[Since that day, chatting with Arthur became a regular part of your daily routine.]
[He was always happy to see you and shared many things he hadn't mentioned before.]
[For example, he was skilled in swordsmanship and often sparred with his older brother. Or that on the day he arrived in the city, he was already starving.]
[You had confirmed that he hadn't seen anything related to your actions that day.]
[You were relieved that you didn't kill him immediately.]
[You found spending time with him to be incredibly easy, failing to notice the subtle change in the way he looked at you.]
[But good times are always fleeting.]
[The time for your farewell had finally arrived.]
[As planned, the two of you arrived at the city gate.]
"The time really flew by, Arthur," Rei sighed as he gazed at the sun hanging over the distant mountains.
"Are you really leaving tonight?"
"Yes, Sir Rei," Arthur responded politely. "If I don't set off now, I won't make it back on time."
"If that happens, my brother and father will surely worry about me."
"I see…" Rei nodded.
"Well, if you've made up your mind, then it's for the best. But the road at night isn't safe."
"In that case—"
Rei unfastened the sword from his waist and handed it to Arthur.
"This sword is yours now."
"Huh…?"
Arthur stared at the weapon in disbelief.
He quickly waved his hands in refusal. "No, I can't possibly accept this! This sword must have been with you for a long time—it's your trusted companion! I could never take it!"
"What companion?"
Rei chuckled.
"A sword is a weapon, and swordsmanship is merely a skill used for killing."
"No matter how much people try to dress it up with beautiful words, that is the undeniable truth."
"Would you really call a tool of death your companion?"
"That…"
Arthur hesitated, knowing that Rei was only saying this to make it easier for him to accept.
Seeing his hesitation, Rei smirked and feigned irritation.
"What's wrong, Arthur? Could it be that you refuse because I've used it before?"
"N-No!" Arthur immediately shook his head. "That's absolutely not the case, Sir Rei!"
"Then why not take it?"
"…"
Trapped by Rei's reasoning, Arthur had no way to refuse.
Reluctantly, he extended his hands and accepted the sword.
"Sir Rei, I truly don't know how to repay your kindness these past few days."
"No need for thanks," Rei crossed his arms. "I believe that any knight in the capital would've done the same. You just happened to run into me, that's all."
"Oh, and take this too."
[You hauled over a large bag of rations.]
[You placed it onto Arthur's small wooden cart.]
[As he stared in shock, you smiled and ruffled his hair.]
"This time, you have plenty of food. If you want to share with the refugees along the way, you should have enough."
"But remember what I said," Rei gently smoothed down Arthur's golden locks.
"Don't push yourself beyond your limits."
"If you go home starving, your brother and father might think the capital is suffering from a famine."
"So, do you understand what I mean?"
"Mm… Oh…" Arthur still seemed stunned by the large bag of provisions.
"Oh—about the city wall, don't worry. I took the blame for that, so they won't hold you accountable. You can go home without concern."
"Sir Rei."
Arthur gazed at the man ruffling his hair.
"Why are you so kind to me? We didn't even know each other before this."
[In your mind, you recalled Arthur's long hair flowing freely in the wind, resembling Morgan's in certain ways.]
[You knew the real reason.]
[Of course, you had no intention of saying it aloud.]
[Instead, you chose a different excuse—an apology for the inappropriate body search.]
[Arthur accepted your reasoning without question.]
[Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he said, "Wait a moment," and turned to rummage through his wooden cart.]
"I found it!"
With that declaration, Arthur pulled out an item.
Rei blinked in surprise—it was a scarf.
Wait.
It looked like a scarf.
Upon closer inspection, the weaving was uneven, and several strands of yarn stuck out in clumps, evidence of many mistakes during its making.
And most importantly—it wasn't even finished.
Calling it a scarf was far too generous.
A more accurate description would be "a scarf-like piece of cloth."
"What is this?" Rei asked.
"I… tried knitting a scarf." Arthur lowered his head in embarrassment.
"Um… I just started learning recently."
Rei chuckled.
"By 'recently,' do you mean these past few days?"
"Y-Yes."
"…"
Rei glanced at the so-called scarf, then at Arthur.
For a moment, he wasn't sure what to say.
"Um… Sir Rei… Is it really that bad?"
"A little bit, yeah."
"I see…" Arthur hesitated, shrinking back slightly.
"I guess that makes sense."
"Yeah, so just give it to me."
"Um… Sorry, I really shouldn't have— Wait, huh?"
Arthur lifted his head, eyes wide in disbelief at what he had just heard.
"Sir Rei…"
"This is still something you made with your heart."
Rei took the scarf from Arthur's hands and wrapped it around his neck.
"But, if possible, I'd really appreciate it if you could reconsider whether a knight actually needs something like this."
"Ah— I'm sorry!"
"Alright, alright, no need to apologize."
"Be careful on your way back."
"Mm!" Arthur brightened up again.
"Then, Sir Rei, we'll have a chance to meet again, right?"
"Maybe."
[Without another word, you watched as Arthur disappeared down the sunlit road.]
[You removed the scarf and turned back toward the city gates.]
[A thought crossed your mind— would you ever see the day Arthur became a knight?]
[But what you never expected— not even in your wildest dreams— was that…]
[At some point, Morgan had appeared at the city gates.]