Becoming an Extra in a Trash Game

Chapter 17

“Today… I will definitely… Definitely serve you well…”

Luna brings three horses with a determined face, clenching her fists confidently.

Today is the evaluation day for Luna’s task of selecting horses.

Luna’s mission wasn’t just to enjoy a healing life in the stable, but also to select horses suitable for our party to ride.

It would be nice to go out and buy new horses, but the horses at Kruger’s estate are likely to be top-tier, so it’s better to choose a few from here.

The truly excellent horses, so-called famous steeds, were given to the Knight Commander and Mark, but I heard that the reserve horses are also good.

Let’s evaluate the horses Luna has chosen from among those numerous reserve horses.

“Hmm… Alright. Explain them to me.”

Therefore, today I am not the weak superior who is usually pushed around by Luna.

I stood with my arms crossed, raising my chin with an overbearing face and shooting a sharp glance.

“Number 1… is Arisnel. This one has a bit of a rough personality, but has good endurance, can accelerate and stop quickly, and is intelligent.”

It’s a horse that looks quite temperamental, with fierce eyes and strong snorts.

I’ve heard rumors that horses look down on and do as they please if the rider seems weak…

“Wouldn’t a gentle horse be more suitable for a beginner like me?”

To my somewhat cold question, Luna slightly bit her lower lip and then pointed to the next horse with her palm.

“Number 2… is called Beth… It has a very gentle personality and is very affectionate… Sometimes it gets distracted by butterflies or small animals and goes off on its own or jerks its body, but it’s most used to human hands…”

Even as Luna was speaking, Beth’s large eyes followed a flying insect that passed right in front of its nose, and it rolled its hooves in place, trying to follow it.

Luna, used to this, gently pulled the reins to straighten Beth, then looked up at me as if asking what I thought.

“Wouldn’t it be dangerous sometimes if the rider isn’t someone who can immediately control her through bonding? We won’t just be riding within the castle grounds.”

Luna looks up at me with an expectant face, as if asking how this one is, and it’s cute.

But business is business.

No matter how much I care for Luna, work is work, and personal is personal.

Luna’s ears droop even more at my sharp judgment.

“W-well then… Lastly… Number 3… is Thomas… It’s not very friendly or affectionate, but it’s fearless, so It doesn’t suddenly run away or rear up even when there’s a loud noise…”

I nodded as I watched Thomas, as Luna called it, standing still without moving even when she lightly struck it after brushing its body with a comb.

“Like this… Even if something unexpected happens… If it’s not judged as a threat… He tends to be dignified… But I think the level of bonding is low…”

For knights who need to be one with their horses, low bonding ability would be a big disadvantage.

But for me, it doesn’t seem to be such a big obstacle.

Rather, wouldn’t it reduce the variables for unexpected situations if he has an aloof personality?

“Good. I like it.”

I unfolded my arms, clapped lightly, shook hands with Luna, and praised her while waving.

“You’ve worked hard going to the stables to learn and personally selecting horses, Luna.”

“Y-young master…”

Luna’s round eyes welled up with tears, seemingly moved by my praise, and I smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

To be honest, I was planning to okay all the horses she brought since I trusted Luna.

“In that spirit, why don’t we take all three horses Luna recommended? We’ll give number 1 to Kane, and won’t Luna be able to control number 2?”

While Luna and I were talking, Beth, who had already been distracted by a ladybug in the corner of the garden, was just wagging its tail.

‘Is that… Going to be okay? It seems too easily distracted.’

Still, since Luna specially chose it, they should be a good match.

“I’ll take care of controlling Beth…!”

Why does it sound like she’s saying she’ll take care of a troublemaker when she’s saying she’ll make sure there are no accidents…

But seeing her so happy makes me think it’ll be fine.

After waving goodbye to Luna, who said she’d put the horses in the stable and give them snacks before coming back, I turned my head at the presence I felt behind me to find a servant standing close by.

“You startled me… You should say something if you’re here.”

“I just arrived. A letter has come for you, Young Master.”

I put my hand on my startled chest, then received the letter he handed me, turned it over front and back, and spoke.

“Let’s see. Judging by the Kruger family seal stamped on the sealing wax, it’s one of two people.”

Moreover, when I shook the letter, there was still a faint lingering scent.

Is it Caiman? It must be Gadia.

I dismissed the servant, telling him to go attend to other matters, then slowly returned to my room and picked up a letter opener.

“Somehow, doing this kind of thing used to be a dream of mine.”

It looked cool in movies and such. But I never thought I’d actually get to fulfill this wish.

It’s interesting. After neatly separating the hardened wax from the envelope by inserting the knife between them, I took out the letter from inside the envelope, and the faint scent of osmanthus that had been lingering became slightly stronger.

* * *

Although there was no evidence, Gadia couldn’t shake off the reasonable doubt that the traits of Adelian he knew were false.

‘Adelian, who is arrogant and insolent to others without any proper talent, has never held his head up so high to me.’

That was the hierarchy established since Adelian started walking.

Gadia was born with talent. And Adelian, without any noticeable talent.

From the time Adelian just started walking, how many teachers did Caiman assign to him?

Swordsmanship, archery, magic. Spirit arts. Even art and musical instruments.

Adelian, who didn’t show any particular excellence in any of these, would look at Gadia with envious eyes whenever he saw him, and later couldn’t even look at him straight.

At most, he would occasionally shout with a trembling voice, “You have everything,” when heavily drunk.

‘But what was that I saw today?’

That wasn’t the Adelian Gadia knew.

If it weren’t for the bloodline magic proven by the family ring, he would have thought it was a different person who just looked the same.

‘So there’s only one conclusion.’

Adelian’s trait is not incompetent.

If his trait turned out to be excellent, and Caiman temporarily assigned him as acting head of the family to support that?

Then it wouldn’t be an exaggeration for Adelian, the original eldest son, to succeed in the position of family head, surpassing Gadia.

‘What kind of amazing thing did he receive to dare confront me?’

Gadia had left the academy using Kruger’s power, even though it was in the middle of the semester when he normally wouldn’t have been able to leave.

Even for the powerful Kruger family, it would be difficult to deceive the eyes of the academy where royalty and nobility from all over the continent gather indefinitely.

‘I need to confirm this and go back.’

If the letter that came to Gadia was wrong once, it could be wrong twice.

Feeling that he needed to confirm it himself to be satisfied, Gadia hurried his steps and entered the temple.

“Who is it? The temple doors are already closed at this hour.”

Clank―

At the words of a male priest with a gentle face who was sweeping the center of the empty temple, Gadia, wrapped in a white robe, only extended his hand to show the Kruger family seal.

“You’re from the place that owns the city. But what business…”

“Adelian Kruger.”

Wrapping the pendant-shaped seal around his wrist and retrieving it, Gadia spoke with a tone mixed with contempt.

“I want to check his traits again.”

“You know that in principle, it can’t be viewed unless it’s the person himself, right?”

“So?”

Is there anything that can’t be done in this city under the name of Kruger?

Gadia added arrogantly, and the priest’s head lowered a bit more.

“Well… You boast of absolute power enough to take the life of one who serves God within the temple…”

“What do you mean by that?”

At Gadia’s words, the priest who had lowered his head straightened his body.

There was a small anger in his eyes.

“There is no one left here who knows Adelian Kruger’s traits.”

“Nonsense. He must have confirmed his trait here, right?”

“Adelian. The day after he came of age and confirmed his trait, the priest who confirmed it was killed.”

The priest recited in a suppressed voice, then lowered his head again as if nothing had happened.

“Is there anything that can’t be done in this city under the name of Kruger?”

If there is, it would be bringing back the dead to hear their answer.

Gadia swallowed at those words that spread low.

* * *

“So, in conclusion.”

Killing even a priest, you’re out of your mind. I’ll return as soon as the academy semester ends, so prepare yourself.

“Really now.”

I raised the corners of my mouth in a sneer.

“Do they think I’m a fool?”

I should run away before Gadia comes.

And I just need to hold out until Kane and Luna become stronger than Gadia. If I can get the artifact I’ve planned before that, it’ll be even more perfect.

“By the way, the priest died?”

For the purpose of silencing…

‘The rumor that Adelian’s trait is trash has spread too widely.’

Moreover, if Caiman had any intention of controlling Adelian’s scandal, he would have done it already.

In my opinion, Caiman probably killed him as a consequence of running his mouth wrongly rather than for the purpose of silencing.

Although he’s not such a painful finger, a child is still a child, apart from Adelian’s usual reckless behavior.

‘He must have been more bothered by the fact that an incompetent person is his child. Or it could have been a work to secretly further tarnish Adelian’s reputation.’

It would have been done for something Caiman himself wanted, not for Adelian’s sake.

And it seems Gadia interpreted it in a completely different direction.

It would be more certain if I ask Alkaido when I meet him.

“Anyway, it worked out well. I had something I wanted to ask him about.”

I have an excuse now.

I called a servant to summon Alkaido, then deliberately sat with my legs crossed in a slightly crooked position, resting my chin on my hand, and setting up an arrogant posture.

‘Should I raise the angle of my face a bit more?’

What would look more unpleasant?

As I was slowly twisting my body to adjust the angle, there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

“I heard you called for me, Young Master.”

Ignoring Alkaido’s polite greeting, I pretended to fiddle with my well-groomed nails and opened my mouth.

“I read the letter that came to Gadia… It said that the priest who confirmed my trait was killed. That.”

After a brief pause. Just raising the corners of my mouth.

“It was Father’s doing, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Geez. Father is overprotective of me to a fault. Right? By the way… Did you look into it?”

I acted like the reckless Adelian who monopolizes Caiman’s attention and love and behaves arrogantly, while slightly moving only my eyeballs to look at Alkaido.

“I’m not sure what you’re referring to, Young Master.”

“Ha, why are you like that between us? Alkaido would have checked, right? The situation of the continent.”

At my words, Alkaido paused for a moment, unlike usual, before opening his mouth.

“Certainly, the current political situation of the continent is quite different from the past 100 years, but I don’t think the error is large.”

“What are you talking about? Isn’t our family business one where even a single number being wrong leads directly to loss? That doesn’t seem like something someone belonging to such a family should say.”

I knew you would have looked into it. Alkaido, Show me the data quickly.

I hid my true thoughts and let out a light breath as I got up.

“So compared to Alkaido’s prediction. How was it? The probability of war breaking out, I mean.”

“…It was higher than the figure I predicted.”

I tilted my head and looked Alkaido up and down from the corner of my eye, smiling slyly.

“How much?”

“If this figure doesn’t change, there’s a 54 percent chance that a war will break out somewhere within the next 30 years. And the probability of it becoming a great war encompassing the entire continent is.”

“The probability is?”

“75 percent.”

Alkaido’s words were wrong.

The figures do change. And by a large margin.

It’s not within 30 years, but within 3 years something will happen somewhere, and at least within 5 years a continental war will start.

‘That’s also the reason why Kane is working so hard.’

“Interesting, good. Alkaido would have organized the data nicely, right? I want to read it, so bring it.”

“If it’s in the direction Young Master Adelian predicted. Is there a way to prevent it?”

As I was about to turn around, gesturing for him to leave now, Alkaido’s words followed my ears, and I just turned my head to speak.

“Are you curious?”

At my words, Alkaido’s eyes shone brightly.

“Yes.”

“It’s a secret.”

I was certain. The smile I made this time must have been truly like that of a villain.

Because Alkaido’s eyes looking at me were saying.

That Adelian has something.