“Rose, why is that person here again?”

The one Edwin pointed to with his eyes was Renart, who had visited the White Knight Order today in the name of the Guardian Knight Order’s vice-commander.

“How would I know that.”

I had been concerned about his parting words to meet again soon, and it seems they weren’t just pleasantries after all.

“You don’t know either?”

Edwin, who had been glancing at Renart talking with Fabian, asked with a subtly expectant look.

“Edwin? I also saw that person for the first time last time…”

I was about to say I saw him for the first time but quickly shut my mouth.

It’s true that it was the first time I, who possessed Rosebelia, saw Renart, but it wasn’t the first time for Rosebelia.

“You saw Renart Eliezer for the first time?”

“I might have seen him in passing, but I was going to say it was the first time I properly talked to him.”

“Well, you do leave quickly even when you attend parties.”

Edwin nodded as if agreeing, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Fabian and Renart. It was then that his clear black eyes sparkled.

“Rose, don’t you think we could hear what they’re saying if we got a little closer?”

As I tried to slip back with an uneasy feeling, the quick-witted Edwin grabbed my arm firmly first.

I surrendered and approached the main building where they were talking, led by Edwin.

“I heard that the White Knight Order has separate classes on magical beasts.”

“Doesn’t the Guardian Knight Order have them? Well, I suppose His Majesty the Emperor specially ordered it for the White Knight Order.”

Edwin’s guess was right. As their conversation became audible, he raised his eyebrows with a smug expression.

“The White Knight Order participates in magical beast subjugation without fail, so classes related to magical beasts are naturally necessary. But since the Guardian Knight Order is also departing for subjugation this time, shouldn’t our knights take those classes together?”

“You mean taking classes together here?”

A somewhat imprudent voice burst out of Fabian’s mouth.

“Is there any problem with that?”

“Rather than a problem…”

“Those who teach classes related to magical beasts are also former White Knight Order knights who have retired, so it seems more convenient in many ways for Guardian Knight Order knights to come here and take classes. And aren’t the White Knight Order’s facilities the largest and best in the Empire?”

“That’s true. Since His Majesty the Emperor recently had them built…”

No, Fabian? You shouldn’t be giving in there.

“Rose, the vice-commander is giving in?”

“At this rate, we might really have to take classes together with the Guardian Knight Order.”

Is this a feasible combination?

The White Knight Order and Guardian Knight Order I saw in Rosebelia’s memories seemed to have quite deep resentment.

“They probably wouldn’t come so abruptly unless it was already decided at the top.”

It was a plausible guess.

In the original work, Renart definitely didn’t go on the magical beast subjugation, but did he come just to discuss classes with Fabian?

“Rose.”

“Huh?”

“The Guardian Knight Order’s vice-commander is coming this way?”

As I was looking for a place to escape, I made eye contact with Renart and gave an awkward smile.

“We meet again.”

Renart, who had approached before I knew it, smiled and gave me a slight nod.

“Hello, Vice-Commander.”

At least he didn’t greet me by kneeling like last time, so that’s somewhat fortunate.

“You can address me comfortably.”

“Pardon? How could I…”

Address you comfortably.

I couldn’t bring myself to say the last part, but Renart gave a faint smile as if he had guessed what I had swallowed.

“Privately, you are our family’s benefactor.”

“No, it’s fine. This is an official place, so I’ll call you Vice-Commander.”

His eyes, which had widened in surprise for a moment, filled with laughter again.

“I heard my younger sister visited the Order recently. I hope she didn’t cause any trouble.”

“Of course not.”

“Did my sister say anything strange?”

There was indeed something strange that came to mind.

“Your sister said she wanted to learn swordsmanship from me…”

Renart rubbed his forehead as if troubled. Judging by his expression, it seemed Daisy had mentioned wanting to learn swordsmanship to Renart as well.

“Please pretend you didn’t hear that. Swordsmanship with her already weak body. I’ll talk to my sister properly.”

“Are you dismissing it as just a passing fancy?”

Renart’s lips parted slightly, as if he hadn’t expected such a question in return.

“Have you had a proper conversation with Daisy? It might be a passing fancy as you assume, Vice-Commander. But what if it’s not? What if Daisy has developed a genuine desire to do something?”

“…”

“Before telling her it’s not allowed, shouldn’t you first understand what Daisy’s true feelings are?”

For a moment, Renart’s expression darkened. He blinked with a dumbfounded face, then slowly nodded.

“You make a good point. If that child truly has something she wants to do, I should support her.”

Having seemingly organized his thoughts, Renart gave me a bright smile.

“Um, but…”

“Please speak freely.”

“Are you also going on this magical beast subjugation, Vice-Commander?”

“Yes. I’ve decided to lead the Guardian Knight Order in participating in this magical beast subjugation.”

Renart is leading the Guardian Knight Order to participate in the magical beast subjugation?

No, can the original work be twisted this much?

“Then I’ll be going now, Lady Winters.”

His manner was polite, but the title was still ‘Lady Winters’. Or he would cleverly omit it.

Rosebelia took pride in being the first female knight from a noble background. So while the title ‘Lady Winters’ wasn’t incorrect…

Is it so difficult to address me as ‘Sir’ first?

Then again, Renart is also a knight of the Guardian Knight Order, and it’s better not to have any expectations from Guardian Knight Order knights who are full of a sense of privilege.

As I blankly watched Renart’s retreating back, Lucas suddenly thrust his face in front of me.

“You startled me.”

“Rosebelia, have you seen Edwin?”

“Edwin? He was next to me…”

Huh? Since when has Edwin been gone?

Did he run away as soon as Renart arrived?

“He was with me until just now, but I don’t know where he went either.”

If he fell for Daisy at first sight, it wouldn’t hurt to make a good impression on Renart, but it seems he hadn’t thought that far.

Edwin was the type to just look straight ahead and charge forward in the original work too.

“Then I guess that rumor is true.”

“Rumor? What rumor?”

“They say Edwin is currently sparring in the training ground. See those new recruits running towards the training ground?”

Edwin is sparring in the training ground?

His leg probably hasn’t fully healed yet?

“Who is he sparring with?”

Lucas furrowed his brow as if trying to recall someone.

“That… really handsome new recruit, what was his name again?”

“Klyne?”

“Yeah, I heard Edwin was sparring with Klyne, but I could hardly believe it. There are many unofficial spars, but doing it in the training ground makes it official. Anyone can watch…”

Edwin and Ian? Those two sparring in the training ground? Why?

“Lucas, I’m going ahead.”

I hurried my steps towards the training ground, but by the time I arrived, the sparring had already ended.

What I saw as I pushed through the members pouring out of the training ground was Edwin lying in the middle of the floor. I immediately ran to him and asked.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“No, I’m not. Totally embarrassed.”

“I don’t care about your embarrassment, I mean your injured leg. Are you okay?”

“Were you really injured?”

Ian approached, sheathing his sword, and asked with a troubled face.

“You should have at least checked your opponent’s condition before sparring.”

“I didn’t say anything. I was curious about Klyne’s skills and slightly provoked him, and he fell for it right away, which was cute.”

What is he saying now?

“You really…”

“How could he know if I didn’t say I was injured? Klyne did nothing wrong.”

“No, that’s not true. I did feel that your left leg was strangely dull. I should have stopped then, it was my mistake.”

As Ian bowed his head politely, Edwin waved his hand as if embarrassed.

“You don’t need to go that far. I said it was my fault.”

“Right, you probably provoked it. Get up quickly.”

“Why?”

“Don’t you need to go to the infirmary? Go and get a compress at least.”

Hearing my worried voice, Edwin winked at me.

“As expected, only Rose cares about me.”

“Stop saying disgusting things and get up. Lucas!”

I waved my hand towards Lucas, who had belatedly entered the training ground. Having quickly grasped the situation, Lucas supported Edwin and headed to the infirmary.

“I told him not to overdo it before the subjugation… He never listens to me.”

“…Are you disappointed in me?”

Observing Ian’s tense expression, I shook my head briefly.

“I’m not disappointed over something like this, just a bit puzzled. It was just a light sparring match, if you felt something was off with your opponent, you should have stopped. Why didn’t you stop?”

“I don’t know either.”

“What?”

As I let out a somewhat incredulous laugh, Ian slowly opened his mouth.

“I think I wanted to win. That was all.”

“Rivalry, something like that? Were you not on good terms with Edwin?”

“Rather than that…”

A confused look appeared on Ian’s face. Even I felt like I was being pulled into a whirlpool of confusion as I faced that expression.

He said he had regained his initial mindset last time, but was he unable to control his competitive spirit?

“Anyway, I’m not angry at you or anything. It was Edwin who hid his injury and agreed to spar in the first place.”

“Why do you spar with me, senior?”

“That’s… because you wanted it.”

“Is that really the answer?”

I wanted to avoid flowing towards the ending of the original work, and I thought it wouldn’t hurt to build a friendship with Ian.

At first, that was clearly the only reason, but…

While I was lost in thought for a moment, I saw Ian bow his head to me.

“…I’ll go ahead first.”

“Ah.”

As a low exclamation flowed through my teeth, the footsteps echoing on the training ground floor stopped.

“There is one more reason.”

Ian, who was about to go outside, turned back towards me.

“Sparring with you makes my body feel refreshed. You know your skills are good too, right? Edwin is also one of the top skilled members in our Order, but even if Edwin wasn’t injured, your skills would have been superior.”

“Does that mean I’m the only one in this Order who can be your sparring partner, senior?”

As I pondered over suitable sparring partners, I eventually nodded.

I can’t spar with the Commander after all.

“Then, as far as sparring is concerned, I’m a more necessary existence to you than Senior Edwin, right?”

“You could say that.”

For a moment, a bright smile spread across Ian’s face. Not expecting him to smile like that, I fumbled with my lips like someone at a loss for words.

“I see. Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, new recruit. Then…”

I couldn’t finish saying ‘see you tomorrow’. It was because Ian, who had been far away, closed the distance in an instant.

“Why? Do you have something else to say?”

At my question, Ian’s cheek twitched. For some reason, he looked very tense.

“There’s something I want to ask.”

“What is it?”

As if his tension had transferred to me, my mouth suddenly felt dry.

“To you, senior, I am…”

Just as I was wondering why he was hesitating so much to speak, he, who had been looking elsewhere the whole time, gazed steadily into my eyes.

“How long will I be a new recruit?”