“Ha ha ha! I thought I’d be joining my late wife in heaven tonight!”

  Eggar’s booming laughter echoed through the quiet night, bouncing between the trees surrounding our campfire.

  A few hours after our life-and-death battle against the Great Minotaur, we were finally able to rest. Although he had been on the brink of death earlier, Eggar recovered at an astonishing speed thanks to a high-grade recovery potion. Even so, his broken ribs would still require time to heal naturally.

  In this world, healing potions were not miracle drugs that restored health instantly. Even Grade-A potions worth thousands of gold coins could only accelerate the closing of external wounds. Internal organ damage still required the body to fight on its own.

  As for the dark green, low-tier potions sold in back-alley magic shops for a single silver coin—they could barely stop minor bleeding. For reference, ten silver coins equaled one gold coin. Three gold coins were more than enough to support a farming family of four for an entire month.

  “Master, stop drinking already!” Len scolded, looking worriedly at Eggar, whose body was still wrapped tightly in bandages like a mummy.

  “Len, you don’t understand. When you survive a wager of life and death, that’s when you celebrate!”

  “Old man, you might choke on alcohol before your ribs even heal,” I said while handing out portions of freshly cooked pork steak.

  Our group had shrunk drastically. Mine was down to eight members, while Eggar’s party was reduced to just three: himself, Len, and the blue-haired female knight. No one had expected that all of Eggar’s escort soldiers had conspired to betray him.

  “Remarkable,” Eggar muttered after tasting my cooking. “By the way, lad… what exactly was that thing you threw earlier? It was spectacular—blinded an A-Class monster in seconds.”

  As a veteran mage, it was only natural for him to be curious. People in this world wouldn’t recognize something called a Flash Bomb.

  “Hmm… I happened to find it in an old dungeon back in my territory,” I replied casually.

  “That’s an extraordinary artifact. Do you have more?”

  “I believe that was the last one…” I lied.

  “Ah, what a shame.” Eggar sighed.

  “By the way, you’re a First-Circle mage, correct?”

  “Yes. I’ve only just begun studying magic.”

  Len looked startled. “Huh? Weren’t you insisting on becoming a knight? That’s what I was told.”

  “I recently discovered my true talent,” I answered nonchalantly.

  Eggar nodded thoughtfully, then gestured. “Come here. Let me see your hand.”

  I extended my hand and allowed him to examine the flow of mana within my body.

  He fell silent for a moment, brows furrowing. “Hm. Your constitution is quite unique. With this condition, you actually have the potential to become a Magic Sword User. Unfortunately, your mana capacity is too narrow.”

  He began a technical lecture.

  “To be honest, as a mage, you’ll likely only reach the Third Circle. And as a knight, you’d probably cap at Level-3 Aura User due to your weak physical endurance.”

  Level three.

  Not bad—but not exceptional either.

  For a farmer’s son, level three meant a ticket to luxury. But for the heir of a prestigious noble family, it meant being painfully average.

  Still, the term Magic Sword User caught my attention. In the original otome game, it was a rare title granted to those capable of combining Aura and Magic into a single attack.

  “Your potential is significant—but so are your limitations. It’s quite unfortunate,” Eggar said, shaking his head.

  “Well, nothing to be troubled about.”

  “Hm? You don’t look disappointed at all?” Eggar stared at me.

  “Why should I be? Old man, whether I become strong or not, as long as I can live peacefully and comfortably, isn’t that enough?”

  “Ha ha ha! You’re an extraordinary young man! This is the first time I’ve met a noble with a mindset like yours!” Eggar laughed heartily, clapping my shoulder—completely ignoring the fact that it made his ribs throb again.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  —*

  As night deepened and everyone drifted into sleep, I remained seated before the dying campfire. With a cup of warm tea in hand, I let the forest’s silence wash over me.

  Soft footsteps approached from the direction of the tents.

  “Hey… sorry about earlier.”

  Len’s voice broke the quiet. She approached slowly and sat beside me, keeping a respectful yet warm distance.

  “For what?” I asked without turning.

  “Well… I called you a cruel, perverted bastard who enjoys tormenting animals.”

  I remembered that chaotic first encounter. “It’s fine,” I replied calmly, watching the flames.

  “Thank you, too. Because of you, my Master survived,” Len continued. Then her tone shifted—slightly sharper, but teasing. “Although that doesn’t change the fact that you’re still a perverted bastard who almost drooled while staring at my chest back in the dungeon.”

  That hit directly.

  I lowered my head slightly, unable to deny the biological reality of Rey Lucien’s body. “Sorry. I suppose I do have serious self-control issues.”

  “Hehe… yeah. Because you’re a pervert,” Len chuckled softly. She stood to return to her tent. Before leaving, she glanced back at me, her gaze softer than usual. “But I don’t hate you.”

  In the faint light, I caught a small smile on her lips before she disappeared behind the tent flap.

  “Thanks… I guess,” I muttered to the night wind.

  Seeing Len nearly lose Eggar earlier had stirred something bitter within me.

  Losing someone precious—especially a mentor—left a scar that never truly faded.

  My thoughts drifted to my previous life, standing motionless at my own teacher’s funeral. The tightness in my chest returned—the guilt of never having thanked him for everything he had taught me before death claimed him.

  At least that tragedy didn’t need to repeat itself for Len today.

  —*

  The next morning, we resumed our journey. There were no major disturbances; the snow-covered road felt eerily peaceful until we reached the grand gates marking the entrance to the Southern Duke’s territory.

  We chose the finest inn in the city center. After setting down our belongings, Eggar and the blue-haired knight headed straight to the Adventurer’s Guild to register their findings and sell the materials from the hunt. The Great Minotaur’s corpse and magic stone alone were worth a fortune.

  However, minor chaos broke out within Eggar’s group when certain parts of the Minotaur’s body mysteriously went missing.

  The culprit?

  That innocent-looking “puppy,” of course.

  He had secretly devoured chunks of Great Minotaur meat like midnight snacks.

  While soldiers and servants purchased supplies, Alex, Len, and I decided to explore the city. Chorma was carried in Len’s arms like an expensive fur doll.

  Our first stop was the sword tournament arena. We registered Alex as a participant. Since the preliminary rounds began early, he had to remain in the contestants’ barracks.

  That left only Len and me.

  And the furry creature sleeping peacefully in her warm embrace—a sight that, frankly, made me a little jealous.

  “Hey, want some grilled chicken skewers?” I offered.

  “Of course!”

  We headed to a nearby stall and bought a few sticks.

  Despite the biting winter, the street vendors were lively. The Duke was holding his annual festival alongside the sword tournament, making the city bustling and festive.

  Smelling the savory aroma, Chorma immediately woke up and leaped from Len’s arms, barking pitifully for his share.

  “Hehe, this one’s yours,” Len said, handing him a piece.

  “Don’t spoil him too much,” I warned.

  “Why? Are you jealous? Are you actually jealous of a puppy?” she teased, sticking out her tongue.

  I could only sigh. It wasn’t wrong exactly—but continuously feeding a cosmic entity was an extravagant waste.

  As we continued walking, Len suddenly stopped before a luxurious-looking clothing shop. We decided to enter. The attendants welcomed us with professional smiles.

  “Hoho, welcome! Young Master, would you like to buy clothing for your girlfriend? We have the finest winter collection available.”

  “Ah, we’re not a couple,” I quickly corrected.

  “Hooo, what a shame… We’re currently offering special discounts for couples shopping together.”

  “We are a couple!” Len suddenly declared, wrapping both arms around my right arm.

  “Idiot, don’t miss the discount opportunity,” she whispered near my ear. Her breath was warm, and I could feel soft pressure against my arm. I fought hard to maintain a calm, expressionless face.

  “Hoho, excellent choice! Please select whichever outfit you like, Miss.”

  Two hours later…

  “Tada! What do you think?” Len stepped out from the fitting room curtain.

  I hadn’t expected her to have a hobby of trying on clothes for two full hours.

  She spun gracefully before me. The snow-white winter dress hugged her figure perfectly, giving her a sweet yet elegant charm.

  I stroked my chin, staring without blinking.

  “Hm… I truly can’t take my eyes off you now.”

  “Hehe.” Len smiled proudly.

  In the end, we bought the dress using the “couple discount.”

  —*

  Toward late afternoon, we strolled through the city park. The melody of a street singer echoed beautifully, creating a romantic atmosphere. Several couples danced in the open space.

  Len clapped in admiration at the sight.

  I knew what I had to do.

  Stepping before her, I knelt on one knee in a respectful noble’s pose. “My Lady, would you grant me the honor of sharing a dance?”

  “Hohoho.” Len covered her smile with her left hand and extended her right gracefully. “Since the Young Master asks so respectfully, I shall gladly accept.”

  Just as I reached for her fingers and prepared to dance, the street music abruptly stopped.

  An unnatural silence fell over the park.

  Then came the sound of galloping horses and clanking armor.

  A luxurious carriage, heavily escorted, split through the crowd. The golden emblem engraved upon its door was instantly recognizable.

  The House of Duke Valerius.

  An official envoy in formal uniform stepped down from the carriage. He walked past the crowd without acknowledgment and stopped directly before me.

  His sharp eyes examined me from head to toe.

  “Silver-white hair…” he muttered coldly before raising his voice. “You. Rey Lucien, correct?”

  “Yes. That’s me,” I replied briefly, subtly positioning myself slightly in front of Len.

  “Duke Valerius personally summons you to his residence at once,” the envoy declared without pleasantries. It sounded far more like an absolute command than a polite invitation.

  I remained silent, returning his gaze calmly.

  But inside my head, my thoughts were racing.

  A sudden invitation like this, immediately after my arrival in the city…

  Something about this felt very, very wrong.