Sigrid

“Oh, what a novel response.”

“Isn’t it?”

“Indeed.”

Nas mentally repeated, ‘That’s quite a good rejection phrase.’ No matter what one says, rejecting a scout is a matter of pride, but saying it like that doesn’t cause any problems.

“The interesting part is that it’s sincere.”

Beramund muttered as he closed the report.

‘Inflexible… huh.’

“You know what they say, even a tree will fall if you chop at it ten times. Right?”

“Well― She’ll probably get annoyed. Good luck, Captain.”

Nas replied with a sly smile and narrowed eyes.

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

Bang bang bang―

At the sound of knocking on the door, the maid Mary hurried to the entrance. The young lady newly introduced by Young Master Morris was quiet, unassuming, and never late with wages—an ideal employer from a servant’s perspective. Naturally, Mary opened the door with the utmost professionalism.

“Welcome.”

“Is this the residence of Lady Ankertna?”

“Yes.”

“I am Lunatil, Captain of the Imperial Guard.”

“Please, come this way.”

Mary, pleased with her exemplary reception, guided Beramund to the reception room. Despite his flashy attire—too flowing to be typical for a knight—Mary thought he walked exactly like one should.

There was no sound.

Though modest, the house had begun to take on a well-decorated appearance, thanks to Marie-Chez and Lowengrin’s help in various places as Sigrid started to work on the interior. After briefly surveying the house, Beramund sat on the sofa.

A moment later, Sigrid walked into the reception room, her face visibly displeased.

“Sorry for coming without an invitation.”

“While I don’t sense any sincerity in that apology, I’ll accept it.”

“Then let’s get to the point. I read the greeting report and evaluation…”

“……”

“Come on, don’t look at me like I’m some scoundrel who committed a crime. I have the authority, after all.”

“I wasn’t looking at you that way… Would you like some tea?”

One shouldn’t be impolite just because the other party is. Beramund smiled again at her courteous question.

“Sure.”

“Mary, please bring us some tea.”

“Yes, miss.”

As Mary withdrew, Sigrid sat in the seat opposite Beramund.

“How’s your injury?”

“The cracks were treated by a healer. The bruising will take time to fade.”

“No, I mean your core.”

“Ah,” Sigrid nodded.

“My core is fine now.”

“Still?”

“Pardon?”

“Is it still my color?”

Was this person always like this?

The Beramund that Sigrid knew wasn’t this kind of person. He was sharp, fierce, violent, and a genius at sarcasm.

‘Sexual harassment? That’s new.’

“Yes, it’s still there.”

Why ask when he already knows? Beramund had good “eyes.” There was even a saying that he had heterochromia, but he could read the flow of aura. That’s why Sigrid’s aura core and its location were easily detected.

“It would be rude to ask you to show me, wouldn’t it?”

“If you know that, don’t say it out loud.”

“Sigrid, you’re so stiff.”

“Please don’t call me by my name either.”

Beramund leaned back on the sofa, grinning. His heterochromatic eyes of blue and red sparkled with mischief. He wore a tight-fitting black suit that hugged his entire body, an ambiguous outfit mixing leather and fabric that wasn’t quite a formal suit. From neck to hands, not an inch of bare skin was visible, yet he somehow exuded a roguish air.

In contrast, Sigrid wore a loose shirt and pants with indoor slippers, yet still radiated a distinct ‘knight’ aura. Beramund found it intriguing.

‘Is it because of her upright posture?’

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“You said earlier that you hadn’t chosen a master yet.”

“That’s right.”

“Then why not join the Imperial Guard?”

“How does that follow?”

“Because this is the heart of the Imperial Palace.”

Beramund grinned.

“You can observe and check all potential masters up close.”

Sigrid inhaled sharply at those words.

‘Certainly…’

He had a point.

The Second Knight Order can only enter up to the Second District of the Imperial Palace. The key figures are indeed in the First District, the core of the palace. As Sigrid was lost in thought, Mary and another maid arrived with trays. They set down teacups and napkins, poured the tea, and then withdrew.

While Sigrid pondered silently, Beramund slowly sipped his tea.

“For now, I’ll think about it some more.”

Sigrid said, picking up her teacup as she emerged from her thoughts. There were still unfinished matters here. Moreover, joining the Imperial Guard felt uncomfortable, as it would mean treading the exact same path as before.

“As you wish.”

Beramund replied lightly.

‘I didn’t expect her to agree right away anyway.’

Having finished his cup of tea, Beramund stood up.

“Well, I’ll be going now.”

“Take care on your way.”

“Don’t people usually try to hold their guests back?”

“Do you want me to?”

“No, and your bluntness is something else.”

“You were the one who asked such a blatant question first.”

“Don’t live life so exhaustingly.”

Beramund waved his hand lightly and walked out the front door. Sigrid let out a deep sigh.

‘A scout from Beramund…’

The 1st Imperial Guard.

In the past, Sigrid had belonged to the Sixth Imperial Guard. So it goes without saying how annoying Beramund, the captain of the 1st Imperial Guard, had been to her. A person who possessed what she could never have.

‘He was really pissed off when I set fire to the slums.’

Sigrid pressed her lips as if biting them.

Almost half―no, he had definitely come at her with the intention to kill. After that, he treated her completely like trash or filth.

And now he came to scout her.

‘What a strange feeling.’

Sigrid stood still for a moment, caught in a peculiar mood where she could neither laugh nor get angry.

Sigrid told Mary to clean up the reception room and went to her own room. Sitting in her study, she gently laid her head on the desk.

‘Ah…’

The view from the side isn’t so bad either.

She smiled slightly and raised her body. After looking around and sensing for any presence, she took out a paper from the drawer.

‘I did ask the Information Guild to look into Arkana…’

It was a document with an address and brief personal information. During that vacation, she had meant to visit, meant to go…

‘But having fun was just too enjoyable…’

Sigrid covered her face with both hands.

They say late-blooming passion is fierce, and through the door Marie-Chez had opened, she had discovered the joy of ‘entertainment.’ How enjoyable it was to laugh, chat, and go out with people—so much so that she postponed this, even knowing its importance.

‘How pathetic. Pull yourself together, Sigrid Ankertna.’

Clap clap―

After slapping both her cheeks audibly, Sigrid looked at the address. It was a small village outside the capital.

‘Let’s go visit right away today.’

With that thought, Sigrid folded the paper, put it in her pocket, and stood up. The document didn’t mention anything about Arkana being a magician, so perhaps it wasn’t the person she was looking for.

‘Still, I should go and see.’

Sigrid took out and put on her outdoor clothes. She had so many clothes now that it was confusing to tell which was which.

‘How does Marie-Chez remember all these clothes?’

To Sigrid, most of them looked similar, but Marie-Chez was sensitive to the differences.

―Round collars and angular collars are completely different!

Recalling Marie-Chez’s nagging, Sigrid instinctively hunched her shoulders as she got dressed.

Click―

The metallic sound of fastening her cloak was cheerful. As Sigrid came downstairs, a maid asked,

“Are you going out?”

“Yes, I’m going to take care of some business.”

“Shall I prepare dinner for you?”

“Oh, please do.”

‘I should be back before dinner,’ Sigrid thought as she left the house. It had been a while since she’d ventured outside the capital, so she enjoyed a leisurely ride. As she entered the road leading to a small village near the capital, she heard people shouting.

‘What’s going on?’

Sigrid turned her horse’s head towards the commotion. She frowned as she saw several men surrounding a single woman. Dismounting, Sigrid approached with quick steps.

“What’s the matter here?”

The men turned their heads at her question and flinched. Sigrid looked at them and then at the woman, whose face was streaked with tears.

“Are you alright?”

“Mind your own business.”

Before she could answer, one of the men waved his hand at Sigrid. Sigrid stepped closer and said,

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“You look like a knight, but this commoner woman refused our lord’s summons. Outsiders can’t interfere in this matter.”

At those words, Sigrid slightly raised her head and saw a nobly dressed man watching from a distance. She turned to the woman and asked,

“Are you a subject of the Count’s domain?”

The woman shook her head. Sigrid slightly furrowed her brow, moved to the woman’s side, and grabbed the arm of the man holding her, saying,

“If she’s not a subject of the Count’s domain, then that summons is not legitimate.”

“What?”

“What’s your affiliation?”

“I belong to the 2nd Knight Order.”

At those words, the men’s faces relaxed. They had thought she might be a knight with some powerful backing, but it was just the 2nd Knight Order. There was no reason for the Count to back down.

“Please be on your way, Knight.”

“How dare a mere female knight interfere with our lord’s orders.”

“A 2nd Knight Order knight daring to stand before a Count.”

Sigrid saw their attitudes change as quickly as flipping a palm, but she didn’t stop her actions, nor did she intend to. Legally, her words were correct.

“This is the Imperial Capital, she is an imperial citizen. Whatever the Count’s orders may be, I cannot allow you to overstep and tarnish His Majesty the Emperor’s face, can I?”

The men were dumbfounded at her words. As the commotion continued, the Count approached and asked,

“What on earth is going on here?”

“No, this knight is interfering with your lordship’s orders…”

The Count glanced at Sigrid and said,

“I am Count Oren. And you are?”

“I am Sigrid Ankertna of the 2nd Knight Order. I intervened because you were trying to forcibly take this lady away unjustly.”

Count Oren thought for a moment. Memorizing noble genealogies was basic for nobles, and among them, there was no surname Ankertna. The Count’s face instantly contorted.

“You dare, a mere 2nd Knight Order knight, to obstruct my orders?”

“Count Oren, this place is directly ruled by His Majesty the Emperor. Imperial law stands above your orders.”

“Oh, really? Then let me show you something closer than the law.”

Sigrid tilted her head at the Count’s words. The woman’s face turned pale. She, too, could immediately tell that this female knight’s status was far below theirs.

“Boys!”

At the Count’s command, several knights drew their swords. Sigrid frowned.

“Are you drawing swords against His Majesty’s knight? That’s tantamount to treason―”

Before she could finish speaking, the knights charged at her following the Count’s signal. Dodging them, Sigrid drew her own sword.

“In that case, I suppose I needn’t show any restraint either.”

The outcome was decided in less than ten minutes.

Count Oren’s face was flushed red with shame. There was no need to even use aura. The swordsmanship of the Count’s knights from the countryside was no match for Sigrid’s. As she sheathed her sword, Sigrid said,

“Then I’ll call the guards to take you into custody.”

“You, you mere wench!”

Ignoring his words, Sigrid turned to the woman.

“Are you alright?”

“Y-Yes, yes―”

The woman’s face was flushed as she answered. Just then, capital guards who had been patrolling the road came running, having heard the commotion, and looked perplexed at the scene.

Of course, Sigrid’s words were correct. Correct, but―

There wasn’t a single guard with the guts to arrest a Count. The Count, huffing and puffing, said “We’ll see about this” along with his knights, and headed towards the capital―receiving what was either an escort or custody―from the capital guards.

“Are you alright?”

Sigrid tilted her head at the woman’s question.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

What could possibly be wrong? It’s not like she did anything improper.

“I-I’m Seria.”

“I’m Sigrid Ankertna. Now, let me escort you home.”

“What? No, that’s alright!”

As she waved her hands in surprise, Sigrid said to her,

“No, I insist. And I have one question…”

“Y-Yes!”

“Do you happen to know someone named Arkana who lives in this neighborhood?”

At those words, Seria’s eyes widened as she asked,

“That’s my brother, why?”

Surprised by this response, Sigrid looked at Seria and then smiled.