For a while, Laius and Arendt’s days remained the same.

While Laius attended to his duties during the day and afternoon, Arendt spent his time locked in the training grounds, performing simple duties as an apprentice knight.

When dinner was over and everyone was asleep, they would leave the dormitory without fail and head to Cantares’ training grounds to exchange swords.

As if Cantares wanted to capture the entire process with his own eyes, he would come out to the training ground every night and watch them practice.

It was like that for several days.

Arthur, who had come to the knights’ training ground as usual, scolded him.

“You, why do you get more bruises as the days go by? Did you practice rolling down the stairs?”

“That would be better.”

“What?”

‘Hasn’t he been waiting for an opportunity to beat me up all this time?’

During the duel, Laius acted like a fish in water. Although he didn’t say anything, it seemed like he had been thirsting for a duel that felt like a real fight.

He thought he knew enough about Laius’ strength, but knowing it in his head and feeling it firsthand were two completely different things.

Arendt, who was always on the verge of dying, rushed into every fight with all his might, and Laius never refused.

There was no way his skills wouldn’t improve if he challenged the best knight in the empire every day to his death.

His magical power was completely depleted after the sparring and then almost completely recovered in the morning; by repeating this several times, it slowly but surely increased.

Thanks to that, Arendt endured longer and longer against Laius each day, even though he was dying from the muscle pain.

“Go inside and sleep. Your face is completely dark.”

“It’s okay, I’m still handsome.”

Arthur quietly clenched his fists.

Ugh, he wants to hit him, just once.

But before Arthur could finish his thoughts, Arendt struck first.

“Besides, I can’t do that even if I want to. I have plans later.”

“Plans? What plans?”

“Guess.”

Arthur threw his fist without further hesitation at the hateful retort that came flying at him again. However, Arendt easily dodged the attack by slightly lowering his head.

“Missed?”

“It was on purpose.”

Arendt, who was sticking out his tongue and saying “Moron,” reflexively caught the wooden sword flying in front of him. Then, when he checked his front again, Arthur, who had already prepared to attack, was rushing toward him.

“Oh, shit! What’s with the surprise attack? And you still call yourself a knight?”

“Don’t you have the slightest respect for your seniors, you punk!”

The two people began to naturally engage in a duel under the guise of sparring.

The knights who were each engrossed in their training looked at them with a puzzled look, but when they confirmed that it was Arendt and Arthur who were causing the commotion, they naturally returned to their tasks.

It wasn’t surprising anymore that those two were fighting noisily.

Today, too, the Third Knights’ training ground was peaceful.

“…Why do you look like that?”

“I just came from the training ground. Don’t worry about it.”

Arendt responded to Cantares’ calm question in his usual blunt manner.

It was an extremely subversive act in front of the Crown Prince, but no one at the scene raised an issue about it.

Arendt began to tidy up his clothes, perhaps strangely bothered by everyone’s ominous stares.

Laius, who had been staring at him blankly, asked seriously.

“Did you fight?”

“I said I came from the training ground. We didn’t fight, we just sparred. It got a little intense though.”

Cantares asked jokingly.

“Did you win?”

“Yes, of course.”

“What?”

Cantares’ eyes widened at the unexpected answer.

Arendt buttoned up his disheveled uniform again and tied up his messy hair neatly.

“I won, though it was a little late.”

“…Was your opponent Arthur?”

“Yes.”

When Laius, who had been absentmindedly moving his lips a few times, asked that question, Arendt nodded as if he was surprised.

“It seems like your skills have improved. You did well. I think this will be an opportunity for Arthur to work even harder.”

“He was already feeling wronged when I left him at the training ground.”

The fierce duel ended as Arthur was unable to withstand Arendt’s blow and dropped his sword.

The moment his wooden sword, which had been flying for a long time, rolled to the ground with a loud crash, the image of Arthur’s eyes widening in disbelief was still vivid.

The other knights were also dumbfounded by the unexpected result.

Leaving them alone, Arendt turned his back and left the training ground. It was easy to imagine how annoying that sight must have been.

Clap, Clap. Jereon cheered the surroundings on with a few rounds of applause.

“I am glad that Lord Arendt has improved, but we don’t have much time to chat. Shall we get down to business? Is that okay, Count?”

“Yes? Oh, yes!”

Count Stadler, whose name was suddenly called, answered hurriedly.

He hadn’t been in his right mind since earlier.

When he entered the palace, feeling like a cow being dragged to the slaughterhouse at the summons of the Crown Prince, the three people who had called him over were just having a pointless conversation with him.

It was absurd for Arendt to say everything he wanted to say in front of the Crown Prince and the captain, but since that was the kind of person he was, he tried to understand it.

However, it was difficult to adapt to the attitude of the Crown Prince and Laius, who accepted everything as if it were a given.

Even Jereon, who should have said a word of warning as the aide to the Crown Prince, was just smiling quietly, so Count Stadler had no idea where to look.

Luckily for the Count, who was sweating profusely, Cantares spoke first.

“I heard the story from Lord Arendt, Count. It must have been a difficult decision, but I am grateful to you for changing your mind.”

“Oh, no, Your Highness! I am…!”

“Yes, I know. It was the best choice for you, too. If Lord Arendt had not shown mercy, you would have been thrown into the dungeons already. Never forget that.”

Cantares’s blue eyes had suddenly become as cold as ice.

Count Stadler, who had been smiling several times, lowered his head again.

“… I will live my whole life in atonement.”

“Then let’s go back to the original plan. Commander Laius, report first.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Only then did Cantares give orders to Laius in his usual even tone.

“The comparison of the invisibility scrolls possessed by the assassins who attacked Sir Arendt and those who raided the East Safe have been completed. It is said that a weak amount of the same magical power was detected on both.”

Considering the flow of the story so far, this result wasn’t all that surprising.

Arendt, who had been listening quietly, asked, “What happened to them?”

“They are still in custody. They have no memory problems, and they are under surveillance day and night to prevent them from committing suicide. However, no one has opened their mouths yet.”

“What a great spirit. Is there anything more important than life? Do you know about any gardens, Count Stadler?”

“Yes? Are you talking about a garden?”

Count Stadler asked in bewilderment at the unexpected question.

“I don’t think you’re talking about a literal garden… I’ve never heard of such slang.”

“Then what kind of conversation did you have with Marquis Grieg?”

“It is as I told Lord Arendt. Marquis Grieg simply gave me a sample of the magic power. I think he was trying to introduce me to other people at the banquet.”

Having said that, Count Stadler’s gaze turned to Arendt.

What would follow could be easily guessed without anything even needing to be said.

Laius spoke with understanding, “Arendt was the one who disrupted the situation.”

“Haha…”

Count Stadler let out an awkward laugh.

This time Arendt asked a question.

“Have you received any further contact from the Marquis since then?”

“Yes, I guess he’s really upset because I took Arendt’s side… he hasn’t said anything special so far.”

“Have they noticed any signs that the Count has changed his mind?”

“Probably not.”

When Jereon asked, Count Stadler answered vaguely.

“The only contact between me and them was Marquis Grieg. Judging from the fact that he hasn’t said anything yet, I don’t think he’s noticed yet.”

“That’s fortunate.”

Arendt, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, suddenly intervened.

“Perhaps he was trying to explain to the Count what the garden was that day? He said he was going to introduce other people to him that day.”

“That could be possible. He was probably seriously thinking of getting the Count involved.”

Jereon also agreed.

Count Stadler, who had been listening to the story for a while and then answering blankly, suddenly jumped up from his seat.

“Please, if there is anything I can do, please tell me without holding back.”

“Huh?”

The three people’s bewildered gazes gathered around him.

Count Stadler swallowed dry saliva and opened his mouth.

“I said I would live in atonement. There is no lie in that oath. I will do whatever I can.”

“Atonement?”

Then, an extremely sarcastic voice suddenly interrupted.

“Is it because of atonement? Really?”

Arendt’s golden eyes, asking questions one by one, reflected Count Stadler’s gaze.

Count Stadler paused for a moment, forgetting what he was going to say.

“Let’s be honest here. Count, you just want to continue your research.”

There was a brief silence.

Cantares just sat back in his chair and watched, while Laius and Jereon also kept their mouths shut and just stared at the Count.

“I am sure that your wish will come true. Just continue the research that inspired you.”

As the young knight spoke in a cold voice, Count Stadler’s eyes also became calmer.

“When a dangerous moment came, you asked His Highness the Crown Prince for protection. Let’s put aside words like atonement and loyalty that you don’t mean and just benefit together.”

Count Stadler clenched and unclenched his fists several times, then let out a weak laugh. His stiff shoulders relaxed.

“…I don’t think that’s something a knight should say, but I see. That’s reasonable.”

Count Stadler sank to his knees. A dull light appeared in his eyes beyond the monocle.

The Count swallowed dry saliva and opened his mouth again.

“Can I ask for research funding?”

“Of course. I promise in the name of the Crown Prince.”

Cantares smiled as if he had been waiting for it and answered.

“Tell me everything you need. Money, manpower, a lab… I’ll give you something much better than what those Broken Heart Swords or whatever their name is promising. But if you betray me, you’ll pay with your life.”

Count Stadler nodded silently.

“What should I do?”

“Contact Marquis Grieg and tell him that you want to join his cause. Be willing to risk your life for the sake of your research.”

The answer came back from Arendt.

Arendt smiled, his eyes wide.

“There’s no need to act like that. That’s just the Count’s nature anyway.”

“Haha… if you put it that way, then I have nothing to say.”

The Count burst into a weak laugh, wiped his face once, and raised his head again.

“I won’t necessarily deny it.”

Now there was no longer any hesitation or anxiety in his eyes.