Chapter 54: An Invitation from the Royal Family

Inside the running carriage, it was as uncomfortable as sitting on a bed of thorns.

Sitting beside me was Celian Deretia, and across from us was an elderly man.

It would have been better if they were talking about something, but the old man was busy pulling out a bunch of documents and doing his work, while Celian seemed to be deep in thought, her face clearly showing signs of irritation.

I wondered if I should do something, so I took out a novel I had brought with me and opened it, but the words just wouldn’t enter my mind.

Both of them were focused on their own tasks, not paying any attention to the atmosphere, and I was the only one feeling uneasy.

“Suddenly the royal family…?”

I tried to recall how this situation had come to be.

“Miss, I think you should come with me for a moment.”

A servant approached us, interrupting my conversation with Celian.

From the tone of his voice, his expression, and the sweat running down his forehead as if he had rushed here, I could tell that something urgent was happening.

“Please wait a moment. I’ll be right back.”

Celian seemed to understand the urgency from the servant’s demeanor. Rather than asking what it was about, she immediately stood up from her seat.

However, even though Celian stood up, the servant seemed to have more to say and opened his mouth again.

“Um… Miss, your friend has requested to accompany you as well.”

“Me?”

“Yes. I don’t know how Miss Elysia Frentz knew you were here, but she specifically mentioned both you and Miss Celian Deretia…”

“…What on earth is going on? It sounds like someone has come to visit, and I’m curious about who the guest might be.”

“Well…”

At Celian’s command-like question, the servant hesitated, seeming cautious as he opened his mouth.

“The royal family has sent someone.”

As soon as the servant finished speaking, Celian’s brow furrowed deeply.

It was the first time I had seen Celian look so displeased.

Glancing around, I saw an elderly man with white hair, drinking tea in the reception room.

Celian’s father and the head of the Deretia family, Lucas Deretia, was sitting opposite, but he didn’t touch his tea.

He just kept rolling his eyes, cautiously observing the elderly man sitting across from him.

No matter how much the person was from the royal family, Lucas was still a Marquis, a noble among nobles, so it was odd to see him being so cautious, but I didn’t show any sign of questioning as I entered the room.

“I’ve brought them, Master.”

“Ah, welcome. Please sit down.”

Following Lucas, who stood up and guided us himself, we sat on the sofa. A maid standing behind us approached and placed tea cups in front of Celian and me.

The maid skillfully poured the tea and stepped back, retreating quietly.

“It’s been a while, Miss Deretia.”

The elderly man, seeing us sit down, spoke to Celian.

“What brings you here? And how did you know that Elysia is here?”

Despite the elderly man asking about her well-being, Celian immediately got to the point with a sharp tone.

Her words had been biting ever since we entered the reception room, showing no sign of calming down.

Fortunately, the elderly man from the royal family didn’t seem to mind Celian’s attitude, and without any change in his expression, he turned his gaze toward me.

“It seems this is Miss Elysia Frentz. It’s a pleasure. I’m Kaiden Vardi.”

“Ah, yes. Hello. I’m Elysia Frentz.”

Without any formalities, I extended my hand towards Kaiden’s outstretched one, giving a light handshake. He seemed to already know about me, but I introduced myself once more.

The moment our hands met, I felt the unique calluses of a swordsman, something I had only experienced from swordsmen before.

And in that moment, a name suddenly came to mind.

“Kaiden, if you’re the Kaiden, the strongest of the eight Sword Masters…!”

“Haha, don’t pay attention to such nonsense. It’s just that I work for the royal family, and people who like to gossip say things like that because it sounds good.”

Even though he had raised his voice rudely while shaking hands, Kaiden responded with a friendly smile, without any reprimands.

Even though he was a Sword Master, I didn’t know he was a swordsman until we shook hands.

His aura, completely contained within himself, made him look nothing like a swordsman on the outside.

If the aura of Craig, another Sword Master I had seen, was that of a knight, then Kaiden’s was the complete opposite—there was nothing to feel.

Even though a sword hilt was placed next to him, I didn’t even recognize it as a sword until I realized his true identity.

His sword hilt blended in so naturally with the surroundings that I had thought of it as just one of the room’s decorations.

“So, what is this about?”

With a more obvious frown than before, Celian spoke, interrupting our conversation.

After letting go of the handshake and stepping back, her brow seemed to relax a little.

Kaiden didn’t seem to care about Celian’s attitude at all. In fact, it was Lucas, the head of the family, who was surprised by Celian’s behavior and was cautiously looking at him.

“It’s not anything serious. I’ve simply come to bring the two of you an invitation from the royal family.”

“How did you know that Elysia was here?”

“Haha. Originally, I visited the academy, but Miss Celian had already returned to her family, and Miss Elysia had gone to the Atilea family with her friend, Miss Yuri.”

The old man leisurely lifted his teacup, took a sip, and continued.

“So, I went to the Atilea family, but then I found out that she had gone to another friend’s family, the Anne family… So, I changed direction again and went to the Kleyn family.”

And he took another sip.

“Oh my, what a surprise! When I arrived at the Kleyn family, I ended up at the Deretia family. Luckily, when I arrived today, they told me that Miss Elysia was here. It was fortunate since I had to bring both of you, right?”

I thought he could have just checked the location through the communication device before moving, but…

“It did take a little time, but thanks to that, I was able to spend what isn’t really a vacation like this. And be treated well, too.”

The old man was now reclining in his chair, leisurely finishing his tea.

It seemed like he just wanted to slack off.

A Sword Master slacking off… Whether to believe it or not is questionable.

In fact, if I hadn’t accepted Celian’s suggestion and decided to stay a few more days, Kaiden would have had to turn the carriage back to the academy, where he originally visited. Training like a dog, huh?

“Sigh…”

Celian sighed for a moment and then spoke.

“So, what is the purpose of the invitation? Surely you didn’t send Sir Kaiden just for an invitation. Does Elysia even have any reason to attract the royal family’s attention?”

“Well, if it were a regular invitation, I wouldn’t have to come at all. I could just send a few subordinates or request a visit through a letter or a communication device.”

Kaiden grinned and turned to Celian.

Kaiden is one of the eight Sword Masters on the continent and the undisputed top sword of the Empire, serving the Emperor. No one could place Kaiden below them—except for one person.

“Yes, that’s right. His Majesty has invited you two. The purpose of the invitation is usual, but the one inviting you is not exactly usual.”

“Do you expect me to believe that?”

“Haha. I don’t know how Miss Celian will believe it, but His Majesty merely invited you two to see you.”

Kaiden, who had requested another cup from the maid, finished his tea and stood up.

“I’ve had a nice tea. Now, I’ll wait here, so please let me know when you’re ready. If possible, I’d prefer to stay a few more days before leaving, but I can’t delay His Majesty’s command, so I’ll depart tomorrow.”

Despite his appearance, Kaiden seemed more interested in slacking off than anything else, making me question if he was truly the Sword Master I had imagined.

Having said what he needed, Kaiden stood up and followed a servant from the Deretia family, leaving the reception room.

He must have gone to rest in a room assigned to him, probably to relax from the journey, just like me.

“I see. You two have a long road ahead to the royal palace. You should go and rest.”

With a slight sigh of relief, Lucas spoke up.

However, even as we returned to our rooms, something about Celian’s expression remained unchanged, and it seemed like she couldn’t relax at all.