Chapter 52: The reason
"Pardon?"
The slight moonlight that illuminated the surroundings could hardly reach the deeper parts of the jungle, which was the place where we were currently located. One could barely make out the overall scene in front of him, only the large objects such as trees could be seen without needing one to focus much on them. However, under such low illumination, Alaric's face was still clearly visible to me.
His eyes were oddly sparkling and he had an exciting look with a slight smile on his lips.
"What?"
That question was meant to be something I asked myself internally, but I ended up blurting it out loud. The thought that Alaric was joking or making fun of me crossed my mind, but they were soon proven wrong as soon as I saw what kind of expression the man was making.
"Let's run away! Move somewhere else and don't return to the camp!"
Alaric repeated his words and added extra explanations to them, but that didn't make me any less confused. As he talked, his voice got more and more energetic and his numb and tired face lit up little by little.
"I don't know where we are, but as long as we don't follow the path we came, we won't get near the camp, isn't that right?"
Alaric was the son of a count and his traveling companion was also the son of a duke, and they were both invited to the birthday party of the great emperor, so he was actually an important figure. As someone like him disappeared from the camp at night and inside the jungle, the guards and the knights wouldn't stay still and wait for his return. I'm sure they are flipping over all the jungle, the areas around the camp, searching for him. As long as it was just me, a mere servant, who got lost or died, nothing much would happen but now that Alaric is here, things are a bit different. Even if we don't go back to the camp, they will eventually find us. It might take a while, but they definitely have ways to locate Alaric. In order to avoid the guards, we had to walk in the opposite way and move away from them as soon as possible.
'But why would he do that?'
Is Alaric serious about leaving the camp behind and running away? Well, there is no better way to confirm it other than asking it himself.
"And why would we do that?"
"Why?"
"Why would we run away from the camp? No, why would you not want to return to your camp, young master Alaric?"
Hearing my words, Alaric's shoulders tensed a little bit and his eyes darted around. He said nothing and only scratched his cheek as if thinking of something, before letting out a sigh and a chuckle.
"I don't want to go to the emperor's birthday party. If possible, I'd like to avoid meeting any important figures as much as I can. I don't even want the position of the count."
Before the disbelieving me could question Alaric's mental health and his state of mind, he hurriedly added more explanations.
"It's not like I want to retreat from the position of the future count all of a sudden. I had separate conversations with my sister and father, and they both agreed that I would keep my position while my sister tried to show her worth and talent in ruling the state. As long as I still have my title, she won't be able to do much and as long as my father is alive and has his eyes on her, she won't be given power enough to cause any problems. And that's why I hope she will manage to learn how to work and how to be a countess while I'm absent."
'This... Actually makes sense.'
Although I dislike that woman and don't really like the idea of her being the next one to rule the state, as long as she learns how to do a proper job and manage the state's affairs, I won't have anything against her. It was true that the reason she led the county to its end in my few regression turns was that she had received no education relating to politics and only sought out the position of the countess due to greed and stubbornness.
"Plus, now we are lost in the jungle. We fell into the water and came all the way here, that's how we view the incident but there is no guarantee that the others will see it that way. I'm sure they'll find the beasts scattered in the jungle and especially around the river, there are also visible signs of us falling into the water such as my scream or the marks left by our shoes on the wet soil. There is a possibility that they'll think we are lost, or they might think that we got attacked by the beast, either killed or wounded. I don't think they'll believe that we are both dead without there being any signs of blood or struggle around, but they will not eliminate the possibility of us drowning in the river or being dragged somewhere by the wolves. Overall, no one will ever doubt that we have run away from the camp on our own!"
The things that Alaric said were exactly the same as I'd thought about before. There were some slight changes due to sudden incidents, but the overall plan was the same. This made me wonder about Alaric's thoughts and his new personality. He seems pretty dumb at some moments but surprisingly smart at some. Well, everyone can be stupid or ignorant about some issues at times.
"Your words are reasonable, but I still don't get why you want to avoid those important figures and give up on the position of the count."
Alaric's answer came quickly.
"It's too troublesome to be a count. Plus, I don't have the qualifications for it as I literally remember nothing about politics or the ways of ruling a state. Being a count is a heavy responsibility. I'm no good at ruling the others. And about the important figures... I can't really explain."
He shook his head from side to side, let out a chuckle, and mumbled under his lips.
"But I know nothing good will come out from getting involved with the main character."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
daniz_
daniz_ Waiting for your comments~
— New chapter is coming soon — Write a review
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone