"Ugh…" About twenty minutester, Bericy sprawled on the ground, groaning as he crawled, bruised and battered. His arms were bound with the same magical restraints that Ss and Max had broken free from. Ss clicked his tongue, looking down at him.


    "Let''s have a little talk, shall we?" Ss said.


    "After putting me through this? What do we have to discuss?" Beric spat out, grimacing.


    "Consider yourself lucky I didn''t kill you after breaking the code of hospitality," Ss replied coolly.


    At the pointed remark, Beric flinched. Hospitality wasn''t just lip service; among nobility, viting it was a grave offense. If one side broke it intentionally, the other party was permitted to kill them without fear of retribution, even from powerful noble families. It was seen as self-inflicted justice.


    "Now, look this way when I''m speaking to you," Ss instructed.


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    "I''m looking at you," Beric muttered.


    "Not like that. Are you even looking at me? Or is there something flying above my head?" Ss demanded, noticing that Beric seemed unable to meet his gaze.


    "My eyes are swollen. I can barely see," Beric groaned, flinching in pain.


    Ss sighed as he looked at Beric''s bruised face. Toby, clearly holding some resentment, had beaten him rather thoroughly. Ss nced at Toby, who looked quite pleased with himself as he dusted off his hands.


    "Ahem. I have some questions for you, though. What''s your rtionship with Ray?" Ss asked.


    "She''s my cousin. Her father is my uncle," Beric replied.


    "Cousin?"


    Ss examined Beric''s hair, which was amon brown, not the fiery red one might expect.


    "I think I know what you''re getting at, but red hair isn''tmon in our family," Beric said, catching Ss''s drift. "Though the founder had red hair, the color has faded over generations."


    "Fair enough. So, why did you try to capture us?" Ss pressed.


    "To prevent you from meeting Ray," Beric replied.


    "I can see that. What I''m asking is why you wanted to stop us," Ss rified.


    Beric paused, then sighed deeply, his face darkening as if he were about to reveal something shameful.


    "How much do you know about the West?" Beric asked.


    "It''s and overrun by monsters," Ss replied.


    "Not entirely wrong," Beric replied with a bitter smile. "But that''s an oversimplification. When you actually live here, it''s more like a war zone where wilderness and civilization collide."


    In the West, there was a saying: "Have as many children as possible, because only two, at most, will reach adulthood." The region was gued by constant monster attacks. People lived in a constant state of preparedness, and the number of knights and soldiers lost in battles was enormous. Naturally, noble families in the West were always in desperate need of strong fighters, especially a powerful knight like Ray.


    "So when she returned to the family after three years, everyone was thrilled," Beric continued. "She was already strong, and with the recent surge in monster attacks, she was seen as a great asset."


    However, the Winslow family''s hopes were quickly dashed. Upon her return, Ray refused the family''s requests for help.


    Her reason was simple: "I already have a lord to whom I''ve pledged my loyalty."


    For the family elders, her words were a thunderbolt. A knight with her skills, yet she wouldn''t lend them to her own family, instead choosing to follow a new lord? The family head and elders were determined to keep her there, and so they sent Beric to investigate who this new "lord" of Ray''s was.@@novelbin@@


    "…So you were on your way to the East?" Ss asked.


    "No, I wasn''t nning to go that far. I intended to get as far as the central region and then hire someone to gather information for me. I certainly didn''t expect to meet you just three days after she left," Beric admitted, lowering his head, seeming resigned to his bad luck.


    Ss stroked his chin thoughtfully. "So, let me get this straight: you wanted to stop me from meeting Ray because, if I did, the family wouldn''t be able to hold her anymore?"


    "That''s right," Beric said, ncing away. "Given time, she''d probably start to feel loyalty toward her homnd again. And she''s not the type to ignore people in need…"


    "Cut the nonsense," Ss said, his tone icy. Beric flinched, looking up at him with fear as Ss''s gaze turned cial.


    "Enough with the half-truths. Tell me everything. What''s really going on?" Ss demanded.


    "I… I don''t know what you mean," Beric stammered.


    "There are too many gaps in your story. Why did Ray leave the family in the first ce? And if her strength was so important, why didn''t you stop her from leaving to begin with?" Ss pressed.


    In a region where power was critical, a noble family could easily prevent a sixteen-year-old from leaving. So why were they so desperate for her help now?


    "Tell me the truth. What are you hiding?" Ss asked.


    Beric clenched his mouth shut, refusing to speak, so Ss unsheathed his sword.


    "Fine. If you can''t talk, then goodbye."


    "Wait! You''re really going to kill me?" Beric asked, panicking.


    "The ones I hate most are people who twist the truth to suit themselves, leaving out what''s inconvenient and calling it ''honesty,''" Ss replied, his voice deadly calm. He raised his sword, ready to strike.


    "We thought she''d be back soon!" Beric shouted, breaking into a cold sweat. Ss halted, his de just inches away.


    "Go on," Ss said.


    "We thought she''d return shortly… because her mother is still in the family," Beric admitted, trembling.


    "Her mother?" Ss asked, momentarily confused. "Isn''t Ray''s mother your aunt?"


    "No," Beric replied, exhaling deeply. "She''s an illegitimate child."


    Ray gently touched her mother''s cheek, feeling the once sunken and sallow skin now filled out slightly. Even this bit of flesh brought Ray joy. Her mother had been little more than a skeleton before.


    "Enough, my cheeks will wear away if you keep touching them," her mother chuckled softly.


    "Mother," Ray whispered, tears slipping down her cheeks. How long had it been since she''d seen her mother with a smile, moving and speaking like this?


    Since Ray was thirteen, her mother had spent almost all her time lying in bed.


    "I''m fully recovered now, Ray," her mother assured her. "I''ll be awake from now on. You don''t need to worry."


    "I know," Ray replied.


    "Oh, do you? You still shake me awake in a panic every time I fall asleep," her mother teased gently.


    Ray flushed, embarrassed. She couldn''t help it. She''d doubted so many times whether this was real. Without confirming her mother''s presence, she felt restless and unable to do anything.


    "To think I''d get to taste something as precious as an elixir. I never imagined that in my lifetime," her mother murmured.


    "My lord gave it to me," Ray said softly.


    "He must be a kind man. I wish I could meet him and thank him myself."


    Ray''s expression darkened. It wasn''t her mother who needed to meet her lord, but herself. She hadn''t even properly thanked him, let alone expressed her gratitude. She''d only made a pledge of loyalty and then left hastily. But now, she was stuck here, unable to leave.


    At that moment, a middle-aged maid entered the room, bowing deeply, her posture tense.


    "Young mistress, the viscount has summoned you."


    "…I''ll be back soon," Ray said to her mother.


    "Take your time, my dear. I''ll be here," her mother replied with a gentle smile.