I grabbed the wine glass and made my way to the reception room.
Inside, a female knight with impeccably arranged blue hair sat poised. Even in the dimly lit room, her beauty, accentuated by the absence of her jet-black hood, shone like a polished gem, casting a radiant glow.
Of course, the woman's allure was not just limited to her flower-like beauty.
She bore the weight of her position within the esteed Imperial Guard and was a mber of the prestigious Lupermion family, one of the Empire's five major noble houses.
Irene Lupermion.
She was also the person fervently sought after by the Empire's fifth Imperial Princess, Cien.
For a brief mont, I had forgotten about her, but encountering her at the Percus manor was a surprise even to , despite having already heard from the Imperial Princess.
No one could have predicted her visit.
Da Irene's presence here had brought an undeniable sense of disruption.
The mysterious swordsman, fad for her skills, knelt before the host of the banquet.
Ned's enthusiastic cheers bordered on tearfulness, while Ria was rendered speechless with shock.
She simply oscillated between casting disbelieving gazes at and Da Irene.
Such was the weight of having an affiliation with Da Irene.
Considering the unique atmosphere of the academy, forging connections with the Saintess, Senior Elise, and even Seria were possible.
However, Da Irene was different.
As a graduate of the academy and a holder of an official title, it was inconceivable that such a skilled individual would address a younger man as 'Master' without hesitation.
Logically, this was sothing that would never happen.
When an undoubtedly exceptional individual used honorifics to refer to , it implied one singular fact:
It ant that I had surpassed Da Irene in strength.
Ria stuttered, managing to utter a single word.
"...C-could it be an 'Expert'?
It was a question that left the subject unclear, leaving us unable to discern whom Ria had in mind.
Whether she referred to or Da Irene, the answer remained unchanged.
So, I spoke with concern for Ria's well-being.
"Let's discuss this later."
That was how I found myself having a private eting with Da Irene.
Many were left puzzled.
Why did Da Irene address as 'Master'? Why did she abandon her Lady to visit the Percus manor? And what mysterious swordsmanship did she unveil upon her arrival?
Among those pondering these questions was myself.
Despite the curious glances directed our way, I insisted on a private eting with Da Irene.
After all, I, too, lacked a satisfactory answer to these questions.
Da Irene's attitude towards had changed significantly from before. The reason for that was clearly the future '.’
Therefore, it was crucial that I understood the circumstances because the future '' didn't engage in unnecessary actions.
Da Irene appeared sowhat bashful, her cheeks tinged with a blush.
Clearing her throat, she lifted her glass, wordlessly pouring the liquid.
The fragrance of wine filled the air as she finally spoke.
"I-I apologize... There have been so many gloomy events recently."
Although the details were omitted, I had a sense of what she ant.
It seed like an exaggerated reaction, finding hope amidst despair. I had heard that Da Irene had been wandering for quite so ti.
That raised further questions.
The skill she displayed undoubtedly seed to have been passed down by the future '.' Based on this, Da Irene must have seen a glimr of hope in overcoming the long period of darkness that had engulfed her.
The only puzzle was why the future ‘’ chose to impart such hope to Da Irene.
While the future '' had given various advice, he had rarely passed down skills. Initially, I had naturally grown stronger based on the man's mories.
However, the skill Da Irene had inherited was different.
It was a skill that demanded much more than just intuition or instinct, and there was a sense of profound skill.
There had to be a process behind imparting such a skill, worthy of Da Irene calling 'Master.’
The knight cautiously poured a drink.
We clinked our glasses in the air, and the fiery liquid flowed down my throat.
Out of courtesy, I decided to begin by welcoming her.
"...Firstly, welco to the Percus manor."
“N-no! Uh, I just followed Master's instructions..."
Embarrassed, Da Irene scratched her cheek, displaying a remarkably obedient attitude.
I was genuinely curious about what had happened while I was unconscious.
I struggled to suppress the questions bubbling within and smoothly steered the conversation.
"Your swordsmanship has improved a lot."
"I am an escort knight, after all."
Her response was smooth as if she were stating an indisputable fact.
On the contrary, there was even a newfound pride in her words.
"I tried my best to be able to once again stand by Her Imperial Highness’ side. Because I don't want to repeat the sa mistakes when I return."
I remained silent, still struggling to grasp the clear cause and effect.
It was just a result of tilting the wine glass.
Da Irene seed to interpret my silence slightly differently, casting a cautious glance my way before speaking with a hint of modesty.
"...Of course, it’s all thanks to your guidance, Master. As I ntioned earlier, I hope to have the opportunity to repay you."
"Repay?"
"Yes, anything! I will do my best to repay Master in any way possible."
I felt sowhat perplexed.
In truth, I didn’t even know what I had done for Da Irene. Yet, she suddenly expressed a desire to repay , leaving clueless as to its origin.
From our brief conversation, I gleaned the following information:
Da Irene learned swordsmanship from the future '.'
As I ntioned earlier, the future '' sent Da Irene to the Percus manor. There must have undoubtedly been a reason for that.
My imdiate curiosity was piqued by the latter.
Eventually, I cleared my throat to redirect Da Irene's focus.
"I only did what I could to help. I don't wish for repaynt for simple gestures."
"That can't be!"
Despite my humble words, Da Irene's attitude remained resolute.
She expressed her opinion with conviction.
"Of course, I was perplexed at first. I was wondering what was happening when you suddenly gave a kick..."
"...I suddenly gave you a kick?"
Da Irene's statent carried noticeable hesitation right from the beginning.
As I absentmindedly asked her further, she tilted her head in confusion.
"Yes, is there a problem?"
Frankly, it was more than an issue; it was bizarre.
It was not normal for a person to kick soone else without any reason.
However, Da Irene's tone betrayed no hint of doubt, leaving unable to press further.
A faint sigh escaped my lips.
It was a sign of resignation.
"...No, please continue."
Only then did Da Irene nod, launching into a lengthy expression of gratitude.
"In any case, including that unexpected kick, I received imnse favor from you, Master. It beca an opportunity to refine my almost-broken self. Moreover, you even taught the Sword Circle’s secret technique…”
I absorbed the information flowing from Da Irene.
Perhaps fueled by the potency of the alcohol, even though we had only shared a few glasses, Da Irene's story flowed without hesitation. It seed as though she was eager to unload all the mories of that day.
Of course, whether I could endure until the end remained uncertain, given the mounting effects of the alcohol.
"...Just that is enough for . Thank you for bringing to the Percus manor. I have done my best to show my achievents to Master."
"Is that all?"
In response to my brief question, Da Irene's gaze shifted towards .
Her story had been brief, leaving many details unexplored. While I couldn't imdiately delve into the full circumstances, I suspected there was more concealed beneath the surface.
The reason why Da Irene had felt compelled to co to the Percus manor.
I asked more directly.
"Was there anything else? Sothing more important, say, sothing that made you co all the way to the Percus Manor…"
"Ah."
Da Irene let out a faint sigh at my blunt question.
Her cheeks tinged with a hint of embarrassnt as she began to stamr out an apology.
Rising to her feet, she imdiately slamd her head onto the floor.
"Y-you’re right… I-I'm sorry, Master. I'll fix this…!"
"No, no! It's alright!"
Once was more than enough to experience an older woman bowing her head to , just like Senior Delphine did.
Swiftly, I halted Da Irene's action, forcing a smile.
"I'm relieved that you've rembered now."
"Yes, yes... I rember now."
Da Irene spoke hesitantly, readjusting her posture under my gaze.
Unable to resist the silent urging of my eyes, she soon sank back into her seat.
With flushed cheeks, Da Irene downed the remaining drink in one go before saying.
"...You ntioned not to take my eyes off your younger sister, right?"
There was a possibility that Ria could be in danger.
My hand, holding the glass, froze in an instant.
****
"Kya, kyack!"
As the door to the reception room swung open and I erged, a startled scream pierced the air.
It was my younger sister, Ria.
With her black locks and piercing golden eyes, she was incredibly beautiful. Her appearance was so lovely that it was hard to believe she was my younger sister.
Apparently, she had been trying to eavesdrop on my conversation with Da Irene by pressing her ear against the door of the reception room.
Of course, Ria wasn't the only one trying to sneak a listen.
From Father to various people from my hotown, including Ned, were all leaning in with ears pressed against the door. Upon hearing Ria's shriek, they quickly feigned innocence, pretending they hadn't been eavesdropping.
I couldn't help but stifle a bitter laugh.
"...What are you all doing?"
"Oh, you know... we were just wondering why the guest of honor hasn't arrived at the banquet today."
Father said that while deliberately avoiding my gaze.
It was an obvious lie, but I decided not to call them out on it.
Instead, I simply offered a resigned smile and waved them off.
"Well, it's all over now. Let's go back. Oh, and by the way, Da Irene plans to stay at the Percus manor for a while."
My words caused a subtle change in Father's expression.
With each additional guest, maintaining the decorum befitting our noble status beca increasingly challenging.
But it couldn't be helped.
After all, soone outside of our family was currently staying at our house. It was normal for the head of the family to be cautious.
While Father wasn't particularly concerned with the trappings of nobility, the unexpected arrival of a guest from the Lupermion family caught him off guard.
I was aware of his feelings, but I had no choice but to consider myself an unfilial son because Da Irene's presence was necessary for .
In the end, the gathering outside the reception room reluctantly dispersed at my urging, though their lingering curiosity about Da Irene was evident.
They were a nosy bunch, to say the least.
But one person remained steadfastly at my side until the very end.
"...Hmm, h-hmm!"
A fake cough from a certain black-haired beauty, attempting to draw my attention.
It was none other than my younger sister.
She seed to be trying to maintain an air of composure as she brushed aside her bangs. But the blush on her cheeks betrayed her true feelings.
I asked in disbelief.
"Why are you still here?"
"W-well, as the one responsible for entertaining guests at the Percus manor, I'm simply fulfilling my duties! You know, treatnt varies depending on the guest and their relationship with you, Oppa?"
At the sa ti, my younger sister, with a raised finger, seed to exude a hint of confidence.
But I knew.
Even as she closed her eyes and avoided my gaze, it was evident that her embarrassnt hadn't entirely dissipated.
After all, she was on the brink of adulthood, yet here she was, attempting to eavesdrop on her brother's conversations. It was almost unbelievable.
To outsiders, such behavior might easily lead to misunderstandings.
Yet, knowing my sister's love for and the fact that I cherished her a lot, I found myself unable to speak up imdiately.
It felt like my heart was being squeezed tight within my chest.
The thought that my sister might be in danger because of weighed heavily on my mind. I had long been a target of resentnt for the Dark Order.
As I remained silent, my sister continued to ramble on with her explanations.
"A-also, the other party is from the Lupermion family, right? If I listened to the conversation, it might provide helpful information for our business... and, and..."
"Ria."
At my gentle call, Ria pressed her eyelids even tighter shut.
"A-a-a-ah, alright! I was wrong! That's right, my coming-of-age ceremony is next year! I know it's not quite right for a younger sister to be so clingy to her older brother. But, Oppa, it's also your fault! Why do you always spend ti with other girls instead of ...!"
Before she could continue, I wordlessly placed my hand on Ria's shoulder.
With a firm grip, my hand squeezed her shoulder, causing Ria to look up at with wide eyes, startled by the unexpected touch.
A faint smile tugged at the corners of my lips.
"…Don't worry, I'll make sure not to hurt you as much."
Ria's lips moved, but no words ca out. It seed she struggled to comprehend the aning behind my unexpected assurance.
But that was enough.
With that said, I resud my steps, the intoxicating effects of the alcohol warming my brain like a fever.
There was one more piece of information Da Irene had ntioned.
"…And did she ntion patrolling the outskirts of the slums?"
While there were no real slums in our small countryside territory, it was common to refer to the shabby villages on the outskirts as such.
I decided to head there imdiately the next day.
***
And on that night.
"I-Ian…."
Tears welled up in her light pink eyes as she looked up at from my embrace.
"H-Have you got tired of ?!"
Her sweet voice carried a subtle scent of liquor.
My hand ran through her naked skin.
This woman… She was drunk and ended up straying into soone else's /genesisforsaken
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