[You have successfully vanquished the giant.]
[Although there were many unexpected turns during the process, fortunately, no one was injured.]
[You can't tell if it's just your imagination, but you feel that your sister, Artoria, seems to have something on her mind.]
[But before you can ask, your sister's attention is captured by the roast meat the giant had nearly finished cooking, so you can only suppress your own confused thoughts for the time being.]
[You all have a hearty meal and, in doing so, solve your food problem for the next two days.]
[This time, of course, the rations are not left in Artoria's care. Your brother Kay very firmly entrusts this duty to Merlin.]
[After dinner, you begin to collect the spoils of battle. After all, giants are a rare sight in the Britain of this era, so the materials from their bodies are often highly sought after by mages and craftsmen and can be sold for a high price.]
[You also discover that the sword your foster father gave you has indeed broken during this battle. You plan to find someone to repair it or buy a new one when you reach the next town.]
[And so, after a day full of twists and turns, you all turn in early for the night.]
[However, late at night, you are suddenly awakened by a faint sound.]
[You subconsciously follow the sound. After a short distance, you can clearly hear that it is the sound of a sword being swung. The owner of the sound also feels very familiar; you know it is your sister, Artoria.]
[You quietly hide behind a tree, not wanting to disturb Artoria's practice. After listening for a while, you silently depart.]
[Although you don't know what has spurred your sister on, you understand that at times like this, she would rather be alone.]
[Day 4: You continue your journey without incident.]
[Day 5: You finally arrive at the nearest town, just as your food supplies run out.]
[You decide to rest in the town for a day, sell your materials, and gather supplies.]
[But just as you are discussing splitting up to increase efficiency, you turn around to find that Merlin has vanished at some point.]
[Helpless, the three of you can only go to buy the necessary food for the journey together. During this time, you learn the art of haggling from your brother Kay.]
[You have learned the skill 'Bargaining (B)': Although you are not yet skilled in the verbal art of haggling, most people, upon seeing your appearance, will gladly sell you their goods at a lower price.]
[Because of your impromptu attempt at bargaining, you manage to buy an unexpected quantity of food for an exceptionally cheap price.]
[Your brother Kay is delighted by this, and your sister Artoria looks at you with a fiery gaze, as if looking at a precious treasure.]
[After buying food, you sell the giant materials you obtained a few days ago.]
[Since you did most of the work in defeating the giant, your brother Kay gives you the largest share of the profits.]
[You now have your own private "little treasury."]
[After gathering supplies and selling the materials, you head to the blacksmith's forge to repair your broken sword.]
[To your slight disappointment, you learn that while your father's sword can be repaired, it will take at least a week or more.]
[At the same time, none of the weapons for sale in the shop feel right in your hand.]
[Just as you are about to leave in disappointment, the shop owner suddenly calls out to you, telling you that they happen to be forging a new batch of weapons. If you provide your specifications now, they can forge a new one for you by noon tomorrow at the latest.]
[Considering that a sword is a necessity on a journey, you don't hesitate for long before paying the deposit and agreeing with the owner to pick up the sword tomorrow.]
[After finishing these errands, the sky has already darkened. The three of you head to a nearby inn and get two rooms.]
[Although you are a little curious about Merlin's whereabouts, you know that the man will surely appear with a grin to meet up with you all the next day, so you don't worry too much about it.]
[And so, you and your brother Kay rest early.]
[Day 6: You and your brother Kay are awakened by a commotion.]
[You find that you have been surrounded by a group of people.]
"Are you sure it's these two?"
"Yes, my lady. I saw them clearly when I was on watch yesterday. These two, plus the little girl in the next room, entered the town with that man. They must be part of the same group."
"Very good. In that case, tie them all up!"
"...Wait a minute! What do you think you're doing? Don't you know that doing this is an insult to a knight?"
Looking at the group of armored soldiers wielding spears who had surrounded him and Aozaki Rin, and at the spoiled, golden-haired young lady in a beautiful dress who was clearly their leader, Kay subconsciously shielded Aozaki Rin behind him, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword.
"A knight? Insult? Someone like you is fit to be called a knight? Don't you know what your companion did?"
The golden-haired girl snorted coldly, leaving Kay completely bewildered. He frowned, sizing up the number of people around them, and realized that if a fight broke out, they would be at a clear disadvantage.
So he looked at the young lady and said with a serious expression.
"My lady, I believe there must be some misunderstanding. You see, the few of us were together the entire day yesterday. Someone must have impersonated us..."
"Sir Kay, Merlin wasn't with us yesterday."
Aozaki Rin, standing behind Kay, tugged on his sleeve and reminded him softly. At the same time, he had already gripped the broken sword at his waist.
Merlin?
Hearing the boy's words, Kay froze for a moment. A terrible premonition surfaced in his heart, and his expression quickly turned grim.
He hesitated for a moment before asking.
"My lady, although I don't know what has happened, could you describe what 'that man' you mentioned looks like? And what exactly did he do?"
His question, however, received no answer. The golden-haired girl, as if too ashamed to speak, turned her face away in resentment.
Fortunately, a nearby older captain of the guards coughed a few times and leaned in to whisper in his ear.
"That man has white hair, wears a white robe, and is always smiling. You should know, that fellow took our lady's chastity yesterday and disappeared early this morning. Even if you're a knight, you can't absolve him of this crime. I advise you to hand over your accomplice peacefully."
[—That bastard actually did something like that?!]
Kay blinked, shock and resentment flashing through him. But upon realizing the "culprit" was that man, Merlin, he felt that it was all perfectly in character.
The corner of Kay's eye twitched uncontrollably a few times before he spoke with a straight face.
"No, we don't know the man you're talking about at all. This is clearly a misunderstanding."
But the golden-haired girl clearly had no intention of listening to his explanation. She gritted her teeth and said.
"If you have any excuses, you can save them for the dungeon. I'd like to see if that bastard will still abandon you all after I've thrown his accomplices in jail. Men, seize them!"
With that command, the air in the room instantly grew tense.
Watching the soldiers take a step forward and close in, Kay cursed Merlin under his breath, his face dark as he prepared to draw the sword at his waist. Behind him, Aozaki Rin also went on alert.
However, just as a battle was about to erupt, the golden-haired girl, who had been full of resentment, seemed to see something and her expression suddenly froze.
Then, her eyes began to sparkle, and the hatred in them instantly diminished by more than half.
"Wait a moment. I've changed my mind. Although you are that man's accomplices, you shouldn't have to bear the weight of the crimes he committed."
"But while you may not have to be punished, you still have to pay compensation, right?"
Waving her hand to stop the advancing soldiers, the golden-haired girl took a step forward, circling around to get a better look at the boy behind Kay.
After staring at the boy's face for a moment, a charming smile appeared on her own. Then, she pointed a finger and commanded.
"Men, take this boy back with you!"