After arriving back at the inn, I knocked on Irene’s door, she didn’t answer so I assumed she was still training.

I headed to my room and laid on the bed.

Olly, Aster, Lily... They seem alright...

I dozed off.

I woke up early the next morning. I planned on walking around the capital again and seeing if there was anything fun to do.

Maybe I should also buy a gift for Irene.

After leaving the room I knocked on Irene’s door, she usually woke up early to train. I wanted to see if she’d like to have breakfast.

A couple seconds later the door opened-

“Hello?”

She was still sleepy; she rubbed her eyes before looking at me again.

“Oh! Kai, good morning.”

“...Morning.”

“Usually, a servant wakes me up, I forgot I’d have to get up on my own from now on, haha.”

“...Do you want to get breakfast?”

“Breakfast? Sure! Give me a sec to get ready.”

Irene seemed happy.

I went to the lobby and sat at a table, there were already people working even this early in the morning.

One of them came up to the table and asked-

“Goodmorning, would you like to order?”

“...Um... Yeah, 2 breakfast meals.”

“Coming right up.”

Soon after the waiter left, Irene came down the stairs. She was dressed up in a fancy attire. In contrast to me who was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and some comfortable pants.

Irene sat across from me.

“Oh, you’re not dressed Kai?”

I was fully dressed? I just put on some comfortable clothes since I’d be walking around the capital today.

I tilted my head and spoke

“Huh?”

“Isn’t that what you wear to sleep?”

I shook my head, when I slept, I’d only wear some comfortable pants.

“Ehh? Don’t tell me you’re planning to walk around today in that outfit.”

I nodded my head.

“Kai, you know nobles should always look dignified, right?”

Jane did say something about wearing suffocating clothes everywhere, but I didn’t really want to.

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Oh well, it should be fine. You’re not meeting any nobles today.”

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The worker brought 2 meals to the table, the plates were filled with bacon and eggs.

Irene of course ate like a noble, while I dipped my bacon in the eggs and then finished eating the eggs with a fork.

“You should really try to look more dignified. You’re wasting your face.”

“...Food all goes to the same place.”

“That’s true, but, hmm.”

“Alright, can you at least promise me that you’ll eat proper in front of nobles?”

I sighed then nodded my head.

Did nobles really care that much about how someone else ate?

After we both finished eating, Irene went to train again after she changed her outfit, and I went to where the stores were again.

I walked into a jewelry store and the worker greeted me.

“Hello sir, can I help you with anything today?”

I looked around and there were a lot of gems, necklaces, and rings in boxes.

“...How expensive is this store?”

“The highest item we have is around 10 gold coins while the lowest is around 50 silver coins.”

I only had the 5 silver coins Irene gave me.

“Alright.”

I walked out of the store and could hear the worker mutter something.

“These broke commoners...At least he looked good.”

Hm? Do even store workers care about status?

I walked around a bit more; I didn’t enter anymore stores but looked at the market stalls. These people seemed way more genuine and friendly.

“See anything that catch your eye?”

It was a small stall that sold a little bit of everything, jewelry, swords, bows, and food.

I looked through the jewelry and saw a ring that looked good. As well as a necklace with a red gem attached to it.

I thought the silver ring looked quite nice and the necklace would probably match Irene.

“How much for these 2?”

“Hmm, 20 silver.”

I put them down and began to walk away.

“Wait, wait, wait.”

I looked back

“10 silvers.”

I began to walk away again.

“Ok! 5 silvers! I can’t go any lower than that.”

Why’d he keep switching the price? Was he a scammer? Were these items stolen?

I walked back to the counter.

“Now you’re interested.”

“Are these stolen?”

“Stolen!? No! My son had made these, but he called them failures.”

“They’ve been there forever, and no one wanted to buy them, and I need the money.”

I looked into his eyes while he was saying all this and there wasn’t any hint of greed or lying.

“Alright, I trust you.”

I gave him the 5 silvers and took the jewelry before walking to the training grounds.

“Thank you for your purchase!”

I put the ring on my middle finger, and it fit perfectly.

After arriving at the training area there were a lot of people there, most of them were using a sword on the training dummy while others were exercising. There were a few people sparring as well.

I noticed Irene’s bright red hair quickly as she was the only one with red hair in there. She was sparring with some other people.

I went to the side of where her match was happening, it didn’t look like she noticed me as she was too focused in the duel.

She was fighting a blonde female with long pointy ears.

Clash

Tang

Clash

Their swords kept clashing, even though they were wooden swords they made sounds like they were metal.

“There both really good, I heard their both entering the Knight Academy tomorrow.”

I heard a man to my right say that.

“Yeah, their movements are both so fluid, who do you think will win?”

“It’s hard to tell, but the blonde girl has taken more hits.”

“The red-haired girl will probably win.”

“I don’t know... I’d bet on the blonde girl.”

A different person cut in their conversation; it was a black-haired man with hair that covered his eyes.

“Really? It looks like she’s losing though.”

“The blonde girl has taken more hits but in less vital spots than the red-haired girl has.”

I watched the two of them fight and could notice Irene slowing down.

She’s run out of energy. I could immediately tell after looking a little closer at her movements.

“You said their both academy students?”

“I’ve heard them say that, yeah.”

“This year will be interesting then.”

“Huh?”

Irene had made a final push; she used the steel footwork and steel swordsmanship to her fullest. But the blonde-haired girl calmly started to move as well.

She panicked... In a fight the one thing you never wanted to do was panic. I knew that well.

The next moment ended with Irene sitting on the ground and the blonde-haired girl point the sword at her neck.