From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman: My Hotshot Disciples Are All Grown Up Now, and They Won’t Leave Me Alone - Volume 7 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: An Old Country Bumpkin Feels the Onset of Winter

“Okay, good work, everyone.”

“Good work!”

By now, I was completely accustomed to teaching at the order’s office. After bringing the usual drills to an end, I exchanged farewells with the knights. Currently, it was just a little after noon. I always came to the office in the morning, loosened up my muscles a bit, then brought things to an end around this time. There were knights who trained continuously from the morning onward and others who only showed up when the sun was high in the sky. Regardless, ever since Allucia had brought me here and had made me a special instructor, I’d stuck to this routine.

Training for too long actually made things less efficient. Frankly, I didn’t have the stamina for that to begin with. I’d kept this daily schedule ever since my childhood in Beaden, so I had no intention of changing it now. Allucia, Henblitz, and the other knights respected this—I was grateful I could do things the way I wanted to.

“Whoa, so cold...”

After I put away my wooden sword and stepped outside, a serious chill brushed against my skin. The oppressive heat of summertime had faded, and just when I’d gotten used to thinking it was now autumn (with autumn’s confusing temperatures), winter’s breath was already rapidly closing in. It didn’t bother me at all when I was sweating it out with everyone, but once I stopped moving and went outside, I was forced to notice the changing of seasons—whether I wanted to or not.

Summer and winter were perfectly normal in both Beaden and Baltrain. Things could be different farther to the north or south in Liberis, though. Anyway, this was my first winter in Baltrain, but from what I’d heard from those around me, it was pretty rare for snow to pile up or for a severe cold snap to sweep through the area. That said, the winters weren’t mild enough to casually ignore, so I had to prepare a bit to protect myself from the chill.

I’d brought my favorite coat with me from Beaden—the knights of the order were apparently supplied with coats. Even indoors, it got pretty chilly during winter, so people went through firewood at a tremendous rate.

If I’d still been living on my own, I could’ve just toughed it out, but I had Mewi with me now, so that wouldn’t work. I actually had quite the stockpile of firewood back home. The days were generally fine, but nights could get quite harsh without a fire going.

“Maybe I should go shopping for winter clothing for Mewi,” I muttered, my breath visible in front of me.

The box from Ibroy had contained many types of clothing, but it hadn’t included anything that would be perfect for winter. That made sense—I’d gotten that gift during the summer. I felt like it was wrong to be fully dependent on him, anyway. I wanted to buy all the clothes she needed to withstand the upcoming winter. The magic institute technically provided a coat to wear over her uniform, but it was inconvenient not to have anything else. I have to complete these preparations before it genuinely starts getting cold.

After passing through the courtyard, I exchanged greetings with the soldiers of the royal garrison who stood guard at the gate.

“Good work today.”

“Hello, Mr. Beryl. Thank you for all your hard work. It’s awfully chilly today, isn’t it?”

“It really is. Be careful not to catch a cold.”

I was completely familiar with them now. The soldiers on duty usually only wore thin mantles, but that would be pretty harsh in this weather, so they were dressed in thick coats. In contrast, the townscape didn’t paint a particularly wintry scene. Things could change with some snow, but the same street stalls were still open all over. It didn’t seem like the town’s energy changed at all, regardless of whether it was spring, summer, fall, or winter. Only the clothing people wore on the streets changed with the seasons.

In Beaden, the slightest hint of winter had everybody shutting themselves indoors. It was different in the big city. There were simply more people and more stores, and there was also plenty of entertainment available, like taverns and houses of ill repute, making things lively all year round. Not that I’ve ever been to any of those seedy places...

“Hmmm...”

I considered going straight home, but since I was already outside, I decided to drop by the western district. If I was going to bring Mewi out to buy winter clothes, I had to at least scope things out first. I did most of my shopping in the western district, but that was generally for food. Neither Mewi nor I tended to fuss over more than the bare necessities, so we pretty much never went out to buy anything else.

I didn’t know what kinds of shops sold cold-weather clothes. And what kind of gear would a shop like that sell anyway? It would’ve been fine to drag Mewi around randomly during autumn, but bringing her with me in the cold without a coat sounded wrong. So, my plan was to go alone and take a look around the western district for places that sold winter clothing. I’d also grab a small bite to sate my appetite.

With that, I made my way to the western district. Upon arriving, I heard an energetic merchant’s voice.

“Come take a look! You can’t beat my prices!”

The hustle and bustle here was different from that of the central district. Things were lively over there, but there was a certain boisterousness to this area. The western district was a place to buy and sell goods, so the noise was a good sign. It was probably bad for the ears if you were here around the clock, though.

As I perused some of the foodstuffs lined up in front of the buildings, an old man with a hearty build called out to me. Attracted by his voice, I turned to look.

“How about it, buddy? I’ve got fish for sale.”

“Hm?”

Just as advertised, I was met by a line of fish. This was honestly a rare sight.

“Fish, huh? How unusual.”

“Hm? Your first time in Baltrain?” the man asked. “You’re gonna see a lot more fish soon. It’s getting colder and all.”

“Aah, I see what you mean now.”

From what Lucy had told me before, fresh seafood was very rarely available on the market due to problems of preservation and transportation. Even when it was for sale, it was extremely expensive. Wizards made its transportation and preservation possible at all. Freshness was a huge bottleneck when it came to transporting seafood, but things were different during the winter.

Fish was impossible to obtain in Beaden even during the peak of winter, so this definitely had me interested. There was a river close to the village, but fish were pretty much nonexistent in those waters. Even if there were any, the animals and monsters upstream in the Aflatta Mountain Range would probably snatch them all up. The only things we could catch were tiny fish you could eat in one bite.

“I guess it’s gotta be more expensive than meat, huh?” I commented.

“Obviously. It’s a lotta work to transport this stuff from the sea.”

The fish was around two or three times the price of a similarly sized chunk of meat—that was how much of a luxury good it was. However, looking at it from another perspective, I could get some fish for only three times the price of meat. I didn’t think wealth could solve all of life’s problems, but a certain amount of money did solve some of them.

“How do you cook fish?” I asked.

“Grilling and boiling both work. If you’re gonna boil it, the meat crumbles real easylike, so be careful. Also, just like other types of meat, make sure you remove the guts. Oh, and one more thing: I’m sure you can guess, but you can’t preserve the stuff. You’ll wanna eat it within the day.”

“Hmmm.”

His explanation was nice and thorough. If he failed to sell these, he would probably either have to eat them himself or throw them away, so he had to be desperate. I could understand how he felt. Fish was a rare curiosity, but you couldn’t buy that many at once when you had to eat them the same day. It probably wasn’t impossible to dry or smoke a fish to preserve it somewhat, but I could imagine the futility of an amateur trying that.

“All right, I’ll take these two,” I decided.

“Thanks for the business!”

I would usually hesitate to spend that much on meat, but my personal income was so detestably high that I could spend this on impulse. Well, maybe “detestably” was an exaggeration—I was grateful for what I received.

So, I ended up purchasing two of the fish that looked a little bigger than the others. I was planning for Mewi and me to each have one. Fish was too pricey to have on a regular basis, so my plan was to use the meal as a fun topic of conversation.

Mewi had definitely never had the chance to taste fish. I was really looking forward to her reaction. The problem was how to cook it—I figured it was best to be safe and just grill it with salt. I was curious about what kind of broth I could make with it, but with only two fish of this size, I wasn’t sure how much taste I could get out of them. Also, the meat apparently fell apart when boiled, so grilling sounded easier.

“I really bought them...”

My original plan had been to look for stores that sold winter clothing, but I’d immediately found myself with fresh food. I’m a little disappointed in my lack of planning ability... I picked up my pace to at least scope out some stores.

On the topic of buying clothes, I recalled the time Allucia had taken me out to buy that fancy jacket not too long ago. That shop had been a small, stylish, and expensive one in the central district, but style wasn’t really a concern this time around. The primary objective was to find something to fend off the cold, so I didn’t really care about how fancy or high-class the store was. For now, I just had to find somewhere that sold clothing and see what they were like.

“Oh, that looks nice.”

After striding through the western district for a while, I found an unexpected abundance of stores that met my criteria. There were, of course, many places with a focus on accessories or shoes or other assortments of items, but there were still plenty I could explore that sold what I wanted.

At this time of the year, pretty much everyone was selling something for the winter, so I was unlikely to fail as long as I located a few stores that handled clothing. The western district lived up to its reputation as Baltrain’s largest marketplace. However, I was well aware of my lack of fashion sense, so I didn’t want to pick something myself—Mewi might dislike whatever I chose.

At any rate, my first visit to the western district had left me dazed at how lively it was and how many stores there were, but I felt pretty accustomed to it now. As I walked around, I still commented to myself that it was as lively as ever, but I wasn’t overwhelmed in any way. People really were capable of adapting to any environment.

Was this another form of growth? I didn’t really know. At the very least, I was used to it now. Maybe you could call it growth in that sense. Not that saying, “Hey, I don’t get dizzy from the city’s sights anymore” at my age was something to be proud of. I wanted more things I could actually take pride in. Though I definitely don’t want to brag...

“Oh, this place is also— Hm?”

So far, I’d marked a few shops to take Mewi to, but I soon spotted another one that seemed packed with winter clothing. The vibrant atmosphere of the western district sort of diminished this shop, but it still looked pretty nice.

And just as I approached to check it out—

“Master?!”

“Oh, Surena. What a coincidence.”

—I bumped right into Surena, who likely had the same goal as me. She was inspecting a fairly thick jacket. It was definitely a little too cold outside for her usual outfit. I was genuinely worried about whether her belly ever got chilly.

“It’s been a while,” she said. “It really is quite a coincidence.”

“No kidding. Out shopping?” I asked.

Surena had looked utterly shocked when she’d first spotted me, but she’d recovered quickly. She was a lot like Allucia in this regard. They both had a tendency to get flustered when confronted by the unexpected, but they would regain their composure an instant later, even if only outwardly. It was a feat I would be hard-pressed to duplicate.

“Yes. My winter clothing is in a dire state, so I’m thinking of just getting something new,” she answered.

“I see.”

Surena had been checking the feel of the jacket in her hands, so I figured that was the case. Commoners like me typically wore the same clothes for a very long time—we simply didn’t have the money to constantly change them, and it was far cheaper to mend any tears. That was why we carefully scrutinized the fabric, stitching, and price of clothing that was expected to last a long time. It was pretty difficult to buy new clothes in the countryside, too, so when given the opportunity, you really wanted something that could be worn for years.

This probably didn’t apply to rich city-dwellers and nobles, though. From what I’d heard, there were people out there who bought flashy clothes for a party, only to throw them away right after. I found that pretty hard to believe.

On that note, Surena was definitely rich—that much was clear from how casually she’d paid for my sword, which had been made using Zeno Grable’s materials. She was the highest rank of adventurer, after all, so her income was very likely far greater than mine.

Still, she didn’t give off the impression of someone who wasted money frivolously. She was slowly inspecting what she wanted to buy rather than just buying first and figuring it out later. In her case, these clothes would be used in battles and on requests from the guild, so she couldn’t compromise.

“Are you shopping for clothes too, Master?”

“Yup. I’ve also gotta find something warm for Mewi.”

“Mewi...” Surena repeated, sinking into thought for a moment. “Aah, that girl.”

“Yup.”

I was glad she remembered. The two had only met that one time over lunch. Surena had been rather overbearing toward her.

“She’s not an infant,” Surena commented. “There’s no need for you to go out of the way to buy clothes for her...”

“No can do. I’m still her guardian.”

“That’s true...”

It seemed Surena saw me as rather overprotective. Still, I didn’t really have anyone around me to use as a reference. When I tried to recall how my mom and dad had been during my childhood, my only impression was that they’d sometimes been kind and sometimes strict. It had all happened too long ago for me to remember clearly, and above all else, my dad had been very strict once I’d started down my path as a swordsman. I didn’t really want to use that as a reference for Mewi’s upbringing.

So, with no examples to go off, I was basically doing things blind. I hadn’t been given any time to prepare either. I wasn’t disgruntled about how Mewi had come into my care, but I still held a bit of a grudge against Lucy for the whole process. I can’t do anything about that grudge now, though.

I was pretty sure I made a clear distinction between being kind to Mewi and spoiling her. Do I draw that line correctly, though? Who knows. There are too few people around me that I can go to for advice about raising a child. Wait... Maybe Mewi is a little too old to call it “raising a child.”

“Well, I’m just laying the groundwork today,” I added. “She’s better off picking her own clothes.”

“You’re not wrong. I also find it hard to wear clothes someone else has chosen for me.”

Surena approved of my logic. As the highest rank of adventurer, she had to pay extra attention to her appearance.

“But aren’t you cold...?” I muttered.

“I can put up with it,” she explained. “I’m shopping for clothes for when I can’t. Besides, I don’t really like wearing too much.”

“Well, it does make it harder to move. It’s better to stay agile with your fighting style.”

“Exactly.”

Surena went back to rummaging for new clothes. Incidentally, the shop owner had probably never expected a black rank adventurer to be here—he’d completely faded into the shop’s background. I understood how he felt.

Choosing clothes largely came down to personal taste, but there were times when that didn’t work. This was especially the case for people like Surena and Allucia. To take it to an extreme, if Surena ever told me she absolutely loved armor and would like nothing more than to wear a full suit of plate, I would be opposed to it. After all, that didn’t suit her fighting style. Prioritizing your taste in clothing at the cost of impeding your ability to fight could be a fatal mistake. On the other hand, someone who focused heavily on defense like Rose was better off wearing as much protection as possible.

Surena’s greatest strength was her extreme mobility—she also had the stamina to maintain that mobility for prolonged periods. I had no idea how that little girl I’d met had turned into such a powerful adventurer. Anyway, her style focused on moving and evading rather than defending, so heavy armor didn’t suit her whatsoever. Similarly, I’d never worn metal armor, nor did I have any intention to. I did wear formal attire when the situation called for it.

“By the way, what’s that you’ve got there, Master?” Surena asked as she continued looking for clothes.

“Oh, this? Fish.” I held them up by the string tying them together. “It was a novelty for me, so I bought some.”

It was possible to carry them around like this due to the cold temperature. But...now that she mentioned it, shopping for clothes while carrying raw fish was pretty odd.

“I suppose it’s just about the season for them to be on sale in Baltrain,” Surena commented.

“Oh, so it really is.”

She was probably well-informed when it came to the distribution of goods across the world. After all, she fulfilled requests in all sorts of big cities beyond Baltrain. This was a bit of a mixed blessing—because of her work, I had far fewer opportunities to meet with her, unlike with Allucia, Curuni, and Ficelle, who were all based in Baltrain.

“Have you ever had fish?” I asked.

“I have. It’s an altogether different flavor from meat. I rather like it, but they tend to have many little bones, making them somewhat hard to eat.”

“Aah... Little bones, huh? That makes sense.”

I had pretty much no experience cooking fish, but Surena was very knowledgeable. In most meat, the bones were nice and big—when the cuts even had bones. Honestly, meat was rarely sold in the marketplace with the bone attached. Biting into a fish as if it were a hunk of meat seemed like a horrible idea. Back in Beaden, the only fish we had were tiny, and we could chew through their bones.

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind,” I said.

“Please do. Also, I’m sure restaurants will have fish in stock for the upcoming season.”

“Hmm...”

She had a point. Fish probably wasn’t going to be available at any cheap taverns, but since it was now in season, it was very likely to be on the menu at some restaurants. I hadn’t been to many fancy establishments—the only ones I could think of were the places Lucy and Kinera had taken me to. They were both pretty hard places to go to on my own, and I would be worried about all the formality if I brought Mewi along.

“By the way...” I started.

“Yes?”

“Do you know any restaurants where I can order fish—and some alcohol at a reasonable cost—without the atmosphere being too formal?”

I was aware of how unreasonable this question was, but I wasn’t asking just out of simple curiosity. Ever since coming to Baltrain, I’d had the opportunity every now and then to share a meal with my former pupils and new acquaintances. Rose’s circumstances hadn’t really allowed for it, but I’d gotten to eat with all the others.

I realized that this was more of a rarity with Surena. She was very busy, and her work extended far beyond the city, so that couldn’t be helped. Of my acquaintances, she was the hardest to contact. But today, I’d coincidentally managed to bump into her, so I wanted to grab a bite to eat together if it wasn’t a nuisance.

The only time we’d had a meal together was by coincidence over that charcuterie plate. As such, wanting to plan out a meal with her beforehand and take it easy wasn’t a strange notion. I also had plenty I wanted to talk to her about.

“Hmm... I think I know one,” she answered. “I don’t really like formal restaurants either.”

“Ha ha ha, so you have problems with those places too.”

“Well, yes,” she admitted with a self-deprecating smile.

She seemed a little embarrassed about it. I was glad we shared the same opinion. Fancy places really didn’t suit a commoner like me.

“If it isn’t a bother, could we go there some time?” I asked. “Only when your schedule is open, naturally.”

“Hm?! Yes! Of course!”

“R-Right. Thanks.”

I’d meant it as a casual suggestion, but she was immediately on board with the idea. Well, at least this was better than her refusing or being reluctant.

“I’m sure you have to carve out a time slot for it,” I continued. “So how about coming to... Well, the office would be awkward for you, so you can come to my house or send me a letter.”

“Y-Your house?!”

“Yeah. To, you know...let me know when we can share a meal?”

“Ah, right.”

As far as I could tell, it wasn’t a good idea to have Surena bump into Allucia too much—it would be difficult for Surena to come to the order’s office, so I figured my home would work.

“Oh, but now that I think of it, I haven’t told you where I live...” I muttered.

“True.”

“That’s easy to solve. It’s in the central district—”

As I gave her the exact location, a sudden thought came to mind: I hadn’t informed anyone of the location of my new home. I’d forgotten, since Lucy and Ficelle had dropped by randomly. It had been Lucy’s place to begin with, so she obviously knew where it was, and she’d brought Ficelle with her.

I hadn’t even told Allucia or Henblitz. I saw the knights at the office every day, so I never had the need to inform them of where I lived. That would make Surena the first person to learn where my home was directly from me.

It wasn’t like my house was particularly valuable; I certainly didn’t own anything worth stealing. Mewi and I were the only residents, after all. There was no need to go out of my way to conceal where we lived. I was rather surprised that I hadn’t told anyone before this. Looking back on it, the dojo had been my home for so long that it was a rather fresh experience for me to tell anyone my address.

“I’ll drop by in the near future with a housewarming gift,” Surena said eagerly.

“Uhhh, there’s no need to go that far...”

It was a little odd for her to be so excited over something so trivial. Both Mewi and I would probably recoil at the sight. And since this was Surena we were talking about, her simple housewarming gift was likely to be something scarily expensive.

“Anyway, sorry for getting in the way of your shopping,” I said. “See you later.”

“Ah, yes! See you soon.”

I was only here to window-shop, while Surena was intent on picking something out today. Even if we’d met by chance, I didn’t want to stall her.

Baltrain had far more people than Beaden did, and there were always more strangers around than acquaintances. Finding someone I knew within that crowd had pushed me to say hello. I still didn’t know whether this was a good or bad decision—I didn’t want to be an annoying old man who always butted in. Or...have I already become one?

“Maybe I should’ve asked about this stuff when I had the chance...”

To add to all that, my fame was on the rise—I understood this well after my visit to Flumvelk. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to casually greet an acquaintance in the streets. In that respect, Surena and Allucia had already been celebrities for a while, so they definitely knew how to act in public.

I saw Allucia all the time, but it was pretty rare to meet Surena. It would’ve been a good idea to ask her about how to handle fame while I had the chance. Oh, but then I’d be getting in the way of her shopping... Man, this is complicated.

“Seriously, there are so many new things to learn, even at my age...”

I didn’t claim to be wise because of my long years, but it was pretty lame to remain so ignorant as an adult. It was also a bit late to be coming to that realization.

Anyway, I never would have felt this way had I stayed in Beaden, so it was best to look at my circumstances as an opportunity. I had plenty of room to grow beyond my skills with a sword.

◇

After bumping into Surena in the western district and chatting a little, I went back to my house. I strung up the fish I’d bought in a cool spot, and after pondering what food I should pair with them, I started a fire and tossed in some ingredients for a hearty soup. That was when Mewi came back from her classes at the magic institute.

“I’m back.”

“Welcome home.”

She was wearing the coat the school had provided over her usual uniform. She wouldn’t get too cold while she was moving around for her sword magic class, but sitting down for a lecture and the commute to and from school would be pretty unpleasant without one.

“Ugh... So cold...” she grumbled.

“Ha ha, wanna warm up by the fire?”

“Mm.”

I’d just gotten it lit for the soup. Being indoors was already an improvement from the outdoors, and the kitchen was even warmer than the rest of the house. It was perfect for winding down after spending time in the cold.

At any rate, Mewi had mellowed out significantly compared to when I’d first met her. This thought had come to me many times before, but I couldn’t help but feel it again. She no longer shouted at every little thing, and she had lowered her guard around others; her speech had softened, and recently, she’d become much more honest with herself. This was a good trend. At this rate, she was sure to grow into an upstanding adult. I thought about how I was partially responsible for that outcome, but I realized that I couldn’t simply rejoice over her growth and kick back. As the closest adult in her life, I had to set a good example.

As Mewi warmed up, she took a look around and immediately spotted today’s dinner. “Huh...? Is that fish?”

“Yup. My first time seeing it in the market, so I bought some.”

They did stand out since they were hanging there—especially since fish wasn’t a regular feature in our kitchen.

“I figured we could have it for dinner tonight,” I added.

“Hmph...”

Mewi acted cold, but judging by the glances she was giving the fish, she was full of curiosity. She was so cute.

“Ever had fish?” I asked.

“No.”

“Me either.”

She was clearly restless, so I decided to empathize with her. Strictly speaking, I’d had fish before, but those had been the tiny ones in Beaden you could down in one bite. I didn’t consider it the same as what I had dangling in the kitchen. So, I wasn’t lying—it was simply a matter of interpretation.

“I was thinking of just grilling them,” I said.

“Mm, sounds good.”

“Then let’s go with that.”

Now that I had the princess’s consent, tonight’s menu was set: a soup full of tasty ingredients, bread, and grilled fish.

On a side note, I wanted to do something about my cooking repertoire, but that change wouldn’t come anytime soon. Things kind of worked out when I crudely chopped up ingredients to toss into a pot, and that was good enough for both me and Mewi. Being an amateur cook wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Still, I was a little scared of handling ingredients I’d never seen and cooking things a way I’d never tried before. In that sense, my mind was still that of a commoner from the sticks. Even though my wallet was in a much better state now, I didn’t like the idea of messing up recipes and wasting ingredients.

Lately, if I wanted to eat anything unconventional, I was fine going out to eat. I was grateful for how prosperous Baltrain was in this regard, as restaurants were plentiful here. There were times when I wanted to chow down on tons of meat and others when I wanted to chug ale without a care in the world. However, I indulged in such desires only when I was on my own—it didn’t seem right to bring Mewi to a tavern.

I doubted she would throw a tantrum or something. I trusted her not to. Still, I didn’t want her to get involved with any weirdos. My face and name were somewhat well-known among the knights and the royal garrison, but not so much within the populace. Not that I want to become famous or anything...

That being the case, I still wasn’t an adequate shield for Mewi. Bringing a child to a tavern was questionable, but given the opportunity, maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea one day. I didn’t know when exactly that would be, though.

“Mewi, once you’re warmed up, go get changed.”

“Mm.”

I didn’t mind her thawing out for a minute, but her school uniform was finely made, and it was better for her to change to avoid dirtying it. Taking part in the sword magic course was naturally going to lead to it getting spoiled and torn, but getting it dirty out of necessity was worlds apart from messing it up due to sloth. This wasn’t a matter of aesthetics or anything—I simply wanted to ingrain that mentality within her.

“Fold it properly too,” I added while stirring the soup.

“I know...”

She had a tendency to just toss her uniform on the floor if given the chance. She probably figured it didn’t matter since she would just pick it up the next day to wear again. I’d told her before not to act so immodestly in front of the other sex, but she didn’t seem to count me as a man. But hey, I’m not some sleazebag who would feel any desire for my adopted daughter! That’s not the point!

She probably hadn’t had the leisure to worry about such things while working for Twilight. But since she was living a proper life now, I wanted her to care a little more. This kind of thing was more about society as a whole than my personal relationship with Mewi. There was a limit to what I could teach her at home. It would’ve been nice to have a proper role model for her, but asking someone to fill those shoes was also rather difficult.

In that sense, maybe it would’ve been better for her to live in the magic institute’s dorms. She’d stayed there temporarily during my expedition to Flumvelk but had apparently been in a private room. Raising a child really was complicated. I’d never thought it would be easy, but there was a never-ending stream of problems that hadn’t occurred to me. I had serious respect for the world’s mothers and fathers.

“I’m hungry,” Mewi announced after changing and coming back to the kitchen.

“Just a little longer.”

“Mm.”

I was too, to be honest. The soup was pretty much done—it was time to cook the fish.

Umm, I start by taking out the guts, right? You can just eat tiny fish whole, but I guess that doesn’t work at this size. I was somewhat curious about how the innards tasted, but I had no reason to defy the instructions of the guy who’d sold me the fish. I decided to do exactly as he’d told me to.

“Yup... Uhhh... Huh?”

“You suck.”

“Qu-Quiet!”

I slid my knife through the fish, but it wasn’t going well. I managed to pull out what looked like guts, but I made quite a mess of the edible meat.

Man, preparing fish is pretty hard. I could manage better with meat. This was how things turned out without prior experience, though. It was pretty embarrassing with Mewi watching. If I could handle a knife like a sword, I wouldn’t have had any issues, but they were completely different skill sets.

“I’ll eat this one...” I said before focusing on the second fish. “Okay, this time—”

“Hand it over, old guy.”

“Hm? The knife?”

“Mm.”

Hmm, I guess she won’t ruin the whole thing if she messes up. This’ll be a good experience. It’s also hard to say no after screwing it up myself.

“Be careful,” I said, handing over the knife without any hesitation.

“I can use a knife just fine.”

It was time to see what she could do. Not that I was in any position to act like I was better.

“Hmm...”

Mewi carefully pressed the blade against where the fish’s innards were, using what I’d done as reference. The tip sank into the flesh, and, moving her hand very slightly, Mewi created a tiny slit. She widened the hole to about the size of a finger, then shifted the angle of the knife and scraped out its innards.

“Probably...like this,” she muttered.

“Ooh, pretty good.”

Scraping instead of cutting it out, huh? She must’ve learned from my failure. I mean, I was pretty sure I was doing it wrong. But just so you know, I wasn’t going to make the same mistake on a second try.

Anyway, setting aside such childish thoughts, Mewi’s knife work was looking a lot better now. I could see a huge difference from when she’d had problems cutting vegetables. This had to be a sign of growth.

“Finished,” she reported.

“Nice. Very skillfully done, Mewi.”

“Hmph...”

In no time at all, the fish’s innards had all been removed cleanly. She’d really done well. You wouldn’t have thought this was her first time preparing a fish. Her past as a thief must’ve trained her dexterous fingers. However, before this, she hadn’t been able to apply that skill to anything else. It was a modest talent, and I was glad she felt comfortable putting it on display in the open without having to feel guilty—even if she only used her skill to prepare a fish.

“I think I have a knack for it,” Mewi said.

“That’s great. I guess I should ask you to handle the fish if I ever get my hands on some again.”

I didn’t say anything insensitive like “Why can you prepare fish when you’re bad at cutting vegetables?” After all, I was pretty confident when it came to cutting meat, but I was garbage at handling fish. It was the same thing.

“Okay, now all that’s left is to skewer and salt them.”

The first fish was a mess, but the second had been properly prepared. It was now time to cook it. This part wasn’t as complicated—like I said, the fish just needed some salt before being put over the fire. Still, this was kind of fun. There was a certain sophistication to grilling a whole fish over just throwing ingredients into a pot.

“Oooh...”

We enjoyed the sound of crackling fire for a while, and gradually, the fish’s skin darkened to a nice crisp, and it let out an appetizing aroma.

“Looks tasty...” Mewi mumbled.

“Right?”

Both Mewi and I already knew that fish was available to the general populace. Still, this was our first time seeing it cooked. It honestly looked delicious. Fish was a truly fascinating food.

“All right, let’s get everything else ready.”

I left watching the fish to Mewi so I could finish up the soup and get the bread. Other than our main course, this was the exact same dinner as usual. How did adding fish make dinner seem so much more colorful? I never knew it was possible to have fun at home like this. I felt like I was catching a glimpse of new horizons, despite my age.

“Mewi, how’s the fish looking?”

“Good.”

“Excellent.”

It seemed things were going well as I set the table. We weren’t doing anything beyond salting and grilling the fish, though. The scent of meat and broth mixed with the fragrance of cooking fish, and that was enough to make me even hungrier than I already was.

“All right, let’s eat.”

“Mm, thanks for the food.”

With that, we got right to it. I took a bite of the crispy fish skin.

“Oh, this is tasty.”

“So good...”

It had a distinctly different taste, texture, and umami from meat. The flesh was all very tightly packed, and it seemed like I could make some great broth by boiling it. The guy who’d sold it to me hadn’t been lying. The meat was very light, and it wasn’t oily, so a simple seasoning of salt was a nice accent. Fish also seemed like it would go great with some booze.

Also, if a fish of this size was so good, then a larger fish would probably be packed with even more flavor. Considering the cost of transportation and preservation, I could understand the additional cost.

“This really whets the appetite, huh?”

“So good...”

Defeated by the brand-new flavor, Mewi’s vocabulary had been annihilated. Adorable. She hadn’t shown much excitement toward anything before now, but lately, I’d observed her showing a lot more emotion. I was glad to see this change, and I looked forward to what would come of it. One day, when those emotions developed fully, she was sure to become independent of me. I both anxiously awaited and dreaded that day. No matter how much time passed, that feeling remained the same.

“More,” Mewi demanded.

“Ha ha ha, that’s all the fish we have today.”

“Oh...”

It seemed the princess took quite a liking to salted and grilled fish. I didn’t really want to give her what I was already eating. Still, I agreed that it was good enough to want more. It was apparently available in the marketplace during the winter, so it sounded like a good idea to be more proactive about buying some whenever I saw any—depending on the price, of course.

“I’ll buy more fish if I find some again,” I told her. “As long as it isn’t too expensive.”

“Mm...”

There was nothing better than good food. Nobody out there preferred a lousy meal over a good one—that was a universal constant. In that sense, buying this fish had paid off marvelously. While our cooking skills could potentially be a problem, indulging in a luxury like this every now and then was pretty nice.

◇

“Okay, I’m off, then.”

“Mm, have a good day.”

It was the day after Mewi and I had enjoyed the grilled fish, and I left the house as usual. The magic institute had classes today, but I left for the office far earlier than when classes started, so I was usually gone before Mewi. Her sleep schedule still matched mine, though. I’d told her that she didn’t need to go out of her way to wake up at the same time as me, but she still did, even now.

According to Mewi, since I was the owner of the house, it only made sense. I guess she has a point? She’s not forcing herself, so maybe it’s fine.

Anyway, I also got home ahead of her, so I usually took care of preparing dinner. We both benefited from this arrangement: I had no need to change my sleep schedule, and in exchange for waking up early, Mewi had dinner waiting for her when she got home. I’m discounting any criticism of a grown adult using a child for his own benefit...

“Man, it’s cold in the morning!”

I left the house full of energy, but I shivered as a blast of cold wind struck me. Much like in Beaden, my daily lifestyle didn’t change much depending on the season—I wouldn’t think of sleeping in just because it was cold, nor did I ever stay up late because it was too hot to sleep. Doing so would immediately mess up my circadian rhythm.

So, regardless of how relentlessly cold it was in the mornings, I went outside. I had a job to do, after all. But that didn’t mean I was perfectly fine in the cold—I didn’t like how it was harder to move my muscles. I wasn’t the type to bundle up in clothing either, so that made it even colder.

However, I’d long decided to live the path of a swordsman, and I wasn’t going to change my habits now. It would be a different story when I got even older and set aside my sword. Even Surena, whom I’d bumped into by coincidence the other day, had to deal with the cold. Her fighting style greatly benefited from light equipment, and her usual outfit abandoned any defense beyond the bare minimum—this was so she could focus on offensive strikes. Her armor only protected her vital organs and her limbs.

Since she had an abundance of stamina, a metal breastplate was feasible for her, but that would normally be ill-suited to her agile style—breastplates were heavy, and they hindered movement. That was also why I only wore cloth and, at most, hardened leather.

Anyway, all fighters had their own fixations—knowing what suited your fighting style provided a great advantage in battle. Still, these preferences were sometimes quite inconvenient during daily life, and that was exactly what I was going through now. It’s damn cold.

“Brrr... I want to get inside and start swinging my sword already...”

Warming up by a fire was nice, but getting the heart pumping with exercise was even better. To that end, I had to reach the order’s office quickly. My commute was also a valuable chance to exercise, so I picked up the pace, focusing on loosening up my muscles. After that, I broke into a slight run.

Walking and running were unexpectedly important motions. At my age, there was a desire to kick back and use a stagecoach or something, but it wasn’t good for a swordsman to indulge in the big city’s conveniences. A stagecoach’s hard seats were bad for the back too.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning, Mr. Beryl. It’s awfully cold today, isn’t it?”

“Sure is.”

And just like that, after hurrying my way to the order’s office, I arrived and greeted the usual soldier who stood guard at the gate. He was dressed for the weather, but since his job was to stand around for most of the day, the cold had to be even worse for him. Nonetheless, he fulfilled his duty without complaining. I really respected that—if anyone had asked me to just stand around on guard, I would definitely be grumbling.

I passed through the gate, and right as I entered the courtyard before the training hall, someone called out to me.

“Mr. Beryl! Good morning!”

“Hm? Morning, Evans.”

Evans was still very young, but he was a splendid knight who kept up with the Liberion Order’s strict training. I didn’t think he was the type to just lounge around outside.

“I’ve been waiting for you to arrive,” he said. “Commander Allucia would like to see you in her office.”

“Got it. But wait... You stood out here just to tell me that?”

“Yes!”

“I-I see... Thanks—try not to catch a cold.”

“Your concern is much appreciated!”

Apparently, the request from Allucia was all it took to get Evans to wait in the cold. I felt a little sorry for him. If he had wanted to see me, he could’ve just waited inside the training hall. However, Allucia had deemed that unacceptable for some reason, and she’d insisted that Evans find me before I got there. Something must’ve happened that requires my immediate presence with the utmost priority.

I could more or less guess what the issue was—Sphenedyardvania. Also, it seemed that this wasn’t a problem that could just be delivered to me in a message. We had reached a stage where things had to be discussed in person.

I didn’t feel much of an urge to gripe and dismiss this summons as a pain to deal with. Maybe this was also a minor change in my mindset. Not too long ago, I would’ve grumbled about Allucia dragging me into these things, but when it came to the issues with Sphenedyardvania, I wanted the order to be able to rely on me.

This was probably a change for the better. I was getting on in years, but I was only just reaching mental maturity in the truest sense. I hadn’t intentionally acted immature before this, but in hindsight, some of my behavior had been rather childish. Maybe it was best to view this change optimistically. Even at my age, it was still possible to improve. Though, it was hard to completely understand how I’d grown—the only person I had to compare myself against was my past self. It wasn’t something I could really ask someone else about either.

“Okay then...”

I needed to quickly respond to the knight commander’s summons, so I tucked away such emotions in the corner of my mind. I turned from the training hall and made my way to her office. This was my third time going there. For normal matters, we would just use the reception room, or Allucia would come to the training hall. Was it even possible for this meeting to be as serious as the last two?

Either we’d discovered the Verdapis Mercenary Company’s objective, or there had been some kind of development regarding Sphenedyardvania’s involvement. All I knew was that the Liberion Order and the magic corps were handling the investigation. No matter how hard I tried, I wouldn’t be able to contribute to that. Still, as an involved party, there was essential information I needed to know. My basic stance was that I wanted to know what was going on, and that if my sword was needed, the order should not hesitate to call on me.

I walked through the white interior of the building. I was quite accustomed to this scenery now, though not too long ago, I would’ve never imagined that I’d be working in such a place. I was in awe at how quickly time flowed—people really could get used to anything.

The order’s headquarters was quite large, but I’d only visited a few locations within it. In fact, aside from the training hall, the only rooms I’d been to were the reception room and Allucia’s office.

I followed the familiar route and soon arrived at my destination.

“Right...”

I didn’t need to adjust my appearance or make myself more presentable, but I paused to compose myself before knocking on the door. I was meeting Allucia, so I could be rather casual. Still, she was the Liberion Order’s knight commander, and I absolutely didn’t want to barge into the room without warning.

“Come in.”

“Excuse me,” I said, entering the room.

Allucia was examining papers at her desk. “Sorry for calling you so early in the morning, Master.”

“Don’t be. It’s perfectly fine.”

She really had nothing to apologize for. If a knight had come to my house first thing in the morning to drag me here, then maybe I would’ve complained a little. However, she’d had Evans send me here only after I’d arrived, so this meeting wasn’t any trouble at all.

“Please take a seat,” Allucia offered.

“Thanks.”

Much like the other times I’d been here, I took a seat on the sofa located in a corner of the room. The order’s headquarters was sturdy and well-built for security purposes—it was sealed tight, so no drafts slipped in from outside, and you couldn’t even feel a hint of the cold air. This made it easy to discount the weather. My home wasn’t so impervious to temperature changes, so I was a little jealous...but comparing my house to a key complex of the nation’s security was a ludicrous thought.

“Let’s get right to it,” I said, skipping any chitchat.

“Of course,” Allucia agreed. Her time was finite too. “I called you here because Princess Salacia’s wedding schedule has been determined.”

“Hmm...”

The information Allucia had for me was a little different from what I’d expected. Even though we’d been attacked during the practice expedition, Liberis couldn’t call off Princess Salacia’s wedding. After all, this was a marriage between nations. To put it bluntly, there was no way the royal family’s schedule would be thrown off just because some commoners were attacked.

So, it was expected that the wedding would proceed exactly as planned. The problem was whether things were safe enough for the royals. Had Sphenedyardvania been identified as the culprit behind the attack? It was fine if they weren’t in any way related. But if they were, we had to consider the possibility of another attack and the reasons why one might occur.

“When is it?” I asked.

“The princess will be leaving Baltrain at the end of the month. She’ll stay in Sphenedyardvania for a while, and then the wedding ceremony will be held at the turn of the new year.”

“I see.”

There was nothing to gain from asking about Sphenedyardvania. The king wasn’t going to change his plans because of my opinion. So, I turned the conversation to the schedule instead.

To state the obvious, Sphenedyardvania was farther away than Flumvelk, so it took longer to reach. Our last expedition had involved a few dozen people, but Princess Salacia’s escort would be much, much larger. More troops meant a slower march. From what I’d heard, the journey alone would likely take a full month—or longer if major issues occurred. Everyone involved was desperately making preparations to avoid any such problems.

“We would like you to join Princess Salacia’s escort,” Allucia added.

“Got it. Count me in.”

I’d also expected this, and I’d been ready to accept. I would’ve preferred if they hadn’t asked me at all, but considering the attack during the previous expedition, this escort mission put the entire Liberion Order’s reputation at stake. I was honestly glad that I was counted among them, though I was dreading the upcoming strife they anticipated.

“Thank you... I’m sorry to have to put this burden on you, Master.”

“Don’t be. It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

This was a heavy responsibility, but it wasn’t Allucia’s fault. She felt serious remorse—that was just the kind of person she was. This was a virtue of hers, but from my perspective, she was taking on many burdens she didn’t need to. She couldn’t relax while on duty, but she could do with a break every now and then. People who remained on edge all the time exhausted themselves surprisingly quickly, though that could just be my opinion as someone in a position with nowhere near as much responsibility as the commander.

“There will be several meetings before our departure,” Allucia continued. “They’ll take up some of your time.”

“I see... I’m not sure what I can contribute by attending, but if I’m needed, I’ll be there.”

I honestly just wanted to have orders handed to me so that I could skip the meetings, but that probably wasn’t going to happen. I was both unsuited for and uninterested in these planning phases, but if I was being called on, I had to attend.

“For the next few weeks, please push the knights to their limits,” she added. “We’ll gradually ease back as we prepare for the mission.”

“Got it.”

We needed to prepare the knights and ensure that the order was in tip-top shape, so it was a good idea to set a rigorous training regimen. Doing so naturally led to exhaustion, so when it was time to start moving for the real mission, we would have to ease off to get rid of any fatigue.

“That’s all I have to tell you today,” Allucia said. “I’ll be in touch soon.”

“Sure. I’ll head to the training hall.”

I didn’t really mind meeting frequently. However, much like on the expedition, I was out of my element when surrounded by strangers. You could say I just had to get used to it, but my personality got in the way of that.

Anyway, my business with Allucia was done for the day, so it was time to head back to the training hall. After I leave the order for the day, I have to figure out how to tell Mewi I’ll be gone for so long. Oh, and I probably won’t be able to catch a meal with Surena until the expedition’s over. Since I was the one to extend the invite, I have to think of a way to make it up to her.

“Okay...”

I slapped my cheeks as I left Allucia’s office. There was plenty to think about, but nothing I had to solve right that instant. My biggest priority was training the knights to the best of my ability.

I refocused and calmed my swirling thoughts. It was time for me to become a demon instructor for a while and push these knights to the brink.

◇

“Dash! Dash! Keep it lively, people!”

“Ooooh!”

The knights bellowed in response to my orders. Winter was nearly upon us, so in the training hall, it got pretty cold unless you were moving or wearing extra clothes. Despite this, all of them were drenched in sweat.

Dehydration wasn’t as much of an issue in the winter compared to the summer, but still, nothing good came from totally draining the body. Once this drill’s over, I should give them the chance to get some proper rest and to rehydrate.

“I-I can’t...!”

Another knight dropped out. He looked like he was on the verge of death. Just as Allucia had requested, I was seriously driving them to the edge. The process was extremely simple—I just made them run. However, just sprinting around aimlessly would be pretty pointless. It placed a momentary burden on the muscles, but it didn’t push the body to the brink. Just being strict wasn’t enough.

The training hall was completely indoors, which prevented outsiders from seeing the knights train. As such, I wanted to avoid having them run outside like we’d done with the provincial army in Flumvelk. They did drills inside the training hall instead.

First, everyone lined up side by side and ran from wall to wall. Once they reached the other side, they turned around and did it again. Each knight was free to set their own pace. However, the group only started the run to the other side when everyone reached the wall. In other words, the first to get there could take a short break, while the last got none at all.

There was a flaw in this method: if the last person in line ran too slowly, it would make the training useless. So, after the first person touched the next wall, a countdown would begin, and there would be a forced start after a certain amount of time. Anyone who didn’t make it before that would have to drop out.

It would be cruel to have the knights look around and make that call themselves while they were running so desperately, so I gave the start signals. I had to carefully watch everyone and judge when someone reached the wall and when a certain amount of time had passed.

Anyway, this was way more tiring than running aimlessly. The burden on the muscles from the constant stops and starts was pretty nasty. But in return, one’s muscles were strengthened considerably. Of course, that only worked if you had the ability to keep up with this reckless training. Thankfully, there was no need to worry about that with the Liberion Order.

This training also had no fixed limit. It wasn’t like they were doing a predetermined number of laps—I had them running to the very limits of their willpower and stamina. We kept going until only one person was left.

Doing this type of training alone made it easy to give up quickly, but the knights had others running beside them, so they were motivated by their pride. This was the perfect training for pushing them to the edge, both physically and mentally. Allucia had personally told me to run them ragged in preparation for Princess Salacia’s wedding procession, so I was ready to be utterly merciless.

On a side note, if I’d participated in this training, I was absolutely confident that I would’ve been the first to drop out. I just happened to have decent stamina relative to the average forty-five-year-old man. There was no way I could keep up in a direct contest against the young, active knights of the Liberion Order. That’s not really something to be proud of...

“Heh! Heh! Heeeeh...! Piece of cake!”

Anyway, to state the obvious, those with more stamina lasted longer. There was very little room for technique in this kind of contest. Curuni was a perfect example of this. She was a step above the other knights when it came to pure strength and endurance. Though she was gasping for breath like everyone else, she constantly led the pack.

“Hrrrk...!”

In contrast, Evans had just dropped out—he looked like he could hurl at any moment. He’d hung in there for a long time, but he was poorly matched against Curuni. When it came to swordplay, the difference between them was small enough for them to spur each other on, but she was utterly superior in terms of stamina.

“Ugh...!”

Another knight dropped out, unable to make it to the wall before the forced start. I wanted to at least say something to those who were finished, but I had to keep my eyes on those who were running—I had to signal the start of a new lap. This applied even to Frau, who’d just returned to training. She’d rested for a while to recover from her shoulder injury, and she’d still managed to hang in there until this point. She had some serious willpower.

After coming back from the expedition, Allucia had ordered Frau to get some rest. That had been a perfectly reasonable decision. Training with an injury most always led to lousy results. It was better to get some proper rest, then go back to serious training after recovering. This rest period had also been for more than just her physical recuperation—she’d had to recover mentally as well. But now, she was successfully back on duty. Unfortunately, though he’d survived, Vesper wasn’t anywhere close to returning. He couldn’t even walk properly yet. His injury and the deaths during the attack surely lingered as enormous shadows hanging over Frau’s heart.

This had to have been a huge internal conflict for her. Was it right for her to continue being a knight? Did she have the resolve to persist in the Liberion Order? I didn’t believe she’d settled things yet. It was possible she was lost but didn’t have the determination to resign either—perhaps she was focusing on moving her body to distract herself.

This was a perfectly valid answer. Humans wouldn’t suffer as much if we could always just sit back, think on it, and automatically choose the right answers. I was also familiar with this tactic—in the past, I had recklessly swung my sword to avoid having to think about things. It was akin to running away.

In that sense, you could say Frau was taking a step forward. It was still unclear what future she would ultimately choose, but just coming to get some exercise without wallowing in despair was something I wanted to praise her for.

“Ugh... Oooooh!”

“Mrrrrgh...!”

After glancing at Frau, I returned to focusing on the training drill. It was now down to two knights: Henblitz and Curuni. This was pretty much as expected. Curuni was a beast when it came to stamina, and Henblitz’s title as lieutenant commander wasn’t just for show. His stamina and strength towered above the others. To add to that, both were the type to give everything they had, even when training—they’d spent nearly the entire time dashing at full speed. To come out on top, even when constantly sprinting at full speed... They both have crazy levels of endurance. I doubt I would’ve had any chance against them even if I were twenty years younger.

This drill technically wasn’t supposed to stop until there was only one person left, so calling it a draw would cheat them out of that. I had no choice but to continue watching, though I was starting to question how long this was going to take. Neither of them had any composure left, but even if they ran out of stamina, I felt like they might keep going entirely on guts.

As the lieutenant commander, Henblitz couldn’t afford to lose. On the other hand, Curuni had great pride in her stamina, so she wasn’t going to throw in the towel either. You’d think it would be perfectly fine for someone other than Henblitz to win, but...well, a person with such a weak spirit would never last in the order.

Actually, it was a little late to ask, but was it really all right for me to drag the lieutenant commander into this hell training? I was starting to get a little worried.

“Ugh... Gh...!”

“Ooh.”

And just as that thought crossed my mind, Curuni finally started falling behind. It seemed Henblitz’s musculature really was a cut above hers. People had a certain animalistic strength they could tap into, like when they needed to escape the scene of a fire. It was pretty convenient to have a font of strength you didn’t normally have access to, but it couldn’t be maintained for long. If anything, it was only meant to last for an instant. There were those who could maintain it on guts alone, but if anything, that was to prevent their abilities from deteriorating over time rather than for pushing themselves beyond their limits.

At any rate, now that she was near her breaking point, it was tremendously hard to catch up. That was especially the case against Henblitz.

“Stop!”

“Blagh...!”

Curuni was getting slower and slower, so I brought the drill to an end. The moment I did, she toppled to the ground. Regardless of her loss, there were very few people who could muster such stamina and willpower. This was a splendid quality to possess.

“Pwah...!”

Even Henblitz, who was usually composed when he beat all the knights in sparring matches, was pretty exhausted. From what I could tell, he’d been right on the brink as well. It seemed he’d beaten Curuni by the slightest margin, driven entirely by his obstinacy.

“Good work,” I said, handing him a towel.

“Th-Thank you...!”

It was pretty rare to see him gasping for breath. It really showed how merciless this drill had been. I’d made them do it, but I definitely never wanted to participate. Don’t give me that look. I did it in the past, okay? I just don’t want to do it now.

My dad had run me through this exercise too. At the time, I’d constantly complained and whined about why I had to go through such torture. Now, I could see it as one of the foundations for my current strength. My dad’s training had been harsh but effective—that was why I was following in his footsteps.

“Haaah...! That’s some good training...! Very stimulating...!” Henblitz gasped between sentences.

“G-Glad you liked it.”

I felt a little sorry for dragging him into this dull but hellish drill—he didn’t seem to mind at all, though. If anything, he looked invigorated. Still, if this was the only training he did, he would definitely get bored and lose motivation. That was why it was best to use this exercise sparingly. Right now, I happened to have a just cause for driving the knights to the edge.

“L-Lieutenant... I’ll win next time...”

“Curuni, start by getting up and drinking some water...” I told her.

“Yessir...”

She was still sprawled on the ground, not moving a muscle. That was how far she’d pushed herself, so it looked like this training session was a success.

“Frau, you okay?” I asked.

“Y-Yes... Thank you...for your consideration...”

Her breathing was still ragged, but she’d recovered enough to talk. Good. Despite being driven so hard, none of the knights had passed out. That was pretty amazing. It really showed how high the standards for the order were.

“Try not to push yourself too hard,” I told her.

“No... Now is the time to do exactly that.”

“I see.”

There were times when you really did have to be reckless. I couldn’t deny that now was one such time for her. I didn’t see any desperation in her eyes—she was intent on participating in Princess Salacia’s wedding procession next month, and my concerns were unnecessary.

She’d come to this decision all on her own. She was going to continue being a knight. She was going to bear that burden to the very end.

“Then I won’t hold back,” I said. “I’ll drive you to your limits just like the others, so be ready.”

“I couldn’t ask for more.”

I wasn’t going to brush off her determination with my trivial concern for her. That was why I was going to train her mercilessly. The Liberion Order was truly quite the gathering. There was a definite willpower and pride here that had been built up over the course of history. Now that I was involved, I didn’t want people to say there’d been a drop in quality—that would be far too insulting not only to Allucia but to the knights I was training as well.

“Get some water and rest, then we’re moving on to sparring!” I yelled, now full of motivation. “You’ve gotta be able to fight even when exhausted!”

“Yes, sir!”

I planned to take part in the sparring as well. I had to push myself to the limit too, even if I couldn’t manage it the same way I had during my heyday when I’d possessed never-ending energy.

All right, time to fire myself up. Let’s start by defeating everyone in this room.

◇

“L-Let’s call it a day here...”

“Thank you for your hard work!”

“Mm... Likewise...”

I’m beat. Super beat. I really shouldn’t get so excited about this kind of training at my age. I could feel that truth seeping into my bones. I wanted to punch the me from earlier who’d thought it was a good idea to train to my limits. Well, pushing myself was a good thing on its own, but I’d miscalculated how much my stamina had declined over the years.

Due to the dashing drill, the knights had suffered from considerable fatigue. I’d felt guilty for being the only one relaxing the whole morning, and I’d also been rather motivated after seeing their effort.

However, there was a clear difference in standards when it came to stamina between me and the knights. I’d gone in intent on beating everyone in a sparring match. I’d managed to pull it off, but I was in a precarious state now.

Despite it being winter, my body was hot, and I was drenched in burning sweat. If I didn’t hydrate properly, I was liable to collapse. That would be quite unsightly—I was going to keep it from happening with sheer willpower.

“All right, I’ll excuse myself ahead of you guys... Haaah...”

“Take care,” Henblitz told me.

“Mm, thanks...”

I leaned my wooden sword against the wall and left the training hall. I really did have to be careful not to collapse, and I prayed that my body would hold out until I got home. At this point, I really didn’t mind if Mewi saw me being a little lame.

That was just how much of my private life I shared with Mewi. She saw me doing stupid stuff all the time, and I’d seen her doing similarly silly things. I wondered if not needing to be careful about how we acted was a sign of faith or reliance. Before I moved here, the only people in my life I could trust like that were my mom and dad...and some fellow students like Gisgarte. Before I’d even realized it, Mewi had become a part of that circle.

If I ever started a family of my own, being able to show this side of me would be one of my conditions for a partner...but there wasn’t much I could do about that just by thinking about it.

“Whoa! Sure is cold outside...!”

I had taken only a single step out of the training hall when a cold gust slammed against me. The chilly wind rapidly cooled my flushed body. I was liable to catch a cold if I just stood here in a daze. Not only did I have to get back home quickly to get my body back to its normal state, but I also had an important mission to accomplish today: inform Mewi about the upcoming expedition.

This trip was going to be far longer than the last. Our destination was farther away, plus we had to stay for longer. I would be leaving Mewi on her own, but she could probably stay at the institute’s dorms again. We didn’t have any problem affording it, and the dorms were the perfect environment for her. I also had to clear it with Lucy. Though, considering her position, she surely knew about the expedition already.

“Right, let’s get back quickly...”

I was exhausted, but I couldn’t drag my feet all the way back home. Even if nobody was really watching, a part of me wanted to keep up appearances somewhat when I was in public. It was difficult to pay attention to every minute action of my body, but I at least wanted to avoid being seen as a total slacker at a casual glance. My time spent holed up in the countryside hadn’t exactly prepared me for this. I had to get used to it, though.

I guess this is another form of growth. According to Allucia and Warren, I was definitely going to be invited to more occasions where I would have to watch my behavior, so it was best to get accustomed to it during my daily life.

It felt nice to have others rely on my sword, and I was intent on giving it everything I had, but I was well aware of how bad I was at all the other stuff. Much like my budding confidence, I felt like this was going to need a lot more time to develop.

“We still have plenty of food, so I guess I’ll head straight home today.”

We stocked the kitchen in a couple of different ways: Most of the time, Mewi and I would go on shopping runs to the western district, but occasionally, I would stop by somewhere on a whim as I walked home from the order’s office. On those days, I usually only picked up enough for a single meal—much like the fish I’d bought the other day.

I didn’t have the energy for that today—I just wanted to go straight home. I was hungry, but I wasn’t going to wander around the marketplace looking for something in my current state. I’m really feeling the limits of my age. Despite my fatigue, I didn’t want to take a stagecoach. Slacking off at times like these would lead to bad habits, and since I was already in decline, taking it easy would surely send me down a never-ending spiral.

Worn out, I walked back home—nothing of note happened along the way.

“I’m home.”

My voice echoed quietly through the empty building. Mewi wasn’t going to be back for a little while, so I started preparing dinner while my body could still move. If I lie down flat, I’m going to pass out right away, and it’s a little too early for that.

“I guess I’ll stew some stuff...”

Making a stew truly was convenient at times like these. Things more or less worked out by chopping random ingredients and tossing them into a pot. I had to watch the heat, but it was still a forgiving way of cooking.

I filled the pot with water and set it over the fire. In the meantime, I chopped some meat, potatoes, and vegetables, then chucked them in. Some salt and herbs helped give it a little flavor. This wasn’t going to help me expand my cooking repertoire, but it was so easy—I couldn’t help it. It makes sense that Mewi only ever cooks this kind of dish.

“So sleepy...”

Now that I was back home, all the tension had drained from my body. A tremendous drowsiness assaulted me while I cooked dinner. I wanted to go to sleep right away, but that would be dangerous with the fire going. That said, putting out the fire would leave dinner incomplete. I didn’t want to eat a half-cooked meal, and more importantly, I didn’t want to feed Mewi one.

“Hmph! Ow...”

I pinched my cheek hard to help me focus. It hurt like hell, but it did wake me up. It’d been a long time since I’d felt so drowsy at this hour...which meant it’d been that long since I’d driven myself to the edge. It was nice that I hadn’t been in any situations where this kind of strain had been necessary, but I was no longer in a position to do this often. There wasn’t much I could do about my declining stamina—all I was capable of was slowing the slump a little bit. I had to at least put the effort in for that.

And so, I waged this war against exhaustion for a while. Around the time the food was ready, Mewi returned home.

“I’m back.”

“Ah, welcome home.”

S-Somehow, my duty is finally over. Well, I still had to tell Mewi about the expedition, but I could honestly leave that for tomorrow. My job today was done.

“You look awfully tired,” Mewi remarked as she came into the kitchen to warm up by the fire.

“You can tell?”

The two of us had been living together for a while now, so it was only natural to notice abnormalities right away. Mewi had always possessed a particularly sharp eye when it came to human subtleties, so it was a simple matter for her to see that I was exhausted.

“I’ve gotta train hard for a while,” I explained as I taste-tested the food.

“Hmm...” Mewi muttered with disinterest. “Going somewhere again?”

“Uhh... Yeah, that’s right.”

I was pretty shocked by her observation. Her comment instantly blew my drowsiness away. I’d known from the beginning that she was pretty sharp, but I hadn’t expected her to guess correctly without me saying anything. So now, I didn’t have to hide it. I’d planned to tell her anyway, but now that she’d brought it up herself, it was best to consider this a boon and get it over with quickly.

“The order is going on another expedition,” I said. “It’s gonna be a little longer than last time.”

“I see.”

Much like before, I didn’t mention anything about the princess or any international affairs. Mewi had nothing to gain from learning about that stuff, and I didn’t want to cause her any unnecessary concern. Well, it was the princess’s wedding procession, so she was sure to hear about it sooner or later. Still, it was currently confidential information, so I couldn’t give her any details.

“You know...” she mumbled after a prolonged silence by the fire.

My ears perked up. “Hm?”

“I can manage on my own...even if you’re not around.”

“That so? Don’t want to go to the dorms?”

“No, that’s not what I mean, but...”

I thought it over. Mewi probably didn’t hate the dorms. She’d gone there last time, after all, and she wasn’t the type to refuse just because she didn’t like something. If her stay had been unpleasant, she would’ve said something—though I couldn’t say whether she would’ve revealed what had bothered her.

There must be a reason she’s mentioning this. Was she going through a rebellious phase where she didn’t want to be treated like a child? I understood how she felt. During my childhood, I’d hated it when my dad had treated me like a brat. Looking back on it now, that was the definition of bratty behavior, but that was something I could only see after getting older and being in my current position.

Telling a child, “Don’t be like that—you’re still a child,” wouldn’t convince them. Also, strictly speaking, Mewi was already past the age where I had to constantly watch her. She’d often managed on her own up until now, so in that sense, maybe she was a little more mature than other girls her age.

I was, of course, worried, but maybe I really was being too overprotective. Lucy had criticized me for that last time.

“I’ll be away longer than last time, just so you know,” I said. “Somewhere around two months.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“I see...”

I was at a junction. I had to decide whether to wholly trust her.

“Got it,” I concluded. “If anything happens, go to Lucy. I’ll talk to her beforehand.”

“Mm.”

I was anxious. We had plenty of money, so she wasn’t going to starve or anything. Still, it was hard for me to leave her completely home alone without any supervision. I wanted to trust her, though. I’ll set up as many safety nets as possible. I’ll get Lucy involved, and after that, I can secretly discuss things with the institute as well. Kinera is sure to take such things into consideration.

“When are you going?” Mewi asked.

“Hmmm... At the end of the month, I think. I’ll be back around the new year.”

“Got it.”

I had no idea what I was going to be doing once I got there. Either way, a princess’s wedding wasn’t going to be settled in one or two days—we would be staying in Sphenedyardvania for a while. That made two months a pretty good estimate.

I would be lying if I claimed I wasn’t going to be worried about Mewi during that time. Frankly, I was going to be super worried. But now that I’d decided to trust her, I couldn’t grumble about it. A man never backs down on his word.

“Then I’ll do the shopping and cooking starting tomorrow,” Mewi said. “It’ll be good practice.”

“Oh? Sorry to make you do that.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for.”

Mewi had put some proper thought into this. The idea of rehearsing while I was still around was splendid. If she failed at this task, it was going to be easier for me to make her go to the dorms too. She’d probably taken that into consideration already. She wasn’t just being stubborn—she was taking responsibility for what she’d said, and that made me very happy. It was touching to watch a child grow so quickly.

“Feel free to use my money,” I told her. “Please keep it in moderation, though.”

“I know.”

I was sure she wasn’t going to go on a spending spree, even if I hadn’t said anything. For better or worse, Mewi’s time as a thief had given her a sense of the value of money—something that was uncommon for people her age.

“Also, make sure you fold your clothes and put them away properly,” I added.

“Erk... I know...”

In complete contrast to her earlier replies, this one came back a little stiff. She really was bad at tidying up. That was kinda cute, though.

◇

As the days went by, I received more details from Allucia about Princess Salacia’s wedding procession. I also got a sense of Mewi’s growth and made the necessary arrangements with Lucy and the magic institute (mostly with Kinera). Life was slightly different from normal, though not by much. I still trained the knights at the order’s office, and once in a while, I watched over the students of the sword magic class at the institute.

After some time had passed like that, I was once more summoned by Allucia. I made my way to her office.

“We’ve been awaiting your arrival, Master.”

“Mm, sorry to keep you... Hm? Henblitz, you’re here today too?”

“I am.”

I’d figured I was there for some more information on the expedition, but Henblitz was taking part too. This was now a secret meeting with the knight commander and her lieutenant. I wasn’t particularly nervous—I was familiar with them, after all—but someone who only knew them by their titles would be shaking at the thought of a private meeting. Well, I guess I also have a fine title as the special instructor for the Liberion Order.

“So, what is this about?” I asked, taking a seat on the usual sofa.

“Before we get to that, there is something I’d like to give you, Master.”

“Hm?”

This was somewhat unexpected. What could Allucia have to give me? I had no idea. It had to be something important if she needed to call me to her office.

“Here.” Allucia handed me a thick bundle of cloth.

“This is...”

“An overcoat,” Henblitz explained. “It’s part of our order’s equipment.”

I unfolded it, revealing a wide coat that seemed like it was made to fit over armor. It was an unassuming yet clear ultramarine. The color matched the order’s equipment.

“Hmmm.”

Even before unfolding it, the weight had made it clear that the fabric was thick. It also felt nice, and I could tell at a glance that the coat was made of high-quality cloth. It was pretty long—the length would probably fall past my knees. It would definitely be effective against the cold, and it even had a hood, making it suitable for bad weather too. Emblazoned on the back was the large emblem of the Liberion Order.

“So you want me to wear this for the expedition?” I asked.

“Precisely,” Allucia confirmed. “You don’t have a knight’s armor, after all.”

“Well, that makes sense.”

The princess’s wedding procession was a huge endeavor with all the might of the nation behind it. As such, the order was understandably deploying much of its forces. It would be hard to explain if I were the only one among them with completely different equipment.

This hadn’t been a big deal during Prince Glenn’s visit to Baltrain. I’d spent most of that time inside a carriage, and even though I’d been the only one without armor, I hadn’t looked out of place—they’d most probably just thought I’d been an attendant.

It seemed that wouldn’t work this time. I hadn’t been knighted, so it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to wear their armor. Just giving me some wouldn’t be right either. So, with the winter season as an excuse, it made sense to use an overcoat to add some uniformity.

“Just to ask...do I have to return this afterward?” I asked.

“No, it’s not a loan,” Allucia answered. “Even after the expedition, you are free to use it.”

“Got it.”

I’d figured I would have to give the jacket back after the expedition, but that wasn’t the case. I now had an unexpected garment for the cold season ahead. Pretty lucky. That said, I wasn’t too enthusiastic about walking around outside with a huge emblem of the order on my back.

“I’ll gratefully put it to use,” I said.

“Please do.”

And just like that, I now had the order’s overcoat. But was this all I’d been called for? Giving me a coat didn’t seem important enough to warrant a private meeting in Allucia’s office with Henblitz in attendance. Perhaps it had simply been a coincidental convenience that they’d had the coat prepared for this meeting—there had to be something else more pressing.

“So, about why I called you here,” Allucia went on, confirming my thoughts. “The route and schedule for the expedition have been decided on.”

“I see...”

The schedule was set. If that had been all, she could’ve just announced this in front of all the knights, but that wasn’t how things worked. If the route and schedule were made public, it would make us targets—it would be easy for assailants to track our movements and attack. Plus, this time, the princess was going to be with us. The Verdapis Mercenary Company weren’t necessarily the only people out there with foul intentions in mind. So, the route was given only to the upper brass. Those in the lower ranks just had to do as ordered and protect their charge. That was how things were done in the military.

I didn’t really want to consider it, but we had to eliminate any possibility of information leaking due to a knight or soldier being captured. It made sense for information to be shared among those in positions of leadership like Allucia and Henblitz—and technically me. Not that I was ever really going to be in a position to take command of anyone. I’d been given the role of special instructor, but I wasn’t a knight. It wasn’t good for someone like me to take command of knights—that would harm both the organization and reputation of the order.

This case in particular was going to put the Liberion Order on display for another country’s populace. When that happened, it would be problematic for me to look like a civilian who’d been invited from the outside.

“Things will generally follow the same process as the last expedition,” Allucia continued. “There are changes to pretty much all vital points, though.”

“Mm. That makes sense.”

Things would’ve been fine had the last expedition gone off without a hitch. However, we’d suffered a severe injury among the knights, and several provincial soldiers had died. We would have to change plans for this trip.

“Here’s a map of the stops we’ll be taking,” Allucia said, showing me a map of Liberis’s major cities and towns with our route highlighted on it.

“Let’s see...”

This map definitely wasn’t something I could take with me—it was seriously classified information. Would it have been better if they hadn’t shown it to me at all?

I compared the route on the map to the one in my memory. It was largely the same as last time, except we were continuing on from Flumvelk into Sphenedyardvania. That was where the border was. However, some of the towns we would be stopping in were different. They’d probably adjusted this based on the attack and the information gathered during the party in Flumvelk.

“Not that I can judge the merits of the route...but I’ve got the gist of it,” I said.

“Thank you. We can’t let you take this map with you.”

“Thought so.”

It would be impossible for me to memorize all the names of the towns and their lords during this meeting. I could probably manage if I had more time to study the map, but there was no way I was going to take such confidential information out of this office.

So, I confirmed no more than the basics. The rest would work out one way or another if I just went with the flow. This was an extremely naive outlook, but I doubted that anyone would ask me about where we were going during the expedition. And since we were going to be marching in a large group, there was no need to worry about that.

Allucia wasn’t expecting that from me, anyway. In short, this was her telling me I wasn’t an outsider. I didn’t particularly mind being one, though—it wasn’t like I served much of a purpose beyond wielding a sword.

“I get why you called me here, but why is Henblitz present too?” I asked.

The matter of the coat and map could’ve been solved between me and Allucia. There was no reason to go out of the way to have the lieutenant commander here too.

“Right—it’s about the composition of forces during the expedition,” Allucia began.

“Hmmm...”

I nodded along. Princess Salacia’s wedding was a major event that had the entire nation’s backing. They couldn’t take all the knights and leave Baltrain completely undefended, but this expedition would involve far more troops than the previous one. It was also reasonable for the leaders, Allucia and Henblitz, to be included. How I fit into things was probably a little more complicated.

“Henblitz and I will each lead a squad.”

“That makes sense.”

They were the commander and her lieutenant—it was only natural for them to be leading. Who exactly was supposed to be in command if you excluded them?

“It has been proposed that you should lead a squad too,” Allucia added.

“Why?”

Seriously, why? I had no idea how that idea had even come up. I hadn’t been knighted. You couldn’t just let some outsider butt in and take command of the kingdom’s knights. At the very least, my common sense said that wasn’t right.

Wait, hang on. I think I get it. This is Princess Salacia’s idea.

Considering Allucia’s personality, she wouldn’t do anything unreasonable like throw out rules and traditions. She was very assertive, having forced this title of special instructor on me, but she never did anything outright absurd. At most, I’d been appointed on the recommendation of the knight commander—she hadn’t broken any rules or laws. I had plenty to say about the whole process, but that, at least, was true.

So, with Allucia at the head of the Liberion Order, there were very few people who could go over her head to try to push an idea like this through. Only members of the royal family could propose such a thing. Lucy was technically an exception too, but she wouldn’t go out of her way to request that I lead a squad.

“I’m guessing Princess Salacia brought it up?” I asked.

“It’s just as you say,” Allucia confirmed. “This changes the composition of our forces a fair amount, so I judged it would be faster to discuss this with Henblitz present as well.”

“I see...”

Even Allucia couldn’t ignore the princess’s request. However, simply rejecting it on the spot wouldn’t have been good either. She’d put it off until now so she could go over it with me.

“Sorry, but I can’t go along with the princess’s idea,” I decided. “I’m confident with a blade, but I shouldn’t lead anyone. I don’t have the knowledge or experience.”

The princess’s request couldn’t be refused outright, but going through with it was an entirely different matter. Though I was confident in my swordplay during a one-on-one fight or against a small number of opponents, I was completely unsuited for military command. I simply had no experience.

I knew Princess Salacia held me in high regard. I was grateful for that, but being an excellent swordsman required an entirely different skill set than being a military tactician. Doing something I was unfamiliar with would only invite unnecessary chaos, possibly exposing the princess to danger.

“Understood,” Allucia said. “I’ll refuse this request and present your reasons for it.”

It seemed she’d been under the assumption that I’d say no. To repeat myself over and over, being personally strong and being a capable leader were totally different attributes—I didn’t possess the qualities for both.

“Sorry about that,” I told her. “By the way...what were you planning in the event that I’d said yes?”

Theoretically, I could’ve been the type of man who would develop a bloated ego based on my rising reputation. If I’d agreed to lead a squadron, it would’ve been difficult to overrule Princess Salacia’s suggestion. I was curious about what Allucia would’ve done in that case. Now that we were basically done here, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to sate my curiosity.

“Hee hee, the only answer you could have given from the start was no,” she answered with a smile. “That’s just the kind of person you are.”

“Ha ha ha, you’ve seen right through me.”

She had a point—I was never going to agree. I had some confidence in my swordplay after defeating my dad, but I wasn’t ever going to get up on my high horse. At any rate, the trust she had in me was pretty crazy. It was pleasant sometimes, but it made me wonder if I truly lived up to it. I had no idea.

“A part of me wants to see you take command, though,” Henblitz remarked.

“Let me put it bluntly,” I told him. “It would be impossible for me. This isn’t a matter of humility.”

Even if I’d wanted to give him a demonstration of my poor leadership, doing so during a huge event like Princess Salacia’s wedding would be out of the question. Failure wasn’t an option, so we had to avoid unnecessary risks.

“Very well. Once your role has been decided, I’ll call for you again,” Allucia said, wrapping things up.

“Sure thing.”

I wasn’t going to be leading a squad, but figuring out what to do with me was still a tough choice. It wasn’t my place to interject on this topic, so I could only wait for her decision. I trusted Allucia not to do anything stupid—she’d expected me to refuse command, after all.

There wasn’t much time left until the expedition began. I had to devote myself to the knights’ training so that I didn’t have any misgivings going into it.