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Chapter 73: Junice’s Older Brother

The foreign knight removed his helmet; like Junice, he had fair skin, blond hair, and blue eyes, making him an exceptionally handsome man.

He dismounted in a sideways motion and walked over to Reiner with his head held high.

He first glanced at Anna beside him before looking at Reiner and saying slowly, “You must be Reiner, right?”

“Yes, may I ask who you are…?”

Before Reiner could finish speaking, he arrogantly replied, “I am Yule Pwatou Liridetta, a knight from the Kingdom of Rosno.”

His expression remained blank, and no emotion could be read from his face.

Reiner was already used to this; judging by his surname, he was probably also some kind of noble.

Since his transmigration, every noble he had met, including Dimas, had initially put on a haughty demeanor.

“Come in and talk.” Reiner stepped back into the parlor and sat down at the dining table.

Yule followed him in and sat down opposite Reiner.

Reiner said softly, “From now on, I’ll just call you Yule.”

Yule remained silent, neither agreeing nor rejecting.

Reiner then asked, “So, you’re here to find Junice?”

“Yes, I learned from the local Adventurers’ Guild that she has spent most of her time here with you.”

Just then, Daisy brought him a cup of hot water.

Yule’s gaze dropped to it, but he did not drink; in fluent demi-human tongue he answered, “Thank you, but I don’t need it.”

The three beast-eared girls were stunned; they had not expected this knight to speak demi-human tongue as well.

Reiner had a vague feeling that this man must have some connection to Junice.

“What is your relation to Junice?”

Yule continued, “I am her older brother.”

Reiner was slightly taken aback.

Junice’s full name was Junice Baker, and their surnames did not match.

It was also possible that she used a false surname to avoid drawing attention.

Her true name was likely Junice Pwatou Liridetta.

“So, what is the purpose of your visit?”

Yule said coldly, “I came under my father’s orders to find her; she has been gone on her own for two years, and she has thrown enough tantrums… now it’s time to return.”

“So, you should know where she went, right? Rumor has it you’re her closest friend.”

Since Junice was hiding from them, she must have had her own reasons.

Reiner roughly knew where to find her, but he would never betray Junice.

“I don’t know either, but she was indeed my magic tutor; I just haven’t seen her since it began snowing,” Reiner said as he scratched his head and feigned an innocent look before adding, “I suppose she’s probably still here.”

Yule narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Reiner for a moment, then pulled out a bulging bag of gold coins and said, “Tell me her whereabouts, and once she is caught, all this money will be yours.”

Reiner was filled with disdain.

After all, Junice had been his introductory magic tutor.

How could he possibly have betrayed a friend for money?

He acted the part of a drama king, pausing slightly before feigning keen interest and asking, “All of it is mine? Really?”

Yule nodded, a flicker of disgust passing through his eyes.

That was exactly the effect he wanted.

“A few days ago Junice came to bid me farewell; she said she was a traveler planning to go to the Kingdom of Nanyashis, and she told me that someone might come looking for me in a while… unexpectedly, here you are. If you head over now, you should be able to catch her quickly.”

The Kingdom of Nanyashis lay 108,000 li from the Kingdom of Barnite, and the two realms were in completely opposite directions.

If Junice really headed toward Barnite, Yule would be absolutely unable to catch her.

At this thought, Reiner grinned greedily, rubbing his hands like a fly, and said, “Heh heh heh, my lord… can I have the money now?”

Yule slowly stood up, no longer concealing his disgust, and said in a cold voice, “You betrayed your own teacher so easily for money; Junice is still as pure as ever and has no wariness of others.”

This tirade delighted Reiner.

This was exactly the reaction he wanted.

After pondering for a moment, he responded mischievously, “Who wouldn’t take the money if there’s cash to be made, my lord? You’re a noble and of course you wouldn’t understand us commoners who can hardly find enough to eat.”

Yule turned and walked away, saying, “You’re just insatiably greedy. Once she’s caught, I’ll have someone send the money.”

Watching his departing back, Reiner only smiled without a word.

Anna suddenly slammed her hand on the table, startling Reiner.

The two beast-eared girls walked over and stood on either side of Reiner.

“What are you doing?”

Anna said angrily, “Give me back my book! Junice told me more than once that you were her best friend here, yet you actually betrayed her whereabouts for money… I used to respect you, but now give me my book back!”

It seemed that Anna was also a woman of strong emotions.

Reiner stood up and glanced outside; seeing they had all walked away, he closed the door.

“Calm down and let me explain,” Reiner said as he poured her a cup of water.

Anna crossed her arms and glared without saying another word.

“Junice is my friend; how could I possibly have revealed her whereabouts to anyone? I only said that to trick her brother into leaving.”

Anna froze for a moment, then put her hands down and softened her tone: “So that’s how it is; I was really furious just now… from your expression, it didn’t seem like you were acting.”

“It wouldn’t have worked unless I made it look convincing,” Reiner said with a heavy nod.

For now, that was all he could do to help Junice.

He needed to buy as much time as possible.

At that moment, the system’s voice sounded in Reiner’s ear.

[Quest Update: Find Junice]

[Quest Reward: 1 gold coin]

After a fortnight of leisurely days, he hadn’t expected a quest to come so soon.

He had just bought three horses, so he could now begin a long journey.

Reiner took out the wind grimoire and raised an eyebrow, saying, “Take your book back.”

Anna was momentarily stunned, then stepped back a few paces and shook her head vigorously: “No, I just didn’t understand the situation earlier, so I got angry… keep the book.”

“No, I plan to go on a long trip; such a valuable item isn’t safe to leave at home, and it’s inconvenient to carry.”

Anna was momentarily stunned again, reached out to take the book, and asked, “You’re going to find Junice?”

“What else?” Reiner glanced at her, then began calling the beast-eared girls to pack up; he planned to set off on a journey tomorrow to search for Junice.

Anna smiled, “Your relationship is really something special.”

Reiner waved his hand, “Just common friends.”

“There are plenty of people pursuing Junice; are you willing to remain just common friends? Won’t you elevate your relationship?”

“I have no such plans at the moment; don’t read too much into it,” Reiner shrugged.

A faint smile curved on Anna’s lips, and she said no more.

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