“Tek here, in my childhood, I had read a lot about arranged fiancees. Mainly in fantasy books, and history--but on earth, it had become obsolete where I was born. However, I always get reminders that this is a fantasy world…”

“You’re the scalekin’s master, huh?” A young knight talked to me. He was the one who had three scars on his face, as though he had been clawed by a Monster, or got into an argument with a woman.

“Nice to meet you, my name is Tek.”

I wasn’t going to introduce myself as a traveler, and I probably no longer could, since the title of ‘hero’ would be revealed when I touched a Yamato Stone--I could no longer hide it, since the Baron might spread the word, and Toruma would definitely let it slip. If I was scanned by a Yamato Stone and it didn’t appear, people would discover that I could hide titles…Worse consequences would follow.

The young knight is the captain of the ‘17^th Knight Squadron’ of the Dukedom, and he was the one who followed Liza.

Following his example, the vice-captain also introduces himself. Apparently, both of them are commoners. Maybe because of that, they give off more of the feeling of mercenaries, instead of trained knights.

I had thought that knights would be noble, or noble-born, like in a lot of the stories.

It appears that I was incorrect.

The vice-captain beside him is wearing a helmet, so his face can’t be seen, but he belongs to the rare Panther-head race. Of course, I’m not going to deliberately bring it up.

“Oh, she wasn’t the guard of a noble huh? At any rate, you’ve hired someone very capable, she can even use Magic Blade.” The knight sounded very impressed.

Liza looked at me when she heard the words, her face brightening when I agreed with the knight.

We began talking--well, he described his impression of Liza’s combat. He also complemented Mia’s Magic, causing her to respond with a ‘Nn’ and hide behind my back.

While we were in the middle of our conversation, the maid from earlier came back and guided us back towards the fort--which was situated near the center of the bailey, instead of the Baron’s mansion.

***

“Aah! There you are, Hero!” A female voice resounded as we entered the fort. I looked around and saw Karina approaching me with an excited look on her face…mixed with those glinting eyes, and radiating battle-lust.

Suddenly, along with the sound of rushing wind, the lady’s fist moved through the space where my face had just been.

Huh?

A sudden attack?

I ask her for her reasoning, while avoiding her attacks.

“Why,”

I avoid a jab, taking a half-step back and twisting my head slightly.

“Are you,”

I gently push her slim wrist as I redirect an uppercut.

“Attacking me?”

I sidestep a rapid kick, gently stepping inside her hook and ducking under her--spinning inside her reach and ending up behind her, her back to me.

She finally paused and turned to face me.

I caught sight of Liza, Tama and Pochi, all of which look like they are going to attack her. I shake my head to them, indicating that she doesn’t mean harm.

“What’s with that composure?” As she asks me, she shifts slightly and tries to sweep my legs.

I jumped to avoid it.

Oops, I got distracted in battle again.

“Impudent!” She may have been speaking like she didn’t like me avoiding her. But the glint in her eyes increasing and her smile was so wide I wondered how much it hurt her now-flushed cheeks. She seemed to really like fighting.

“I’m just good at avoiding.”

“Jeez, how whimsical! Fight fairly, if you’re a Hero.”

“It’s the hero standing over by Soruna who likes to fight up close. I’m more of a coward who snipes with my crossbow.” I rolled my eyes at her, as I continued avoiding, deflecting, and redirecting her attacks.

Her older sister, Soruna was coming over here with the fake hero.

Rather than looking both surprised and impressed with your hands covering your mouth, Soruna, could you please convince your battle-maniac sister to stop?

Finally--

Soruna moves, and tells her sister to stop. Karina actually apologizes to me for the surprise attack, though probably only because of both her older sister, and the Baron reprimanding her.

Her apology is so ladylike that the juxtaposition makes me feel like my brain is melting, as it tries to compare the two.

Since it doesn’t really matter, and she didn’t actually mean any harm, I accept her apology.

***

Soruna guides us into the audience hall inside the fort. For some reason, Karina, who looks slightly sulky, follows along behind us.

Of course, the Duke’s knight captain also follows.

“Even sir Zotol wasn’t able to defend against half my attacks, I couldn’t believe that he can even avoid my surprise attack.” Karina complained, at first I thought she was talking to herself, until Raka replied.

<However, he wasn’t lying when he said he prefers to attack from a range--those moves he used seem to be not often practiced, and as though he was following theory or copying combat he had seen. >

Raka sounded quite impressed.

“But the way he used them, he didn’t look like a beginner!” Karina replied sulkily.

“Those moves were certainly amazing. I’d like if he would teach me, at least once.” The fake hero spoke up from in front of us, turning back with a grin.

“Someone like you won’t even last a match. Stay out of it.”

“Karina!” Soruna actually raised her voice.

“But, Soruna.” Karina looked at her sister with puppy eyes.

I ignored the sisters and talked to the fake hero, which should work as a shield from Karina.

“By the way, hero, what happened your face?”

“Ha ha, please don’t call me ‘hero’. I was just set up and used by the Demon, I am definitely not at the level of a real hero. The bruise on my face is proof of that. There were people hired by the Demon mixed in with the people who we let inside the Bailey. I was hit while protecting the Baron.” He let out an awkward laugh and smiled guiltily.

“I see, it’s an honourable injury then?”

“That’s right--the reason that I wanted to be a hero was to protect people. The Demon made use of that feeling, but my desire to protect hasn’t changed.” He had a righteous look on his face, “I’m going to be Soruna’s knight.”

“Fufufu, that’s wonderful. Since the family’s peerage will be passed down to my younger brother, I can marry at any time, you know?”

“Soruna, I will become your knight without fail!”

Since the two of them have started to get excited, ignoring everyone around them, we all decide to leave them alone.

As though used to this, a maid steps forward to act as a substitute guide, without hesitation, or instructions.

***

There were a few people waiting for us in the audience hall. The Baron sat on a fairly impressive chair, standing near him was Toruma and Hayuna, who still cradled her baby. The one who drew my attention the most was the woman who looked to be in her early thirties, she was incredibly thin and lying on a simple bed.

The woman is Nina Rottol, a viscount. Her cheeks press against the bones of her face, and the visible parts of her body were emaciated, but she had a strong light of will in her eyes.

From the story, she should have been imprisoned in the dungeon for more than a year, suffering who-knows-what at the hands of jailers, she seems to be a very resilient person at heart.

I don’t know why the Demon didn’t kill her, but the reason probably wasn’t a nice one--

“I’m sorry for this appearance. I’m the new Consul, Nina.” Her voice is powerful, and rather husky.

I return the greeting.

“It seems that you were able to see through the deceit, to see that the ‘Consul’ was a Demon.” She stared at me with piercing grey eyes.

“Yes, I had heard a lot of information from merchants, and I visited Information Dealers, not only in other cities but here too.” I was pushing my Deception Skill to its limits.

Raka, who can see through lies, is with Karina. Currently Karina is having a family reunion with the Baron, and Toruma, and gushing over Hayuna’s baby. So I don’t think that Raka is paying attention, and if he is, he has chosen not to say anything.

“Furthermore, on top on eradicating the Demon, you also exterminated the Monsters which had gotten inside the city, right?”

“Well, it was my companions who handled the Zombies.”

“Companions? Ah, the achievements of your slaves are your achievements, you know?”

That is rather hypocritical reasoning--what’s the bet that the failing of my slaves can’t be linked to me; so if Liza had failed and got the knights killed, I wouldn’t suffer any backlash.

Then, the captain praises Liza, Tama, and Mia, “Nina, his companions also did another good deed. They protected the people who were fleeing along the highway, wiping out the flocks of Demons. We were also assisting them, but without their leadership, we wouldn’t have been able to prevent some deaths.”

Since that’s the first time I’ve heard it, I listen to his story as well.

The three did wonderfully.

Even the Baron, who started to listen to the story partway through, lets out exclamations of exaggerated surprise. It feels like I am listening to a bard, rather than a knight captain.

After he has finished telling about the success of Liza and the others, Nina begins whispering something to the Baron. He begins to nod, somehow making it look like Nina is the superior.

“Hero Tek, do you have someone whom you serve?”

“No, there is no one.” I have a bad feeling about where this is appearing to lead.

“Then, would you like to serve this territory’s Baron? You’d be only given the ‘Honourary Knight’ at first, but there’s no one like that among this generation of Muno’s vessels. He’s surely a Baron for now, but he’s a respectable lord. But it has been determined that he would be promoted to an Earl when he gets a grandchild. Depending on your work, you could advance rapidly through the ranks, you know?”

“Sorry, but--” I try to refuse Nina’s offer.

I don’t want to be a noble and have to live in one place, I want to travel with the girls, go sightseeing and have a fun life I guess.

Nina accepts the refusal, but she doesn’t give up trying to convince me for almost half an hour--though unlike expectations, she never tries to force me into it, which goes against what I know of nobles from stories and history on Earth.

“Apparently, you have helped this territory, which was on the brink of ruin, to survive. It might be better if you marry the Barron’s daughter and join the family.”

“I think you’re overestimating me.”

Karina stalks over, and then lets out an explosive statement, “Then it’s fine for him to be my fiance. This would make his achievements become the achievements of my family, right?”

This woman!

She seems to have spoken only to harass me--

“How about it? Are you going to be the fiancee of a beauty, or an honourary knight? You could take both.”

“Hmm, it might be fine to leave Karina to Tek.” Even the Baron is agreeing with a nod. I have the feeling that he believes that if I marry Karina, Tama and Pochi would also follow along--he has an unhealthy interest in those two, I need to be careful.

Well, I do like Karina’s looks, but judging from her actions--I don’t know how well we will look along--I have no major problems with battle maniacs…but the females are also usually majorly controlling, or are bitches.

I would need to know her for longer. Liza is a battle maniac, when it comes to fighting Monsters instead of Humans, but she is a good girl at the same time.

 

“N-No, something like an arrange fiancee.”

“No. Not on first meeting.”

 

After hearing the problematic remark by Karina, Arisa and Mia, who had been spectating with a grin, intruded.

Liza has been spreading out an intimidating aura from behind me since Nina had started trying to convince me to be a noble. I will have to ask her about it, she seems uncomfortable around nobles.

I don’t know when it started, but both Pochi and Tama are being fed baked sweets by some maids, in the corner of the room.

When I look at the other girls, wanting their opinions: Liza has a look that seems to say that she will go along with whatever I choose, and that she is ready to attack at any time; Arisa just shrugs with a smile; Mia seems to be silently saying that ‘as long as he doesn’t get engaged to Karina, he will sort it out.’

With a shrug, I agree to become an Honourary Knight. I know that I really shouldn’t alienate potential allies like this, allies who like Beastkin, who could be vital for support if I really need it.

After negotiating with Nina, we agree on some terms that allow me to accept without worries. I won’t have any duties, but in return I won’t get a salary or pension.

They also offered to Liza, Pochi and the others the chance to become the Baron’s vassal for their achievements. But we refuse, in exchange we ask that Totona and other serfs like her, who ran away, are allowed to be promoted to commoners. We also get permission for their villages to develop some of the nearby reclaimed lands.

Of course, it was Arisa who was negotiating.

In the end, we stayed in the Baron’s territory for two weeks--much longer than planned.