like Visas naturally could not compare to the royal city, so few of the selected knights had been willing to come.

Under such circumstances, they would use some money to tempt other knights into gambling on contests.

Whether they won or lost, the money would go to the knights who participated in the contests.

But as the wager, the losing knights had to willingly go to Visas in place of the selected knights. If they won, of course, they only needed to take the money.

Bana Larry had not only lost his money but also the contest.

He said, "I can only complain a little. Unlike you, even though you were selected, you came willingly. After all, you can follow Lord William here..."

"Shut up!"

Taylor Kennedy glared at him, looked toward the knight commander at the front, and said quietly, "I'd rather Lord William had remained in the royal city."

"Don't you know that Lord William was sent to Visas because of his older brother, Keith William... Keith William is a vile man!"

"He was jealous of Lord William, so he used such dirty, despicable methods..."

Bana Larry truly had not known there was such an inside story.

He looked ahead in confusion, scratched his head, and said, "But... why does Lord William look quite happy to me? Listen, isn't he humming a song right now?"

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Taylor Kennedy fell silent for a moment before saying, "In any case, a backward rural place like Visas does not deserve Lord William."

Especially since the Count of Visas was only six years old.

Whether it was the place or its lord, both would become obstacles on Walker William's path to achievement.