Sir Hero, It’s Time to Train!

“It’s taking forever!”

Christian ground his teeth and shouted as he left the royal palace.

When he had left home, it was still morning, but now the sun had already set.

It took such a long time, and even after delivering the letter, they couldn’t leave immediately.

They had to wait to return with His Majesty’s reply after he had read the letter, which delayed them even further.

“Sigh, I’m so tired…”

Aira seemed to feel exhausted, slumping as if all her energy had drained away.

Christian understood the mental toll Aira was experiencing, so he couldn’t chastise her for a lack of endurance. Thus, Christian halted his steps briefly and spoke.

“Shall we wait for Uncle, or should we go first?”

Considering Kytos was still working, aligning their return home with his quitting time wasn’t a bad option. They could even hitch a ride in a carriage.

However, Aira shook her head.

“Let’s go first. It looks like Uncle will work very late.”

“Well, the Foreign Affairs Department is typically like that.”

After staying at Marquis Ferdida’s household for several days, they learned about the uncle’s work routine.

He went to work earlier than anyone but came home only when it was nearly time to leave for work the next day.

Today, he had only accompanied them to the royal palace due to a planned schedule, which was why he left home later than usual.

Normally, he was so busy that even his wife rarely saw him.

“Then, shall we walk a bit for a change of scenery?”

“Yes, let’s do that.”

Having worn uncomfortable clothes all day without a chance for a second confrontation with Nemea that morning, Aira felt achy all over.

Although her attire was still uncomfortable, she felt a stronger urge to walk a bit and relieve her stiff body and mind.

“Won’t you have trouble in those shoes?”

“Hmm…”

Aira briefly looked down at the shoes she was wearing, then gave Christian a bashful grin.

“Switch shoes with me.”

“You want me to wear those?”

“Then would you carry me?”

“…”

When Christian recoiled two steps back in horror, Aira’s cheeks puffed up.

“I’m kidding, you know I was joking, right? Don’t take it so seriously.”

“Please, no jokes that can give me a heart attack.”

“What? Can’t I even joke?”

“Be glad we’re at the royal palace. If I had my sword…”

“Fine, fine! Geez!”

“And we’ll have a gentle stroll today. If we see a suitable shoe shop nearby, we’ll get some comfortable ones.”

“Okay! And I want to change clothes too!”

“If you change before meeting grandfather and grandmother, they’ll be terribly disappointed. Just keep them on.”

“Ugh…”

Aira couldn’t bear to disappoint the grandparents who had shown her so much kindness. Realizing this, she gave up on changing clothes and slumped her shoulders.

Seeing Aira like this, Christian couldn’t help but smile while saying, “Since we’re out, why not explore the capital a little?”

“What? Really? Not just buy shoes?”

“I told you it won’t be difficult today. Since we’re already in the capital, we should try to taste its flavors too. You know, there might be something special like lamb chops that can only be enjoyed here.”

“Lamb chops…”

Aira loved lamb more than beef or pork. Her expression quickly brightened up with delight.

“Don’t worry, this elder brother will buy plenty for you today.”

“Elder brother? I’m elder sister!”

“So, will you treat me then, elder sister?”

“Stop calling me elder sister like that! You offered first, so you pay!”

*

“Wow!”

Being the capital, the night market was exceptionally large.

Thanks to the presence of the Aries church, the market street was clean, with colorful lights dazzling in a splendid display.

Aira was captivated, her innocent appearance naturally drawing people’s attention.

Given her attire, Aira didn’t seem like a girl who would frequent such night markets, and her appearance caught the eyes amidst her joyous laughter and exploration.

However…

“Tsk!”

Christian glared sharply, causing those who had been openly staring to hurriedly avert their gaze.

For someone young, Christian’s frown was not particularly fierce or intimidating.

However, having infused his mana with his glare, ordinary people instinctively flinched and turned their heads.

Aira was completely absorbed in exploring the market, unaware that Christian was warding off curious eyes with his presence.

Aira eventually spotted something especially noticeable among the night market’s attractions, tugging on Christian’s sleeve.

“Wow, there really are a lot of demi-humans in the capital.”

“Hmm, do you find it so intriguing?”

“Of course! Have you ever seen demi-humans in the Rangar region?”

“Now that you mention it… no, I haven’t.”

“They say the Rangar region is so dangerous that demi-humans won’t even set foot there.”

“That’s nothing to boast about, you know.”

Christian sighed softly at Aira’s self-satisfaction. As Aira mentioned, the night market was vibrant with diverse ethnicities and demi-humans wandering freely.

Elves with pointed ears, dwarves with bushy beards, and beastfolk resembling half-human, half-beast were not uncommon sights.

“Demi-humans…”

Remembering both the demi-humans who rampaged as humanity’s betrayers and those who stood as stalwart allies was all too easy. They had fought alongside humanity valiantly.

Thus, while Aira marveled at the sights, Christian remained unaffected.

“Isn’t there anything that fascinates you?”

“Well, I found the city fascinating.”

Seeing a metropolis so intact held a certain novelty. Aira, feeling bored by Christian’s “seen it all” demeanor, pouted slightly.

“An astonishing architect has joined us.”

“Before that, shouldn’t we start looking for something to ea—.”

Looking to humor Aira and find a place to eat, Christian’s gaze suddenly locked on a particular sight.

“Elves?”

Elves were naturally conspicuous among any demi-human group. Their alluring features, striking regardless of gender, naturally drew attention.

While the Rondia night market had elves in abundance, the one Christian spotted stood out distinctly.

“Dark-skinned elf….”

Against the typically porcelain skin tone of elves, this one was especially noticeable and captivating.

It crossed Christian’s mind that it might be someone in disguise, yet the elf’s pointed ears remained unaltered, bearing no signs of artifice.

Moreover, what was fascinating was how no one seemed to pay attention to this dark-skinned elf.

Even for Christian, the elf seemed remarkably insubstantial, vanishing if he just turned his gaze momentarily.

Christian wasn’t sure why he couldn’t look away from the elf.

But it was then. When the elf turned their head, revealing a face.

The moment Christian beheld those silver-white eyes gleaming like the moon, he froze.

“No way…”

Even within the brief duration Christian’s gaze slipped away, the elf had vanished without attracting further attention, fading into the crowd effortlessly, leaving behind no trace, as if blending into the surrounding environment.

“Christian, Christian. Something smells delicious over there! Let’s go. Please?”

Eagerly pulling on Christian’s sleeve, Aira radiated excitement at discovering lamb skewers.

“Christian?”

When there was still no response from Christian, Aira peered up at his face, calling his name again.

“Aira, I’m sorry. Just wait here for a moment.”

“What? Out of nowhere, what are you…?”

Christian tenderly removed Aira’s grip from his sleeve, took a step back, and then surprised everyone by kicking off powerfully, launching himself over the crowd onto a nearby rooftop.

“Ack?! Christian?!”

As onlookers reeled in shock, and even Aira was tense due to the unusual seriousness in Christian’s demeanor, Christian moved swiftly, vaulting over roof after roof.

“Ugh, why does he do these things?”

Planning to eat lamb skewers alone, Aira suddenly felt a strange, crushing sensation in her chest while watching Christian vanish into the distance.

“Oh, come on! My lamb skewers!”

Hesitating any longer could mean completely losing track of Christian. Hurriedly slipping off her shoes and, like Christian, using the rooftops as stepping stones, Aira pursued him.

“Shouldn’t we report this to the city guard or something?”

The siblings were oblivious to the confusion they left behind in the crowd.