Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Didn’t I mention from time to time that Sir Lecoon had gone senile?
Well, now that I think about it.
And I’m sure everyone already knows this.
I never really meant it seriously.
The old man actually seemed like a decent person underneath it all. His attitude was just so sharp, and his stubbornness was on another level.
But I think all that is about to become a thing of the past.
Because the healthy old knight may have finally lost his mind for real.
“You brat. Are you seriously thinking I’ve gone senile?”
How did he know!?
…Was I really that obvious?
But the old man kept saying weird things.
A man pushing ninety claiming he was a little kid during the previous lord’s era? Even children would not believe that.
“…Well, I suppose I did phrase it in a rather misleading way.”
Oh? He admitted it for once?
…So he was not senile after all?
“Do you remember what I said this morning? That once a knight reaches a certain realm, there is no longer any need to concern themselves with weapon-based strategies.”
Of course I remembered.
It had actually left quite an impression on me.
A knight was supposed to master many kinds of weapons according to the situation, but once they reached a certain level, strategy itself became unnecessary because they were simply that strong.
Though, to paraphrase his exact meaning:
“People at that level never appear in rural backwaters like this, so country brats like you do not need to worry about it.”
“The current lord’s father, the previous head of Bellark, was one of those people who had reached that ‘certain realm.’ By the time he saved me, he had already witnessed hundreds of winters.”
“…Huh?”
Before I realized it, my face had gone blank.
So… he had lived through hundreds of winters?
That meant he was at least several hundred years old, didn’t it?
And Ethan’s actual father was like that!?
“Why are you making such a foolish face? Even you should know that Bellark’s direct bloodline possesses extraordinary blood.”
As Sir Lecoon said, I did know that.
Bellark’s history was famous enough.
But I had no idea it was to that extent.
…More importantly, even someone that powerful had been assassinated.
“……”
Once again, this world reminded me to stay humble.
“Of course, the downside was that heirs were difficult to produce. But with such long lifespans, it was not much of an issue. Even His Highness Ethan was a child born very late into the previous lord’s life.”
I could only nod silently.
The information was so shocking that my mind felt numb.
Was this kind of thing not even considered unusual in another world?
“Anyway, there is no grand reason why I became a knight. Two children from a countryside village received kindness from a noble lord and devoted themselves to his family. There is little else to say beyond that.”
Hmm. So there was quite a meaningful backstory behind it.
Though considering Sir Lecoon’s age… his wife must have already passed away.
I should probably be careful with how I speak about that.
The reason I assumed his wife was dead was simple.
In eight entire years, I had never once heard him mention family.
If his wife were still alive, it made no sense that she had never shown her face even once.
“My wife would remember this story vividly as well. Unlike me, she is not some old fossil.”
…What was this old man saying now?
Why did every answer keep missing my expectations?
Judging by his tone, he was speaking as if his wife were still perfectly healthy.
This time, he had to be lying.
“Come to think of it, I’ve never seen her around here.”
“Who are you referring to?”
“Ah… your wife.”
You’re making this up, aren’t you, old man?
Maybe not senile, but at least a little confused, right!?
I carefully phrased my words as politely as possible.
If I did not possess memories from my previous life, I probably would have earned myself a painful flick on the forehead by now.
Thank goodness I had at least experienced society before.
“…Selene, my wife, lives somewhere very far from here. Unless she truly intended to visit, it would be difficult for her to come. And she was quite angry when I came here despite her objections.”
“You had… a marital fight?”
At that point, wasn’t that basically a divorce?
Maybe this old man was just interpreting everything in whatever way suited him best.
For example, maybe he could not overcome the grief of losing his wife and had brainwashed himself into believing she was still alive.
“A marital fight? Hahaha, what a bold little brat you are. Where in the world did you even learn words like that?”
Obviously from my previous life.
“Still, you are not entirely wrong. We retired together to live peacefully in the forest, yet I suddenly ran off again. If you think about it, the fault lies entirely with me.”
The story sounded so unexpectedly detailed that it was hard to believe.
“What else could I do? Knights are foolish creatures like that. I had already retired, yet the moment I heard the family I once served had fallen into ruin, I simply could not remain still.”
The nostalgic look in his eyes.
The regret in his voice.
And the solid consistency of the story itself.
Every detail felt flawless.
If all this were a lie, then this old man should have become an actor instead of a knight.
“So you should never do something like this yourself. Sometimes you gain honor but no practical benefit. Yet if you pursue practicality, people claim you lack knightly virtue. There are countless situations that leave one humiliated.”
I understood what Sir Lecoon meant.
If you became the ideal knight described in chivalric codes, people saw you as inflexible.
But if you pursued profit, people called you a thug or scoundrel.
Even knighthood was no exception to the saying that moderation was best.
In that case, the solution was simple.
“Then I’ll just balance both. Some honor, some practicality.”
“Reality is never so accommodating.”
“Still worth trying.”
“…You truly never let yourself lose a single argument.”
“It’s because you only discriminate against me.”
“Discriminate?”
I nodded honestly.
Since it was rare for Sir Lecoon to answer me this sincerely, I decided to air my grievances.
“When I first said I wanted to learn swordsmanship, you refused because I was a commoner girl.”
“You narrow-minded brat, you still remember that? Honestly, for someone your age, you’re surprisingly gloomy.”
“……”
Seriously.
Even if he was old, hearing him say things like that still irritated me.
Whether someone was only kind on the outside or only kind on the inside, both caused problems.
If Sir Lecoon softened his words even a little, maybe his wife would have visited at least once.
“Anyway, Anna’s also a commoner girl just like me. So I don’t understand why only I get rejected.”
I was absolutely not jealous.
I had grown pretty attached to Anna, so I truly did not feel that way.
I was simply genuinely curious.
According to Sir Lecoon’s own logic, Anna should have been trained as a future maid rather than a knight.
“Tsk…”
Sir Lecoon clicked his tongue and sighed deeply.
But honestly, I felt just as frustrated.
From my perspective, I had no idea what his reasons were!
At this point, there was only one conclusion I could think of.
“…Sir Lecoon, do you dislike me?”
“What?”
“…I mean, I did commit a serious wrong. If that’s the reason, then I can’t really complain.”
Thinking about how Ethan lost his eye because of me, I could understand it a hundred times over.
Ethan was not only the child born late into the life of the lord Sir Lecoon had devoted himself to, but also someone who likely felt like a son to him.
So if I had caused harm to someone like that, then of course he might resent me.
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
“…Huh?”
“I may have genuinely been angry with you before, but I never once said I disliked you.”
Honestly, I wanted to say that line myself.
After spending years constantly snapping at me, now he claimed he never disliked me?
Did he think I was too young to notice?
“And… if my words about throwing you out wounded you, then I apologize.”
Waitwaitwait.
This man was apologizing?
Did he eat something weird today?
“At the time, my emotions got the better of me, and I became angrier than necessary. You were only four years old back then, so your behavior was not entirely incomprehensible.”
Those words gave me goosebumps, but seeing the stingy old man pat my shoulder made it clear he was serious.
…Maybe he did not dislike me quite as much as I thought.
“His Highness does not wish for you to become a knight.”
But I could not simply let that statement pass.
His Highness did not wish it?
Was he talking about Ethan?
“Did Lo— no, did the lord personally tell you that?”
“Of course not. He is not the sort of person who meddles in others’ lives like I do.”
Then what exactly was the reason!?
“I know you possess fairly decent talent compared to other children your age. To be honest, even considering the fact you’re a girl, you’re quite a tempting brat to take in as a squire.”
What!?
This crazy old man actually liked me quite a lot all along!?
Then why not just accept me already!?
“But a retainer must understand their lord’s intentions even without being told.”
Crack!
Sir Lecoon slammed the scabbard against the floor with a loud bang.
And once again, the gesture seemed to say:
Stop doing foolish things.
“His Highness cherishes you far more than you realize. Therefore, avoid doing anything that would make him worry.”
The old knight’s anger radiated so heavily that cold sweat naturally formed on my back.
But in this world, what else was I supposed to do besides physical work?
Fighting was the only thing I knew.
It was also the only thing I wanted to do.
Besides, if I chose a completely unrelated profession, most of my traits would go to waste.
At the very least, I should become a mercenary or something if I wanted to fully utilize them.
“I understand your feelings very well. Just as I once did, you wish to repay kindness, no matter how small or great it may be.”
I nodded vigorously.
“Exactly! That’s why I want to become a kni—!”
That was precisely the point.
Setting aside what I personally wanted, for a commoner with no backing, becoming a knight was one of the best ways to repay a noble’s kindness.
“Eek!?”
At that moment, Sir Lecoon suddenly shoved his face closer and began examining me intensely.
I respected the man and all, but staring this close was honestly terrifying.
Unfortunately, Sir Lecoon was not someone who cared about my comfort.
After staring at me for several long minutes, he slowly withdrew his gaze and finally said—
“Well, perhaps I shouldn’t be saying this myself, but aside from everything else… your appearance is certainly usable. In the old days, considering your bloodline, I would never even bring up such a thing.”
He briefly glanced toward the nanny helping the cook before shifting his gaze toward the large painting hanging high in the dining hall.
“Think about it differently. Becoming a knight is not the only way to repay kindness.”
And the person depicted in that painting was Bellark’s former lady.
With those final words, Sir Lecoon left the room.
“…Huh?”
It took me a long moment to understand what he meant.
A way to repay kindness.
The nanny, mother of three children.
The former lady of Bellark.
The meaning behind all that was…
………Yeah.
That old man really had gone senile after all.