I looked into the mirror and brushed aside my blue hair.
The reflection staring back at me looked utterly exhausted. Some spots on the bandages were still stained with blood, but the wounds had already closed.
Even the burn marks had disappeared—perhaps thanks to some sort of medicine.
"How are you feeling, young master?"
I turned at the voice behind me and offered my thanks to the old man.
"Thank you. I feel a lot better now."
The old man was a gardener who lived and worked in a small shed built on the mansion grounds. Though he had family, he'd been living alone since his wife passed away.
The shed, tucked away in a hidden corner of the estate's vast gardens, was apparently a repurposed storage building.
"I'm glad to hear that. You were in quite a dangerous state. If it had been the mansion’s physician, the treatment might have been more thorough..."
Though the old man sounded apologetic, he was once a soldier. He seemed to know a fair bit about treating wounds and had handled mine efficiently.
Still, that wasn’t the real reason for his troubled expression.
"...So my parents have completely abandoned me. Hah, I can’t help but laugh."
When I let out a hollow laugh, the old man—Zell—sat down on a chair in the room. He was in his seventies now, tending to a portion of the large garden in his remaining days.
Though the mansion had several gardeners, Zell was the only one who lived on the premises. I’d heard more than once that my parents wanted him gone but couldn’t bring themselves to say it—after all, he had served our family since my grandfather’s time.
It was Zell who had carried my injured body to the shed and cared for me while I was unconscious for three days.
I sat down on the bed and thanked him again.
"Thanks for saving me, Zell. I doubt I’ll be able to repay you, though."
Zell let out a deep sigh at my attempt at a joke.
"I'm just glad you're feeling better. Still, something really strange has been going on at the mansion these past five years."
Zell’s sigh was due to how much the household had changed in that time.
Even I had noticed it, though it was hard to see from the inside.
"Making the young lady the heir, and what they’ve done to you… If the previous head had been alive to see it, he’d have been furious."
My grandfather, Broud Walt, was a strict and dignified noble. He held the title of count and managed his own territory as a local lord.
That also meant he had soldiers under his command.
The Walt House once served as royal advisors. My father used to boast that Grandpa had personal conversations with the king many times in the capital.
He was a formidable figure on the battlefield and poured his efforts into domestic affairs within the domain.
He was even hailed as one of the top nobles in Bahnseim by the previous king. Still, he had a soft spot for his grandchildren.
As his first grandchild, I was especially doted on.
"To me, he was nothing but kind. Which just makes it worse that I can’t face him anymore."
I’d betrayed the expectations of the man who believed in me. Thinking about it made all my past efforts feel pointless.
I had lost everything.
"Young master... Please don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re still young. You have a whole life ahead of you."
"Thanks... But I have no goal anymore. Becoming the next lord was everything to me. Now that it’s gone, I don’t know what to do. Pathetic, right?"
When I laughed self-deprecatingly, Zell stood up and went to the kitchen to prepare a drink. I lowered my gaze and thought about the future.
(I can’t stay here anymore. I have to leave. Somewhere... anywhere.)
By the fifth day of staying with Zell, the bandages were off.
He must have used some expensive medicine, as the wounds healed remarkably fast.
Still, I felt guilty relying on him for so long—especially since I had been cast out of my house. Hiding me might bring trouble to Zell.
So during dinner that evening, I decided to speak up. Zell had been telling stories—of his time in battle with my grandfather, and his experiences in the capital.
Recalling one from three nights ago, I brought it up.
"Zell, I’ve decided to become an adventurer."
"An adventurer? It’s true that some disinherited noble sons do take that path. But you, young master, have both magic and knowledge. With your skills, you could easily enter public service."
I shook my head.
Wherever I went, I could become a liability. The Walt House was powerful enough to threaten any employer.
Someone like Celes would do just that.
"I’ve lost everything. That’s why I want to earn something on my own, from nothing."
"...If that is your path, then so be it."
"You said famous adventurers don’t worry about money, right? I’ll pay you back someday. When I do, I’ll return as a proper adventurer."
"Haha! I look forward to it, young master."
Zell laughed heartily.
He was humoring my joke, no doubt. But in truth, I didn’t think becoming an adventurer would be easy.
I was the heir of a noble family, after all.
As a future lord, I knew the reality of adventurers all too well. They ventured into the unknown, delved into labyrinths, and brought back treasures.
It sounded like something children would admire, but in reality, they were often little more than ruffians.
Adventurers who called themselves mercenaries were indeed just that. Those same mercenaries wouldn't hesitate to raid villages and steal food.
Since they constantly dealt with monsters, they were dangerous to normal folk.
Still, not all adventurers were bad.
Famous ones were often hired into noble houses with great pay and treated well. Some even ran mercenary groups on the side and were highly sought after.
"But if you want to be a proper adventurer, the Free City of Beim would be ideal," Zell suggested.
I took his words seriously.
"Beim? That’s the merchant-run city-state without a lord, right? A trade hub between nations?"
"Exactly. It’s outside direct national control, making it ideal for adventurers. Though that also means criminals find it appealing..."
Many adventurers turn to crime. Once that happens, they’re blacklisted by the guild and become wanted.
But if they escape to Beim, other nations can’t touch them easily. I’d heard rumors, but now that I was considering going there, I felt a bit hesitant.
Zell seemed to notice.
"You’ll be fine as long as you avoid the seedier areas. You’re unlikely to get into trouble."
"I was actually thinking of going to the capital, but..."
There was an adventurer’s guild in my father’s domain, but he could interfere with it. So I needed to go somewhere out of his reach. The capital seemed like a simple choice.
"Many of the capital's upper nobles have ties to your family. It’s not a bad option, but not ideal either."
"I see. But getting to Beim takes money. I also want to test my skills somewhere first."
Beim was full of work—and competition. Only the skilled survived.
"In that case, a visit to the capital might be a good trial run. But I wouldn’t recommend staying long."
"What other options are there besides the capital?"
I figured I might as well ask Zell. He had traveled with my grandfather and knew many places.
We’d never talked like this before, but he was surprisingly easy to talk to.
"What about Darrion? It’s close to the capital, and a comfortable place to live."
"Darrion? I’ve only heard the name."
"It’s not as developed as this territory, but that means there’s no shortage of work."
"Work? You mean monster hunting?"
Zell sighed, rubbing his forehead in mild exasperation.
"Well, I suppose it's not your fault. You haven’t had to concern yourself with such things until now."
He began explaining what adventurers really did.
To me, they were dungeon explorers or battlefield mercenaries.
But according to Zell—
"Adventurers take any job available. Early on, they may take on monster hunting or dungeon delving, but a lot of it is just odd jobs. Beginners often do manual labor to earn money for gear."
"R-Really? But aren’t there people who specialize in that kind of work?"
"That's what the guild is for. They post daily work requests and hand out jobs to adventurers. It's part of how they build good relations with local townsfolk. Though I suppose they profit from it too."
Zell gave me a more realistic—if disheartening—picture of the adventurer’s life.
"But that kind of groundwork is how adventurers get their gear. It’s not all bad. If you took that away, even the guild would suffer."
"I see... It’s all new to me."
I’d been raised to become a noble lord. This was a world I couldn’t even imagine.
Still, Zell looked oddly pleased.
"What is it?"
"Nothing. It’s just... I never thought I’d get to have a proper conversation with you. I served your grandfather, and he wasn’t born into a count’s house like your father."
Our house only earned the count title during Grandpa’s time.
Before that, we spent a lot of money to buy status, which earned us plenty of criticism. My father still grumbled about it from time to time.
Apparently, my great-grandfather was quite the shady figure.
Because of that, my father was raised as a noble from birth, and Zell had little to do with him.
"...Young master, have you ever experienced anything strange in this house?"
"Strange? No, not really... Oh!"
At first I was going to say no—compared to being disowned, anything else felt minor.
But then I remembered.
"Maybe when I was near death? I heard Grandpa’s voice. It was nostalgic... but there were others too. I might’ve just been dreaming, though."
I said it lightly and resumed eating.
Zell, however, stared at me wide-eyed.
The next morning.
I wore a robe over the clothes Zell had lent me.
"They were my son’s, but they seem to fit well enough."
"I appreciate everything. I’ll pay you back one day."
Zell shook his head.
"No need. You’ve already repaid me enough. Here, take this as well."
He handed me a small leather pouch. Inside was money.
"I can’t accept this..."
To me, it was a small sum—but for Zell, it likely wasn’t. I knew our sense of value was different, so I tried to refuse.
But he insisted.
"You’ll need it. What were you planning to do with no money? Consider it an investment if that makes it easier."
Reluctantly, I thanked him and accepted the silver coins.
"Sorry... for everything."
"No need to apologize. With this, I can finally fulfill my promise to the late master."
"Promise?"
I tilted my head, and Zell opened a small wooden box, showing me what was inside—a blue gem.
Silver decorations encased the gem, clearly a work of high craftsmanship.
"I can’t accept something this valuable—"
"This gem has been passed down in the Walt family for generations. Rare metal was used, forged by a renowned smith and finished by a famous artisan."
I picked up the necklace adorned with the two-centimeter gem.
"My grandfather’s? I remember he had something like this. I thought my father inherited it."
"He intended to pass it on after having it properly ornamented, but he passed away before it was finished. I retrieved it during the final step. I never had a chance to meet with Lord Maizel afterward..."
My father was a busy man. It wasn’t uncommon for him to ignore even his own retainers.
I took the necklace and held the gem in my hand.
The gem—now a lost art—was once used to record personal skills. Nowadays, simpler magical tools had replaced it.
A person could only awaken one skill in a lifetime. It could be honed but never changed or added to.
These gems recorded those unique skills and allowed others to use them.
"I can’t give this to the current head. So please, young master Lyle, take it. That would honor the late master’s wishes."
I placed the necklace around my neck and clenched the gem.
"Thank you, Zell. I’ll return one day—and repay this debt."
"I look forward to it, Lord Lyle."
And so, I left Zell’s shed behind.
Zell looked around the now-empty room, which suddenly felt too large.
Once a family home, it had also served as a secret meeting place for the previous head, Broud.
Gazing at a painting of his wife he had commissioned in town, Zell whispered:
"Hey, dear... I’ve finally fulfilled my duty."
He lay on the bed, pulled the blanket over himself, and closed his eyes.
"You and Broud both loved stewed meat..."
Zell smiled softly as he recalled the lively days of the past.
And the moment Broud, frail and bedridden, handed him the gem.
"Why did you ask me, knowing you wouldn’t live to see it finished... Still, I did what you asked, Lord Broud."
As he remembered their youth on the battlefield together—
"I'm glad I could pass it on to Lyle in the end... Now, dear, I’m coming to join you."
With a deep breath, the old man passed away, a peaceful smile on his face.
I left the estate and arrived in the city at the heart of our territory. At the gate, I spoke to a traveling merchant.
It was past noon. If I could hitch a ride now, I’d reach the inn town by nightfall.
"To the inn town? I can take you, but we’ll get there late—and I don’t know if any rooms will be available. I have connections, but it gets crowded this time of year."
I didn’t care. I just wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.
"That’s fine. May I ride with you?"
"I don’t mind, but can you fight? If not, I’ll need you to pay."
I responded by summoning a flame into my palm.
I’d lost my saber, but I could still use magic—enough to defend myself.
"Impressive. A mage, huh? A noble, maybe? Then again, judging by your appearance... Ah, sorry for prying. Fine, if you’ll guard my wagon, you can ride for free. Depending on your performance, I might even pay you."
The middle-aged merchant changed his tune quickly and let me aboard.
"Thank you. Once we reach the inn town—"
Just then, a voice interrupted our conversation.
I turned and saw someone I knew all too well.
"Um, excuse me! Could I come with you, too?"
A girl with a side ponytail stood there.
"...Novem."
Her name was Novem Forxuz.
A baron’s second daughter.
And once—though no longer—my fiancée.
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