Iana's Acting Strange
Iana seemed a bit off.
Ian was overseeing the knights' training again today. The knights swung their swords with rigid stances that were anything but ordinary. No, it was more like they were putting way more power into it than before. Even the fire in their eyes during training was noticeably different. It felt like just the other day they were begging for mercy, saying the hellish drills were too much.
It's probably the gate incident from last time.
To be precise, they'd felt their own growth while tackling that gate. And then there was the new gate that appeared right after—Iana charging in alone to hold it off had a huge impact.
Of course, none of the knights here were unaware of Iana's skills. Not a single one of them could match her. She probably had the highest survival rate and clearance chance, too.
But even setting that aside, would any of them have stepped up so readily? No, such hypotheticals were pointless anyway. The situation was over, and she'd been the first to volunteer.
They'd lost to a woman who'd only recently arrived in the territory—not just in strength, but in courage and resolve. It was a massive wake-up call for the knights.
Not that it was intentional, but it's a good development.
Now he didn't have to push them so hard. They were following the vice-captain's schedule, rising early for morning drills. They were even seeking out what they needed on their own and training proactively. Realizing their own limits and actively working to improve was a great sign.
"Hah! Haat! Hah!"
"Swinging that sword's really packing on the muscle!"
"Gotta train harder so we don't fall behind Lady Iana!"
"Uahaha! This is a breeze now! Got anything heavier?"
...They were starting to look less like knights and more like bandits.
Ian figured rowdy bandits made better subordinates than weak knights anyway.
"Rock-breaking headbutt! Haaah!"
Crack...!
Did I push them too hard? Looks like he might've hurt his head.
Anyway, they were getting stronger, so it was all good. Seeing everyone work hard and improve made teaching rewarding. Unlike showy knights, these guys hadn't caused any trouble.
"My lord, thank you for overseeing our training today."
Vice-captain Hanson approached and bowed politely.
"Everyone seems to train even harder with you watching."
"Nah. I hear you've all been grinding away even without me."
"Haha. We're all desperate to get stronger ASAP. Especially with so many heroic figures around."
Having role models right there next to you was a bigger motivator than you'd think.
"I'm embarrassed to say it, but I was struggling on my own. You and Lady Iana were a huge help."
"You're just filling in as captain. It's gotta be tough. Hang in there a bit longer."
"Not at all. I'm just holding the spot until she returns."
Knight Captain Lena was away on an extended mission far off. Hanson was covering for her.
"I heard the captain's coming back soon, by the way."
"Probably. I got word she's already on her way."
Normally, the captain's return would've been later. The mission had dragged on much longer than expected. In the novel, it was partly to set up a rival dynamic with Iana.
She comes back from her trip to find Iana's become the territory's hero. As fellow female knights, they clash in various ways, eventually acknowledge each other, and become friends—the classic arc.
But with the gates erupting now, things were different. The mission had gone haywire, and no one had time for that. The captain was wrapping up as fast as possible to return to Armeina Territory.
Once she's back, the knights' overall strength will rise, and I can run things more systematically.
The captain's presence made a big difference. She was an incredible fighter herself—right now, no one in the territory except Iana could beat her.
"Not sure on the exact date, but a few days at most, a few weeks tops."
"Then we'd better train harder. Can't show any weaknesses when the captain returns."
"You'll be fine. You've all improved beyond recognition. Your foundations are solid now."
"Not good enough. We need to master the swordsmanship you taught us, my lord."
Hanson clenched his fist with renewed determination. That earnestness was his best trait.
"Oh, speaking of the swordsmanship you taught us..."
"What about it? Not a fan?"
"No, it's amazing. Everyone was blown away by how efficient it is."
Hanson gave him a puzzled look.
"But no matter how much we searched through manuals, we couldn't find anything like it—not in swordsmanship or even hand-to-hand. Where on earth did you learn it, my lord?"
"Ah... It's a secret family technique passed down in our house. It fell into disuse once fewer people went to the military academy while managing the territory."
"Ooh! A noble family's heirloom sword art, shared with us...! We won't tarnish Armeina's name—we'll give it our all!"
"Yeah. Keep at it."
He couldn't exactly tell the truth: that it was a sword style hunters on Earth had developed over decades to fight monsters.
Of course it doesn't exist here. It's from a far more advanced, scientific world, refined against gates.
Diving into details would just invite hassle. He gave some generic encouragement and slipped away from Hanson.
Next stop: Luna practicing her archery.
"Oh, my lord! What brings you here at this hour?"
"Just encouraging the knights. They were all fired up."
"High lords have so much on their plates. Oh, right—you're always busy, aren't you?"
"Not always. More like, watching sweaty guys was starting to wear on me."
"Aha~ So you came to see a busty, slim-waisted, thick-thighed beauty of a blonde elf?"
Luna kept her focus on her bow as she spoke. Her deep cleavage peeked subtly. Her smooth thighs and the curve of her ass showed under her short skirt. Even the faint glimpse of black panties didn't faze her.
Her personality's just that open.
Or maybe she didn't see him as a man at all. In the original story, Luna was pretty carefree, living by her whims.
Twang!
Boom!
The moonlight-infused arrow flew to a rock in the clearing, exploding on impact. If it'd hit a monster instead of rock, the corpse would've been unrecognizable.
"Getting the hang of Moonlight Arrows?"
"I've been studying hard with Jenice whenever I could. Now I can synthesize moon stones in combat and use them."
"Impressive. Faster than I expected."
"Hehe! Still need more training to boost the power, though."
The method involved alchemy to create moon stones and enhance arrows. He'd figured an elf's traits would make it take longer, but Luna picked it up quicker than anticipated.
"You're getting paid well for this. Gotta make sure you can fight hard when gates pop up."
"Reliable as ever. Our territory guarded by an elf archer with moon arrows."
"Plus the kingdom's top female adventurer swordswoman and the magic tower's genius girl."
Luna beamed at him.
"We're grateful to you, my lord. Nomads like us finally have a stable life."
"Not bored without adventuring?"
"I always preferred sticking with the three of us anyway. The others probably feel the same. The world's too dangerous to wander."
So time with friends mattered more than adventure. It hit home how tight-knit the trio was.
"Hmm~ Speaking of which..."
Luna pondered for a moment before speaking up.
"Could you check on Iana a bit?"
"Iana? What's up with her? Trouble?"
"That's the problem—I don't know..."
Luna sighed deeply.
"After the gate incident, she's been training like crazy. She was thrilled about her progress."
"After something like that, she probably leveled up as a swordswoman. Broke through a wall, even."
"Exactly, so she should be happy. But lately... she's been weird."
"Weird how?"
"Spacing out sometimes, suddenly blushing and muttering curses, wriggling under the covers... Just off."
"...Yeah, that's definitely strange."
Iana was straightforward, charging ahead if she thought it was right. Action over thought. Her brooding like this was rare.
"I'm no help with sword stuff, right? So I was hoping you'd step in. You're the only one who can advise her on technique."
"Hmm... Got it."
Iana's growth mattered to him too. Better sort out any issues quick.
Don't want her agonizing alone and messing up.
With that, he went looking for her. She was sitting alone on a garden bench, staring blankly into space. Perfect timing—he called out.
"Ah, Iana..."
"Kyaaaaah!"
She screamed and bolted. S-rank speed lived up to the hype.
"...What the hell."
She'd faced seven golems without flinching, and now this? Screaming and running? What'd I do?
A typical romance-fantasy protagonist might've stood there dumbfounded till the next scene. But Ian wasn't the protagonist, and he wasn't typical.
I'm chasing her!
He kicked off and pursued. Time for this adult to teach her: you can't run from life's problems!