Since the day of their sparring match, Martin had come looking for Lloyd without missing a single day, asking him to accept his oath and becoming a nuisance.
Unlike at first, Martin approached with a warm smile and spoke to him.
"As expected, you are here."
"......"
Ignoring him, Lloyd ran around the training ground again.
However, as though he was used to being ignored, Martin merely smiled.
Then he began running alongside Lloyd.
Starting today, he intended to stay with Lloyd until the latter finished training.
How long had they run like that?
As Martin gradually began to run out of breath, he glanced at Lloyd, who was running beside him.
Then his eyes widened in surprise.
Lloyd must have run longer than he had, yet he did not look tired in the slightest!
After looking surprised for a moment, Martin lightly shook his head.
'I am wearing armor, so it is only natural that I would tire a little sooner.'
However, he did not know that a 5kg sandbag was attached to each of Lloyd's limbs.
Considering Lloyd's age and build, they could be said to be heavier than the knights' armor.
'By the way, how long does he intend to run?'
Just as he was beginning to tire, Lloyd finally stopped running.
Only after wiping away his sweat once did Lloyd open his mouth.
"If you came looking for me again because of that thing called an Oath of Loyalty, my answer has not changed."
"No, why on earth do you keep refusing? At least tell me the reason!"
He had lost to Lloyd, but he had only been in poor condition then. He was confident in his skills.
Among knights his age, he was confident that he was the best.
Then why was Young Master Lloyd refusing his oath?
'Does he have some special reason?'
However, Martin felt a sense of emptiness at Lloyd's reply.
"Because I do not need it."
"I-Is that all?"
Even Young Master Hailed, the legitimate son of House Bled, wanted him, yet Lloyd said he did not need him......
Looking at Martin, Lloyd asked in a voice that seemed unable to understand.
"I do not understand. Why do you want to become my knight? Did I not tell you that you need not worry about it if it is because of the wager?"
Then, with a serious expression Lloyd had never seen before, Martin revealed his true feelings.
"Pride was part of it, but only at first. Now, I sincerely want to become Young Master Lloyd's knight!"
"Why?"
"It has only been a short time, but after watching you during that time, I thought that you were someone to whom I could sincerely devote my loyalty."
His unarrogant attitude despite having defeated a capable knight, his perseverance and diligence in enduring difficult training.
Even his calm personality, which did not resemble that of a child.
'And above all, my instincts are shouting.'
Young Master Lloyd would not end as merely the illegitimate son of the Count's house. Above all else, Martin trusted his instincts.
'It does not seem as though he has an ulterior motive.'
Lloyd did not have the ability to read minds, but he could tell that Martin was sincere from the straightforward look in his eyes.
However, he still did not understand.
As far as Lloyd knew, Martin was a knight who seemed a little frivolous, but possessed considerable talent.
Why did he want to become the knight of an illegitimate son who had no mana?
"Even if you swear loyalty to me, you will have nothing but losses, not benefits."
"Whether there is a benefit or a loss does not matter when I want to become a knight."
"......Even though I will someday have to leave the household because I am an illegitimate son?"
"It does not matter! To be honest, I did not think I fit the rigid atmosphere of House Bled anyway."
"Hmm."
It would be good to have at least one useful and trustworthy ally in House Bled.
If so, he needed to give this serious thought.
If Martin's words were sincere, that was.
"All right. I will think about it."
After replying that way, Lloyd turned around and left the training ground, as though no further conversation was needed.
'Good!'
He had not received a definite answer yet, but for now, this alone was enough.
Compared to being coldly rejected until now, it was a step forward.
With a satisfied smile, Martin turned back while humming.
***
"What? Sir Martin has been chasing after that idiot Lloyd, saying that he will swear loyalty to him!?"
A boy was flying into a rage after hearing news about Lloyd and Martin in an ornate room.
This was Hailed, who had been confined to his room for a month for using magic carelessly on someone.
"I graciously invited him to swear his loyalty to me......"
Had he rejected Hailed's invitation until now just to swear loyalty to an idiot like Lloyd!
Enraged once again, Hailed threw the plate of snacks he had been eating against the wall.
CRASH!
The appetizing cookies scattered across the floor, and the plate shattered into pieces.
Even so, as though his anger had not subsided, he asked the maid while fuming.
"When will my confinement be lifted?"
"About ten days remain."
"There is still that much time left?"
Ten days was far too late.
Martin might become Lloyd's knight in the meantime.
It was normal for even capable knights to reach Intermediate Sword Expert only in their thirties. Yet Martin had reached Intermediate Sword Expert at the young age of twenty-two.
That was Martin Claude.
'I cannot let a knight with such rare talent slip away like this.'
Ever since he was a baby, Hailed had not been satisfied until he had acquired anything he wanted.
This time was the same.
'Especially, I cannot let an idiot like Lloyd take him from me.'
There could be no situation in which he lost the prize he had sought for a year just because of confinement!
Hailed sprang to his feet.
As he was about to leave the room, the maid urgently tried to stop him.
"You cannot do this, Young Master Hailed. It will be a serious problem if the Count finds out."
Hailed frowned, glared at the maid, and spoke.
"I heard that the Erus family would not even have enough money to live on without the money you earn...... Do you want to be fired right now?"
The maid's face went pale at Hailed's thinly veiled threat. His words were true.
"If you do not want to be fired, listen carefully to what I say."
"Y-Yes."
"I am only going to visit that idiot for a moment, so if my father comes, make sure you explain things to him properly."
"Yes......"
Ignoring the maid's soft sigh, Hailed left the room and headed for Lloyd's.
***
Lloyd was deep in thought.
Martin was a problem, but something more important than that was training his Telekinesis.
'I still cannot show Telekinesis to other people.'
From what he had learned so far, this world was close to the Middle Ages.
Even things that were beyond their common sense were all connected to gods or demons.
What if he, who had no mana, suddenly used a strange ability in such a world?
Troublesome things would surely arise in many ways.
However, he could not keep training in his room forever.
'Hmm......'
As he wondered whether there was a good method, he remembered an item he had obtained in the last S-Rank Dungeon he had cleared.
'Instant Dungeon Key!'
Lloyd searched through his Inventory and took out the key.
An ornate key painted red.
Inside an Instant Dungeon, he would be able to train his swordsmanship and Telekinesis without anyone knowing.
However, the problem had not been solved yet.
'Hmm, but can I really open a dungeon in this world?'
He had to check that first.
Lloyd immediately returned to his room, locked the door, and used the item.
HUMMM—.
Vibrations rang out and light burst forth. Then a Gate shimmering red appeared in front of him.
It was unmistakably a dungeon Gate.
'Fortunately, it seems I can enter an Instant Dungeon even in this world.'
An A-Rank Dungeon might still be difficult with this body, but he had Telekinesis and Mad Dragon's Intimidation, so he would manage somehow.
Lloyd stepped toward the Gate.
But,
BEEP—.
With a warning sound, his body was bounced back.
At the same time, a message appeared.
[□□#2&□*@□□#.]
The letters were corrupted, so he still could not understand the message, but one possibility came to mind.
'Is it a Party Dungeon?'
A Party Dungeon was, as its name implied, a dungeon that only a party could enter.
In other words, one could not enter alone.
'It is good that I can open a dungeon, but I did not expect this kind of problem.'
A rare, deep crease formed on Lloyd's brow.
He had thought of entering a dungeon because he did not want other people to notice him, yet he could not enter unless he was part of a party. It was a headache.
'Since the number 2 is written there, it seems to be a Party Dungeon for at least two people......'
At that moment, Lloyd thought of Martin.
At the level of a Sword Expert, he would be of considerable help.
'The problem is whether he is someone I can trust.'
Just as Lloyd was about to fall into thought again, it became noisy outside.
BANG, BANG, BANG!
"Hey, idiot! Open the door, now!"
It was certainly a voice he had never heard before, yet it was one that remained in Lloyd's memories.
'That voice...... Is it the bastard responsible for Lloyd's collapse?'
The legitimate son and rightful heir of House Bled, Hailed von Bled.
Unlike Lloyd, he had been born with considerable mana. And, true to his Bled blood, he also possessed outstanding talent for swordsmanship.
However, he had one flaw: despite his young age, he already had such a self-important personality that everyone shook their heads.
'Has his confinement ended already?'
Lloyd frowned.
It was obvious that things were about to become extremely troublesome.
Meanwhile, as Lloyd gave no answer, Hailed began to grow angry.
How dared an idiot ignore him!
"There is no use pretending you are not here!"
Hailed kicked Lloyd's door hard several times.
At last, Lloyd opened the door and came out.
"What is it?"
An icy voice and a cold expression.
Hailed unconsciously flinched and took a step back.
However, he soon regained his composure.
'I-I stepped back because of that idiot?!'
His pride hurt, Hailed became even angrier so that Lloyd would not see his true feelings.
"How dare a bastard like you covet a knight I had my eye on first?! Give up while I am asking nicely."
At those words, a low sigh escaped Lloyd's lips.
He had wondered why Hailed had come, but it was only for such a reason.
"If that is the case, should you not seek out Sir Martin rather than me? He is the one following me around because he wants to become my knight."
Although Lloyd explained calmly, Hailed was unreasonable.
"Hmph! You must have lured Sir Martin with something. Otherwise, there is no way Sir Martin would want to become the knight of an incompetent bastard like you!"
There was no way to reason with him.
What words could get through to a child's tantrum?
'It is tiresome to deal with him any longer.'
Lloyd did not want to indulge a child's childish tantrum, nor did he intend to.
Using Telekinesis to manipulate gravity, Lloyd made Hailed's body light, grabbed him by the nape, and lifted him.
"W-What is this?!"
Naturally, Hailed had no way of knowing Lloyd's ability, and his eyes widened in shock.
Hailed was one year younger than Lloyd, but he was taller and larger, to the point that a stranger might mistake him for the older brother.
Yet Lloyd had lifted him with ease!
With one hand, no less.
Hailed struggled to get free of Lloyd's grip, but it was useless.
"Y-You, what did you do?!"
However, without giving any answer, Lloyd tossed Hailed out of the room and shut the door.
BAM.
For a while, Hailed stared blankly at the closed door as though he could not understand the situation.
Once he grasped what had happened, Hailed's face turned bright red.
"Y-You dare, you idiot!!"
To think he had been treated like this by Lloyd, whom he had looked down on so much until now.
He was not only dumbfounded; rage surged up within him.
Hailed sprang to his feet and violently threw open Lloyd's door.
"This time, I will never forgive you!"
Hailed shouted loudly and drew his sword.