"Where am I...?"
As soon as I woke up, my eyes darted to scan the room, searching for any clues about my whereabouts and how I ended up here. The memories leading to this moment are a blur, as I wondered how much time has passed since I lost my consciousness.
Oh, right... I slipped and hit my head. Anyway, I wonder who took me here?
As I pondered in silence, the door at the side of the room opened. Entering, a woman with a hair that was pale as white as snow. She had eyes that could be compared to the beautiful blue sky. She wore a polished steel armor that glinted in the soft sunlight, as she strode into the room with a graceful yet purposeful gait.
A cape billowed behind her, its deep crimson hue contrasting against the gleaming silver of her armor. The cape bore the sigil of her noble house, a majestic silver helm set against a backdrop of swirling patterns. It was a symbol of her lineage and a reminder of the responsibilities she carried as both a knight and a noble. A sword belt adorned her waist, holding a well-crafted blade with a hilt that matched the regal design of her armor. A shield, emblazoned with her heraldry, rested against her back, its surface gleaming from the sunlight.
As she approached, her eyes met mine with a mix of curiosity and concern. "You're awake," she said, her voice carrying a soothing yet authoritative tone. "You took quite a tumble, but you're safe now."
I was flabbergasted for a second before shaking this off and quickly turning my head to the side to face the window. I mean, goddamn she's ten out of ten! Even with the iron chest plate that covered her asset, I'm pretty sure that it would be measured around at D or E cup even from this view.
"Is there something wrong?"
"Er... No." I cleared at my throat and forced myself to remove these unnecessary thoughts inside my mind. Nonetheless, thankfully, I was able to recover my composure that quickly.
And from the looks of it, this woman seems to be part of a noble family. Plus, I can't afford to offend her since she probably knew who, if not she's, the person who saved me.
With an impassive expression, the woman crossed her arms as she continues to scrutinize my body. "I saw you passed out in the middle of the road when I was heading back..."
Ah... My body must've rolled forward after I hit my head.
"And you look pretty beat up. Did you got attacked or something?" She asked curiously, patiently waiting for my response.
I didn't answered almost immediately, but let my thoughts wander for a good second to think of an answer without raising too much suspicion. I noticed that my sword was placed right beside her, giving me an idea.
"You could say that... I was actually just travelling around in hope to sharpen my skill on using sword."
One of the mistakes that protagonist commit from the animes I often watch when they were trying to lay low is mentioning that they're a merchant or an adventurer who got lost.
If I said that I was a merchant, I'm a hundred percent sure that she'll doubt my words because of the sword I was carrying. If I did mention that I'm an adventurer, a job that also existed in this world, I'm sure that this lady over here will surely ask for my ID.
To solve that, mentioning that I'm just a traveller would put up a barrier against too much question. If she were to ask where I came from, I could just mention a random name of a village or a city from far away. Though there's still a possibility that she might misunderstood that I'm a criminal that escaped from another country, it wouldn't really be a problem for me since my face doesn't have any wanted poster laying around each city. So, to say that "if" I'm really a criminal, she wouldn't be able to do anything to me since there's no evidence or reason to suspect me.
She arched an elegant eyebrow, her gaze still fixed on me with a mix of scrutiny and interest. "A traveler, you say? In these dangerous times?"
I nodded, adopting an earnest expression to avoid any suspicion of lying. "Yes, I know it might seem odd, but I've always been curious about the world beyond my own city while pursuing my dream to become a great knight in the future after I'm done travelling. I wanted to see different lands, experience different cultures."
She seemed to mull over my words for a moment before giving a thoughtful nod. "Curiosity is a noble pursuit, but it also carries risks. There are many dangers out there for a lone traveler. Not only that, the Waves of Calamities are still coming every month and a half."
"I'm well aware of that," I replied, a hint of humility in my tone. "That's why I've been cautious and tried to avoid trouble."
"And yet... You almost died." She squinted her eyes.
Scratching my right cheek, I averted my eyes back towards the window. "...I guess you could say that I let my guard down. Nonetheless, I never thought I'll be meeting a Commander during my travel. If I may ask, may I know where are you from?"
"Mm... How did you know?" Her hands slowly reached towards the hilt of her sword as she waited for my next response cautiously... It's here.
"Leaning against the wall might be because you've experienced many surprise attacks from behind. Keeping the entrance and the window in your sight at times is to secure an escape route at any time. And scanning the whole room as soon as you enter to check if there's any dangerous material. But one thing that really got my attention is the emblem you have there right on your chest... I guess my studies really did became useful."
"Hmm... How detailed. I never thought that you would be an observant person." I noticed the side of her lips curling up.
Well... For starter's, it's not that I'm a hundred percent sure that your position is high, I actually just wanted to sound cool that's why I said that... And thankfully, I did.
"I guess I can take that answer..."
My my~ ignorance is such a bliss...
It was fairly obvious from this view that you are from a high ranking noble family, adding the fact that you have an emblem that indicates that you're one of the Commander of the Rose Kingdom. That, too, was described similarly from the novel. I don't know who you are, but I'm quite sure that the possibility of your name being mentioned in the novel was already high, considering of your rank.
Heaving out a sigh, she slowly calmed herself down and smiled before asking, "Say, you mentioned that you wanted to become a knight after you've settled, right? Why don't you live at the Kingdom of Rose, I'm sure that I can help you achieve that dream."
"Thank you for your offer, but I'm gonna have to refuse with that." I showed her a slight hand gesture.
"Why?" She asked quietly.
"Well, I already made a promise with someone that I'll only become her knight." I say, masking my wicked smile with a gentle one.
Lying is really the best~ I could do this all day!
"I see..." She nodded in understanding before standing up.
"By the way, I'm going back to my home kingdom tomorrow," She says, stopping at the door to take one last glance at my direction. "There's no need to worry about the payment, I've already payed the owner of this inn. You should just relax for now until you are fully healed."
Before she could close the door, I called out to her. "Wait! May I have the pleasure to know your name."
"My name? You haven't even revealed yours, but... It's Eveline." Saying this, she closed the door and left.
Her name... It sounds familiar, but I couldn't remember when was her name mentioned in the novel.
Until...
'Eveline Silverhelm.'
The realization hit me.
As her footsteps started getting fainter each step, the sudden realization finally finally came to me.
"Ah!"
With her striking silver armor adorned with intricate engravings and a helm that bore the emblem of her noble house, she cut a formidable figure on the battlefield.
Hero Knight, Eveline Silverhelm, a valiant and honorable noble, was known throughout the realm for her unwavering dedication to justice and chivalry. She was also the first knight who became a hero not because of the Goddess's blessing, but because she was entitled after saving the Kingdom of Rose. She lead her soldiers efficiently like a true leader and fought all the monsters, defeating the boss without the help of any hero.
"She mentioned that she'll be heading towards the Kingdom of Rose later, right...? If I help her defeat the boss monster and get her favor, won't she agree on training me? I'm really that desperate to train swords after the fight from the goblins..."
Since the weakness of the boss was mentioned in the novel, it'll be much more easier to defeat it without wasting her troop's lives. Plus, despite her lofty position, Lady Eveline was known for her humility and approachability, always willing to listen to the concerns of those around her. Her unwavering commitment to protecting the innocent and upholding the ideals of knighthood earned her the respect and admiration of all who crossed her path.
Whether leading her fellow knights into battle or championing the cause of the oppressed, Lady Eveline Silverhelm stood as a shining example of courage, honor, and leadership in a world where her unwavering dedication to her principles set her apart as a true noble knight.
"Since I don't want to stand out too much, I can just let her be the star of the show while I help in secret from the public. There's no need for me to actually mention who I was because I know that the asshole hero prince is still after me. If he finds out I'm alive, considering his personality, I'm sure that he'll send some assassins to take me out in secret after leaving the Rose Kingdom by the time Eveline was done training me."
Earning the future hero knight's favor without standing out from the public's eyes and getting personally trained by her? Can't see why that's a problem.
I'll be getting two birds with one stone!