Chapter 9: Trouble in Heiligh (3)

"Uh…actually…!"

Eleanor's body stiffened, gazing back at the knights with a mixture of uncertainty and hesitation. They all instantly quieted down upon hearing her voice, though their stares remained resolute; something that nearly made her determination falter.

Briefly closing her eyes, she reopened them, her gaze flickering toward Aziel, who merely raised his brows as if to say; 'Get on with it already'.

Rather than feeling displeased as she normally would, she smiled softly, his usual attitude eased her nerves far more than she expected. With growing courage, she straightened her back, lifting her head—not with her facade intact, but with pure confidence.

"I've decided to allow this man, Aziel Nox, into my estate for however long I will have him."

Her measured tone and self-assured words prompted the knights to widen their eyes in shock, not quite comprehending what had just occurred. Their nervous wreck of a lady was actually speaking up for herself, using her own words at that, not imitating anyone else.

However, they quickly returned to their senses, voicing their complaints one after another.

"My lady, this person isn't any good, please try to understand…."

"Please don't do this, my lady….!"

"We simply can't allow him to return with you, my lady. I humbly ask that you listen to this old man…"

Eleanor flinched, timidly wiping her sweaty hands on her dress, yet….she never truly faltered. This was a chance, a turning point for her, one she couldn't let pass. Strengthening her resolve, she narrowed her eyes, sucking in a deep breath.

"Do you take my words for mere suggestions?"

The knight's protests were immediately silenced. Reopening and closing their mouths wordlessly, they tried to grapple with the situation—a situation that was slowly spiraling out of control.

Still, Eleanor's voice resounded once more.

"You all are my knights, individuals designed to protect me, not dictate my actions."

A gentle wind swept through the area, her lilac hair fluttering softly in the breeze. The setting sun cast its rays upon her figure, causing her amethyst eyes to glimmer brilliantly.

"I…am Eleanor Von Saville, the first in line to inherit the Marquisate, I demand you heed my orders!"

And so, Eleanor had made her declaration. With her head held proudly to the sky, her eyes burned brightly for all to see. The knights, utterly entranced by this display, could only bow their heads slightly, saluting with utmost reverence.

Hands trembling behind her, she turned around, feeling both nervous and excited as she made her way toward Aziel. Arriving at his side, she quietly latched onto his arm as if in need of support, to which he sent her a brief glance before continuing their walk.

Eleanor, feeling grateful for his indulgence, gave his arm a light squeeze. However, as always, he just had to find a way to ruin a good moment.

He leaned down, looking out of the corners of his eyes as he whispered loud enough for her alone to hear.

"When did I agree to come with you…?"

"Aziel Nox, don't you dare start with me…!"

Forgetting her previous nerves, she whispered furiously, surreptitiously tugging at his arm.

It was truly a wonder how anyone could ever like him.

She suddenly realized there was a long road ahead to reach his level of forthrightness.

Truly an unattainable goal.

*****

They soon arrived at a grandiose mansion of considerable size, positioned in the center of a large plot of land that housed various other facilities. The large gates standing at the entrance of the estate remained fully opened, seemingly prepared to receive them.

Upon entering, they traveled along a road made of smooth brick, leading up to a large circular fountain with branching paths. Waiting up ahead, a retinue of servants could be seen standing on either side, their sophisticated baring worthy of a Marquis household.

Situated at the front of the mansion's doors was a tall, sharp eyed man with glasses who looked to be in his early thirties, dressed in an elegant butler uniform. At present, his expression conveyed an obvious displeasure with the current circumstances.

Turning toward Eleanor, Aziel titled his head in that man's direction.

"Your Babysitter…?"

"My butler…!"

She responded instantly, gnashing her teeth at his words.

As the carriage came to a stop, one of the servants stepped forward, offering a hand to Eleanor as she descended. Following her, Aziel's unfamiliar appearance captured everyone's attention, making them uncertain of how to proceed.

"Welcome home, Eleanor-sama, you were out later than usual."

The head butler bowed courteously as he greeted her, completely ignoring Aziel's presence.

"Ah, yes, I was having a blast with this man here, the time must've slipped away from me."

Eleanor smiled softly, remembering the earlier events of the day.

Noticing this, the head butler finally turned his sharp gaze onto Aziel, carefully scrutinizing him from top to bottom.

"And who might 'this man' be, Eleanor-sama? The knights had sent word that a guest would be visiting, but we know nothing about 'this man'."

"It's because I've decided to let him stay—"

"Forgive my rudeness, Eleanor-sama; but you are incapable of discerning 'this man's' character within the span of a single day. Please turn him away and come inside, dinner has already been prepared."

"Serion…."

"….Yes, Eleanor-sama."

Eleanor grabbed the cuff of Aziel's shirt, gazing at the head butler with palpable conviction. While the head butler's points may have been valid, she was also unwilling to relent.

"When you hear my words, I only ask that you advise me. So, know this, it is ultimately my decision whether or not I should follow through, do you understand?"

The head butler pursed his lips in frustration.

"Your father would never agree—"

"Did you not hear me? I asked if you understood…"

Eleanor's voice rang out, silencing any further rebukes.

The servants witnessing this scene felt as though they were looking at a different person, that was how profound her change had been. The same girl who just awkwardly accepted any problem that came her way was now gradually taking the form of a proper heiress.

And all because of what, the charming young man standing next to her.

Aziel, on the other hand, watched on in mild amusement. It was as if a little tiger cub had suddenly grown attached to him, following in his footsteps without hesitation.

'You're a nutcase.'

He glanced over at Eleanor, who was in the midst of stifling a rather inelegant grin. She, who was originally tense and clumsy, was steadily transforming into someone worthy of suppressing others.

"Did that make you happy…?"

Startled, Eleanor looked up with a slightly flushed face, immediately realizing she'd been caught upon hearing his mocking tone.

"C-come now, it's not as though I'm enjoying this…or anything…."

"Eleanor Von Saville…is a monster."

"You…! You have no right to say that…!"

"A damn lunatic…"

"Silence, stop speaking at once!"

Eleanor successfully led him into the mansion without incident, their 'discreet' quarrel could no doubt be heard by everyone present. Despite Serion's protests, there really wasn't anything he could do to stop her.

As it was already late, Eleanor assigned a few servants to guide Aziel to a private bathroom in order to freshen up, before eating dinner together in the dining area. Serion's disapproving glare was utterly ignored by the two, leaving him to grapple with his own conflicted thoughts.

Afterwards, Aziel was shown to one of the guest rooms where he'd be sleeping for the night.

Staring at the ceiling, he laid on a soft bed amidst the lavishly decorated room. For better or worse, this would mark his first night in the capital.

'I'm in here playing house and shit…'

He nearly laughed at how absurd it all seemed. Although he had derailed from his initial plans, there also weren't any drawbacks to this approach. Moreover, he wasn't particularly dissatisfied with the current situation.

Soon, he would have to leave and embark upon his own path. Many things in life were merely temporary occurrences. At the end of the day, time slowed down for no one, so there was no need to be caught up in fleeting moments.

'Better hope you don't miss me; I still won't give a damn if you do.'

*****

The sun hung high overhead, radiating a pleasant warmth and illuminating the estate.

Within the training grounds positioned adjacent to the servant's quarters, multiple figures could be seen, most of which consisted of knights completing their daily workout.

However, two more individuals stood alongside them, watching as they sparred against one another. The two others were, of course, Aziel and Eleanor.

"It's been quite a while since I've stepped foot onto this training ground."

"….."

"Aren't you going to ask why…?"

"Do I have to be curious about your decisions…?"

"…You're unbearable."

Eleanor sighed as she looked away, completely nonplussed by his attitude.

The sound of swords clashing reverberated across the training area. Sweat dripped from the knights' faces, making it clear they were exerting their best efforts as they attempted to show off in front of their lady.

Turning toward Aziel, Eleanor wore a proud smirk.

"My knights are rather strong, aren't they?"

"If that's what you'd like to call it…."

"What, don't tell me you believe you're stronger than them….?"

"….."

Gazing at him dubiously, she couldn't help but feel that he was a bit too conceited. Although they weren't on the level of the royal knights, the few that remained here weren't to be taken lightly.

Eleanor suddenly reached into her pocket, fishing out a status plate and examined it closely. It was a rectangular silver plate, only 12 centimeters wide and 7 centimeters tall.

"Hmph, it seems I've become stronger."

Hearing her mumbling, Aziel peaked over her shoulder, mildly interested in what the plate displayed.

Noticing this, Eleanor looked up, quickly hiding it.

"W-what do you think you're doing?"

"What does it look like? Stop asking pointless questions, just show it to me…"

Reaching for her status plate, Aziel thwarted all of her attempts at evasion, only seconds away from grabbing hold of it.

"W-wait, hold on, I'll show it to you, calm yourself….!"

She snatched the plate back, glaring at him resentfully. Slowly, she stretched out her hand, gingerly presenting the status plate.

It read—

[]————[]

Eleanor Von Saville • Age: 19 • Female

Level: 7

Job: Crusader

Strength: 40

Vitality: 45

Defense: 35

Agility: 45

Magic: 40

Magic Defense: 35

—————

Skills: • Sword Mastery • Charging Attack • Double Slash •

[]————[]

Aziel raised his brows. She wasn't too bad for a natural inhabitant of this world, it just seemed she hardly ever trained.

One had to know that the average stats for a person at 'level 1' was around '10', with most humans having maximum stats of around 100 to 200, while those who possessed a job normally ranged from 300 to 400.

While the maximum level a normal person can reach in their life is 100, not too many people are able to achieve this.

"That's enough. You've seen it now, correct? Now show me yours."

Eleanor immediately retracted her hand, stowing away her status plate within the confines of her pocket. Gazing up at Aziel, she demanded to see his own as a fair trade.

However, he shook his head, denying her the right.

"That's not possible. "

"A-and why is that? It's only right that you show me, don't be unfair….!"

She reached out, attempting to grab him, but Aziel held her arms, leaving her to struggle.

"It's not about unfairness, brat. I don't even have one to show you."

"You….don't have one…?"

"You seem to be having fun parroting me."

Eleanor withdrew her arms, staring at him in perplexity. A few seconds passed as she settled down, sighing in exasperation.

Everyone owned a status plate, it served as a means of identification so it was undoubtedly required. Still, accidents where an individual happened to lose it weren't necessarily rare, so there existed a way to replace it.

"I can't even begin to fathom how you've lost it, but worry not, I will procure another one for you."