Sir Hero, It’s Time to Train!

Even outside of their home, there wasn’t much change in the daily life of Christian and Aira.

Christian woke up earlier than anyone and diligently attended his morning training without skipping it.

What surprised not only Liber and Caedwin but also Aira was how Christian effortlessly managed to clean up his sleeping area and prepare breakfast as if it was second nature to him.

It was simply because Christian had accumulated so much know-how from the time spent with his master that it was all too familiar to him.

“Good. Shall we get going?”

After a busy morning, they took a moment to rest.

Originally, the plan had been to eat while traveling, but they made allowances since they hadn’t forgotten that there was still a child among their group.

As Christian slung his backpack over his shoulder, Aira got up and packed her things as well.

Caedwin, feeling as if the inevitable had finally come, stumbled to his feet. With a slightly excited smile, Liber began explaining to Sonya how to handle the carriage.

Christian waited patiently until Liber finished his explanation and came back.

Once the explanation concluded, Caedwin also returned to his spot to gather his belongings. Christian noticed his hand and casually commented.

“You didn’t take off the ring.”

“Yeah. I’ve kept it on. But…”

Liber replied with a wry smile, then quietly turned his gaze to Caedwin and whispered.

“This one can be removed if you want, right?”

“Yes. I haven’t activated the mana yet. It’s not too late if you want to take it off.”

As Liber tentatively touched the ring out of curiosity, he had no intention of removing it.

Although he knew it could be taken off, he chose to continue wearing it by his decision.

“You’re sure you have no regrets?”

“Yep. Of course. It’s my choice.”

Satisfied with Liber’s sincere response, Christian quietly reached out his hand. Liber carefully extended the hand with the ring to Christian.

Then, after Christian gently touched Liber’s ring and infused it with mana, the dormant mana tool was activated.

“Ugh?!”

When the mana in the ring was activated, the gravity pressed upon Liber’s body. The weight equaling his body mass bore down on him, causing Liber to let out a brief groan.

However, this didn’t last long. By using body activation, he quickly escaped the oppressive sensation.

‘He’s better than I thought.’

His mana was not only abundant but also pure, and the synergy between his battle-hardened physique and body activation was impressive.

Liber’s overall abilities far surpassed those of Caedwin. Consequently, he adapted to the mana tool quicker than Caedwin and maintained his calm demeanor.

‘I do wonder how long that composure will last…’

A trained knight could easily handle daily movements. However, until they began serious training, it was premature to judge abilities hastily.

Christian refrained from giving undue praise.

However, Caedwin, finding it fascinating that Liber remained composed despite activating the mana tool, observed with wide eyes.

“Elder brother Liber, aren’t you feeling anything?”

“Ah, Caedwin. It feels a bit heavy, but nothing too uncomfortable.”

“Really?”

“For now, yes, but the story will change once we start running.”

“…”

Caedwin’s expression hardened at the mention of running. Leaving Caedwin behind with his reaction, Liber cautiously began speaking to Christian.

“By the way, Christian, before we go, there’s something I need to tell you. We’ve got a bit of a problem.”

“What problem?”

At Christian’s question, Liber smiled wryly and gently pointed towards the carriage with his finger.

Caedwin, too, eyed the carriage with a weary expression, wondering what trouble was brewing this time. Inside, peering through the slightly open window of the carriage, was Sonya, watching them intently.

“Does she want to go home? Or run with us?”

“Ah, no, it’s not that…”

Liber shook his head and sighed.

“There’s no one to drive the carriage.”

“What? The carriage? Wasn’t elder brother explaining that earlier?”

While Liber’s words left Caedwin in a bind, the contemplative Christian wore an expression that suggested there was nothing to worry about.

“Oh, it’s nothing special.”

“Huh? One of us needs to steer the carriage.”

Christian merely waved them to watch closely as he walked past Liber and Caedwin towards the carriage.

“Alright, you two over there, come here.”

“Huh?”

“What now?”

When Liber and Caedwin stood beside the carriage, Christian led them to the coachman’s seat.

“Ah, are we to take turns steering it? That does seem fair. elder brother Liber, will you handle the carriage, or would you rather run first?”

Caedwin, with a brighter expression, asked Liber. Christian’s voice rang out to the two.

“Not that side, over here!”

Christian, holding the reins tied to the horses, handed them over to Liber and Caedwin.

“What’s this for?”

“We need to pull the carriage.”

“To…pull the carriage?”

Upon understanding, Liber went pale, realizing the implication.

Caedwin was no different; he seemed to have trembled, predicting the terrible future the moment Christian called them over.

“To reduce the strain on both the horses and Sonya, we’ll need to run at least as fast as the horses’ stride. If we go too fast, Sonya inside the carriage will endure discomfort.”

“…”

The two-person carriage unexpectedly turned into a four-person effort.

Fearing they might lose something crucial as human beings, Liber cautiously spoke up.

“This is too dangerous, Christian. As you mentioned, Sonya is at risk, and once we enter the capital, if someone sees this…”

“Is that what you’re worried about? Don’t worry too much. I’ve done it once before, so I’ll keep a close eye alongside.”

“You’ve done it before? Why?”

“Why, you say? All things we’re doing now are necessary.”

Liber found Christian’s reasoning bewildering.

However, his claim to have done it before wasn’t a lie.

‘There are times when a person can be faster than a horse. Ah, I miss those times…’

There were times during escort missions when using a carriage instead of riding was unavoidable.

Yet, circumstances sometimes demanded navigating via shortcuts instead of the regular road, requiring a swift approach. Pulling the carriage personally saved time and ensured the client’s safety.

“So, what’s the problem? Let’s get going.”

“Um…”

“Aira, let’s set off now!”

Lost for words, Liber watched Christian’s back with vacant eyes. Understanding this sentiment completely, Caedwin spoke up gently.

“Elder brother Liber.”

“Uh, yes?”

“… Do you regret it?”

“…”

*

Rondia, known as the flower blooming in the western continent, was resplendent and beautiful.

With the sea to the west, craggy mountains to the north, and vast plains sprawling to the east and south, the capital city was a marvel.

It served as a waypoint for ships traveling between the north and south. The continuous flow of goods attracted diverse races and demi-humans to freely visit and reside there.

A bustling and open-hearted city, this was Rondia, the capital of Rondel.

Commanding the sea routes and land logistics, a dominant trading company held sway in this area.

Regarded among the top handful of trading companies on the continent, this massive company had a firm grip on the west.

The residence of the Viscount Miles, the head of this trading company, was grand and splendid, showcasing its grandeur.

“Father. Here are the final approval documents.”

Evan Miles, the eldest son and heir of the Miles Viscounty, serving as the general manager of the trading company, carefully placed the stack of documents on the desk and stepped back.

The elderly man, not sparing a glance at Evan Miles, combed through the paperwork, and this man was none other than Gael Miles, the Viscount.

It was said that Evan Miles managed the trading company, but in reality, every decision passed through Gael Miles, the Viscount.

After spending considerable time perusing the documents, gael Miles finally raised his eyes to his son, only after finishing the review of the last document.

“The report from the estate was lacking.”

“I’ll instruct Steea to resend it.”

Currently, the Viscount Mile’s estate was managed by the second son, Steea Miles.

Due to the business base being primarily centered in the capital, the head of the family and the heir spent much of their time there, with Steea Miles acting as the representative lord.

However, being merely a temporary representative, both business and estate matters required approval and direction from the capital.

Among the tasks sent from the estate were updates on the well-being of Gael’s daughter and granddaughter.

“I hear that Count Worden entrusted a letter for the king to those two. They should be arriving shortly, so have it checked out.”

“Yes. I will.”

Evan, nervous, cautiously opened his mouth as he observed Gael’s demeanor.

“According to the report from Sir Garcia, Aira’s growth is remarkably impressive. She opened her eyes to wave not long after mastering body activation. Isn’t she extraordinary?”

“Well, for that amount of money, it’s about time to see some results. And as for Liana, that girl has become quite soft.”

“Soft? How do you mean?”

Gael tapped his finger on the desk, silently pondering for a moment before speaking to Evan.

“When Aira arrives at the capital, bring her directly to the residence.”

“I will do so.”

“Also, invite the Marquis Ferdida’s grandson this time as well.”

“What? Do you mean Christian?”

“Yes. It’s not a bad idea to have a look at him now.”

“But Father, the Marquis Ferdida won’t take this lightly.”

Inviting Aira to the residence was understandable, as it was her maternal family’s house.

She would likely spend some time there while waiting for an audience with the king after arriving in the capital.

However, Christian was a different matter.

Requesting Christian to visit the Miles family’s residence while the Marquis Ferdida was in the capital was essentially a slight against the Marquis and his family.

“I’ll handle that part.”

“Yes. I will proceed according to your instructions.”

Evan dared not question or contest his father’s words. He simply needed to follow Gael’s orders to bring the two to their residence.

“Then, I’ll take my leave.”

Evan retrieved the signed documents and exited the study. Gael, reclining comfortably in his soft chair, murmured softly.

“Christian, why is that brat still alive?”

Most occurrences within the Count Worden’s family were reported to Gael.

Not only through official channels like Liana or Garcia but also via various other sources.

And the latest situation at the Worden County was enough to pique significant interest.

“Moreover, Liana allowed that brat to train alongside her?”

Gael found this fact particularly displeasing.

With the gold invested in Aira’s education alone, one could buy several castles.

Now, just at the point when results should start to show, a peculiar nobody was stealing the attention.

To Gael, it felt as though the merchandise he’d invested in was being intercepted halfway.