I found myself in the garden of a duke's estate with a spear pointed at me.
I'd expected as much, honestly.
If a carriage and an unconscious, wounded knight suddenly appeared in your garden, you'd probably react the same way.
I moved away from Lady Nina and tossed my adventurer card on the ground, raising both hands.
To show I meant no harm.
"What is the meaning of this?"
A middle-aged man with medium-short blond hair emerged slowly from the building deeper in the grounds.
He had a thoroughly harmless-looking demeanor.
"My lord, it's dangerous! Please step back!"
"Father!"
So this was Duke Giess Raging.
The younger brother of the current king, yet popular among the people — some had even said he should be put on the throne ahead of the king in the line of succession.
But Giess, fearing it would split the domestic nobility, quietly stepped aside without contesting the throne.
My father had called such a man a "coward."
But meeting him in person, he didn't give off that impression at all.
If anything, he seemed to have a strong backbone but was keeping it hidden.
Perhaps he was suppressing it.
"My lord, this person and the young lady, along with the carriage, appeared in the garden all of a sudden!"
"And this person's identity? He doesn't seem to be resisting — hands up and all."
"According to his card, he's adventurer Alan. Bronze Rank, it seems."
"Father, please don't do anything terrible to him! He saved me, you know!"
"Hmm..."
"Oh, don't worry about me — you should tend to the attendants first. They were hit by Mist's attacks."
"Mist? At Orichalcum Rank? This could be quite the affair. See to the knights at once. Alan, come with me to my study. Nina, you rest — is that understood?"
◇◇◇
In Giess's office, Alan and the duke sat facing each other.
"So, adventurer Alan. I was told the House of Vermilion respected a bastard child's desire for independence..."
"That's the official version, yes."
He hadn't exactly lacked the desire to be independent, but he certainly didn't recall it being "respected."
Oh, well, they did press a handful of gold coins on him, so he supposed that wasn't entirely inaccurate.
Those people had an irritatingly sharp way of handling things.
"Hmm... that's a matter concerning another household, so I won't press further. What I do want to hear from your own lips is how exactly this situation came about."
"Yes, sir. On my way back from an herb-gathering commission, I stumbled upon an overturned carriage. I confronted an adventurer who was attempting to abduct Lady Nina. After a brief skirmish, the attacker managed to flee, but I recovered Lady Nina shortly thereafter and escorted her — along with all of her attendants — back to the estate. My reasoning was that even if pursuers came after us, it would be difficult for them to make a move here at the Duke's residence. I do apologize for causing a commotion on the premises."
"Did you learn the intentions of the one who tried to take Nina?"
"No, sir. I was too focused solely on rescuing Lady Nina. The attacker struck without a single word of dialogue. However, Mist fled with Lady Nina toward his bedroom, which led me to infer that perhaps he harbored that sort of intent."
For just an instant, the Duke's expression twisted into something demonic.
"At Orichalcum Rank, there'd be no shortage of women willing to... But surely not. This matter is to be spoken of to no one. Understood?"
"Of course."
"As for your reward... would you consider employment under my house?"
"I appreciate the generous offer, but as I am now a free person, I would respectfully decline. Instead, if you could grant me your formal acknowledgment that you 'know nothing' about my speculated abilities, that would suffice."
◇◇◇◇◇◇
Skills: [Reverse] [Divine Eye] [Sword God] [Phantom Thief Gentleman] [Dark Magic] [Rock-Iron Magic] [Holy Magic] [Space-Time Magic] [Scorching Magic] [Freezing Ice Magic]
Rank: Bronze
Thank you for always reading😊