* * *
Though, too much confidence wouldn’t do either—I needed to hold back a little.
“Ah, Bis. Can I ask you to head back and prepare a meal?”
“Huh?! But it’s dangerous for you to be alone.”
“This is right in front of the castle’s training grounds. Klen’s just a few steps away, and there are plenty of knights around. I’ll be fine.”
“Hmm… but still…”
Vis looked around anxiously, as if trying to figure out who could save me if I suddenly collapsed.
This place had plenty of foot traffic.
If I just raised my voice, someone at the training grounds would hear.
“If someone attacks, I could easily take them down.”
Besides, wasn’t Levatein hanging proudly at my waist?
“I’ve been moving around since morning. I’m just hungry.”
“Then please return right away. If you feel faint, ask for help immediately. You must be exhausted from inspecting the forest.”
“I got it.”
Maybe I’d sounded too casual—Vis kept looking back at me several times as he walked away, only hurrying off once he’d put enough distance between us.
Once I’d reassured him and stood still for a moment, I finally headed toward the training grounds.
“Huh? Isn’t that… Neser?”
Before stepping inside, I spotted Neser standing guard.
Judging from the knight uniform, it looked like he wasn’t participating in training.
His wandering gaze met mine.
If only we were close enough to greet each other warmly after a long time.
But the moment he saw me, his expression hardened.
Still, he was polite enough to quickly bow and hide his face.
“What brings someone like you to a place like this?”
Muttering just under his breath, assuming no one could hear.
Typical.
What gave this guy the confidence to talk to me like that?
“Adrian, is that you?”
“Lord Fabian. It’s been a while. I hope you’ve been well.”
As if to answer my silent question about Neser’s attitude, the one he relied on most appeared.
Normally stern, Fabian’s face now held a soft smile, seemingly pleased.
“If you’re looking for Klen, he’s sparring right now.”
“He’s… sparring?”
“He’s been training hard today.”
“R-Really?”
That lazy guy?
What made him change all of a sudden?
I entered the training grounds alongside Fabian.
Neser followed behind us, lips sealed.
Clang—!
A sharp, almost cheerful sound rang out as swords clashed.
One flew into the air, and Klen’s body tilted.
He landed hard on his butt.
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd.
“Ah, that was close.”
“Close?”
I turned my head stiffly toward the voice beside me.
What part of that was “close”?
Fabian, really?
That move was sloppy—even a beginner wouldn’t stumble like that.
“……”
But no one else seemed to think it odd.
Maybe, to them, this was just how he usually fought.
To me, it looked weird only because I knew how agile his body truly was.
They didn’t.
So to them, it just looked like an unfortunate miss.
“Klen.”
At Fabian’s call, Klen—who was grabbing his sparring partner’s hand to stand up—turned our way.
His eyes widened in surprise, but then he broke into a bright smile when he saw me.
A bright, innocent smile.
Clearly well-rehearsed.
All eyes turned toward me.
The knights glanced from me to the sword at my waist—Levatein.
Their eyes lit up.
Murmurs of awe spread through the air.
“Adrian. What brings you all the way here?”
Klen ran over to me with a sheepish grin.
Judging by his dirt-streaked training uniform, this wasn’t the first time he’d fallen today.
“When does training end? I need to talk to you.”
“You can stop for today.”
The answer came from Fabian.
“Is that alright?”
“Come again tomorrow.”
“Understood, Brother.”
Fabian’s smile deepened, clearly delighted that Klen was participating in training—regardless of his actual skill level.
His eyes followed Klen as he walked off to change.
Though he wasn’t really tired, he exaggerated his movements—rolling his shoulders, letting out the occasional soft groan.
“The forest incident must’ve shaken him.”
“Maybe… or maybe he just wants to prove he can protect himself.”
“Has anything about him changed lately?”
His question held both pride and concern—happy Klen was training, yet still worried.
“No change. If anything happens, I’ll inform you right away.”
“Good. I’ll be counting on you.”
No change, indeed.
Just like in the forest, Klen was doing everything he could to avoid troublesome situations—while keeping his true self hidden.
We fell into silence.
The awkward stares from the surrounding knights were getting hard to bear.
When Klen finally returned, I almost raised my arms in welcome.
“Well then, I’ll be heading back.”
“See you next time.”
“Right.”
We exchanged goodbyes and left the training grounds.
The gazes stuck to us until we were completely out of sight.
They were probably curious about my skills—me being the one holding Levatein and all.
Honestly, I was just as eager to show them.
“Is the investigation over now?”
Once we were far enough from the grounds, I voiced my curiosity.
It had all ended surprisingly quickly, considering how endless it once felt.
Klen gave a weary smile, like someone who’d finally won a long, grueling battle.
“I just made it clear there was nothing more to get from me.”
Maybe I should send the investigators some sweets.
“And the training—why now? Is it because you made it back safely from the forest, or the whole Divine Beast incident?”
“Better to crush any wild hopes before they form.”
“Didn’t you say training was too much trouble?”
“For the sake of future peace, I suppose I can put up with a little trouble now.”
“……”
So basically, he was enduring the hassle of training now to spend the rest of his life lazing around in peace—while still wrapped in that ridiculous airheaded act of his.
But… did he really need to say that like it was something so noble?
“You’ve returned, both of you.”
“Dinner is ready.”
Thanks to sending a message in advance, a grand meal was already laid out for us by the time we arrived in the room.
All of it was made from rare ingredients provided by the Countess and Madeline.
The thickly grilled beef, in particular, had a crispy exterior and tender, juicy interior—it was enough to make one’s mouth water.
“May we dine alone for a bit?”
“Understood.”
Since it wasn’t an unusual request, the attendants left without a hint of suspicion.
“So, what is it you wanted to talk about?”
Klen asked as he carefully mixed the salad in the center of the table and served some onto my plate.
It seemed he had caught on that the conversation we had on our way here wasn’t the real reason I wanted to talk.
How should I bring this up?
Would he understand if I simply said I wanted to send the healer a dress?
But wait—when exactly was the ball again?
I don’t even know how long it takes to tailor a dress.
“If I place the order now, can the dress be ready before the ball?”
“A dress?”
Klen repeated my words softly.
Then, lowering his gaze in thought, he slowly looked back up.
“Everyone’s probably busy preparing for the ball, but if it’s the tailor Mother regularly uses, it should be possible.”
“I-Is that so?”
“I’ll summon them tomorrow.”
“Thank you.”
He accepted it far more easily than I expected, and the issue was resolved in a flash.
That should make sending the dress no problem.
And yet, I felt oddly bewildered—too much so to be purely happy about it.
It was as if something was stuck in my throat, leaving me strangely uneasy.
“Adrian. Have you taken a liking to wearing dresses?”
“…What?”
“But your body structure differs from a woman’s. The same design wouldn’t suit you. I would recommend a dress in deep red fabric, embroidered with golden vine patterns.”
That was oddly specific.
And a red dress, of all things?
Isn’t that a bit too conspicuous?
* * *
