Sir Hero, It’s Time to Train!

Christian had heard countless stories about his grandfather from his mother before he traveled to the capital.

In his prime as the head of Rondel Kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he was reputed among foreign diplomats as a “man who wouldn’t bleed a drop if pricked with a needle” and was known for being stern.

However, now, perhaps due to age, although he still held the title of head of foreign affairs, he was practically semi-retired.

Nonetheless, the authority of Marquis Ferdida’s household had not waned. Historically, the head of foreign affairs was always from the Ferdida family, and his successor was also slated to be his son.

Thus, the Ferdida Marquisate remained one of the top five most influential families in the central political arena.

For this reason, Christian had done his best to prepare thoroughly.

‘No matter if they’re relatives, in the end, they are outsiders. I must think of them as a separate family from Worden.’

Hence, Christian approached them more as an ally rather than with familial affection or closeness.

He aimed to build a relationship based on mutual respect as members of their respective families without getting swayed by trivial emotions.

“Ah, you’ve become so thin. Butler! Butler! Prepare dinner immediately!”

…was his initial intention.

Marquis Roscarle Ferdida, who had been patting Christian’s face, sprang up with tears in his eyes and shouted.

“Ah, I should have scolded and taught your mother more when she was young. I pampered her too much just because she was the youngest. Sigh, how could she have sent you so far without even some pocket money?”

“I did receive quite a bit of pocket money…”

His grandmother, Rosa Ferdida, also patted Christian’s back with a look of pity on seeing her grandson so thin, wiping her own tears with a handkerchief.

That sight was enough to make everyone present shake their heads, thinking, ‘Her daughter did wrong, tsk tsk.’

“I will visit and sternly reprimand your mother soon. Just trust your grandmother.”

“…”

Kind Rosa’s eyes turned sharp, causing Christian to flinch. After sighing, she turned her gaze to Aira, who was beside him.

“Aira has grown up. You could get married now.”

“Uh, ah, yes, yes?”

Rosa’s sudden comment made Aira blush. Despite having been tense since entering the Ferdida manor, she quickly melted under Grandma’s warm smile and kind words.

Rosa, finding Aira adorable, patted her head and said,

“You two stuck together as children, and now you’re still inseparable.”

“… Did I?”

“… Surely not.”

Aira, looking appalled, moved away from Christian, who also scrunched up his face, seemingly dubious about the idea.

However, Aira soon returned to her respectful granddaughter demeanor and carefully asked Rosa,

“Could it be that I met Ma’am Rosa as a child…?”

“Just call me Grandma. You don’t like Grandpa sounds from that old man, do you?”

Rosa’s critique led Roscarle to clear his throat, while Christian enthusiastically nodded in agreement.

“Th-then, grandma…”

Aira, too, lowered her head bashfully, understanding Christian’s sentiment.

“We don’t have grandparents on our father’s side at all.”

There were no elders in Worden County. To be precise, his grandfather had passed away early while participating in monster subjugation, and his grandmother had died shortly after giving birth to the current Count Worden.

Thus, the concept of grandparents was unfamiliar and awkward for Aira.

“Miles family also never saw their maternal grandparents.”

Aira’s grandfather, who disappeared as if on vacation, was never met, and her grandmother had passed away long ago due to illness.

“It’s fortunate that they are both healthy.”

If the grandparents they met at the capital were unwell, Christian’s mother would have been very worried upon hearing such news.

“You don’t remember meeting us back then?”

“… No. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize. We met briefly when you were five, so it would be more odd if you did remember.”

Rosa smiled gently at Aira’s apology.

“I remember!”

However, unlike the two siblings, Caedwin proudly stood up and bowed.

“Oh my, Caedwin, still full of energy as you were back then. And Liber looks even more handsome.”

“Thank you, marchioness Rosa.”

“Th-thank you.”

As Liber politely bowed, Sonya also quickly bowed in courtesy. They both felt proud that the Marquis couple remembered them.

“Now, let’s go eat first, shall we? Even in the capital, our family’s chef is renowned for their skills. Don’t hesitate to say what you want to eat.”

“Yes! I’m fine with anything, as long as it’s meat!”

Caedwin, whose cheerfulness stood out, made Liber sigh softly with slight embarrassment.

The elderly couple, however, didn’t mind Caedwin’s spirited attitude at all, seeming quite enamored with him.

“Christian and Aira, get up. Quickly.”

“But, can we wash up first?”

They had come deliberately disheveled, and the reason was to gauge the reaction of their relatives…

Realizing they may have committed a severe faux pas, Christian hesitated for the first time.

Aira, watching him, elbowed him sharply, glaring at him as if saying, ‘I told you to dress properly!’

… Who knew they’d be this welcoming?

“What’s the matter? Isn’t it more important to have some food first before you faint?”

“Um…”

“Come on, let’s go. I’ve already ordered to prepare, so let’s eat first.”

Roscarle, unable to wait further, physically encouraged the children to stand and push them away.

Finally, Christian and his group were led to the dining hall, swayed by the couple’s compelling guidance.

‘I feel like I’ve done something wrong.’

‘Not you “feel” but you have! Stop viewing the world so coldly.’

‘… Sorry.’

Feeling a pang of guilt, Christian was scolded by Aira with a glare.

*

It had been several days since Christian and his group took refuge with the Ferdida Marquisate.

In truth, on the surface, not much had changed in Christian’s daily routine since staying there.

Really, there was no reason for changes. Rising early, kicking awake the lazy group, and dragging them to the open space on the estate, Christian utilized the ground as a training area, pushing the group to their limits.

After the grueling routine, they’d refresh in a bath and have breakfast. Some doting on the grandparents and a lot of training; this was Christian’s life for the past days.

However, there had been a small change…

“Good! That’s it!”

“Eek!”

Aira hastily moved to dodge from her position on the floor, only to have three powerful waves sweep through where she had been standing.

“Quick to recover, you’re amazing, Aira!”

“You’re just as impressive, sister! Haah!”

Nemea pursued Aira as she retreated, continuing the wave attacks. Yet, Aira, identifying the weak points in the continuous assault, scattered them and deflected the sword strike.

In the blink of an eye, Aira sprang into Nemea’s range, deftly aiming with the hilt of her sword at Nemea’s chest.

No way to dodge that?

Christian, observing, slightly nodded, acknowledging Aira’s clever move.

The moment Nemea realized she couldn’t dodge, she quickly wrapped her entire body in mana.

“Graaa! Iron Wall!”

…it’s just a simple barrier.

Crash—!

Despite being a simple barrier, its resistance against physical force was noteworthy, holding against Aira’s overwhelming wave-powered attack head-on.

“Gaah!”

Although it only blocked the attack, unable to absorb the full force, Nemea fell and rolled on the ground.

“Oof…”

“S-sorry, sister!”

Aira quickly rushed to Nemea’s side. This different demeanor from when she was being attacked made Christian sigh.

“Aren’t you also finding your rhythm?”

“To think it would progress this quickly is a surprise.”

Unlike Christian, who quietly observed Aira and Nemea’s duel from a distance, Liber, raising his sensitivity to mana seated quietly, glanced down at his sword with complex feelings.

The sword’s clear wave brilliance was markedly different from the previous demonstrations. Liber had perfectly comprehended the wave.

“Elder brother, it was only a matter of time before you awakened it. All of this is your achievement.”

While others claimed Christian’s training heavily emphasized physical conditioning, he never solely focused on it.

He valued balance above all, and his physical training aimed to correct imbalances.

Christian understood better than anyone that only when the balance between body and mana was maintained could the power of waves fully manifest.

“Though I still don’t fully grasp your theory.”

While Liber hadn’t fully comprehended Christian’s training methods yet…

“But I won’t doubt your way anymore.”

“Well, that’s good. Unlike that guy, you’re following well.”

“…”

Christian glanced over to Caedwin madly doing push-ups some distance away. Liber also looked over with a wry smile.

Even Caedwin, who had opposed it so vehemently, seemed to have had a change of heart upon witnessing Liber awakening waves, or perhaps it was simply resignation amid no escape, but he was diligently keeping up.

Pulling his gaze from Caedwin, Christian spoke to Liber.

“Shall we have a duel now?”

“No, I’d rather not…”

Recollecting the unimpressive outcomes in his past duels with Christian, Liber subtly averted his gaze.

“Ahem. But shouldn’t you be heading out early today?”

“Are you trying to avoid this now?”

“I’m not trying to avoid it! It’s just that today, you being the Count’s reprieve to offer peace to His Majesty, needs to be prepared with care.”

“Sighs. I could just wear something simple and go…”

“Please don’t. It’s something that concerns the honor of not only Worden County but also Rangar region, Ferdida and Miles.”

“Why does it keep adding up?”

Christian let out a sigh. And as he glanced back, believing Aira and Nemea’s duel to be over, they had started a second round, which made him pout.

As much as he wanted to keep watching, it seemed like it’d be wise to end the morning training here.