Chapter 4
Entrusting myself to the rattling carriage, I cast a glance outside.
The scenery wasn't changing much.
Gentle plains stretched along the road, with the silhouettes of mountains visible in the distance. Rivers occasionally cut through the landscape, adding a touch of variety, but all in all, the scenery was too monotonous to keep watching for such a long journey.
Bidden Village was rural to the core.
It had everything needed for daily life, but it certainly wasn't a place anyone would call lively.
So when you set out from a village like that for the capital, the same sort of desolate scenery continues until you get close to the city.
“It's been quite a while since I last went to the capital.”
“You'll have plenty of opportunities from now on.”
I soon ran out of things to do, so I let my gaze drift to the woman sitting beside me and spoke. Allucia caught my remark at once and replied.
Allucia's profile was, simply put, picture-perfect.
Her long silver hair fell neatly into place, and her eyes were somewhat narrow. Her features were so refined she looked like a statue brought to life; compared to my last memories of her, she'd grown more womanly and composed.
She'd always been lovely, but she'd become a real beauty. Of course, I had no improper thoughts about a former student.
Oh, right.
The Leberio Knights were famous for their incredibly difficult selection process.
Even I, living out in the sticks, knew about it. That should tell you how well-known the Knights were.
The order was also a symbol of the Kingdom of Reberis.
It had tradition and prestige, of course, and as the kingdom's largest force under direct royal control, it also served as a deterrent in diplomatic affairs.
Seasoned mercenaries and skilled adventurers might be just as formidable in terms of raw strength, but they weren't affiliated with any nation. Some of them might favor the Kingdom of Reberis, naturally, but in a crisis, you couldn't always count on them.
The knights' duties were incredibly varied, ranging from maintaining public order in the cities to hunting down large monsters.
They were enormously popular with the public, and plenty of people besides Allucia had come to my dojo hoping to join the Knights. I had no idea how many of them had actually made it in, though.
The reason a country bumpkin like me knew so much about them was that half the information came from the sort of publicity that reached even this remote place, and the other half came from Allucia's letters. Her letters were always pretty lengthy. I really ought to ask her again whether she had that much free time.
The Leberio Knights were an important institution in the kingdom, and naturally, their commander had to be exceptional in every way: skill, popularity, and character. Allucia was truly a woman of extraordinary talent and virtue.
“So, what Mordea-san said earlier was...”
“Oh, that was just a bit of teasing. Don't worry about it.”
Perhaps she'd taken my earlier remark as an opening to start a conversation, because Allucia brought it up.
Mordea was my father's name.
He was already well past sixty-five, but he was still in fine shape, both physically and mentally. Lately, though, his back had started bothering him now and then.
The capital wasn't exactly close. The journey would easily take half a day by carriage.
Even though the dojo was closed, I couldn't just leave home without warning, so I explained the situation to Dad. There was no point in lying about it, so, with Allucia there, I told him everything from beginning to end.
“Hahahaha! That's quite an honor! Why don't you find yourself a wife while you're in the city? What about the pretty lady sitting beside you?”
And that was what Dad had to say.
He had absolutely no sense of tact. It was a wonder he'd managed to win Mom over.
I knew he was worried about me, still single at my age, but even so, I didn't think he should bring Allucia into it.
Her looks, status, and skill—nothing about her was a match for someone like me.
“I see, so it was a joke... I don't mind—”
“Hmm? Did you say something?”
“No, never mind.”
“I see. I'm sorry about my father.”
After apologizing for my family's embarrassment, I turned my gaze back outside.
Not that I was agreeing with Dad, but since I was in the capital of Baltrain, I might as well let myself enjoy the visit a little.
Leaving the subject of meeting someone aside, I ought to buy my parents at least a small souvenir. And while I'm at it, it wouldn't hurt to have a good-quality sword made.
I no longer had any occasion to wield a sword outside of practice, but a good sword was still a good sword. I didn't have any other notable hobbies, so it was fair to say I had little else to spend my money on.
A lackluster forty-something man who'd lived for the sword wasn't likely to find a bride at this point. There was no point in keeping more money than I needed tucked away.
“By the way, what will you do once we reach the capital?”
“First, I'll meet the members of the Knights. After that, I'll arrange the schedule for the lessons, and if there's time, I'll have them watch me train a little.”
“Got it. Dad will be on my case, so I should buy him a souvenir or two if I can—”
“Then as soon as we arrive, let's work out all the details. I'll show you around the shops.”
“Ah, sure.”
She'd jumped in awfully quickly there. It was scary.
The thought that I might be watching the Knights train as soon as we arrived made me a little nervous, but I wouldn't know until we got there.
The hands of a clock that had already moved forward couldn't be stopped or turned back. I'd leave the problems of the future to my future self and think about something fun instead.
After all, I had a beautiful woman sitting beside me, far too good for me. She was a little—no, if I'm being honest, quite a bit—suspicious at times, but she was also my cute former student.
“Speaking of souvenirs, does Mordea-san have anything he particularly likes?”
“Oh, my father likes manju, even at his age—”
And so, until the carriage arrived in the capital of Baltrain,
I passed the time in idle conversation with Allucia.