Riddhe tilted his head. From his appearance, he guessed that Barnabas would be older than himself, probably in his early thirties. It wasn’t strange that the chancellor’s daughter and the vice president of Ist were acquaintances, but to say fate brought them together?
Barnabas smiled, probably sensing Riddhe’s suspicion. His teeth gleamed white against his tanned skin. “She doesn’t mean anything strange,” he assured. “We’re just from the same orphanage.”
“Yes, though we weren’t there at the same time,” Charlotte added with a nostalgic smile.
According to Charlotte, they were both from the Golton orphanage in Yeats, which Riddhe visited during his time with the inspection squad. Barnabas, with his caring nature and position as leader of the other children, had caught Eric Yggdrasil’s eye, and the chancellor had helped him land a job at Ist.
In addition to his natural leadership skills, Barnabas had studied voraciously, blooming into a talented merchant and rising through the ranks. He’d never forgotten the debt he owed the chancellor for giving him an opportunity, and he often visited the Yggdrasil mansion.
There, he’d met recently adopted Charlotte and felt the need to watch over his fellow orphan from Golton.
“So Barnabas is like an elder brother to me,” Charlotte concluded.
“Glad to hear that,” Barnabas returned. “And you’ll always be my little sister to look after.”
“Wow.”
Riddhe watched the pair smile at each other. It was clear from Charlotte’s demeanor that she trusted Barnabas deeply, and Barnabas’s gaze was also filled with warmth as he looked at Charlotte, though he seemed more like a father than a brother. Riddhe crafted the perfect smile.
Let’s dig a little deeper.
“Looking at you two, it seems Lord Yggdrasil made the right call,” he said. “He must be a genius at seeing people’s true natures.”
“You’re absolutely right,” Barnabas nodded. “I’m where I am today, all thanks to him. No one is more fair or merciful than Lord Yggdrasil.”
“I see. Merciful, huh?” Riddhe repeated.
“He’s a wonderful man,” Barnabas continued. “Lord Yggdrasil cares about everyone, not just for orphans like Charlotte but for merchants and knights too. Even though I don’t understand him at times…”
Suddenly, Barnabas stopped, but before Riddhe could wonder why, he started the conversation again but with a different topic.
“Speaking of benefactors, it was truly unfortunate what happened with your father, Lord Loid.”
“Did you know my father?” Riddhe asked.
“Yes. I met the Duke of Sheraford once when Ist was considering expanding trade through Viola.”
“What?! You’re saying that Ist had dealings with Father…?” Riddhe had a hard time hiding his surprise.
“Yes,” Barnabas confirmed with nostalgia. “That said, it wasn’t a formal meeting. A merchant close to the former duke invited me once to have a luncheon together. That was a long time ago, almost ten years now. The duke was strict and unforgiving, but he definitely held himself to those same high standards.”
Ten years ago. That was when Riddhe, as heir to House Sutherland, started assisting Loid in managing their territory. He briefly wondered if he’d been present at that luncheon but quickly gave up on searching his memory.
Raised since his youth as the heir of House Sutherland, Riddhe had been desperate to learn new things once he’d been given the chance to help his father. As one of the most powerful families in Heilland, tons of people, including nobles and merchants, came to their mansion to see the Duke of Sheraford. It would be impossible for Riddhe to remember all of them.
No matter. He’d uncovered an important connection between Ist and Loid. According to his family servants, the man with the scarred left hand had first disguised himself as a merchant when visiting the mansion. If Ist had been in contact with his father, there was a chance that the secret informant had used Ist’s name.
“I wonder if he’s from Ist…” Riddhe murmured casually as he placed a hand on his chin in thought.
His words piqued the attention of the pair.
“Do you know someone from Ist, Lord Riddhe?” Charlotte asked.
“Please do share,” Barnabas added.
“Oh, I don’t know his name. I mean, it happened so long ago, and I didn’t meet him personally, but my family’s servants often mentioned how Father was indebted to this man,” Riddhe said with an easy shrug. “All I know is…he had a large burn scar on his left hand?”
“Huh?”
Bingo!
However, the recognition came not from Barnabas but from Charlotte. Riddhe was surprised.
“Does that remind you of someone, Miss Charlotte?” he probed.
“Y-Yes,” she stammered. “Someone from Ist with a burn scar on his hand must be—”
“Charlotte,” Barnabas’s tone was quiet but full of warning.
Charlotte shut her lips in a tight line, looking worriedly between the two men. Barnabas’s friendly attitude was gone as he watched Riddhe cautiously.
“Lord Riddhe, are you here in Erdal to look for that man?” he asked.
“Look for him? Of course not; he’s just someone I remember from the old days…” Riddhe said, keeping his tone casual.
“…I see. That’s fine, then.” Barnabas’s face relaxed as he sighed, then stood up. “I need to go. That old man may be looking for me. See you soon, Charlotte. I look forward to speaking with you again, Lord Riddhe.”
“Mister Barnabas?” Riddhe also stood, pretending to be confused while reminding himself to stay calm. He’d never possessed much patience, but Barnabas was hiding something, and now wasn’t the best time to press him. So he chose to stretch out a hand. “We’ve finally had a chance to meet; it’s a shame you have to go… Where can I go to find you?”
“…I’ll be at the Kingsley trading post for the next two weeks, and I’ll come to visit her too,” Barnabas shared with some reluctance, glancing towards Charlotte. After a moment, he continued, “About the man. If we’re talking about the same person, he’s no longer with us. Even if you are interested, I have nothing to tell you. When one is already dead, no one can know the real truth.”
With these words of frustration, Barnabas turned and left, leaving a shocked Riddhe and an upset Charlotte.
“Barnabas must still be upset about what happened with Adam…”
“Hmm?” Riddhe turned to the girl.
Startled, Charlotte clapped a hand over her mouth as if wishing to take back her words. She must have remembered how Barnabas had warned her against speaking about it. Riddhe’s shoulders slumped. It would be nearly impossible to get any information from her now.
Just then, Albert, who had been silent the entire time, spoke up. “Is Adam that man’s name?”
“Y-Yes. That’s right.”
Charlotte blinked in surprise as if she’d just noticed Albert’s presence. It was expected. In addition to being an excellent servant loyal to House Sutherland, Albert was the only one who had won over even Riddhe. He’d always been good at being invisible, staying silent by Riddhe’s side.
Besides, for better or for worse, the dignity and pride of being a noble bound Riddhe. Albert, being a mere servant, was better at coaxing others to let down their guard. Riddhe huffed a little in annoyance while Albert frowned at Charlotte in concern.
“Were they close? Mister Barnabas looked very upset; we hope we didn’t offend him…” Albert said worriedly.
“No! I mean, they were very close, but Barnabas wasn’t angry! It’s just…” After a pause, Charlotte made up her mind about something. Looking in the direction where Barnabas left, she continued, “Actually, Adam was Barnabas’s close friend. They both grew up in the Golton orphanage, and Father selected them to join Ist. Then one day, Adam quit Ist and disappeared.”
“Quit? Why?”
“I don’t know. Apparently, he disappeared without telling anyone, leaving only a note.”
Then, several years later, while Barnabas had gained the favor of Dudley Hopkins and was rising through the ranks of the company, Adam’s body was discovered in the woods near the Western Castle one early evening.