From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman: My Hotshot Disciples Are All Grown Up Now, and They Won’t Leave Me Alone - Volume 6 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: An Old Country Bumpkin Gets Worked Up

“There... I guess that does it?”

“It suits you well, Master Beryl.”

“Ha ha ha, thanks.”

After arriving in Flumvelk and spending three days in Warren’s villa, we were now in the main estate where we’d initially met Warren. We were doing our final checks before the actual party.

As to be expected of an event hosted by a noble, my usual attire was out of the question, and I only had one set of clothes for formal occasions—the outfit with the black jacket I’d bought for the escort mission for Sphenedyardvania’s delegation. I hadn’t ever expected to need to put it on again. It would’ve been a waste to throw it away, but I’d figured it would stay in a perpetual sleep on the shelf back home.

If I was going to be attending more events like this in the future, having only one outfit I could wear seemed pretty crude. I missed the days when I only needed something for going outside and something for training.

Once this was over and I was back in Baltrain, it would probably be best to get some variations of formal clothing. My personal tastes were unreliable, so I would have to ask someone to accompany me. By all rights, Allucia would be the first person to go to, but she had the prior offense of recommending that doublet to me. Pretty frightening... Maybe it’s best to ask a fellow man like Henblitz.

“You look very good too, Shueste.”

“My... Thank you very much.”

Naturally, I wasn’t the only one getting my appearance in order—everyone attending the party was in the midst of preparations. Shueste, my escort for the night, was in a gorgeous dress that she probably didn’t get to wear very often. It was intricately woven with blue as its primary color. Judging by how it sparkled under the light, it must’ve been inlaid with gems, or maybe the cloth itself had been enhanced with magic. I didn’t know how it worked, but no matter how much I stretched beyond my means, I doubted I could ever afford clothing made of that stuff. I couldn’t even imagine the ridiculous price tag on it.

“We’re going in just a little late, correct?” I asked.

“Yes. You’re the guest of honor, Master Beryl.”

It didn’t make any sense to me, but for noble parties and balls, the order in which people showed up was apparently important. Normally, lower-ranked people gathered first, then those of higher social status made splendid appearances once everyone else was present. It had something to do with gathering attention, sticking out, emphasizing rank and status, and other stuff like that.

On that point, I was a commoner without any kind of rank, but because of my post as special instructor for the Liberion Order and the fact that I was the guest of honor, I was making my appearance later. Wouldn’t that mean the other nobles would feel slighted by the likes of me arriving like I was the star? I was a little worried.

“Please be at ease,” Shueste told me. “I shall escort you properly.”

“Ha ha, thanks.”

It was embarrassing to have a younger woman fuss over me like this, but I was like a newborn fawn in these situations. Shueste had the same charming smile she’d been wearing since our first meeting. I would, no doubt, be endlessly grateful for how much that smile would save me today.

I’d spent a lot of time speaking with Shueste these last three days. The topics had ranged from how our lives had gone to the people we knew. Going by simple math, I’d lived over twice the time she had, so I had over twice the stories and had spent over twice the time talking. Thanks to that, I was able to keep my presence of mind when speaking with her now.

The path I’d walked mastering the sword and teaching my many students hadn’t been shallow—I would never claim it had been. That would be an act of betrayal to all those I’d taught thus far. Nonetheless, the breadth of what I’d done and experienced was far narrower than Shueste’s experiences. I’d gotten involved with all sorts of people and incidents since coming to Baltrain, but those were recent events. This time in my life was merely an instant in the microcosm of my existence.

I sighed. “Haaah...”

“What a strange gentleman. Wielding a sword is far more nerve-wracking than an event like this, isn’t it?”

“Ha ha, they’re totally different things.”

“Hee hee, truly?”

I could remember several instances in my life where I’d needed significant resolve while wielding a sword. Still, that wasn’t equivalent to the tension I felt now. They were clearly distinct situations.

“Lady Shueste, Master, thank you for waiting.”

And while I continued pondering such things, someone else entered the room Shueste and I were waiting in. It was another of tonight’s guests of honor, Allucia. It seemed we were going to be the last ones making an entrance.

Allucia...looked so different from normal. I didn’t even get to think before I reacted. My composure lapsed momentarily as she captivated my gaze and took my breath away.

“How beautiful...” I said. “It really suits you.”

“Thank you very much.”

A knight’s formal uniform was their shining silver armor. But this event didn’t concern national affairs, so it demanded an outfit that suited the occasion. Her dazzling, glossy silver hair was tied to the side, and instead of her telltale small braid, it was all intricately braided together. This in itself gave off a very different impression than usual, but the biggest change was her clothing. In complete contrast to Shueste’s blue dress, Allucia wore a long crimson dress. An ocean of deep red highlighted her lithe figure more than usual. To add to that, a deep slit down one side drew out an abundance of her womanly charm.

Crap. How do I even put it? She’s a faultless beauty. I mean, I was already fully aware of this, but this might’ve been the first time I’d ever seen her as a mature woman rather than as one of my pupils. That was how shocking her appearance was.

“Yo, Beryl. Long time no see.”

“Gisgarte... I’m glad to see you in good health.”

The reason I’d managed to peel my eyes away from her was because she wasn’t alone. Gisgarte Flumvelk, Warren and Shueste’s father and my former classmate, had entered the room too. His glossy blond hair hadn’t changed much over the years except for an increased ratio of white. He looked plenty healthy.

“What’s with that lame white hair?” he said.

“Oh, can it. Only part of my bangs have turned. I bet you’re going whiter every year.”

“Shut it, dumbass.”

It was the same kind of silly exchange we’d had decades ago. The former lord of Flumvelk was indisputably of a higher rank than me. It was strange how I didn’t feel the slightest urge to show him any respect. The relationship between fellow students was apparently even more special than the one between an instructor and their pupil.

“But if you’re here, that means...” I muttered.

“Yeah, I’m serving as the knight commander’s escort,” he finished for me. “Being alone looks bad. Warren’s the host and all.”

“I see.”

He had a point. It would be unnatural for Allucia not to have a partner while I had Shueste attached to me. In that respect, Gisgarte was the best choice. He had plenty of status, and the host of this party was Warren, so Gisgarte wasn’t bound by those responsibilities. It was the same logic as Shueste being my partner.

However, perhaps as to be expected, Gisgarte looked refined and full of dignity—unlike me. We’d learned the same swordplay during the same period, so was this a difference in bloodline and education?

“Anyway, I’m guessing you’ll be fine, but I might look totally out of place making an appearance with these two dressed-up beauties...” I mumbled in desperation.

“That’s not true,” Allucia responded crisply. “You look very good too, Master.”

“Th-Thanks...”

“Remember, they say the clothes make the man,” Gisgarte teased.

“Shut it.”

Appearing in front of a bunch of nobles while surrounded by top-class beauties like Allucia and Shueste had me seriously nervous. People were definitely going to give me weird looks, and I had no confidence I could withstand it for long.

Without giving me the time to settle my feelings, a servant came by with a message.

“Lord Gisgarte, Lady Shueste, Lady Allucia, Master Beryl, it is time.”

“Got it,” Gisgarte replied. “All right, shall we?”

With that, we started moving to the large room where the party was being held.

“I-I’m getting pretty nervous...” I grumbled.

“Hee hee, you only need to maintain the minimum level of decorum,” Shueste assured me. “I shall take care of all nuisances.”

“Ha ha ha, how promising...”

Was I even capable of that minimum level of decorum? Shueste had been teaching me a bunch of stuff over these last three days, so I wanted to believe I was going to be fine. Besides, her determination to take on all nuisances was extremely reassuring. A part of me wondered whether it was all right to be fine with that as a grown man, but she and I had lived on different stages. I had to apologize to that part of my pride, but I was going to rely on her immensely.

“Lady Shueste, if you ever determine it is too much to handle, please call me over,” Allucia said. “There are times when people are more docile when not faced with a noble.”

“I will, thank you. If such a case comes up, I’ll be relying on you.”

“And if you can’t be bothered anymore, you can call me too,” Gisgarte joined in. “I’ll boot anyone’s ass out.”

“Jeez, don’t be like that, father.”

There was probably no one attending this party who could outdo the three people with me. That made me feel all the more pathetic. I want to at least get through this party relying only on myself and Shueste. I have to put in some effort.

“It is in here.”

The servant guided us to a heavy door. Straining my ears, I could faintly hear friendly chatting on the other side. A crowd of nobles was likely waiting within.

Oh, crap. I’m even more nervous now. Am I really gonna be okay?

“It’s all right, Master Beryl.”

“Master, there is no need for concern.”

Perhaps sensing my unease, both Shueste and Allucia gave me words of encouragement. I was getting pretty fed up with my timidity, but I could only believe in them and ready myself. Get it together. I’m not crossing blades with the nobles or anything. Nobody is even going to die.

“Announcing Lord Gisgarte Flumvelk, Lady Shueste Flumvelk, Lady Allucia Citrus, and Master Beryl Gardenant!”

The door before us opened and the servant loudly announced our arrival. The hall had been beautifully decorated, and many people with luxurious outfits pierced me with their gazes all at once.

“Ooh, so that’s the famed commander of the Liberion Order. How beautiful...”

“The man next to Lady Shueste... Would that be the rumored special instructor?”

The moment we entered the room, the murmurs began. Most were muttering in a daze at being captivated by Allucia and Shueste, but I could sense eyes and voices appraising me too. Those who’d been invited all possessed status or great authority. Also, they were all dressed to the nines, making everything within my sight far too dazzling. I felt like looking for too long would leave sparkles in my eyes.

Just as I was ready to flee, Shueste whispered, “Master Beryl, simply do as we discussed.”

“R-Right.”

By “do as we discussed,” she meant I should maintain a bright smile, wave my hand lightly, and walk with elegance. As I’d expected to an extent, noble society put a pretty large emphasis on appearance and reputation. If I faltered here, it would apparently be enough to damage my image considerably, and it would definitely be an issue for my reputation to deteriorate before I even said anything. So, I did just as Shueste said, kept my stride graceful, and acted as important as I could.

Things started with a greeting from the evening’s host.

“I must thank you two for making the long journey. Tonight’s event is in gratitude for your achievements. Please enjoy yourselves to your hearts’ content.”

“Thank you for your consideration, Lord Warren.”

After speaking with Warren, it was apparently going to be a free-for-all. Also, since we were now in public, Warren, Allucia, and I were speaking with all due formality. This was only my second time seeing Warren speak like a noble—he looked really good doing it. Was this thanks to Gisgarte’s education? Gisgarte had been a significant rascal during our youth, though.

“I would love to hear tales of your heroism right now, but there are many people gathered here today. Forgive me, but please entertain as many of them as you can.”

“As you wish, my lord.”

Warren was basically telling everyone they were free to do as they pleased from this point onward. Even nobles couldn’t cut the line and talk to the guests of honor ahead of the party’s host. That was why it was necessary for Warren to set the stage.

Man, everything that goes into just one party is such a pain in the ass. Had Shueste not informed me about this stuff beforehand, I would’ve been at a complete loss by now. The aristocratic world really did have an absurd number of rules, and this moment reminded me of how little I wanted to jump into it.

“Then, Master, we’ll part ways for now,” Allucia said quietly.

“Yeah, sure thing,” I acknowledged.

“Just leave things here to me,” Gisgarte added.

We were going to be acting separately from this point forward. Allucia had many connections she needed to make—especially with the number of nobles in attendance whose territories were near the border. She apparently had to use this opportunity to build relations and secretly link up with the lords of this region so that Princess Salacia’s wedding could go smoothly.

I was constantly reminded of how much was demanded of the Liberion Order’s commander beyond just skill with a sword. Not only did she need to manage the order and see to the knights’ training, but she also had to handle many diplomatic matters like this. I could only pray that I’d taken some of the weight off of her shoulders by becoming a special instructor.

“Hi there, Lady Allucia. I see you’ve become even more beautiful since the last time we met.”

“Thank you, Lord Terrence. I’m glad to see you’re in good health too.”

It was only natural for people to gather around a woman of Allucia’s talents, status, and beauty. The moment she split off from me and Shueste, the local nobles started talking to her. But when I took a better look around, I saw a circle forming around me too. I wasn’t going to be able to get out until I talked to all of them. Man, cut me some slack. I could go without this siege.

However, thanks to Shueste taking the role of my escort, I didn’t see too many young women among those encircling us. Many dressed-up women were in attendance, but it seemed they couldn’t find an excuse to come talk to me. Good, good, just stay quiet for the rest of the night and save my heart a ton of stress. Please just let me blend in with the atmosphere... I want this night to end without incident.

“Excuse me, would you be Mr. Beryl? Hmm, you’ve got quite a lot of muscle for how old you appear. I suppose that’s to be expected of the Liberion Order’s special instructor.”

My modest hopes were crushed in an instant. What do I do? Who the heck is this old man? I’m sure he’s a noble, but I’ve got no information beyond that.

Shueste quickly swooped into the conversation. “It has been a long time, Lord Ricanor. Master Beryl is unfamiliar with such social occasions, so please forgive me for responding in his stead.”

“Oh, Lady Shueste. I’m glad to see you’re doing well. Dear me, I should be the one apologizing. I just got so excited that I had to go first.”

Before the confusion could even reach my brain, Shueste was already greeting him. Whew, that really saved me. At least I know his name is Ricanor now. I should be able to hold a conversation from here.

“Please forgive me, Lord Ricanor,” I said. “My lack of education is holding me back from even providing a proper greeting.”

“Ha ha ha, I don’t mind. I don’t recall becoming such a narrow-minded man.”

It was probably quite disgraceful to be unable to react to a greeting—not to mention the fact that the woman accompanying me had needed to step in and smooth things out—but this Ricanor fellow didn’t seem like the type to nitpick about it. I was somehow still okay. I was dealing with a noble though, so there was no guarantee what he was really thinking. I had to remain vigilant.

“Just as you’ve surmised, I am Beryl Gardenant, serving as special instructor for the Liberion Order. Please excuse my ill-mannered display...”

“I really don’t mind. You must be having a hard time with all these people you’ve never met. Oops, on that note, I’m Sullivan Ricanor. I’ve been honored with the title of count and rule the neighboring province of Ricanor. I heard the rumors and simply had to speak with you.”

Ricanor’s smile lacked any trace of malice—he even seemed friendly. He looked around the same age as me, if not a little older, and his elegantly trimmed beard was quite majestic. At a glance, I would describe him as a splendid grandpa with a sorta scary face. Huh, Warren seems to have succeeded his family at an awfully young age. Not that I know the reason Gisgarte yielded the seat to him or anything.

“I have somewhat of a taste for swordsmanship myself,” Ricanor said. “So, what do you think? How do I look by your estimation?”

“You have a solid build. I can imagine how heavy your blows must be.”

“Hmm, is that how it seems? My thanks. It seems it’s still too early for me to retire.”

“Ha ha ha...”

Ricanor took my evaluation with good humor. It was, of course, all flattery, though I wasn’t necessarily lying. He did have a good build for his age, but from the perspective of a swordsman, it wasn’t enough for him to fight on the front lines. Just as he’d claimed, he only had a taste for it. Nobody had anything to gain from my being that honest, though. Skillfully picking only the positives to flatter them, leaving a good impression, and dancing around the issues—it sounded simple on paper, but for a commoner like me, it was a difficult mission.

“At any rate, it must be rare for you to come this far from Baltrain, yes?” Ricanor said. “If you’d like, come visit my lands too. You would always be welcome with open arms.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, thank you.”

“Now, now, Lord Ricanor,” Shueste cut in. “Everyone else is growing dissatisfied with you monopolizing Master Beryl like this.”

“Oops, I suppose you’re right.” He turned to me one last time. “I’d like to have a nice long chat with you if we ever get the chance.”

“Indeed, if the opportunity presents itself,” I responded.

Over the last three days, we’d decided that Shueste would help me start and end conversations—I somehow had to manage the idle talk itself. I’d been invited as a guest of honor, so I couldn’t act like a painting on the wall. It would be far too unnatural for me to attend but refuse to say a word.

So, I had to maintain the bare minimum level of conversation without making any unnecessary commitments. This was pretty hard to accomplish on my own, and that was where Shueste came in. While I talked to nobles, she would create a polite reason to end the conversation and move on to the next person. If she deemed there was no harm to be done, she would let the conversation continue for as long as possible.

I wondered whether it was rude to switch conversation partners so quickly, but in this instance, it wasn’t. Allucia and I were the guests of honor, so there were a ton of people who wanted to speak with us. Anyone who tried to shamelessly stay too long would be on the receiving end of intense envy. It was very unlikely that anyone would be so reckless.

Also, from their perspective, the important part was “I had a face-to-face chat with the Liberion Order’s famed special instructor.” The length of the conversation itself hardly mattered. This was another peculiar noble rule—forming a connection with me was enough to get a passing grade. It also meant that those who were trying to stay too long were very likely plotting something, so I had to be wary around them. It really was a huge pain in the ass. If it’d been my choice, I would’ve eaten what good food I could and gone right back to the villa.

“So that Lord Ricanor was disqualified?” I asked quietly.

“He is a leading proponent for military expansion in this region,” Shueste explained. “He is probably looking for an excuse to invite you into his faction—or to drag you into it.”

“Whaaa...?”

Holy crap.

From our short conversation, I had only seen him as a good-natured old man. I really couldn’t let my guard down. Now that I thought of it, he’d insisted I visit his territory. So that was his ulterior motive? I had to be careful about even the most trivial exchanges, and I couldn’t assent to anything in a way that could be interpreted as a promise. Not even Shueste would be able to negate a promise once made.

I wasn’t even given any time to rest after Ricanor left. This time, a flashy woman in a pompous dress was greeting me.

“Master Beryl Gardenant, it is an honor to make your acquaintance.”

“Ah. Hello, the honor is mine.”

“My, if it isn’t Lady Calatona. Good day to you.”

“Oh dear, Shueste. Good day.”

Lady Calatona was wearing a hat low over her eyes, making it hard to see her face, but based on her glossy scarlet lips and fine skin, it was easy to imagine her beauty.

“Hee hee, I see you’re a far more rustic gentleman than the rumors say,” Calatona remarked.

“Yes. As embarrassing as it is, I was born and raised in the lower class. Please do forgive me...”

There was an elegance to her giggling, and it wasn’t disagreeable in the least. I didn’t know whether this was a trait specific to her or if this was just a universal womanly charm.

“Oh, there’s nothing to forgive,” she said. “Those who live in the genuine pursuit of the military arts are worthy of respect. None would look down on you for it.”

“I’m pleased to hear it.”

Seeing that I was the guest of honor, everyone was starting our conversations under the pretense of being here to help. If this hadn’t been a party of nobles, I would’ve started getting full of myself by now. So, what kind of scheme was this Lady Calatona hiding within that voluptuous chest of hers?

“I haven’t introduced myself yet, have I? I am Count Silverkinson’s eldest daughter, Calatona Silverkinson.”

“Thank you for the courteous introduction. I am Beryl Gardenant, serving as the special instructor for the Liberion Order.”

I had no idea how many times I’d repeated that these last few days. Did I have to do it for every noble in this room? I was starting to feel somewhat dejected.

“Tales of your valor have reached even these remote lands, Master Gardenant. I simply had to try speaking with you.”

“Ha ha ha... It’s an honor, but also rather intimidating...”

Warren had told me about this already, but those “tales of valor” were highly exaggerated. I recognized that the royal assassination attempt some time ago had been a pretty big incident, but I hadn’t made a name for myself there or anything. The incident was considered to have been resolved thanks to the efforts of the Liberion Order as a whole, and it would make far more sense for the commander and her lieutenant to receive all the kudos for it.

Calatona had called this place a remote region. It was pretty far from Baltrain, so it would be strange for only my name to have made it all the way here. This made me suspect that someone had tampered with the information before it could get this far.

“Hee hee. Lady Calatona, what do you think after seeing Master Beryl for yourself?” Shueste asked.

“He’s a splendid gentleman. It’s a wonder someone like him still doesn’t have a partner.”

“Unfortunately not...” I said. “That’s why I have the honor of having Lady Shueste accompany me for the day.”

I’d been waiting for someone to say this. My bachelorhood had been exposed in an instant—Shueste was amazing for having predicted this perfectly. According to her, those who proactively came to speak with me, especially women, would’ve thoroughly investigated me. In these cases, I had to avoid making any favorable replies, and even if we had to force it somewhat, Shueste would take charge and be evasive.

If I responded positively, those trying to court me would come crawling out of the woodwork—so Shueste had said. However, apparently, it was horrible manners to suddenly ask the guest of honor to enter a relationship or to get married on the first meeting. That was why they used roundabout expressions like this. Their scheme was to continue doing it to get a verbal commitment.

If I’d had any interest in finding a wife here, it would’ve been a different matter. But since that wasn’t my goal, I’d been thoroughly warned not to say anything careless. Things were going exactly as Shueste had feared—had I not known about this courting thing beforehand, I was pretty confident I would’ve ended up saying something seriously wrong.

This was especially the case with women of status who were praising me. This technique, of course, tickled the male sensibilities. Without a warning, I would’ve definitely engaged in shy, cordial conversation, and I would’ve ultimately said something careless.

“I am worried about whether I can live up to such a duty as his escort, but Master Beryl is very kind,” Shueste said.

“Oh my. You’re quite the match. It’s very charming.”

Now that Shueste had taken charge of the conversation, I caught my breath. Honestly, this was pretty dangerous. I was filled with a tension that was entirely different from being caught on the back foot in battle.

“Master Gardenant, please do find the time to pay a visit to the Silverkinson province,” said Lady Calatona. “We may not have a city, but the lands are rife with natural beauty, and it is a wonderful place to rest.”

“Thank you. If the opportunity arises, I’ll consider it.”

“Hee hee, I’ll be waiting.”

I dodged Calatona’s invitation. Saying I would go was probably out of the question. That was likely to lead to an immediate formal invitation on paper, cutting off any path of retreat. I’d expected it to a degree, but this was really tough on my nerves. I wanted to go back to clashing swords with my life on the line.

“Lady Calatona, there is someone over there staring at you passionately,” Shueste said, judging Calatona’s time was up. I couldn’t tell if there was actually someone staring.

“Oh dear. Tee hee hee. I’ll have to go keep them company. Then I must bid you farewell, Master Gardenant.”

“It was an honor to speak with you,” I replied. “I hope we get another chance to do so.”

With that, Calatona backed away gracefully.

“Master Beryl, the next one is on the way.”

“Erk... Got it.”

I ended up reacting like Mewi there. Man, this is seriously exhausting. How many more times do I have to go through this? Please have this all end before I let something slip.

“My, my! So you must be the rumored Mr. Beryl! Hmm! Hmmm! You really do look well trained!”

“Oh! It’s good to see you again, Lord Tanmelphit.”

Nobles and influentials came leaping in one after the other. Shueste took care of starting things off, I handled the rain of blows, and then Shueste sent them off. By the time I got to sample the venue’s food, this sequence had been repeated more times than I could be bothered to count.

◇

“Gaaah... I’m beat...”

“Well done, Master Beryl.”

It was late at night, and I was now back at the villa. I’d somehow made it through the entire party. I plopped down on the luxurious sofa in my room, loosened my tie, and tossed it onto a nearby desk. This wasn’t really admirable behavior, but I hoped I could be cut a little slack this time.

This whole evening—while talking to big shots, getting a break, and having some food, and even when it was all over and I was returning to the villa—I’d needed to remain alert for anyone who could be watching. How many people had I even spoken to? I’d stopped counting at twenty.

If I had to guess, I’d exchanged words with pretty much everyone who’d attended. I somewhat remembered those who’d left an impression, but it was useless for me to try to put a name to every face. Even though it was unlikely I would ever meet them again, I wasn’t confident I would be able to react properly if any of them called out to me on the streets by coincidence.

Man, Shueste and Allucia already had all of their names memorized. Are their brains just made different from my commoner noggin?

“Here, would you like some fruit water?” Shueste offered.

“Sure. Thanks, Shueste.”

I accepted the glass and gulped down half of it in an instant. Water mixed with a faint sweetness flowed smoothly down my throat like a stream falling into my stomach.

Whew, that really calmed me down.

I’d had some food and even alcohol at the party, but it was nicer to have refreshments in a relaxing space. Not having to remain unnecessarily tense was great. Plus, I felt I could totally relax around Shueste now. I’d relied almost entirely on her during the party, but in a sense, I felt like we’d become war buddies.

“So...how’d I do?” I asked. “Did I let anything bad slip?”

A part of me wanted to collapse into bed and recover from my mental exhaustion, but the real world didn’t work that way—we had to dive right into a review meeting of how things had gone. If I’d said anything I shouldn’t have, we had to work on countermeasures. It would also be too difficult to do anything after returning to Baltrain. Besides, I would be pretty restless about having left any burning embers behind, so I wanted to put out any potential fires before they started.

“No, I believe it’s all right,” Shueste assured me. “You focused on not making any commitments, so as a whole, I think it wasn’t bad.”

“Is that so? Then that’s good...”

I’d been pretty tense the whole time, but it seemed I’d managed without any major issues. With this, I could finally catch a breath.

And just as I was feeling genuine relief, a knock came at the door.

“Pardon the intrusion. Good job today, Master.”

“Yo...Allucia. Likewise. It was pretty rough, huh?”

“Not a problem. Thank you for your concern.”

For some reason, she was still in the dress she’d worn to the party. I’d figured she would’ve changed out of it by now, so it really threw me off.

“Hmm...”

“Um, Master...?”

“Ah, no, it’s nothing, sorry.”

“Hm?”

Crap, that’s no good. My eyes can’t help but be drawn to her dress. She’d ended up suspecting something because I hadn’t been able to keep myself from staring. Well, getting a look at her again like this, it was clear how beautiful Allucia was. It was a little late to realize this, but the real problem was that I’d known this from the very beginning—I’d gotten used to it.

I’d seen her lightly dressed plenty of times at the training hall, and though I’d never seen her in an immodest state, her skin was a common sight. In truth, even as I looked at her now, I believed she was beautiful. But no matter how dressed up she was, I couldn’t accept my heart quivering at the sight of my pupil. Could I simply attribute it to the excess tension of the situation and the lingering atmosphere of the party? I was probably better off not giving it too much thought.

“M-Master.”

“Hm?”

I somehow managed to pull myself together when Allucia spoke up once more. Her voice wasn’t as gallant as usual. Momentary indecision filled her tone.

“Um... How is it?”

I wasn’t so boorish that I had to ask what she meant.

“I’m pretty sure I told you right from the start... The dress suits you well. It’s like your beauty is polished to an even greater degree than before.”

“Thank you...very much...” Allucia said, bashfully giving me a light bow.

I wasn’t lying. Those words had definitely come from the heart. Still, saying it aloud was extremely embarrassing, and a part of me felt like I had to say it. It was obviously embarrassing for Allucia to ask me about it too. After that, that was the same as implicitly asking for praise.

That was also why it would’ve been lame for me to refuse to say anything after she’d overcome her shame enough to ask. As tiny as it was, I, too, had some pride as a man. Fortunately, there was nobody here to tease me about it. Well, Gisgarte would definitely say something totally unnecessary in a really loud voice, but he wasn’t here, so this kind of exchange with Allucia was possible.

“Lady Allucia, you did very well today,” Shueste said.

“Thank you. Your performance was splendid too, Lady Shueste.”

The two had opened up to each other somewhat, but there still seemed to be a clear wall between them. Well, that was only natural—I wouldn’t normally be able to act so casually with either of them. I had to properly focus on decorum when we were in public.

It made some sense with Allucia because she was my former pupil. I had no such prior relationship with Shueste, however. She was the little sister of one of my old students, so we were technically connected, but I’d only met her three days ago. It was supposed to be my role to show her the utmost respect, but for some reason, she’d refused such treatment. In complete contrast, she was as courteous as possible with me regardless of the time and place.

This would make sense if she demanded the same casual treatment from Allucia, but that wasn’t the case. Only this old commoner was acting casually around the eldest daughter of a margrave’s family. It once more made me wonder whether there was some ulterior motive at play. Not that I had the nerve to ask. It was a little pathetic on my part.

“Anyway, our job here is technically done now...right?”

I brought my thoughts to a stop and decided to start discussing the immediate future. Our job had been to confirm the route for Princess Salacia’s wedding and to lay the necessary groundwork. There hadn’t been any issues on the trip to Flumvelk, and Allucia had made many connections during the party. Next was to bring that information back to the king and report in, marking the end of our mission.

“Yes. The majority of our objectives have been achieved,” Allucia confirmed. “All that’s left is to return, but I doubt there will be any problems.”

“I see. That’s a relief.”

Her opinion of the expedition’s progress was pretty good. I wasn’t capable of properly evaluating it myself, so if she said it was fine, it definitely was. Now, we just needed to go home. Life in the villa wasn’t bad, and a part of me enjoyed the luxuries, but I also felt like getting used to such high standards of living would be bad for me. There was no way I could hire servants in my little house, after all.

“I spoke with Warren—with the margrave,” Allucia added. “The plan is to stay for a few more days before leaving.”

“Why’s that...?”

I’d figured we would be going right back now that the job was done, but it turned out that wasn’t the case. I didn’t mind either way. If anything, I wanted to use this extra leisure time to check out Flumvelk’s taverns. Still, considering the nature of this mission, it was odd that we weren’t returning right away.

“He wants us to oversee the local troops’ training,” Allucia elaborated. “It’s an entirely separate request from the mission, so we’re being compensated for the extra time.”

“I see.”

That made a lot more sense. The Liberion Order’s fame resounded far across the entire kingdom, but they were a small, elite group who rarely left Baltrain, and it was unusual to see them outside the capital. In fact, Allucia had been the first knight of the order to ever visit Beaden.

Warren’s plan was likely to have the provincial army experience the Liberion Order’s strength firsthand to raise their morale and spur their growth. Here in Flumvelk, we were near the border with Sphenedyardvania, so they really needed a strong army.

“If that’s the case, I’ll help out too,” I offered.

“Thank you. Your strength is as reliable as a hundred helping hands.”

“Ha ha ha, thanks.”

This wasn’t the first time I’d been told that. The majority of those who’d polished their skills under my tutelage had a tendency to flatter me like this. However, I’d decided I would no longer act excessively humble when they did. Even if it had only been in a practice bout, I’d defeated my dad. I now believed that I needed to bear the responsibility for that and be confident.

“Oh my, training, is it?” Shueste said. “If it is quite all right with you, may I come and observe?”

“I don’t mind,” I told her. “How ’bout it, Allucia?”

“Not a problem,” she confirmed. “I was already thinking of showing Lady Shueste the pride of the Liberion Order if we had the chance.”

All that was left was to get Warren’s permission, but he was unlikely to object. I hadn’t really gotten much exercise since the beginning of our journey by carriage, so my body was starting to feel a little rusty. At this age, falling out of shape was no laughing matter. It sounded like a great idea to get my exercise in with Sahat and the other soldiers of the provincial army.

“The margrave instructed us to hold nothing back, so please keep that in mind, Master,” Allucia added.

“Got it. Sounds like a plan.”

The order and provincial army served different purposes, but they were still both groups that placed an emphasis on combat ability. Warren understood that well. Guesswork wasn’t enough to get stronger—you had to experience situations for yourself. With that in mind, I was looking forward to this. I was curious about how skilled Sahat was since Warren had talked him up. It was time to see what they were all made of.

◇

Two days after Warren’s party, we now stood before soldiers of Flumvelk’s provincial army. The representatives—Sahat and Allucia—were in the middle of exchanging greetings.

“We are looking forward to training with you today. It is a great honor to be able to cross swords with the famed Liberion Order.”

“Likewise. Let us both strive for further improvement.”

There were approximately sixty soldiers participating in today’s training exercise. From what I’d heard, the provincial army as a whole was made up of eighty soldiers broken up into four twenty-man platoons. That meant one of those platoons was busy and incapable of participating today.

“They’ve all got the right attitude,” I remarked from the side.

All sixty people formed up in front of me wore the expressions of fighters. These weren’t faces you could see from citizens on the street or from militia members who’d only been through a handful of training sessions. I’d been fretting somewhat about a majority of these troops not being particularly motivated for this, but it seemed that had been a needless worry.

“Hee hee. I don’t get many opportunities to see everyone train. I’m looking forward to it.”

Now that the greetings were over, Shueste smiled softly next to me. She’d apparently spoken with Warren yesterday and had gotten permission to observe today’s training. Not only that, Warren wasn’t able to attend, so he’d named Shueste his proxy. Even if their lord wasn’t here, his sister was, elevating the troops’ morale. I was glad to see Shueste’s presence having a positive effect.

“Our lord has commanded us to comply with the Liberion Order in all things for today’s training,” said Sahat. “We look forward to seeing the best you have to give firsthand.”

Allucia nodded. “Understood.”

It seemed we were free to decide today’s menu. Hmm, what to do? I’d thought up several training plans over the last day, but these weren’t knights—they were soldiers of a private army who’d sworn fealty to the local lord. The breadth of their duties was likely subtly different from that of the Liberion Order.

“May I ask a question?” I joined in. At times like these, it was best to honestly get the information you needed.

“Yes, what is it?” Sahat replied, still standing ramrod straight.

“So far as you can share, I’d like you to tell me what your usual duties entail or the kinds of missions you undertake.”

I wanted to know what kind of activities were expected of them in the crucial moments. That would tell me what kind of training they needed to do to prepare for that. This kind of foundation was very important.

To use the Liberion Order as an example, they were expected to guard royalty and nobles, deal with threats that were beyond the capabilities of the royal garrison, and in emergencies, they were given overall charge of the army. So, even though the entrance exams didn’t care about a knight’s origins, the order placed emphasis on etiquette while demanding individual combat strength beyond the average fighter. There was a written component to the exams too, so intelligence and education were important as well.

But that was just the Liberion Order. These weren’t necessarily the qualities demanded by every armed organization. Things would change depending on what Flumvelk’s provincial army primarily focused on.

“Right... We are largely charged with security for our lord’s mansion and the border checkpoint,” Sahat answered. “Other than that, we also take care of harmful animals and monsters. In times of emergency, we are expected to take charge of the militia, lead an evacuation of the populace, and provide disaster relief.”

“I see...”

I was a little surprised by his explanation. These soldiers covered a far wider breadth of duties than I’d anticipated. I’d figured they were no more than an armed force commanded by the local lord, but their job was pretty similar to the royal garrison’s. He hadn’t mentioned it, but they probably also patrolled the streets to maintain public order.

In that case, I was suspicious about whether swinging a sword nonstop would be the right choice. Being able to fight was, of course, important, but I felt like that wasn’t enough on its own. After thinking it over for a bit, I came to my conclusion.

“Okay... Let’s run laps.”

“Wha?”

Sahat made quite the confused noise at that.

“Considering your duties, the most important quality to have is stamina and tenacity. Handling a weapon is a valuable skill, but to lead an evacuation or provide disaster relief, being able to move for extended periods is far more important.”

“That is certainly true, but...”

Despite my explanation, Sahat didn’t look convinced. Rather than being discontent with the training program, he seemed to find it rather anticlimactic. And he had a point—anyone was capable of just running. The same went for both the provincial army and the Liberion Order. However, I knew exactly how much the knights of the order trained with single-minded foolishness. They were all stamina monsters. I wanted the soldiers of the provincial army to see that difference for themselves.

“I acknowledge that just running around won’t be much of a training session,” I added. “Vesper will lead the way. Frau will take up the rear. I want you to keep up with Vesper as best you can without falling behind Frau.”

“So he says,” Allucia chimed in. “Vesper, Frau, are you ready?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Please leave it to me.”

The two knights answered without a moment’s pause. My intentions had gotten across to them with ease. Much like I’d mentioned before, even the individual knights of the Liberion Order had clear differences in ability. However, the fact that they’d been able to join the order in the first place meant they met incredibly high standards.

I wasn’t looking down on Warren’s army or anything. The Liberion Order simply possessed abilities on an entirely different level from the average soldier. This also applied to their fundamental strengths like stamina and running speed.

“We’ll follow up with some training bouts after running,” I said. “But that’s only if you have stamina left after running with Vesper and Frau.”

“Understood...” Sahat acknowledged reluctantly. “Everyone! Ready up!”

The last thing I’d said was meant to light a fire under him. Stimulating someone’s sense of pride was a tried-and-true technique to get them motivated. And with this, Sahat was unlikely to hold back—now that their sergeant was fired up, his subordinates were sure to get serious too.

“As for where to run...” I muttered. “Hmm, the estate’s outer circumference seems about right.”

We were currently in the garden of Warren’s estate. They didn’t have a training hall like the order did, so the soldiers usually trained outside. The fact that dozens of people could gather here without a problem showed just how much wealth the lord of Flumvelk had. This territory was considered the keystone of national defense, so the lord had to put on an impressive display of authority. The outer circumference of such an estate was really long—perfect for running.

“Let’s start with five laps,” I said. “Vesper, the pace is up to you.”

“Acknowledged.”

To be honest, I wanted to run them ragged, but the goal this time around was to train with them, so it would be problematic to totally exhaust them. Warren was probably aiming to elevate his army’s morale and give them experience by having them trade blows with elite knights. Also, it would be somewhat boring to have the Liberion Order come here and do nothing but run around.

“Let’s begin.” Vesper signaled to the others.

“You lot! Lady Shueste is watching!” Sahat shouted. “Don’t fall behind!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Do your best, everyone,” Shueste encouraged.

The group of over sixty people broke into a run with Vesper in the lead. It was quite the sight.

“Now then, let’s see what the provincial army is made of,” Allucia said, remaining by Shueste and me at the gate. I wasn’t really sure it was right to make Shueste wait by the gate like this with nothing to actually watch. I felt a little sorry about it.

I shrugged. “I doubt Vesper will dash ahead too recklessly. I wonder how it’ll turn out.”

“Um... Will simply running around show that much of a difference?” Shueste asked.

“Hm? Yeah, sure will,” I answered.

People’s stamina tended to vary, and this made quite a difference. The same applied to muscle strength and tenacity. Your athleticism developed to a completely different extent depending on how much of a burden you placed on your body on a daily basis. In all likelihood, there was a significant gap in the standards expected by the order and the provincial army.

The same went for running. The Liberion Order’s standard for speed and stamina was on a different level. Running continuously at a pace you weren’t used to was tremendously exhausting.

“Oh, they’re coming back around.”

While I chatted with Shueste, the leading group was already on their way back to the gate. As expected, Vesper was still in the lead. I only caught a glimpse as he ran by, but he had plenty of composure left.

“Ugh...!”

A few seconds later, Sahat ran by. Being a few seconds behind after the first lap was a pretty bad sign. His stamina would hold out a while longer, but I could see that the constant speed he was capable of was lower than Vesper’s. If he tried forcing himself to keep up, I wasn’t sure he would even last the full five laps.

“Hah! Hgggh...!”

“W-Wait for us, Sergeant...!”

A few seconds behind Sahat, a surging crowd of provincial soldiers rushed by. Talking is just gonna make you guys more tired... Still, they would need to shout while being physically active during disaster relief efforts or leading an evacuation, so maybe this was good practice.

Several seconds behind the crowd of soldiers, Frau brought up the rear in silence, her expression completely unchanging. She still had plenty of stamina left too. At this pace, the five laps were going to end quickly.

“Okay then...shall you and I loosen up a bit too?” I asked.

“Yes,” Allucia agreed.

After the knights and soldiers were done running, we would all be training with our swords, so Allucia and I couldn’t just stand still this whole time—we needed to warm ourselves up. After all, making abrupt movements at my age without stretching wore out the body.

“Mr. Beryl, the five laps you ordered have been completed.”

“Mm, good job.”

Around the time Allucia and I were done stretching and getting ready for training, Vesper and the provincial soldiers finished their assigned laps. Vesper was breathing a little hard, but he was still nowhere close to worn out. He’d properly preserved his stamina. I wouldn’t have expected anything less.

“Pwah...!”

In contrast, Sahat, who’d doggedly stuck to Vesper’s heels until the end, looked to have expended himself considerably. It was the beginning of autumn but still warm enough outside to get hot if you moved around enough. Running continuously at an unfamiliar speed in these conditions was very tiring. Still, it was admirable that he didn’t voice any complaints. His guts lived up to Warren’s high appraisal.

“Frau, how many did you pass?” Allucia asked from a small distance away.

“Eighteen, commander.”

Of the sixty provincial soldiers, eighteen had fallen behind the end of the line. Quite honestly, more had persevered than I’d expected. Many of the soldiers were gasping for breath now that the five laps were over, but they’d still had the tenacity to keep up with Vesper and Frau’s pace to the end. It was proof that Warren and Sahat trained them properly.

“Okay, now that we’re all warmed up, let’s get to some practice bouts...” I said. “Do you need a rest first?” I asked.

“No... We’re fine...!”

Despite the state everyone was in, Sahat insisted that they didn’t need a break. He really did have guts. Several provincial soldiers were sitting on the ground, but it wasn’t like we could cross swords with all of them at once. They could catch their breath while they waited in line.

“Right, for this drill, we’ll have the four of us in a line,” I said. By the four of us, I meant Allucia, me, Vesper, and Frau. “You guys can line up for each of us and have a go one at a time. You’re free to queue up for whoever you want to face.”

“Understood.”

When training adults who had some experience with fighting, you didn’t start with practice swings. This was especially the case for career soldiers—nobody wanted to start from there. So, we had our four instructors line up to cross blades with the soldiers at their own pace. There were significant gaps in technique, even among individual knights, so I wanted the soldiers to properly experience that too.

“Lady Shueste, please step back a little so that you’re out of harm’s way,” I warned.

“Very well.”

It would be no joking matter if we accidentally hurt Shueste, so I had her step back. Since the others were watching, I couldn’t act casually around her like I did in private. I’m still not used to adjusting my behavior at the drop of a hat like this.

Actually, it’s a little late to say anything, but I completely took over the training menu. Is this really all right? Well, whatever. Allucia isn’t saying anything. She was sure to comment if I was doing something stupid, so I decided to just do as I wanted until she did. And anyway, I was serious when it came to teaching.

“For now, here’s the goal: Everyone should have a bout with each instructor before calling it quits. After that, we’ll determine the rest of the training based on the time and everyone’s remaining stamina.”

There were sixty provincial soldiers, so by simple math, that meant each instructor would be repeating a one-on-one sixty times. Even if they were all separate engagements, that was pretty rough. Still, it wasn’t like we were going to be spending several minutes on each one, so it was probably going to be fine.

“However, let’s limit it to ten strikes each. There’s no point dragging things out too long.”

“Understood.”

Just in case, I set a limit for each exchange. Allucia and I would be fine either way. This was somewhat rude to Vesper and Frau, but they were a little behind in terms of skill. They weren’t going to lose in a straight fight against the provincial soldiers, but they’d just finished running laps. If they used up too much stamina now, they were liable to mess up.

“Okay, everyone line up.”

We four formed a line—we held the wooden swords provided to us by the provincial army at the ready. At times like these, you would think people would be ready to yield who got to go first to each other, but it was a good indication that they all completely ignored such niceties and scrambled to go first. Making concessions wasn’t a warrior’s way.

Just as I’d expected, the first lines were clearly lopsided. Allucia’s was the most popular by a large margin. Around half of the soldiers were in the queue for her, while the rest were spread out evenly in front of me, Vesper, and Frau. This was only natural considering her established reputation.

“Let’s begin. Everyone ready?”

“Ready and willing!” the soldiers responded in unison.

Mm-hmm. That’s the spirit. Looking good.

“Mr. Beryl. A match, if you please.”

“Got it. Come at me however you want.”

As everyone got started with their own bouts, the first to face me was Sahat. I’d figured he would go straight for Allucia, so this was a little unexpected. Well, he was probably thinking, I’m gonna see what this old fart with a weird title can do! Of course, I had absolutely no intention of losing, but I was pretty curious to see how skilled the sergeant major was.

“Here I come!”

The moment we both took a stance, Sahat charged in.

Mm. Not a bad lunge. A nice, sharp step. His speed is so-so.

Just from the initial movement, I could tell that his title wasn’t just for show. However, Henblitz was faster in every respect.

“Hup.”

“Gh...! Whoa?!”

I entangled his blade with mine as he swung down vigorously. Branch breaker was a technique from my dojo, so I took pride in it, but even if it hadn’t been, I would still think it was a marvelous technique. Not even Henblitz had been able to handle it upon first witnessing it, so it was inevitable for Sahat to lose his balance and pitch forward.

“That’s one.”

I pressed my wooden sword against the back of his neck as he fell forward. Had this been a real fight, his head would have already parted ways with his body.

“Ugh...!”

“Whoa there. We’ve got a queue waiting. If you want to go again, get back in line.”

Shock and regret were clearly evident in his expression. He was ready to launch himself at me again right away. In a normal one-on-one training session, I would’ve welcomed it, but there were a fair number of soldiers waiting behind him who wanted a match with me. I couldn’t show him partiality.

“Understood... I’ll get you next time,” he relented.

“Mm. That’s the spirit. Don’t ever forget it.”

Wanting to win the next time was very important for any warrior—you could say it was indispensable. It was naturally rare to get a second chance in a real battle, but if you didn’t treat training seriously, you were definitely going to freeze up during the real thing. On that point, Sahat was a splendid swordsman.

“Okay, next.”

“Yes! I look forward to your guidance!”

The young man lined up behind Sahat greeted me energetically. He looked a little younger than his sergeant. On the whole, it seemed these soldiers were about the same age as the knights of the order. In groups like these, having only youngsters meant a lack of leadership, but having only veterans was no good either. In that sense, the provincial army was well-formed. Maybe it was important for the person on top to know a thing or two about swordsmanship.

“Ready!” the soldier cried out.

“Show me what you’ve got.”

And as I pondered such things, my opponent charged in vigorously. I could use branch breaker again to intercept him, but it was uninspiring to do the same thing over and over. I was confident in my technique, but I didn’t like the idea of being thought of as a one-trick pony.

Was my perception changing now that I was able to think this way? Before, I’d never really cared about how others perceived me. It was like my brain was finally starting to come to terms with my title as special instructor for the Liberion Order. Was that process granting me a little confidence too? I would never claim to be the strongest, but I refused to lose so easily. I also somewhat hated the idea of being seen as no big deal.

“Haaah!”

My opponent attacked with a thrust. He’d probably judged a swing was a poor choice after watching Sahat’s match. A thrust was indeed difficult to parry compared to a slash. It was just hard to see its trajectory. However, for me, it was only difficult at speeds Allucia and Surena could achieve.

“Hmph!”

“Whoa?!”

I swayed my upper body to dodge the thrust, took half a step back, and swung my sword down. This was serpent lash, the defensive technique I’d used to take down the saberboar boss. I could convert the momentum of falling back into an attack, making it a technique that suited my style—it was on par with branch breaker. I brought my wooden sword to a stop right above my opponent’s shoulder, and as if in concert with my movement, the soldier came to a sudden halt.

“I-I lose...”

“Thanks. Your thrust is pretty fast, but you always have to think about the next step when wielding a sword.”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

My opponent bowed, and with that, the match was over. It was important to challenge a foe with the intention of ending things in one blow, but there were no guarantees in swordplay. If anything, fighting was about knowing that any single strike could be your last. It was pretty rough if you couldn’t reconcile your frame of mind with reality. I hoped this young man could learn a lesson from this.

“Okay, next!”

“Yes, sir!”

As I faced my next opponent, a thought came to mind. Considering Sahat’s and the other soldier’s skill, everyone else was probably somewhere around that level. In that case, I could probably beat them all in a single exchange, but doing only that was questionable as a teacher. Being merciless with the knights’ training was fine, but I wasn’t going to continue looking after these soldiers. This was pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime encounter for them, so maybe it was better to take that into consideration.

Hmm, at times like these, it’s best to look to someone else for reference. So, while getting into a fighting stance, I stole a glance at Allucia.

“Thank you. Next.”

“Here I go! Ha...ah?”

“Next.”

Instant death for all. I guess that’s fine...?

◇

“That brings today’s training to an end.”

“Thank you for your guidance!”

Our time spent crossing swords with the provincial soldiers had gone by without a hitch. As we wrapped things up, the sun was high and dipping into the western sky. We could technically keep going until nighttime, but there wasn’t much point to training until everyone dropped. The main focus of Warren’s request had been to show them the difference in skill, not to drill them hard.

So, we spent some of their stamina but left them with enough energy to be able to review and reflect on how things had gone. This was the best choice for a once-in-a-lifetime training session.

In the end, Allucia had gone through the most bouts by far, but she’d also been the fastest with each bout by a tremendous margin. She’d mercilessly struck everyone down immediately, so she’d processed her queue at an abnormal rate. Pretty much no one had gotten a chance at a second strike, let alone our ten-strike limit.

I’d dealt with some opponents the same way, but for those in whom I’d seen some potential, I’d kept them company for three or four blows. Sahat had naturally been one such soldier. He was a good swordsman, and since he was still in his early thirties, he had plenty of room to grow.

In that sense, putting a damper on his initial enthusiasm had worked out well. Having confidence wasn’t a bad thing, but arrogance could cause you to develop poorly. I’d ended up knocking Sahat down eight times over the course of this training session—he’d apparently had his sights stubbornly fixed on me alone. I’d welcomed an opponent with a backbone and had gladly accepted his challenges, but by the last bout, he’d been completely worn out, and his willpower had finally caved. His tenacity was intense. I hoped he could use this experience as nourishment to flourish as a sergeant and grow even more.

“Well done, everyone,” Shueste said, wrapping things up as Warren’s proxy. “I expect all of you to use this experience as an opportunity to aim for even greater heights.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

I’d wondered whether watching our whole session would bore her. It was rather impressive that she’d stayed here patiently until the end. Unlike Gisgarte and Warren, she knew nothing about fighting, so she likely hadn’t been able to follow every detail of these training bouts. And yet, she hadn’t looked bored for a single moment—she’d stared seriously at the training the whole time. In a different way from Warren, she had the qualities of a splendid leader.

Sahat spoke up as the representative of the provincial soldiers. “I must truly thank you for your guidance today. We will use this experience to train even harder. Now then, if you’ll please excuse us.”

With that, the provincial soldiers dispersed. At a glance, very few of them had looks of resignation in their eyes. The vast majority were filled with motivation. By having the elite Liberion Order focus on them, their pride had been stimulated. And frankly, if this training session had been enough to break them, then they unfortunately weren’t fit to be warriors. There would be a better job out there for them than being a soldier.

“Okay then... That marks this request as complete, right?” I said.

“It does,” Allucia agreed. “All that is left is to get everything ready for our return to Baltrain.”

With that, our work in Flumvelk was finally over. Well, training the provincial army had technically been Warren’s personal request. Our official business for this expedition had concluded two days ago. We still had to make the return trip, but since I’d come so far from home, I wanted to enjoy the local cuisine. That said, my name and face were well-known in this region now, so I only wanted to do it if I could go outside casually. It was quite the conundrum, as was the fact that I didn’t have much time left to worry about it.

Bringing Allucia, Warren, or Shueste along would probably make things even worse. There was no telling what kind of people would swarm around us if I were accompanied by people who were even more famous than me. Besides, if I brought someone along, I would end up having to take the lead. This was especially the case with Allucia and Shueste.

That brought up an entirely different problem: I knew nothing about this region. I didn’t even know where the restaurants were, let alone any good ones. How could I be an escort like that? Above all else, I didn’t really like eating in a strained atmosphere. I just wanted to enjoy the local ale while relaxing at a cheap tavern meant for the masses, but that definitely wasn’t the kind of place to bring someone from the upper class.

All the food we’d received at the villa had been delicious—the alcohol too—but it was all fancy stuff and quality wine. I wanted to bite into some average cuts of meat and chug down some cheap ale.

“Haaah... I guess I’ll think about it after cooling off...” I muttered.

“I believe that is for the best. Allow me to have a bath prepared for you.”

“Mm. Thanks, Shueste.”

I was truly grateful. Baths were nice. It was far too expensive to have one built inside my house, along with other logistical problems. They were apparently pretty common in places like the palace and a noble’s mansion, though. Our current lodging was naturally equipped with one too.

A bath was exceptionally effective at relieving fatigue. There was a clear distinction between this and a steam bath or wiping down with a wet towel. It was like all the day’s fatigue melted away into the water. However, getting used to this lifestyle would be problematic once I was back in Baltrain. I had to keep reminding myself to keep things in moderation. Again, all of this was quite the conundrum.

If possible, I would’ve liked to get in a bath every day, but it would cost a ridiculous amount to do so back home. Not even the order’s office had a bath. It was possible Lucy had one, but visiting a woman’s house just to ask to get in the bath was seriously out of the question.

“Something on your mind?” Allucia asked.

“Hm? Aah, not really...”

I couldn’t go to her about a problem like this. She had a tendency to do everything in her power to grant even my most trivial requests. It was frightening to think about how quickly she would get everything ready if I let the wrong thing slip. To add to that, I didn’t really want to proactively increase my fame, but she was all for it.

Nonetheless, I felt compelled to voice a small, selfish request. “I was just thinking about how I’d like an ale every now and then.” I doubt this will be enough to make Allucia go wild.

“I see. In that case, how about asking the margrave or Lady Shueste to send for some?”

“Huh? That’s possible?”

I hadn’t expected to get a realistic suggestion. My commoner’s brain hadn’t even thought of being able to have some delivered. But was that really all right? Having spent the last few days here, I knew how much thought the cooks were putting into the meals they made for us. It would be pretty rude to say I was pining for some cheap ale and meat.

“It should be possible,” Allucia said. “There are times when the food served for important guests doesn’t suit their palates.”

“Gotcha...”

Now that she mentioned it, that made perfect sense. It was entirely possible for a VIP to dislike the food being served to them. The more important the guest, the less you wanted to displease them with their meals. In that case, maybe I could get some ale. And if they told me I wasn’t important enough to make such an order, I could just back down.

“Master Beryl, Lady Allucia, the bath will be ready in thirty minutes,” Shueste reported. She’d come back from issuing orders to the servants.

“Thanks... And sorry, can I make one more selfish request?” I asked.

“Yes, ask for anything you desire.”

I got right to it. If it was too hard to fulfill, I was ready to back down immediately. I wasn’t childish enough to throw a tantrum over it.

“I was hoping to sample some of Flumvelk’s ale today... Can I?” I asked hesitantly.

“My, is that so? Understood, I’ll have some prepared immediately.”

“Th-Thanks...”

“Please wait a moment.”

Thanks, Shueste. Looks like I’m gonna sleep well tonight. After accepting my request, she quickly went down the hallway, flagged down a servant who’d been watching from a distance, and relayed what I wanted.

“You there, prepare ale for tonight’s dinner. Be sure that the food served goes well with it too. Oh yes, gather several types while you’re at it. Hurry.”

“As you wish, my lady,” the servant said before walking off briskly.

She said “gather several types”—does that mean I get to compare the local ales? You’re getting an old man excited here. And even the food is being changed to match? Man, I’m really looking forward to this.

“Seriously, thank you,” I said. “And sorry for the weird self-indulgence...”

“Think nothing of it,” Shueste told me. “It is my duty to entertain you to the best of my abilities.”

I truly couldn’t ask for more. I could never thank her enough for it. During this expedition, the person I was most indebted to was definitely Shueste. Warren and Gisgarte had done their best to make all sorts of preparations for me, but that had been more about the big picture. When it came down to my personal surroundings, I was most grateful to Shueste.

“Oh man, I’m suddenly really looking forward to tonight,” I said.

Shueste smiled. “Hee hee, I’m glad to hear it.”

After getting a refreshing soak in the bath, I was going to enjoy the local ales and delicious food to go with it. Not only that, it wouldn’t even be a drain on my wallet. It was a ridiculous luxury—perhaps the greatest of my life.

I did have a few things to say about my life taking this turn—I was at a point where I could experience such luxuries. However, my mind was far more focused on having to put in the work to continually earn this privilege. Was this also a change in my frame of mind? I wanted to believe it was for the better.

“You too, Allucia,” I said. “Thanks for coming up with a recommendation for this old man’s whim.”

“Think nothing of it,” she responded, smiling gently. “So long as you’re satisfied, Master.”

During this entire expedition, Allucia hadn’t once grimaced over her many duties—not that she ever did. It must’ve been a tremendous burden on her back, even if she wasn’t letting it show.

“Oh yeah,” I said. “Shueste, will there be a good amount of ale coming?”

“Yes. I believe we should be able to procure a satisfactory amount. Why do you ask?”

It’s only right to reward such a hard worker, even if just a little.

“Allucia, if it’s fine with you, will you keep me company? It’s been a while since we’ve had a drink together.”

“Ah! Yes! Yes!” she exclaimed. “I’ll gladly accompany you!”

“Great. Thanks.”

It was a little too early to celebrate the mission’s success, but we could probably be forgiven for the slightly festive mood. Now that everything was decided, it was time to drink the night away with Allucia. I was ready to let loose to my heart’s content—while being somewhat careful of getting a hangover.

◇

“Your Excellency, we are truly grateful for all you have done for us during our stay. Allow me to express my thanks once more.”

“It was nothing. We were the ones to summon you here, after all.”

Three days after our training exercise with the provincial army, it was finally time to say our farewells to Flumvelk and return to Baltrain. We could’ve departed yesterday, but we had taken Warren and Shueste’s kind offer to lounge around for an extra day. The night before, Allucia and I had drunk a little too much, and we hadn’t really been in any condition to do anything, which had led to this delay. Nobody needed to know that, though.

“Were you able to fully enjoy yourselves?” Warren asked.

“Of course,” Allucia answered. “It was only for a short while, but it was absolutely blissful.”

“I am glad to hear it.”

All of us were currently in front of Warren’s estate. We were in public, so the two of them had their public personas on. We had indeed enjoyed ourselves fully. Warren had provided us with all the care we could’ve ever needed. His treatment of us had been exactly what was to be expected of a noble receiving a guest of honor. It had been my first time being treated like that—I wasn’t aware of any other standards for nobles hosting guests, but I still couldn’t imagine anything more luxurious.

“Sahat, they’re in your hands all the way to the border,” Warren said.

“Yes, sir! Please leave it to me.”

Sahat, his subordinates, and the soldiers of the royal garrison who’d acted completely independently of us since entering Flumvelk were all here too. Zed and his subordinates had been staying at an inn Warren had prepared for them, so I had no idea what they’d been up to this whole time. If I had to guess, they’d been frequenting the local taverns or something. I’m a little jealous. I decided to ask them about it later if I got the chance to.

“Oh yes, Mr. Beryl. May I have a moment of your time?” Warren asked.

“Yes, my lord,” I replied, coming out of my daze a beat late at the unfamiliar term of address from Warren. “What is it?”

He began walking away from the others. This seemed to be something he didn’t want everyone else to hear.

“How was Shueste?” he asked quietly once we were out of earshot.

I wasn’t sure what he was getting at. My answer was pretty obvious.

“She’s a really good girl,” I said, keeping my voice down as well. I couldn’t let the others hear what I was saying or how casual I was being with Warren. “I’m really grateful for all she’s done. You’ve got an adorable little sister. Treat her well.”

Shueste really was a great girl. She was well-educated, charming, and very attentive. She could hold her head high as the eldest daughter of House Flumvelk. That was my impression of her from our very first meeting, and it hadn’t changed at all. If anything, it’d improved day by day.

Warren had called her an inept sister who’d missed her chance at marriage, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Given her amazing qualities, it was suspicious that she hadn’t been blessed with any marriage proposals.

Maybe they were having a hard time finding someone of high enough class to marry her. I understood this was a factor when it came to nobles and royalty, but having witnessed her character up close, I hoped she would find someone to build a happy family with.

“Thank goodness...” Warren said. “So how about it? Wanna just take her home with you?”

“D-Don’t be an idiot!” I accidentally blurted somewhat loudly.

Seriously, don’t be so stupid. What’s this old man gonna do? Just take a noble’s young daughter home? You’re gonna start some kinda scandal. Maybe he’s trying to palm Shueste off on me...? No way. That’s out of the question. I may be a somewhat accomplished swordsman, but I’m a born-and-raised commoner from the sticks. My market value is nowhere near that high. Oh. But I guess a bunch of young noble ladies did approach me just the other day at the party. Does that mean my market value has actually shot up a bunch without me knowing it?

“Make sure you find a suitable partner for her,” I said.

“Yes, I understand. Until next we meet, Master.”

“Yeah. Thanks for the hospitality.”

It was no good. I wasn’t going to get anywhere thinking about it. So, my only response was to wish her a happy future. That was how I truly felt, anyway. Shueste was a fantastic host. We’d been her brother’s guests of honor, so she’d had to remain professional during our entire visit. Despite this, she hadn’t grimaced a single time and had provided us with the greatest of hospitality. That was no small feat.

If all of that was a mask she wore over her emotions, I’d been too ignorant to see through it. And if she had such skills, she would surely be able to capture a groom with ease. That was exactly why I wanted her to be blessed with someone around whom she could just be herself—at least in private. That was truly what I wished for her.

“Lord Warren, it has been a pleasure.”

“Indeed. May you stay in good health, Mr. Beryl.”

With our private talk over, we were back to being a special instructor and a margrave. In all likelihood, I wasn’t going to see much of Warren again for the rest of my life. Not only did we live too far away from each other, but the worlds we lived in were completely different. It was possible I would see him again during another event like this, but such a thing was sure to be a rarity.

That made me a little lonely. I didn’t feel the slightest desire to bind my former pupils to my life, but... Their absence in my life does come with a certain feeling of solitude. I hope I can be forgiven for that selfishness.

“We’re departing!”

And with Zed’s command—something I hadn’t heard for a while—the royal garrison got moving with the carriages in tow. Much like on the way here, I was riding inside a carriage the whole way. I wasn’t quite in a casual sightseeing mood, but having experienced this road once already, it was a little more relaxing than our departure from Baltrain.

“Master, what did Warren say?” Allucia asked once we were on the move.

“Hm? Aaah...”

Uhhh, should I answer honestly? I’m not quite sure.

“He asked what I thought about Shueste,” I said innocuously. “I told him she’s a good girl.”

“I see...” Allucia responded after a pause.

She could probably guess there’d been more to it than that, but she wasn’t the type of person to pry. What Warren had discussed with me was something I was ready to take to my grave. I couldn’t think of any circumstance that would require me to dig it back up.

“Master, thank you very much for accompanying me on this expedition,” Allucia said, naturally shifting the topic to our whole reason for being here. “We still haven’t left Flumvelk, but allow me to thank you for a job well done.”

“Likewise. The mission isn’t over until we’re back, but you did great.”

“You honor me with such praise.”

It was still a little early to celebrate, but Allucia had played a major role and had played it well. Every obstacle for our secret mission had been cleared already, so all that was left was to get back home.

“Vesper, Frau, the two of you also accomplished your duties admirably,” Allucia continued. “Well done.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“Your praise is more than we deserve. It was simply our duty as knights.”

To put it bluntly, these two had just tagged along for the mission—they’d played a very minor role. Allucia was probably capable of performing the necessary tasks for this trip all on her own. However, considering the special nature of this mission, there’d been a need for a retinue. Publicly, it had been an invitation from a margrave to a party, and they’d given their all to ensure its success despite the nature of the job. They hadn’t stood out whatsoever, but their work had truly been admirable.

Had Curuni and Evans been in their place, I doubted things would’ve gone so smoothly, so Vesper and Frau had been the right choices for this mission. They’d stepped forward when needed, and when they hadn’t been needed, they’d vanished into the background. That sounded very simple, but few people were capable of doing it so thoroughly. Indeed, they were splendid knights who were faithful to their duty.

“Platoon, halt!”

“Hm?!”

A short time after we got moving, a sharp yell rang out, and the carriage came to a sudden stop. I peeked out to see what was going on and spotted a figure running toward us from the rear.

Huh? Isn’t that Shueste? What’s she doing? Did something happen?

“Lady Shueste! Is something the matter?!” Sahat shouted, turning pale as he went to greet her.

“Haah... Haaah... Forgive me, I wish to speak with Master Beryl.”

She apparently had business with me. I was slightly anxious that I’d committed some kind of horrible blunder.

“Master... You should step outside.”

“R-Right.”

It would be extremely impolite to stay inside the carriage with Flumvelk’s eldest daughter calling for me. I didn’t know what she had to say, but I steeled myself for the worst and climbed out of the carriage.

Shueste looked out of breath. The gazes I was getting—particularly from the provincial soldiers—were pretty intense. They suspected me of having done something. We’d crossed blades for a whole day, but you could also say that was all our acquaintance amounted to. It was obvious who they treated with more respect when the options were the little sister of the lord they’d sworn fealty to and an old man who’d come out of nowhere.

“Lady Shueste, is something the matter?” I asked.

We were completely surrounded, so I couldn’t act casually around her. If I did, the provincial soldiers were sure to become my enemy. It was a pretty tense moment.

“Forgive me for calling you to a stop when you were already on your way back,” Shueste said. “I wanted to give you this.”

“This is...”

With that, she handed over the object in her arms. It was a small picture frame with a beautiful arrangement of flowers pressed within it.

“I finally completed it,” Shueste said. “I made use of the flowers from the garden. I wanted to be sure to give it to you before you left.”

“Thank you very much...”

A crowded assortment of colorful flowers was pressed within the frame—the same flowers I’d seen while spending time with Shueste in the courtyard. However, they didn’t look cluttered or cramped in there. I could see they’d been spread out with careful calculation. I didn’t know much about the fine arts, so I had no idea whether this had any monetary value. It’d all come from the garden, so it probably didn’t.

But that wasn’t the important part. I had no idea why she had to go out of her way to chase us down—just to hand over this gift.

“Why...go through all this effort?” I asked.

“Hee hee. Because I wanted to make it and hand it to you directly,” she answered. “Master Beryl, is that not enough of a reason?”

“It’s more than enough... I’ll gratefully accept it.”

“Wonderful. Please decorate your home with it.”

As usual, her smile was overflowing with charm. However, I could see a certain sense of satisfaction behind her expression. She’d clearly done something she’d wanted to do. Perhaps she’d decided to be a little more honest with her desires. When there was something she wanted to do, she would see it through to the end. It was simple to put into words, but unexpectedly difficult to put into practice.

Naturally, this time, it had amounted to nothing more than wanting to make a pressed flower arrangement with her own hands. However, from her perspective, it had definitely been an expression of her selfish desires. That conversation we’d had in the courtyard had probably given her the push she’d needed. This was a good thing, in my opinion. At the very least, I wanted to be someone who could see it that way.

“Lady Shueste, please continue to exhibit your selfish desires to those around you. In a way that doesn’t inconvenience others, of course.”

“Yes, I plan to. If anyone says anything, I’ll blame you for it. There is no need for concern, Master Beryl.”

“That is quite a frightening thought. It seems I’ll be lying awake at night in fear of the margrave’s wrath for days to come.”

Shueste smiled. “Oh my. Tee hee hee.”

She and Warren were sure to have minor quarrels from this point onward. I could easily picture her expression when making bold yet careful requests and Warren racking his brain over what to do. If taken too far, it would reflect poorly on their family name, but I doubted Shueste was one to mistake where to draw a line. Her life was sure to have just a little more color than before, while also being just a little more turbulent. That’ll be a good thing for her. These pressed flowers were proof that she was starting to break out of her shell—I was going to cherish this present dearly and put it up proudly in my home.

“Forgive me for detaining you,” Shueste said. “I’ll pray for your safe return.”

“Thank you very much. I can think of no better support than yours, Lady Shueste.”

With that final farewell, Shueste gave me a lovely bow and turned on her heels. Watching this in a fluster, Sahat had one of his soldiers escort her back to the mansion. No matter how short a distance it was, he couldn’t let her go alone.

It was possible the provincial soldiers would also end up being at the mercy of her whims in the future, and I could only offer them my condolences in that regard. It was a part of their duty, so they just had to hang in there.

Once more, I was stuck getting showered in strange gazes from all the provincial soldiers as I got back into the carriage. I get it. You guys have no idea how you should be looking at me. I don’t know how to act either. I picked up the pace, trying to take cover in the carriage as quickly as I could.

“Whew...”

“You seem to be getting along rather well,” Allucia commented immediately.

“I-Is that so...? Ha ha ha...”

She was smiling gently, but I felt significant pressure emanating from her. Vesper and Frau were melting away into the background, refusing to poke the tiger.

“Oh yeah, are we taking the same route back?” I asked to change the topic.

We probably were, but I’d had absolutely nothing to do with any of the planning on this expedition, so I wasn’t sure where we were going.

“It’ll largely be the same, but we’ll be dropping by one or two territories we didn’t have time to visit on the way here.”

“I see.”

There’d been a clear time limit on our journey here. We couldn’t have missed Warren’s party, after all. It would’ve been no laughing matter if the guests of honor had been absent. We had arrived three days before the party, but that could only be taken into consideration in hindsight. Putting together a schedule with some leeway in it was one of the most basic skills involved in planning a trip.

In contrast, there was no real time limit for our return. Staying away indefinitely would be problematic, but I doubted we were going to delay our return by several weeks. At the very least, there were still nobles we had to meet with face-to-face in order to make Princess Salacia’s wedding a complete success.

“I’d like to congratulate us on a job well done...but I guess it’s not over yet, huh?” I said.

If there were still places we’d yet to visit, that meant we had to meet more nobles. I was starting to get used to it, but it was still pretty rough for me.

“Yes. But haven’t you gotten somewhat accustomed to it, Master?” Allucia remarked.

“Compared to when we’d just left Baltrain, yeah...but it still makes me nervous.”

I was nothing more than a commoner, so I got anxious whenever I met any VIP. Well, at least it’s going to end in a few more days.

There were only four people in the carriage right now. It was the first time I could relax my focus in quite a while. Nobody could fault me for zoning out a bit.

“Hwaaah...” I yawned, somewhat embarrassingly.

“Hee hee, it’s all right for you to get some sleep,” Allucia told me.

“Hmm... In that case, I’ll take you up on that...”

I’d gotten more than enough sleep during our stay at the villa, but maybe I’d been a little tense the whole time. It would be problematic to be sleepy when meeting these other nobles, so I decided to go ahead and take a nap.

I listened to the rhythmic clop, clop and thud, thud of the horses and soldiers marching along. Gradually, my consciousness faded away.

“Master. Please wake up, Master.”

“Mm...”

I was being shaken by something other than the rocking carriage, and I heard a voice calling me. My hazy consciousness slowly came back. My eyes cracked open, and I saw Allucia peering down at me from close up.

“Sorry... How long have I been out?” I asked.

“Not that long, but we will be exiting Flumvelk shortly.”

“I see. Got it.”

I slapped my cheeks lightly to wake myself up. I really had fallen asleep with surprising ease. I didn’t think I’d been that tired, but with all that had happened lately, perhaps I’d been pretty mentally exhausted.

“Whoa... It’s not good to sleep while sitting...”

I stretched my back and shoulders as I woke up, forcing my stiffened joints to loosen up—they emitted some pretty unpleasant noises. Napping in a weird posture had caused my muscles to lock up in strange ways. Sleeping like that really is bad for you. Back in the day, it hadn’t mattered at all, but now, there was no winning against my aging body. All of us in the carriage were swordsmen, but I doubted Allucia, Vesper, or Frau could understand. They were all still very young. Things only got worse midway through your thirties.

As I continued rotating my shoulders to loosen them up, a knock came at the carriage’s door.

“Excuse me, Knight Commander.”

The platoon commander of the royal garrison, Zed, peeked inside. I was glad I’d woken up just in time. It would’ve left a poor impression if he’d seen me sleeping soundly.

“We will be exiting Flumvelk shortly,” he reported. “We’re exchanging escorts at the checkpoint.”

“Understood.”

It seemed we really were right at the border. I’d gotten the chance to get some proper sleep, so I wanted to make sure I looked appropriate for this checkpoint. We’d done this multiple times on the way to Flumvelk, so I was already accustomed to it. It was time for the provincial soldiers who’d been escorting us to do the handoff with the soldiers from the next province over. I doubted that any big shots would show up, and any conversation would be very businesslike. Since we’d had no problems on the road, things would be kept even more brief.

So, at times like these, the group didn’t go all at once. Instead, a small party was sent ahead to explain the situation, and they would come to meet us. That said, with such a large group on the move, it was pretty easy to see the situation from afar. Our route had been conveyed beforehand too, so this was mostly just a formality.

After arriving at the checkpoint, Sahat had exchanged a few brief words with us. “I shall pray for your safe return. Now, if you’ll please excuse me.”

“Of course. Thank you for seeing us here,” replied Allucia.

Sahat then fell back to Flumvelk with his men. This was no longer Warren’s territory, so we wouldn’t be able to clear the checkpoint without proper documentation or some kind of extenuating circumstances. This process would repeat itself multiple times all the way back to Baltrain. It really was the same as it had been on the way here.

“It’s getting awfully cloudy...” Zed muttered after the handoff was complete. “Let’s pick up the pace a little.”

“Agreed—please do,” Allucia said.

I looked up at the sky. We’d had clear weather these last few days, but now a sparse gathering of dark clouds was approaching.

“Hmm, it’s anyone’s guess whether it’ll start raining,” I remarked.

It wasn’t going to start pouring immediately. There weren’t enough clouds for the weather to suddenly change like that. If anything, the clouds would lower the temperature to a comfortable degree, making it more convenient for the marching troops.

Still, it was better to hurry if the weather was taking a turn for the worst. I also understood the desire to get moving while conditions were perfect. Zed didn’t maintain a simple and optimistic outlook—he was realistic about our situation, and he definitely knew what he was doing. Much like Henblitz and Randrid during our time in the Aflatta Mountain Range, he made quick decisions when the situation showed signs of change. It gave me a glimpse at the depth of his experience.

So, with such elite troops all around me, I had very little to worry about. My only contribution was praying that the camping equipment we had in the other carriages wouldn’t see any further use.

“Let us be off.”

At Zed’s command, the carriages got moving again with our new escorts. On the note of escorts, they were all similar in that the local nobles fielded them, but they differed drastically in numbers. Amusingly, our escorts weren’t proportional to how vast the local ruler’s land was or how much authority they wielded. There were nobles who were peaceful and only maintained the bare minimum of a military force, while others were zealous about military expansion, even if they possessed very little territory.

Nobles naturally had a reputation to maintain, so the choice of refusing to provide an escort was nonexistent. Nonetheless, the problem of how many troops they could spare was pretty difficult to solve for them. To give an example, Warren had spared a dozen or so soldiers led by Sahat, while other nobles had provided up to thirty, and some had offered less than ten. However, things were even more complicated by the fact that going simply by numbers wasn’t enough to judge the noble’s decision. A ruler with a small territory might do everything in their power to provide only a few elite soldiers, whereas a major noble might spare thirty of the lowliest rank and file.

Allucia was apparently weighing every aspect of what the nobles were doing. In a way, this could be used as an index for how loyal each noble was to the king. Well, according to Allucia, the same nobles were likely to send several times more soldiers, if not tens of times more, when it came to Princess Salacia’s actual wedding.

An expedition by the order and the wedding procession for the princess were clearly two very different events in terms of importance and scale. This time around, the nobles were largely focusing on their reputation, whereas when the royal family got involved, they would be putting on airs on top of that. They were very likely to squeeze every last soldier they could afford to spare for the escort detail. Otherwise, they could become the subject of mockery from other nobles.

Seriously, the more I learned about this world, the more troublesome it seemed. This was all brand-new to me, so it was a relatively nice learning experience, but I really didn’t want to get involved. In fact, the more I found out, the less time I wanted to spend with nobility.

“Must be tough for you, Allucia...” I muttered.

“Hm? Is that so?”

“Aah, I guess not, if you don’t think so...”

She really was amazing. She was a merchant’s daughter, so it wasn’t strange for her to have touched upon this world somewhat before. Still, diving into it directly like she was doing now was supposed to be a relatively recent thing.

She’d studied swordplay at my dojo until the age of sixteen and had joined the Liberion Order after that. She hadn’t become the knight commander right off the bat or anything, so she had to have spent some time at the bottom of the ladder. With that in mind, she couldn’t have spent more than ten years as deep in this world as she was now.

Maybe ten years was enough to get used to it, but mastering so many different skills at such a young age required significant wits. Allucia was undoubtedly a heroic figure whose name would forever remain within the kingdom’s history books. Just ten years ago, she’d been learning swordsmanship at a rural dojo in the sticks. There’s just no telling what life has in store for you.

“I was just thinking of how splendid you’ve become,” I said.

“Hee hee, thank you very much. I am only here today because of your teachings, Master.”

“Ha ha ha... I’m pretty sure I only taught you how to use a sword.”

Facing her feelings so directly was a little awkward for me. Not only that, but Vesper and Frau were in this enclosed space with us. As usual, the two of them had melted into the background. Still, while I’d been nothing but humble before this, I felt like I was slowly developing the backbone to stand tall and face such praise head-on. This was all thanks to getting the better of my dad in that match.

How far could I take my swordsmanship? I still couldn’t claim absolute confidence, and I knew the scenery around me wasn’t going to suddenly change, but I felt like a new path had opened before me. Where that path led and what awaited me at the final destination was still a complete mystery, though.

The carriage moved on at a brisk pace just as Zed had said it would. Some time after our conversation, the carriage suddenly slowed to a stop.

“Huh...?”

“Oh?”

The moment the carriage halted completely, a knock came at the door, and Zed peeked in.

“Excuse me,” he said.

“Is something the matter?” Allucia asked.

“There’s a carriage ahead that isn’t moving. I assume it has a broken wheel, or perhaps an axle has come loose.”

“Hmmm...”

This wasn’t exactly a rare occurrence. Nowhere close to all of the kingdom’s roads were paved. Stone pavements were actually very scarce. The road we were using now had simply been weeded—frequent use had packed the dirt and hardened it.

A simple dirt road actually posed several problems. If you took one step off the path, you could be going right into a grassy field or over rocks. That wasn’t so bad on foot, but it was pretty rough for a carriage. Even with horses pulling it, it was possible for the carriage to be completely stuck due to its weight and size.

“If an axle has simply come loose, then please lend them a hand,” Allucia decided. “If a wheel is broken, we’ll unfortunately have to ask them to yield the way.”

“Acknowledged.”

A carriage was big and heavy, but with as much manpower as we had, it was entirely possible to lift one and move it. It was just a matter of whether we had to refit the axle or get it out of the way.

“Vesper, Frau, go keep an eye on the front.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Allucia decided to send the two knights out. A stopped carriage naturally meant there were people out there too. It was unlikely they’d abandoned the carriage to walk. Perhaps they’d gone to ask for help, but a carriage was meant for carrying cargo—you would normally leave someone behind to keep an eye on it. If anyone was around, having knights would make any conversation go smoother.

“Should we step out too?” I asked.

“Hmmm... I suppose so. We won’t be moving for a while anyway.”

I didn’t think Allucia or I needed to lend a hand or anything, but I figured we could step out to get some air. I’d been napping before this, so I felt the need to move my body.

“Whew...”

After stepping out of the carriage, I pressed my hands against the small of my back and stretched. Damn, that feels great. There are a ton of muscles you can’t move while seated.

“Okay then...”

After loosening up, I turned my attention ahead of our carriage. Several soldiers had gathered over there and were trying to move the other carriage. Had there been nobody left behind? It didn’t look like they were speaking with anyone. The only voice I could hear was Zed’s as he yelled at his subordinates to get the thing out of the way.

“It’s weird that nobody was left with the carriage,” I said.

“It is...” Allucia agreed, a puzzled look on her face.

It was unlikely that the people who’d been using that carriage had taken all the cargo with them. People used a carriage to carry goods they couldn’t transport on foot, so the only other possibility was that they’d left all their cargo behind. Even then, it was strange that there wasn’t a horse in sight either. Horses were valuable, so they weren’t going to just let them go.

“Hm...?”

At any rate, we weren’t going anywhere until that carriage was out of our way. Just as I figured we’d be stuck here a while longer, something suddenly felt out of place.

“Fog...?” I murmured.

“Everyone! On your guard!” Allucia yelled immediately.

The atmosphere around us suddenly changed. This is weird. It was early fall, and the weather had been stable all morning. Some clouds hung in the sky, but there’d been no rain. The environment around us was all woodland with no major rivers. In other words, it was impossible for fog to suddenly appear with no warning.

“Something’s going on...” I muttered.

“Agreed,” Allucia said. “Stay vigilant, Master.”

“Of course.”

My hand naturally fell to my beloved sword in its red scabbard. Now then, were we going to get humans, monsters, or something else entirely? I was hoping for monsters. After all, they could be mercilessly cut down without it affecting my conscience.

“Knight Commander!”

Zed came running back at Allucia’s quick command. He had his hand at his hip, ready to draw his sword at any moment.

“Hanbeck, take command of the garrison soldiers,” she ordered. “Give up on the carriage for now. Visibility is poor—be careful not to space our forces out too widely.”

“Yes, ma’am! You lot! Link up with those close to you! Don’t forget to keep communicating!”

The conversation ended briskly and Zed bellowed at his subordinates. He seemed to be in a rush, but wasn’t panicking. He really does have a lot of experience. If people like him were to remain around Princess Salacia, then King Gladio would have nothing to worry about.

Seemingly switching places with Zed, Vesper and Frau came back too.

“Commander, Mr. Beryl!”

“You’re back. Both of you, keep on guard,” commanded Allucia.

“Yes, ma’am!”

They’d already drawn their swords and were ready for battle. The Liberion Order was quick and decisive. Their senses when handling an unforeseen circumstance were honed to a fine point.

“Charging through...would be pretty rough,” I said, turning down my own suggestion before finishing it.

“Agreed,” Allucia said. “Visibility is poor, and we don’t have a firm grasp of the region. It’s possible we’ll get attacked from all sides.”

If it’d been just me and Allucia, running might’ve been a good option. However, our group numbered in the dozens when you included the soldiers of the royal garrison and provincial army. With such poor visibility due to this mysterious fog, it would be very difficult to run while maintaining cohesion. What made things worse was that we had no idea how far the fog extended. It was possible we wouldn’t be able to get out no matter how much we ran. Our options were limited—we were better off fortifying our defenses here and meeting the attack.

“That carriage was probably a decoy,” I said.

“I believe so too,” Allucia agreed. “In that case, our opponents are very likely human.”

“Figures...”

It really was unnatural for a carriage to be completely abandoned here, so it must’ve just been a trap to stall us. Just as Allucia said, this meant humans were almost certainly involved. No monster would use a carriage as a decoy.

What could anyone possibly have to gain by attacking knights who were surrounded by armed escorts? I doubted they were bandits. Those types were cowards at heart, which was why they carefully selected their targets.

Some time had passed without an attack—Allucia and I had the time to discuss strategy, and Zed was able to order his subordinates. This meant that our opponents were very likely waiting for the fog to thicken and spread. Visibility was poor, but we could still see a little into the distance. What was more, there was no body of water large enough in this area to create such fog. Unless they had a wizard of Lucy’s caliber, it couldn’t be maintained for long.

From our enemies’ standpoint, charging into insufficient fog cover and letting their target escape would be a fatal error. However, if they waited too long and the fog dissipated, an ambush would be impossible. They had to find the middle ground between those options—wait for the fog to thicken to a certain extent, maintain that level of density, then launch a surprise attack. That would be the best option for them. At least, that’s what I would’ve done if I’d created the fog.

The question was who had generated this fog and why. They were targeting a fairly large armed group, so they had to have some kind of objective. Their target is probably me or Allucia... Not that I know why anyone would be after my life. Allucia was a different story, though. Living in the world of politics made as many enemies as it did friends.

But in that case, who could our enemy be, and where were they from? Even if there were nobles in Liberis hostile to Allucia, it would be extremely hard for them to attack the knight commander of the Liberion Order. That would be a one-way trip to complete ruin if anyone found out. It would be difficult to cover their tracks too.

Taking that into consideration, they were probably from outside Liberis. I didn’t know much about other countries, so the only suspect that came to mind was Sphenedyardvania. They were our neighbor, but I didn’t know why they would have any reason to go out of their way to target me or Allucia.

“Gaaah?!”

“Wha?!”

As I pondered over our enemy’s identity, the situation suddenly shifted. And so it begins. From what I could hear, we were being ambushed. Allucia and I were practically at the center of our formation, so this was likely an attack on the outer perimeter somewhere. I couldn’t tell the situation from this far away. The fog was already too thick for that.

“Enemy attack! Enemy att— Gah?!”

“Over there too?!”

It also seemed like we were under attack from multiple directions. That meant we weren’t facing a small group. Waiting for the opponent behind a wall of allies who were roaring and screaming was pretty tough. I would’ve charged into combat to help save even one of them, but my position didn’t allow for that.

“Dammit...!”

“Please endure, Master,” Allucia said. “If we move, the battle line will be thrown into further disarray.”

“I know. I know that, but still...!”

Allucia and I were the core of this group. The others saw us as the VIPs they were meant to protect. If we charged in to try and help, it could make things even more dangerous for everyone. If we moved, our guards would be forced to move too, making an already bad situation worse.

Our opponents were likely a gathering of considerably skilled warriors—the way this ambush had been conducted already ruled out the work of amateurs. Our enemy had a clear advantage in terms of terrain and geography, and the chosen elites of the royal garrison were clearly on the back foot. This is pretty bad.

I would’ve much preferred a head-on attack. That would’ve kept casualties to a minimum and we could’ve faced our opponents properly. These thoughts were inappropriate as someone who was meant to be protected, but each time I heard the screams around us, I couldn’t help but think that way.

“Outta the way, maggots!”

“Gaaah?!”

As the tumult of battle grew more intense, an especially loud roar rang out from the center of the guards’ formation.

“Listen up! The silver-haired woman! You find her, you call for me or Kuriu! All the other trash you can— Oh, huh. There she is. Hey, Kuriu! Over here!”

The man yelled out orders as he charged through the line at incredible speed. When he spotted Allucia, he came to an immediate halt, then started advancing with an air of composure. He looked somewhere around thirty years old—pretty much the same as Sahat. Even from within the fog, he stood out tremendously. He had slanted eyes and very unusual green hair tied up in a ponytail. He was around the same height as me but far more muscular, and he wore a thick black trench coat as if to hide his well-tempered body.

He seemed like the type to focus on raw strength, much like Henblitz and Curuni. In support of my conjecture, he wielded a large sword—it looked like a crude rectangular slab of metal had been stuck to a hilt. I wasn’t sure how sharp the edge was, but even if it’d been completely dull, a hit wasn’t going to end with just a few broken bones.

Judging by the man’s words, their target was clearly Allucia.

Sorry, but I can’t let you fulfill your objective.

I tightened my grip on my beloved sword.

“Ooooh!”

The man in black took one, then two steps toward us. Suddenly, a raging war cry came from his flank. My eyes clearly caught the royal garrison’s platoon commander making a downward slash with his longsword.

“Outta the way, worthless trash!”

“Ugh...?!”

However, the man spared Zed only a single glance. He swung his huge greatsword at terrifying speed—using only a single hand at that. Zed reacted splendidly by guarding, but his assailant’s strike wasn’t an impact that could be stopped by a longsword. Zed’s blade snapped at its base and the strike hit him in the arm, denting his leather armor greatly and sending him tumbling away. He would be completely out of the fight after taking a hit like that. I could only pray he’d survived.

“And who are you?” Allucia asked the man in black.

“Ain’t got no reason to tell you that,” the man replied.

It was already too late to talk things out, but it seemed he wasn’t intent on leaking any unnecessary information. That made things difficult.

“Ooh, there you are. You’re such a slave driver.”

“You’re late, Kuriu.”

Another new figure appeared from the fog. In complete contrast to the green-haired man, this man with somewhat long blue hair had very delicate features. His choice of weapon was also the complete opposite—he wielded two swords that were slightly wider and shorter than the typical longsword. They appeared to be katzbalgers.

The one commonality between the men was their black trench coats. Did that mean they were part of some uniformed military organization? I had no idea who they could be, though. Their weapons had absolutely no uniformity. Though I don’t exactly know anything about foreign militaries.

“Vesper, Frau, go support the garrison,” Allucia commanded.

“But...!”

“Quickly.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Now that our foes were this close, having one or two more people to help wouldn’t make much of a difference. Also—and I was sorry to say this—the men before us weren’t foes Vesper or Frau could contribute against in any meaningful way. The green-haired man in particular seemed very dangerous.

Vesper and Frau hesitated for a moment but quickly ran off. The men in black showed no signs of chasing them—they gave them nothing more than a parting glance.

“Not going after them?” Allucia asked.

“They’re nothin’ to me,” the green-haired man said. “You’re the only one I’ve got business with.”

It took considerable nerve to call two knights of the Liberion Order “nothing.” I had no idea who this guy was, but he had to know about the order. Even if we were close to the border, this was still Liberis.

“I’ll take the green-haired one,” I said. “Allucia, the blue-haired one is up to you.”

“Understood,” she acknowledged after a pause.

Well, there was no point pondering over who these guys were. Now that things had gotten to this point, we were way past that mattering. There were two of them, and two of us. However, having a proper two-on-two fight would leave us at a bit of a disadvantage.

I wasn’t great at taking on multiple opponents at once. It was easier on me to go one-on-one. This was especially the case when one of them wielded a greatsword and could bulldoze his way through by swinging it around. We had to avoid getting mowed down in a single hit during the confusion of battle.

Now that we’d allocated our opponents, all that was left was to fight. And no matter the fight, taking the initiative granted an advantage.

“Shhh!”

“Oh?!”

I lunged in with a thrust aimed at my opponent’s neck, but was narrowly blocked by the flat of his greatsword. Seeing how my blade made of Zeno Grable’s materials hadn’t pierced through his sword, my opponent’s blade was nothing to laugh at. Not that I’d expected it to be, given the size difference, but it seemed I had to discard the notion of destroying my opponent’s weapon.

“Hah!”

“Wuh?! So fast...!”

At the same time, Allucia slashed at the blue-haired man. The battle lines had been drawn. That man was also pretty skilled—he’d successfully avoided defeat from Allucia’s first attack. She hadn’t lost, but it was going to be difficult to deal with him quickly.

“I ain’t got no business with you, old-timer!” shouted the green-haired man.

“Ugh!”

My opponent swung his greatsword, pushing back my blade in the process. Just as I’d guessed, I wasn’t going to be winning the contest of strength. Even if I were twenty years younger, it would be useless. All it took was a single swing for me to realize how differently our bodies were made.

“Raaaaah!”

“Mgh!”

The moment I caught my balance, the green-haired man slashed at me.

Dammit! Swinging something that big around that fast is cheating!

Flustered, I took a quick step back, but the man gave chase immediately. The swiftness of his stride was abnormal. Unlike with Allucia, it was easy to predict what came next, but he was still stupidly fast. What was more, that ridiculously large sword came circling around for me again. I dodged it completely, but an eerie pressure grazed my cheek. I felt like the slightest touch from that thing would kill me.

This guy’s seriously strong. All of his blows were both far too heavy and far too fast. His weapon had too much mass, so I couldn’t effectively utilize branch breaker. If he were slower, I could’ve carefully pulled it off, but I doubted he would give me that opening.

Blocking head-on was difficult too. My sword would probably withstand it, but my body wouldn’t. It was crystal clear that I would get blown away just like Zed. In short, my only options against his attacks were to dodge or parry while trying to find a gap to counterattack.

“Shhh!”

“Whoa there!”

I somehow managed to weave my sword between his rain of blows, but I didn’t have enough time to put all of my strength behind it. In the end, I had only managed a single strike, and my opponent wasn’t soft enough to get hit by an attack like that.

“You’re no maggot, old-timer... Who the hell are you?”

“I have no reason to tell you.”

“Hah! Ain’t that the truth.”

Some space opened up between us thanks to my counterattack, and we exchanged short words. I got my petty revenge by repeating what he’d said earlier. He understood this too and immediately brought the conversation to an end.

“Kuriu! This’ll take time! Don’t die!”

“Speak for yourse—whoa!”

It seemed the green-haired man was now completely focused on eliminating me. I was grateful for that. It made things far more convenient. From what I could hear of this Kuriu fellow, Allucia had a clear advantage over him. Not that I wanted to believe there were many swordsmen out there who could cross blades on an even footing against her in a fair fight.

“Looks like Kuriu’s not gonna manage on his own,” the green-haired man said. “I’m gonna make this quick.”

“Sorry, that’s not gonna happen,” I told him.

He took a strange stance, hefting his stupidly big sword one-handed over his shoulder and crouching low to the ground. It was obvious that he was readying himself to deliver certain death in a single strike. If I had to guess, he was hoping to bury me with one outrageously fast attack.

Can I dodge it? No, before that, can I even win against this guy? I can’t read how the scales are tipping or how this’ll play out. Mysteriously, that thought didn’t make me fretful. The only thing I felt was a quiet excitement.

My senses focused to a honed point. These were the senses of a hopeless swordsman—something that existed deep within me. My brain and body could tell that they were being acutely stimulated. When was it that I’d given myself to this sensation?

As a child, swinging a sword had simply been fun. As a teenager, I’d had great respect for my dad and had recklessly swung my sword to catch up to him. As a young adult, I’d believed in my own growth and had devoted myself to the blade.

I couldn’t say it’d always been fun, but I’d been able to sense my growth little by little over the years. Teaching others had also been fresh, difficult, and entertaining. I existed today because of that accumulation of experience. That was the undeniable truth. However...

When did I start feeling the way I do now?

When had I begun to feel exaltation, not just from practice bouts and training, but from a clash to the death on a knife’s edge? Maybe if I searched all of my memories, I could find the exact moment that had kicked it all off. However, the match against my dad had definitely brought it to life.

Now that I had been released from that curse—the illusion of my inadequacy compared to him—I couldn’t help but get worked up when facing a formidable opponent. I wasn’t entirely sure this was a change for the better.

“Haaaaah...”

I took a deep, deep breath. In the next moment, I was sure to face a force of sheer destruction that no normal person could escape. From having crossed swords with him, even if just for a brief time, I understood how skilled this man was. A blow with Curuni’s superhuman strength and Surena’s explosive acceleration was going to come at me. This man was a master who’d reached such heights.

The man remained unmoving. He was waiting for the right moment. Despite all the fighting between Allucia, Vesper, Frau, the royal garrison, the provincial army, and the forces led by this man, the world around me seemed silent. To be precise, I was indeed hearing the battle, but my brain discarded such information.

No matter how much you struggled to get the upper hand, no matter how long a fight was drawn out, victory was always decided in a single instant. We swordsmen were drawn to that single desperate instant. That went for both me and the man before me.

We both took a breath, and the man kicked off the ground with terrifying force, straining his strength to its very limit in one explosive burst. He didn’t roar. Yelling could actually make his attack detectable. The two of us had long passed the point where we could intimidate each other with a burst of fighting spirit.

I could see my opponent’s movements, but he was fast, and his attack was heavy. He closed the distance between us in an instant with superhuman leg strength and rotated the greatsword off his shoulder into a diagonal slash from below—that was unexpected, since gravity would work in his favor if he were to deliver a slash from above.

An upward slash was a pretty rare sight—it simply wasn’t rational. However, because it was uncommon, an opponent’s brain would take time to react to it. Also, this technique could only be pulled off because of the man’s barbaric muscle strength. In that sense, it was indeed quite rational.

I could evade the attack, but he had an advantage in reach. In a simple contest of strength, I was no match for him. Even if I dodged the slash, a second would definitely follow. I had to dodge this devastating attack while dealing a telling blow of my own or shift into a position where I could keep the advantage.

That was unreasonable. It would be one thing if my opponent was an amateur, but I was trying to gain a definitive advantage against a master. Even the thought of being able to pull that off was pure arrogance.

But I can. As I am now, I can do it.

I could no longer disregard a choice I would’ve once cast aside as arrogant. I could feel myself grasping a one-way ticket to victory along a realistic yet optimistic path.

“Shyaaaaah!”

“Hm?!”

I stepped in with all my strength. I couldn’t fall back from my opponent’s pressure—I would never gain the advantage that way. An attack starting from below would leave an opening once the sword went high. So I stooped down low, moving toward the slash as it came up and swaying my upper body to slide past his right arm. I didn’t have time to pull back my sword and gather my strength. I had to deliver the blow in the shortest trajectory possible.

I wasn’t sure how much protection his trench coat offered, but with all my technique riding behind this blade, I doubted it would repel my strike. His right arm was in the way, so I couldn’t aim for his chest or head. His throat would also make a difficult target. Even if I hit his right arm, this guy was liable to keep fighting using only his left.

I had to aim somewhere easy to hit, hard to dodge, and in a spot that would definitely put him out of commission.

In other words—a thrust to the abdomen!

It all happened in the blink of an eye.

“Guh?!”

This was the result of running the scenario through my swordsman’s brain over and over again.

The greatsword sliced through some of my bangs, sending strands flying away in the wind. I felt the grim reaper’s breath against my cheek. And then...

My brilliant blade struck true, piercing the man’s waist.

“Haaah!”

I basked in my success for just a moment, then pulled out my sword with a parting slash across the stomach and took two jumps back. I’d felt my blade sink in. It had definitely worked. But had it been fatal? I’d gouged his abdomen, but perhaps because he’d twisted his body at the moment of impact, my strike had been shallower than expected. What was more, that trench coat was far tougher than I’d imagined—it hadn’t stopped my sword from penetrating, but it’d gotten in the way quite a bit. It was far better protection than some lousy armor.

“Ugh... You son of a bitch!”

“Whoa there!”

There was a significant amount of blood pouring from his right flank, but the green-haired man didn’t fall to his knees. Instead, he took a step forward and swung his greatsword twice. However, his technique had clearly deteriorated. He was now slow enough for me to dodge with ease. A regular soldier would’ve probably still been overwhelmed by this display of strength, but I wasn’t kind enough to take a hit from a wounded assailant.

“I wouldn’t mind if you just surrendered,” I suggested.

“Hah! No can do...!”

His answer was as I’d expected. In all likelihood, I could finish him off. A thrust to the heart or a slash across the neck would end this. However, this guy was probably the mastermind behind this attack. If possible, I wanted to capture him and squeeze him for information. I knew nothing about interrogations or torture, but I could ask Allucia or even Lucy if we dragged him back with us.

Despite taking damage to the stomach, he wasn’t out of the fight yet. I could aim for his legs next and take away his mobility. After that, slashing his arms would rob him of his offense. Once his limbs had been damaged, I could take my time to capture him.

“Whoa?!”

And just as I was about to step in and put my plan into action, a huge fireball came hurtling toward me through the thinning fog. I’d been completely focused and had ignored everything around me, so I was a step late in getting out of the way.

“Hot?!”

I managed to avoid a hit to any of my vitals, but the fireball slammed against my arm. It was ridiculously hot. That’s definitely going to leave a burn.

Dammit, I know it’s my fault for not paying attention, but gimme a break!

“Commander! Time’s up! The fog will disperse soon! Huh...? Commander?!”

“Prim! Who the hell told you you could come to the front?!”

A woman with pink hair ran through the fog. Judging by the staff she carried, which was about as long as she was tall, she was a wizard. I could only assume she’d been the one to throw that fireball at me. Just like the green-haired man and the blue-haired Kuriu, she was wearing a black trench coat. They were definitely some uniformed organization. And though I’d expected it because of the fog, they were clearly an elite group who even had access to wizards.

Who the hell are these guys? And why are they targeting us?

“A-Anyway, you need to get away and get treatment...!”

“I can still fight! Hey, Kuriu! You okay?!”

Listening to them, I suddenly thought about how Allucia was faring. She was also in the middle of a flashy battle. I couldn’t imagine her losing, but that blue-haired man was quite skilled too. I’d focused entirely on my opponent, so I had no idea how she was doing.

“Allucia...!”

“All good over here!” she yelled back.

Not too far away, her battle was already over. Just as she’d claimed, she was standing, and the blue-haired man was sprawled on the ground. That was all I needed to know—it had been a complete victory.

“Kuriu...!” the green-haired man yelled in shock.

“Sorry,” I told him. “The Liberion Order’s commander is strong.”

This wasn’t a surprise to me. Being able to block Allucia’s first attack meant the man had possessed considerable skill. However, Allucia was beyond just having considerable skill. It was hard to hold her back when she was being serious. Grasping victory was a practically impossible task.

“Tch!”

The green-haired man clicked his tongue. He knew he was at a disadvantage. It was the most basic strategy to send your strongest fighters to take on the best your opponent had to offer. This man the pink-haired woman had called her commander and the one called Kuriu were definitely the best fighters in this group. The wizard was likely an officer, so she was still an unknown quantity, but this battle was still largely settled.

“Prim... We’re pulling out. You got this?”

“Mm-hmm!”

“You’re not getting away!”

The moment I heard “pulling out,” I charged in, my sword at the ready. He likely had some means of getting away—something to do with the wizard, if I had to guess. I wasn’t softhearted enough to just stand there and let him escape, though.

I could close the gap in two steps. I kept an eye on the green-haired man, but my target was the pink-haired wizard.

I have to keep her from doing anything!

“Haaah!”

“Wah wah wah wah?!”

However, before my blade could reach, the pink-haired woman shouted and unleashed her magic at me. A sudden gale erupted, blowing away the fog in an instant. The wind was violent enough that staying on my feet was impossible. The force hit me head-on and sent me tumbling. I’d made quite the embarrassing sound in the process.

“Listen up, you lot! We’re outta here!” bellowed the green-haired man.

“Ugh! Stop right there!” Allucia shouted.

“Like hell I’m listening to you! Hey, Kuriu! Wake up!”

The wind was too strong for Allucia or me to move. It took me everything I had to try to get back on my feet. The woman was in the eye of the storm and didn’t seem restricted at all. Dammit, magic sure is convenient!

Fortunately, the wind wasn’t lethal in any way. It was intense, but it wasn’t cutting me up or anything. That was why I’d gotten away with just tumbling over.

“I hate to say it, but that was an impressive escape...” Allucia muttered.

“Phew... Back on my feet. They got away, huh?”

Once the wind died down...or rather, once the pink-haired woman had gotten far enough away for the wind to feel weaker, I finally got back up and took a look around. The trees all around us had been knocked over, and the group in black was completely gone, creating an empty space. I couldn’t even spot the man named Kuriu who Allucia had defeated. Just as she’d said, it was an impressive escape.

An extremely capable warrior and the quick wits to consider an immediate retreat—this was enough of a threat from an individual, so to have an entire group pull it off was something else. Maybe they even rival the Liberion Order.

“They really got us...” I groaned.

Now that the black coats were gone, all that was left were the soldiers of the royal garrison and the provincial army, lying on the ground all over the place. They hadn’t been annihilated, but those black coats had been a step or two above them on an individual level. Honestly, if faced with equal numbers, it would’ve been a rough battle for any group except for maybe the knights of the Liberion Order.

“Commander...! Thank goodness you’re unharmed...”

“Frau... Where’s Vesper?”

Vesper and Frau had gone to help the soldiers. Frau seemed to have taken a hit to the shoulder—her armor was dented there. She wasn’t bleeding, but she’d definitely broken a bone. I was seeing a lot of that lately.

Anyway, Vesper was nowhere in sight. A terrible chill ran through me.

“He’s severely wounded...” Frau reported. “I provided emergency treatment, but I’m not sure he’ll last...”

“Understood...” Allucia said. “We’ll focus on treating the wounded first. Master, please lend a hand.”

“Of course,” I responded. “I’ll do anything I can. Just let me know.”

What was supposed to be a peaceful trip back had become a ghastly scene. I could already smell death around us. I could only pray that Vesper and Zed weren’t among them.

Unable to bask in our worthless victory, we silently focused on treating the wounded.

◇

I listened to the clunk, clunk of the carriage’s wheels as an awkward silence dominated the interior. There were three people seated within: myself, Allucia, and Frau. Vesper was lying down inside another carriage. That one had been packed with camping tools and emergency supplies, but because of the attack, pretty much everything had been used. For better or worse, that allowed us to use the empty carriages to carry the wounded.

The casualties suffered were grisly: six dead and twenty-two wounded. Of the enemies, two were dead while their wounded remained an unknown quantity. They likely had a few, but we hadn’t been able to take any of them captive. It was proof that they were all considerably skilled. Still, taking down only two of them wasn’t exactly a job well done.

Our wounded included Zed and Vesper. Zed was far better off. One of his arms was badly broken, but he wasn’t in danger of dying. It would take a long time for him to recover, and it was questionable whether he would be able to return to active duty, but he was lucky that the spark of life was still bright within him.

“I hope Vesper can be saved...” I muttered.

“Yes...” Allucia said. “Riders have been sent ahead to the next town—I’ve ordered that they have a wizard and a doctor ready for us. If he can hold out until then...”

The dead and those incapable of walking were all packed into the carriages while everyone else had reorganized ranks to march on the return route. While providing emergency treatment and planning our next move, Allucia had used two of our horses to send riders to the next town. This was to report the situation, and just as she’d said, to have a wizard and doctor made ready. They were likely making preparations right now to be able to provide specialist care the moment we arrived. As for our wounded, if their bodies held out that long, we could finally feel somewhat at ease, but it still wasn’t clear whether that would come to pass.

“Forgive me...” Frau murmured.

“There’s nothing for you to apologize for,” Allucia told her. “Everyone did what they were capable of in the moment. You fought well. That’s all there is to it.”

“Understood...”

Ever since things had settled down and we’d gotten back on the move, Frau had continuously apologized. I didn’t know whether she was addressing us or Vesper. I would be devastated if Vesper died too. For better or worse, both society and individuals treated death unequally. It was obviously sadder to lose someone close to you than some unnamed bandit. I didn’t believe all life was equally precious either. However, those who walked the path of the sword had to overcome this. I wasn’t saying not to feel sadness, of course—it was necessary to mourn to settle your feelings. I also believed condolences had to be paid to the departed and the bereaved.

However, even if it took time, those who survived had to take a step forward. Swordsmen in particular lived casually on the precipice of death. Having your emotions stuck in the past would lead to moments of hesitation, and that was unfortunately not an option.

I wasn’t sure Frau could continue serving in the Liberion Order. She stood at a critical juncture that would decide that. Nobody would blame her for quitting. I would personally knock out anyone who tried.

That said, it was hard to find the right words to say in such a situation. Frau had to come to terms with her own feelings and convictions and face them head-on. Allucia understood this too, so she wasn’t saying any empty words to try to encourage or comfort her. Everyone in the Liberion Order was talented and strong; however, there were no guarantees they would all survive.

“Sure would be nice if we could find out anything about the attackers...” I muttered.

“It’s a small mercy that we managed to recover the two bodies,” Allucia said. “If we investigate their equipment, we should figure out something soon.”

“Here’s hoping...”

The conversation naturally shifted to the attackers. The two who’d been killed by some of the garrison’s soldiers had been retrieved. Much like the ones we’d faced, they’d been wearing black trench coats.

They were definitely a military force of some kind. We were likely to find out who after an investigation. The fact that nothing had come to mind upon seeing their equipment—especially for Allucia—meant they were very likely from outside the country.

They definitely weren’t Sphenedyardvania’s Holy Order. And according to Allucia, they weren’t imperial soldiers from Salura Zaruk either. That meant they were from elsewhere, or they were something like a mercenary company. However, that made for such a wide breadth of possibilities that there was no telling what country they could possibly hail from with our current level of knowledge.

Maybe Lucy would know, but she wasn’t with us right now. We could only begin to analyze things once we brought the equipment back to Baltrain.

“But is this really going to be okay...?” Frau muttered anxiously.

“Hm? Is something the matter?” I asked.

“If...they come at us again for retribution...”

“I doubt they will. Not for some time, at least.”

“It’s as Master Beryl says,” Allucia joined in. “Their leader is seriously wounded too. Focus on calming your nerves and healing your injuries.”

“Yes, ma’am...”

Frau had to concentrate on herself for now. She was capable of speaking normally, but the wound to her shoulder was still serious. She wasn’t going to be able to wield a sword for a while. But by my estimations and Allucia’s, the black coats weren’t going to attack again anytime soon. The reason was simple—the green-haired man and blue-haired man had suffered serious injuries.

Honestly, those two had exceptional skill. If that was the standard for their entire organization, our expedition would’ve been wiped out. It would’ve been like being surrounded by dozens of black rank adventurers.

My one concern was the wizard, but she’d seemed far more worried about the green-haired man she’d called her commander. She didn’t seem like the type to come for revenge on her own. Even if she did, without the two powerful vanguards, a wizard’s true worth couldn’t be fully manifested.

That was why they weren’t going to make a move until those two were healed. Even with healing magic, they weren’t going to recover in one or two days. Allucia had intended to take her target alive from the start, so she’d cut him up like crazy everywhere except for his torso and head. It was possible he would take even longer to recover than the green-haired man.

If they’d been bandits, it was very likely they could come back for us. However, those black coats were a well-organized group with extremely high standards. We’d suffered terrible losses, but the same went for them. They were unlikely to come at us again when their prospects for victory were so low.

Still, this was nothing but conjecture on my part. Maybe we were actually destined to cross blades with them again in the near future. However, looking at things realistically and actively fanning anxiety were different matters. We’d managed to severely wound their leaders, so even if they did attack, Allucia and I would handle it somehow. We were meant to be protected on this expedition, so fighting on the front lines wasn’t commendable, but the situation would call for it.

“Allucia, you okay?” I asked.

“Yes...or so I’d like to claim...but this does have me feeling somewhat down.”

She was acting stouthearted, but there was a slight gloominess to her expression. Things were only going to get harder for her. She had to report what had happened, send condolences to the bereaved, investigate the hostile organization, and make plans for the future. This was all on top of her already busy schedule. No matter how difficult her duties had been, she’d never once complained about them, but this was a definite breaking point.

“It’s all right,” I told her. “Anyone would feel depressed in this situation. You’re talented but still human. Try not to torment yourself over it.”

“Yes... Thank you very much.”

I wasn’t able to bear her burdens—I didn’t have the skills to perform her duties. The only thing I was capable of was swinging a sword. However, when it came to swordplay, I couldn’t afford to increase the burden felt by those around me. No matter who attacked us, I had to send them all packing. This incident just reinforced that feeling within me.

Did I have a little more confidence now? I felt like that wasn’t all there was to it. It was a little different from a sense of duty—I wasn’t wielding my sword because someone had forced me to. Calling it a sense of purpose was a little overblown too. My sword didn’t exist for some great cause. If I had to name it, then perhaps it was obstinacy. There was something petty within me that I personally refused to give up on. Maybe you could call it pride too.

“Allucia.”

“Yes?”

This was the path I now walked—an old man’s spirit. Naturally, I didn’t believe at all that my personal feelings could wrap everything up nicely. I knew to a painful degree how much of the world didn’t work that way.

“I’m a man who can’t do much besides wielding a sword,” I told her. “But I can do that. If you ever need it, don’t hesitate to depend on me. If it can be resolved by the blade, then I’ll resolve it—without fail.”

There was a pause, and then Allucia spoke. “Understood. I will etch your words into my heart, Master.”

In the parts of the world where a sword could solve problems, I wasn’t going to lose to anyone—not until my body stopped moving the way I wanted it to, at least. I would cross paths with strong warriors I’d yet to meet; I would conquer and surpass them all. The joy of that thought seeped deep into my very being.

I’ve become awfully selfish, huh?

Even as I conveyed my determination, a part of me quietly laughed at myself. My mindset is clearly different now, huh?

◇

“Sorry, sorry. I’m late.”

“It’s all right, Lucy.”

Three weeks had passed since the incident on the road. Allucia and I had hurried back to Baltrain—we’d shared information with the palace, the order, and the magic corps, and had then discussed our next steps. Despite my boasting about how Allucia should leave issues to me if they could be solved with a sword, I had nothing to contribute at this stage. As a result, my days hadn’t been all that different from usual. I’d trained the knights at the office while dropping by the magic institute every now and then, just as always.

Today, while on my way to train in the morning, Allucia had personally summoned me. She, Henblitz, and I were in her office when Lucy entered the room.

“It must’ve been quite the disaster for all of you,” Lucy remarked as she took a seat.

“Well, yeah,” I said. “At least we got back safely.”

“Without a doubt.”

This kind of conversation would normally take place in the reception room, but we couldn’t let this intel leak, so to be safe, we were using Allucia’s office.

Both Allucia and I had agreed that Lucy should get involved in an aspect of this case. After all, nobody who’d been present for the attack had any idea who the black coats were. Lucy was, by far, the most well-informed about this kind of thing.

If anything troubles you, start by asking Lucy. This idea was actually pretty sound, especially when the problem involved matters of national importance. She wasn’t going to ask for anything in return for her help on these cases, so it was best to rely on her as much as we could. Surena would be another option for matters involving other countries, but she was unfortunately away from Baltrain on another request. Black rank adventurers were really busy.

“Will tea suffice?” Allucia asked as she got drinks ready.

“Mm, please,” Lucy confirmed. “Now then, let me get right to the point. I’ll start with the coats they were wearing. Just as you surmised, they are magically enhanced. I haven’t had enough time to make direct comparisons yet...but those jackets are far sturdier than hardened leather armor.”

“That tough, huh?” I muttered.

Allucia and I had instinctively known how tough the coats were. They couldn’t possibly have been made of regular cloth, so we’d had Lucy analyze them. The result was as expected but also surprising—being sturdier than hardened leather was the territory of metal armor. That hardiness, combined with how lightweight the jackets were, made me jealous as a swordsman.

“But mass-producing magical equipment must be very difficult,” Henblitz observed.

“Exactly,” Lucy confirmed. “A wizard is an absolute necessity. The coats are embedded with magicite, but that would be pointless without a considerably skilled wizard.”

Equipping so many people with such a thing would be very difficult without having a wizard exclusive to their organization. Did that mean the pink-haired woman who’d shown up during the fight had also been responsible for their gear? Or, it was possible they had several wizards at their disposal. I didn’t know where this group came from, but it was extremely abnormal for them to have so much martial strength and so many resources. This wasn’t stuff you could just gather secretly on your own. As dense as I was to the ways of the world, even I knew that.

“As you predicted, the ones wearing these aren’t from any national army,” Lucy continued. “I’ve never even seen them in the empire.”

“So...that makes them mercenaries?” I asked.

“That’s Beryl for you. You’ve got the right idea.”

I didn’t feel like she was really praising me. My deduction wasn’t particularly impressive. After all, there weren’t that many martial forces beyond a nation’s official institutions, so if they weren’t knights or soldiers, a mercenary company made the most sense.

Mercenaries did anything as long as you could pay them. They weren’t the only ones who functioned like this, but anyone else would typically refuse to attack the Liberion Order, no matter how much the paycheck was for. The only ones who would take on such a dangerous job were mercenaries. However, mercenaries usually had only one stream of income, so hiring them was naturally very expensive. That was especially the case for a job like this—they wouldn’t have done it unless they’d been significantly compensated. With that in mind, even if we knew the perpetrators were mercenaries, the question remained: Who’d hired them?

“I can only think of one possibility in this case,” Lucy said. “They’re almost guaranteed to be the Verdapis Mercenary Company.”

“Verdapis...?” I repeated.

“I suppose you wouldn’t know of them,” Lucy said. “How about you, Allucia?”

“No, I don’t know anything.”

“I haven’t heard the name either,” Henblitz added.

It turned out Lucy really was the only one who knew about them.

“That’s reasonable,” Lucy said. “They’re from the Kingdom of Edeldia, after all. Oh...I suppose that’s called the Edeldian territory of the Salura Zaruk Empire now.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“Edeldia lost a war with the empire and became its vassal state,” Lucy explained, taking a sip of her tea.

I’d never even heard of Edeldia. This was mostly because of my lack of education. Still, Lucy was impressive for knowing another nation’s history. She hadn’t lived such a long life for nothing. She would probably get really angry if I pointed that out, though...

“But if they’re a vassal state, all of their military forces should be under the jurisdiction of their sovereign,” I pointed out.

“Ever since the end of the war with the empire, Verdapis has been on the run. They haven’t been caught,” Lucy explained. “You must have some idea of their strength, yes?”

“Yeah... They’re tremendously strong.”

The Salura Zaruk Empire was the Galean continent’s largest nation. Liberis was apparently slightly ahead in terms of magic technology, but when it came to pure military might, the empire had greater numbers and higher standards. That was the general consensus, at least.

If these mercenaries had withstood a battle with the empire and had even escaped them, that in itself was already more than impressive enough. Their abnormal strength made sense.

“Well, they aren’t necessarily as strong today as they were back then,” Lucy added. “Still, rumors say they’re quite the gathering of powerful warriors.”

That was high praise coming from a wizard of Lucy’s caliber. Verdapis was ridiculously strong. It wasn’t very nice to say, but the royal garrison had been completely out of their depth against them.

“Lucy, do you know the characteristics and names of their officers?” Allucia asked.

“Not all of them,” Lucy answered. “The only ones I know of are Green Hornet Hanoy Cressa and Double Stinger Kuriu Rybark.”

“Double Stinger Kuriu... That is likely the dual-blade swordsman I fought,” Allucia commented.

“Then I guess my opponent was Green Hornet,” I added.

This was also as we’d expected. The two men we’d faced were the top of the mercenary company. It would be problematic if people like them could just pop up all over the place.

“Anyway, I’m surprised you know all this,” I told Lucy.

“It’s technically part of my job,” she replied.

“It is?”

“I’m actually pretty important, you know?”

“Ha ha ha, I know.”

I’d meant it as a slight jibe, but I immediately gave in when Lucy glared at me. I definitely couldn’t withstand that coming from the commander of the magic corps. The one thing that didn’t really make sense to me was that Lucy had her hands in such intelligence-gathering activities. She was a wizard, and as far as I knew, she was predominantly a researcher. She was the type to find far more joy in devoting herself to studying magic than going out and crushing the enemy.

I understood that being part of the military included such work and that, over her long life, she had accumulated much knowledge. However, Lucy didn’t seem like an intelligence agent. Still, it would be meaningless to point that out to her.

“Anyway, it must’ve been a disaster getting attacked by them...” Lucy said. “But you two came back alive. That’s a job well done.”

“Is it really...?” I muttered.

“It is.” I wasn’t sure whether she’d seen into my thoughts or something, but she made this statement with absolute confidence.

It was fortunate that we hadn’t lost anybody in the Liberion Order, though we were saddened by the fact that a number of the royal garrison and provincial army had perished. Vesper had somehow survived thanks to the wizard and doctor in the town we’d stopped by. His recovery was going to take a very long time, though. We also weren’t sure whether Zed would ever be able to return to active duty. Still, our victories were worth celebrating. The VIPs—Allucia and I—had returned unharmed, so just as Lucy had said, this could be classified as a job well done.

Not all lives are equal. I understood the logic behind that, but I was incapable of being completely pleased by the outcome.

“I guess the only thing left to figure out...is their objective,” I said, finally getting to the real issue.

“They were after Allucia, remember?” Lucy said. “That gives us a pretty good idea.”

Information on the Verdapis Mercenary Company and the functionality of their coats was all just a bonus. The real question was why they’d attacked Allucia. Lucy was right on this point. If you knew a bit about what was going on, one possibility came to mind.

“I guess it really is...Sphenedyardvania,” I concluded.

“I bet it is,” Lucy agreed. “We should avoid making a declaration until we have all the information we need, though.”

Even with what little information I had, this option made the most sense. If anything, nobody else had any reason to hire an external force to attack Allucia. However, this was only our conjecture at the moment—we had no conclusive evidence. That was why we had to avoid making a public statement. It made a lot of sense for Sphenedyardvania to resort to mercenaries. Swords for hire didn’t leave a political trail.

“We must proceed with our investigation carefully,” Allucia said. “We can’t afford to create unnecessary friction between us and Sphenedyardvania.”

“Agreed,” Lucy said. “I’m taking part in the investigation myself. Still, we don’t have time to take it easy.”

Sphenedyardvania was suspicious, but if we publicly criticized them with such little evidence, cracks could form between our nations. The upcoming wedding was meant to solidify relations, so nobody wanted to suddenly drop a huge bomb in the middle of it.

On the other hand, it was difficult for Liberis to send Princess Salacia to get married while these suspicions remained unresolved. They were waiting for the investigation to be conducted carefully and swiftly to bring the truth to light. This much was evident from what Allucia and Lucy were saying.

Marriages for royalty and other members of high society were generally planned to the finest level of detail long beforehand. Naturally, with things having gone as far as they had, the schedule for Princess Salacia’s marriage to Prince Glenn was pretty much set in stone. It wouldn’t be simple to make any changes now. And the perpetrators definitely knew this—it was why they’d chosen this timing to set things in motion. Everything made sense.

“I have a hunch this is going to become pretty outrageous...” I muttered.

“I’m sure you know this already, but you can’t sit on the sidelines,” Lucy told me. “You’re utterly involved at this point.”

“I know. When my sword is needed, I’ll wield it—no matter who my opponent is.”

“Hmmm...?”

This was pretty much what I’d told Allucia right after the incident. I didn’t know anything about international intrigue and the fetters that bound a nation from acting. I was well aware of my lack of education on that front. All I wanted was to swing my sword at whim, without having to worry about that stuff. Before this, I would’ve used that as an excuse to run away.

But just as Lucy said, I was already neck-deep into this incident. I hadn’t done so by choice, of course. This was a calamity brought on by my title as special instructor. However, I now knew that there was a small part of me that’d enjoyed it. Hanoy of the Verdapis Mercenary Company was a considerable swordsman. Double Stinger Kuriu definitely also possessed significant skill. How would I conquer a dual-blade master who excelled at speed? I felt a faint yet certain exaltation at the thought of facing off against viciously strong opponents. Such thoughts were beyond imprudent in this situation though, so I didn’t voice them.

“Heh... Hee hee hee!”

“L-Lucy?”

And as that crossed my mind, Lucy’s shoulders suddenly started shaking. It was kind of creepy.

“Haaah... I was just thinking that you’ve really changed,” she explained. “How about it? Wanna have another match with me?”

“Whaaa...? No way. Sounds like a pain in the ass...”

“Tch. You’re no fun.”

This was supposed to be an extremely serious conversation, but the commander of the magic corps had ignored that completely and suddenly tried to pick a fight. She was supposed to be pretty good at reading the room, but she had a tendency to make outrageous statements like that every now and then. Her personality was enviable, in a sense, but I didn’t really want to be like her.

A small part of me had definitely changed, but that didn’t mean my personality had undergone some drastic transformation. It was a small yet definite shift. The spirit to seriously aim for the very summit of swordsmanship was something I’d certainly possessed in the past. However, over the course of fulfilling my duties at the dojo and as a special instructor, I’d locked it away deep inside my heart. Was it a good or bad omen that this spirit was beginning to sprout again? It seemed like I would have to wait a while longer before finding the answer.