Rei dodged the spear thrust straight toward him by shifting his body ever so slightly.
The knight of Duke Kerebel's Knight Order who had launched that strike couldn't help but think for a moment that his spear had passed right through Rei's body, since Rei had avoided the blow with virtually no movement at all.
That he recomposed himself instantly was perhaps a testament to the fact that he was a knight among the elite ranks of Duke Kerebel's Knight Order.
He swiftly drew the spear back and unleashed another thrust at Rei.
This time, however, the thrust was aimed not at Rei's face but at his torso—a harder target to move than the face.
Rei dodged the strike by stepping back with his right foot and turning his body sideways, then used that rear foot to drive forward in one explosive step, closing the distance between himself and the man.
The man naturally tried to respond to Rei's movement, but in the next instant, he found a fist hovering right before his eyes and acknowledged his defeat.
"That's enough!"
Filma's voice echoed across the training ground. Rei, who had been holding a punch stopped just short of his opponent's face, stepped backward.
The Spearman Leader felt relief wash over him as the fist that had been inches from his nose disappeared.
After stepping back, the two exchanged a small bow, and the mock battle came to an end.
"Rei, how can you dodge like that!? It looked like the spear passed straight through your body!"
Leodanis approached Rei, his astonishment plain to see.
The opponent who had been fighting might have been one thing, but for Leodanis, watching from a distance, to fail to follow Rei's movements—that was simply a matter of skill.
In fact, several people had clearly tracked Rei's movements, and even among those who couldn't, many could infer what action he had taken.
In that regard, Leodanis was still likely near the bottom of Duke Kerebel's Knight Order in terms of ability.
Even so, seeing that a few others had also failed to follow Rei's movements just now meant he probably wasn't dead last.
"What I did isn't all that difficult. Filma could do it normally, I'm sure."
"When you call what Commander Filma can do 'normal technique'..."
As Rei and Leodanis talked, the man who had sparred with Rei approached.
"Lord Rei, that was magnificent. Honestly, I never expected my thrusts to be evaded so effortlessly."
There was genuine respect in the man's gaze as he spoke.
As a member of Duke Kerebel's Knight Order, he naturally had confidence in his spearwork.
That was exactly why having his thrusts dodged so effortlessly had been so hard to believe.
That said, the fact that he could honestly acknowledge Rei's strength led Rei to judge that the man still had the potential to grow stronger.
Duke Kerebel's Knight Order could safely be called an elite group forged on meritocracy.
It was precisely because they were such individuals that they were renowned as some of the finest in the Kingdom of Mireana.
Given that much, it wouldn't be strange for someone arrogant to exist among them—someone unable to honestly acknowledge their own mistakes or their opponent's strength.
But this man readily admitted his mistake and acknowledged Rei's strength.
It was partly because they deliberately selected people with that kind of personality when recruiting for the Knight Order, but it was probably also a result of Filma's education.
Greedy for strength, and able to honestly apply their defeats to the next encounter.
Looking at this gathering of such individuals in Duke Kerebel's Knight Order, Rei could understand that they were already plenty strong as they stood, and that they would only continue to grow stronger.
"Sorry for making you spar with me."
"No... I don't mind. My body gets sluggish if I go too long without moving. If anything, I welcome it. That said, the reason you came here today..."
"I know."
Filma, who had called out to him, nodded in response to Rei's words.
Rei had originally come to this training ground today because he had received a message from Filma.
That sense of déjà vu—no, the question—of whether he had fought Filma somewhere before, which he had felt before facing him.
He had been given permission to have that question answered, and that was why Rei had been called here today.
Honestly, Rei had been curious about it, but by now it wasn't as if he absolutely needed to know.
However, with nothing in particular he had to do at the Duke Kerebel Mansion, Rei chose to learn the answer.
And so he came to the training ground he had visited before, only to find that what awaited him was, for some reason, a mock battle.
Granted, with nothing else to do besides taste-testing Ramen, having tea with Elena and Ara, or going out to look around Anesis, Rei figured even a mock battle would serve as a way to kill time, and he had gladly accepted.
He sparred with several knights, and the final opponent had been the spear-wielding knight from moments ago.
"Wait here a moment. I need to give my subordinates their training orders."
Saying that, Filma instructed several subordinates on what training they should do next and returned.
"Shall we go? There are too many people here."
"Yeah... I can't deny that."
Indeed, several people nearby could be seen training while still focusing their attention on the exchange between Rei and Filma.
Their Knight Order Commander and Rei, Bearer of the Crimson Moniker.
It would be a lie to say they weren't curious about what kind of history lay between the two.
But the matter of Filma fighting Rei was, naturally enough, classified. In reality, they had fought to quickly determine what kind of person Elena had taken interest in, so perhaps it wasn't quite at the level of classified. No—from Liberte and Filma's perspective, they had acted on personal motives, so in the sense that they didn't want that known, it could indeed be called classified.
In any case, unable to let others overhear such matters, Rei was led out of the training ground by Filma.
"May I ask where we're going?"
"No need to worry. Over there."
Filma, walking ahead, pointed to a room a short distance away.
Probably a place where those tired from training could rest.
Rei had thought it might turn into something troublesome, but fortunately, since it was just a nearby room, he was relieved to find it apparently less of a hassle than expected.
That said, just because they had entered a room slightly removed from the training ground didn't mean he could fully let his guard down.
Once inside, Filma filled a cup from the water jug and set it on the table.
It wasn't snowing today by chance, but even so, it was cold enough that snow could fall at any time.
As a beverage served under such conditions, Rei couldn't help but momentarily think water was a questionable choice. But for Rei, wearing the Dragon Robe with its simplified air conditioner function, this was no problem at all.
After sitting at the table and taking a sip of water to soothe the fatigue from the earlier mock battle, Rei turned his gaze back to Filma sitting across from him and spoke.
"Now then. Let's get right to the point. Judging by your demeanor, there's no doubt you've fought me before. I can expect an answer about that, right?"
"That's right. I have, without a doubt, fought you before."
As expected, huh.
While nodding inwardly, Rei urged Filma with his eyes to continue.
"And? Where did we fight? For someone as distinctive as you, I feel like I'd remember you at a glance."
Filma was neither exceptionally handsome nor surprisingly massive.
As a knight—and one whose name was known even in other countries—he had a sturdy physique, but there were plenty of people larger than him.
Even so, the reason Rei felt he wouldn't forget Filma at a glance was because there was something about him—an aura, perhaps—that was distinctly unique.
Filma himself said he had fought me, so if that's the case, we definitely should have crossed paths. But where on earth?
Based on his own experience and intuition, Rei was certain he had fought Filma at least once.
With Filma himself affirming it, there was no mistaking it.
But even so, he couldn't quite recall where they had fought.
"The Azoth Firm."
Before the puzzling Rei, Filma simply said that and nothing more.
Hearing that name, Rei recalled events from several years ago.
It was the story of a man blinded by greed—by the existence of Set and Magic Items—who had picked a fight with Rei.
As a result, the man who had provoked Rei met his ruin, and the current Azoth Firm was now led by that man's half-brother.
Recalling the battle from that time, the pieces in his head began falling into place one after another, and he remembered one of the opponents he had fought during that incident.
"That guy in the Full Plate Mail!"
That was the opponent he had fought when he stormed the Azoth Firm.
Clad head to toe in armor, his face completely invisible, and yet an extremely powerful enemy.
Now that he thought about it, Filma's movements had been strikingly similar to that Full Plate Mail opponent from back then.
"It seems you remember. Honestly, I was wondering what I'd do if you'd actually forgotten, after all that posturing."
Normally, a memory of fighting a formidable opponent like Filma wouldn't fade so easily.
But in the span of a few years, Rei had packed in a denser concentration of experiences than most adventurers would have in a lifetime.
When it came to powerful enemies alone, he had fought the likes of S-Rank Adventurers and S-Rank Monsters.
Filma was undoubtedly among the upper echelon of those Rei had fought, but for someone who had battled even more powerful opponents time and time again, it was perhaps inevitable that the impression had faded.
"Like I'd forget. You were a tough opponent. Well, it's true there were plenty of other tough ones too. So? Why were you cooperating with the Azoth Firm? Don't tell me Duke Kerebel's House was in league with them?"
Nowadays, the Kingdom of Mireana and the Bestia Empire maintained a friendly relationship.
But that was strictly a surface-level—or at best, an official—matter.
For two nations that had warred for years, many recognized that this wasn't a time of peace but rather a preparation period for the next war.
Under such circumstances, if the Azoth Firm, which had partnered with alchemists from the Bestia Empire, had also been connected to Duke Kerebel's House, that would be a serious matter.
However, to Rei's words, Filma silently shook his head.
"No. Neither Duke Kerebel's House nor I had any connection with the Azoth Firm. If you hadn't clashed with them, I probably wouldn't have been there. Though in that case, I likely would have fought you somewhere else."
"...What?"
That was tantamount to saying that regardless of the Azoth Firm, fighting Rei itself had been the objective.
But why he would do such a thing—Rei couldn't understand.
"Why would you need to do something like that? At the time, I wasn't even clashing with the Noble's Faction. If I had to guess, would it be about the Altar of Inheritance?"
"That's right. I can't explain the detailed reasons, but it's undoubtedly related to that incident."
So Filma said, but in reality, the stronger purpose had been to confirm what kind of person Elena had taken interest in for the first time.
It wasn't that there was no intention to verify matters regarding the Altar of Inheritance, since having various things discussed about it would be troublesome. But as a reason, the former was overwhelmingly greater.
However, for Rei, who didn't know Liberte and Filma's personalities in detail, the perception that the Altar of Inheritance was the reason Filma had challenged him remained strongest.
In fact, Filma himself had told Rei that it was undoubtedly related to that incident.
He was being evasive, but that was surely because of his official duties. Or so Rei judged.
"I see. Just to be clear though, I have no intention of telling anyone about that matter. Besides, even if I don't say anything, those who know already know."
Among those who had dived into the Dungeon at the Altar of Inheritance with Rei's group was a man named Vel Sails.
That man had ultimately defected to the Bestia Empire, and it was assumed he had passed along virtually everything he knew at the time.
If anything, he might well know more about the Altar of Inheritance than Rei himself did.
Understanding Rei's reasoning well enough, Filma nevertheless deliberately made no move to dispel that misconception, and simply returned a nod.