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 2

Chapter 2: An Old Country Bumpkin Travels to the Holy Capital

“All right, I’m off, then.”

“Mm. Be careful.”

The days went by somewhat busily—though not so different from usual. Before I knew it, the day I’d been planning for had arrived, and Princess Salacia’s wedding procession was about to begin—the expedition was leaving Baltrain. I wasn’t going to be able to come home or see Mewi for a while. Even if everything went perfectly smoothly, I wouldn’t be back until after the new year.

Winter had fully descended upon the capital. Despite it being early in the morning, it was still dark outside. While eagerly waiting for that red ball of heat to rise over the horizon, I left the house, hearing Mewi’s voice at my back.

In the end, I’d decided to let Mewi stay at home while I was away. I’d properly calculated how much money I had to leave for her, and if she needed anything, I’d told her not to hesitate to rely on Lucy and the institute.

She had pretty sound judgment, so she was unlikely to do anything reckless. I trusted her in this, but I still felt like a father who had problems letting his child go.

“This thing really is warm.”

Once outside, I could see that not even the big city could win against Mother Nature. This early in the morning, the cold wind slashed at my skin mercilessly. However, the coat Allucia—or rather, the Liberion Order—had given me was a terrific bulwark against the cold. There wasn’t much I could do about my exposed face, but I felt the rest of my body maintaining its temperature pretty well.

I hesitated to use it every day because of the Liberion Order’s emblem on the back, but this really made me want to keep wearing it. The knights wore armor for these kinds of public events, so they had to be even colder than I was—without their coats, of course. They’d been supplied to them, just like mine had been given to me, to keep them toasty. I admired how the order’s upper management really thought things through.

“Haaah...”

My breath misted before me as I walked. I had my coat for my torso, gloves for my hands, and boots for my feet, but it was still chilly. At any rate, we were about to start a long march for this expedition, so my body was sure to warm up, whether I liked it or not.

I’d met with Allucia and Henblitz multiple times in preparation for today. Unlike the royal sightseeing tour some time ago, my position had been settled on rather quickly. Apparently, had Princess Salacia not said anything about me leading a squad, it would’ve been decided far earlier.

I wasn’t being treated like the rank and file. That said, I wasn’t a knight either. I had a fancy title as the special instructor, but that only applied within the order itself. However, thanks to Allucia, I’d been introduced to Prince Glenn as a special instructor during the sightseeing tour. My name and title had spread beyond the nation’s border, setting the groundwork for this quite some time ago.

So, I was directly beneath Allucia in the chain of command. While I didn’t have a squad, I served as one of the elite guards charged with protecting the princess and her entourage. I was consciously trying not to act overly humble regarding my skills, but I also didn’t want to be the center of attention. Honestly, Allucia’s scheming was kind of an unwelcome favor.

I could understand if I’d increased my fame by wielding my sword. However, every now and then, Allucia put some serious effort into rapidly elevating my reputation to extreme heights. I was glad that she regarded my swordsmanship so highly, but that kind of thing made me really uncomfortable. I’d spent my whole life in the countryside, and the personality I’d cultivated over the years wasn’t easy to change. Still, I was well aware that she wouldn’t stop, even if I asked her to, so I had no choice but to grow into my new reputation. Honestly, if my refusal had been enough to stop her, I wouldn’t have been forced to become a special instructor to begin with.

“Sure is rough... It’s a little late to be realizing that, though...”

Now that I was in a position where I was exposed to the public eye, I understood why my dad had chosen to stay in Beaden despite his great skill. He’d probably gotten tired of it all. He was tremendously good with a blade but had never shown the faintest interest in politicking or fame.

I couldn’t help but agree with him on that front, and this notion had only been reinforced during the party in Flumvelk. I just couldn’t imagine myself stepping into that world on a daily basis. However, having definitely played a role in resolving several incidents, I had to accept the accompanying accolades. As ever, I didn’t want to, but throwing a tantrum wouldn’t get me anywhere.

I wasn’t going to cut corners or slack off on a mission just because I didn’t want to become more famous. That would go against my creed. So, I could only do my best to fulfill the duties assigned to me. This brought up the entirely different concern of whether I would one day be charged with a serious mission that would be far beyond my capabilities.

“I’m begging you, please calm down before that happens...”

I’d underestimated my own skills somewhat before defeating my dad. I was okay with admitting that now. However, it would also be problematic if things went in the complete opposite direction and all those around me completely overestimated my abilities.

He can do it. He’ll manage. He’s the only guy who can. Just like that, more and more responsibilities would be heaped upon my shoulders until they were more than I could bear. If things seemed like they were getting out of control, I planned to say something about it. However, Allucia, the knights, and those close to me didn’t seem like they would pay my opinion any mind.

Well, things were probably going to work out fine as long as I didn’t get too full of myself. Because nobody in my vicinity was liable to stop me, I had no choice but to exercise self-restraint. Even Lucy had told me that those with power should live in a way that matched said power.

Thus, I had to make sure that the duties assigned to me truly matched my abilities—but I also couldn’t act overly humble. I had to make this judgment call on my own. Having skill and being able to endure my responsibilities were different matters. Though I was confident with a sword, I wasn’t capable of participating in any politicking or high-class conversations—nor did I want to. It would be problematic for me if people didn’t understand that.

Things would’ve been a little different in my teens or twenties, when I’d had plenty of energy to go around. I’d never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would have to worry about this stuff at my age. From becoming a special instructor to adopting Mewi, there really was no telling what the world had in store.

“Well, whatever happens, happens...”

Partly because it was an early winter morning, there were very few pedestrians about. It was pretty refreshing to walk the quiet streets of the big city. There were usually far more sights and sounds to assault the senses. Because of the solitude, I found myself thinking of all sorts of things and mumbling to myself.

I’d been early to bed and rise ever since my days in Beaden, so meeting at this hour wasn’t really a problem for me. Though, if I had to guess, some of the knights would find this schedule to be pretty harsh. Well, they were probably ready for this kind of thing when they signed up for the order.

And so, after a while of walking with such idle thoughts in mind, I approached a large building in Baltrain’s central district. Its fiery lights illuminated the gloomy air. No matter how many times I looked at it, the order’s office was impressively huge. A fair amount of time had passed since I’d started commuting here, so I was mostly used to it by now, but every now and then, I found it hard to believe that I worked in such an amazing place.

“Okay...”

Normally, I didn’t feel the need to steel myself to pass through the gates. This time, though, I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. I wasn’t here to do anything at the office—this was simply where we were gathering.

“Good morning, Mr. Beryl. Good luck out there.”

“Morning. Thank you.”

I exchanged greetings with the guards at the gate just as usual. They were part of the royal garrison, but they weren’t going to be accompanying us on the expedition. The garrison covered a wide range of duties and had many members.

It seemed our upcoming schedule had been shared with everyone. There was a different implication to their words today—I understood they weren’t wishing me luck with training.

Instead of heading to the training hall, I went to the courtyard that had been designated as our rendezvous point. Even though it was still dawn, there was more than enough illumination to light the place up. I once more found myself admiring the scale of the order’s finances.

“Good morning, Master.”

“Morning, Allucia.”

Allucia and Henblitz were already finished getting things ready in the courtyard. A handful of knights were also on standby. It seemed I was relatively early. Naturally, everyone was wearing the Liberion Order’s overcoats. They looked really cool when lined up in armor, but the uniformity of the coats had a different kind of impact. Despite this, I felt a little out of place being among them. They’re all so young...

On a side note, wearing plain clothes for an international mission involving multiple royal families would’ve been far too rude, so I had donned my formal attire under my coat. This was the set I’d bought some time ago, but I’d packed a few more.

After my visit to Flumvelk, I’d started thinking that I had to pay more attention to my personal appearance. While it was an unwelcome necessity, these issues tended to come up in ways that I couldn’t choose to refuse. At the very least, I figured I’d be better off with clothing that suited the occasion—I’d bought a few jackets that were similar to the first.

Unlike plain clothing, formal wear was rather expensive, but my current income made it relatively easy to accommodate the extra expenses. I didn’t have to worry about purchasing things for Mewi, and I could buy things that would allow others to perceive me at the status I actually was. Much like Lucy had told me before, money was good to have. I was honestly very grateful.

After exchanging greetings with Allucia, I quietly waited for the knights to gather. The mood wasn’t quite right for idle chatter. Allucia, Henblitz, and I had arrived somewhat early. Not too long after, the knights who would be accompanying us on this expedition filed in one after the other.

There were around fifty in total. If I remembered right, there were just over a hundred knights stationed in Baltrain. That meant a good half of them were going on this expedition. Not only that, but both Allucia and Henblitz were participating too, so the majority of the Liberion Order’s forces were being deployed.

The royal garrison was also participating, so in total, the escort detail probably numbered in the hundreds. While knights were individual forces to be reckoned with on the battlefield, they were also in a position to lead soldiers. Each knight was going to be leading squads from the garrison. I can’t say I’m an expert in military organization, though.

After all the knights arrived, Allucia judged that it was time to start. Her voice rang throughout the courtyard.

“Listen up, everyone!”

The knights who’d been quietly chatting and greeting each other fell silent. They immediately stopped what they were doing and stood at attention. Anyone would think that Allucia’s leadership was astonishing, even if they only saw this one instant.

“We will now be commencing the mission to escort Princess Salacia. Our destination is Sphenedyardvania’s capital: Dilmahakha. It’ll be a long march, but I expect everyone to put all of their effort and devotion on full display. We begin by heading to the palace to link up with Her Highness and the royal garrison. Move out!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

The elite knights started marching at Allucia’s command. It was time for a long, long job to begin. There was no point in being tense, but we were going to be meeting the royal family. I couldn’t exactly go there with a lazy attitude. It was time to get fired up.

“Everyone, stand by and await further orders.”

Soon after leaving the order’s office at the break of dawn, we arrived at the palace in Baltrain’s northern district. Unlike the previous expedition, we had fifty knights. They couldn’t all stomp their way into the palace, so it only made sense for them to wait outside.

It turned out we weren’t the first to arrive at the palace—the princess’s carriage was here too. This was going to be a long journey, so there were many things that had been prepared ahead of time. Since this was going to be a march with royalty under our protection, it made sense for there to be a good number of larger carriages. There was no margin for error, after all. Every possibility had to be considered and prepared for.

“I will go to receive Her Highness the Princess. Henblitz, with me.”

“Ma’am!”

Allucia and Henblitz headed into the palace on their own. This made sense. I’d been ready on the off chance she might call for me too, but that would’ve been a bit much. What a relief. To repeat myself over and over, I was an outsider hired as a special instructor, not a knight. So, when it came to national affairs, it would normally be strange to even count me among their numbers. To be blunt, something was wrong with Princess Salacia for even suggesting that I lead a squad. I could never say that in public, of course. But if she’d instead requested that I join that exclusive royal guard they’d formed for her, I might’ve had to get verbal about it.

Allucia understood all this, and that was why she’d gone to meet the princess with just Henblitz. Regardless of my hesitancy to go with her, my being there would also be strange from an etiquette standpoint. Allucia wasn’t one to disregard that.

After Allucia and Henblitz had stepped into the palace and were out of earshot, I muttered, “Now then, how will things turn out...?”

I’d agreed to join this expedition, but I didn’t know every detail about the schedule. I knew we would leave the office in the morning, move toward the palace, link up with Princess Salacia and her people, then reorganize our ranks for departure. After that, though, I didn’t know who was going to do what or how.

Allucia had actually tried to tell me every detail, but I’d refused outright. The minutiae of a march wasn’t my domain. I might’ve heard parts of the plan from pieces of the conversation, but I consciously pushed that info out of my mind.

While this kind of long-term mission had a general framework for the schedule worked out beforehand, it was fundamental to adapt to circumstances on the spot and deal with any issues as they arose. I had no confidence whatsoever that I’d be able to provide any good ideas in those situations.

This wasn’t me wanting to take it easy or anything. Due to my nature, as well as my role as an instructor, having too much going on in my head would genuinely dull my blade. The same went for anyone, to varying degrees. The more you could focus on one thing, the better you performed at it.

Allucia and Henblitz were tremendously talented for being able to think about so many things at once, regardless of how important or trivial they were, and still being able to focus on fighting. Unfortunately, I didn’t possess the same qualities.

I was going to do as told, and if fighting was necessary, I would lend my sword to the cause. It was best for me to only have a basic grasp of the expedition plan. I was pretty confident in my ability to make snap judgments in the heat of battle, but it seemed I was lousy at looking at the big picture. I felt like that was something training wasn’t going to fix.

“Your Highness, please watch your step.”

“I’ll be fine, Allucia.”

Some time later, Princess Salacia came out of the palace’s gate accompanied by Allucia and Henblitz. Behind her were the maids, diplomats, officers of arms, and other such functionaries who were going to be accompanying her on her journey.

Aside from the diplomats and officers of arms, it seemed they were trying to have as many women as possible around the princess. I understood the intent behind that—much like during Prince Glenn’s sightseeing tour, the maids’ duties extended beyond just taking care of their charge. The way they carried themselves was too clean. I could tell immediately from the way they walked that they had combat training.

Still, judging from how things had gone last time, I wasn’t sure how much they would actually contribute in the case of an emergency. There wasn’t much that could be done about that. There were too few opportunities to accumulate real combat experience in the palace.

No matter how much technique and knowledge you acquired, it didn’t matter if you couldn’t manifest it. In simple terms of fighting potential and capabilities as bodyguards, the maids were two or three steps below the Liberion Order. But that was exactly why the knights and the magic corps existed.

I didn’t have an overabundance of combat experience either, but it was hard to imagine that the people who served in the palace saw any fighting on a regular basis.

“Thank you for gathering here today. I’ll be in your care during the journey.”

Standing before us, the princess put on a beautiful smile as she gave the knights words of encouragement. Even the Liberion Order was considered lower-class to the royal family. It was nice that she maintained decorum around them. Everyone preferred serving someone who was nice and courteous over a tyrant.

“I swear upon my sword that we shall protect you flawlessly, Your Highness,” Allucia replied.

“I expect much from you.”

Even this simple exchange was something I couldn’t see myself doing. I definitely couldn’t pick out the right formalities to say on the spur of the moment like Allucia could.

“Your Highness, this way.”

“Thank you.”

Now that the greetings were over, a maid guided Princess Salacia into her carriage. The plan was to have the princess, two of her maids, and Allucia in one carriage. It really did seem like they were trying to keep only women around her when possible. I’d considered the possibility that they would make me sit inside the same carriage, so I was honestly grateful for this arrangement. My spirit couldn’t handle spending a prolonged period in such a royal space.

Now that the princess and the knight commander had boarded their carriage, Henblitz took command and addressed the knights.

“Just as discussed, we’ll rendezvous with the garrison outside Baltrain.”

“Yes, sir.”

If necessary, the lieutenant would get instructions from the princess or Allucia and deal with things accordingly. As for my role in all this...

“Mr. Beryl, this way.”

“R-Right.”

I was once more going to be riding in a carriage. This had been decided by process of elimination. Our formation had the soldiers of the royal garrison forming an outer perimeter. Princess Salacia’s carriage was naturally in the center. Knights were going to be dispersed among the soldiers to take command, while Henblitz and other elites were deployed near the princess’s carriage to protect it.

So, where would that leave me? They were never going to place me among the rank and file protecting the outer perimeter. I actually would’ve been fine with that, but apparently, my title didn’t allow for it. I somewhat understood that argument.

The other option was to treat me like one of the knights. Had I accepted command of a squad like Princess Salacia had proposed, that would’ve been possible. The knights’ duty on this expedition was to guard the princess, but they were also expected to take command of the garrison during emergencies. Thus, it would be problematic for everyone in command to be inside carriages. Had I been given command of a squad, I would’ve been outside.

But that isn’t the case. So where does that leave me? Yup, inside a carriage. There was a fitting explanation for this too, apparently: I was a special instructor invited from outside the order, so they could technically treat me like a guest. Basically, I was participating in the princess’s escort as an instructor, not a knight.

That didn’t make too much sense to me either, but it was apparently a problem for someone with my title to be on foot among the troops. I hadn’t been able to come up with any alternatives, so this was how things had ended up.

Well, whatever. This in itself isn’t really an issue. The real problem is one that’s far more personal for me.

“Hello, seems we’ll be traveling together for a while,” I said.

“Hi there. We’ve heard much about you.”

“Ha ha ha...”

Yup, it’s the people I’m riding with. On the trip to Flumvelk, the order itself had been guests, so Allucia, Vesper, Frau, and I had ridden in the carriage. But this time was different. Princess Salacia was the guest of honor, and those accompanying her were functionaries who’d worked out the details of this marriage between nations. The knights were nothing more than the princess’s escorts, so aside from their commander, it was normal for them to be guarding the carriages from the outside.

That being the case, the ones riding in the carriages were Princess Salacia, the maids who attended to her, and the functionaries. If anything, they’d twisted things to jam me into that last group. In short, I now had to spend my time in a carriage with high-ranking officials I’d never met before. This is pretty much hell. Wouldn’t I have been better off walking outside?

“How about we start with introductions? I’m Thracias Senple. I’m here as Prime Minister Griesmoore’s representative.”

“Keifo Quanda... Officer of arms.”

“My name is Addelat Masika. Like Keifo, I serve as an officer of arms.”

There were four of us inside the carriage. Addelat was a woman, while the rest of us were men. We were all a little too old to call ourselves spring chickens.

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I’m Beryl Gardenant. I serve as a special instructor for the Liberion Order.”

I somehow managed to maintain a smile and return their greetings. I was, at least, getting used to this one phrase. Is that a good thing, though? I wanted to believe it was.

The most important person here was Thracias, the representative of the prime minister. The prime minister was the person charged with handling all political matters in the nation. I had no idea what the higher-ups had decided, but if I had to guess, this representative had been sent out of obligation.

Considering the relatively recent assassination attempt on their prince, it was hard to believe that Sphenedyardvania’s internal power struggle had reached a conclusion. So even though the wedding was an auspicious occasion, it wouldn’t be wise to send all of the nation’s key figures into potential turmoil. Liberis had to be able to recover in case something happened. That was why they’d chosen to send a representative in the prime minister’s stead.

I agreed with the decision. This also explained why King Gladio and Prince Fasmatio weren’t going with us, even though it was Princess Salacia’s wedding. After all, if a battle broke out and the entire royal family was killed, Liberis would be toppled in an instant.

I could see why they’d chosen to send as few important personnel as possible and had resorted to a representative instead. Still, it made me think of how lonely Princess Salacia’s fateful day would be because of that. But maybe that sentiment is just the commoner in me talking.

“Anyway, we’ll be together for a while,” Thracias said, his tone friendly. “Let’s just take it easy.”

At least in the carriage, he seemed to be in a position of power—he served as the peacemaker. Not that I had any intention of making trouble. I was glad they didn’t see me as unwelcome here, and I really didn’t want to have to explain myself. Things were much easier for me this way.

“Yes, it seems it’ll be a long journey,” I commented.

We would be stopping at inns along the way, so it wasn’t like I was going to be with them around the clock. Still, considering these were the people who would be accompanying me any time we were on the move, I was sure it was going to wear on my nerves.

So what was actually better? Being surrounded by Allucia and the princess, or these bigwigs I’d only just met? I had no idea.

“Oh, looks like we’re setting off.”

And with such thoughts in mind, all preparations had been completed, and the carriage started shaking gently.

Things were now beyond the point of no return. Just as Thracias had said, there was no point in being overly tense. Still, I could only pray that this expedition concluded without any issues.

◇

“Pardon me. We will be arriving in Flumvelk shortly.”

“Is that so? Understood.”

A knight knocking on our carriage door signified that our journey was finally reaching a climax. We were just about to enter Flumvelk, but this wasn’t our final stop—we would be continuing into Sphenedyardvania. Still, this was the last town we were visiting within Liberis, so I had a feeling it would be our final chance to take a breather.

It would take several days longer to reach Flumvelk compared to the last expedition. After all, we were marching with a much larger force, making our progress slower. We also had the princess with us, so the plan was far more detailed, and we couldn’t sleep outdoors. I wasn’t complaining—we had a bed to sleep in every night, and that was good fortune, but it also contributed to our slow marching pace.

“Shall we get ready to step out?” Thracias suggested.

“Sounds good,” I agreed.

This part was the same as last time. The provincial soldiers accompanying us changed as we moved through different regions, so we had to step out and exchange greetings. Because Princess Salacia was with us this time, we couldn’t afford to have any strangers slipping in among us, so we needed to confirm who the provincial soldiers were. And they did the same to us—they scoped us out and memorized our faces to confirm there was nobody hiding among our ranks.

It was pretty hard to picture such a thing happening, but it was possible for a skilled assassin or spy to slip into a carriage and kill the people inside. Though that idea might’ve seemed absolutely ridiculous, considering such possibilities and eliminating threats was an absolute necessity for this expedition.

“We’ve arrived at Flumvelk’s checkpoint.”

I didn’t really have anything to prepare before going outside. I just have to ready myself to be in public... As I thought such useless things, our carriage came to a stop. We were stepping out to see everyone and swap our escorts, and though this was the same procedure as the last expedition, the scale was on an entirely different level.

“Wow...”

I exited the carriage with Thracias, Keifo, and Addelat. We were greeted by the sight of people, people, more people, and horses. There were around fifty knights and three hundred soldiers of the royal garrison. To add to that, there were somewhere around a hundred provincial soldiers with us. It was an outrageous number of people.

I’d never really seen that many horses before either—the sight overwhelmed my vision all the more. To explain, upon linking up with the royal garrison outside Baltrain’s northern district, they’d had around fifty horses prepared for the journey. This was why we’d met them outside the city. That many people and horses standing around would’ve brought traffic inside the northern district to a complete standstill.

The Liberion Order was mounted atop the horses. The knights sure are living up to their titles. Before this expedition, there’d simply been no need for the knights to mount up while inside the city walls, so I’d never had the chance to witness it.

Gallantly straddling his horse and crisply bellowing orders, Henblitz looked even cooler than usual. I’d ridden a horse plenty of times back in Beaden, but I wasn’t capable of handling one with such skill. More importantly, I was no good at fighting from horseback. A fighter’s swordplay shines brightest when their feet are firmly planted on the ground.

“I am Sergeant Major Sahat Ranvaren of the Flumvelk Provincial Army. Please leave your security to us up until the Sphenedyardvanian border.”

“We’ll be in your care, Sergeant. Here are our papers.”

“Allow me to inspect them...” Sahat scanned the documents. “It seems all is in order.”

After a while of walking and taking in the crowd, we arrived at the checkpoint where the provincial soldiers performing the exchange were all on standby in a neat formation. Excluding the princess and her personal maids, everyone who’d been riding in the carriages was checking in with Sahat.

Sahat Ranvaren was the sergeant in charge of Warren’s provincial army. As always, his narrow eyes were quite intimidating. He couldn’t afford to fail this mission, so I decided to take that as a sign of his motivation.

I recalled the time Warren had asked me to train Sahat during the last expedition. It looked like he’d been keeping up with it since then. He’d progressed to new heights; his willpower and ambition were in no way lacking. A part of me wanted him to continue polishing his skills, while another hoped he wouldn’t have to put those abilities on display during this expedition.

While they handled the papers, Princess Salacia remained in her carriage. Even if this was a ceremony to check who exactly they were guarding, this wasn’t the time or place for the princess to casually show her beautiful face. If anything, anyone who wanted an audience with her needed special permission. In a sense, it was out of the question for her to be seen by some measly provincial soldiers.

This expedition had a very diplomatic element to it. While Allucia was outside the carriage, the ones standing to the fore were politicians like Thracias and officers of arms like Keifo. Allucia was just a guard, so she really didn’t have the right to speak here.

The same was true of my position. Even though I was somewhat acquainted with Sahat, I couldn’t casually exchange a greeting with him. It really is a pain in the ass. There certainly was a lot to gain from status and fame—mostly money and accommodations—but now that my name was known, I was rapidly getting involved in more and more of these bothersome events.

I could view this optimistically—perhaps it was a sign that I’d put in the work for the fame and status I’d gained. I’d never wanted any of this, though, so it was also possible to view this pessimistically—annoying obligations were now being forced upon me.

I understood that it was better to have a certain level of status, fame, and influence. These attributes would help me wield my sword against powerful warriors I’d yet to meet. So on that merit, I accepted all of this. Had I remained nothing more than an instructor in the countryside, such ambitions would’ve been impossible to fulfill.

On the flip side, I would have never had such ambitions if I’d stayed in Beaden. It’s like a chicken-or-the-egg kinda scenario. I was largely satisfied with my current life, but if anyone asked me if I was dissatisfied in any way, I would struggle to give a clear answer.

It wasn’t like I wanted to make a huge sum of money and kick back in a life of luxury. I simply wanted to walk the path of a swordsman and reach levels yet unknown to me. Having some amount of status and fame made it easier to do that. I understood this, but being enthusiastic about it was a different matter—for me, at least.

“Let us get moving.”

With all the checks safely completed, it looked like we were now entering Flumvelk. I was never going to be crossing any borders by myself, so I figured I didn’t have to learn any of these procedures. Any time I was going to travel long-distance, it was pretty much guaranteed that someone else would be taking me. Well, maybe things will be different if Mewi declares that she wants to see the world or something.

Now that the security check was finished, Thracias addressed the three of us accompanying him for the journey.

“Now then, shall we return to the carriage?”

I nodded. “Yes, let’s.”

I’d maintained what cordial conversations I could with the three of them during our time together. We’d hardly talked about anything serious, nor had we talked with much frequency. It would be a stretch to say that we were getting along.

At any rate, it was pretty tough to remain in complete silence when surrounded by strangers. Vesper and Frau were specialists at melting into the background. I think that skill must’ve taken a significant amount of training to master.

“I hear Flumvelk is flourishing,” Thracias remarked. “Let’s look forward to some good food and drink there.”

“Ha ha.” I chuckled. “Be careful not to drink too much.”

“Right back at you, Mr. Beryl.”

Having these kinds of superficial conversations was gentle on my nerves. Thracias liked to throw in jokes to be friendly, though I doubted he was really speaking from the heart. I still wasn’t good at reading people, but just being able to see this simple fact meant I’d learned something during the last expedition—whether I’d liked it or not. Maybe this was another form of growth.

Much like last time, we were on our way to Warren’s estate. Warren would probably be busy keeping Princess Salacia company, but I didn’t know whether the same applied to Gisgarte and Shueste. I was one of the little people on this expedition, so it was doubtful Shueste would be attending to me again.

It hadn’t been that long since our last meeting, but I was still somewhat curious about how much she’d grown. If possible, after the expedition ended, I wanted to ask her how she’d been expressing her selfish desires. It was unlikely I would get the chance, though. Flumvelk was a little too far away for me to drop by on a whim. Quite the conundrum indeed.

“Mr. Beryl, have you been to Flumvelk before?” Thracias asked.

“Well...yes.”

This wasn’t really something I needed to hide. It wouldn’t be strange for those who governed the nation to know that the Liberion Order had been invited to a party in Flumvelk. That said, I didn’t know who’d been informed about the secret details of that mission, so I couldn’t talk about it freely—hence my somewhat hesitant answer. I didn’t really want them to prod too deeply.

“How did the food suit your palate?” Thracias asked.

“It was very good,” I answered. “The milk they serve at the inns is particularly exquisite.”

“Hmmm.”

I’m glad this is just more idle chatter. I wasn’t exactly a gourmand, so everything tasted good to me. Still, the milk we’d had in the mornings was definitely delicious. It was rich yet didn’t catch in the throat—a full and refreshing taste of nature.

I had no idea what people like Thracias and Keifo usually ate. It was relatively easy to get high-quality goods of any kind in Baltrain. However, even if Flumvelk was relatively prosperous, it was—to put it bluntly—still a remote border region. It made sense that dignitaries would worry about the quality of the food.

“My, my, it seems we’ll be enjoying dinner tonight,” Addelat said casually. “Right, Keifo?”

“Better than having lousy food...” Keifo muttered.

That was basically how the carriage ride went. The mood wasn’t exactly friendly, but it wasn’t hostile either. The one exception was Keifo—he was a man of few words who was generally unfriendly, and he’d been like that since his initial greeting. At least he responds when addressed, so it’s not like he’s ignoring me.

One way or another, I was very grateful for people who maintained this kind of distance. They didn’t outright ignore me, so it was possible to talk. If they needed anything, they spoke up, and they didn’t pry either—I was able to demonstrate that I wasn’t going to tell them more than necessary.

Could I really call them “companions” for the journey? Maybe not, but they were strangers I could remain at ease around. I suppose this is also a problem I have—I’m unfamiliar with how to socialize among strangers, especially those of a high rank.

I got the impression that they’d realized this about me and had chosen to only touch upon harmless and inoffensive topics. I was truly grateful for their consideration. To judge one’s abilities and take immediate and appropriate action—this was something I specialized in when it came to swordplay, but I’d never learned how to do it in social situations. It was pretty depressing to compare myself to them in this regard, but I decided to consider this expedition as a chance to gain experience.

◇

“Welcome to my humble abode, Princess Salacia. Though it’ll only be for a short while, please relax and make yourself at home.”

“Thank you. I’ll be intruding on your hospitality, Margrave Flumvelk.”

“Oh please, it isn’t an intrusion at all.”

Things had proceeded much like our last visit. Some time after passing through the checkpoint, with the sun completely gone from the sky, our expeditionary force had arrived at Margrave Flumvelk’s estate—Warren’s home. We’d had to leave the carriages to enter the grounds.

Warren had put every ounce of his effort into welcoming us. As a result, House Flumvelk’s members—Warren, Gisgarte, and Shueste—were gathered outside to greet the princess, along with all of their servants.

The princess would definitely spend the night in Warren’s mansion. There was no place more luxurious in all of Flumvelk. But where would the rest of us be staying? Naturally, the princess’s personal maids would be staying with her, but even discounting them, there were a lot of people left. We had maids, butlers, Thracias and the other politicians, me, Allucia, and all the knights of the order.

Not even a margrave’s mansion could provide sufficient hospitality for all of us. If we’d just needed any open space to sleep in—jammed together, even—then that would’ve been different. But we had people of varying ranks, and those ranks also had to be considered when deciding who would sleep in the same building as the princess.

Well, they’d surely made plans for all this already—I just didn’t know about them. I was hoping to get a private room where I didn’t have to worry about my appearance. It would’ve been great if I could stay at a cheap inn in the middle of town. That seemed pretty unlikely, though.

On that topic, I was barely high-ranking enough to be allowed to sleep in rooms at inns. We had hundreds of people accompanying the princess on this expedition, and there were very few towns that could provide lodgings for all of us. The royal garrison generally camped outside, and if the town was very small, the knights did too. I’d taken that possibility into consideration from the very beginning, but seeing as we were in the middle of winter, camping outside would’ve been pretty rough. There were advantages to having some amount of status, though I wasn’t sure whether I’d done anything to warrant such privileges.

“Your Highness, this way, if you please.”

“Of course.”

Now that the greetings were over, Warren directed Princess Salacia into the mansion. The princess’s personal maids followed her in, along with the servants Warren had personally selected for the task.

It seemed the princess really was the only one who was going to be staying here—maybe everyone else would be imposing on the villa like last time. That would leave the knights staying at an inn and the royal garrison having to figure out whether they would be inside or outside town for the night.

Picking up the torch from Warren, Shueste continued the explanations. “I shall guide the rest of our guests to the villa. As for the guards, we’ve already reserved an inn for you.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

It seemed that, just as I’d predicted, the other diplomats and high-ranking officials were going to be staying at the villa, while everyone else would be going to an inn.

I wonder if I can just go to the inn too...? I might be able to sneak out and have a drink at a tavern. I have a feeling that’s not going to happen, though.

“Sahat and his men will show you the way to the inn,” Shueste said.

Allucia nodded. “Understood. Henblitz, gather the troops and follow Sergeant Sahat’s lead.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Henblitz and the knights would be going to the inn. The fact that Allucia had ordered Henblitz to take care of it meant she would be staying at the villa. I felt like it was wrong for me to use the villa while the lieutenant commander went to an inn. However, for formality’s sake, I was technically a guest while he was a guard.

Having some amount of status really was quite a pain. It was also pretty rough on my nerves. People kept telling me to get used to it, but if I had the choice, I would simply remain at the bottom of the ladder. I had a pretty good handle on my self-restraint, but it was frightening to see how these luxuries seemed like they could dull my blade.

“Please allow me, Shueste Flumvelk, to show you to the villa.”

“Thank you,” Allucia replied.

With the absence of the knights, the courtyard was now nice and empty. There were the four people from my carriage, Princess Salacia’s maids and butlers who hadn’t followed her into the mansion, and a dozen or so functionaries. That would make it difficult to give everyone their own rooms, but the villa still had enough space to accommodate all of us.

I was hoping for a private room, though I wasn’t really in a position to be selfish. I could only hope Shueste pulled through for me.

Around the time we boarded the carriages again to go to the villa, Thracias raised his voice in admiration. “That was quite a solid mansion. I suppose it’s to be expected of a margrave.”

I guess he’s never really left the capital. At the very least, it’s probably rare for him to visit territory all the way out at the border. Baltrain had set his standards for architecture, which were extremely high. Even with such standards, he was impressed by the building’s sturdy construction. But the mansion had to be fortified—it was a matter of national defense. Flumvelk was right on the border, after all. We weren’t at war or anything, but you could never be too cautious.

“This territory bears the responsibility of having protected our nation for generations,” Addelat said. “It seems we’ll be able to remain at ease during our stay.”

“Ha ha ha, you’ve got a point there,” Thracias agreed.

While this easy conversation was far better than the strained atmosphere in the carriage, I found it hard to join these kinds of talks. I lacked the technique to hop in when I wasn’t directly addressed. But who would steer the conversation toward me if I wasn’t specifically needed? When bigwigs were talking, they hardly ever spoke directly to anyone. Sometimes, I even thought they were just talking to themselves, though they were usually just addressing the room, and it was up to everyone else to keep things going. It really is a pain in the ass.

Much like during Warren’s party, nobles and big shots who had to keep up appearances had to be extra careful about every word they said. Put another way, they were all very devious. It used to be that I could wrap things up nicely by just staying out of it and letting them talk on their own. But that wasn’t really an option anymore—I’d been thrust into the world of high-class society, and staying silent didn’t quite work. Will I ever get used to it? This was even more of an issue when I didn’t have Shueste’s expert assistance. Not that the conversation in the carriage right now sounds like anything important...

I rode along with such thoughts in mind, and our carriage quickly reached the villa.

“Oh, it seems we’ve arrived.”

I’d known beforehand that it wasn’t far away. And now, I was finally going to get the chance to stretch my legs and enjoy a soft chair and bed. There was also a hot meal to look forward to. While the carriage was nice and sturdy, it wasn’t completely capable of keeping out the cold night air.

“Allow me to show each of you to your rooms.”

Once we were out of the carriage, we followed Shueste into the building. From the way she put it, rooms had already been allocated to us.

“Please make use of this room, Master Thracias. Your meal will be brought to you shortly.”

“Ooh, thank you very much, Lady Shueste.”

“The room to the left is Master Keifo’s, while the one to the right is Mistress Addelat’s.”

“Thank you.”

“Thanks...”

The others entered their rooms as Shueste guided us onward. On a side note, the maids were going to be sharing a room. It really was pushing it to allocate everyone a personal room, and there was no need to prioritize the maids over the diplomats.

However, if they were prioritizing the importance of one’s work, I would be the one least in need of a personal room. My job so far had amounted to nothing more than sitting in a carriage. I was glad to be able to rest indoors, but I felt somewhat guilty about it.

“Master Beryl, please make use of this room.”

“Thank you.”

After the train behind Shueste had diminished quite a bit, we arrived at my room.

Oh, I get my own. Hell yeah. I immediately stifled my excitement, but I figured I could at least pump my fist internally.

Shueste had requested that I speak with her frankly, but this wasn’t the place for that—there was no telling who could be listening. However, once I was in my room, I wouldn’t have to worry about other people anymore. I’d had to watch my behavior throughout the day, so I was glad to have a private space to myself.

Once I entered my room, I exchanged some parting words with Shueste.

“Your meal will arrive shortly,” she said. “If you’ll please excuse me.”

“Thank you very much for the hospitality.”

She took her leave, and I closed the door. Only then was I finally able to let loose. I started by taking off my coat and hanging it on the wall.

“Haaaaah...”

The moment I plopped down on the sofa, I let out a huge sigh like an old geezer. I wasn’t physically tired, but my mental fatigue was considerable. I had spent the last two weeks having to remain focused inside that carriage. I’d somehow managed to endure it—thanks to getting my own room at the inns most of the time. However, if I’d been sharing a room now, or if I’d needed to sleep in a huge communal space, I might’ve just exploded.

“She said dinner is going to be brought to me later, right...?”

I couldn’t spend all my time lazing around on the sofa. I removed the sword from my waist and started to get changed. I’d had my jacket on under the overcoat—just wearing it had made me pretty tense. I wanted to relax, have some delicious food and drink, then maybe calm my heart by taking a bath. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to take one, but with so many visitors, they would need to have the bath available for us, right?

I’d come this far, and my plan now was to make full use of my status as a guest to relax as much as possible. Once we entered Sphenedyardvania, there was no guarantee I would get the chance to take it easy.

“Master Beryl, I’ve brought your dinner.”

“Aah, right.”

After I got changed, put my stuff away, and took a look around the room, someone knocked at the door. It was probably one of the maids with my meal. I doubted anyone of status would come, but I still had to pay attention to my appearance. If it were Allucia, Henblitz, or Curuni, I would be fine looking a little sloppy. The fact that I have to worry about being unkempt right now is somewhat troublesome.

“I’ll be right there.”

I placed my hand on the doorknob. I wasn’t sure whether I was supposed to be opening it or if I had to give permission to open it from the outside. I didn’t really like ordering people around, so I usually ended up taking the initiative in these cases. I could only pray the person on the other side didn’t give me a weird look.

“Sorry to keep you wai—?”

Figuring I was better off polite than bossy, I opened the door. On the other side was a trolley with a delicious-looking lineup of food and drink. The woman who’d brought it to me had a smile on her face. That much was fine. It was perfectly normal. The problem was the identity of the woman in question.

“Shueste?”

“Yes. Pardon the intrusion, Master Beryl.”

Ignoring my bewilderment, she pushed the trolley into my room.

“Please excuse me.” Shueste shut the door behind her with an innocent look.

“Wait, what? Hang on.” I waved my hands in bewilderment.

“Is there a problem?”

“No, umm... Hmmm?”

I have no idea how to answer that. I didn’t have a problem with it personally. I was already acquainted with Shueste, so this was easier than having to greet an unfamiliar maid. However, I wasn’t on some personal vacation, and it didn’t feel quite right for House Flumvelk’s eldest daughter to be wasting her time on me, out of all the people on this expedition.

I did understand why she might want to entertain guests. That didn’t mean she had to personally attend to me, though. Thracias and the others were far more important. I had the exaggerated title of special instructor for the Liberion Order, but that had no worth on this diplomatic mission.

This was also a rare opportunity when a bunch of politicians were passing through to go to Sphenedyardvania, so it was a great chance to build connections. There was nothing to gain by tending to me instead. It was pretty sad to think about it that way, but it was the truth.

“Then there isn’t a problem,” Shueste said. “Shall we eat?”

“Aah, sure... Thanks...?”

I was hungry and grateful for the meal, but all of this was too abrupt. Having a noble lady set the table for a country bumpkin made me feel extremely guilty. There were no maids in the room with us. It was just me and Shueste.

“Ah, I’ll help,” I offered.

“It’s fine. Please just sit back and wait.”

“O-Okay...”

Letting Shueste do all the work didn’t sit right with me, but she flat-out refused my help. Her charming smile exuded a mysterious power that made it hard for me to take a firm stance. This wasn’t like Allucia’s way of refusing to take no for an answer—it was something more maternal, like being wrapped in a soft, gentle embrace. She’s supposed to be far younger than me, though. Maybe this is just a difference in life experience. I’ve only ever known how to swing a sword, after all.

She lined up one dish after the other on the table. Nobles didn’t usually do this kind of stuff themselves, but Shueste seemed to know her way around the task. I didn’t think she was the type to typically have her meals without her maids, so her competency was somewhat mysterious.

“Shall we?” she asked after setting the table.

“Uhh, yeah. Thanks for the food.”

There was bread, meat, and soup—among other dishes—just for the two of us. I already knew the food in Flumvelk was good because of my last visit, so it was an unexpected relief not to have to worry about the taste. That wasn’t really a concern in big cities like Baltrain and Flumvelk, but it wasn’t necessarily the case in the towns and villages along the way. In fact, if I invited someone out to Beaden, we really wouldn’t be able to serve much of anything that could be deemed “cuisine.”

During this expedition, the quality of food had varied greatly depending on where we’d gone. And even when there had been something good, the best had always gone to Princess Salacia.

“Mm, delicious as always,” I remarked.

“Hee hee, thank you.”

Not too long ago, I would’ve been too nervous and anxious to be able to taste anything when dining alone with the upper class. But thanks to my previous experience, that trepidation all but vanished when I was with Shueste. The meat on my plate had been roasted wonderfully in a good amount of fat, and the bread had a soft bounce to it.

“There’s ale as well,” Shueste pulled some from the bottom of the trolley. “Please go ahead.”

“Ooh, thanks.”

I was glad there was ale, but she could’ve just set it on the table instead of the bottle of wine. Was there a reason for her to go out of her way to mention it like this? Not that it really mattered. Ale was the best. She probably remembered that time after I’d trained Sahat and his soldiers—I’d asked to try the local ale. It made me feel a little embarrassed, but it was nice that she’d remembered my preferences.

“Allow me,” Shueste said, pouring ale into my glass.

“Ha ha, sorry about that...”

“It’s fine. Today, much like before, it is my duty to entertain you.”

“I-I see.”

Looking at this scene in isolation, one might’ve thought we were an intimate couple. That was how masterfully she performed every little gesture. It was as if the meal had been tailored to me personally. A part of me even suspected that Warren had provided her with an unnecessary excess of information.

“I hear you will be leaving tomorrow for Sphenedyardvania,” Shueste said. “Please take your time tonight to enjoy yourself and relax.”

“Mm... Thanks.”

As was to be expected, someone of Shueste’s class knew about our general schedule and objective. If I had to guess, who was to keep company with whom had all been decided beforehand. As Warren was the current head of the house, this would’ve been at his discretion. Though Gisgarte and Shueste might’ve had a say in it, the decision had ultimately fallen to him.

If that was the case, then Shueste keeping me company had been the general consensus of the entire house. During our first meeting, she’d been mysteriously affectionate. That hadn’t changed at all. If anything, she’d drawn closer—during the last visit, we hadn’t even spent time together alone after dark, not even for a meal.

I couldn’t help but feel that Warren was scheming something. But regardless, I was rather curious about how Shueste had been doing since I’d last seen her.

“Oh right,” I muttered. “Now that I think about it...”

“Yes?”

I wanted to ask about how things had been going for her, but there was also something I needed to inform her of.

“I used the pressed flowers you gifted me last time to decorate my house. It’s a small place, but I feel like it’s added a lot of color.”

“My! Thank you very much!”

I was referring to the framed flowers Shueste had given me at the end of my last visit to Flumvelk. They were currently hanging on the wall back home, providing some modest color to the room. Mewi’s reaction to the flowers had been awfully glum, though. Due to her upbringing, she had no interest whatsoever in the fine arts. Not that I did either, but with the feelings Shueste had put behind making it, there was no way I was going to treat her gift like some bundle of dried weeds.

“Hee hee, that makes me really happy.”

“A display of your willfulness is decorating my house. I’m sure that’s a good thing.”

“Yes... Thank you very much.”

It was the product of Shueste’s first small but selfish request—a work of art that represented the beginning, so to speak. I had to treat it dearly, though it was somewhat mysterious how such an item had ended up in my house.

“How have things been since then?” I asked. “With Warren and Gisgarte, I mean.”

This had been on my mind for a while. Shueste had been raised as both House Flumvelk’s youngest child and its eldest daughter. Her upbringing had been a great success, and she was now a top-class lady. Even though she wasn’t in any way dissatisfied with her lot in life, she must’ve had some thoughts about not being blessed with any beneficial marriage proposals and having to spend her whole life in the mansion.

I’d been the one to ultimately fan a meager flame from the slight ember in her heart. I wouldn’t go as far as saying I felt responsible for it, but I was at least curious what changes this had brought to her.

“Oh yes,” she said. “I spoke with my brother and am now managing a section of the garden myself. I’m enjoying it greatly.”

“That’s good to hear. You’ll have to do your best to make it your ideal garden.”

“I will.”

Not all that much time had passed since our last meeting—it had only been a few months, so I wasn’t expecting any dramatic changes. After all, she was the daughter of House Flumvelk, and Warren had to have plans for her. Shueste wouldn’t want to impose any unreasonable demands either. As a result, the change she was undergoing so far was modest and charming.

“I also conveyed one other selfish request...” she continued, eating her dinner with elegant manners, much like that time we’d shared a meal in the courtyard. She was still smiling, but there was a troubled look to her expression, as if she were just the slightest bit discontent. “I haven’t been able to receive a positive response, though. It seems it will take a while to resolve.”

“Hmm, you’ve got me curious now.”

Warren was a smart man—he wouldn’t have been able to serve as Flumvelk’s lord otherwise, and if he hadn’t been up to the task, Gisgarte wouldn’t have yielded the house to him. Warren was also very good with words. Even taking their acquaintance into consideration, it was no easy feat to completely talk Allucia into something she was against.

But now, Warren was being troubled by Shueste’s selfish request. That was just as I’d anticipated. It was also somewhat unexpected. Shueste had begun expressing her own ideas in a way she hadn’t before, and I’d guessed that Warren would be having a hard time figuring out how to deal with it. Conversely, it was strange that Warren had been unable to find a resolution to one of her requests and had left the matter at large.

Shueste understood her own position—I doubted she would ask for something completely unreasonable. Despite this, her wish had yet to be granted. What could it possibly be? I just had to know.

“I asked to move to Baltrain, but my brother won’t agree to it,” Shueste answered with a bitter smile.

“What?”

That’s totally ridiculous. Of course he said no.

“T-To Baltrain...?” I repeated incredulously, just to make sure I’d heard her right.

“Yes.”

I’d never imagined she would start with such an utterly selfish request. This was one thing her charming smile wouldn’t help her with.

“Mind if I ask why?”

“Because you’re there, Master Beryl,” she answered immediately.

I nearly spat out my ale. I didn’t know what to do. She said that so seriously... If she’d always wanted to be in Baltrain, it would’ve made sense to me. Baltrain was Liberis’s greatest city, and its population and the luxuries available there were on an entirely different order of magnitude. Flumvelk was definitely also a major city, but Baltrain was still a cut above.

However, her reason for wanting to move was me. I couldn’t make sense of it. Even if I took her request at face value, I would still never say anything irresponsible like “That’s great. Wanna come to Baltrain, then?”

To propose a hypothetical scenario—really, just hypothetically speaking—what if she were a commoner who had fallen in love with a man who’d visited her hometown? And what if she had then resolved herself to chase him to the capital? To an extent, I would be able to understand that. There would naturally be arguments for and against it.

However, Shueste wasn’t a commoner—she was the eldest daughter of a margrave and had received the best education available. To put it bluntly, she had far more value than a peasant girl from the countryside.

Things would be different if she were marrying into someone’s family in Baltrain. Women of certain statuses were obliged to marry into good families. I doubted Warren made light of that responsibility. He had to be working out marriage proposals for her even now.

However, now that I thought about it, Warren had first introduced Shueste as an incompetent sister who’d missed her chance at marriage. I didn’t know whether this was because they hadn’t been able to decide on someone or if their standards were too high.

“Isn’t it a bit unreasonable to move all the way to Baltrain just because I’m there...?” I asked.

“Why is that? You’re an attractive man.”

“I-Is that so...? Th-Thanks...”

I was aware she was putting her affection on full display. That much was clear, but I couldn’t see any reason for her to do so. Gisgarte and Warren must’ve fed her favorable information about me. Logically, it was extremely unrealistic for a young lady from a noble family to fall in love at first sight with an old man from the countryside. Her impression of me seemed way too good.

During the last expedition, I hadn’t exactly shown my best side during the party. The only time I would’ve looked the slightest bit impressive was during the training with Sahat and his soldiers. It was hard to believe that this would be enough for a woman to suddenly fall in love with me. After all, she had plenty of people around her who excelled in the martial arts. Even Sahat fell into that category.

Even without focusing entirely on martial might, there were plenty of men in the country who were more attractive and skilled than me. With Shueste’s beauty and influence—not to mention her inherent charm, wisdom, and social skills—I felt like she could pick any man she wanted.

“Just to ask... What did Warren say?”

I wanted to know what his opinion was. After all, he’d had to deal with this request directly. If Warren had given her permission, things would’ve gotten out of control. I suddenly felt grateful that he’d managed to stop her.

Shueste went on to list all of Warren’s opinions while counting on her fingers. “He said, ‘You can’t intrude like that. Barging in without first discussing it would be a nuisance. What about a place to live? What about your reputation? It’s all too premature...’ That about sums it up.”

“He’s quite right...”

I was really glad he had proper common sense. Even if Shueste had suddenly intruded on me, I probably wouldn’t have taken her in. That would be especially true if her brother, the current head of the family, hadn’t given her permission. Letting her stay for one or two days would’ve been one thing, but I would’ve done everything I could to return her to Flumvelk. I would’ve even been fine with guarding her on the way back.

Either way, no matter who it was, my common sense was against someone suddenly intruding in my home. Actually, I didn’t think that Shueste was the type of girl to be so irrational. What had driven her so far? As always, I couldn’t read her.

“That’s why I eagerly awaited your arrival during Her Highness’s visit,” Shueste added with a smile.

“I see.”

I didn’t know whether she knew what my mental state was. Actually, she probably knew exactly what it was. She was the type to read such subtleties in emotion, and her skill far surpassed mine.

Hang on. Doesn’t that mean this reckless request was all part of the plan? I doubted Shueste believed that she would get sudden approval to move to Baltrain, but she’d definitely known that I would be coming along on this expedition. It was possible she’d achieved this situation here tonight by conveying her selfish request to Warren.

After all, the eldest daughter of House Flumvelk was in a position to entertain people of far higher standing than me. There was nothing to gain politically by currying my favor. I didn’t have the connections or influence for that, nor did I plan to gain such things. If I’d had such intentions, I would’ve gotten the gears moving in my head to acquire status from the moment Allucia had invited me to Baltrain.

I doubted Warren had misread the situation. By all rights, Shueste’s role should’ve been to entertain Thracias or someone else of his standing. Regardless, he’d decided to pretty much ignore any political benefits and send her to me. There has to be a reason for that.

As I thought such things over, Shueste’s tone suddenly shifted.

“Master Beryl.”

“Hm?”

She sounds dead serious. I’d long stopped touching my meal. I didn’t have the force of will to casually chow down during such a conversation.

“I love you dearly,” she admitted. “It is my heartfelt desire to further deepen this bond we have—hand in hand.”

She looked me right in the eyes and spoke without hesitation. Her smile remained as always, but instead of its usual charm, there was an air of tranquility to it.

I paused for a long moment, then asked, “Why me?”

It was a pretty pathetic response to her confession, but I had no idea why she would have such feelings for me. I was, of course, glad to be liked. Both friendship and love were better than being hated. However, I hadn’t spent that much time with Shueste. You could sum it up as love at first sight, but it still felt like too much when the man in question was no more than a commoner.

“You have a handsome face, a magnanimous personality, you show care and consideration for others as if it were perfectly natural, both my father and brother assess your swordsmanship highly, you have great strength but aren’t arrogant... Need I say more?”

“Uhh, no... Thanks... This is kinda awkward...”

I’d been the one to ask, but her nonstop barrage of compliments had been extremely embarrassing for me. It was technically a good thing that she liked me so much, but having such tremendous affection turned toward me so bluntly had still made me recoil a little.

“Hee hee, thanks to the words you graced me with in the courtyard, my heart has cleared up considerably,” she added.

“Is that so...? I’m glad to hear it.”

When she said that, her words had an entirely different emotion behind them. Apparently, my remarks had opened a door for her. That was worth rejoicing over—my advice had benefited someone. I’d decided to walk the path of a swordsman, but that didn’t mean I wanted to ignore everyone around me. Though she wasn’t my pupil, she was my junior in life. I’d lived far longer than her. It was worth having pride in the fact that my accumulation of experience over the years had positively affected her.

“My parents and brothers provided me with plenty of love and a splendid education,” Shueste continued, casting her eyes down with a charming, affectionate expression. “I am grateful for that. However, that was the first time anyone showed me such consideration and care in a slightly different way. It was also my first time wanting to return such feelings in kind.”

“Ha ha ha, you’re making me a little self-conscious...”

I didn’t hate her. If anything, you could say I liked her as a person. One part of me was happy to receive such affection, while another was extremely embarrassed.

“I won’t deny that it was out of calculated self-interest at first,” she added. “However, I now yearn to be by your side without any such concerns.”

“Thank you... That honestly makes me very happy.”

She was more than I deserved. Not only was she nobility, but both her looks and her personality were impeccable. She was very refined and possessed techniques that could make any partner she ended up with look good. If anything, the fact that she’d honestly admitted that there’d been a calculated aspect to her behavior reflected favorably on her. I could easily declare that it would be impossible to find a better woman than Shueste Flumvelk. There was no mistaking that.

I didn’t have a bad impression of her—she was honestly a good girl. That was exactly why I felt like she didn’t really match the likes of me. However, she’d chosen to face me directly with her feelings, and this wasn’t anything like the admiration of a young girl in her tender years. These were the words of an adult woman. I had to respond with all due sincerity.

“But... I’m sorry. I can’t answer right now,” I told her.

“Am I lacking in some way...?”

“No, no, no, not at all. That’s not what I mean. You’re more than I could ever deserve.”

If I claimed she was lacking, I would be making an enemy of all the men and women of the world. They’d be yelling, “Who the hell do you think you are?!” at me. However, no matter how many people showed me any amount of love, I was very unlikely to be able to respond in a satisfactory manner. At the very least, I couldn’t give an immediate reply.

“I’ve recently become a little girl’s guardian,” I started to explain. “So...how do I put this? It all kinda just happened, but you could say she’s a precious daughter to me now.”

“My, how splendid.”

“Ha ha, thanks.”

One reason for my reluctance was, of course, Mewi. I wouldn’t absolutely refuse to get married just because she was around—I wasn’t using her as an excuse. However, right now, getting married simply wasn’t my top priority. After becoming Mewi’s guardian and living with her for a while, I was far more concerned with her happiness than mine.

I did believe she would be better off with a mother figure. Had I been raised only by my dad without my mom around, I would’ve turned out very differently. However, the fact that I thought of it that way was proof that I was seeing a partner more as Mewi’s mother than as my wife. Having that perspective from the get-go was quite rude toward any potential partners.

I didn’t think Shueste was incapable of being a mother. She would probably be bewildered at first, but she seemed like she would be able to handle Mewi with ease. If anything, Mewi might quickly grow attached to her. There was no telling how things would turn out until we tried living together, though.

It was too difficult to take that risk without knowing. That was especially the case with the eldest daughter of House Flumvelk. It was necessary to consider her compatibility with both myself and Mewi. It would be ridiculous to say, “Sorry, but you’ll have to leave” if things didn’t work out. She would seriously think I was just screwing with her.

I had desires too. I liked the idea of having a beautiful wife. But that wasn’t my life’s goal. My greatest desire was to complete my path as a swordsman. Mewi’s future had then forced its way second into my list of priorities. After those two, I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t unhappy.

As I was now, I didn’t feel any unhappiness. If anything, I was experiencing a life I’d never expected to have. And because I was satisfied with my life, I wasn’t actively looking for a spouse. If I’d been twenty years younger, I would likely be jumping at Shueste’s proposal, but I was now a little too old for such impulsive behavior.

“That’s the gist of it,” I said. “I just can’t think of it right now. To repeat myself, I think you’re a wonderful woman—I have plenty of affection for you. However, it’s the same kind of affection I have for Allucia and the other girls.”

“I...understand.”

I’d explained my feelings, as awkward as I was. Shueste acknowledged what I had to say, but it was probably difficult for her to come to terms with it. I truly am sorry.

“To look at it from another perspective...” Shueste added. “Once your daughter sets off on her own and you’ve reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, then will there be another chance for me?”

“Huh? Uh... I guess?”

I was daunted by how guilty I felt, while Shueste had recovered with shocking speed. Her charming smile was back in full force. She had tremendous emotional strength.

In theory, she was perfectly right—once Mewi was independent of me and I was satisfied with my progress as a swordsman, I would no longer have a reason to refuse. I didn’t know if I would be taken by then, but the likelihood was pretty low.

“Then I shall wait until that time,” Shueste said. “Although, it would be problematic if you forget about me before then. Will you allow me to exchange letters with you?”

“I’m fine with that. But are you really okay with a man like me...? Mewi—oh, that’s my adopted daughter’s name—will grow up in a few years, but there’s no telling when I’ll be satisfied with my swordsmanship.”

“Yes. I’m far younger, after all. Master Beryl, you won’t refuse me just because I’ve grown old, yes?”

“I would never say something so rude... You really are more than I deserve.”

“If you believe so, then take me right now.”

“Th-That’s a little...” I trailed off. “Sorry for being so pathetic.”

“Don’t be. That’s exactly what I love about you.”

“I-I see... Thanks.”

Great looks, profoundly refined, quick to change gears, and deeply considerate—she was a woman who could easily captivate as many fine men as she could ever want. She really was wasted on me.

“There are a ton of better people than me out there, though,” I told her. “If you meet one, don’t hesitate.”

“Ah, you cannot speak like that, Master Beryl. At times like these, you’re supposed to say, ‘I don’t know how long it will take, but please wait for me.’”

“H-Ha ha ha... How harsh...”

And with that final criticism, this topic came to an end. All that was left was to finish the meal I’d stopped eating. Not that I could taste it anymore—I felt so awkward and guilty that my stomach and heart already seemed stuffed.

“Mind if I have more ale...?” I asked.

“I don’t mind...but do be careful not to have too much.”

“It won’t have an effect on me tomorrow...probably.”

In the end, the only thing that tasted the same as usual was the ale. I’d chugged it down faster than usual to try and distract myself from my worthlessness, and Shueste had needed to warn me about having too much.

It was going to be fine. I wasn’t going to have a hangover. Maybe. Probably. Surely. Still, this was one night when I felt like drinking. It was pretty pitiful to run away to alcohol, which led me to a vicious circle of just wanting to drink more. My mind once more escaped to thinking about how things would be so much easier if she ended up getting disgusted with my pathetic display. This thought, in turn, made me drink even more. I’m a lousy old man.

“Ugh... Sorry, Shueste...”

“Don’t be. It’s fine, Master Beryl.”

With my thoughts gradually becoming more and more incoherent—and my body worn out—the night carried on.

◇

“Margrave Flumvelk, I had a very pleasant stay.”

“Your words are more than I deserve, Your Highness.”

It was the day after Shueste confessed to me—the day after my truly pathetic act of escapism. Princess Salacia’s expedition would be leaving Flumvelk as planned, and we were set to enter Sphenedyardvania.

Honestly, I had a bit of a headache. Part of it was mental strain, but a lot was physical pain. As expected, I hadn’t gotten away unscathed after drinking so much last night. I’d actually gotten dead drunk and had missed the opportunity to enjoy the bath I’d been looking forward to. Still, even after passing out pretty early, I’d somehow managed to wake up with enough time to wash myself off.

I usually felt guilty when my daily schedule was less busy than the others’, but today was an exception—I was grateful to have fewer duties because it meant I could secure some personal time to make myself presentable again.

This was because our entire schedule was centered around the princess. We departed in the mornings whenever she was ready to go, and the princess generally wasn’t in the habit of waking up at the crack of dawn. Perhaps we would leave early at some point if the expedition was extremely behind schedule or some kind of circumstance forced our hand, but thus far, we’d always left around midmorning. This schedule was par for the course for those who worked in the palace, but it was awfully easy for me and the knights, who often began before dawn. Not that I have the leisure to really kick back and enjoy it...

Much like yesterday, we were now gathered in front of House Flumvelk’s main estate. The sun was already high in the sky, and Warren and Princess Salacia were exchanging their farewells.

“I pray that your journey will be a peaceful one. Do be careful, Your Highness.”

“Thank you.”

For a princess and a margrave, their conversation was splendidly plain. The more elaborate talks would have already taken place within Warren’s mansion, so this was no more than a farewell before her journey and probably also a show for her escorts. Above all else, it wasn’t good for a margrave to expose the princess to the winter air for too long.

“Princess Salacia, this way, if you please.”

“Of course.”

With the farewells over, Princess Salacia boarded her carriage along with her two maids and Allucia. Perhaps they’d gotten more comfortable during the journey—the atmosphere between the princess and her maids seemed more gentle than before.

Now that the princess was ready, there was no point in the rest of us standing around doing nothing. We all immediately got ready to depart.

Right before boarding my carriage, I threw a glance at Warren. He and his entourage seemed intent on standing there and waiting until the expedition was gone. Shueste was there too. I casually shifted my eyes over to her and met her gaze directly.

She had the same charming smile as usual, and she maintained it the whole time. I didn’t know the meaning behind her gaze. Maybe it’s love. Maybe it’s disdain. I was about to say something, but I shut my mouth in a hurry. Now wasn’t the time for it. My chance during our time together last night had long passed.

I truly am pathetic. A part of me wondered what was so good about an old man like me—another part figured it was precisely because of me, an old man, that she hadn’t had any satisfactory marriage proposals. I had no regrets about walking the path of the sword, and there wasn’t the slightest shadow hanging over my resolve. However, in all other paths of life, my dad was still so far ahead of me. In this moment, I can’t help but think about that.

With such depressing thoughts in mind, I finally boarded the carriage. I let out a sigh now that I was no longer in Shueste’s sights.

“Whew...”

“Oh? Tired, Mr. Beryl?” Thracias asked.

After all that, I wanted nothing more than to spend some time alone, but I had to ride in this carriage instead.

“Ha ha, it seems I drank a little too much last night,” I said.

“My, my, you must’ve had a great time. Do be careful with your health, though. It gets rather cold these days.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

He kept up the conversation to a minimal degree. I was honestly glad he didn’t prod more than necessary. My condition wasn’t a problem as long as I could still perform my duties. Thracias knew that, and since we weren’t particularly close, he seemed to understand how meaningless it would be to inquire about my private life. In a sense, this was the kind of conversation meant for a cheap tavern in town, not something to dive into during an important expedition.

Still, I really had drunk too much, so just as he’d said, I needed to pay attention to my health. I was pretty used to the weather, but being exposed to winter’s cold winds increased the likelihood of getting sick. It was a small mercy that it wasn’t snowing. Piles of snow on the ground would impede the march. I don’t even want to think about the princess being stalled in the cold.

“Now then, it’s finally time to cross the border.”

Thracias’s words were met with silence. Going south from Flumvelk would bring us right out of Liberis and into Sphenedyardvania. This was new territory for me—I’d actually only recently learned that the capital was named Dilmahakha.

Ever since coming to Baltrain, I’d been dragged into all sorts of things related to Sphenedyardvania, and I honestly didn’t have a great impression of them. I didn’t think Prince Glenn or Gatoga were bad people, but I distrusted the country itself.

Most importantly, I needed to consider Rose. She’d told me she still had things to do in Sphenedyardvania, and I’d never found out if she’d gotten away safely after that whole incident. Even if she’d successfully fled the country, it wouldn’t help her at all to tell me that—there was no need to expose herself to danger. I can only pray that she’s safe. My selfish wish was to see her safe and sound with my own eyes, but it would be more than enough if I only heard rumors on the wind that she was alive.

On a journey this long, sitting in silence the whole time would be horrible. Thracias had turned the topic to the border, so I asked, “Have any of you been to Sphenedyardvania before?”

“Several times, on diplomatic missions,” Thracias answered. “The holy capital is a beautiful city.”

“I have also been a few times,” Addelat said. “Though we officers of arms serve as nothing beyond simple attendants.”

Keifo shook his head. “I haven’t... This will be my first time.”

A beautiful capital city certainly sounded nice, but I could only pray that the beauty wasn’t merely skin-deep. Rose’s words still bothered me—I couldn’t help but think of the papists as villains who’d resorted to using children as hostages. Well, maybe the capital is beautiful because Prince Glenn and the royalists are governing it properly. I’ll soon be able to see for myself.

“Is that so?” I asked. “It’s my first time too, so I’m looking forward to it.”

This was half a platitude and half serious. I had nothing to gain from telling them, “Well, I actually don’t have a great impression of that country.” Though I wasn’t particularly wise to the world, even I knew that there was no need to mention my reservations.

Despite my hesitancy, I was excited to venture out of Liberis for the first time. Even living in Baltrain had been full of surprises, so I was curious about what towns looked like outside the country and how their culture differed from mine. Also, it would be awesome if I could sample the local cuisine. I’d found myself thinking about food a lot more lately, probably because of all the delicious dishes I’d sampled since moving to Baltrain.

I’ll bet they have an inn booked for us once we get to Sphenedyardvania. I doubt they’ll offer us lousy food—I’m really looking forward to whatever they might serve.

Maybe I was slowly growing accustomed to being received and entertained by others. According to Allucia and Warren, I would need to get used to it because I would keep being invited to more and more events. I was starting to get a feel for keeping up a public image, but a strange part of me also felt like getting too accustomed would be a bad thing.

Everybody preferred being treated well over being hated or underestimated—that was just mentally more comfortable. However, if I started to think of high-society flattery as normal, my body and mind would start to misunderstand what the real world was like. If that happened, my sword might dull or even break.

In that sense, Allucia was quite successful. She was in a position to be showered in constant praise, but her sword skills showed no signs of deteriorating. If anything, her swordplay was only getting better. She never rested on her laurels, regardless of how much recognition she received.

Even if future me had more opportunities to be in the public eye, would I be able to dedicate myself to improvement with a spirit as pure as Allucia’s? I was doing the best I could, but it was truly terrifying what could happen when people grew accustomed to taking it easy. I need to actively admonish myself so such a future doesn’t await me.

I didn’t mean to belittle my abilities, of course. Before this, I’d been fine focusing entirely on swinging my sword, but now I knew there was so much more to my life. Gaining fame isn’t unconditionally bad—it just makes things awfully complicated.

“Anyway, I’m glad today’s weather is ideal for a march,” I muttered casually.

“Ha ha, I couldn’t agree more,” Thracias said, picking up the conversation.

With the splendid winter calm contrasting with the turbulent state of my mind, the carriage moved on.

“I must say, that was a long journey,” Thracias said, stretching his back.

He’d opened up quite a bit during the carriage ride. A man like him would normally avoid showing any needless vulnerabilities, but it seemed he’d decided that the people in his carriage were worthy of some trust. Despite his splendid title as the representative of the prime minister, he was awfully playful.

“True—sitting all day really does a number on the back.” I took advantage of the situation and did some stretching of my own.

“Ha ha ha! Well, we should both be careful,” he agreed.

It was seriously rough to sit around all day—the carriage’s shaking made it even worse. I hadn’t been able to exercise much on this expedition. Even though we had some free time in the evenings, I wasn’t going to do practice swings in my room or anything. The journey itself was tiring, but maybe having to put my training on hold was worse. Getting used to an easier schedule at this age was a slippery downhill slope.

After leaving Warren’s estate, we’d spent a night in southern Flumvelk and were now finally approaching Sphenedyardvania’s border. Even for a prosperous province like Flumvelk, the difference between the north—where Warren’s mansion was—and the south was vast. It wasn’t as rural as Beaden, but the land on either side of the road looked like it was just about finished being developed for agriculture.

Now that we’d traveled this far, it was time to say farewell to Sahat and his soldiers. A noble’s private army couldn’t be allowed across the border. Much like crossing between provinces within the nation, when you crossed into another country altogether, you would obviously enter someone else’s territory. Traffic had to be restricted.

Unlike the last time, I’d spent almost no face-to-face time with Sahat and his soldiers. The scale of this expedition was simply too large. The knights were mostly clustered around the carriages, and farther out was the royal garrison. The provincial army was deployed even farther toward the outer edge, so they were too distant for me to interact with.

I wanted to chat with them about how things had gone since that training session we’d had, but it seemed I wouldn’t get the chance. Too much status comes with its own problems.

“Whoa there...”

The carriage rocked and started slowing down. We were probably at the checkpoint. Normally, we would be exchanging provincial guards here, but this time, we were crossing into another country. I wondered if there would be any complications. I doubted anyone would try to get in the way of Liberis’s third princess, though.

“Seems we’ve stopped,” Thracias remarked. “Shall we step out?”

I nodded. “Yes, let’s.”

Once the carriage came to a complete stop, the four of us exited the carriage. The soldiers were already in formation—there were knights and soldiers in neat lines on both sides, creating a pathway to the checkpoint for the most important people on the expedition. I have to walk down this? Even if I’m in the back, this makes me feel super nervous.

Around the time we reached the gate, Princess Salacia had been invited out of her carriage. The most important person should be the last to arrive. Once she reached the front, a remarkably large man among Sphenedyardvania’s knights—a man wearing full plate armor—stepped forward.

“It is an honor to be graced with your presence, Princess Salacia Ashford el Liberis. I am the commander of the Holy Order of the Church of Sphene, Gatoga Lazorne. From this point onward, we knights of the Holy Order shall devote ourselves utterly to guaranteeing your safety.”

“I appreciate it,” replied Princess Salacia.

I was glad to see Gatoga in good health. He must’ve had all sorts of problems after the assassination attempt on Prince Glenn. I couldn’t even imagine what he’d gone through.

This wasn’t Princess Salacia’s first time meeting Gatoga, but it would have been awfully crude to point that out, what with the ceremonial nature of these greetings. I wasn’t foolhardy enough to raise my voice. The only thing I was capable of was watching in silence.

“We’ve finished confirming your papers, Your Highness. You are welcome within our borders.”

With our documents in order, Gatoga signaled for the gate to open. I was glad to see our entry had gone off without a hitch.

Incidentally, the knight who’d whispered into Gatoga’s ear about the papers wasn’t someone I recognized. He’s probably Gatoga’s lieutenant. It wasn’t Rose or Hinnis, of course. He had a solid build—even if he couldn’t match Gatoga—but he looked awfully unbalanced because of the slender estoc he wielded. Judging by how he carried himself, he was quite the warrior.

I had no idea what the state of the Holy Order was right now. Gatoga had mentioned thoroughly cleaning house, so I could only pray that he’d pulled it off successfully. It really would be too much for him if he had yet another traitor as a lieutenant. I hoped this was a man who could properly support Gatoga and Prince Glenn.

With the greetings over and our papers in order, I figured we would be going right back to the carriages. Before I headed back, I met Gatoga’s eyes. With so few chances to speak with people directly, I felt like I was conversing via eye contact more and more. I hadn’t learned to read minds, though, so I had no idea what he was thinking. Judging by his expression, things didn’t seem so bad. What a relief... Though it would be kinda out of place for him to give me an “oh crap” look.

“Lazorne, I look forward to working with you.”

“Yeah, likewise. As for the security formation, we’ll go as discussed and—”

Allucia and Gatoga started discussing the security details. This wasn’t something they were just deciding on the spot—they’d come to some sort of agreement beforehand, and this was nothing more than a final check.

A part of me wanted to go the rest of the way on foot, even if I had to be all the way at the edge of the formation. That was just my nature. That said, Allucia had spent the whole time sitting in a carriage with Princess Salacia too, so my complaints were a little toothless.

I wondered what Gatoga would be doing. His country had invited the guest of honor, so if I had to guess, he would be joining the security detail. I still had no idea how the subtleties of politics worked. Either way, it didn’t matter so long as I never rose to a position where I had to worry about that stuff. If things got that far, I needed to refuse. I could only pray that such an appointment wouldn’t come with yet another royal seal.

“We’re departing.”

After we returned to the carriage and sat for a while, the driver signaled that we were on the move again. Crossing into another country sounded pretty grandiose, but ultimately, we were just passing through a checkpoint. That didn’t really evoke any strong feelings in me. Maybe I would feel something if the scenery suddenly changed, but it was pretty rare for territory to be prosperous right up against the border. There was just the imposing checkpoint, fortresses dotted here and there on the landscape, and dangerous-looking soldiers keeping an eye on us.

I felt even less since we were traveling in such a huge group. Had I crossed on my own, maybe it would’ve been a somewhat more moving experience. Besides, the landscape was essentially the same. We’d been in the countryside before crossing, and we were still in the countryside after. It was hard to get a real sense that I was in another country. And while I didn’t need some kind of big moment, this just seemed anticlimactic.

I had no idea how far Sphenedyardvania’s capital was from here—it was hard to imagine Dilmahakha being right on the border, so it was sure to take several days to get there. Still, we’d crossed the border and were approaching the end of this long journey. I feel rather accomplished.

“Whew... Just one last stretch, I suppose?” I said, putting my hands against my back and stretching.

“Indeed.” Addelat nodded. “My butt is really starting to hurt, so I’d love to settle down already.”

I wasn’t quite sure how to react. You couldn’t make light of how much strain was placed on your back by sitting all day, but I had no idea what to say to a woman talking about her butt. I certainly couldn’t make a slip of the tongue in front of this group.

“Let’s hope we are allocated a nice inn with good beds, shall we?” Thracias responded smoothly.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Addelat said.

Hmmm, even when it comes to a simple conversation, people with status are on another level. I don’t think I’ll ever be that good. Setting aside this meaningless idle chatter, I was honestly glad there hadn’t been an attack during our long journey—though frankly, someone would have to be seriously stupid to attack this huge convoy.

We now had the Liberion Order, Sphenedyardvania’s Holy Order, and Liberis’s royal garrison with us. If anyone were capable of breaking through these defenses, they wouldn’t be human. It would probably be hard even for Lucy.

That didn’t mean we could be careless. I was sure everyone standing on guard thought so too. Thus, it was pointless for me to be the only one inside this carriage being cautious—it was better to just put my trust in Allucia and Gatoga.

“It sure is quiet,” I remarked, looking out at the scenery.

“Ignoring the sound of the marching army,” Thracias quipped.

The sound of clopping hooves and marching feet repeated on loop. Still, the journey was so safe that I couldn’t help but feel like it was quiet. If not for the back pain from the shaking carriage, it would’ve been perfect. This soreness is no joke. Once we reached Dilmahakha, I had to find some time to get some serious exercise in, or I would be in trouble.

It’s decided then—once we reach our final destination, I’m taking some time to train, even if I have to be reckless about it.

I doubted there would be a parade or anything the moment we reached the holy capital. There were surely all kinds of things to prepare, so I was assuming I would get some free time. I was going to use that time to get some feeling back into my weakened body. Otherwise, I would seriously be done for as a swordsman. I wasn’t going to drop dead or get sick or anything, but it was the motivation that truly mattered.

“Thinking about something, Mr. Beryl?” Thracias asked.

“Well, yes. I suppose you could say I was thinking of what to do once we reach the capital...”

“I see. As long as there are no major delays on the way, you should have some time for sightseeing.”

His guess didn’t exactly hit the bull’s-eye, though I doubted he would ever have imagined that I was thinking of getting some exercise the moment we arrived. Now that I’ve made my decision, I have to quickly put it into action. I was looking forward to our arrival in Dilmahakha all the more now. In all likelihood, the other people in the carriage—or rather, the vast majority of the expedition—were excited for an entirely different reason.

Our destination—the capital of the religious state of Sphenedyardvania, the holy city Dilmahakha—drawing closer, minute by minute.

◇

“Shuh!”

I exhaled and swung my sword downward—my blade glimmered with the faintest red hue, and I could hear the sharp whoosh of it cutting through the air. My senses really were somewhat dull. An ideal downward cut slashed straight without the slightest deviation. However, my hands and eyes sensed something slightly off about the trajectory.

“Hmmm... Looks like it was the right choice to do practice swings.”

No matter how old I got and no matter how much technique I accumulated, it was pretty depressing to be unable to do something I’d managed just fine before. It was a small mercy that I’d noticed the issue at this early stage—it wasn’t too much of a mistake to correct. I just needed some calibration to get my senses back.

Maybe my dad had been unable to keep up with this type of training when he’d decided to set aside his sword. He was more than strong enough physically, but no matter how much other people told him that, it was meaningless unless he believed it too. I probably understand that better than anyone. It was awfully ironic—no matter how much people kept telling me that I was strong, it was difficult to change my perception of myself.

“I’d like to do some running, but...”

If my sword arm was a little dull, then my general physique had to be worse. About three weeks had passed since our departure from Baltrain, and I hadn’t done any kind of serious exercise since then, so my body felt uncomfortably sluggish.

I wasn’t a regular civilian here, though. I was the special instructor of the Liberion Order who’d come along for Princess Salacia’s wedding procession. This also wasn’t Baltrain, so I wasn’t sure whether it was okay for me to run around thoughtlessly.

We’d reached Sphenedyardvania’s capital just yesterday. Prince Glenn and other bigwigs from the Church of Sphene had formed a huge row to greet us, but I honestly didn’t remember anyone but the prince. I hadn’t really been close enough to see anyone else’s face.

The expedition had finished their greetings with the royal family, and I had then been guided to a noble’s villa to spend the night. Now, I found myself borrowing the garden first thing in the morning to swing my sword. It’d been somewhat difficult to communicate why I wanted to make use of the garden like this, but I’d somehow managed to get permission by emphasizing that I was a swordsman and the special instructor for the Liberion Order. Though I didn’t usually twist people’s arms to get what I wanted, I’d had to this time. I really need the exercise. And in hindsight, it was the right decision.

“I don’t really feel like sightseeing...”

I’d secured the time to do some training, but I couldn’t just spend the entire day swinging my sword around. I had to eat, and there was probably some work to do in town. Though if I wander around on my own, I’ll likely get lost. It was best to have company when traveling, but I’d come along on an extremely important mission involving two nations, so I wasn’t exactly free to do whatever I wanted.

This wasn’t, of course, because Dilmahakha had nothing worth seeing. The holy capital was just as beautiful as I’d heard. It was maybe a little less functional as a city compared to Baltrain, but the roads and architecture were still very well built, and there was quite a bit of pedestrian traffic. The one thing it lacked compared to Baltrain was a clean delineation of districts.

Baltrain’s districts made the city a very easy environment for walking around, though maybe that was just my impression because I primarily went to the central and northern districts. The western district could be pretty chaotic, after all.

Even disregarding that, Baltrain and Dilmahakha were very different cities. This was pretty obvious, considering their distinct cultures. Was it a reflection of the statesmen who’d built up the cities over the course of history? I couldn’t be sure because I hadn’t walked around Dilmahakha for long enough to have an opinion. I was here for work, not sightseeing. I couldn’t forget that.

As I continued swinging my sword, one of the house’s maids called out to me.

“Master Gardenant, you have guests.”

“Ah, thank you for informing me.”

I would’ve been perfectly content with staying at a random inn, but that apparently wasn’t going to fly when I was a guest from abroad. So, I was staying at a noble’s villa. Wait, are members of Sphenedyardvania’s upper class even called nobles?

Because I was at the villa, my movements and actions were somewhat limited. Visiting someone was a lot of work, and it took a lot of planning to even invite someone to take a walk around town.

This went both ways, of course. If anyone needed something from me, they couldn’t come to me directly—the message had to be passed through a servant. Now that I thought of it, when I’d visited Lucy’s home, Haley had generally been the one to welcome me. Maybe this was perfectly natural to the upper echelons of society, but it seemed like an awful lot of useless steps to me.

“Now then...”

I sheathed my sword and made my way to the front gate. Considering the season, it was pretty hard to get a sweat going from some light outdoor exercise. This was especially the case at my age. The small saving grace from this was that I didn’t need to keep my visitors waiting long.

Who could be visiting me? I honestly couldn’t think of many candidates. The most likely case was one of the Liberion knights. I doubted Thracias had come to invite me for some sightseeing. Well, the probability likely wasn’t zero, but he seemed like he had a plethora of people to ask aside from me. I figured it was Allucia or Henblitz.

Upon reaching the gate, I saw two people waiting for me.

“Ah.”

“Good morning, Master.”

“Yo, Gardenant. Long time no see.”

I was half right and half wrong.

“Morning, Allucia. And it’s good to see you again, Gatoga.”

One was the commander of the Liberion Order, her silver hair dazzling under the sun. The other was the sturdy and wise commander of the Holy Order. Even though I was somewhat accustomed to seeing them, it was strange for them to be together. And though it was rude of me to think so, it was also a dangerous combination... I felt like their business with me couldn’t be anything good.

That said, now that they were here, I had to listen to what they had to say. I wasn’t in a position to turn them away at the door, nor was this a situation that would allow for that.

“Umm, did something happen?” I asked.

“We were wondering if you’d like to take a stroll around town to get a grasp of the layout while we share some information,” Allucia said.

“That’s the gist of it,” Gatoga added. “It’s your first time in Dilmahakha, yeah? I’ll show you around.”

“I see.”

Seems I was overthinking things. They were here for a perfectly reasonable matter. Also, Gatoga had a point—I didn’t know the city. I really knew nothing about it. I didn’t even know which roads went where, so I would be pretty useless as a guard.

Thinking back, during Gatoga and Rose’s visit to Baltrain, they’d also walked around the city to get a grasp of the geography. While the Liberion Order hadn’t served as a guide at the time, it had been important for them to have a general grasp of the area before needing to do escort duty.

From that perspective, I’d been awfully haphazard about this expedition. My position was relatively unimportant, so this wasn’t a huge problem, but maybe I’d been just a bit too thoughtless about the whole thing.

“All right—let’s get to it, then,” I told them.

It wasn’t a bad idea to fix the problem right away. Regardless of the circumstances, it was good to have a general understanding of the area.

“P-Please wait a moment, Master,” Allucia said, stopping me in a fluster. “At least inform the estate’s lord and get your coat...”

“You’re gonna cause an uproar if you go out like that,” Gatoga added.

I didn’t have anything to get ready, so I’d figured we could just go right away—I’d completely forgotten that I was being treated as a guest here. And if their guest suddenly vanished without a word, it would be a huge problem. I had to go inform them that I was going out and get my overcoat.

Because I’d been swinging my sword, I’d also forgotten it was early morning in the dead of winter. I’d warmed up quite a bit, but I was definitely going to freeze if I walked around like this. I’d nearly gotten sick for no good reason. I probably wasn’t paying attention to these things because of excitement or nerves. Whatever the reason, forgetting important stuff like that was a faux pas. Maybe moving my body for the first time in a while had stimulated me a bit too much.

At any rate, I had to fix this. Taking a walk around town while being shown the sights would do the trick. All right, let’s get this town memorized and rebalance my spirits.

I quickly went back into the building and told a servant I would be heading out with the commanders of the Liberion and Holy Orders. I doubted there would be a problem with that. I then grabbed my overcoat from my room and put it on. Underneath, I was wearing my plain clothes, but that was probably fine. Allucia and Gatoga were both in armor—they weren’t completely off duty and couldn’t be seen as such.

I didn’t own any armor, and the only gear I had from the order was this overcoat. My face was totally unknown in Dilmahakha, so the coat was my one and only means of identification. Maybe it’s best to avoid going out in plain clothes while on this expedition. There was no telling whether someone might try to start something with me, and even if I did resolve things through force, that would complicate things.

Having equipment that identified my position was unexpectedly powerful. It was similar to Mewi’s uniform, but on a somewhat larger scale. Though she could be pretty unsociable, very few scoundrels out there would try to lay a hand on a student of the magic institute.

“Thanks for waiting,” I said after returning to the gate. I felt somewhat at ease knowing that the Liberion Order’s overcoat would protect me from getting into any weird disputes.

“It’s not a big deal,” Allucia said.

“So, what’s our route today?” Allucia surely had a plan—I doubted we were going to be wandering around at random.

“I’ll show you to the main thoroughfare, for starters,” Gatoga answered. “The parade’s not gonna be going down any side streets.”

“Makes sense.”

Now that I thought about it, of course Gatoga knew more about the local area than Allucia. As such, it was best to go along with whatever he recommended. Just as he said, the big celebratory parade for Prince Glenn and Princess Salacia’s marriage had no reason to go down any alleys—it was probably going to be a grand display down the largest street in town. We did still need to keep an eye on the alleys, but I wanted to believe the Holy Order’s knights would take on that responsibility.

“At the very least, I’m hoping to learn enough not to get lost,” I said.

“You don’t really need to worry about that,” Allucia told me. “Churches are pretty much the only buildings with high spires in Dilmahakha. If you walk toward any tall structures, you should end up on the main street.”

“Hmmm...”

I wasn’t planning to go out on my own or anything, but I wanted to avoid getting lost during the all-important guard duty during the parade. It turned out there was no need for concern—being able to find the main street by heading toward any tall building was a great boon for travelers.

“It’s called the holy capital, after all,” Gatoga added as we continued walking down the streets. “The church has maximum authority here. They’re not gonna give permission to anyone who tries to build any other tall structures.”

I understood the logic behind that, but it still seemed so different from the way Baltrain was governed. The largest structure in Baltrain was the palace, but there was a good distance between it and the central district, where many other tall buildings were situated. Maybe the palace did have a law restricting how tall buildings were allowed to be, but that didn’t really matter to most of the people living there.

“Oooh, you’re right.”

However, in Dilmahakha, it seemed this law was being strictly enforced. I glanced up and took a look around. There were very few buildings that stood out, and the majority had steepled roofs. Those were very likely churches. It seemed like I could get a general idea of the area by simply memorizing where a few of the churches were. Even during the parade, as long as I could tell where the larger buildings were and how far away they stood, it was doubtful I would lose my way.

“Once you get a knack for it, it’s pretty much impossible to get lost,” Gatoga continued explaining. “Just so you know, this area we’re in now is the Ranpaulo Parish.”

“The Ranpaulo Parish...?” I repeated, unfamiliar with the name.

“Baltrain’s districts are split up into north, south, and such,” Gatoga elaborated. “Dilmahakha is divided into municipalities called parishes.”

“I see...”

For those governing the city, it made sense to have names for their municipalities. It would be hard to give directions otherwise. What had me more interested was that they were called parishes. The Church of Sphene was the state religion here, so it wasn’t that weird, but I wondered where the name “Ranpaulo” had come from. I felt like “North” and “South” would’ve worked too.

“And why’s it called ‘Ranpaulo’?” I asked.

“Some bigwig’s name when the place was built,” Gatoga answered. “I don’t know that much about it either, but to sum it up—”

Gatoga went on to give me a history lesson. Sphenedyardvania was an old country, but it hadn’t been established with that name from the start. Long ago, the monarchy had recognized the Church of Sphene as the state religion in an attempt to unify the nation. They’d changed their name to match. In the strictest sense, that was the true starting point for Sphenedyardvania.

Not that the name of the country really matters. Anyway, just as planned, the nation had developed greatly thanks to the help of the faithful, and with that development, the city had expanded in size to provide more housing. With each expansion, they’d given names to the new districts or changed existing ones.

The candidates for said names came from higher-ups who’d governed the area at the time—like bishops and archbishops. That meant Ranpaulo was an actual person from the past. This naming system made perfect sense. Rewarding those who’d accomplished great things by naming land after them had been pretty common back in the day.

Maybe Beaden was actually a person long ago too. I didn’t know that much about my village’s history. Nobody really had an interest in it. God only knows, so they say.

“And that’s the gist of it,” Gatoga concluded. “This is the stuff they teach everyone in Sphenedyardvania.”

“I see. Thank you.”

Every land had its own history—it was only a matter of whether I went out of my way to learn it. To be perfectly frank, I didn’t have much interest. There was nothing to lose from having the knowledge, but I was never going to proactively find this stuff out. Say, for example, Sphenedyardvania had a sword style that was unique to the region—I would be far more interested in that.

“I’m assuming the Holy Order uses estocs due to some historical heritage too?” I asked.

“That’s right,” Gatoga confirmed. “It’s said the one and only god Sphene used an estoc.”

I wasn’t faulting them for their choice of weapon. A thrusting sword was relatively difficult to use compared to a standard longsword. It had a cutting edge, so you could technically use one the same way, but an estoc put much more emphasis on stabbing and was unsuited for blocking. The slightest mistake could break one quite easily.

A master was capable of using one to unleash an onslaught of slashes and thrusts, which posed a considerable threat. That applied to pretty much any weapon, though—it was just a matter of how difficult it was to reach such heights.

From that perspective, Rose had significant skill, as did the knight named Spur, whom I’d faced during Bishop Reveos’s arrest. Honestly, he’d been ridiculously strong. If not for my sword made from Zeno Grable’s materials, I’d have very likely lost.

I didn’t know what the standards were within the Holy Order. Rose had served as the lieutenant commander, so I assumed she was a cut above the others. But if Rose, Gatoga, and Spur were considered “average” knights, Sphenedyardvania would’ve had a much larger presence in the world.

“And here we are—the main street,” Gatoga announced.

“Oooh...”

After getting a history lesson from Gatoga and discussing whatever came to mind as we casually strolled through town, we arrived at Dilmahakha’s main thoroughfare.

“It’s pretty big,” I commented. “Looks like the parade won’t be a problem.”

“Yup. Going straight down that way leads to the cathedral.”

If I had to guess, that was the most prominent building in the holy capital—comparable to Baltrain’s royal palace.

“It’s a beautiful city,” I remarked as I took in the view.

It was pleasing the way this huge road stretched out in a perfectly straight line. It had a different appeal to it than the streets of Baltrain and Flumvelk.

“Baltrain and Flumvelk are nice places, but Dilmahakha has an appeal of its own,” Allucia said.

“R-Right...?”

I wasn’t quite sure how to react for a moment—she’d pulled the words right out of my mind. This also reminded me of what had happened with Shueste during our stay in Flumvelk. It would be far too rude to treat that as a dream, so I had to accept it as reality, but I just wasn’t accustomed to the other sex having any interest in me. Recalling the event made me feel awkward.

“Master?”

“Hm? What’s up?”

Perhaps somewhat suspicious of my reaction, Allucia threw me a probing glance. I definitely wasn’t going to report what had happened that night to her or ask her for advice about it. I had to carry that burden on my own—it was my duty and privilege as a man.

I doubted Allucia truly had suspicions about what had happened, but she had surprisingly good intuition in the strangest ways. I honestly didn’t want her to pry too much, so I did my best to dodge the subject.

“No...it’s nothing,” Allucia said, either sensing my intentions or just giving up on asking. “Prince Glenn and Princess Salacia’s wedding will be held at the cathedral. The parade will then take place three days later.”

I had no objections regarding the schedule. That said, holding the ceremony right at the start of the new year defied common sense for me. I’d been under the impression that you did this kind of thing when the weather was nice and warm. Maybe this was just the country bumpkin in me talking, but winter was usually the season for shutting yourself indoors—you couldn’t grow any crops, and it was unsuitable for manual labor. Perhaps things were different in major cities like Baltrain and Dilmahakha, but it still seemed strange to choose the turn of the new year for such an auspicious day.

“I wonder why they’re doing it when it’s so cold outside,” I said.

“’Cause of Sphene’s teachings, naturally,” Gatoga told me. “The belief is that the new year is when everything begins anew, good or bad. That’s why a ton of people get married during this season.”

“Haaah... I see...”

It turned out it was due to religious belief. Makes sense. I didn’t really believe in gods or religion, but if there was a god of swords who told me that swinging my sword during the cold winter would bring me a step closer to enlightenment, I would probably do it. I’d never heard of that kind of god, though.

“Princess Salacia is currently undergoing lessons regarding Sphenedyardvania’s customs,” Allucia added.

“Sounds rough having to marry into another country’s family,” I said.

Regardless of whether there was anything to gain or lose personally through the marriage, living in another country meant needing to follow a different culture. Princess Salacia was marrying into their family, so she had to learn Sphenedyardvania’s ways. It didn’t really matter which culture she preferred.

A change in culture was sure to bring about changes in daily life, even if very minor. This was amplified in the case of formal ceremonies. I didn’t think it would be enough for the princess to feel discouraged, but it would definitely lead to an accumulation of stress until she got used to it. It would be pretty hard for me, at least.

“Anyway, let’s leave the lessons there,” Gatoga said. “If you end up wandering into an alley, just look for a spire and walk toward it. You’ll pretty much always end up on the main road, and at worst, you’ll reach a church. You can get directions there.”

“Understood. Thank you.”

Unlike in Baltrain, the buildings here were generally not more than a couple of stories tall, so it was easy to spot a spire unless you found yourself in a really cramped alley. It would then be a simple matter to find the main street—or at least find someone who could tell you the way.

This was a lot easier than memorizing a map from scratch. Very practical. I wasn’t bad with maps or anything, but reading them wasn’t my specialty either. Adventurers seemed like they would be great at it.

“Oops...”

As I enjoyed the sights of Dilmahakha, my stomach suddenly let out a rumble. I’d done some light training first thing in the morning before coming out with these two, so I hadn’t really eaten anything yet. We’d pretty much been walking nonstop, so while I wasn’t tired, I was pretty hungry.

“All right, let’s go grab something to eat,” Gatoga suggested. “You’ll generally find something or other along the main road.”

“Ha ha ha, sorry about that...”

I was indeed hungry, but it was a little embarrassing for him to hear my stomach like that.

“Allow me to accompany you as well,” Allucia said.

“Uhhh, sure. We’re just getting food. No need to stand on ceremony like that...”

I didn’t have any problems with Allucia coming along, but I wasn’t sure how to react when she put it like that with such a serious expression. We’re just grabbing an early lunch... Allucia and Surena were very similar in this regard. However, saying that they were in any way alike was sure to displease them both, so I had no intention of pointing it out.

“Let’s just find a place at random,” Gatoga said. “You good with that?”

“Sure,” I agreed. “I’ll trust your judgment.”

“Ha ha ha! The pressure’s on!”

I had no idea what the restaurants here were like—the same probably went for Allucia. So, Gatoga led the way.

Even though we technically had free time, I felt like it would be a horrible idea to drink during the day while here on a mission. I wanted to savor the local beverages, but that would have to wait for another opportunity.