Maruka Quinto, daughter of Duke Quento. Even from a younger age than she was now, she had exhibited extraordinary talent and a rare aptitude for magic.
If the warrior symbolizing the current Kingdom of Mireana was the Princess General, Elena Kerebel, then Maruka Quinto was the one known as the Symbol of Magic of the Next Generation.
Though only seven years old—hardly more than a toddler—she proficiently wielded magic of the three attributes: wind, earth, and light. The magic power she harbored was among the highest in the Kingdom of Mireana. Despite her gifts, she was neither arrogant nor condescending. Possessing an innocent and cheerful personality, she was immensely popular among those living in Duke Quento's Territory.
With long green hair reminiscent of emeralds and features that were remarkably refined for her age, the residents already whispered that she would undoubtedly become a matchless beauty in the future.
While many nobles in the Kingdom of Mireana looked down on commoners, Maruka refused to permit such behavior. She had once used her magic power to soundly defeat a Viscount's Heir who had attempted to harass the residents of the dukedom.
Naturally, the act of a mere viscount harassing the people of a dukedom—and, worse yet, attempting to slash at the Duke's Daughter herself—was not something that could be overlooked. The viscount's house was subsequently abolished.
Rei had no idea that the girl currently petting Set and fixing her deep gaze on him was such a figure. Nevertheless, it was clear that she was no ordinary child, and he knew he could not afford to be careless in his response.
Acknowledging that the person before him was more than just a young girl, Rei lowered the hood of his Dragon Robe and spoke.
"I’m sorry, but at the moment, I have no intention of serving under anyone."
After stating that, Rei wondered for a moment if he should have used a more formal tone. However, he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Koan give a small, reassuring nod.
"Ho, and why is that? You are an adventurer, are you not? I should think serving a noble would not be such a bad prospect. I would not bind your actions, and I would provide whatever you desire to the best of my ability. Does your answer still remain unchanged?"
"Yeah. A temporary contract is one thing, but serving someone—especially a noble—just doesn't suit my nature. No matter how much freedom is promised... that's just the way I am."
"Even if that results in making an enemy of Duke Quento's House, one of the greatest powers within the Kingdom of Mireana?"
"That's right."
Rei nodded without a moment's hesitation, making it clear he wouldn't mind making an enemy of even a ducal house for the sake of his freedom. Maruka stared at him, her mouth hanging open in momentary shock.
In that instant, her expression lost the unnatural depth it had shown just seconds ago; instead, she looked exactly like the innocent child her age suggested.
Beside Rei, Koan wore a small, wry smile. His look held no reproach for the perceived rudeness; rather, it was a smile of familiarity, as if directed toward a comrade.
"Ku... a-hahahaha! Ahahahahahahaha!"
Maruka suddenly burst into laughter, breaking the silence. Set, who had been enjoying her touch until a second ago, blinked its round eyes at her. Rei also watched her with a faint, wry smile, his own expectations subverted yet again.
Eventually, after nearly a minute, Maruka’s laughing fit subsided. She composed her breathing while clutching her side, which had begun to ache from the exertion.
"Haah, haah... Ah, that was quite a laugh. Please, do not take offense. I was not mocking you. It is simply that I did not think anyone would state so plainly that they did not care if they made an enemy of my family, Duke Quento's House. You truly live up to your title. Splendid!"
Praised with such a bright smile, Rei found himself at a loss for words.
Rei didn't know many nobles, but he had formed a certain mental image of the aristocracy. The girl before him was a noble who completely shattered that archetype.
If he had to name someone similar, it would be Elena. Their appearances were entirely different, of course, but Rei felt that what lay at their core was somehow the same.
"Lady Maruka, that is enough. Rei-san is troubled."
"Hm? Oh, quite right. My apologies for the outburst. Pray, forgive me!"
"Ah... yeah. It's not a problem for me."
"Umu. Then, while I am asking for forgiveness, I have one more request. I shall not ask you to serve me further. However, will you not form a bond of friendship with me instead?"
With that, Maruka boldly extended her hand.
She was small in stature, as any child her age would be, but the dignified way she reached out was unmistakably that of a noble. Rei hesitated for a split second before reaching out to take her hand.
"Yeah. I'm ignorant of the ways of the world in many respects, so I might cause you some trouble, but I look forward to it."
Perhaps they weren't the most appropriate words for a seven-year-old girl, but Rei recognized her as an individual. Since she had requested his friendship, he had no intention of turning her away.
"Umu, umu. It seems I am quite different from ordinary people in various ways. I have almost no one I can truly call a friend. Indeed, there are only a few people I am on close terms with, and even fewer I can truly trust. Koan here is a perfect example."
"There are few people who can keep up with my Lady, after all. Setting aside her high mental maturity, being too mature can invite various complications."
Koan spoke with a small smile, but his eyes held a lonely shade.
"Well, do not worry about it. It is a pity that there are few I can associate with, but even so, it leads to good encounters like this. Don't you think so?"
Maruka didn't seem particularly affected by Koan's words and went back to petting Set's head.
"Guruuu."
Set let out a contented purr, leaning into the touch.
A minute of quiet passed until Maruka suddenly looked up at Rei as if she had just had an idea.
"Say, Rei. You are rumored to be quite strong. Would you care to have a match with Koan?"
"...Lady Maruka?"
Koan reflexively questioned her. He couldn't understand why his young but wise master would suddenly suggest such a thing. Surely it wasn't a petty retaliation for Rei refusing her offer, he thought.
Rei was equally surprised. There was no hostility between them, nor was there a pressing need to test their skills. Why fight now?
Ignoring their bewilderment, Maruka quickly began walking toward the garden.
"Guru?"
"Ah—right. Go along with her."
"Gurururuu."
At Rei's word, Set let out a short trill and followed her outside. Rei watched them go, and then Koan gave him a small bow.
"I apologize for my Lady... she is not usually one to make such impulsive demands."
"Well, I'm sure life as a Duke's Daughter has its stresses. So, what do you say?"
Are we doing this? Rei’s silent question was met by a pleasant smile from Koan, who nonetheless gave a firm nod.
"Now that my Lady has spoken, I cannot back down... Besides, I personally wish for a match with Rei-san as well. If you would be so kind, I ask for your favor."
Rei could tell from Koan's movements, his presence, and his own intuition that the man was highly skilled. Fighting him would mean revealing several of his cards, which made him hesitate.
On the other hand, the warrior in him truly wanted to test himself against such an opponent. The two conflicting feelings clashed in his heart until the desire for battle emerged victorious.
"...Fine."
At those words, Koan placed his hand on the door, his smile unchanged.
"Thank you. Well then, shall we? I will guide you."
Rei stood facing Koan in the garden of Duke Quento's Residence, which occupied prime real estate even within the Noble District.
A short distance away, Maruka was hugging Set as it lay on the grass. Even if Set's fur was smooth, the summer heat and the dazzling sun made its body temperature quite high. She chanted a short spell to lower the temperature around them before leaning comfortably against the Gryphon.
(Heh, she’s quite adept at magic.)
Rei gave an impressed nod at Maruka’s skill as he took his distance from Koan. He already gripped the Death Scythe, which he had retrieved from the Misty Ring. Standing five meters away, Koan drew a sword from the sheath at his waist and took his stance.
"I shall say this just in case, but this is strictly a match. Avoid anything that would inflict a fatal injury on your opponent."
"Even if you say that, I believe most wounds can be handled with my Lady's recovery magic."
"Fool. Do not rely on my magic from the start... though, given that the two of you possess such strength, I do not expect you to make the kind of mistakes an amateur would."
"Heh, you can use recovery magic too?"
"Yes. With my Lady's healing magic, even if two or three of your arms were severed, it wouldn't be a problem."
"Three arms? That would be a sight to see."
Exchanging light banter, they both watched for an opening. Rei subtly shifted the position of the Death Scythe, while Koan maintained a stance that allowed him to react to an attack from any direction, despite the rarity of the great scythe weapon.
(Even facing me like this, his smile hasn't faltered for a second. It feels more like he's using that smile to mask all other emotion.)
Rei adjusted his grip, pointing the Death Scythe's blade downward to prepare for a scooping strike. Immediately, Koan shifted his sword from a high guard to a middle guard.
Most people who fought Rei were first bewildered by the Death Scythe. The great scythe was an extremely rare weapon, and few could adapt to it on the fly; it was a quintessential "first-time" killer. Furthermore, since few survived an encounter with Rei and his weapon, information on how to counter it was scarce.
Yet Koan held his ground against the Death Scythe without losing his composure.
Feeling a sense of eerie calm from his opponent, the two engaged in a silent exchange of feints and minute adjustments. This went on for several minutes until Maruka, still leaning against Set, grew bored.
"You two, this will never end at this rate. Give me a more worth-while fight! Oh, that's right, I forgot to mention—Koan is a Former A-Rank Adventurer. He certainly won't die from your attacks, so feel free to go all out. As long as he's breathing, my magic will fix him."
It was a total reversal of her earlier warning not to rely on her healing. However, her words were the catalyst the battle needed.
"A limb or two won't be a problem, then. Here I come!"
With a sharp shout, Rei kicked off the ground. He delivered a low Upward Slash with the Death Scythe, the giant blade scooping up from below.
"I won't let you do that so easily!"
Koan reacted instantly to the slash attacking from an impossibly low angle. He flashed his sword, parrying the Death Scythe's blade.
But as expected of a Former A-Rank Adventurer, he didn't stop at a defense. Utilizing the impact of the parry, he transitioned the momentum into a counter-slash aimed directly at Rei.
Normally, a strike born from the momentum of an opponent's attack would lack power and be easily blocked. But this strike came from a man with combat power far beyond the human norm. Common sense didn't apply; the blade hissed toward Rei's face—
"Oooooh!"
The moment he saw the longsword closing in, Rei reflexively twisted his grip on the Death Scythe, forcibly intercepting the blade with the handle.
A high-pitched metallic keen rang out through the garden. Having blocked each other's strikes, both men leaped backward to reset the distance.
"Impressive. I've reinforced the Death Scythe with magic power. A normal longsword should have snapped the moment our blades met."
"No, no. Despite its appearance, this sword was crafted by an Alchemist of the Magic City Ozos, using the finest gold, materials, and techniques. It would be a problem if it were easily destroyed."
Koan spoke with the same polite smile on his lips. Rei returned a ferocious grin of his own, but—
In the next moment, they both lowered their weapons.
"Hm? What's the matter?"
Maruka, who had been watching with shining eyes, looked at them suspiciously. Koan was the one to answer.
"My apologies, my Lady. If we continue the fight like this, it will inevitably become a battle to the death. While that might be fine for a duel, I felt it was ill-suited for a simple test of skill. It is best we stop here."
"...Muu, I see. If Koan says so, then it must be so. It’s a pity I couldn't fully confirm Rei's skill, but since it's clear he can hold his own against Koan, I shall consider this a success."
With those final words from Maruka, the match came to an end.