Sir Hero, It’s Time to Train!

The Rangar region was large and expansive, yet there were not many towns or cities where humans actually resided.

Those who initially settled in the Rangar region would gather as closely as possible for survival, which solidified into a distinct characteristic of the area.

Consequently, the distance between cities grew, meaning that anyone traversing the Rangar region had to be somewhat prepared for sleeping outdoors.

Traders and travelers who frequented the Rangar region or visited for other purposes had to know the locations of towns or villages.

This had become common knowledge shared among those living in or visiting the Rangar region.

“Huh? What’s that?”

One of the garrison members in Paltema, the gateway city connecting the Rangar region and the mainland of the Rondel Kingdom, stared at a cloud of dust approaching from afar.

The recent dry conditions had caused dust to stir, but it didn’t swirl that intensely when there was no wind at all.

The guard, on alert due to the possibility of a monster attack, grasped his spear nervously. He then noticed a rapidly approaching carriage and tilted his head in confusion.

Why was the carriage moving so fast?

A soldier focused on the carriage appeared startled and immediately blew the whistle hanging around his neck.

“Beeeep—!”

Other guards patrolling nearby hurriedly ran over to him.

“What’s going on here?!”

A knight, who seemed to hold a higher rank, stepped forward, prompting the soldier to point urgently at the rapidly approaching carriage.

“The carriage is moving at an unusual speed. It seems there’s something wrong!”

“What?”

Everyone turned their heads to confirm the swiftly approaching carriage, still from a distance but getting closer in real-time.

Adding to the concern, the dust cloud surrounding the carriage obstructed their vision, making it impossible to assess the situation.

Moreover, no horses were visible due to the dust covering the carriage.

‘Who could be pulling the carriage if there are no horses? Something unusual must have happened during the journey.’

Rick, a knight of the garrison, grasped his sword and shouted to the gathered soldiers.

“Form the anti-monster phalanx and hold your positions!”

As expected of a gateway city, they were well-prepared in case of emergencies.

At his command, the soldiers instinctively formed groups of four, closing the distance to support each other seamlessly.

The soldiers forming a tightly knit phalanx blocking the road seemed well-trained, showing no fear in their eyes.

Perhaps it was their trust in Rick, standing in the center and leading them.

And then…

Thud, thud, thud, thud—!

Rumble, rumble, rumble—!

The advancing carriage, now quite close, reverberated with the urgent sounds of pounding hooves and turning wheels. However…

Screeeech—!

The carriage, kicking up a dust storm, came to a sudden halt right in front of the phalanx of soldiers as if defying the laws of physics.

Whoooosh—!

As the dust cloud engulfed the soldiers, many coughed and wiped at their eyes.

Whooong—!

But as Rick swung his sword, the mana concentrated on the blade scattered the dust cloud effortlessly.

“Hmm?”

A strange sound came from Rick’s mouth.

Or perhaps, it was similar for the other soldiers as well.

The halted carriage, and the scene clearly visible now that the thick dust cloud had dissipated around it.

“Uweeek!”

A young man holding the reins collapsed onto the ground and vomited.

“Ugh…”

Another tall young man holding onto the reins seemed on the verge of throwing up, his face pale. Both young men, covered in dust, looked quite a mess but boasted handsome features and robust builds.

Yet something else drew even more attention.

“Ugh. Just from running a little, vomiting and trying to vomit like this.”

“Ah, young people these days, lacking stamina so shamefully.”

In contrast to the vomiting young men, one individual was slightly shorter in stature. Particularly curious was the fact that this person was a girl.

“What the… What’s going on?”

Rick took a step forward to engage them in conversation but was stopped by something else.

Creak—!

The carriage door swung open, and an extremely young girl clad in a lavish dress tumbled out almost ungracefully from the carriage.

Ignoring the state of her supposedly expensive dress now sullied by dirt, she plopped herself down on the ground…

“Bleagh!”

…and began to vomit.

Her starkly pale face and disheveled hair painted a picture of someone trembling in fear as she gazed at the four people standing at the forefront of the carriage.

What was happening? What in the world was going on?

No matter how much he tried to think, Rick couldn’t make any sense of the situation.

“Huh?”

The young girl who had tumbled out of the carriage was looking straight at him.

Their eyes met, and the intense fear in her gaze transmitted itself deeply to Rick. The girl moved her lips as if mumbling something under her breath.

Though her voice didn’t reach him, she seemed desperate to convey a message to Rick.

‘Help, me?’

Rick quickly deciphered her lip movements, soon understanding what she was attempting to say.

-Help me.

The girl seemed to be saying this to him.

Rick wrapped himself in as much mana as he could muster, activating it throughout his body.

With incredible speed, he practically flew towards the young girl, cradled her, and leaped away from the carriage as he shouted,

“Arrest those heinous kidnappers immediately!”

“Yes, Sir!”

At Rick’s command, the soldiers disbanded the anti-monster phalanx, formed a surround formation, and charged at the group without hesitation as soon as it was set.

*

“No, as I said! We’re not kidnappers or criminals. We’re on our way to the capital on an errand for our parents!”

“…”

Aira shouted full of displeasure, but Rick, listening to her, still seemed skeptical as he examined Aira and her companions in turn.

Sonya stood quietly next to Rick, her eyes fixed disapprovingly on the group, which only seemed to reinforce the knight’s misunderstandings.

As Aira grew increasingly emotional, Christian let out a small sigh and spoke up.

“I believe you’ve already verified the family crest. Haven’t you?”

“That’s true, but…”

“Then isn’t that enough? Our credentials, as I’ve already explained, we’re only here for a brief visit on family business.”

“Hmm.”

Rick seemed to be deliberating over Christian’s words.

Although they had almost forcibly brought Christian’s group to the garrison headquarters, the identification papers they produced made not only Rick but the entire Paltema garrison uneasy.

These were identification documents that couldn’t be forged, only representing specific families.

All these papers had already been authenticated there and were genuine.

These were provided by the Logia Magic Tower, with a mage dispatched from the Logia Magic Tower confirming their legitimacy.

More importantly, this group comprised direct descendants of the four families sustaining the Rangar region.

Bringing such people forcibly could only spell trouble. Yet, Rick couldn’t dispel the lingering suspicion overshadowing him.

“I apologize for the rude question, but let me ask you once more. Are you all really not the kidnappers of Miss Sonya Derin?”

“What, this guy…!”

Perhaps due to adhering to the chivalric code as a knight, Rick found himself in a position where he had to make potentially troublesome remarks, despite knowing the issues it might cause.

Though Aira flared up, Liber, having brushed off the worst of the dust and looking relatively presentable, intervened to answer on Aira’s behalf.

“I apologize for the misunderstanding. The fact is, we’re only accompanying Sonya due to a request from Viscount Derin. Isn’t that right, Sonya?”

Sonya’s trust in Liber seemed slightly diminished, with her gaze upon him having shifted somewhat since earlier.

However, her expression softened momentarily.

The weary, faintly smiling Liber exuded an aura like that of a forlorn older brother, making one feel protective.

“That’s right. Father asked me to travel to the capital with them, so I came along… just because of elder brother Liber.”

Sonya hung her head low, expressing childlike remorse over the misunderstanding caused due to her.

Seeing her meek demeanor, Rick finally realized the misunderstanding he was under, exhaled a long sigh, and stood up, bowing his head.

“I apologize for my rudeness.”

Despite the disparity in status, having firmly acknowledged his mistake, there was no sense of humiliation in bowing to someone much younger.

Instead, Rick felt embarrassed for having blown the situation out of proportion.

“We apologize for causing such an impression. We came rushing in, so it’s understandable there was a misinterpretation. I apologize to you, Sir Rick, and to the soldiers as well for the trouble we caused.”

Christian gave a courteous nod to Knight Rick, prompting Aira, Liber, and even a half-dazed Caedwin to look at him, somewhat surprised.

“Then, may we leave now?”

“Ah, yes, of course. May I see you out…?”

As Christian stood up to leave the interrogation room, knight Rick also got up.

However, Christian shook his head, saying, “That won’t be necessary. Actually, do you know of any good accommodations around here? It’s our first time here, so we’re not sure where to go.”

“In that case, I’ll have a soldier accompany you to assist.”

“Yes, please do so.”

With a smile, Christian led his group out of the interrogation room, and Rick followed them out.

‘But what was that…?’

Approaching Christian, who was leading the group, Rick pondered silently.

‘Why didn’t he stop me?’

He had witnessed it. When Rick rushed forward to shield Sonya, Christian had watched him keenly, unlike anyone else.

Their eyes had met, and Christian appeared to smile, seemingly surprised.

‘Was it a mistake of perception?’

That might have been possible, yet the feeling of unease wouldn’t leave him.