The Extra Wants To Live

"Yes, Lord Carl."

Catherine just answered and closed her mouth again.

"And I've already killed countless gnolls. There were many people killed with swords, but there were also people killed by charging on horseback. It's nothing like hunting."

Carl spoke smugly in a childish manner.

"Is that really that great? But from now on, why not make the exaggeration a little smaller?"

"It's not an exaggeration. Right, Bilford?"

"yes? Ah, yes!"

Bilford hesitated before answering quickly, curling his lips in surprise at his own voice.

"Umm…."

"It's true."

When Adrian looked at Catherine with a slightly mischievous smile, Catherine spoke calmly. Adrian raised his eyebrows and looked at Carl, then smiled and patted Carl on the shoulder.

Carl sent all of his little mana down to his feet and used it all up.

As mana drained out, symptoms of mana depletion appeared.

However, Carl's complexion did not change at all, and he smiled brightly and looked at Adrian confidently.

Adrian, who checked Carl's body with mana just like when they first met, smiled kindly and took a slight step back. His hand dropped, and Carl touched the ground with his bow to prevent himself from falling down from dizziness. Even that looked like a clumsy child.

"Yes, I'll be looking forward to it. Just try it cool."

"Yes, brother."

Adrian smiled cheerfully, turned around, and walked away leisurely.

As soon as Adrian left, Carl's innocent face froze coldly. There was no need to think any further about why Adrian came to visit Carl. Carl slowly caught his breath and stood upright.

"I guess I'll have to catch the biggest one I can on this hunt."

Carl took the arrow from Bilford with a calm expression and shot it in one go.

Widely!

Seeing the arrow hitting the exact center, Carl belatedly felt a chill covering his body. It seems that Adrian is very worried.

To put him at ease and let down his guard, he needed to instill confidence.

He was good at martial arts and loved fighting, but he was ignorant of politics and schemes, and was such an immature younger brother that he didn't know what was going on in the world.

If he maintained a moderately threatening but controllable line, even Adrian would be suspicious.

Before his mother was murdered, Adrian was originally a carefree and playful young man.

There were less than five people in this world who had noticed his acting.

Adrian himself knew very well that his acting is perfect.

Carl would have known from the beginning that Adrian wouldn't know. That small gap served as a large shadow that hid Carl.

'It's strange. Mistaken… I don't think so, but I can't be sure.'

Because of this, Adrian once again postponed his judgment on Carl. Adrian couldn't decide if Carl was just immature or if he had something to hide.

Adrian, who had been walking, slowly stopped. His grave expression as he looked out the window changed like a blooming flower. Sweet and warm eyes. An angelic smile. Relaxed gesture.

***

On the way back after Carl's archery training, Bilford checked that no one was around and carefully questioned Catherine.

"Why did he treat Adrian like that?"

"Because Lord Carl is cautious."

"Cautious? You mean?"

Bilford, a commoner, could not understand Catherine's words. Fortunately, he had the sense to not make a mistake.

"Do you need to be careful with Adrian? Isn't he a very kind person?" Bilford asked repeatedly.

Catherine did not scold him harshly.

She knew that Bilford was trying hard not to make mistakes and to learn.

"It's not our job to judge that, Bilford. Since our lord has judged thus, we open the way for him and support him from behind. And..."

Catherine hesitated for a moment, trailing off her words.

"We cannot dare to judge what plans Lord Carl has or how he views the world."

"I'm a little scared of him, Bilford."

"Yes?"

Bilford's eyes widened in surprise at Catherine's words.

He had the skills to become a knight right away, but at times like this, he still felt young. Catherine patted her young squire's shoulder and spoke softly.

"Think about it carefully. Can you tell which of the appearances Lord Carl shows is his true self?"

"No…"

Bilford felt an eerie shiver. Like a mirror, Carl showed a different side to everyone who encountered him.

Catherine and Bilford, who watched it all from the closest vantage, were also unable to make a judgment.

He looked at the world through the eyes of a sheep, spoke eloquently with the heart of a lion, and whispered with the tongue of a snake.

The 4th prince, who was supposed to be ignorant and sickly and had spent his entire life lying in bed, suddenly gained considerable strength without raising any suspicion.

And that in just one month! Without any foundation!

"Bilford, don't try to understand. Just complete the mission given to you. Even our thoughts may already be in His plan."

Catherine was horrified to realize that the Mold family had fallen for Carl, thinking they were possessed by the devil.

If he was such a being, she thought it was worth trusting and risking everything.

Coincidentally, Catherine's thoughts were exactly the same as those that Bilford had in the original work when he was working as Adrian's faithful hound.

And in the original work, Bilford, who would act as Adrian's hunting dog four years later, could not help but think the same way about his current master, Carl.

Even with that small body, Carl was such a scary person.

"Lady Catherine, can you please give me Bilford?"

"Yes, of course."

"Bilford, can you help me?"

"Yes,Lord Carl."

On the eve of a hunt hosted by the imperial family, Carl suddenly said this to Bilford. Of course, Bilford was very nervous and waited for Carl's command.

"I'm talking about the hunt tomorrow. I want you to act as my squire."

"Yes.…Pardon?"

After answering well, Bilford was so embarrassed that he asked that question with his eyes. Carl smiled bitterly at that sight.

"I don't have any squires, do I? Doing everything alone is probably a bit much."

Come to think of it, that's right. It is not good for Prince Carl to go on a hunt hosted by the imperial family without a squire. Even his knight Catherine has Bilford as her squire.

"If Lady Catherine goes around without a squire, everyone will know what's going on."

"Wouldn't that be troublesome?"

"It's just going to get you into trouble. It would look like the foolish prince would steal his knight's squire."

A squire is a subordinate being to a knight, and no matter how high-ranking a noble family he is, he must treat his knight with respect.

Instead, a knight must give generously to his squire and teach him to become a great knight.

It is not just a relationship between a servant and a master, but also a relationship that lasts a lifetime.

Nobles also use this relationship politically.

But since it looks like Carl stole the squire from his one and only knight, Catherine, how surprised will everyone be at his ignorance and recklessness?

Bilford had no choice but to hesitate.

He understood that Carl said he would use Bilford as his squire for just one day.

It's not like he's cutting off his relationship with Catherine.

Since it is Master Carl's will, it is right for Bilford to follow it.

And Catherine agreed.

Bilford also has no complaints about that in itself. However, it was difficult for Bilford to bear the fact that he had to do something that would dishonor his master, Carl.

"Do you think it will be difficult?"

Carl did not push the hesitant Bilford, but asked in a calm voice while maintaining an appropriate distance. There was nothing he could do even if Bilford refused, and that was because he thought it was okay in its own way.

"I'll do it."

However, Bilford was able to calm down due to Carl's strange attitude. He was able to erase his hesitation because he felt like this was all Carl's big plan.

"Thank you. Then, take care of yourself tomorrow."

"Yes, Lord Carl."

"When the time comes, you save my life. Sir Catherine may fall a little short."

Carl said playfully. But it was a comment that Bilford could not accept as a joke.

"Uh, why?"

Carl smiled and said to Bilford, who was stuttering in embarrassment.

"Isn't it surprising that a child on his first hunt gets so greedy that he secretly goes out on a horse alone while everyone else is resting?"

"… … ."

"… … ."

It's not that surprising, but wouldn't it be quite surprising to do it on a hunt hosted by the imperial family, and with everything planned out?

Bilford blinked and looked at Catherine without realizing it.

"… … ."

"… … ."

Catherine said nothing.

If he have to do it, he should do it.

Bilford swallowed his saliva with a pale face.

Bilford, who was not even a knight, was left to guard Prince Carl alone. It's crazy.