24 Hearts

30====================

The twenty-fourth fragment, Carpe Diem

It was Gentia who was leaning against the wall.

She smiled sharply when she looked at Kain, as if she had heard our entire conversation. Her fangs flashed through her smiling lips. Kain’s face turned pale, and he hesitated before speaking.

“Ah… Uh… well, I-I’m sorry.”

“Too late. And why are you stuttering?”

Tia struck Kain hard over his head. The thumping sound was loud. The pain seemed great, and Kain sat down, touching his head as he started to tear up.

Tia turned her head as if she had no regrets, approached me, and lifted me up. She was handling me in exactly the opposite way than Kain.

“Oh my, our pretty Judah. Do you know how worried I was when I heard that you fell in the temple? No pain anywhere? Are you okay now?”

It felt so good when she said that I was pretty. I nodded as I felt the texture of her puffy chest.

“Not enough that you have to worry.”

“The commander says it’s been a while since he prepared a skillful meal for us, so let’s eat here. It’ll be bothersome to have to go home and chew on a pillow.”

“I don’t mind, not at all.”

Tia smiled lightly and kissed me on the cheek, saying, “That’s right.”

Tia embraced me as we headed for the dining room, leaving Kain behind.

Kaseun’s cooking was as excellent as ever. Perhaps he wasn’t lying when he said he wanted to try out his skills because so much food was prepared for breakfast that the butler’s legs almost bent as he carried it all in.

Thanks to Kaseun, Tia and I were able to eat a very tasty meal until we were chock-full.

My body felt less taught, and my exhaustion disappeared as I started eating. After being satisfied with the feeling of satiety, I was still able to finish the meal off with fruit and dessert.

We had a pleasant conversation throughout the meal, a run-off-the-mill conversation where we talked about nothing special. I could eat no more; I was full, so it seemed to be time to head home. The sumptuous breakfast was over.

Tia glanced at me first, then told Kaseun that we had to go. Kaseun asked if we weren’t leaving too early, but Tia politely refused his invitation. It was an unplanned visit. Tia said that we didn’t want to impose on him anymore and that the meal was sufficient. We left the mansion and walked along the well-polished road. The streets of the noble quarter were always quiet.

We walked on without a word until Tia finally spoke to me.

“Why are you so nervous?”

“Yes? Um… did you enjoy Kaseun’s tea?”

Tia nodded.

“It was amazing. How long can a boy hide his facial expressions, Judah?”

The situation was difficult. If Tia had noticed my anxiety, then Kaseun knew of it also. I guessed that my face showed that I seemed to have done something rude. I was thinking all the time about Kain’s level of vigilance and his future schedule, and such thoughts seemed to have expressed themselves on the outside.

“There’s no special reason for me being nervous, Tia. It’s just because I want to go hunting soon.”

Two years remained before my coming-of-age ceremony. Within that time, I had to widen the power gap between Kain and me. And to do that, nothing was more important than gaining practical experience.

“Oh, yeah. It’s hard to stop once you’ve gotten a taste for hunting,” Tia replied as if completely believing me. She then placed her long-stemmed pipe into her mouth, biting down upon it. She brought her chin to her chest slightly and generated a spark of magic with her right hand.

A flame spontaneously ignited over the bowl of her pipe. A lot of smoke came out of her mouth as she continuously puffed to get the fire going.

‘Woosh,’ the smoke whirled from her mouth as she exhaled.

“Of course, you still have the money I gave you yesterday?”

“Yes, five silver coins,” I replied, putting my hand in my pocket and touching the coins I had caught. It wouldn’t matter if I lost them, as the money in my b bag} was a substantial amount.

“My Judah, then can I ask you to run that errand that this pretty sister asked you to run?”

“You mean the bread run?”

Tia took another puff, then pointed at the sandwich shop with her pipe.

“Go and buy it.”

“Are you going to wait here? Or are you going first?”

“I’m going first. I’ll wait for you at the fountain in the central square. Do you know what I like? Please ask for something sweet and delicious.”

I whipped the five silver coins from my pocket and looked at the store. At that moment, several people were entering or exiting it. There are more famous shops, but this one offered good flavor and quantity at a decent price, so it is most often visited by mercenaries and adventurers.

I hurried to the store as I left Tia behind. She strolled leisurely on.

The entrance stood wide open. As I was about to walk through the door, someone else came up to it at the same time. One of us had to get out of the way so that the other could enter through the narrow door. I looked up at my door-entering opponent.

She was a slender woman wearing comfortable clothes ideal for physical activity. When our eyes met, the blue-haired woman smiled as if waking up, and she stepped back.

“Would you like to pass first?” she asked in a chic voice, but the tone it held was very polite. She was showing honor, even though I was younger than her. I bowed my head slightly to thank her, and the moment I started to step inside by passing her, a necklace that hung from her neck caught my eye.

That’s a peculiar necklace.

Hanging at its center was, uniquely, a lance: A jousting lance with a sapphire embedded into it.

It was an accessory that I’ve seen before. I halted when the memory entered my mind after I had taken a step into the shop. I looked back at the woman who had followed me in, and she now gazed at me in puzzlement.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, no. Thank you.”

I hastily stepped all the way into the shop as I saw her tilting her head.

It must be… She’s a Blue Lancer!

Blue Lance Knights was the name of one of the elite knightly orders representing the Byron Empire.

On the battlefield, they wear plates of armor imbued with all sorts of magic. Blue cloaks flutter behind them as they wield their thick cone-shaped lances in one hand and rectangular tower shields in the other.

They block their foes’ attacks with their sturdy defense and then push back at the enemy formations, destroying them.

When the Byron Empire was established, several kingdoms fought against them, but they were all destroyed when their troops were annihilated by the Blue Spear Knights.

That was how the Blue Lance Knights built their reputation. They always fought at the forefront of any war, even after the empire had become solidly established.

They charged out ahead of everyone, and when a retreat is called, they guarded the rear so that their allies can safely withdraw. A Blue Lance Knight does not care about status; they prioritize their talent above all else.

If one of them wants to become a talented Blue Lancer, they need to survive severe training before they can even be called trainees. Trainees can not yet become official personnel of the Blue Lancers. They are first given three years to wander across the world and behave as they see fit.

So for three years, they wander from place to place and then return.

They could head into the mountains and train by striking waterfalls to improve their skills.

A trainee could defeat monsters for the people of the Byron empire.

They could even register as mercenaries or adventurers and so gain their reputation. Once they returned after three years, they would be given the opportunity of exams and interviews.

Once they passed that phase, they escaped probation and become intermediate Blue Lancers.

From the moment they become intermediate, the Blue Lance Knights performed their given duties with dignity, honor, and great aplomb.

She must have come here to complete her apprenticeship.

I was already convinced that she was a Blue Lance Knight. She didn’t have any armor or a shield or weapon, which can be said to be the symbol of a knight, but that was natural. It was because she was a Blue Lance Knight.

In this world, magic was common.

Like most knights representing their kingdom or empire, the arms, armor, and shields supplied to Blue Lancers are engraved with magic runes so that they can be easily stored in a sub-space.

Just by channeling magic into her body, particles would gather into the air, and the lightly-dressed woman would become fully armed and armored.

That being said, there was a single reason that I was convinced that she was a blue knight: The lance-shaped pendant that she wore around her neck. That was the most telling piece of evidence.

I glanced at the woman who had followed me into the store and muttered, “Status Screen.”

──────────────────────

「Status Window」

[Name: Jeanne Art Loire]

[Title: None]

[True Name: Blue Moon Wolf]

[Level: 16]

[Occupation: Blue Lance Knight (B)]

[Race: Human]

[Strength: 30(D) / Potential A]

[Health: 33(D) / Potential S]

[Agility: 27(D) / Potential B]

[Magic: 37(D) / Potential B]

[Magical Resistance: 51(C) / Potential S]

[Charisma: 5(F) / Potential A]

[Knowledge: 18(F) / Potential B] ◀ Special

[Luck: 56(C) / Potential C] ◀ Special

[Likeability: 0 (normal)]

[Reliability: 0 (normal)]

「Trait 3/5」

[Blue Moon]-Rank: A

[Wolf’s Protection]-Rank: A

[Apprentice Blue Lance Knight]-Rank: D

「Skill 4/5」

[Horror Spirit]-Rank: A

[Knight]-Rank: B

[Imperial Shieldcraft-Blue Lance Knight]-Rank: B

[Imperial Spearmanship-Blue Lance Knight]-Rank: B

──────────────────────

I was astonished as I studied the status screen that appeared before me, as it was a familiar name. It was definitely a name that I remembered. In b Notes}, she was the first woman whose name I had written down under *Recruit if you can*.

Upon realizing that she was a Blue Lance Knight, I had wondered whether she was Jeanne.

I glanced at her while she was picking out a sandwich. Jeanne seemed to be thinking about what to choose from the sandwiches that had been sliced to taste.

I double-checked her information as I placed the sandwiches I wanted to buy onto a wooden tray with tongs.

Jeanne Art Loire.

It felt bad to compare her to Tia, but she had much higher potential, and her skill and trait ranks were also higher. I wanted her as a companion; I wanted to recruit her, yet that was impossible right now. If it was the game, I could greet her and talk to her as a companion after performing the quests set out in advance. Unfortunately, this is reality.

There could be a misunderstanding if I approached her recklessly when both her likeability and reliability are zero and when we have had no prior contact.

And when a child comes out of nowhere and says, ‘Become my companion’ … What would she think if I said that!?

The fact that she had appeared at Serenia meant that her fate was flowing along the lines of my game, according to the information I remembered. So two years later, I would be able to complete the hidden quest and get her to leave with me after my coming-of-age ceremony.

When that time comes, I will be able to naturally welcome her as a companion.

I went to the counter and paid for the bread. After paying, my five silver coins turned into five copper coins. I was still worried as I took a look at Jeanne’s back. She casually left the store.

If we are to become companions, I will need to meet her again before the quest.

==================== Author Note =============================

Yes, everyone: Just trust and follow me.

Even if the road is over a cliff, even if it is through a desert where it is hard to find a sip of water: We will arrive at our destination.