“Would you like to explore the castle now that you have been provided with dedicated maids and escort knights?”

At Hayley’s words, Rafin’s eyes widened.

“Already?”

“That’s how it turned out.”

It was an ambiguous answer, but Rafin did not question it.

Rather, he only asked if he could escort her now.

It was a moment that revealed how welltrained a knight he was.

But instead of admiring, Bianca chuckled quietly.

To ask for Bianca Termina’s opinion?

It reminds her now and then that she is staying at Barlock.

“Can I go out today?”

At Bianca’s question, Rafin’s eyes widened again.

“Are you asking now?”

Only then did Bianca realize that she had asked for permission, not an order.

It was a mistake.

Though her face was flushed with the shame of the beggar that clung to her body, Bianca unabashedly showed off the social skills she had honed in high society.

“His Grace wishes you to refrain from going out due to some matters at the castle.”

“Ah! I have heard about it too. The…”

At Rafin’s words, Jully interrupted quickly.

“You know about it then, we’ve done the floor reinforcement work.”

“…Aha.”

Rafin, who briefly responded to Jully’s words, then bowed to Bianca and spoke gently.

He understood instantly from Jully’s words, which summarized the giant rabbit intrusion as ‘floor reinforcement work’, how he should escort the Duchess.

“Madam, I will escort you as you wish.”

Bianca’s large eyes were momentarily shaken by something unknown, but Rafin was content since she smiled soon after.

“All right.”

Rafin cheerfully lifted Bianca’s extended hand.

Rafin was a good knight and an excellent teacher.

He guided Barlock Castle in such a way that even an outsider like Bianca could easily understand and find interesting.

“The reason Barlock fief maintains the Duke’s residence in the form of a castle rather than other territories is solely for defense.”

“Because of the monsters?”

“That’s correct. Including the castle, it consists of seven fortresses, and that’s the context.”

While he asked if she knew that the place where the Duke stayed was called the castle, and the first fortress, Rafin took a step forward on the stairs.

The posture, halfcovering his body, one step ahead, was far from the familiar appearance of an escort knight that Bianca knew.

But she was pleased that his genuine concern for her was clearly visible.

Among them, walking by the wall instead of the railing was somewhat funny.

‘It’s more dangerous since I can’t see the floor covered by my skirt and have nothing to hold on to.’

Thinking that this would be a flaw with other ladies, Bianca called Rafin.

“Sir, don’t you usually guide the ladies towards the railing when escorting?”

“Ah, is that how it is in the capital?”

Bianca asked back at the somewhat perplexing response.

“Is it not like that here?”

“It’s not, because even though it’s a castle, it’s not entirely free from monster attacks.”

Then Rafin’s halfconcealing posture, guiding her by the wall, all made sense.

“If several layers of fortresses are attacked up to the castle, the monsters must be quite stirred up.”

“The ones that break through and come in are usually flying type monsters.”

“That’s dangerous.”

“It’s fortunate that they are quite attached to their habitat and don’t leave their region.”

Come to think of it, there wasn’t a single monster coming out of Barlock fief.

Is this supposed to be fortunate?

It’s an unknown feeling.

Rafin calmly guided Bianca from the first floor.

She had received a brief introduction from Hayley on the first day, but this was different.

While Hayley had guided her to the locations, Rafin explained the significance of the places.

For instance, the thickness of the wooden door at the entrance to the castle being two spans to match the thickness of the wall so that monsters couldn’t easily find the entrance and so on.

The reason the fourth floor alone has exceptionally large windows is not for lighting, but for luring and dealing with flying type monsters from the highest main castle among the seven fortresses.

It was an unbelievably horrifying reason.

According to his words, Ballock Castle sounded like a place that existed solely for dealing with monsters.

“And, at both ends of each floor of the main castle, there are secret passages that lead near the warp zone.”

Knock, knock.

When Laphin, who had taken her to a corner of the secondfloor library, knocked against the wall, there was a crisp sound that seemed impossible for hitting a stone wall.

“The castle won’t be breached, but just in case.”

The secret passage Laphin showed by twisting a candlestick was quite narrow.

“Ah……”

Bianca involuntarily took a step back at the sight of the narrow, long, dark passage whose end was not even visible.

The wind that rushed through the passage was chillingly cold.

“My Lady, normally I should guide you inside the passage, but I can’t, I’m sorry.”