After about six hours of travel by carriage from the academy, I arrived at Clay's house, where I would be staying for the summer vacation thanks to his generosity. Before our departure, I was surprised to learn that the female student from the Swordstrike Faction, who had caused a stir during the Promotion Duels, would be joining us.

It was clear that something had happened between Clay and her afterward, but I didn’t know the details. Well, since Clay had decided to bring her along, I had no reason to object. And after talking to her, I realized she was actually a pretty nice person.

“B-Being Lord Clay’s first disciple is so enviable!!”

“I-Is that so? …Maybe it is?”

—She has a bit of an eccentric personality, though…

After arriving at his house, we had a bit of commotion, but once we had greeted his father, the renowned Zeke Bradley, we were each shown to our rooms for the vacation.

“A-Are you sure I can really use this room?”

The head maid, Kanna, had guided me to a room that was far better equipped and furnished than any regular inn. The sheer size of the room made it hard to believe it was meant for just one person.

Seeing Clay at the academy every day made it easy to forget, but he was the eldest son of a noble family. His house, located in the most prestigious district of the royal capital, was so lavish that I couldn’t even begin to imagine its full grandeur. I had expected that guest rooms here would be quite luxurious, but—

“Yes. If there is anything inconvenient, please do not hesitate to let us know.”

“O-Okay…”

This was beyond my expectations. As I looked around the room in awe, undoubtedly radiating an air of a country bumpkin, Kanna let out a small cough.

“We will call you when dinner is ready. The bath has already been prepared… Would you like to use it?”

“Huh?! Oh, um, no need to go to any trouble… Actually, I was thinking of moving my body a bit first…”

Without changing her expression, Kanna responded to my flustered reaction. She was like a doll—composed and unshakable.

“As expected of a student from the Academy of Magic and Swords. You must be tired from your long journey, yet you are still so diligent.”

“N-No! Compared to Clay, I’m still far from where I want to be! The only reason I’m even attending the academy now is because of him, and I can’t thank him enough.”

“Master Clay…?”

Despite her professional demeanor, she seemed interested in her master’s affairs. I didn’t miss the slight twitch in her otherwise impassive expression. Sensing that she had softened a little, I continued my story.

“When I first enrolled, I was hopeless at both swordsmanship and magic. Because of that, my classmates bullied me… It was Clay who saved me. If he hadn’t trained me, I probably would have dropped out right away.”

As I spoke with a self-deprecating smile, Kanna seemed to lower her gaze in thought.

“Master Clay… He has truly grown into a fine young man…!!”

I even heard a sniffle. I was taken aback. I take back what I said—this woman is brimming with warmth and sentimentality.

Seeing her reaction made me smile, and perhaps noticing that, she quickly composed herself and made a suggestion.

“If you wish to train, please feel free to use our estate’s backyard. While it may not be as well-equipped as the academy, it is still sufficiently furnished. When Master Clay was younger, he trained there every single day.”

“Really?! Can I use it?”

Intrigued, I leaned in eagerly. Kanna gave a small smile and nodded.

“Of course. Knowing Master Clay, once he is finished speaking with the master, he will likely head there as well.”

“Thank you very much!”

Without delay, I grabbed my training sword and was about to head toward the backyard when—

“Clay! Where is Clay!? He has returned, hasn’t he!?”

“Huh?!”

A rough, booming voice echoed down the hallway, clear even through the door. I was startled, but Kanna, seeing my reaction, simply gave a small chuckle.

“It seems that Lord Feid has returned from his outing.”

“Feid…? You mean, could it be that…?”

“If you are referring to whom I believe you are, then yes, you are correct.”

“...!!”

A shiver ran down my spine. My heart pounded, my excitement surged. My gaze instinctively fixed on the door. As the heavy footsteps passed right by—

“Oh, Kanna! Just the person I needed! Do you know where Clay is? He should be back, but I can’t find him…”

—The door suddenly burst open without warning!

My thoughts froze. While I stood dumbfounded, Kanna remained composed.

“Lord Feid, this is a room prepared for Lord Clay’s guest. I would appreciate it if you could open doors more quietly.”

“Ah, my bad! So, where’s Clay?”

“Sigh… Lord Clay is in the middle of an important conversation with the master. It should be wrapping up soon, though.”

“Oh! He’s with Zeke, then. Got it! Sorry to interrupt—wait, hmm?”

Just as I thought he was about to leave, he suddenly stopped and turned his piercing gaze on me.

“...”

Under his sharp eyes, I could do nothing but hold my breath to hide my tension. As I struggled under his overwhelming presence, he spoke.

“Hey, you. Clay’s friend.”

“Y-Yes?!”

“…Perfect. You’re coming with me!”

“Yes!! …Wait, huh?”

Before I could process what was happening, the old warrior effortlessly lifted me with one arm and started walking.

“Wha—???”

True to the rumors, he was rough and unconventional. This man, the one who raised Claym Bradley into a monster, was none other than the Crimson-Blooded Knight—Feid Bradley.

For some reason, the crazy old man had barged into the office carrying the hero under his arm.

“It’s been a while, Clay!!”

“Yeah, it has. You’re as loud as ever, old man.”

I had no idea why he had kidnapped the hero, but knowing him, it was probably due to some impulsive and unreasonable whim. Poor guy.

This old man’s thought process was beyond comprehension. Trying to find meaning in his actions was a waste of time. Sensing my indifference, the old man looked offended.

“What kind of attitude is that toward your master after so long?! You must have gotten cocky at the academy, thinking no one can beat you!!”

“If you come back after so long and immediately start yelling, of course, I’ll be annoyed. Can’t you be quieter? Are you going through menopause???”

“What was that!? You wanna fight, brat!?”

…His inability to handle provocation was as bad as ever. No, maybe it had gotten worse?

“Ugh…”

The hero groaned in discomfort. The idiot old man was squeezing him tighter as he moved. I had to do something fast.

“Old man, mind telling me why you’re carrying my friend?”

“Oh, this? I sensed an interesting magic wavelength from him. Thought it’d be fun to bring him along!”

“…That’s the dumbest reason I’ve ever heard.”

As I sighed, trying to reason with him—

“Oh! A descendant of the Hero!? You should’ve said so sooner! That just makes me wanna fight him more!!”

“Gweh!?”

The hero choked as he was shaken.

“…Well, it’ll be a good experience for him.”

With that, the old man marched to the backyard, dragging the poor hero along.