"Go ahead, unwrap it."
"…Well then, excuse me."
Holding the cloth, Runiel took a deep breath, showing incredible patience, but at my gentle urging, she set aside her reservations and quickly began to unwrap the veil.
-Swish…
And then, at the moment the identity of my surprise gift was revealed,
"Ah."
Runiel's eyes and mouth, reminiscent of a cartoon character with dotted eyes and a triangular mouth, showed a disappointed look.
"Thank you, Master. It's a really fine sword."
"Oh, it's nothing."
"I will work even harder from now on."
At first glance, it looked just like any of the old, worn-out practice swords in the mansion, which might explain her reaction.
But it would be madness to give such a cheap sword to a close guard knight meant to protect my life.
"Yes, you should continue to work hard."
"…Yes."
Originally, I intended to reveal the truth right away, but Runiel's comic-book-like eyes and her unexpectedly sorrowful expression, which exuded a sense of grievance, amused me enough to momentarily play along.
"Then, I will go and train with this new sword given by my master…"
"Ahaha, Runiel. Why don't you hold the sword first?"
Seeing her eyes begin to droop further, I finally burst out laughing and opened my mouth.
"Understood…?"
"How does it feel?"
"…What?"
Yet, despite expecting disappointment, Runiel obediently followed my command and gripped the handle, her expression sharpening momentarily.
"This sword… something is unusual about it."
"In what way?"
"It seems like it's been enchanted… and not just with one spell. But it's impossible to layer multiple enchantments on a single sword, right?"
After hearing her expertly analyze the situation, I watched her with satisfaction.
"Haha. That would make sense."
Pausing for a moment, I then revealed the climax of this surprise with a broad smile.
"That sword, in fact, comes from the royal treasury, once belonging to the first hero."
"…What!?"
Runiel, who nearly dropped the sword in shock, then showed the most dynamic expression I had seen since meeting her.
"Shh, this is top secret, but let's keep it between us for now, shall we?"
Though I said that, it wasn't I who had retrieved it.
After the royal treasury was once severely looted by Bergen, the security had been increased to such an extent that even those with keys could not freely enter.
Thus, it was as if a catalog had been delivered to me as if I were shopping from home, fortunately containing the two items I wanted.
"How could you… Master?"
"I told you, I know the story of the hero well."
Indeed, one of the items was the sword that the emperor had incidentally bestowed upon Runiel in the original work.
The other I had kept aside for another purpose, but anyway.
To her, surely a serious hero enthusiast, this must be the best gift ever?
"…You used the key you received as compensation at the engagement incident for my gift?"
"I received two keys, so of course I had to invest one in my first subordinate."
"I don't understand."
As Runiel's expression grew serious and her voice heavier, she threw me another question.
"Do I really deserve to receive this?"
Perhaps the shock was too great for her to feel the moment?
Although this wasn't the reaction I had hoped for internally, I did my best to relieve Runiel's burden with a warm smile, showing her my support.
"Don't feel too pressured. I really appreciated how you protected me last time."
"..."
"So, please continue to do well, okay? Haha…"
When she was suddenly plunged from the brink of a hopeful future into despair, how desperate she must have felt. Although I can neither fully empathize nor understand, I hope this gift can help her reclaim even a small part of the future she dreamed of.
"…Uh…"
As I conveyed these sentiments and waited for a response, a choked sob came from in front of me.
"Uh. Ugh."
"Miss Runiel?"
Wondering what was happening, I looked at her more closely and saw tears welling up and falling from Runiel's eyes.
"I-I'm not crying. hic"
"Haha…."
"It's just dust in my eyes…"
Let's momentarily forget the fact that it's unbelievable for her, who wouldn't flinch even at the bottom of the ocean, to cry over a speck of dust.
"I will work very hard…"
Even someone as seemingly impenetrable as her still had traces of a girlish side, as I was just realizing.
"…Sir, you said that's the first hero's sword."
While enjoying the warm atmosphere of the office for the first time in a while, Alfred, who had been quietly observing the situation, spoke up in a low voice.
"Setting aside how you knew about it, is the royal family aware of this fact?"
His question was sharp, as expected, and I replied with a mischievous twinkle in my eye.
"Alfred, you're always so quick to notice things."
"…Sir?"
"I dislike… no, I like people who are quick-witted."
As sweat began to bead on his forehead, I whispered a timeless truth that applies in both past and present lives to him.
"Don't worry too much. As they say, finders keepers, right?"
"…Oh, my head."
Thus, I once again brilliantly countered Alfred's needless nagging. I got up from my seat intending to catch some sleep before visiting the academy, but just then,
"Master."
The voice of Parsha, who had been silent up to that point, froze me in my tracks.
"…What about mine?"
"Ah."
Seeing the cold, slightly aggrieved smile on her face, it seemed rest would not come easily today.
"Almost had to renegotiate my salary there."
Parsha, on the verge of striking, was placated when I granted her the right to sit on my right side, a position she coveted. The issue was that Runiel always wanted to stand there too. If I squint a bit, maybe having two right hands wouldn't be so bad? If things get awkward later, I could always attach Sasha and Bergen to my left arm to balance it out.
"Why are you taking me…?"
"We need at least one person to attend to us, right? Haha."
"Ah, I see."
Sasha, who had unwittingly become my right-hand without realizing it due to such a ridiculous reason, looked sullen as she asked. I reassured her with a plausible reason.
'In fact, it's partly a vacation to let her meet her family at the academy.'
I felt like I had been overworking Sasha, so I planned to allow her some time to meet her brother, who was rumored to be at the academy, and possibly visit her family home nearby. It might be a bit regrettable to lose my attendant for a while, but a true noble should know how to manage by themselves, right?
"Well, let's get on the carriage…."
Feeling quite proud of myself, I was about to board the carriage waiting outside the mansion when I paused.
"...Hmm?"
Something felt familiar, and I tilted my head slightly.
"This seems familiar…"
The emblem carved on the carriage reminded me of a family seal I knew.
"Of course, it would."
Rubbing my eyes briefly due to a moment of confusion, I was suddenly struck by a familiar voice coming from in front.
"I've ridden in this once before."
"…Lady Meredia?"
To my surprise, Lady Meredia was inside the carriage, chin propped on her hand, looking at me intently.
"Why are you here…."
"Didn't you hear? This selection event adopted a joint judging panel to prevent the cheating issues from last time."
"I hadn't heard that news…?"
As I blinked in confusion, considering this was news even Bergen hadn't mentioned, I questioned her.
"Well, it was only decided a few hours ago by the board."
"Uh, about this board…"
"I'm the chairperson, you know?"
Her response left me speechless, eliciting a hollow laugh from me.
"What are you doing? Aren't you getting in?"
"Haha…."
I had studied the royal treasury catalog almost like a textbook to pick out her gift. Now, more than ever, it seemed I needed to hurry and retrieve it.