The Sword Master’s Son-in-Law

– Outing

A man who couldn’t read.

Naturally, then, Asia had seen Arthas as nothing more than a man of brute strength.

A man who despised learning, who sought to resolve everything with force alone.

But after becoming his tutor, she had to reassess that impression.

Arthas was not merely a man of brute strength.

His general knowledge was surprisingly profound, hardly befitting a commoner.

And his comprehension was quite remarkable.

‘It’s as if he received some kind of high-level education.’

So Arthas’s sole flaw was simply his illiteracy.

Asia, feeling a bit awkward, offered a compliment to Arthas.

“You are learning quicker than I anticipated.”

“Eh…? Oh… Thank you.”

Arthas, grateful for Asia’s praise,

Currently looked gaunt, with dark circles that stretched down to his cheeks.

Indicating he had been enduring an arduous time.

Asia suggested a respite, seeing his state.

“Well… shall we rest a bit?”

“R-really? Is that alright…?”

A smile flickered across Arthur’s lips.

Asia wasn’t particularly pleased that this man was so delighted by the mere mention of rest.

‘Barely even pushed him.’

Contrary to Asia’s thoughts, Arthur had a reason for eagerly awaiting this break.

Three hours.

That’s how much he slept during the week he had been studying under Asia.

Sparta was not this Spartan.

He had endured a week living like that, without so much as a pause.

So, when the declaration of rest arrived after such a life, Arthur was overjoyed.

Asia glanced towards the window.

Noon.

The sun hung directly overhead.

“…I’m afraid I must retract the ‘little rest’ proposal.”

“E-excuse me…? Why all of a sudden…!”

Asia’s words struck like a bolt from the blue.

Arthur’s expression visibly darkened.

Asia, seeking to placate him, followed with words like honey.

“Given the progress we’ve made this past week, let’s make today’s break a full day’s reprieve.”

Not just a break, but an entire day.

Tears welled in Arthur’s eyes at the prospect of such an extended respite, the first in a week.

“T-thank you.”

While expressing his gratitude,

Arthur also formed a judgement about this new side of Asia.

‘She truly is the granddaughter of Count Hans Messiah, creator of the Hell Training Regiment. How… this Spartan education…’

Arthur believed he was only able to hold on because he was who he was. Anyone else would have ran off a long time ago.

Arthur decided to gift this newly acquired rest time to his weary brain.

A nap, of course.

However…

Asia wasn’t leaving the room.

“Uhm, Lady Asia…?”

Why wasn’t she leaving, and what was she doing here?

From Arthur’s perspective, Asia appeared to be lost in thought.

When she didn’t respond to his first call, Arthur called out to Asia once more.

“Excuse me, Lady Asia?”

“Yes? Yes!”

“So… aren’t you heading back?”

Arthur had issued an unspoken dismissal.

Not harshly, but with a slight circumlocution.

Yet Asia didn’t catch it.

Asia’s head was brimming, overflowing with other thoughts.

‘This man has been following along quite well these past weeks. That merits a reward, doesn’t it…? Perhaps a mere break isn’t sufficient as a reward… Yes! I shall guide him to the merchant district!’

Her personal attendant, Melia.

Asia recalled Melia’s words.

‘Miss Asia. Any gentleman would consider an outing with you a distinct honor!’

After some deliberation, Asia changed her mind again.

‘But… an outing, just the two of us… Even if this man is a candidate for my betrothed… No! This is a reward! Grandfather and Father both said so! If effort is expended, a reward must be given!’

That was the quality of a ruler, she thought.

Asia clenched her fists and declared.

“It is a reward! For this break, you shall accompany me on an outing to the merchant district!”

Of course, Asia hadn’t even considered the possibility that Arthur might refuse her proposal.

Arthur, momentarily taken aback by Asia’s suggestion, quickly responded.

Arthur, weary as he was, took this suggestion…

“Yes… Lady Asia. I shall consider it a profound honor.”

…and accepted.

The reason why the weary Arthur accepted this proposal.

It was simple.

‘…Refusing might sour relations.’

Asia was someone he would likely have to spend a considerable time with.

Therefore, he couldn’t possibly reject the reward she offered.

Even if he felt like he was about to die from exhaustion.

*

An outing, just Asia and him…

‘Could one call this a date…?’

As a reward, Asia had granted him a date.

And then, she left the room.

And so, he waited for Asia.

“Haa…, well, this is easier than I thought.”

Fundamental Studies.

There were many disciplines, but most were at the level of an elementary school student from his previous life.

Hence, they were called fundamental studies, he supposed.

“There shouldn’t be too much difficulty, then.”

One month.

He hadn’t fully learned the writing system yet, but he had enough time remaining.

“That old man…! He should have taught me how to write sooner!”

As he harbored resentment towards the old man,

* * *

Tap, tap.

A knock sounded from beyond the door.

“I’m coming in.”

It was Asia.

More precisely, Asia, having changed her clothes and returned to my room.

A white dress, light and airy.

A hat with a wide brim, seemingly intended to conceal her face.

With her eyes and nose hidden, her red lips stood out vividly.

“How is it…?”

“You are beautiful, truly.”

A sincere sentiment.

Asia was beautiful.

Even at the young age of sixteen, the beauty she would possess in the future was plain to see.

“Oh…? Yes… Thank you.”

Asia blushed a little, perhaps not expecting me to be so direct.

Asia spoke to me.

“Shall we go through the back door for now?”

“The back door, you say? Why is that?”

Why would she suggest using the back door when there was a perfectly good main entrance?

Was it perhaps closer to the commercial district?

My question was answered by Asia’s next words.

“…Do you think Father would allow us to go to the market together?”

“Ah…!”

Indeed.

Even these lessons I was having with Asia were being done in secret.

Imagine trying to go out together.

Count Messiah might not be able to outright forbid it, but he might very well order the knights to accompany us.

And, of course, that would be far from a reward.

It would feel more like patrolling or inspecting the market.

“In any case, follow me.”

“Yes.”

And so, I followed Asia, and through a hidden back route, we slipped out of the Count’s estate.

A lively commercial district.

It was distinctly different from the East where I had lived.

Perhaps it was because it was a wealthier area.

It was as if I could see the measure of happiness, though it should be invisible.

‘…It goes without saying, but the security is better too.’

Pickpockets, so common in the East.

The hungry children that haunted every alley.

Such things were entirely absent here.

Asia led me down the street, then stopped abruptly.

“Do you know what the Messia Earldom is most famous for?”

I knew immediately what Asia was getting at.

After all, she’d stopped at a street vendor.

“Street food, perhaps?”

“Yes!”

Asia spun a brief tale of the street’s history.

The Sword Saint, Hans Messia.

He was a gourmand.

Not just someone who ate well, but a connoisseur of fine tastes.

Simply put, the Sword Saint loved delicious food.

And so, he wanted to make his domain a place overflowing with it.

The method he chose was this:

“My grandfather established a culinary academy so the people of the earldom could easily learn to cook. Thanks to that, it’s hard to find a bad meal in our lands.”

Asia approached the stall and purchased two skewers.

She handed one to me, her eyes shining with anticipation.

I took a large bite.

The skewer was succulent.

A subtle aroma of smoke permeated the air.

The meat itself wasn’t tough, but a perfect balance of chewy and tender.

“Delicious.”

The quality was certainly high.

Better than any skewer I’d had in the East.

“Right?”

Perhaps it was because her earldom had been acknowledged.

A bright smile bloomed on Asia’s face.

She moved a little closer to me.

But the smile then faded as she created some distance between us.

Probably because she had gotten too close.

“Ahem! Anyway, this isn’t the end!”

“Not the end?”

“Look!”

Asia stretched her hand forward.

At the end of that hand, a long line of street vendors.

“There are so many places that sell delicious food. Even if you’re full, force yourself to eat! It’s a reward, after all!”

A reward…

“Yes, I shall eat with gratitude!”

It was indeed, a very good reward.

.

Full.

One might even say I’m on the verge of bursting.

‘Truly, every stall is of such high quality.’

Then just how much more delicious must the food be at an actual restaurant?

As that thought crossed my mind, a question surfaced.

“I have something I’m curious about.”

Asia, who was enjoying fruit sprinkled with sugar for dessert, turned to me and said,

“Wha’s zat?”

Her pronunciation was garbled, likely because her mouth was stuffed.

Asia, aware of this, blushed slightly before swallowing what was in her mouth and repeating,

“What are you curious about?”

Asia smoothly acted as if the previous moment never happened.

“I’m curious why we’re eating at stalls instead of a restaurant.”

“Ah… do you find the stalls lacking for a reward, perhaps?”

“No, not at all. They were delicious enough to be a sufficient reward. But I was just wondering if there was a specific reason you chose the stalls…”

Since normally, offering a reward would mean treating someone at a proper restaurant.

“Ah… if it’s that, I can explain it.”

Asia led me to a nearby bench.

She sat down first, and I followed suit.

“To explain that, you need to know *this* first.”

“And what might *this* be?”

“Why the fief residents aren’t recognizing my identity.”

Identity?

What on earth was she talking about all of a sudden?

“What are you talking about, identity?”

“Think about it carefully. This is the Messiah County, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.”

“But the Earl’s daughter is walking around the Messiah County and no one recognizes her.”

“Oh…? That’s true.”

Asia shielded her face with her wide-brimmed hat.

But would that really prevent the fief residents from noticing?

Absolutely not.

The Messiah County, or rather, the Messiah family, had a distinct characteristic.

The old man, the Earl, and Asia all shared it.

Snow-white silver hair.

A hair color as uncommon as black hair.

There was no way they wouldn’t notice such a striking feature.

“Let me tell you something interesting.”

“A curious fact, you say?”

“The truth is, all the manor’s folk know exactly who I am. They simply pretend they don’t.”

“Ah… is that so?”

They all knew?

I quickly scanned our surroundings.

Indeed.

Now that I looked, the gazes of the townsfolk were certainly fixed on us.

Among them, even guards on patrol.

With a face burdened by responsibility, the guard kept watch over Asia.

“They all know, but they pretend they don’t.”

“I see.”

Asia’s pride in her manor now made even more sense.

The manor’s folk were showing consideration towards Asia.

But…

“Then, the fact that we’re here like this now… doesn’t that also reach the Earl’s ears?”

“Yes, of course!”

Asia replied with an innocent expression.

“Isn’t that… dangerous?”

“Why…? By the time word reaches Father’s ears, we’ll already be back at the Earldom, won’t we?”

That wasn’t the problem.

The problem was that the two of us had secretly gone out together.

“…And though it might be only a pretense, we are fiancé candidates. To others, you and I are… perhaps to be betrothed one day. There’s nothing strange about it at all.”

Asia spoke, her cheeks flushed.

I couldn’t bring myself to scold her.

‘…I suppose I’ll just have to accept being scolded by the Earl later.’

Well, there might be retaliation in the form of increased test difficulty.

What could I do?

There was nothing strange about it.

As Asia said, we were fiancé candidates.

And so, only I realized the gravity of the situation and let out a deep sigh.