Reinhard took a deep breath before slowly saying,
"Although I apologize for asking, I still hope you can explain your purpose for coming here."
"My purpose?"
Rowan looked at Reinhard in surprise.
Reinhard nodded, lowering his gaze toward the knight's sword at his waist.
"This sword is my companion. A very temperamental companion."
"It will only leave its sheath when I encounter a truly powerful opponent."
"But just now, when I met you, my companion became restless."
"That has never happened before."
"And that alone proves that you are an extraordinarily powerful person."
"As a knight of this kingdom, I must understand why someone like you has come here."
Hearing this, Rowan suddenly remembered something.
In the original story, Reinhard was so overwhelmingly powerful that he was forbidden from crossing the borders of the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica without prior authorization.
Why?
Because he was simply too strong.
Strong enough to annihilate an entire army by himself.
Therefore, if Reinhard crossed the national border and entered another country without permission, it could be interpreted as an undeclared act of war.
And Reinhard faithfully obeyed that restriction.
After all, he was the knight among knights.
Now that Reinhard was questioning him like this, he had clearly placed Rowan in the same category as himself.
A fighter of this caliber had secretly entered the Dragon Kingdom.
Now that Reinhard had discovered him, regardless of the circumstances, he had to determine this person's identity and purpose.
Rowan smiled.
"What if I told you I came to this country as a tourist? Would you believe me?"
"Tourism?"
Reinhard froze briefly.
The answer was unexpected, yet at the same time perfectly reasonable.
Protected by the Divine Dragon, the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica generally enjoyed favorable weather and rarely suffered major natural disasters.
Its citizens had always enjoyed a relatively high standard of living.
Every day, countless people came here to conduct business or simply travel.
So Rowan's answer was perfectly ordinary.
After considering it for a moment, Reinhard said pleasantly,
"If that is the case, then would you permit me to act as your guide and show you around the capital?"
Rowan immediately understood.
So he wanted to keep Rowan under his own eyes and monitor him.
"Are you really that afraid of me?"
Rowan did not know whether to laugh or cry.
"I am."
Reinhard did not deny it.
Instead, he answered as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
"People like you and me possess enough destructive power to destroy this city if we act without restraint."
"So after learning how powerful you are, I cannot simply allow you to move around freely without supervision."
"I hope you can forgive me for that."
"If you have any complaints, you may direct them entirely at me."
"I am willing to bear full responsibility."
With that, he solemnly lowered his head and apologized to Rowan.
Seeing Reinhard behaving like this, Rowan could not help sighing.
What was that saying again?
Sincerity was the ultimate finishing move.
Especially when someone as painfully honest as Reinhard was being this sincere.
What else could Rowan do?
"Fine. Since you've gone this far, I can only agree."
"I happened to need a decent guide anyway."
Reinhard froze briefly before smiling.
"It would be my honor."
And so, under Reinhard's guidance, Rowan began touring the royal capital.
As a local, Reinhard knew practically everything worth eating and every place worth visiting.
Standing on a wide street, Reinhard raised a hand and pointed ahead.
"We'll start with Third Street."
"There's a place there called Honeyed Words Workshop. The shop itself is rather inconspicuous, but their signature molten honey cake is excellent."
Rowan snapped his fingers.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."
Reinhard nodded and led the way.
It was then that Rowan truly witnessed just how popular Reinhard was throughout the kingdom.
Wherever he went, people enthusiastically greeted him.
"Out on patrol again, Lord Reinhard?"
"Lord Reinhard, you're looking energetic as always today!"
"As expected of Lord Reinhard!"
"Would you like to try one of my apples, Lord Reinhard?"
"My apologies."
Reinhard glanced back toward the apple seller and gave him a slight nod.
His voice was gentle yet clear, and his footsteps never stopped.
"I already have an appointment today. Perhaps next time."
He smoothly led Rowan into a narrow side street.
The noise behind them seemed to be cut off by an invisible barrier.
Rowan could not help glancing back at the lively residents.
"Does this happen every time you leave the house?"
"More or less."
"Everyone is very kind to me, so I want to repay that kindness whenever I can."
A faint smile appeared on Reinhard's face as he spoke.
But he quickly changed the subject.
"We've arrived at Honeyed Words Workshop."
"Watch your step. The floor inside is slightly lower than the street."
Rowan chuckled and looked up.
The shop truly was inconspicuous.
Its wooden sign had been polished smooth by age.
But the moment the door opened, the combined fragrance of honey and butter struck the senses like a gentle yet unavoidable punch.
Behind the counter, an elderly woman with white hair raised her head.
She squinted at Reinhard for three seconds before revealing a toothless smile.
"Oh, the little redhead is here."
"Little redhead?"
Rowan almost choked.
Good grief.
Who was this old woman?
He did not remember her from the original story at all.
Yet she actually dared call Reinhard "little redhead."
Their relationship clearly ran deep.
As expected, what the original story showed was only a tiny fraction of any character's life.
Reinhard was merely a supporting character, not even the protagonist.
Naturally, he would have relationships and acquaintances unknown to the audience.
Hearing himself called "little redhead," the tips of Reinhard's ears turned faintly pink.
But his expression remained unchanged as he stepped forward.
"Grandma Martha, two orders of the signature molten honey cake."
"One with extra honey."
The old woman nodded.
"Give me a moment."
Before long, the cakes arrived.
They were still warm.
The outer crust had been baked to a perfect golden brown.
When Rowan gently pressed one with a wooden spoon, the honey filling inside slowly flowed out, gleaming amber beneath the sunlight.
The moment Rowan took his first bite, his pupils widened.
The outside was crisp.
The filling was smooth and dense.
The sweetness of the honey was not an overwhelming, cloying sweetness.
Instead, it was wrapped in a refreshing fragrance resembling flowers.
As it slid down his throat, Rowan felt as though his entire body had been submerged in warm water.
"Delicious."
Rowan had to admit it.
This was genuinely delicious.
The ingredients themselves were ordinary.
But the technique was extraordinary.
Clearly, this was the crystallization of the old woman's entire lifetime of experience.
Decades of relentless practice had allowed her to create such a delicious honey cake.
When it came to desserts, she was undoubtedly an authority.
Even if Liu Maoxing or Erina Nakiri came here, they might not necessarily produce something better than this old woman.
Hearing Rowan's praise, a trace of a smile appeared in Reinhard's eyes.
He ate his own cake slowly and methodically.
Occasionally, he even used a napkin to wipe his fingertips.
His elegance seemed completely out of place in the cramped little shop.
After leaving Honeyed Words Workshop, Rowan was noticeably more relaxed.
"Where next?" he asked.
"There's an exhibition match at the arena today," Reinhard said calmly.
"It isn't an official battle. It's a demonstration by several newly appointed knights."
"Would you like to watch?"
"The viewing platform on the third floor has the best seats. You can eat while watching."
"They have that too?"
Rowan was surprised.
Another detail that had never appeared in the original story.
Knights actually held exhibition matches?
But thinking about it, that was completely normal.
The original story only depicted a tiny part of this world.
Half an hour later, Rowan was seated on the open viewing platform on the third floor of the arena.
In front of him sat a plate of meat skewers dusted with spices, a glass of sparkling fruit wine filled with ice, and a small dish of golden crisps whose name he did not know.
They tasted somewhat like potato chips, only crispier.
Down in the arena, two young knights were demonstrating their swordsmanship.
Blades flashed back and forth.
The crisp ringing of metal echoed throughout the circular structure.
Every so often, cheers and applause erupted from the audience.
Rowan bit into a meat skewer.
The meat was unexpectedly tender.
The seasoning was some kind of spicy blend that perfectly suppressed the gamey flavor without becoming overly harsh.
As he ate and watched, Rowan suddenly realized something.
"You've fought down there before too, haven't you?"
"A long time ago."
Reinhard raised his own glass of sparkling fruit wine.
Tiny bubbles constantly rose through the liquid and burst at the surface.
"I was ten years old the first time I entered the arena."
"I was so nervous I nearly threw my scabbard away by accident."
"You? Nervous?"
Rowan did not believe him at all.
Reinhard smiled.
There was something almost childish in that smile, something he rarely showed outsiders.
"Actually, I still get nervous."
"Every time I draw my sword, my heartbeat speeds up slightly."
"Because you're about to fight?"
"No."
The red-haired Sword Saint lowered his eyes.
His voice became very soft.
"Because every time I draw my sword, it means I must bear the consequences of what happens afterward."
"That weight has never become lighter."
For a brief moment, the atmosphere fell silent.
Rowan could not help sighing inwardly.
As expected of Reinhard.
This man really was painfully upright.
At that exact moment, a spectacular exchange of sword strikes erupted in the arena below.
The dense ringing of steel sounded like heavy rain striking banana leaves.
The audience exploded into thunderous cheers, which somehow made the quiet moment between them feel even more distinct.
Whatever.
That had nothing to do with him.
Rowan decisively changed the subject.
He picked up another meat skewer and handed it over.
"Want one? It'll get cold if you leave it too long."
Reinhard accepted it.
The faint mist in his eyes disappeared, returning them to their usual clear sky-blue.
"Thank you."
"No need."
Rowan smiled faintly and continued watching the battle below.
Or rather—
the exhibition match.
Although the two knights fought fiercely, they perfectly avoided each other's vital points.
To an expert, it was obviously a performance.
But to ordinary spectators, it was a spectacular battle.
And because of that, the cheering only grew louder.
Rowan watched with great interest.