Things got pretty hectic after the marriage topic came up from Lady Maria and the others.
First, I went to pick up Jeanne and the others, but Jeanne was completely exhausted.
Aura was even more worn out than Jeanne, and on top of that, she seemed emotionally unstable.
The moment she saw me, she checked her surroundings and then came crying to me... It seemed Aina's special training had been incredibly harsh. She was half-traumatized.
"M-Master Tenma... please take me and run away..."
"Yeah, that's not happening! Aina said the next training session is in two days. Hang in there!"
I put a hand on Aura's shoulder as she spouted nonsense, trying my best to sound as cheerful as possible.
I could sense a flustered atmosphere from Jeanne, but there was no response from Aura whatsoever.
"...No response. She's like a living corpse..."
I murmured a famous line from my previous life at Aura, but she didn't even fire back a retort.
Skillfully frozen mid-crouch, Aura looked like an exquisitely crafted sculpture.
"Title: 'Despair'!"
Jeanne answered my naming with a wry smile.
Starting the next day, our lives settled into a rather regular rhythm, in a sense.
For me, days one and two were for taking on guild requests, day three was a rest day, day four was training with Din and the others, days five and six were guild requests again, day seven was a rest day, days eight and nine were training with Din and the others, day ten was a rest day, and then it looped back to day one.
As for Jeanne and Aura, the basic routine in the Royal Capital went like this: day one was guild requests with me, day two was Aina's instruction, day three was a rest day, day four was Aina's instruction, day five was guild requests, day six was Aina's instruction, day seven was a rest day, days eight and nine were Aina's instruction, and day ten was a rest day.
At first, Aina's plan had been for Aura alone to receive her instruction from days one through six, rest on day seven, then continue training through days eight through ten. But Aura came crying to me saying that was too much, so after negotiating, my plan was ultimately adopted on the grounds that I was her master.
"Master Tenma, as expected! That..."
demon!
"That was Master Tenma who saved me — he's simply divine!"
Those were Aura's words. It must have been truly brutal for her. She was practically bursting with joy at having more time free from Aina's supervision.
However, that joy began to crumble on the very first day.
When I went to the guild to pick up a quest, Aina was there waiting — dressed in her maid outfit and armed with a halberd.
"Since we're at it anyway, allow me to accompany you as well. That way, I can use the spare time to continue Aura's instruction."
With that, she forcibly registered herself in the party and tagged along on the quest.
Aura's face was drained of all hope, but since I didn't refuse, Aina's participation was finalized.
I heard the story from Aina later — apparently, infiltrating my party had been ordered by Lady Maria.
Aina herself was known among the other nobles as Lady Maria's personal maid, so she had been sent along to keep anyone from making a pass at me.
She asked me to keep quiet about it because it amused her — and because she didn't want Aura to know.
At the guild, I picked up quests that could be completed within a single day, focusing on jobs I'd never experienced before.
Since I wasn't particular about the reward, the guild and the quest-givers were quite pleased.
Guild quests involved travel time within the Royal Capital as well, so I adopted a routine of accepting quests the day before, completing them the next day, accepting new ones, and then heading home.
On rare occasions, I took on overnight quests during rest days. On those trips, Jeanne and the others stayed behind and apparently received instruction from Aina, so when I returned, I'd sometimes get an earful of complaints.
Training with Din and the others was mostly just joining the knights' regular drills, though occasionally I was made to fight in live-combat format.
In those cases, for some reason it was always a handicap match — me against the knights — and sometimes it would be organized as me and my Familiars versus the knights, or Familiars versus the knights, and so on. Over time, the people stationed at the castle naturally stopped being surprised whenever they saw Shiromaru, Slarin, or Solomon.
On rest days, I'd get dragged along shopping by a stressed-out Jeanne or Aura, or roped into accompanying royalty, or conscripted by Grandpa.
Around the time a month had passed like that, I visited the guild to register for the tournament — and passed by a strangely dressed individual.
The figure stood about two meters tall, its entire body draped in tiger fur, and on top of that, its head was covered by tiger-shaped armor, making it impossible to judge its gender from either its face or its build.
Just looking at it, it was way too suspicious.
So I tried to use Appraisal to investigate, but...
(Appraisal doesn't work!)
For some reason, the Status that should have been visible through Appraisal was garbled or blacked out, and I couldn't read it.
I was on high alert from this first-ever experience, but the figure merely glanced at me for an instant before walking right out of the building.
"What the heck was that?"
"That was a pretty creepy person, Tenma."
Several people, including us, had been standing in the tiger-fur person's path just moments ago, but everyone had been so startled by that bizarre appearance that they parted to let it through.
"Have you ever seen anyone like that, sis?"
"No, I haven't... but I have heard of them."
At Aina's words, both us and the adventurers nearby fell silent, straining to catch what she had to say.
"I don't know the name of that tiger-fur person, but their characteristics are similar to someone known as the 'Bandit King.'"
"The Bandit King? A criminal?"
Jeanne tilted her head as she asked, but that couldn't be right.
"That's not it. After all, the Royal Capital's security and the guild aren't soft enough to let a criminal waltz in like that... probably."
That was the gist of it. It seemed like something you'd figure out with a little thought, and the adventurers eavesdropping around us appeared to be thinking the same thing — several of them were coughing conspicuously or fidgeting nervously.
"Then why are they called the Bandit King?"
"It's because of their appearance and the quests they take. The Bandit King prefers to accept quests in mountains and forests. And on top of that, they'll exterminate bandits lurking in those mountains and forests as if it's just a side errand — smashing scores of bandits to pieces in a single blow..."
However, if that were all there was to it, then—
Bandits
Many adventurers seemed unable to grasp the meaning of "King."
"Hey sis, doesn't that make the bandits sound off?"
One adventurer came up and asked Aina, and the adventurers gathered around nodded along.
"Yes, that's exactly right. Apparently the Guild initially just assumed they were a skilled adventurer with good instincts, but they were catching far too many bandits—"
"—way too many."
"—so they began to develop a certain suspicion."
"A certain suspicion?"
At my question, Aina paused. Those listening nearby held their breath, waiting for her next words.
"It was whether that person might actually be leading a massive bandit organization... In other words, whether they were eliminating bandits who opposed them or broke the organization's rules, then cashing in their corpses at the Guild..."
Aina's way of speaking was growing more and more like she was telling a ghost story.
The adventurers listening kept growing in number, and before long every adventurer in the Guild had their eyes fixed on Aina.
"Because of that, not only the Guild but also the local lord and even the Royal Capital dispatched knights to investigate. But not a single trace of such an organization was found, and since no one had actually been victimized by the person in the tiger pelt, the investigation was called off. However, people who heard rumors of the investigation started spreading stories—like there's a king of bandits, or there's a bandit who hunts other bandits, or there's someone in the mountains who calls themselves king—and before long, they came to be known as the 'Bandit King.'"
Aina let out a deep breath, as though she had finished her tale. Drawn along by that, the tension hanging in the air dissipated.
"So Aina, roughly when was this?"
I asked the question that had been nagging me since partway through.
"About a hundred years ago, I believe."
Sure enough, that made sense. After all, it would be strange if every adventurer here somehow didn't know about such a story.
That being the case, either it was Aina's fabrication, or the adventurers—
—hadn't been born yet.
I had been thinking it was highly likely to be a story from around that time.
"But the story of the Bandit King is real. There should still be records of it in this guild, I'm sure."
At those words, several adventurers and guild staff members dashed off toward the archive room.
"Even if that story is true, the chances that the guy from earlier is the same person are pretty low."
"Why not, Lord Tenma? There's a possibility he could be a long-lived race like an elf, right?"
Aura's question was perfectly reasonable, but…
"If he were an elf, he wouldn't be built like that, and if he were a dwarf, he'd be even shorter. Even if he were a half-breed of either, I still can't see him ending up with that kind of physique."
That was the thing — elves were said to live around 400 to 500 years, dwarves around 200, and even their half-breeds were said to have half that lifespan. However, elves tended to have slender builds due to living in the forest, while dwarves were characterized by muscular but short frames.
Rarely, even someone with diluted blood could experience an atavistic throwback to their ancestors, and when that happened, the ancestral traits were said to emerge strongly.
"So while the possibility Aura mentioned isn't out of the question, I think it's more likely that someone else is impersonating the Bandit King — or just happens to be wearing the same getup."
"Oh, I see~"
Aura seemed convinced. The remaining adventurers nearby, having heard the end of Aina's story, naturally dispersed.
"Well, either way, whether that 'Bandit King' is the real deal or a fake, he's definitely someone to watch out for…"
My muttering faded away unheard by the other three.
As I learned afterward, that Bandit King had apparently come to register for the Individual Battle in the martial tournament, so I might end up fighting him before long… Aura was saying this, for some reason, with an air of great importance.
As for me, hearing that the Bandit King had registered, I only then realized that registration for the martial tournament had already begun, so I decided to sign up for both the Individual Battle and the Team Battle.
For the Team Battle, as long as the representative's name was registered, the other members just needed to submit their applications on the first day of the tournament.
"Tenma, who's going to be on the team? Are we entering too?"
"No, I'm going in with Slarin, Shiromaru, and Solomon. There'll be openings on the roster, but it should make for a good fight."
That's what I said, but in truth, I was pretty confident we'd win. Even holding back, I had been winning against multiple members of the knight order and the royal guard at the same time. If someone on Dinn's level were on the opposing side, things might be different, but people of that caliber didn't come along easily — and Dinn had said he wouldn't be participating.
The Bandit King is on my mind, but if we're going to compete in the main event, both the Individual Battle and the Team Battle should be manageable. Still, it pays not to let your guard down...
That day's quests didn't include any subjugation or gathering tasks, so there wasn't much worth picking up.
According to the guild staff, since the tournament was approaching, adventurers had flooded in from other towns and villages, so any money-making quests disappeared almost immediately.
"There's no point taking quests like cleaning up the streets... Starting next time, let's make guild quest days into self-training days."
My offhand suggestion made Aina's eyes light up... or so it seemed.
"Then I'd like to use the time Jeanne and Aura have free as training days under my instruction. Tenma, would that be acceptable?"
Aina
technically
asked for my permission, but in reality, it was probably already a foregone conclusion in her mind.
Jeanne and Aura were signaling me from where Aina couldn't see, shaking their heads and begging me to refuse, but I cheerfully ignored them.
"Sure. I was planning on going to the castle on my free days anyway."
"Thank you very much. Then let's begin starting today."
At Aina's proposal, I nodded and left the guild.
Both Jeanne and Aura had their shoulders slumped, but without a word, they followed after Aina.
They sure had been thoroughly tamed over the past month.
From that day on, our schedule changed. Jeanne and Aura, unfortunately, had their training time with Aina increased, but I planned to use this opportunity to learn some new magic.
The royal castle's library probably had books with magic I didn't know about.
I could always ask Grandpa to teach me, but without even knowing what magic I wanted to learn from him, it would be inefficient.
If I just asked, "Grandpa, teach me new magic," I had a feeling the conversation would stall at "Sure! What magic should I teach you?" and never progress further.
For now, I'd be better off looking into it myself and then asking if I found something good.
After seeing Jeanne and Aura off as they were being led away by Aina, I decided to go ask the King for permission to use the library.
Obviously, I couldn't just barge into the King's room like this, so first I would find Kurif and have him take me there.
However, precisely at times like these, the ever-elusive butler was nowhere to be found. As I searched through the castle, I spotted something hiding behind the shadow of some furnishings up ahead.
It didn't seem to have noticed me, so I held my breath, crept closer, and gently—
"Boo!"
I gave it a little scare.
"Aaaah! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! ...Huh?"
After being startled, the one who had been frantically apologizing for some reason was none other than the granddaughter of this castle's master, and a princess at that—Luna.
"Oh my! Don't scare me like that! I thought I'd been found by Onii-sama!"
I didn't know the full story, but it seemed Luna was currently running away from Tida.
"Sorry about that... So, Luna, why are you running away from Tida?"
At my question, Luna made a guilty face.
"Um, well... You won't get angry?"
"Depends on what you say... but I suppose I can promise not to get too angry."
It seemed Luna latched onto only the "won't get angry" part of my response, and after checking to make sure no one was around, she told me.
"See, today is supposed to be study day, but... I ran away! That's why I was being chased by Onii-sama!"
When I pressed for details, it turned out today's lesson was supposed to be taught by Tida. Tida's goal was to review and practice teaching by instructing Luna, while Luna's studies were essentially just a bonus.
"I didn't understand why I had to be dragged into Onii-sama's studying, so I just ran away!"
What would be the correct move in a situation like this?
There were mainly two options: one was to let Tida know, and the other was to pretend I'd never seen anything.
After thinking it over, I was about to pretend I hadn't seen anything, but then I noticed something here.
"Come to think of it, Luna was royalty too, wasn't she?"
"What are you saying so matter-of-factly, big brother?"
So, I offered a suggestion.
"Alright, Luna. I'll show you a good hiding spot."
"Really!"
Just as I thought, Luna took the bait immediately.
"Yeah. Come to the archive with me. It should be hard to find us there... But am I even allowed to just go into the archive on my own?"
My question made Luna tilt her head and think for a moment, but she quickly seemed to come up with something.
"It'll be fine, big brother! If I'm with you, no one should complain... Besides, if you're not there and I get caught by Tida, only I'll get in trouble..."
Luna muttered that last part under her breath. She probably meant for me not to hear, but I caught every word.
"Did you say something, Luna?"
"N-nothing! Come on, let's hurry!"
Luna grabbed my hand and pulled me along, rushing ahead. It seemed she'd left dealing with Tida up to me, as she wasn't on guard anymore.
"It's here! Hurry, hurry!"
Opening the door to the archive, Luna beckoned from inside, half her body poking out.
But just then...
"Oh, Tenma-san! Have you seen Luna anywhere?"
Tida appeared from in front of me.
Startled by her voice, Luna quickly slipped inside. She then hid behind a nearby bookshelf, frantically pressing a finger to her lips as she pleaded with me to stay silent.
"Slarin's got no excuse — today's supposed to be a study day, but she went and ran off somewhere… So, have you seen Luna anywhere?"
Tida didn't seem to have noticed Luna at all. She came up to me and asked for information about Luna.
I glanced sideways toward where Luna was hiding, and in that instant I locked eyes with her — she'd been peeking out.
The moment that happened, I couldn't help but grin.
"Tenma-san? Is something wrong?"
"Ah, sorry — it was about Luna, wasn't it? I know where she is. Actually, she should be right around here."
"Really?! Where is she?!"
Tida responded with a loud voice, and Luna shrank back in fear.
"Yeah, Luna brought me here and I got permission to use the place… but just before you showed up, she bolted off in the opposite direction."
Saying that, I pointed the opposite way.
"Thank you so much!"
Tida thanked me and hurried off to look for Luna.
"…Looks like it's over, Luna."
I stepped into the library and spoke to her.
Luna slumped down onto the floor as if all her strength had drained away, then looked up at me and puffed out her cheeks.
"Geez! Don't scare me like that!"
Maybe from the strain of having held her breath all this time, Luna blurted out in a loud voice… without even checking if anyone was nearby.
"Keep it down, Luna! This is a place where you're supposed to be quiet. If you keep making noise, I'll call Tida!"
"Eep!"
At my sudden scolding, Luna flinched and hunched her shoulders in surprise.
The owner of that voice was the Finance Minister, who was piling up books on a table placed right in the middle of the library, stacking them as if it were a mountain.