Nearly a month has passed, and Abram’s mercenary team returned from fighting on the Dioral's border, along with the nobles of Abram (their employers). Of course, there were no noteworthy battles but only small clashes that trickled on, so there were no real casualties. It was a homecoming that was superficially grandiose for the mercenaries who had just earned some easy money at a breezy battlefield.

I have brought Kurotsuchi to the piazza in front of the castle, where I stand beside Ivanna. Both are beside me. Merchants Guild has invited me to come watch the homecoming parade in Abram City.

I exhales lightly, and fixes my smiling mask of the good-natured merchant. I harken to see if the shop keepers around me have noticed, but no one seems to have caught that.

The knights stationed in Abram are the ones who welcome the homecoming knights. A few, most likely very skilled, members of them right out of the castle on a horse through the piazza, and greet the army. One of those members, is Lyla. With her back straightened, and her hand calming the grey, rambunctious military horse shows experience. She keeps her horse moving forward without her eyes straying from in front of her. She is a proud knight.

The problem is… There it is, on the shield she held. A colourfully drawn tower and eagle. The emblem of House Lambert.

"What’s wrong, Hiro-sama? …Is that… Lyla-san… Over there?」

I could hear Kurotsuchi, who must have followed my gaze. 

***

"Oh, you saw me… Well, yes. It is a little embarrassing knowing that someone I know was watching."

Knight Layla, who serves House of Lambert, answers with a blush of shyness. She is a knight who doesn’t own land, and live near the shop.

"Because, well… In last year’s horse-riding tournament, I was the only woman who placed. Although I’m certainly no fancy lady, they must have considered me somewhat more presentable than men."

As a member of equestrian club during my university days, I could ride horse without any lessons. I understood how tiresome and difficult is was to keep a slow… no, a smooth pace of the horse while waving a hand or conducting people. I could only imagine the strain would be wearing a full ceremonial armour like Lyla did. She looked truly impressive on her horse during the parade. I doubted that even Ivanna could do the same, much less myself.

"But that was impressive. You may say there’s nothing special since you’re a knight, Lyla, but those maneuvers were unbelievable to a run-of-the-mill horse rider like me."

"All thanks to the horse. My techniques aren’t impressive at all."

Sure, the horse looked abundant in elegance and performance, but… It seemed that Lyla had low self-esteem.

"That being said. What I want to talk to you today, is…"

I bring up what I had been thinking about, interrupting the end of her sentence, that I want her to wear items from my shop for advertisement… Essentially as a walking billboard. I figure a person with enough clout to lead a parade would bring in the desired effect.

It sure is a small world. This nice woman works for House of Lambert, who I hear a lot of bad things about them. Could Lyla have something to do with that? Does she not know a thing? If she has no knowledge of it, I might be able to collect some intel on House of Lambert through her. It is so sudden, I struggle to gather my thoughts.

"…?"

"I’m sorry. I missed that. What did you say?"

I was lost in my thoughts for a minute. Lyla continues, now with some pity in her voice.

"You really have your guard down, don’t you… This may be a safer part of city, but that doesn’t mean there are no thieves around."

"How embarrassing. It has been over three months since I’ve opened shop, so I was just thinking of some marketing strategies."

That isn’t lie. I just have more thoughts than I have lead on.

"Well, I guess what you’re offering me to do… is a marketing strategy, I suppose, but… Are you sure? Isn’t this expensive?"

Lyla seems likely she simply doesn’t know what to do. She is a knight of House of Lambert at any case, but I could not get myself to hold any animosity towards her. I don’t know how she acts on duty, but on the streets, she is endlessly nice and never stops trying to take care of everybody. When I had just moved in, it was her and her old lady, who used to be her nanny, who introduced me to the neighbours, and also to the notable people in the neighborhood who I hadn’t dealt with much other than obtaining my merchant’s license.

All I got from the people she introduced me to was that she simply operate under a knight’s moral code, without consideration for her own gains, confirming my assumption. To top it off, I had heard that she was teaching the kids in the slums from time to time. She apparently received small tokens for her time, but never in money.

Knights are often not born in to the job, and they are at the bottom of the ranks, but are nonetheless nobles. It is rare for one to carry their life so close to commoners… Although, that may only be a prejudice of mine. I just consider her an exception to the majority of nobles, just as Ivanna was to royalty.

I have offered Lyla to lend her armor printed with a small logo for my store (on a tasteful floral pattern, designed by Hanabi). Gloves that are water resistance and stay dry on the inside, gauntlets that cover up to the elbows, chainmail to be worn under the armour, and metal-plated long boots. Those are all to printed with my Company's logo. Since I had to buy those equipments, these were quite costly. 

"So, how much would this normally cost…?"

Lyla continues timidly. I purchased the equipments from blacksmith from Orzammar, outside of Ferelden. If I purchase them from within the city and sold them, people would notice. I want to avoid that as much as possible.

These purchases were possible through guildmaster’s connection. Of course, I don’t intend to share that with Lyla, or anyone else.

 "I could never afford that, you know."

Lyla usually speaks in a masculine manner, perhaps out of her sense of responsibility as a knight, or force of habit, but once in a while she shows her feminine side.

"I do have my costs. I can’t afford to lose money, that’s all."

"Of course, you’re right… Rental, you say… That’s why there’s no shield nor body armour…?"

Layla mumbles, as she looks over the products on the table and the list of them. I am not sure if she is asking me or herself, but I figure it wouldn’t hurt to answer.

"I only thought that knights may have certain responsibilities and obligations. When I saw you at the parade, you were holding a shield with the crest of a tower and an eagle. I couldn’t slap my shop’s advertisement where a house sigil is meant to be."

"…If I dared such a thing, I think my master would cut off my head."

Ooh, perfect.

"You’re master… Or boss, should I say? What’s he like? I’m not from here, and it’s not like I can understand the sigils, so I only presumed you worked for a noble, but… To be honest, I’m hoping to do business with him, too. It would mean a lot to my shop’s reputation, I think."

"You’re a brazen man… Well, you must have to be when you own a business. I’m not too sheltered as to take offense or laugh at that attitude, but I haven’t been out in the world enough to know if what you’ve said is all that remarkable, either. My master is the head of House of Lambert. House of Lambert is a rightful noble house here, with relatives in House of Blare, including the current Margrave if Lothering. The most powerful house in this city. The head of the house, Master Lubreo… Is wonderfully skilled in combat, as well as politics."

When Lyla said so, I thought that I caught her eyes wonder for an instant. While I almost brush it off, a weird feeling stuck with me.

…Does Lyla have the hots for Lubreo, the head of the house?

"I hope I’m not being too forward, but when you greeted the troops at the parade. Did you go out there as a House of Lambert’s knight, or a representative of the knights at Abram’s castle?"

Appearing in a parade would have been an honorable opportunity for a knight. Was there a reason why House of Lambert’s leader-in-line did not make an appearance?

"That, well… Had to do with the House. House of Lambert is a noble house, and has strong connections to many other houses, too. Naturally, they need to make appearances to many events like the one you saw. However, Master Lubreo are very busy. It would be different if it was for House of Blare, but it’s not often that either of them will make the time for other houses."

I summarize what she had said in my mind:

So they only send a representative for nobles on lower footings than themselves.

Just as the viscount's granddaughter, Suzy had said, they seemed to be the nobler-than-thou types.

"Still, they send you out to ceremonies like that, so House of Lambert must have faith in you. I hear there are few female knights to begin with, I think that’s very impressive."

Hearing my annotation, Lyla chuckles in a self-deprecating manner. I has another weird feeling about that. It seems different from her usual, honest laughter.

"Well… Ordering another knight to do would cost them some. Besides, I’m sure a woman brightened up the parade a little, no matter how gruff I am. That’s what they think, anyway. That kind of thing is a show for the soldiers and the people, not for us or the higher-ups in the castle."

I could understand that. In a strict financial sense, a parade is nothing but a big waste of time and money. Still, it is needed to publicize the soldiers’ victory and safe return to provide the people with some comfort. 

Still, I would have thought that a contract knight… Some who doesn’t own land, and works for a master under contract would receive some sort of reward for making an appearance to an honourable event.

Apparently, it is written all over my face. Lyla gives a small chuckle, and tell me something shocking,

"I may be a contracted knight, but in actuality, I’m the one who gets to work for House of Lambert as a knight, because… I am a knight of a house that should have died out. My father was a criminal."