Chapter 96
“You’ve come a long way. It’s an honor to meet you, Duke Rippleton. I’m Viscount Shearer Redboron.”
An old man with neatly combed white hair gave a graceful bow.
Behind the man who introduced himself as Viscount Shearer Redboron, more than twenty servants lined up, bowing low.
They gave Rippleton a strange look, mixed with fear.
But strangely, there also appeared to be a trace of respect.
A kind of admiration? It was a curious expression.
Is Aden always treated with caution wherever he goes?
Even without doing anything, he made people feel tense.
After ordering the servants to carry the luggage, Shearer turned and personally led the way to the castle.
He showed Aden his room first, looking a bit embarrassed.
“We’ve done what we could, but I fear it still falls short of Your Excellency’s standards. Redboron is a remote town that doesn’t get many visitors, so it’s a bit shameful.”
Contrary to Shearer’s words, the room was luxurious and extravagant.
At a glance, it even seemed better than Shearer’s own room as the lord of the castle.
There was no reaction from Aden as he looked around the room.
He was a man far from luxury and also one who rarely expressed emotions.
Because of this, sweat trickled down Shearer’s face.
Shearer, watching Aden scan the room with a tense gaze, carefully asked, “Is there anything that displeases you…?”
Aden turned his head to look at the nervous Shearer and spoke quietly.
“Where’s Sierra’s room?”
“Pardon?”
“Since we arrived, it seems you’ve been ignoring Sierra like she’s invisible. Surely you’ve prepared a room for her, haven’t you?”
“O-of course! It’s not far from here…”
“Show me.”
At Aden’s cold voice, Shearer swallowed hard and quickly turned to lead the way.
With a very anxious expression, he hurriedly opened a door nearby.
“Here it is.”
It was plain.
It was just that—simple and small, a completely ordinary room.
Aside from the wardrobe, furniture, and bed, there wasn’t even a tea table.
It was so plain you could mistake it for a mercenary’s lodging rather than a noble’s bedroom.
Wasn’t the difference between Aden’s room and this one a bit too much?
Even though I didn’t have a noble title yet, this was too much.
As I glanced around, I saw Aden’s stern face.
He let out a small laugh the moment he saw the room.
When I grabbed Aden’s arm, he looked at me.
I shook my head to show that it was fine, and Aden narrowed his eyes.
“Is there a problem with the room…?”
“I’ll use this room.”
“What?”
“Why? Do you have an issue with that?”
“N-no, not at all. But why would you use this room when you have another one…?”
“Do I seem like someone who enjoys luxury and extravagance?”
Aden put his bag down and emphasized the qualities of a knight: thrift and modesty.
Shearer, realizing his mistake, rolled his eyes, but the dice had already been rolled.
“I-I’ll prepare another room. This one is a bit…”
“Is it shabby and poor? Seems even you think this room isn’t fit for a noble.”
Shearer remained silent.
It’s rude for a guest to complain about their room, but it was in such a bad state that ignoring it would be impossible.
“My decision hasn’t changed. I’ll use this room. Let Sierra have the other one.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“At least it’s better than letting you sleep in this room.”
Aden, as if there was nothing more to discuss, grabbed the bag from my hands and returned to the previous room.
***
“Calm down. He’s not a bad person. He’s just a stubborn noble stuck in old-fashioned ways.”
Even during the meal, Aden’s expression remained sour.
Was he really that bothered by the room I was given?
I was a bit surprised too, but I could understand it.
In the past, nobles treated young ladies or lords of lower rank like commoners unless they were high-ranking noble offspring. It was a mindset rooted in old aristocratic customs, though much of that had faded nowadays.
Plus, in an old castle like this, there probably weren’t many large, luxurious rooms available.
It must have been hard for them to accommodate both of us.
“I appreciate you being upset for me, but I’m really okay.”
Aden, who had been quietly eating his salad, put down his fork and sighed.
He looked up and met my eyes.
As I smiled softly, Aden squinted.
“You act like you’re used to being treated like that.”
“In this line of work, it’s not that rare. I’ve often been dismissed for being young or a woman. Some still think young noble ladies are only good for embroidery.”
“Idiots. It’s shocking that such narrow-minded people still exist.”
Aden’s lip-biting expression reminded me of Benicia.
It made sense, growing up under a strong woman like Benicia.
It couldn’t have been easy for her to protect the harsh Hermonia Mountains as a woman.
“Oh, by the way, were you already familiar with the Redboron family?”
“Not in my time, but I heard my mother visited here a few times.”
That explained the way they looked at him.
I guess they would have given him that kind of look because they had met Benicia.
After a short meal with Aden, I returned to my room to rest and was going over the mine map when Jin appeared.
“May I leave for a bit?”
“With Ripert around, it’s fine, but… why? Is something wrong?”
“His Excellency stated he would review the posture that he was unable to discuss with me last time.”
“If it’s that, then go ahead.”
“Thank you.”
I watched Jin leave, thinking he was spending more time with him than I expected.
I thought Aden would just help him out a few times, but I guess I was wrong.
I tried focusing on the mine map again, but with my mind wandering, nothing was sinking in.
After a few more tries, I sighed and stood up.
When I opened the door, Ripert, who had been guarding outside, turned around.
“Where did Jin go?”
“He headed that way. If you’re looking for the training grounds, I can guide you there.”
I motioned for Ripert to lead the way and followed after him.
Before I stepped into the training grounds, Ripert called out to me and pointed to a side door.
The training grounds are visible from the inside if you enter through this entrance.
No need to interrupt the two of them while they’re training.
As I stepped inside through the door Ripert had opened, I could see the entire training grounds, just as he said.
The training grounds were on lower ground compared to where I stood. Down there, Aden and Jin were squaring off with their swords.
It hadn’t been long since Jin had gone to the training grounds, but he already looked exhausted and drenched in sweat.
In contrast, Aden looked perfectly calm, not a single drop of sweat on him.
Aden kept pointing out Jin’s posture as he swung his sword repeatedly.
From a distance, Aden’s sword seemed heavy and slow, but even blocking it looked like an immense challenge for Jin.
“Ripert, what do you think of Jin’s skills?”
“He’s exceptional. Considering he’s not a formally trained knight, his skills are more than enough to qualify him as a royal knight.”
Well, that’s only natural for someone who rose to the position of commander based solely on skill.
“What about Aden?”
“Sorry?”
“What do you think of Aden?”
I’d never seen Aden wield a sword properly before, so I had no sense of how skilled he really was.
Sure, there was that one time he displayed some martial arts at the gambling den, but it wasn’t enough to call it swordsmanship.
There must be a reason why Rippleton was called a monster.
But as someone like me who is clueless about swords, I had no way of knowing Aden’s true ability.
“He’s strong.”
“How strong, exactly?”
“He’s not someone you can easily define in terms like that. Strength, agility, perception, endurance, swordsmanship—he’s unmatched in every aspect. The masters of the Rippleton family have always been warriors capable of taking on entire armies alone.”
“So, you’re saying he could wipe out a knightly order all by himself?”
“One? Even ten might not be enough.”
I lifted my gaze at Ripert’s straightforward answer, knowing he wasn’t one for flattery.
He was looking at Aden with a gaze full of respect.
“Honestly, I’m jealous of Jin. Being taught swordsmanship by Grand Duke Rippleton is an incomparable gift for anyone who wields a sword.”
So that’s what it means to be trained by Aden.
I guess I could relate. I was ecstatic when I got to learn from Ezekiel Ross.
Being the disciple of the great sage himself, someone unmatched by anyone—it was almost unbelievable.
Thinking about that made Ripert’s sentiment easier to understand.
“Get up!”
Even while Ripert and I were talking, Aden’s intense training continued.
He pushed Jin so relentlessly that it almost seemed cruel.
I never knew Aden had this side to him.
“With that pathetic attitude, you’ll never protect your master. Get up!”
Jin collapsed on the ground and gasped for air, staggered to his feet at Aden’s words.
Aden didn’t hold back and attacked again.
Over and over, Jin faltered, and Aden mercilessly drove him harder.
“Let’s head back.”
“But you came here to talk to Duke about something, didn’t you?”
I shook my head slowly.
Even if I did, this didn’t feel like the right time.
Besides, I didn’t think he’d want me to see him like this.
“If he’s enduring that harsh training for my sake, I can’t just sit back and take it easy.”
As I turned and left the training ground, I quietly spoke to Ripert.
“Bring me the blueprints for the Redboron mine. Every single one. I’ll stay up all night if I have to, but I’ll go through them all.”
Doing the best I can from where I stand.
I had no intention of waiting around to be protected—or becoming a burden.
