8

It's been three days since Catherine arrived at Eristirol Castle.

Since stepping into the castle, she hasn't done anything particularly special.

All she's done is have a chat with Kyle here and there.

Thanks to that, I've been in a pretty good mood.

I thought that if they kept talking like this, their relationship would eventually grow closer.

And as they got closer, they might become friends… and then…

"Hehe…"

Just imagining it made me giddy.

It felt like I was raising a little brother? Or a son?

I wasn't sure how to express it, but the thought of Kyle dating and marrying brought me immense joy.

Although it was still too early for that, it was still a delightful thought.

I didn't know exactly what they were discussing inside, but they were undoubtedly having a good conversation.

I mean, they're noble teenagers, right? They must be chatting about everyday stuff.

"Miss Sophia."

"Yes."

Lost in my happy musings, Sebastian, Catherine's servant, spoke up beside me.

On a regular day, I wouldn't have remembered his name, but it had such a strong servant vibe that it stuck with me.

Suddenly, I wondered why he was talking to me.

I wasn't keen on it.

Something just felt off about him.

I had no specific reason to dislike him, but I just didn't.

"Do you happen to have a map of the castle? The young lady mentioned she was bored and wanted to explore inside."

"…"

A map of the castle?

Well, technically, it does exist.

Given how large the castle is, a map of Eristirol Castle was a given.

But it wouldn't be appropriate to share that with an outsider.

Even though they were guests and nobles, it could potentially expose a weakness of the Eristirol Duke's Household.

And it felt strange for someone like me, just a lowly servant, to handle such matters.

Surely, it would be more appropriate for either the head butler or a maid to answer that, not Kyle.

"That… isn't for me to decide. I'm sorry."

Thus, I turned down Sebastian's request.

It was essential to ask Kyle first, anyway.

Logically, it didn't make sense for him to ask me such a thing.

Why would he ask a mere direct servant and private tutor like me?

He should be asking the head butler or Kyle instead.

"Is that so? Then I'll make sure to ask the Young Master later."

After that, Sebastian didn't bother me anymore.

I mean, he might feel a bit hurt if I said it directly, but honestly, I appreciated the silence.

Continuing a conversation with someone I didn't like would have been a bother.

By the way, I sent a letter to the Mage Tower. I wonder how long it'll take for a reply to come.

When I sent one before, I got a response within a week. But this time, since I sent it from the perspective of the Eristirol Duke's Household instead of as an adventurer, I figured I might get a quicker response.

Of course, if that lady decided to ignore it, I'd just have to wait longer.

I didn't know much about other magic instructors, so I opted for her.

Her skills were excellent, so she would definitely be able to teach Kyle well.

If she didn't accept… I'd have to call another wizard in a pinch.

But I wasn't that close to any other magic practitioners….

Still, she was always enthusiastic about fun activities or anything involving drinks, so I probably wouldn't have too many issues.

"Young Master, did you finish your conversation?"

"Yes. It was just the usual… ordinary talk."

"Is that so? What do you plan to do now?"

"Well, the day is still bright, so let's take it slow."

"Sure."

Just as Kyle said, it hadn't even been lunchtime yet.

There was no need to rush into the schedule.

After finishing his conversation with Catherine, Kyle started his workouts as usual.

I watched him revel in his physical progress, which was getting better day by day, and wondered which knight I should approach.

I realized I hadn't had many conversations with the knights of the knights order, so it was something I needed to ponder.

"Hmmm…."

Kyle hadn't really learned how to wield a sword properly yet, so he needed to start with the basics.

It would be better to learn step by step than to dive into complicated techniques too early.

I wasn't sure if there were any suitable female knights available for that.

"Young Master, I'm going to stop by the knights order for a bit. Please wait a moment."

"Uh… yeah…!"

Leaving Kyle to train in the training room, I moved toward the building where the knights were staying.

I wasn't just looking to recruit someone; I needed to have a proper conversation about being Kyle's sword instructor, so I had to talk directly with someone from the knights order.

"Is anyone here…?"

Once inside the building, I was met with silence.

Although knights outside were training, I honestly didn't expect it to be this quiet inside.

"Is no one here..?"

-BANG BANG BANG!!

-ACK!!!!!!!!!!!!

As I asked again, suddenly there was a loud noise from one of the rooms, followed by sounds of something falling and someone in distress.

Thank goodness there was someone inside, I thought.

"Just a moment!!"

A young female voice echoed from inside.

"Sorry!!!! I dozed off for a moment!"

"Oh… okay."

The girl who stepped out of the room was even more beautiful than I had imagined.

Or more like, she had a cute appearance?

"Is the one responsible for the knights order in this building right now? I came to discuss the Young Master's sword training."

"The Young Master's sword training?! W-wait a moment!!"

The girl rushed back into the room again.

Then the sounds of clanging metal and light thudding echoed from inside.

I had no idea what she was doing.

"Thank you for your patience!?"

"Ah… no problem."

She reappeared, flustered, still wearing her armor.

"I'm Elin Raine, vice-captain of the Eristirol Knights! It's an honor to finally meet the Young Master's tutor, whom I've heard so much about!"

"Uh…?"

"Vice-Captain! Elin Raine! It's an honor to meet the Young Master's tutor, whom I've only heard about!"

"…."

This girl, who just moments ago seemed lost, is the vice-captain of the territory's knights?

What?

I couldn't help but be surprised.

The north was cold, and, generally speaking, the people, atmosphere, and weather were all rather… frosty.

So the idea of someone with her personality being the vice-captain was something I never could've imagined.

"Are you really the vice-captain?"

"Yes!"

This girl who seemed to be roughly my age or maybe just slightly older was a vice-captain?

Is she extremely skilled?

Or was there a shortage of personnel, and they had no choice but to assign her?

I couldn't tell, but I had a question related to Kyle's swordsmanship that needed answering.

"Let's get straight to the point. I'm currently looking for a female knight to teach the Young Master swordsmanship. Do you happen to know anyone suitable? Keep in mind, it's not just sword skills… it's also magic…"

As soon as I mentioned this, Elin's eyes changed.

The look in her eyes transitioned from that of a girl to that of a knight, a warrior.

I must've underestimated her too much.

After all, she was the vice-captain.

There's no way they would assign just anyone to fill a spot just because it was empty.

"What do you think?"

"Hmm… A skilled female knight who's also good at teaching is quite rare. There aren't many female knights in general…"

"Is that so?"

If there aren't any, we'd have no choice but to bring in a female knight from outside.

I knew they must have abilities, but calling someone from outside when there was a knights order right here felt like a hassle.

"But! There is one person who's skilled and good at educating others!"

"Who is it?"

If such a person was in the territory right now, that would be fantastic.

It would surely be a great help for Kyle's learning.

"It's me!"

"…."

"Believe it or not, I'm in charge of educating the commoners!"

"Is that… so?"

Eyes are deceiving.

Putting what I heard aside, I had little trust based on her earlier demeanor.

"Do you happen to know when the captain will return? I should discuss this with him as well."

"Um… Captain Alex will be done with training in about two hours."

"Is that so?"

The captain returns in two hours.

In that case, I had no immediate tasks here.

"Then I'll come back in two hours. Please leave a message for the captain."

"Sure!"

I said this and, after greeting Elin, left the knights' building.

Once outside, I felt the cold air hit me.

*

"Young Master."

"Did you finish your talk?"

"Yes. I'll be returning in two hours to speak with the captain."

"I see."

"I happened to see the captain once before while passing by, and he was a strong man, both in muscle and skill."

"I see…"

"I believe he'll introduce us to a good person."

He looked reliable, and in some ways, he embodied the typical image of a seasoned warrior often depicted in media.

If only he had been younger, we wouldn't have to worry about the knights of Eristirol Territory for decades.

"Hmm… Young Master, will you be accompanying me? This is the opportunity to select your sword instructor. It would certainly be better if you went together…"

"I'll go."

"I see."

My words were interrupted by Kyle.

Was he excited about having his sword instructor chosen?

It wasn't a bad flow of events.