Sir Hero, It’s Time to Train!

The heirs of the Count Worden’s family.

Though they were younger than Caedwin, proper courtesy was required. In Rangar, the Worden family was almost akin to royalty.

The first impression of the Count Worden he got was of a calm and intellectual man who also did not shy away from physical efforts, like a living embodiment of chivalry.

The knights who followed him were equally brave, and just observing them offered numerous lessons.

Especially unforgettable was the sight of the genius siblings of the Worden family he saw when he was young.

The eldest daughter, Aira Worden, resembled her mother, sharp as ice, while the second son, Christian Worden, was a spitting image of their father, the Count Worden.

Recent rumors spoke of potentially meeting these siblings again, creating much anticipation.

Even without the Count Worden’s request, Liber would have gladly accompanied them to the capital.

Yet…

“Uweeeek!”

“Don’t dirty the floor; go puke in that corner.”

“S-Shut up! You, you jerk, seriously… This is… ugh!”

A black-haired girl, Aira Worden, leaned against the main gate, vomiting.

Her dull red eyes resembled those of a madwoman more than anyone else in the world.

“I’ll pat your back. Now go over there to vomit.”

“You bastard?!”

And while he patted her back gently but with an indifferent expression, was a boy, Christian Worden.

The sight of these siblings, last seen a long time ago, was enough to deter even Caedwin, who had stormed out in annoyance.

Of course, this was not just Liber or Sonya, but also for the servants welcoming the Worden heirs.

It was only natural.

“Did a demon beast appear nearby? Where did the carriage go, and why did they show up alone?”

Everyone nodded in agreement at Caedwin’s muttering.

It was not just the fact that they were vomiting at the main gate of somebody else’s house; the girl’s appearance was the real issue.

Her hair was disheveled and matted. Her face and clothes were soaked with perspiration, and her shoes were thoroughly worn out.

If no one knew her identity, Aira’s appearance would have seemed that of a mad beggar.

‘In contrast…’

Liber peeked at Christian, who was discreetly pushing the vomiting Aira into the corner while patting her back.

‘He’s perfectly fine.’

Unlike Aira, his golden hair glittered stunningly in the wind, and his blue eyes shone like beautiful jewels.

His clothes were a bit dirty, probably due to the long journey, but they were luxurious travel garments made from quite expensive material.

Carrying only a simple backpack, he seemed like a young master from an aristocratic family out on a leisurely excursion.

The stark contrast between the siblings was so great that no one dared to ask, “Is that beggar part of your group?”

With Sonya Derin’s attention gradually shifting to her to resolve this awkward situation, she winced and clung closer to Liber.

“Are you the Count Worden’s heirs?”

With determined courage, Liber stepped forward to ask.

In response to Liber’s question, Christian, patting Aira’s back, and Aira, who had vomited heartily, lifted their dull gazes to meet his.

Under their contrasting stares, Liber momentarily hesitated but mustered the strength to maintain composure while forcing a smile.

“I am Liber Cotra from the Cotra Viscount family.”

“Cotra? Ah…”

In place of the breathless and wild-eyed Aira, the intact Christian tidied up his attire.

With a radiant smile, Christian slightly nodded to Liber in greeting.

“We are the Count Worden’s children, I’m Christian Worden.”

“Haa, haa… Aira, Aira Worden…”

“She’s a bit unwell, so please understand.”

“Because of who…”

She indeed seemed very ill.

Both physically and mentally…

No one dared to raise issues of etiquette with Aira Worden, who looked ready to bite if provoked.

“Was there any trouble during your journey? Miss Aira looks rather…”

“Miss, you say? Judging by age, aren’t you older than us? Please just call her Aira.”

“What right do you have to say that…”

Ignoring Aira’s annoyed expression, Christian replied again to Liber.

“And nothing significant happened. We just ran our way here, but she’s quite delicate, hence the condition.”

Christian answered easily was more than a bit unsettling since Aira, glaring at him as if she could kill, went unnoticed by his expression.

“You ran the whole way?”

… Why?

Everyone was bewildered by Christian’s incomprehensible reply.

The Worden and Derin estates were not neighboring lands where leisurely strolls were feasible.

Moreover, a large river flowed between their lands, so there was no need to walk when they could comfortably and efficiently travel by canal.

Thus, when moving overland, the common practice would involve using horses or carriages. Christian nodded nonchalantly, contradicting this expectation.

“Does that mean you didn’t use horses or carriages?”

“Yes.”

No, I mean…

“… Why?”

In his surprise, Liber couldn’t help but question again.

Christian, rather than perceiving Liber’s response as unusual, tilted his head as if wondering why it would be considered strange.

“Well, it’s faster to run, wouldn’t you agree? Besides, I can train while traveling. Is that odd?”

Yes. Quite. Indeed. Extremely.

Though many responses swelled within him, he swallowed his words. His body, perhaps more honest than he’d realized, ended up nodding along automatically.

“Wait, are you saying you ran all the way from Flamme, without a carriage or using the canal?!”

Caedwin shouted in shock, leaving the entranced Liber facing Christian behind.

Having already reached and awaited them previously, he and Liber estimated their arrival last evening at the earliest or this morning at the latest.

Up until the afternoon, Caedwin was frustrated, thinking these aristocratic individuals were leisurely taking their time.

‘Is this why the Worden knights are so robust… They walk such distances, after all?’

However, they had come from far-off Flamme, arriving almost in accordance with the regular route.

Considering the distance, these siblings’ legs were faster and sturdier than any carriage.

“I thought we could arrive sooner, but alas, Aira’s just so slow, so we ended up late.”

“You’re blaming me? You’re saying it’s my fault?! Because of you! And why did you purchase this damn magical device, subjecting me to this!”

Aira stammered, seemingly overwhelmed with indignation.

Aira felt wronged. The new magical device Christian had ordered from Logia’s Magic Tower was on a different level than the usual ones.

For some reason, she had been burdened with the order fully embracing her current body condition and oppressive gravity. To her, it felt like running with a suit of metal on her body.

Additionally, with the mana suppression array used for magical criminals applied, the available mana she could use was not even half of what it could be. That she reached here with her wits intact was almost a miracle.

Fueled with so much resentment, Aira clenched her fists, channeling whatever mana she could muster to strike.

“Hm? What’s this? Still have energy? Did I miscalculate… Looks like there’s no need to rest this evening?”

“…”

With that one sentence, the mana in Aira’s fists vanished in an instant.

‘So she can handle mana freely?’

Liber had witnessed it.

The magnitude of mana that gathered in Aira’s fists and the lingering aura over that brief moment felt like the mana activated as naturally and swiftly as breathing.

‘I heard they’re fifteen; the rumors were indeed true?’

Rumors about the siblings were already widespread in the Rangar region.

Body Activation.

It wasn’t surprising as it was public knowledge.

Wave.

The current family head of the Count Worden’s family, Count Roberto Worden, was renowned for one of the earliest awakenings of Wave within the kingdom.

It hadn’t been long since the rumor of Body Activation had spread, leading many to dismiss it as a mere tall tale.

Demon Beast Extermination.

It was also hard to believe. Claiming they awakened the Wave during a battle with a demon beast made it sound like an improbable hero’s tale.

Some nobles even questioned why an heir, incapable of wielding Wave, would join a demon beast subjugation unit, suggesting conspiracies.

However, the rumor’s source was the Worden family. They were not desperate enough to incite the surroundings with easily detectable lies, nor was there a reason to.

Even if only one of the three rumors were true, it sufficiently attested to the genius of these siblings.

Regardless of their noble lineage, mastering Body Activation at such a young age was a feat.

Having consolidated his thoughts, Liber concluded on how to approach the siblings.

“You seem tired. Would you like to come inside?”

“You don’t have to speak formally. It’s uncomfortable, so please feel free.”

Christian respectfully answered Liber’s invitation.

Although he claimed to be approachable, Liber simply nodded, perceiving Christian’s reserved demeanor and guided the siblings into the mansion.

Joining Liber, clinging swiftly to his side, was Sonya, while the siblings followed quietly without a word.

“Hmph!”

Contrarily, only Liber showed courtesy. Caedwin, as if proudly, snorted rudely in front of Aira, striding ahead. Seeing this, Aira instinctively narrowed her gaze.

“Calm down. He’ll be accompanying us for a while, so you should try to be friendly. If you wield your sword at him, it’ll be disastrous.”

“As if I’d ever… Just…”

Aira gritted her teeth, mumbling as she continued to glare at Caedwin’s back.

“I never liked that guy since the beginning.”

“It’d be nice if you got along. Your personalities suit each other.”

“Me? With that petty jerk?”

Even as Aira raised her fist in anger, Christian simply smiled, watching the departing Caedwin and Liber.

Yet there was a severe discrepancy in the gaze Christian held for the two.

His gaze toward Liber was chilly, while his view of Caedwin was so affectionate there that even Aira questioned it.

‘Traitor Cotra, loyal Humbleton.’

The reasoning was unavoidable. During the turmoil of the Worden family, the family head of the Cotra family, Liber Cotra, was the first to betray them.

Meanwhile, the family head of the Humbleton family, Caedwin Humbleton, was the first to stand against traitors.

Before them stood the old friend whom the master herself had grieved for not being able to protect and the other whose head was severed by her own hands.