After leaving Ginor's mansion, I headed straight home.
There was only one reason why I asked for a week's time.
It was because of what happened during the recent "regular meeting."
"I sense an auspicious energy from Balhart's territory. It might not be a bad idea to explore the castle and the territory."
'My intelligence of 100 determined that was the most reasonable opinion.'
The person who offered that opinion was Ginor.
However, Lord Yuuri supported Emma instead of Ginor.
They must be busy preparing for war by now.
So what does that mean?
I could quickly scout the territory myself since I hadn't been assigned any mission.
I'd probably either discover talent or find treasure. One of the two.
What I was aiming for was treasure.
While some treasures weren't particularly useful, others definitely were helpful.
If I discovered talent, it might end up benefiting the Aishers army, which wasn't my intention—
But considering that even B and C-class generals who aren't S-class are still considered "talent" when they're hidden away, it wasn't too disappointing.
I'd eventually leave this place anyway, so doing a few good deeds before leaving wouldn't be a problem.
So for the first time since Jeilant Castle, I conducted a search of the surroundings.
And shortly after starting, I realized—
"Huff, huff..."
That my strength was ridiculously low.
Right. The first mission I was assigned at Jeilant Castle was also exploration.
Back then, I was also panting heavily without walking much.
'No improvement at all...'
I sat down somewhere suitable and moistened my throat while thinking.
If there was any progress, perhaps I could walk a little longer than before.
Though not visible, my stamina seemed to have improved somewhat compared to before.
Come to think of it, when I first met Luna, she carried me on her back.
I remember she was quite strong despite her appearance.
Even though I was weak, I was still an adult man, yet she carried me that long distance without any trouble.
Those days already felt like distant memories to me.
'I hope she's doing well.'
As I was resting and thinking about the past, I noticed a crying little girl.
'Hmm...?'
When a child is crying, isn't it an adult's duty to approach and ask what's wrong?
I got up from the rock I was sitting on and approached the child.
And then...
*
"Thank you so much, Sir Swen... truly, truly thank you."
"It's nothing. I only did what I should have done."
I gestured with my hand that it was fine as the woman kept thanking me.
A crying little girl.
The story of how she came alone from her village to this distant Balhart Castle.
The plot of bandits lurking in the area, and the girl's father who set out alone to thwart their scheme.
The girl who followed her father out of worry, and her mother whom I finally found through keywords obtained while helping the girl...
'It was nothing short of an incredible epic.'
It was such an epic that it was almost regrettable I couldn't narrate it all.
"Thank you so much, mister...!"
I patted the child's head as she thanked me and said:
"I'm glad we found your mother before dark. From now on, don't recklessly get involved in dangerous situations like this. Understand?"
"Yes!"
"...I'll make sure your father returns to the village as soon as his wounds heal. As for the bandits, I'll personally recommend to my lord that they be eliminated, so please don't worry too much."
"Thank you so very much. I will never forget the kindness of Sir Swen and Lady Aishers."
This would improve the reputation of the Aishers army.
Regardless of the reason, I should repay them for accepting Irene and me, so this much was fine.
"Ah, right. This..."
I accepted the object the child's mother handed to me.
"What is this...?"
"It's a treasured sword that has been passed down in our family for generations. I originally intended to give it to the child's father, but as I mentioned, it would be better for him to return to the village... I think you, Sir Swen, could make better use of it than us."
I accepted it.
Something long and heavy was wrapped in what looked like a cloth.
'Was this what Ginor predicted?'
As I expected, I somehow managed to obtain an item.
In the game, you'd just press the "search" button and discover an item.
I didn't know exactly how that process worked, but I guess it was something like this.
"I gratefully accept."
"Well then, we'll take our leave now. We will never forget the kindness you showed today and your concern for my husband. Thank you so much...!"
"See you again, mister!"
After parting with them, I finally unwrapped the cloth to check the item.
'This is...!'
A thin rapier with a distinctive green handle.
No doubt about it.
This was definitely the treasure "Green Forest Rapier."
While its stats weren't particularly good, it came with a description noting how exceptionally stylish it looked.
More a treasure than a sword, I remembered using it as a gift for relationship-building in the game.
If it had been a good sword, I would have given it to Irene, but... it didn't seem very useful in actual combat.
Nevertheless.
'It looks cool.'
When I saw it as an icon in the game, I didn't think much of it, but seeing the actual item, it couldn't be more stylish.
I grabbed the sword and lightly thrust it forward a few times.
Even someone as weak as me could handle it without difficulty.
Considering this, it would probably be ineffective in actual combat, but it was perfect as a decorative piece to wear at the waist.
'That's right. A strategist should carry at least one impressive weapon.'
After fastening the rapier at my waist, I quite liked the feeling of having accomplished something.
It might sound a bit silly, but for someone like me who can only predict "how I appear to others," this was the most powerful weapon.
After all, the only way to safely preserve my life was "how impressive I appear."
'Good. Now let's head back.'
Let's go home and have tea with Irene when she returns from her mission.
Just having someone at home can give a person such a sense of belonging.
I had that thought anew.
*
Time passed.
The first day of training with Reika.
"Now. Focus and feel the sounds of nature. Clear your mind of worries, and slowly reach a state where you feel that you are not yourself... slowly, no rush... good."
We meditated all day.
After meditation, we lay on our backs looking at the sky, tracking how far the clouds drifted, making good use of our time.
And the next day.
"Do I... do I beat this...?"
"That's right. By making sound, mana floating in the air gathers. It might not have an effect now, but if you continue training, you'll definitely be able to detect its effect."
We beat drums together.
Since there wasn't much else to do anyway, drumming helped kill time quite effectively.
Afterward, we did a light burpee test together.
Just as she collapsed after a few attempts... I also exhausted all my stamina and collapsed.
During my recent exploration, I thought my stamina had improved a bit, so I tried this exercise to help myself since the training was meaningless anyway, but it was too difficult to endure.
It might help if I persevered, but with this weak body, it was an impossibly difficult exercise.
The next day and the day after that were similar.
We were doing activities that looked impressive to outsiders but were actually quite useless.
"Now! Thrust your fist forward strongly! Think 'I am cutting through mana'!"
"Y-yes!"
She thrust her fist forward.
"Now, repeat after me! I!"
"I!"
"Am cutting!"
"A-am cutting!"
"Through mana!"
"Th-through mana...!"
What was increasing wasn't her ability to detect mana but her physical strength.
Well, there's nothing wrong with increasing physical strength, is there?
I'm not being shameless; it's genuinely true, isn't it?
After successfully completing today's training.
"Thank you for your hard work today."
"N-no...! Sir Swen, you're the one who worked hard."
There was no need to add "Sir," but it didn't sound bad, so I'll let it be.
At that moment, Reika asked me in a very cautious tone.
"Um... is this really okay? Somehow, I... I don't feel any results from the training... I'm not blaming you, Sir Swen, it's just... well... my talent, um... I mean, it's my fault... um, well..."
"Ms. Reika. There's no need to worry."
With time, she will definitely become stronger.
I spoke with confidence.
"It took me about five years to see the effects of training. You seem to have much more talent than I do, so you'll likely see results sooner. Besides, as you continue training... opportunities to go outside will come, so there's no need to be impatient."
"What? We can go outside?!"
Excited by my words, Reika suddenly moved closer to me.
I felt her soft flesh brush against my arm.
She's quite well-endowed. ...I just don't notice because I'm used to seeing an extraordinary size every day.
Soon after, as if realizing she had done something embarrassing, she pulled back her waist with a flushed face and said:
"Ah, um... s-sorry. It's just, um... well."
"I understand. You want to go outside, right? I'll try to persuade Ginor."
"...B-but... because of me..."
"Not at all. True training should be done in nature. This yard is quite spacious and has a decent amount of mana, but compared to the vast mana flowing in nature, it's child's play. To maximize your abilities quickly, going outside is the right choice, so please don't feel burdened."
"Is... is that so? If you say so, then... th-thank you..."
She seemed unable to speak properly, still embarrassed by her earlier excitement.
Looking at her like this, she seemed quite cute.
It felt like watching an obedient younger sister.
"I look forward to working with you in the future."
"What? Oh... yes, yes...! I'll work hard!"
Perhaps motivated by the prospect of going outside, she smiled faintly at me.
It was the first natural smile I had seen since taking charge of her at this mansion.
*
I spent time with Reika doing useless activities like that.
After several days had passed, Irene returned home earlier than usual on a rare day off when I was taking a break.
"Lady Irene? You're finished already?"
I examined Irene's expression.
She looked much more serious than usual.
"Swen. Our lord has summoned us. We need to go to the royal castle immediately."
"Has something happened?"
"...An invasion."
"...!"
When I heard her next words, my first thought was, 'Here it comes.'
"The Brands army is marching with 50,000 soldiers toward the fortress located west of Balhart Castle."