Chapter 34
Before long, the promised time of noon approached.
The meeting place was a luxurious teahouse in front of the Creba estate’s manor—an old and fairly reputable establishment.
It was elegantly decorated with antique, medieval-style furniture that looked like something out of a movie.
“Welcome.”
I entered the teahouse, greeted by the owner.
Just in case, I’d arrived a little earlier than the appointed time.
But there was no sign of anyone who looked like Priana.
“Give me a seat by the window on the second floor.”
“Yes, sir! Right this way…”
Following the owner’s lead, I sat down where I could clearly see the entrance and ordered tea.
It was a bit pricey, but it couldn’t be helped.
Priana was more important than money right now.
I sat calmly by the window and waited for her.
It might look undignified for an earl’s son to be the one waiting, but this was Priana we were talking about.
In the original story, she reached Sword Rank 7—a true prodigy among prodigies.
Even now, she was already at Rank 5.
If I could win her over, I’d gladly wait for days.
“Noon, right.”
The time was drawing near.
I watched the entrance of the teahouse nervously.
Slurp.
As I sipped the hot flower tea, a man in shabby clothes entered.
A wandering knight?
That was being generous—he looked more like a beggar.
But it wasn’t Claude.
Claude had black hair, while this man’s hair was golden—exactly like Priana’s.
“…Hmm?”
Looking closer, it really was Priana—the same person I’d met in the Valdig Dungeon.
Back then, she’d looked like a refined nobleman.
Now, she could’ve passed for a penniless vagabond knight.
Her body was covered with a rough, tattered cloak, and a worn sword hung from her hip.
Only her golden hair still shone awkwardly bright.
Maybe she’d really been abandoned by Erengold and turned into a wandering knight for real.
“Hmm.”
That made this reunion less pleasant.
After all, she’d lost her master because of me.
Should I just run?
“…No.”
Running wouldn’t change anything.
Someone like Priana could easily find me if she wanted to.
And then she’d come not to a teahouse in broad daylight—but to my bedroom at night, sword in hand.
I firmed my resolve and waved at her.
“Hey! Over here!”
Our eyes met.
The moment she saw me, Priana’s hand tightened around the sword at her waist.
Then she began walking briskly up the stairs toward me.
“Welcome, sir—wah!”
She shoved the owner aside and stopped in front of me.
I gave a casual wave to the worried owner watching from behind.
Damn. Those eyes are fierce.
“Are you Lord Ian Impera?” she asked politely.
She used honorifics—unsurprising, since before becoming a knight commander, she’d been born a junior baron.
By birth, I actually outranked her.
Still, she was destined to become the future Knight Commander of Isother.
Even in her ragged outfit, her voice carried a unique force.
To have such spirit at not even thirty years old—definitely not a background character.
“Yeah. Been a while, Priana. Since the duel trial, right?”
At the mention of the duel trial, her brow twitched.
She didn’t draw her sword immediately, so she probably hadn’t come with ill intent.
She simply nodded. “That’s correct.”
“Looking up at you like this is tiresome. Is it proper for a knight serving a high lord to stand above a noble?”
Her gaze flickered again.
That line wasn’t something a mere backwater earl’s son should have known.
“…How do you know that?”
“When you’re an earl, you tend to know things.”
“……”
A tense silence filled the air.
The fact that she’d once taken orders from Erengold was supposed to be a top-secret matter.
But I said it on purpose—to see what she was really here for.
Judging by her appearance, she clearly wasn’t serving Erengold anymore.
“…As expected, there’s something unusual about you, my lord.”
“You think so?”
I shrugged lightly.
Then—
Thud!
Whoa! That startled me.
Priana suddenly dropped to one knee.
I kept a calm expression despite my surprise.
“What is this about?”
“You’re right, my lord. Or rather—you were right. I once served His Majesty the King.”
“Oh?”
“But not anymore. I’ve returned every piece of clothing and gear bestowed upon me by His Majesty.”
“I can see that.”
Even her appearance confirmed it.
No knight still serving the king would kneel like this so easily.
It was unexpected—Priana, the very model of a steadfast knight, kneeling before a destitute earl’s son.
Why?
As I watched her expressionlessly, my mind raced.
Then she spoke, voice trembling slightly.
“The knight who represented you at the duel trial… I wish to meet him.”
“Oh?”
“I pride myself on my sword speed, second to none among the upper ranks. Yet, I was utterly defeated by him.”
I listened quietly.
“So please—I beg you! Let me meet that knight who represented you!”
In other words—
She had fought Claude and lost purely by skill.
The defeat left a deep mark on her, and now she wanted to learn from him.
So she’d come to me, his supposed connection, to ask for help.
Ahem.
I struggled not to grin.
This was an opportunity—a big one.
This was the world of “Conquer the World by Rank!”
The higher your rank, the more powerful you were—simple as that.
And here was someone destined to reach Rank 7, kneeling before me, begging to meet Claude.
To duel again, to gain enlightenment.
A true knight, through and through.
She’d even abandoned her loyalty to the king for the sake of martial mastery.
Looks like she thinks Claude’s one of my subordinates.
Fair enough—he’d fought as my proxy, after all.
In reality, we were just partners bound by contract, nothing more.
Right now, Claude was probably furious enough to beat me senseless.
But Priana didn’t know that.
Time to reel her in.
“Ahem!” I cleared my throat. “So, you wish to meet him.”
“Yes!”
“Sit down first. People are watching.”
“Oh—yes.”
Only then did she seem to notice the onlookers. She rose and sat in the chair across from me.
“First off… that man isn’t here right now.”
“I see.”
She accepted that easily—perhaps too easily.
Then I felt it.
A faint, chilling sensation crawling up my spine.
This bastard…
That feeling meant only one thing—she was using Truth Detection, a skill that let her sense lies.
A skill Priana often used in the novel.
It only worked on those of equal or lower rank and revealed whether a statement was true or false.
Well, there’s a way around that.
It couldn’t detect half-truths or wordplay.
Like now, for instance.
“He’s gone somewhere for a while—on my orders, you could say.”
“I see.”
That wasn’t a lie.
Claude really had gone to the bamboo forest I’d mentioned to search for a relic.
In the novel, Priana didn’t blindly trust the skill, knowing it wasn’t absolute.
But this version of her still seemed pure, inexperienced.
She was probably thinking:
Ian Impera, the infamous wastrel noble—turns out he’s got real power. Maybe that’s why a man like Claude serves him.
A convenient misconception.
I’ll milk that for all it’s worth.
“Then… how can I meet that knight?” she asked eagerly.
“Well… he’ll probably return to me soon enough. If you wait, you’ll see him eventually.”
“I understand!”
Her face brightened.
I casually shrugged and stomped on her hope.
“But why should I arrange that for you?”
“That’s…”
“You fought for Count Venner, didn’t you? You know the relationship between our families.”
“……”
“I’ve no interest in being friendly with someone who served my family’s enemy. Especially someone who nearly turned my father into a Blank.”
“But that was only because—”
“Enough. I despise those who betray their former masters’ loyalty.”
Priana fell silent, biting her lip.
She’d thrown away everything for the chance to meet Claude—and now, she couldn’t.
Almost there.
“Still, it’s not like there’s no way.”
“Please! Tell me! What is it? I’ll do anything!”
“Anything?”
“Yes!”
I gave a reluctant sigh. “Well… if you worked for me, then maybe you could meet him.”
“Work… for you, my lord?”
“Heh.”
Got her.
That was half the battle won already.
Priana would do anything to learn from Claude.
I couldn’t expect blind loyalty, but gaining someone like her on my side was a huge win.
To survive the clutches of Count Venner—and ultimately Erengold II—I needed strong subordinates.
And Priana was perfect for the role.
The problem is, Claude’s not going to accept her so easily.
He was probably still furious after checking the condition of the relic.
Asking him to train Priana might earn me a punch or two.
Well… teaching is something I’m good at anyway.
I had no intention of handing her over to Claude.
I’d be the one to train her—to help her rank up myself.
A veteran of the Valhalla System, maxed out at level 999.
My rank might be low now, but in pure swordsmanship, I wasn’t far behind either of them.
Sure, it’s funny if a master’s weaker than their disciple…
But in this world, that wasn’t exactly rare.
I’d make a decent teacher.
Clink.
I set my teacup down and stood up.
“Well, that’s enough for today.”
“Was the tea to your liking?” the owner asked.
“It was fine.”
The owner smiled in relief.
“He’ll pay for it,” I said, pointing to Priana.
She still looked dazed, her mind spinning.
I didn’t bother explaining further.
Instead, I quietly left the teahouse and started back toward the mansion.
After a brief hesitation, Priana paid the bill and hurried after me with a bewildered face.
