The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 28.2

“Private tutoring, huh….”

Gawain stood before me, stroking his chin as he murmured.

“I never knew something like this could substitute for punishment. Well, I suppose I should be grateful to you.”

Eliza mansion, a considerable distance from the main estate.

Gawain and I met at some training grounds.

An indoor training ground covered in dirt.

Usually where knights and soldiers residing in this mansion would train.

They’re all gone now.

“Are you really satisfied with this? My sins are not so easily forgiven.”

“It’s alright. I actually think it’s a good opportunity.”

“Hmm…. I thought you were an enthusiastic candidate, but you’ve exceeded my expectations. Very well. If that’s the price, so be it, as much as you want.”

He casually tossed a wooden practice sword.

“I’ve taught several people individually, including squires, but I’m not honestly a kind teacher. I don’t even trust myself to be a good teacher.”

I listened to his words after receiving it.

“I value practical experience over theory, and I’m more likely to give criticism than praise. Since I don’t know how to do it moderately, it’ll hurt badly. This is my final question. Are you okay with that?”

That’s exactly what I want.

Rather than clumsy consideration mixed with education, harsh and cruel lessons are much better.

What I pursue is the power to protect my own life.

Moreover, now I have to be careful of getting arrogant.

I want to get stronger as soon as possible even for a day.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Yeah. I like your eyes.”

Gawain even threw his shield.

“First, let’s see your real skills. Come at me prepared to kill.”

After refining my posture with [Swordsmanship], I slowly approached him.

Gawain’s weapon was a longsword.

Carefully exploring, I stabbed the sword where I thought there was a gap.

But the sword easily twisted, and at the same time, Gawain’s sword stabbed my neck.

A dull shock pierced my body.

My breath was blocked.

“Urgh!”

“Again.”

Since then, I’ve been beaten like a rag with a cloth in laundry.

****

“Are you crazy….”

Swearing came out involuntarily.

The target is Gawain.

I was beaten all over my body.

It was so effective and meaningful training that it made me doubt if he wanted to beat me up normally.

But it was definitely different in quality from what I learned at the training camp.

It was more a process of self-discovery as I learned through receiving blows rather than being taught, but anyway.

[Swordsmanship (Lv.1 > 2)]

The increase in the attribute level of swordsmanship proves it.

“I don’t often do this….”

He and I both have things to do, so the training is twice a week.

He said the place and date don’t matter.

“It’s fastest to learn while you’re correcting mistakes. It’s a good opportunity, so I should absorb as much as possible.”

***

After training ended, Anna guided me.

There was a disturbance last night, but there were still many guests.

Eliza’s birthday party still seemed to be ongoing.

“This will be the room you, Judas, will use in the future.”

Next to Eliza’s bedroom.

It was quite spacious for a bedroom, and it had all the necessary space.

Of course, there was a bathroom, and even a dressing room.

I never expected to live in a room with a dressing room.

If this isn’t luxurious, I don’t know what is.

It was much larger and cleaner than the isolated room last night.

Even here, Anna was in charge of my expenses.

“If you need anything else, please let me know. I’ll be staying in the room right across.”

If you need anything else here, it’s a person who needs conscience.

After checking the room, I went to find my colleagues in Room 13.

Since the party wasn’t over, they were also staying in the annex.

“Judas!”

“What happened?”

“Hey! What happened in the early morning?”

“Is it true that a villain appeared?”

“Are you okay?!”

They ask loudly.

Upon hearing them, Barak roughly explained what had happened in the early morning to the guests, and they had heard it too.

So I honestly, albeit vaguely, revealed it.

Simply put, Eliza was attacked by a villain, and I happened to discover it while visiting the bathroom.

It’s an unbelievable coincidence, but it’s true.

“…That’s what happened. As you can see, I’m not injured.”

I did get hit by Gwayne, but I wasn’t injured in the early morning.

When I finished speaking, they fell silent for a moment.

Richard was the first to speak.

“Are you okay?”

He’s not talking about my body.

I killed someone for the first time.

I also received mental education about murder.

Being a Escort Knight ultimately involves killing any life that threatens the owner.

Even if it’s a person.

But training and actual murder are different.

I honestly told them,

“I was nervous at first, but surprisingly… I’m okay.”

“Okay then… that’s good, man.”

Apart from Richard, the others didn’t say much about the murder.

Instead, they comforted and encouraged me.

They might think it’s a natural thing for those who want to be Eliza’s Escort Knight.

Dylan patted my back.

“You did well.”

Indeed, the ethics here are different from the world I know.

Still, that’s somewhat comforting, too.

***

“Hmmm”

Miguel, the head steward of Eliza’s mansion adjusted his glasses.

In the mansion, it was the place where all the garbage accumulated.

It was disposed of all at once at regular intervals.

Eliza’s birthday party had not yet ended.

Therefore, as the Steward, he had to entertain or manage guests at the banquet hall.

However, as the chief steward, he occasionally had to visit such places.

If surveillance was lax, things tended to slack off.

It was closer to professional compulsion than loyalty.

Eliza and Judas had experienced such things, but the world continued as usual.

To Miguel, this fact was not particularly surprising.

Simply put, his biggest concern was who he should sincerely remain loyal to in the future.

“Lord Miguel?”

A servant approached.

The sack he brought was full of all sorts of garbage.

Trash poured out as if it had only been one day since the party began.

Especially broken glasses. Wine bottles and such. Therefore, Miguel was not interested in the few glass shards inside.

“We found something like this.”

The servant handed over a paper the size of his palm.

Among the garbage, paper received special treatment.

Especially on days when nobles gathered.

No one knew what secret notes the attending nobles secretly exchanged.

While it was rare for them to be careless, it was certain they existed.

In fact, the notes exchanged in such places could contain important and valuable information.

Mostly love letters from young nobles.

Insignificant, but they couldn’t be overlooked.

“Hmm.”

Miguel accepted the paper.

A heavily crumpled paper. It was full of wear.

Dirty with sand as if it had rolled on the ground.

However, there was nothing written on the paper.

Empty content.

‘Durable material. Quite an expensive item to discard like this.’

The rough torn end was worn out.

Clearly, it bore traces of something written and handed over to someone.

Michael held the paper up to the sun and asked.

“Where did you find this?”

“Well… I don’t remember it well. I found it while cleaning up. I’m sorry… Oh, but it seems to have been close to where they were selecting knight candidates. I’m not sure, though…”

A blank paper with no content.

Miguel took off his gloves and touched it with his bare hands.

After flattening it as much as possible, he felt the texture of the paper with his fingerprints.

It was difficult to select due to creases and folds, but clearly….

‘… There are traces of writing.’

There was an imprint left by someone pressing with a pen.

It was extremely subtle but definite.

‘Used a type of writing instrument that is volatile or easily erasable.’

Even if exposed, the content should never be revealed to the outside.

It meant there was a secret order written.

‘Who could be so meticulous about this…? And what is their purpose?

Miguel fell into his second concern.

He was a confidential Steward.

He watched Eliza and reported her actions to Barak.

Miguel speculated separately about Barak’s motives.

That is, to restrain Eliza, a highly talented mage.

Recently, Eliza awakened that power.

The fire that illuminated yesterday’s dawn remained strongly in his mind.

So, there is conflict.

Even Barak is wary of Eliza’s power.

It may disrupt the balance of power.

Should he trust and follow that power?

If so, he must show this document.

However, Eliza is just a newly awakened novice mage.

She has no foundation.

Therefore, should he remain loyal to Barak as he believed?

If so, this document must be hidden.

‘…….’

Miguel made his decision.