An Unexpected Variable
By the time Diana and I returned to the mansion, the sun had already begun to set. My entire body ached after wandering the streets all day since the knighting ceremony. “Haa…” A sigh escaped me as I gazed at the Winfred estate gates. I’d managed to auction off the ring and bring Diana to the ducal residence, but the unease still lingered.
Scenario Progress: 10%
Erika had fled as if chased by something. And, as expected, the progress bar had risen. The conclusion was clear: “She must have heard about the ring.” I watched the progress indifferently. From 5% to 10%—it was the steepest increase I’d seen yet. What did that imply? How would the progress bar trip me up later? Or was it even worth worrying about something as trivial as a progress percentage?
The answer came quickly. “Forget it.” Once I broke off the engagement with Isabelle, that would be the end of it. Her relationship with me souring and the progress rising weren’t immediate concerns. I erased Isabelle from my mind.
I glanced back at Diana waiting behind me and spoke. “Follow me.”
“Understood.”
Diana followed at a steady distance. When I glanced back, her face was expressionless. The shabby armor from before had vanished, replaced by a sharp, form-fitting suit of armor that gleamed under the light.
Before long, we reached the mansion’s entrance. The elderly butler and servants stood waiting for me. The butler glanced at Diana and asked, “Who might this be…?”
“She’ll be my personal knight from now on.”
“Then, is she perhaps the knight you were knighted with today…?”
“That’s right.”
“A female knight? What on earth…”
The butler’s face turned ashen as he heard the full story. I clicked my tongue in irritation. “How long do you plan to keep us standing here? My legs are starting to cramp.”
At my cold rebuke, the butler, who had been at a loss for words, finally lowered his head. “I’ll prepare a suitable room and warm bathwater right away. Ah, and a meal as well.”
“I’ll see to it immediately.”
He hesitated for a long moment before reluctantly opening the door. I turned to Diana with a nonchalant expression. “Diana, go with the butler.”
“Understood.”
I left Diana in the butler’s care and headed straight to my room. After a quick wash and meal, I collapsed onto the bed. “Hoo.” Fatigue weighed on me, making my eyes heavy and drowsy. Staring blankly at the ceiling, I fell into thought.
All that remained was breaking off the engagement. Once I received the payment for the ring and formally ended things with Isabelle, I would leave the mansion without a second thought. My goal had never been advancing the scenario—it was securing the Holy Relic.
“I should start thinking about growth routes soon.”
This world was the game world. A place where swords and magic existed, gods were real, and unknown dangers lurked. Normally, one would grow by progressing the scenario, but now that I’d abandoned the system entirely, it was pure survival. I couldn’t leave everything to Diana, so I couldn’t afford to neglect my own growth either.
The fastest way to build strength was finding hidden pieces and claiming every opportunity for myself. For example, the artifacts stored in the ducal mansion’s underground vault.
“Should I just raid the vault outright?”
It wouldn’t be difficult. The artifacts in the vault hadn’t had their proper uses identified yet, meaning their value was severely underestimated. The method was simple too: propose a deal to the Duke, offer a suitable price, and buy the artifacts for a bargain.
Knock, knock—!
“Young master, are you there?”
The butler knocked at just the right moment. “What is it now?”
Still lying on the bed, I lifted my head slightly to watch the butler carefully enter the room. “Lady Luna and Young Lord Ian are currently on their way back to the mansion.”
“Already? Why?”
“From what I’ve heard, Lady Luna insisted quite strongly on returning.”
“What? For that reason alone?”
Belger Winfred, Duke of Winfred, had three children: two sons and one daughter. Ian Winfred, the sole heir and the one called Young Lord in this mansion. And…
“That crazy woman…”
Luna Winfred. The eldest daughter and only daughter of Winfred, Kyle’s one and only sister. The woman who had led the bullying against Kyle within the mansion. And later, a major character mentioned as a heroine candidate in the story.
“So, when will they arrive at the mansion?”
“They should arrive by tomorrow, before sunset.”
The sudden news made my head spin. The butler rolled his eyes, glancing at me nervously, as if afraid Kyle, who disliked Luna, might cause a scene.
“…”
The future had gone off track. Had my impulsive actions changed the future? But what connection could there possibly be between my broken engagement and their early return?
An eerie silence settled. The butler’s patience at the door was nearly exhausted. “Understood. You may go.”
Finally, I dismissed him. The butler seized the chance, bowed quickly, and left. Alone in the empty room, I muttered in a low voice, “Damn it.” Nothing ever went smoothly.
****
The news that the direct bloodline of Winfred was returning sent the mansion into a flurry from early morning. Countless servants gathered to prepare the estate, and the kitchen bustled nonstop preparing lunch for them.
Regardless, I finished a hasty meal and headed straight to the training grounds. As I passed along the stone path leading to the grounds, I spotted Diana in the corner, swinging a training wooden sword alone. I moved carefully. She was so absorbed in training that she didn’t notice my approach at all.
Whoosh—!
The sound of the sword cutting through the air rang in my ears. I found a spot to sit and quietly watched her train.
“Hmm.”
Her sword path was so straightforward it was painfully obvious. Her trajectory aimed at only one spot. Her center of gravity was awkwardly distributed. It was sloppy in every way. Her strength when gripping and swinging the sword was passable, but even that was lacking. The biggest problem was her poor posture—stiff shoulders, weight shifted to her heels, and the gap between her feet.
Diana’s swordsmanship, before her talent had bloomed, was quite poor. But that was fine. As long as the talent existed, awakening it wasn’t particularly difficult.
I spoke to her in a gentle tone. “How about straightening your shoulders a bit?”
Diana’s stiff shoulders twitched. She stopped swinging and turned her head. “When did you arrive, my lord?”
“Ah, just now.”
“Just now, you clearly said to straighten my shoulders…”
I nodded slowly. It wouldn’t be strange if she felt her pride wounded by a young master who knew nothing about swordsmanship correcting her posture. Yet Diana showed no emotion and asked cautiously, “…Have you studied swordsmanship?”
“I have. A little.”
Before the regression, I had been among the stronger fighters in the empire. Though everything had been reset now, the insight and experience I’d accumulated hadn’t gone anywhere.
“Want to keep going?”
“Keep going, you mean?”
“Yeah.”
Diana nodded and raised her sword again. Her upper body soon bent like lightning. A sharp strike cleaved vertically through the air as she blinked once and steadied her breathing.
“Right heel back.”
The sword tip lowered.
“Shift your center of gravity forward.”
Her stiff shoulders relaxed, and a swift strike cleanly split the air.
“Keep your wrist straight.”
The once-monotonous trajectory curved unpredictably.
Whoosh—! She swung. Whoosh—! She swung again, and again, and again. I pointed out Diana’s flaws as I saw them. As expected, talent wasn’t about form—her posture visibly corrected with every instruction.
“Ah…!”
A bright flush spread across Diana’s face. She must have felt it deeply herself—her skills improving at a rapid pace.
While I sat offering advice, a voice called out. “Oh my.”
A seductive voice pierced my ears. At the familiar tone, my brows furrowed instinctively. I slowly turned my head. A woman stood with her back to the sun, slowly approaching. Jet-black hair swayed in the wind, and her vivid blue eyes gleamed with a menacing light.
“Kyle.”
Her piercing gaze sent a chill down my spine. Then, a deep smile curved her lips. “What are you doing, looking at your sister?”
Ah, damn it.
“You’re not even going to greet me?”
Kyle Winfred’s one and only half-sister. It was Luna Winfred.