Erdin had been in a foul mood since that morning.
“I am a knight. Why must I go out merely to welcome someone?”
“Ha ha, and you are also my daughter. What is wrong with the host going out to welcome a guest?”
Her father smiled good-naturedly, oblivious to how she felt.
“Surely it does not have to be me. Send me with the suppression force instead.”
“I have already sent both of your brothers. Sending you as well to subdue a group of bandits would be excessive.”
Erdin bit her lip.
She felt as though a fire were raging inside her.
“That is precisely why you should have sent me in the first place! I am stronger than my brothers, so why must I remain here?”
“Erdin. That matter has already been decided.”
“…Tsk.”
Honestly, it was nothing particularly significant.
As a daughter of House Northshine, she was merely being asked to welcome a guest.
It was also true that she was sulking because she had not been allowed to join the bandit suppression force.
In other words, when she considered it objectively, she was simply throwing a tantrum.
Erdin acknowledged that fact with a cool head.
“Then do you intend to send your old father out instead?”
“Honestly, is he truly important enough for that? You have heard the name Glen as well, Father, have you not?”
Even so, this was something she simply could not accept.
Both she and her father were well acquainted with the infamy of the man named Glen.
He was the arrogant and insolent Good-for-Nothing Son of a ducal house, despite possessing no remarkable abilities.
The incident in which the eldest son of House Sailharn had humiliated him in a duel at a social gathering was quite famous.
Moreover, she had recently heard that he had been expelled from the Lion Knights for neglecting his training.
That was an order most knights in the North could not enter no matter how desperately they wished to do so.
He was precisely the sort of person Erdin found most pathetic and detestable.
Yet she was expected to welcome a man like that.
“Ha ha, I have heard those absurd rumors as well, but neither you nor I have ever met him in person, have we? According to His Grace’s letter, he has improved considerably of late.”
“Hmph. Do you truly believe a person can change so easily?”
“Then must I really go myself?”
“…Haa. No. I will go.”
Nineteen was too old to sulk.
Fine. I have to do what must be done.
Even though I have no desire to do it.
***
“My lady, how did it go?”
As Erdin left her father’s office, a familiar face called out to her.
She was a female knight with short chestnut-brown hair and a lightly freckled face.
She was also a Sword User—a Full Knight—in the same order and someone Erdin regarded as an older sister.
“…Tilen.”
Erdin glared sharply at Tilen.
“My lady” was a form of address she disliked.
“Ah, my mistake. Dame Erdin, how did it go? You do not seem to be in a very good mood.”
“…I suppose I have to go. I honestly do not want to.”
“But why do you dislike the idea so much? I heard that the Young Master is quite handsome.”
“Tilen! Can you not speak a little more like a knight?”
Tilen merely shrugged.
“What is wrong with that? In any case, why are you in such a foul mood?”
“…You have heard the rumors too. He is exactly the sort of person I despise most.”
“How can you know that when you have never even met him?”
When Tilen said the same thing as her father, Erdin pushed out her lips in a pout.
It was a habit of hers whenever something displeased her.
“It is just… Anyone surrounded by rumors like those is bound to be exactly what people say.”
“That does not sound like you, my lady… no, Dame Erdin.”
Do not judge someone by appearances or rumors. See them for yourself and make your own judgment.
Those were words Erdin often spoke.
“…Tsk.”
“Hm? Where are you going?”
She ignored Tilen.
For some reason, she had suddenly begun to dislike her a little.
***
For the first time in a long while, snow was falling in thick, soft flakes outside Sharn Castle.
Perhaps because of the snowfall, the weather felt milder than usual.
Of course, regardless of the weather, Erdin was still in a foul mood.
“Is that not them?”
Tilen, who had been staring into the distance, turned to Erdin and asked.
Bundled tightly in her cloak, she hardly looked like a knight.
“…It seems so. But why are you trembling so much?”
“I am sensitive to the cold. Are you not cold, Dame Erdin?”
Erdin wore nothing more than a simple set of leather armor, without even a cloak.
Of course, she had several layers underneath it, but that much was only natural in the North.
“If you train diligently, you can easily endure cold like this.”
“Yes, yes. You always say the same dull thing.”
Fortunately for Tilen, they did not have to wait much longer.
Perhaps their timing had been good.
A group of people appeared in the distance.
When one of them urged his horse ahead of the others, Erdin narrowed her eyes and studied him.
Red hair… and green eyes? Who is he? Judging by his build, he seems to be a man, at least.
“He is getting off his horse?”
“What is he doing?”
Once the man came within a certain distance, he dismounted and began walking toward them at a measured pace.
Erdin tilted her head.
What is he doing?
She dismounted as well, following his lead for the time being.
“Hm?
His face gradually came into view.
Had it not been for his build, she might have had difficulty telling whether he was a man.
The closer he came, the greater her confusion became.
Who is that man?
And why is he staring at me so intently?
“Greetings.”
It was unmistakably a man’s voice, low and resonant.
Yet for some reason, it seemed to tremble faintly.
“…Do you know me?”
Erdin replied without even realizing it.
The man before her broke into a broad grin.
“Are you not Dame Erdin, the eldest daughter of House Northshine?”
“I am… but who might you be?”
Could this man possibly be…?
But he does not seem like a good-for-nothing at all.
She had expected arrogance and insolence to seep naturally from his every gesture, but there was nothing particularly arrogant about his gait or expression.
Without realizing it, Erdin looked the man over from head to toe.
His smile deepened.
…What is that about?
“Ra Ella Sha Din Rune Psharian.”
“⋯What?”
She did not know what the words meant, but they seemed laden with emotion.
The same was true of the way he looked at her from so close.
What in the world is this?
Erdin was quite accustomed to being stared at by others.
She knew full well what she looked like.
His gaze did not feel like that of some vulgar man.
That only deepened her confusion. She was certain that she had never seen his face before.
“Pay it no mind. I was simply overjoyed to see you. I am Ron Glen Repent. I hope we shall get along well.”
“⋯Ah, you must be the Eldest Young Master we were told would be visiting. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
This man is that infamous Good-for-Nothing Son?
He felt entirely different from what she had imagined.
Of course, she would have to observe him for longer, but that was her first impression.
Perhaps rumors truly could not be trusted.
A hand was extended toward her as though requesting a handshake.
Ordinarily, they would have merely exchanged formal greetings.
A handshake was considered a gesture of considerable familiarity.
Erdin tilted her head once more, but she nevertheless took his hand.
The hand in hers trembled faintly.
…Why?
“…It is good to see you. Truly.”
The strangely warm, heavy snow continued to fall without end.
***
Glen was able to enter Sharn Castle with ease by following Erdin.
The children playing in the snow, the people tending the livestock, and the women doing laundry all watched the unfamiliar faces with curiosity.
Nedain found their stares disrespectful and was about to intervene, but Glen raised a hand to stop him.
He merely smiled in silence and rode onward.
“….”
It was a place he remembered fondly from his Previous Life, and today, of all days, he did not want anyone intruding upon that sentiment.
Suddenly, he felt as he had when he first opened his eyes in this life and walked through the estate garden with his mother.
Before long, they reached the inner keep.
The servants showed them to their assigned quarters, where they unloaded their belongings.
Nedain handled most of the arrangements, while Glen was summoned by Count Northshine and headed directly to his office.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Young Master Glen.”
“It is an honor to meet Count Northshine, the head of such a distinguished knightly house.”
Count Northshine possessed a kind, genial face that did not seem particularly knightly.
Then again, he was known more for his admirable character than for his skill with a sword.
“Ha ha, you honor me with your words. His Grace told me about your visit. I heard you came regarding the suppression of some bandits?”
“They call themselves the Red Hood. They are infamous throughout the Empire, and I recently heard their name here in the North as well. I have imposed upon you so that I might investigate the matter.”
“Imposed upon me? Not at all. Ha ha. Since you have personally taken it upon yourself to protect the safety of the realm, the day when the people of the duchy sing your praises cannot be far off.”
“Surely it is you, Count, who should be praised first for governing your domain with such exemplary character.”
After they exchanged such formal pleasantries, they began discussing the matter at hand.
“In truth, we have already organized and dispatched our own force to suppress the bandits. We have heard frequent reports of bandits running rampant nearby of late.”
“Ah, then have you perhaps already heard of the Red Hood?”
“No. In truth, today was the first time I heard that they were active in the North.”
“Then fortunately, our objectives will not overlap. Are both of your sons perhaps…?”
“That is correct. Both of them joined the suppression force. They accompanied the Knight Commander and the Vice Commander.”
So this was why Erdin had been in such a poor mood.
Even in his Previous Life, she had hated being compared to her brothers.
By then, however, both of her brothers had been dead, so she had missed them more than she had envied them.
“Is that so? I have heard that the eldest daughter of House Northshine is an exceptionally capable knight.”
Erdin, who had been waiting at one side of the office, flinched.
“Ha ha, that is true. However, someone must remain here to protect this place, must they not? She will have another opportunity.”
“Hmm. Might I have the chance to see a glimpse of her skill?”
Count Northshine’s eyes widened at the unexpected suggestion.
“By that, do you mean…?”
“Would it be acceptable for me to request a light sparring match?”
Count Northshine smiled and turned his gaze toward Erdin.
“Ha ha, that is something we must ask the person concerned. Erdin, what do you think?”
Erdin quietly approached, met Glen’s gaze, and then looked away.
…Judging by that look, she clearly finds this troublesome.
“…Forgive my discourtesy, but were you not a Trainee Knight, Young Master?”
“I was, but fortunately, I became a Full Knight not long ago.”
“I do not mean to boast, but… I am already in my third year as a Full Knight. Therefore…”
When Erdin hesitated, Count Northshine interjected.
“Ha ha, please do not misunderstand, Young Master. That child is exceptionally talented. She defeats not only knights her own age, but older male knights as well.”
…Ha. So this is what it feels like to be patronized?
They are worried I might lose and humiliate myself, are they?
Glen found the thought laughable.
“All the better. Would that not allow me to learn even more? I would be grateful if she would teach me a thing or two.”
“…Well, that is…”
She looked troubled.
Once we actually spar, she will not want to lose on purpose. But if she wins, she is worried I will cause a scene.
What a pointless concern.
…I honestly did not want to resort to this.
Glen raised one corner of his mouth and spoke in a taunting tone.
“Or could it be… that you are afraid you might lose?”
“…What?”
A crease appeared between her fine brows.
“Do not worry. No matter what happens, I would never beat a lovely young lady senseless. Ha ha.”
He heard her teeth grind.
She really is as vulnerable to provocation as ever.
“…I am a knight before I am a woman.”
“So, are you afraid you might lose?”
The provocation was somewhat forced, but he had no other choice.
This proud female knight was not someone who would follow just anyone.
“How did you arrive at that conclusion?”
“Well, as a woman, it is understandable that you might be afraid to spar with an unfamiliar man.”
“…Very well. Let us spar. However, if I win, you must formally apologize for everything you have just said!”
Seeing her flare up, Glen nearly burst out laughing despite himself.
A short while later.
The eldest daughter of House Northshine and the eldest son of House Repent.
The young geniuses of the two knightly houses that represented the duchy headed toward the sparring grounds.