"How long do you plan to remain a servant? If you keep this up, you'll be taking care of Catherine even after she's old and can't move."
"That..."
"..."
Neither Billford nor Catherine could say anything to Carl's joke. Even if Billford is knighted right now, it is already very late.
Billford already has a win rate of close to .300 in his duels with Catherine.
He will probably surpass Catherine before he turns 20. No, before that, he will beco a master and beco Carl's sharpest sword. However, there are still many problems as Billford remains as Catherine's squire.
"lady Catherine, how about we beco independent from your young squire?"
"I guess I need to get so new seeds."
Billford noticed Catherine's sighing voice.
Billford actually wanted to be half a knight and half a servant to Catherine.
He wanted to be a knight but didn't think he could do the job as well as Catherine, who he brought in, in various fields. As a man of commoner origins, Billford was weak at things that required using his head.
"Billford, you can't do well from the beginning. If you stop because you're afraid of making mistakes, that's where it'll end. You'll make mistakes and fail at first. But you'll definitely do well. I've already taught you everything there is to teach you."
"Yes, lady Catherine."
Billford nodded with a moved face at Catherine's earnest advice. Although he was 17 and had grown into a man, Billford still acted like a boy when dealing with Catherine. That must be because he grew up under Catherine since he was little.
"So I'm finally getting my second article... That was really long."
"My glory ends here."
Catherine cracked a little joke as Carl muttered a sigh.
It's a joke that only Catherine, the 4th Prince, the Grand Duchess of the Empire, and the only knight of Carl, the 'Laurel Planter', can make.
"Billford will beco a master before he turns 20, so Sir Catherine, please beco a master quickly so that you will not be overtaken."
"I'll try my best."
"..."
Billford pursed his lips with a burdened look in his eyes. If it were that easy, then Nero, who beca a master at the age of 20, wouldn't have been called 'the greatest martial artist in the history of Morgan'...
"By the way, I was thinking of saying hello to Master Jaren. Do you want to co with ?"
"Yes, but I want to check on the soldiers first."
Although she had a sowhat subtle ill-fated relationship with Jaren, it was not enough for Catherine to avoid him.
And Jaren... Jaren had changed a lot since they first t. There was no reason to be uncomfortable.
Carl approached the soldiers of the Laurel Brigade and checked to see if there was any problem. These were the soldiers of the Laurel Legion who were all riding horses to roam the eastern part of the empire.
mp-y,r.
Of course, they were all fine. Then Carl stopped on the road, waiting for Jaren, who was moving slightly behind him.
The soldiers of the central army murmured as they watched Carl standing by the roadside, and after soone passed by, striking his shield with his spear, they began to straighten up.
The figure finally arrived, his heavy armor glinting in the sun. It was Jaren, the commander of the third unit of the central army, who had been moving at a slower pace.
"Master Jaren, it's been a while."
This act of respect was cut short when Carl, who had discovered Jaren, rode alongside him.
"Your Highness."
Jaren looked at Carl with wavering eyes, spoke briefly, lowered his head once, and then shut his mouth tightly.
"It's been a year since I last saw you last winter. How have you been?"
"… I just… lived an ordinary life."
Jaren spoke indifferently, his face heavy with the arrogant and petty appearance he used to show as a lie.
"you look uncomfortable."
"… … ."
"Can't you just say no out of courtesy?"
Carl said with a soft smile.
Jaren slowly raised his head and looked at Carl with his mouth tightly shut. His neatly trimd beard was a bit ssy as it was not well maintained, and his dark eyes were full of agony.
"Are you here to harass again?"
"? You?"
Carl spoke naturally, as if he really didn't know. Carl had visited Jaren intermittently for three months before leaving Himln as Archduke.
And he relentlessly dug into Jaren's inner self, which was writhing in sha and self-loathing, and left this powerful Master, who was over 40 years old, in shambles.
He completely destroyed the master with his three-inch tongue. Frustrated and desperate, Jaren began to reflect on himself and pushed himself hard for the past year.
And then, he was finally able to realize it.
"Now I know what kind of person I was. Your Highness, you don't have to co and scold ."
Jaren realized that Carl wasn't just doing it to harass him. He spent a year focusing on himself and getting his mind straight.
He looked back on himself and threw himself into it. Then everything around him changed. Jaren, who was once despised not only by the imperial masters but also by the nobles and officers of the military, was now recognized as a respectable master.
Only after being faithful to one's duties as a master could one gain fa and power. But Jaren shook it all off, remaining just a master.
"Oh, Master Jaren. I never scolded you. How could I scold you when you have outlived by twenty years?"
"You are still so cruel."
"If that's you, then so be it."
Jaren didn't hate Carl, but he found him tireso. He just wished he would hurry up and go. However, Carl, who was in a great mood after eting Lilly for the first ti in a year, was considerably more playful than usual.
"Well, then I'm sorry."
"… … ."
Jaren's eyebrows twitched at Carl's muttering. Carl smiled as he watched Jaren's reaction and spoke in a very soft voice.
"Master Jaren, I will act separately from the central forces."
"… …Why are you telling that?"
"Of course you will go with ."
"…that...."
"Of course, I've already told Hansval everything. Don't worry, just follow ."
"…"
This son of a bitch, His Highness the Archduke…
"Why do you look at like that?"
As Jaren gritted his teeth and glared, Carl spoke slyly.
"…no…."
Jaren mumbled sothing as if he was chewing and spitting it out, then turned away from Carl. But by not complaining, Jaren conveyed his intention to follow Carl's orders without question.
Carl took down the petty and arrogant fool known as 'Master Jaren' and revealed the raw human being known as 'Jaren.'
.In this way, Jaren was reborn and is living a new life. Even while Carl was openly teasing and making fun of the young Archduke, Jaren couldn't help but hate him.
"It seems like you have so complaints. If you tell , I will take action."
"… …Stop it."
"Oh, you look angry."
"…."
Jaren took back what he thought he didn't hate Carl. Isn't this young archduke just out to have fun tornting Jaren?
"It's reassuring to have the Master with . But trusting too much is dangerous, so I'll trust him moderately."
"…You trust too much."
"Oh, I trust my own people too much, don't I? Catherine? Billford?"
"…yes…."
'That's a difficult question to answer... ... .'
Catherine glanced at him and answered hesitantly. Catherine and Jaren made awkward eye contact, then avoided eye contact.
"… … ."
Billford just kept his mouth shut and lowered his head.
He felt so suffocated that he wanted to run away.
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