Having played with Set and Ielo to their hearts' content, Rei walked down the corridor with the maid, heading back to his room.
"Still, even if I go back to my room, there's not really anything to do."
For Rei, one of the biggest downsides of this world was the sheer scarcity of entertainment.
He had a fair number of books stored inside his Misty Ring, but most of them were practical texts like the Monster Encyclopedia.
The manga and novels he used to read back in Japan were almost nonexistent in Elgin.
There were picture books and the like, so it wasn't as though they were completely absent, but.
Beyond that, entertainment like TV, DVDs, BDs, and games naturally didn't exist either.
Theatrical performances did exist, but they weren't really to Rei's taste. Between needing formal attire and dealing with various customs, they simply didn't suit his preferences.
"I hear you're quite a skilled adventurer, Lord Rei. Would you like to observe the Knight Order's training?"
Through her interactions with Set and Ielo, the maid's tone toward Rei had softened slightly.
Rei considered what he should do in response to her suggestion.
(Knights, huh. According to Elena, the Duke Kerebel's Territory army is made up of considerable elites. She said the Knight Order Captain in particular is remarkably strong, so would it be worth fighting him?)
It wasn't that the idea lacked appeal, but he also couldn't imagine that someone holding the position of Knight Order Captain would readily agree to a mock battle just because Rei asked for one.
(In that case, just joining in on their regular training would work. ...Especially a mock battle or something.)
Since there wasn't anything in particular he needed to do, getting some exercise wasn't a bad idea for Rei either.
"Alright. Then... uh... do you think I should explain the situation to Elena first?"
"No, you've been told you may act freely, Lord Rei, so I believe there's no need."
"Have I? Well, if you say so, then take me to where they're training."
And so, guided by the maid, Rei headed toward the place where the Knight Order was training.
"Huh... They're practicing pretty intensely."
What Rei and the maid arrived at was the training ground at the Duke Kerebel Mansion.
It wasn't heavy, but snow was falling, and naturally, training in such conditions meant their bodies would get cold.
Also, the snow could cause their feet to slip. In fact, Rei could see one of the figures who appeared to be a knight, running around the training ground, take a tumble right within his line of sight.
Rei watched the knights, but suddenly, his eyes stopped on the figure of a man running at the front of the group, and his movement halted.
It was immediately clear that this man alone was special.
No—Rei could confirm with his own eyes that all the men who appeared to be knights possessed considerable skill.
But the man running at the front, in his late thirties, clearly moved his body differently from the rest.
The swing of his arms, the movement of his legs, the shifting of his center of gravity—each motion was understated, yet Rei could tell that he was overwhelmingly superior to the others.
That was something only someone like Rei could discern.
That said, it was obvious from the demeanor of the runners that this man was deeply respected and firmly trusted by those running alongside him.
As Rei watched the running knights with the maid, whether their gazes were noticed or simply because a maid in her uniform standing outdoors in the fluttering snow drew attention, the knights gradually began to notice the two of them.
Naturally, the figure running at the front of the group would also notice Rei and the maid... and abruptly, the man's eyes met Rei's.
In that instant, a sense of déjà vu rose within Rei.
(Have I... met him somewhere before, maybe?)
The reason Rei thought so was because he had actually fought this man before during a past skirmish with the Azoth Firm, but Rei showed no sign of realizing that fact.
He could only guess that perhaps the man was someone from the Duke Kerebel's Territory army, or maybe someone he had encountered during the war against the Bestia Empire.
...Of course, it was hardly strange that Rei couldn't imagine this man had gone out of his way to lend aid to the Azoth Firm and moved to confirm the identity of a person called Rei based on what he had heard from Elena.
No, it would be stranger if he could imagine such a thing.
"Excuse me, the one running at the front is...?"
Guessing it was probably the Knight Order Captain or something similar but unable to confirm it, Rei asked the maid.
The maid seemed to immediately understand who Rei was referring to.
She smiled with pride and spoke.
"That is Lord Filma Dezil, Captain of the Duke Kerebel's Knight Order. He is said to be a pillar of Duke Kerebel's Army alongside Lady Elena."
Rei sensed strong trust in the maid's words.
The man called Filma must have been someone held in that much esteem within the Duke Kerebel's Territory.
(So that's Filma. Ah, come to think of it, I did meet him during the war with the Bestia Empire. ...I heard a bit about him from Elena before... I see, he's exactly the man the rumors make him out to be.)
Rei had heard about this man from Elena, with whom he had been spending all his time lately, on several occasions.
The maid had described him as standing alongside Elena, but from Elena, Rei had been told that Filma was above her in rank.
Of course, she had also asserted that this was strictly in terms of command ability, and that in a purely individual fight, she was superior.
But between Filma, Captain of the Duke Kerebel's Knight Order, and Elena, who effectively led the Elena Escort Knight Order—since both held the position of Knight Order Captain, command ability became just as important as, if not more important than, individual combat prowess.
When it came to command, Elena had stated that even as a genius, she couldn't confidently say she would always beat Filma.
...Naturally, just because she couldn't always win didn't mean she would always lose, but.
While Rei was recalling Elena's words, the knights led by Filma eventually stopped running.
Running like this was probably just a light warm-up. There wasn't a single knight among them breathing heavily.
"Alright, we will now begin practice swings! ...Or so I'd like to say, but..."
Normally, they would proceed to practice swings right here.
But what came from Filma's mouth were words unlike his usual ones.
The knights cast surprised glances at this, but Filma paid no mind to their reactions and fixed his gaze steadily on Rei.
"Right now, Lord Rei, Bearer of the Crimson Moniker, is present. Since this is a rare opportunity, I would like him to join our training... you have no objections, yes? Ah, I am Filma Dezil, Captain of the Duke Kerebel's Knight Order. It is an honor to meet you again, Lord Rei, Bearer of the Crimson Moniker."
On the surface, it was a proposal that it would be fine to have Rei join the training, but in practice, it was tantamount to an order.
Under normal circumstances, with this many knights—nearly a hundred of them—it wouldn't be strange for a few to feel dissatisfied with Filma's words.
But that was only if this were an ordinary knight order. What stood here was the Duke Kerebel's Knight Order, boasting one of the finest fighting forces in the Kingdom of Mireana.
These were men who placed absolute trust in their Captain, Filma. If Filma said it, not one of them would say no.
...Though, influenced perhaps by the sight of their revered Filma making remarks that seemed to hold Rei in such high regard, there were some who directed looks of displeasure toward Rei.
Are you really a man worth our Captain going that far for? they seemed to ask.
That was a gaze born of feelings close to jealousy.
Even so, since Filma had made his decision, no one actually voiced their dissatisfaction out loud.
"Now then, regarding the mock battle... that is, of course, only if Lord Crimson Rei wishes it. So, what do you say? We're about to hold a mock battle; do you intend to participate?"
Challenging, ferocious, and thoughtful.
Faced with Filma's gaze, which carried such a peculiar mix of qualities, Rei naturally had no intention of declining from the start.
After all, he had come all the way to the Knight Order's training ground specifically to kill time, so there was no way he would refuse an invitation to join the training taking place there.
"We probably spoke briefly during the war with the Bestia Empire, so there's no need for introductions. I didn't have anything to do anyway, so if I can join the training of the Duke Kerebel's Knight Order, rumored to be full of elites, then I'm more than welcome to it."
Unlike the dinner party he had attended yesterday, Rei was dressed in his usual Dragon Robe.
Along with his Sleipnir boots and the rest of his usual attire—yes, his ever-ready state to respond immediately should a fight break out.
Given that, there was no shortage of equipment for a mock battle.
In response to Rei's eager words, not only Filma but all the knights directed various gazes toward Rei.
Within those gazes were combative, friendly, jealous, and mocking looks—all manner of emotions embedded in their stares.
As expected of the Duke Kerebel's Knight Order, considered one of the most elite forces in the Kingdom of Mireana, the knights belonging to it naturally surpassed ordinary adventurers or mercenaries in skill.
Moreover, the one who trained them on a regular basis was Filma, so their ability could be easily inferred.
(Besides, in Gilm, once the snow starts falling and winter sets in, there are guys who start slacking on training. Considering that, this Knight Order trains even harder than that.)
Not all adventurers in Gilm completely stopped training during winter.
No, rather, those who didn't train at all were the minority.
Still, compared to spring through autumn, the quality and duration of training inevitably tended to decline.
Adventurers who hadn't managed to save money for winter would take on extermination requests and the like even in the snow, so such individuals naturally continued to see real combat and wouldn't lose their edge, but.
"Then... Lord Rei, are you ready for a mock battle immediately?"
"Yeah, no problem on my end. Just... what about weapons? If you know my moniker, you must know my weapons too, right?"
Rei's weapons were Death Scythe and the Twilight Spear—two long weapons.
He fought using the Twin Spear Style, wielding each of them one-handed.
But while spears were common enough to have mock-battle versions available, a large scythe—a weapon used by few—had no mock-battle equivalent.
In that case, should he fight with just the spear? That was what Rei had been thinking, but...
"No, in our mock battles, we always use our own weapons."
"Huh... That's pretty serious."
"Naturally. If you don't train that seriously, you could make a fatal mistake in actual combat."
What Filma was getting at, Rei understood.
He understood, but... even if it was training, using one's real bladed weapons meant that a slight mistake could result in actually injuring one's opponent.
Not just a superficial scratch, but a wound that, depending on the circumstances, could prove fatal.
To go that far for mere training was surprising to Rei.
(Well, it's not really something I should be saying, though.)
When conducting combat training with Elena and Vihera, Rei and the others also used their own weapons, so such a thought from Rei was only natural.
Vihera, who used her own limbs as weapons, was one thing, but considering that they used special weapons like large scythes and Whip-swords, preparing mock-battle substitutes would have been difficult.
Rei's Death Scythe in particular had various effects as a Magic Item, so even if a mock-battle weapon were hastily prepared, its handling would differ significantly.
In any case.
Taking Filma at his word, Rei retrieved Death Scythe and the Twilight Spear from his Misty Ring.
The instant they saw this, everyone except Filma simultaneously gasped.
Death Scythe and the Twilight Spear. Either one alone was a first-rate—no, beyond first-rate—Magic Item.
For such items to suddenly appear before them, two at once, it would be more unreasonable to ask them not to be surprised.
"I intend to hold back my strikes, but even so, I can't guarantee it absolutely. Are you truly fine with that?"
"Yes."
While the other knights were reeling in shock, Filma alone showed no sign of agitation as he replied.
As if he already knew the weapons Rei held in his hands.
(I'm pretty sure it's his first time seeing the Twilight Spear, but... well, whatever.)
Entertaining such questions, Rei, taking Filma's nod as confirmation, gripped his weapons and began walking toward the knights.