A Knight’s Gratitude

After wrapping up that painfully awkward meal with Gervan, I headed straight up to the study with Emma.

‘I have way too little information on Sword Masters.’

As far as I could tell, guiding Enoch so he could walk the path of a Sword Master was the core strategy of his route. Yet, my actual knowledge about Sword Masters was practically nonexistent.

“Emma, I’ll check the books from here to here. You check that bookshelf over there.”

“Yes, Miss!”

It felt like hitting a rock with an egg, but I started this with a thread of hope that I might uncover even the smallest piece of information.

A significant amount of time passed in silence.

“Um, Miss……”

“Yeah?”

Emma’s voice drifted over from the opposite shelf. When I looked up, I met her eyes as she shook her head defitely.

“A Sword…… Master? There doesn’t seem to be any mention of that anywhere.”

“I see. Thanks anyway.”

She bowed her head deeply, looking incredibly sorry that she couldn’t be of help.

I hadn’t fared any better either. I had pulled out and read every single book related to knights or swordsmanship, but a Sword Master wasn’t mentioned anywhere.

‘Emma reacted as if she’d never even heard the term before, too.’

When I had first brought it up, she had tilted her head in pure confusion.

‘Contrary to what I thought, is information about Sword Masters being kept strictly classified?’

Come to think of it, if they were superhumans born only once every few centuries, it made sense that you couldn’t just find their secrets in common library books.

“…….”

The caw of a crow outside drew my gaze to the window. The sun was dipping below the horizon, painting the sky in twilight. Since we had come up right after lunch, a good four or five hours must have slipped by.

“It’s getting late. Let’s head back for now, Emma.”

“Yes, Miss.”

The moment we returned to my room, I dived face-first onto the plush bed.

“Is something troubling you, Miss?”

Hearing me let out a heavy sigh, Emma asked cautiously with a worried look.

No matter how much I racked my brain, the only way out of this world was to successfully court Enoch. Yet, all I knew about him was his name, occupation, and characteristics provided by the system. I was basically blind when it came to the actual mechanics of a Sword Master.

At that moment, a sudden thought flashed through my mind.

‘……Wait, don’t these kinds of fantasy worlds usually have information guilds?’

I bolted upright and marched over to my dressing table.

“Emma.”

“Yes, Miss?”

I picked up the jewelry box sitting on the right side of the table and handed it to her completely.

“Find me a reliable informant. You can use every single jewel in there if you have to.”

“An informant……?”

“I need information on Enoch. And on Sword Masters.”

“Eeeeh?”

Her eyes went as round as a rabbit’s. It wasn’t every day a lady handed over an entire box of precious gems without blinking, so her shock was understandable.

“……Miss, don’t tell me.”

Emma hesitated, her lips twitching, before she finally gasped out:

“Are you…… in love with Sir Enoch?”

“Huh?”

“So that’s why you brought him to the estate, even defying His Grace’s opposition……”

Emma clutched the jewelry box to her chest, her eyes sparkling with pure romance.

“Um, well…… Emma, look.”

“Don’t worry, Miss! I will do my absolute best to find the greatest informant in the Empire!”

“Wait, what?”

She began bouncing on her tiptoes, looking exactly like a rookie detective who had just been handed her very first high-stakes mission.

“This is so incredibly romantic, Miss. I truly hope you win Sir Enoch’s heart.”

“Uh, yeah…… thanks. Thanks, but……”

“I’ll make sure to use these jewels without leaving a single one behind!”

Why do I feel so incredibly anxious about this?

Emma sprinted out of the room, hugging the jewelry box like a sacred text.

The next morning, I headed out to the training grounds. I wanted to see with my own eyes how Enoch was holding up.

‘Come to think of it, I only saw him briefly on the first day.’

My last memory of him here was seeing him standing awkwardly and awkwardly among the other recruits. Since I was the one who brought him here, I needed to look after him. Information was important, but I also felt that getting closer to him had to come first.

“What’s the point of having all the information on Sword Masters if Enoch doesn’t like me? It’s game over anyway.”

I nodded slowly, crossing my arms. Lost in thought, I soon reached the entrance of the training grounds.

“It’s still early, so there shouldn’t be any knights training yet——”

Just then, heavy, ragged breathing caught my attention from a far corner of the yard. Someone was already practicing their forms, swinging a wooden sword at this ungodly hour.

‘Diligent, aren’t we?’

I wondered where I’d have to go to find Enoch.

Just as I turned my head with that thought—

“My lady?”

A familiar voice called out. I turned toward the sound and saw Enoch standing there, wiping sweat from his brow with a handkerchief.

“Enoch?”

He walked briskly across the yard and stopped right in front of me. It had only been a few days, but he looked like he had completely regained his usual vitality.

“What brings you to the training grounds so early in the morning?”

He called it morning, but it was closer to dawn. To think the person training at this hour was none other than Enoch.

Although he wasn’t an official knight yet, seeing him in the structured training uniform made him look quite convincing.

“Shall we sit over there and talk?”

I pointed to the stone steps lining the edge of the grounds, and Enoch nodded readily.

“Just a moment.”

He quickly slipped off his outer jacket and laid it down over the stone to create a clean seat for me. The movement was incredibly natural.

‘That’s an attitude you usually only see from high-born noble young masters.’

How did a guy from the slums know this kind of etiquette? Before I could dwell on it, Enoch spoke up first.

“I heard you arranged a new home for my siblings.”

“Ah.”

“Thank you.”

The day Enoch decided to stay at this mansion, I had prioritized taking responsibility for those children. If Enoch, their sole protector, vanished, they would just become helpless orphans all over again.

I had arranged for the older kids to enter an academy, and for the younger ones, Elliot and I had stayed up for days filtering through nurseries until we found a premium facility renowned for its excellent care.

“They sent a letter saying it’s much better than where we used to live,” Enoch said, a pure, soft smile gracing his face.

I figured they’d be too overwhelmed adjusting to write, so hearing that they had the leisure to send a letter meant they were doing well. All those sleepless nights Elliot and I spent researching had truly paid off. Elliot had even complained that his vision was blurry despite wearing his glasses.

‘I wonder if the little boy who found my reticule is doing well, too.’

Thinking of him ruffling his hair and laughing purely brought a small smile to my face.

“It’s nothing. In return, you became my knight, Enoch.”

I raised my head and locked eyes with him. We were sitting so close that our hands would touch if either of us moved an inch.

“I can do anything for you.”

“…….”

“I truly mean it.”

I offered him a radiant smile, like warm sunshine. My reflection was clearly mirrored in his crimson eyes.

Enoch fell silent for a brief moment before he finally spoke.

“My lady, I feel like you’ve probably never had the desire to seek revenge in your life.”

“Revenge?”

Revenge, huh? It was something I had never considered, neither in my past life nor this one.

After a moment of quiet contemplation, I slowly shook my head.

“I hope you never have to experience it. Revenge is a grueling thing.”

He offered a grin, curling the corners of his lips, but somehow, it looked a bit strained.

“Why would I ever need revenge when I have you to protect me, Enoch?”

I spoke softly, extending my hand just a fraction of an inch. My fingertips brushed against his.

“Right?”

The moment our skin met, Enoch snapped his head up in surprise. As our eyes locked, I offered him a bright, sweet smile.

At that moment—

Ding.

◎ Likability increased by 5%! ◎

◎ Enoch’s current likability is 7%. ◎