"I want Kaelen."
The declaration dropped into the duke's chamber like a stone cast into a ceremonial pond, sending invisible ripples across the air thick with noble expectation.
Noa himself seemed to hear the weight of his own words a heartbeat too late, because he froze mid-breath, eyes widening slightly as if reality had just informed him of a social miscalculation.
"Wait! Crap! That sounded weird. That's not what I meant."
He lifted both hands defensively, palms outward, as though warding off an accusation no one had voiced yet.
The sudden awkwardness contrasted violently with the confidence he had shown moments earlier, and it created a strange dissonance in the room—like a sword drawn dramatically only to realize it had been unsheathed backwards.
Valric blinked.
Not in insult. Not in anger.
Just confusion.
He did not understand what part of the sentence was strange, but he understood the name clearly.
Kaelen.
The knight who had risen through Blackmoor's ranks like a flame licking upward through dry timber—fast, bright, and impossible to ignore.
"Is that what her Majesty said in the letter?" Valric asked, carefully smoothing the tone of his voice into something neutral, something political.
He assumed it must be in the letter Rose carried. That would make sense. That would be logical. That would be clean.
If her Majesty accepts a knight from our dukedom, we will rise in power than the others.
His thoughts moved swiftly behind a composed expression. If Vionette had chosen one of his knights, then Blackmoor would gain favor. Favor meant standing. Standing meant security in Crimvane's ruthless hierarchy of nobles, where smiles were sharper than daggers.
But that fragile ambition shattered almost instantly.
"No. It's my personal request."
The air shifted.
It did not explode. It did not crack.
It simply became heavier.
Hearing the duke's question, Rose reached calmly into her pocket, movements precise and controlled, and withdrew the letter bearing the royal seal. She stepped forward and handed it to Valric with the quiet efficiency of someone who served power yet was not dazzled by it.
"This is the letter from her Majesty."
Valric accepted it slowly, as though the parchment might reveal hidden layers upon closer inspection. His fingers unfolded it with practiced care.
…
Duke Valric Blackmoor,
We will be having a meeting next week at the royal castle. You are summoned to it as well. Join in. :)
Oh yea, don't anger that guy. See ya!
…
W-what is this?
Valric stared at the letter.
He read it again.
And then again.
He tilted it slightly, as though the meaning might slide into place from a different angle.
"Is this really her Majesty's letter?" Lifting the letter up, Valric spoke with a confused face that he did not bother hiding, because there was simply no noble way to interpret a smiley face attached to a royal summons.
It was a simple letter with simple words. No political tone at all. No diplomatic polish. No layered subtlety. It felt less like a decree and more like a casual note slipped under a door.
As if it was just an excuse.
Valric was confused about this.
"I understand, but it is from her Majesty,"
Rose answered, her voice steady. She understood the duke's confusion well, but she herself had long ago accepted that trying to make sense of Noa's position in the royal hierarchy was like trying to measure wind with a ruler.
"Oh-Okay."
Does that mean, it actually is just an excuse?
That aside… 'Don't anger that guy'
Valric's eyes slowly drifted from the parchment toward Noa. His gaze narrowed slightly—not hostile, not welcoming, but analytical.
Recognizing the gaze but not understanding it, Noa smiled casually, as if someone had complimented his haircut.
What the hell is this old dude looking at?
"Also-" Rose began to continue.
There it is. It can't just be that he was sent here to deliver an invitation with the head maid.
Valric understood nobility. Sending the head maid was not something done casually. There was always something beneath the surface—an objective, a strategy, a hidden layer.
"-I'm here to serve the lord while he lives here."
Just to serve him?
Valric had expected some elaborate explanation, perhaps a coded mission or strategic alliance. Instead, Rose spoke plainly, and she meant it plainly. Her mission was singular: to serve Noa.
As for Noa, he did not have a grand diplomatic objective.
He had something far more dangerous.
Curiosity.
And a sword.
"Duke Valric," Noa's voice got serious, the playful tone dissolving into something sharper. "Do you know where I can find high quality materials for my sword?"
"…materials? If you mean materials, you can buy them from a store."
Noa immediately waved his finger as though correcting a student who had misread a question.
"No, no, no. I meant some rare rock or some unique wood to make a sword. You know, those that MCs find in novels."
"…What?"
The phrase made no sense in this world. It sounded like someone asking for a mythical fruit from a children's tale. But Valric caught one word.
Rare.
"If you're talking about rare material, it can be obtained by killing a dragon. Dragon scales and heart can be very rare."
The room stilled.
Noa's eyes sparkled like a child discovering fireworks for the first time.
"Yes, Yes! Something like that."
He is that interested in killing a dragon? Those powerful dragons?
Dragons were not mere monsters. They were sovereign disasters wrapped in scales and fire. Even a kingdom's every last knight combined would stand a low chance against one.
But…
Valric remembered something.
"I heard that there's a wounded low class dragon was resting in the northern region."
"Oh-ho?" A smirk formed on Noa's face, slow and delighted, like a gambler spotting an opportunity.
"…but I advise not going there. Even a weakened low class dragon is dangerous." His tone was serious now, stripped of noble performance.
Noa leaned back and relaxed as if it was his home.
"Well, that's for later." He leaned forward again. "Now, can you hand over Kaelen or not?"
If her Majesty accepts him, it's one thing, but I can't let my most promising knight go to someone I don't know.
"Even though he works for me, him following you or not is his decision."
It was the safest answer. Diplomatic. Defensive.
Valric calculated that Kaelen would refuse under these circumstances.
He did not know Noa was inviting him to be a royal knight.
Hearing Valric's answer, Noa stood up.
"Fair choice. I'll ask him directly then." He said with a bright smile that looked far too pleased for someone negotiating manpower.
He was happier about the dragon than about permission.
"We'll prepare rooms for you. Please, stay as long as you like," Valric reassured.
***
The knights' infirmary was quiet and faintly scented with herbs, its stone walls lined with simple beds and neatly arranged medical tools that glinted softly under filtered sunlight. The air carried the weight of recovery—the silence of warriors temporarily laid low.
At the far end rested Kaelen, wrapped up in bandages and sleeping like a fallen banner waiting to be raised again.
He slowly opened up his eyes, looking at the ceiling.
His body was worn out to the fullest extent after using [Blade Projection]. His muscles ached as though iron rods had been driven through them. His hands and feet felt distant, like borrowed limbs reluctantly returned.
"Uhh…"
As he rose up slightly, the knights next to him immediately supported him.
"Captain, you're up."
"I thought you will sleep for at least three days."
"What happened after I fell asleep?" Putting a hand to his forehead, trying to remember, Kaelen asked, his voice rough from exhaustion.
"You're up?"
Before he gained an answer, Kenar joined in after coming back from the mansion.
"Kenar…"
Kenar let out a sigh. "Don't push yourself. Just lay down, we'll tell you the story."
After Kenar's reassurance, Kaelen leaned on his bed, giving a faint smile of satisfaction. Even in weakness, there was dignity in his posture.
"So what happened?" He asked, looking at the three.
"Well…reinforcements came…kinda?" Kenar brushed his back hair awkwardly.
"…Kinda?" Kaelen's one eye widened slightly.
…
"He killed them?"
Kaelen was in disbelief after hearing the story. The monsters they had struggled against were slaughtered almost immediately, as if erased by a force that had grown bored of their existence.
"Is he a royal knight?"
The three looked at each other before answering.
"Don't know."
"He was stronger than a normal one though."
Kenar remembered something. "He had a letter with the royal seal."
The royal seal? Kaelen's jaw tightened. Is he an ally or a foe?
Thinking of possibilities, Kaelen stood up from his bed despite the protest of his body. Seeing him standing up, the knights got worried.
"H-hey where are you going?"
"You're not supposed to move until recovery."
Kaelen turned his head back, making his jaw touch his shoulder and gave a smile closing his eyes.
"Don't worry. I'm just going to meet him."
***
Noa and Rose were walking along the mansion's pathway, gravel crunching softly beneath their steps. Noa's hands rested casually in his pockets, posture relaxed like a tourist rather than a political variable, while as a maid, Rose's hands were placed elegantly in front, fingers crossed with disciplined grace.
"Hey, what do you think about Kaelen?" Noa turned his eye toward Rose who walked behind him.
"Kaelen? You mean that man who defeated the monster?" she rotated her head slightly to the right.
"Yea."
Rose tilted her gaze upward, thoughtful.
"He is exceptional. Learning Aura Blade and even reaching next level at the same time is not something a normal knight can do."
"…right?"
But it was easy though? You just gotta pour in your aura to the blade. Like anyone can do it.
Noa began questioning his own understanding of difficulty.
"By the way, shall I know how my sword got a crack?"
Rose's aura shifted slightly, not violently, but enough.
Noa immediately looked elsewhere.
"…well you must've broke it right? By accident or something?" His voice trembled slightly.
You idiot just had to put more than enough aura into it. Dammit!
Rose let out a sigh. She already knew Noa broke it. It was not like she could complain about it anyway. He had helped people with it, and it was her mission to assist him.
"Why are we going to the training grounds?" Rose asked.
Noa stopped and turned around to her. His eyes began to light up faintly.
"To aur- to see how much strength they have."
To aura what?
Rose chose peace over curiosity.
"Off to the training grounds then," Noa declared as if announcing a festival.
…
The knights' training ground was a wide circular arena carved into packed earth, its boundary marked by low stone walls and weapon racks lined like disciplined soldiers. In the center, armored warriors clashed in controlled sparring matches, steel ringing sharply with every strike, dust rising beneath their boots like incense offered to the god of battle.
Noa stepped inside.
"This is livelier than expected."
Clang.
Slpp.
The sound of metal crashing against each other echoed rhythmically.
"Is it though?" Rose followed him calmly.
"Our knights train everyday," Valric said, pride slipping into his tone like sunlight breaking through clouds.
Noa and Rose both turned around quickly in surprise.
"Duke Valric?"
Apparently, Valric had followed them to clarify to himself whether Kaelen will or not accept Noa's offer. That was how much Kaelen was worth to him.
"I just came here to watch my knights, please don't mind me." He said, placing his clenched fist lightly against his mouth as though suppressing a cough, though it looked suspiciously like restrained concern.
He just came to observe us didn't he.
Rose understood how these nobles worked. A simple cover up was enough.
Noa looked at Valric and curved a smile.