The sun was almost down.
Driving the empty carriage, Silas's mood was complicated.
First, obviously, was because he had seen Rose at the convent. He cared about it more or less.
Second, he remembered that before leaving the stables, a noble lady had specifically ordered him to fetch her horse. And now, not only had he failed to fetch the horse, he hadn't even made it back to report on the delivery of the statues.
But why did it always feel like the bridge of his nose had been pressed by something, making his breathing a bit labored?
His "son," who had adjusted his tactical posture, was still so sensitive. Truly a game aftereffect... first impotence, then excessive vigor?
Should he just use hypnosis on himself?
Better not.
In case he got scolded by the noble lady later, it might come in handy.
They wouldn't execute him over this small matter, would they? Silas suddenly felt a bit of a chill; he didn't want to go back to being a groom that much anymore.
Pulling a peasant revolt wasn't out of the question. After all, working under the Lord was for a legal identity; the salary was actually shit.
"..."
While thinking, Silas saw a figure ahead. Snow-white hair, but not wearing a formal dress—dressed very simply.
Their eyes met.
Silas was certain it was the noble lady he had seen that morning. She was sitting by the roadside, clutching one leg. She seemed injured.
Looking closer.
The back and sides of her clothes were stained with mud, and there was a patch of abrasion on the leg she was holding.
"I thought you would choose to run away for fear of punishment."
She spoke somewhat coldly.
"..."
Actually, Silas's thoughts were simple.
This wasn't in the city; it was on an official road with few people. He came to check the situation; whether to stay or leave was entirely up to his own preference.
"I didn't see you in the stables, so I rode out myself."
Perhaps because Silas didn't reply, she added another sentence.
"Where's the horse?"
"..."
She averted her gaze. "You have courage. Seeing me and not choosing to run or ignore me. I won't punish you."
"...Thanks."
Silas breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then, the horse is lost. You have to help me find it."
"..."
Silas glanced at her, then at the woods nearby that were gradually being shrouded in darkness. How the fuck was he supposed to find it?
"Miss, I still have to go back and report."
Silas thought it over; it was best not to get involved in such ambiguous trouble.
"Do you want to be a groom your whole life? Help me find the horse, and I can consider nominating you for the reserve knights. I can't go back like this; I'll be mocked by other nobles."
"..."
Is this woman really a high-ranking noble?
Wealthy lady...
Reserve knight.
"I'm not planning to be a knight. If possible, I'd rather be a merchant."
Strength is only for self-protection.
Silas thought about it—since Rose was copied from reality, what about the rabbits in the simulation? This world might be quite dangerous.
But he never thought about being a knight from the start; if given the chance, he would definitely be a merchant who didn't have to kill. A capitalist with a slight conscience.
"Whatever you want—nomination for reserve knight or the right to do business. As long as you find my horse, I can help you."
Exactly.
Was she completely using him as a temporary tool? Even if charisma was working, it seemed to be the attraction of a personal attendant. High and mighty.
On the other side.
At the Lord's manor, Lord Flores was personally supervising the kitchen to prepare the banquet.
Tonight, the Flores family would host the Royal Family for dinner.
"My Lord, something bad happened. A horse is missing from the stables!"
A maid rushed in frantically.
"Is it that lop-eared horse I bought that couldn't be tamed no matter what? Whatever, if it won't be tamed, let it go."
The Lord was busy cooking personally and was in a very good mood, not caring about this trifle. Just a horse; how much could it be worth?
"N-no! It's the brown mare!"
"What about the brown mare... eh?"
The Lord froze.
"..."
Before long, a guard from the Royal Capital stood before him.
"Lord Flores, do you understand the severity of the situation?"
"I do! I've already dispatched all the servants in the house to search. We will definitely find the Princess's horse!"
"It seems you don't understand."
The guard's face was grim. "If it were just the Princess's horse that was lost, at most a few grooms would be executed. But now... the Princess has vanished along with the horse."
"Huh?"
If the Lord hadn't leaned on a chair, he would have collapsed directly onto the floor.
"From now on, do not search with great fanfare. This matter must not be known by uninvolved parties. First, seal all the roads leading out of the city."
"Be aware, if anything happens to the Princess, ten executions of our heads wouldn't be enough. You must find her before dawn!"
"...I will do it immediately."
The Lord cursed the Royal Family eight hundred times in his heart.
Your Princess is extremely resistant to guards, saying she only needed the guards she brought. Now that she's lost, how is it my fault?
Please, don't do this to the Flores family. If we must fall, let it be after I'm dead, okay?
In the city.
The Lord and the guards were running around in circles. The person they were looking for was now walking with Silas, wearing a hood.
There was zero hope of finding her horse.
The outside world was too big, and even more hopeless after dark.
"Buy me sweets."
"..."
"That looks fun, take me over there."
"..."
"You can't be too far from me. Usually, I have guards around me when I go out. You have to act as my guard."
So, somehow it turned into taking her around the city until she was satisfied.
"My feet ache, rub them for me."
If he were a foot-fetishist, he might be ecstatic at the foot she stuck out.
Silas was a fetishist for everything. But what was so exciting about a foot in a short boot?
"I'm going back to work."
Silas had had enough.
This was different from his plan of hunting a wealthy lady. Or rather, except for her face and body, she didn't meet Silas's criteria.
"Don't you want to get a noble's pass and become a merchant?"
"...No."
How hard could that be?
Sooner or later, even if he didn't find a suitable wealthy lady, he could find a way or gain the appreciation of some noble.
And her way of "painting a pie" (making empty promises) was something Silas had already had enough of in his past life right after graduation.
"Stop!"
"..."
Silas had to get back to report; it was also almost time for him to watch the horses.
"Hey! Save me... this man is coming over!"
"Eeeh?!"
"..."
Hearing the sound, Silas, who had already walked away, looked back. In the small alley where the woman was staying, a man was indeed approaching her.
Makes sense.
Even if she covered her hair and wore loose clothes, it obviously wasn't enough to hide her shapely curves.
Her arm was being grabbed by the man.
"He... I don't know what he wants to do to me!"
As soon as Silas went over, she slipped behind his back.
"Miss, stop playing. Come with me."
The man was very well-built. He wore clothes with a noble's family crest. And a short sword was tucked into his waist.
"Are you a knight?"
Silas narrowed his eyes.
"And who are you? To be so intimate with this lady."
He looked at Silas coldly, gripped the short sword at his waist, and charged directly.
"..."
A moment later, the young knight was curled up in the alley, his face bruised and swollen.
This was Silas's first real combat. Summary: Hypnosis Expert to snatch the short sword + Swordsmanship Expert. It took less than ten seconds to win.
He hadn't struck recklessly.
First, the Lord was the biggest in this city, and the woman beside him was said to be the Lord's guest. So even if he offended a regular knight, it should be fine.
Second, if something really happened to her right in front of him, then he'd truly have to go on the run. Besides, he'd seen it; even without the heart to climb a wealthy lady, it was only right to help.
"You... how did you snatch his sword? So fast."
They had already left the alley and were walking on the street again.
"You should actually consider taking the exam to be a knight, right?"
"..."
Chirping away.
Totally ungrateful.
If charisma made it this easy for a wealthy lady to take the bait, then Silas felt he possessed not just this one tree beside him, but an entire forest.
"Do you have a sword? Want me to buy you the best one from the weapon shop here?"
"..."
He did indeed lack a sword. But right now he was just a groom; how could he carry a sword back?
"My feet really ache..."
Bang.
Purposefully walking to a secluded spot, Silas suddenly grabbed her shoulders and pushed her against the wall.
"Eeeh? W-what are you doing?"
The hood slipped back slightly with the movement, revealing her forehead and some snow-white hair. It looked natural.
"I'm going back to work, and you're going back too. The horse business has nothing to do with me."
"I don't want to yet..."
"..."
Being stared at directly by Silas for several seconds, she lowered her gaze again. She didn't dare to argue further.
It wasn't that troublesome.
He should have done this long ago. Since he knew charisma worked, he should have been more forceful.