Enter the Story, III

Erina didn't get up right away. She remained seated, presumably to finish up the last drop of tea in her teacup. All the while, Lahn stood at the side, waiting for her.

"What a delicious taste," Erina said. "And the aroma is quite elegant, too. Tell me, sir knight. Do you happen to know where House Reginar sources their tea?"

"I do not, my lady."

"Of course, not. Why would they entrust such valuable information to a mere escort knight? And yet... It seemed as though Lord Tian was quite confident in you, enough to consider whatever advice you gave him. Speaking of which, I am curious about what you told him."

"It was nothing substantial. I simply told the young master that we need not spark unnecessary conflict over something so trivial."

"Do you mean to say that the matter of nobles is trivial?"

"What difference does it make if this is a matter of nobles? If you were a commoner visiting the mother of another commoner, would that make it just as trivial?"

Erina let out a soft chuckle as she went for another sip.

"You continue to surprise me, sir knight. I don't recall a single other person who talks back to me the way you do."

"I suppose I still have much to learn."

"Perhaps. But before that, shouldn't you perform your duty as my guide?"

Erina and Lahn made their way through the manor's labyrinthine halls in silence. Eventually, they reached a set of double doors, where a bearded man was exiting and saw the pair. Much like Tian, he had blonde hair and emerald eyes.

Valen Reginar, the head of House Reginar.

"My lord," Lahn said with a bow.

"Ah, Lahn. It is good to see that you are well. Was today's conference too much for you?"

"Just a bit. However, it will not impede my duties."

"Duty is one thing, well-being is another. Make sure you take care of yourself first, lest you end up like my wife."

"...Understood, my lord."

The count noticed the young lady standing behind him.

"Oh no," he said. "It seems I've failed to recognize your presence, Erina. Forgive me."

"Not at all, Count Valen," she replied, pinching her skirt for a bow. "I've come to see my friend, Lady Claire."

"Ah, it appears the news of my wife's illness has reached even the grand duke's estate."

"How is she?"

"The doctor says that the worst has come to pass, so from this point on, we are expecting a stable recovery."

"Phew... That's good. Is she awake?"

"Indeed. If you wish to see her, now would be the best time before she falls asleep again."

The count walked off as Lahn opened the door.

"If you would, my lady. I'll wait out here."

"Oh my. Not only is he a reliable escort knight, but he's also a gentleman."

"Please, refrain from such words. The lady of the house can hear us from here."

She gave him a small giggle before entering, and Lahn shut the door behind her. For a while, he stood guard at the side.

Erina Astrada. He didn't know what to think about her. She conducted herself with all the grace in the world, keeping a firm composure even in the face of Tian, someone who made his abhorrence very clear. Apart from that, there wasn't really anything else worth noting.

She's beautiful. Check.

She's graceful. Also check.

Based on the way Tian treated her just minutes earlier, she wasn't someone who was particularly liked by the average noble.

"Why?" he whispered to himself.

Suddenly, a screen appeared before him, much like the one he saw just before meeting Erina for the first time.

[Achievement unlocked: First day with the villainess!]

[Reward: Memory fragment.]

"...Huh?"

Before he even had time to process it, his vision began to fade. He couldn't see anything, but... He heard something.

A voice.

"Why won't you play with me anymore?"

Just as abruptly, his vision returned, along with a front row seat to Erina leaning in way too close.

"Hey," she muttered sternly. "Are you even listening to me?"

"...I apologize, my lady. What were you saying?"

"Hah. I figured as much, but I don't know what I was expecting from a mere escort knight who doesn't know about noble etiquette. I said that I'm done here, so guide me to my carriage."

"Oh. Forgive me. Right this way."

With Erina following him, Lahn made his way out onto the estate courtyard, where a carriage was waiting. He opened the door and offered his hand, but she merely looked at it with a hint of disgust.

"No, thank you, sir knight," she said, stepping onto the carriage. "I'd rather enter myself than sully my name by taking the hand of a stranger."

"Fuck you, too," he whispered.

"What was that?"

"Have a safe trip, my lady."

Lahn shut the door and signaled for the coach to take off. He stood by, watching as the carriage disappeared beyond the gates.

That voice from earlier... What was that? It sounded like a disappointed child. The system mentioned that he unlocked some achievement, and the reward was a memory fragment. Whose memories, he had no idea.

A few days went by with no further notifications from the system.

Lahn was practicing his swordsmanship against a dummy while many questions plagued his mind.

What is the system's goal?

What are these achievements he must unlock?

What did that memory fragment want to show him?

Lahn threw a final swing, breaking the dummy and shattering his wooden sword in one go. His breaths were erratic, not from training so intensely, but because one question seemed more foreboding than the rest.

What role does he play in all of this?

He tilted his head toward the sky and let out an exhausted sigh.

"When do I get to go home...?"

"Broke another sword, huh? And a dummy. Just where does your strength come from?"

At the sound of that voice, he turned around to see Tian walking over, holding a wooden sword in his hand.

"Young Master," Lahn greeted him with a bow.

"Tch... Come on, man. You've been serving as my escort knight for three months already. What's it gonna take for you to drop the useless formalities?"

"Respectfully, nothing. And I intend to keep it that way."

"Seriously? Hmm... How about this?"—he pointed his sword at Lahn—"Let's have a duel. Wooden swords, of course. If I win, you start calling me by my name. Oh, and you have to stop being so damn stiff all the time."

"...And if I win?"

Tian smirked.

"If you win, I'll give you one of the swords from the Reginar family's vault."

Admittedly, Lahn found the offer rather enticing. If there was one thing he liked about this world, it was the fact that swords were commonplace.

And swords... were cool.

He'd always thought so. As a child, he could never resist the urge to pick up a stick and roleplay as a knight.

"Very well," Lahn sighed. "However, let this be a warning, Young Master. I am by no means an easy opponent."

"Heh. Don't worry. I never once thought otherwise."

They stood face to face, exactly ten steps away from each other. Other knights and trainees took notice of the scene, and a crowd of spectators began to form.

Still, they did not shy away, for the setting was too perfect to let up. Beneath the glorious sun, in the embrace of the gentle winds, they held their swords firm.

It was truly a fine day for a duel.

Tian made the first move. He twirled his sword and struck at Lahn, but it was effortlessly blocked. He pulled back to thrust forward, only to be parried. A slash from the left and a hook from the right — both missed by an inch. No matter how many strikes he attempted, Lahn countered them all with some relative ease.

After a series of clashing steel, they were locked in a stalemate, pushing their blades against each other.

"You know... I've always been curious," Tian grunted while also grinning. "Where the hell did a commoner learn to wield the sword so masterfully?"

Lahn twisted his blade, breaking the deadlock and kicking Tian back. He repositioned himself, maintaining the imperial swordsmanship stance.

"Haven't you already figured that out?"

This time, Lahn rushed in first with a flurry of strikes. He moved so quickly it almost seemed like he was slashing from every direction all at once. It became clear to the spectators that Lahn was holding back during the previous bout.

Breaking yet another wooden sword, Lahn sent Tian's sword flying through the air.

"You know these training swords are coming out of your pay, don't you?" Tian scoffed.

"That's fine," Lahn said. "It's not like I need the money for anything."

"Come on, man. I was just joking, but you could at least act a little surprised."

"Oh."

From the side, a maid came running.

"Young Master!" she called out. "Sir Radeus has arrived at the manor!"