Radiant Dragon’s Otherworldly Reincarnation

Chapter 38. He is a Real Monster (3)

A few days later.

“Has Patrick still not returned?”

“I am sorry, my lord.”

“……”

Baron Schneider bowed his head with a sorrowful expression.

Nearly a fortnight had passed since his son had gone missing while leading soldiers to clear out monsters around the fiefdom.

At first, for a day or two, he thought they might have just gone a little deeper.

But as more time passed, he had no choice but to consider the worst-case scenario.

The great forest was originally a dangerous land.

It was a primeval land that rejected human approach, a land teeming with dangerous monsters.

No matter how strong Patrick was, could one guarantee that nothing would happen to him in that land?

“I… I must have been mad.”

“My lord.”

“Patrick is only ten years old. To push a ten-year-old child into a forest teeming with monsters… How could I…. I was mad. An incompetent man who has also gone mad.”

“The Young Master will be safe. He is no ordinary person.”

“With words like that….”

Baron Schneider, who was about to shout at Lawrence, squeezed his eyes shut and bowed his head again.

“I'm sorry. It's not your fault….”

“……”

Lawrence quietly bowed his head.

The man named Jaycall Schneider, whom he had decided to serve as his lord, was not a competent person, even with empty praise.

But on the other hand, he was also such a humble and good-natured person that it made one wonder, how could such a person be born into a noble family of the ruling class?

‘A good man. And a strong man.’

The people of the world know Baron Schneider as just a good-natured pushover.

That's not wrong.

But how many people are there who endure and endure for decades to maintain a life as a good-natured pushover?

Everyone wants to be good.

They are taught that way and grow up that way.

But even such a person, after tasting the bitterness of reality a few times, naturally compromises with reality and fills themselves with selfishness.

But Baron Schneider was not like that.

Sometimes he was abandoned, sometimes he was hurt, sometimes he was betrayed, and sometimes he collapsed miserably.

But Baron Schneider never once gave up the goodwill he sought to pursue in his life.

Lawrence, who had served such a Baron Schneider for a long time, wanted to tell the world every time he saw the Baron.

No, he wanted to shout.

Look, this is my lord.

He is the owner of the strongest conviction in the world.

How can anyone call him weak?

As far as Butler Lawrence knew, Baron Schneider was like a mighty great tree that would never fall.

That great tree….

That great tree named Baron Schneider, which had endured harsh times without collapsing even in storms and tempests….

“It's my fault. Everything… is all my fault.”

Was now on the verge of collapsing for the first time.

Butler Lawrence found that incredibly heartbreaking.

‘O Lord God. Please let the Young Master return safely. You can take all the remaining life of this old man, so please do not extinguish my lord's hope.’

Butler Lawrence prayed earnestly to God.

And at that moment….

“My lord!”

The door burst open, and Chandler rushed in.

“What is this rudeness, entering without knocking? Chandler!”

To the scolding Butler Lawrence, Chandler said, catching his ragged breath.

“I am sorry. It was an urgent matter, so I….”

“I would have taught you not to forget your manners no matter how urgent the matter.”

“Yes. I know. But….”

“Still making excuses? The level of cultivation of a noble family can be seen from the attitude of the people who work in the house. Are you saying it is alright for the world to doubt the level of the Baron Schneider family because of your flippant attitude?”

“Th-… I am sorry.”

Chandler, seeing that it was no use, simply bowed his head and apologized.

And Butler Lawrence sighed and said.

“Tsk tsk tsk, the youth these days…. They make excuses as naturally as they breathe. Tsk tsk.”

“……”

“So? What is it?”

Only then did Chandler say to Butler Lawrence, who was now asking for the reason.

“Young Master Patrick and the soldiers under his command have returned.”

“What?”

“Is that true!”

At Chandler's words, both Baron Schneider and Butler Lawrence shot up from their seats.

“Wh… where is he? Where is he?”

“He has just arrived in front of the fief's mansion….”

“I see!”

“You should have said that sooner, you idiot!”

Baron Schneider ran off without looking back, and Butler Lawrence raged furiously.

“……”

Chandler felt extremely wronged.

* * *

“Munch munch. This is delicious.”

“So this is human food. It's really delicious.”

“How do you cook meat to make it taste like this?”

“This water is delicious. Where do you get this water from?”

“That's what humans drink, called alcohol.”

“Oh, so this is alcohol!”

Baron Schneider's mouth was wide open.

When he thought his son was dead, it felt like the world was collapsing.

Then, when he heard that his son had returned, a joy as if he had the whole world rushed over him.

He wanted to run over in a single stride, hug his son, and tell him thank you for coming back alive.

But….

‘Looking at this scene now, what emotion is the correct one to feel?’

In front of his mansion, a group of Orcs was sitting around, eating food and drinking alcohol.

Why had the Orcs, who had little interaction with humans, come to his fiefdom, why were they sitting around in front of his mansion, and why were they eating and drinking his fiefdom's food and alcohol?

The thought of ‘why?’ continued endlessly.

And in such cases, there was usually only one cause.

“Patriiiick!”

“Oh. Father, you're here?”

From where the voice came, his son, whom he had missed like crazy, was replying nonchalantly.

Hahaha….

Yes, how nonchalant you are.

Making a mess like this and being nonchalant.

Just like my own damn son.

***

In front of Patrick sat Baron Schneider, the Baroness Ava, and Butler Lawrence, side by side.

To those three, Patrick first explained the key points.

“You're forming an alliance with the Orcs?”

“Yes. That's what happened.”

“No, how on earth?”

“It's a bit of a long story….”

Patrick took a sip of the tea in front of him, cutting off his words.

And after putting down the teacup, he said with a bright smile.

“…That's what happened.”

“What, you bastard. You didn't say anything.”

“Can't you just let it slide?”

“Patriiiick!”

“Ah, alright. I'll tell you. I just have to, right?”

Eh, that didn't work.

Well, I do have to explain.

It's something they'll find out eventually anyway.

In the end, Patrick explained everything that had happened.

“First of all….”

And so Patrick's explanation continued, and a look of astonishment gradually spread across the faces of the three listening.

“You met the Orcs?”

“O… King Ogre?”

“Y-you caught it? You caught that thing?”

“You formed an alliance with the Orcs?”

The three who had heard the entire explanation stared at Patrick with their mouths agape.

And Patrick, who had finished his explanation, shrugged and said.

“Well, that's what happened.”

“You… You baaastard!”

“Ah, what is it now?”

Baron Schneider shot up from his seat in anger.

“You must be mad. Do you have any idea what a King Ogre is to fight it?”

“I won. I totally kicked its ass, I'm telling you.”

“Kicked… Kicked its… Kgggh….”

“Oh my, my lord.”

“Darliiiing!”

As Baron Schneider grabbed the back of his neck and was about to collapse, Butler Lawrence and Ava hurriedly caught him.

“Tch, his worrying is similar to someone I know.”

[You brat! Do you think the Ten Great Evils is some dog's name?]

[Ah, I told you I won. I kicked their asses, Master.]

[You brat, still! Get over here! Come here! That's an order!]

[Why should I go when I know you're going to hit me?]

[Kgggh….]

It was a nostalgic feeling.

In his Master's anger, who couldn't handle his trouble-making self, he could feel the worry and concern for him more than the anger itself.

That's why in his past life, Patrick didn't dislike being scolded by his Master.

He was rather happy because he knew that as much as his Master worried about him, he cherished and loved him.

‘Tsk, what's with the pointless sentimentality….’

A Master is a Master, and a father is a father.

No matter how similar the two were, that was a clear fact.

Patrick stopped getting emotional over memories and said.

“Father. Setting aside what has already passed, I wish to discuss the important matters of the future.”

“Kgggh….”

“Although it is an alliance I pushed for on my own, the alliance with the Red Rock Tribe will be of great help to our fiefdom. Please consider it seriously.”

“Ummm….”

That damn son of a bitch.

To suddenly speak with a serious expression like a completely normal young master of a baronial family.

Who gave birth to that detestable brat?

I'd like to see his parents' faces.

‘Ah, it's me.’

But he couldn't push away the words of his detestable son here.

Now that he looked closely, he could see the bandages wrapped tightly under his clothes.

It seemed he was limping a little as he walked.

He knew his son was strong, but the battle with the King Ogre couldn't have been easy.

He must have fought with his life on the line.

At that young age.

And one of the achievements he gained by risking his life like that would be the alliance with the Orcs.

“Haaaah…. Alright. It can't be helped.”

Baron Schneider, realizing that spitting into the wind was useless, sighed and said.

“Alright. Let's think about it for now. First, I must meet with the chieftain of that Red Rock Tribe.”

“Are you sure?”

“What do you mean?”

“……”

“What? Say it. Say it.”

“No, it is nothing.”

Patrick chuckled.

In fact, the only concern he had on his way here was how Baron Schneider would accept the Orcs.

Orcs are not monsters but a race with intelligence, but they were not classified as a race from the beginning.

A very long time ago, Orcs were classified as a type of monster and were a race that fiercely competed for power with humans.

Among the non-human races, the only one that was not inferior to humans in the advantage of ‘numbers’ was the Orcs, so the history of their conflict was fierce.

As a result, to humans, Orcs were still an object of fear, or contempt.

A barbaric, ignorant, and violent race.

That was the prejudice humans had about the Orcs.

He knew that Baron Schneider was a good-natured and kind person, but that was a kindness directed towards fellow humans.

It was unknown what he would show towards a non-human race, especially the subtly ostracized Orcs.

But….

‘It was a needless worry.’

Thinking that his father was his father, Patrick smiled and said.

“Please wait a moment. Sanson.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“Bring Chieftain Turanta.”

“Yes. Understood.”

A short while later, the Orc chieftain Turanta appeared.

In fact, Patrick was not worried about this meeting.

Baron Schneider was a kind person who could face non-human races without prejudice, and Chieftain Turanta was quite wise for an Orc.

So, there were no elements for the meeting between these two to go wrong.

‘Or so I thought.’

“Hic… I am… hic… Turanta of the Red… hic… Rock Tribe.”

“Turanta?”

“Tuanta. Hic.”

“……”

Watching their first meeting, Patrick just stared at the innocent parlor ceiling and thought.

‘Why is everyone around me like this? Why?’

He wanted to cry.