The Baronial House of Cisne. Its lineage began when the great-grandfather of the current head, Muet Cisne, achieved distinguished military success in the war against the Bestia Empire. For his deeds, he was granted the title of Baronet—a peerage originally intended to last only a single generation. However, he continued to pile one achievement upon another in the conflict with the Empire, eventually earning an appointment as a Baron and becoming a formal member of the nobility. Yet, while Muet’s great-grandfather had been a man of immense talent, it was not inherited by his son, Muet’s grandfather. Likewise, Muet’s own father lacked the aptitude for the political schemes and exploitation common among nobles. He was also deficient in the martial talent that had defined the family’s founder. Consequently, the House of Cisne, which had once been hailed as the foremost baronial house, fell into a steady decline. By Muet’s generation, they had become little more than "impoverished nobility" in name only.
They had technically retained a small territory as a baronial house, but Muet had been caught up in the power struggles of the Royal Capital. Lacking any noble shrewdness, he was easily exploited and discarded by others. Ultimately, he lost his lands and was forced to relocate to the City of Gilm.
Perhaps his greatest misfortune was his lack of factional affiliation. While there are a few nobles in the Royal Capital who remain independent from the King’s Faction, the Noble’s Faction, and the Neutral Faction, those individuals only manage to do so because they possess significant personal power or influential protectors. Muet, having neither backing nor ability, had no means to resist the political tides that had swept him away.
Fortunately, he had a few close acquaintances within the Neutral Faction. Relying on those connections, he was taken under the protection of the central figure of the Neutral Faction, Margrave Larkus. Deciding that the frontier was safer than the capital, he moved to Gilm with his son—the final keepsake of his late wife—and his sole servant, Ashie the maid.
"…I see. You’ve had a rough time of it."
Rei muttered with a sigh as he listened to Muet explain the history of the House of Cisne in the reception room.
Muet offered a faint, timid smile and shook his head.
"No, no. A noble’s life never really suited me anyway. I find this quiet, modest life in Gilm quite comfortable. Honestly, it’s a relief to no longer have to worry about probing into people's ulterior motives or fawning over others."
It was clear to Rei that Muet was being sincere. The political monsters of the Royal Capital must have truly exhausted his spirit.
"Besides, while I may lack the social graces of a noble or the martial valor of my great-grandfather, my son… Baslero is different. Perhaps it’s just a father’s bias, but I believe he possesses a genuine talent for combat."
"Father, please don't say that…"
Embarrassed by the sudden praise, Baslero blushed slightly and looked down. Ashie watched the boy with a look of pure affection.
"Fine then. I understand the situation. But as I said before, my fighting style is entirely self-taught. It was forged in life-or-death combat. For now, to make sure you don't pick up any bad habits that might cause trouble if you join a proper dojo later, I think we'll focus mostly on mock battles. Is that all right?"
"Yes! I’ve heard that you possess some of the highest combat power in all of Gilm, Rei-san. I’m certain that practicing with you will significantly improve my skills."
"…Uh, right. Well, as long as you're okay with that."
Rei nodded, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the boy’s polite and mature speech. Once the plan was settled, things moved quickly.
"Now, about the place for these mock battles… do you have a training ground in this manor?"
Muet shook his head quietly.
"Margrave Larkus was kind enough to grant us this residence to live in, but I could hardly ask for a grand estate with its own training ground."
"Then where are we going to do this? Don't tell me you've rented out a dojo… wait, no, probably not."
Rei cut himself off with a wry smile as he saw Muet shake his head again.
Muet had already admitted they were impoverished. If they had the money to rent a dojo, they would have likely sent the boy there for formal lessons instead of hiring an adventurer at a bargain price for combat training.
"About that, I’m very sorry, but…"
Muttering an apology, Muet looked toward the reception room window.
"The backyard is relatively large. It’s a bit unkempt, but… for moving one’s body during combat training, it shouldn't pose any major problems."
"I see. Well, that works."
"…Eh? Are you sure?"
Muet seemed surprised that Rei had agreed so easily to his own suggestion.
"Yeah. Combat doesn't only happen in a dojo. In fact, for an adventurer, fighting outside the city means dealing with mountains, grasslands, marshes, or narrow caves. Thinking of it that way, a messy yard isn't a bad place at all. Though, combat training is pointless if the foundations aren't there… how is he on the basics?"
"I’ve had him train based on the journals my great-grandfather left behind, but I honestly couldn't tell you if his foundations are solid. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to judge Baslero’s abilities for yourself."
"…Well, if the client is fine with that, then I’m fine with it too."
Muet’s willingness to dump everything onto a talented individual because he lacked talent himself was, in a way, refreshingly honest. Rei turned his attention to Baslero.
"All right. I want to see what you can do in the backyard right now. That okay?"
"Yes! I’ll go get ready immediately. Ashie!"
Baslero nodded, called to the maid, and hurried out of the reception room.
Rei watched him go, then turned back to Muet.
"One more thing."
"Is something the matter?"
"You called this combat training, but how far am I allowed to go?"
"How far, you say?"
When Muet failed to grasp the meaning, Rei let out a sigh and clarified.
"For example, are bruises acceptable? Is a broken bone a problem? That kind of thing."
"…I would prefer he didn't get hurt, of course, but Ashie can treat minor injuries with her recovery magic."
"Recovery magic?"
"Yes. She may not look like it, but Ashie is a fairly high-level healing magic user."
"…Why the hell is someone like that working as a maid?" Rei asked reflexively.
A recovery magic user would never struggle to find work. For adventurers, having someone who could use healing magic during a quest was invaluable for maintaining combat strength—they were in incredibly high demand. Even if she had no combat ability herself, she would be welcomed anywhere if she made that clear. She could work at a hospital or many other places. She certainly shouldn't be a maid in the house of a poor Baron whose title might not even survive the next generation.
Rei’s skepticism must have been written all over his face. Muet gave a self-deprecating smile.
"Actually, Ashie’s family has served ours for generations… since my great-grandfather’s time. Apparently, he saved her ancestor's life on the battlefield, and they have served us out of gratitude ever since. I’ve told her that she could earn far more money using her talent for recovery magic elsewhere, but she insisted that she at least be allowed to represent her family in our service."
"…How dutiful. From the sound of it, the rest of Ashie’s family has other jobs?"
"Yes. We are quite poor, so we can’t even pay a proper salary. We’re barely getting by on the stipend I receive for my service to Margrave Larkus. …Ah, forgive me, let's leave it at that."
Hearing footsteps approaching, Muet bowed his head apologetically.
Rei nodded silently.
(He knows that if he dies, they'll be left with nothing. He hired me because he's worried and wants his son to be able to stand on his own if the worst happens. …I guess nobles don't just spend all their time playing around.)
Rei mused to himself, though it was a safe bet that House Cisne was at the bottom of the noble social ladder. Among the higher-ranking nobility, there were plenty who lived the idle lives Rei had imagined.
"Rei-san, I’m ready! Please, let's begin!"
"Ho."
Baslero had returned to the reception room wearing leather armor tailored for mobility. Rei was surprised to see that the armor was clearly of exceptional quality.
Rei didn't have much of an eye for art, but he could sense the dignity of a well-crafted item. While it wasn't a magic item pulsing with power, it possessed a certain weight of history that Rei found impressive.
"…That armor looks like quite the masterpiece."
"Yes. It’s a refurbished piece that belonged to my great-grandfather. It was supposedly made from the hide of a B-Rank equivalent monster. The tailoring alone cost us a small fortune, but it’s a necessary expense for my son’s safety."
Rei nodded at Muet’s words and stepped toward Baslero, who was looking at him with eyes full of anticipation.
"All right. As I said, I want to see your current skill level first. Just remember, my style is completely self-taught. I haven't exactly spent much time teaching others."
As he spoke, Rei recalled his few experiences in the Guild’s training ground—his rank-up exam and the mock battle he’d had with Mirene. In both cases, his opponents had been seasoned adventurers.
(But Baslero is just an amateur kid. Even if Ashie can use recovery magic, I’d better make sure he doesn't get hurt if I can help it.)
"Yes! I look forward to your instruction!"
"Yeah, me too. Show me the way to the backyard."
"Understood. This way, Teacher."
"…Teacher?"
Rei tilted his head at the unfamiliar title.
Baslero looked back at him, puzzled.
"Well, you’re the teacher who’s going to train me, right? Or would you prefer I call you Master?"
"…'Teacher' is fine."
He had never been called "Teacher" in his life and found it a bit embarrassing, but he decided it was better than "Master" and quietly accepted it.
They reached the mansion’s back exit in less than a minute and stepped outside.
The first thing Rei noticed was the withered vegetation. Since it was winter, the weeds were dead and out of the way, but in spring or summer, this place would have been an impassable thicket. Even now, the sheer volume of dead branches was staggering.
"Eh…?"
However, the one who voiced their surprise wasn't Rei, but Baslero. Ashie, following behind them, also stood frozen in astonishment. Because…
"Seto, what the hell are you doing?"
"Guruuu?"
Seto had been busy. The griffon had been scouring the garden for the largest dead branches, carrying them in its beak, and piling them neatly in a single corner.
Rei muttered the question with an exasperated look. Hearing his voice, Seto tilted its head and gave a low purr.
Looking at Seto, who seemed to have no idea why they were staring, Rei couldn't help but give a wry smile. Baslero and Ashie simply stood there, gawking at the mountain of branches in the corner of their yard.
Perhaps they were shocked that even after Seto had cleared the large ones, there were still so many branches left in their own garden.