Several more hours passed in the blink of an eye.
By the time the exhibition matches at the arena ended, the setting sun had already begun dyeing the horizon orange-red.
Reinhard led Rowan across more than half the city before arriving at a narrow street that climbed gently uphill.
"At sunset," Reinhard said, "the view from here is worth seeing."
At the end of the narrow street was a small observation platform built atop a naturally formed slope. Several old trees with lush branches cast mottled shadows around the platform.
From here, the entire lower district of the royal capital stretched out beneath them.
Layer upon layer of rooftops had been coated in thin gold by the setting sun, while the spires of the distant royal castle formed sharp silhouettes against the orange-red sky.
Beautiful.
Brilliant.
A sight impossible to forget after seeing it once.
Rowan leaned against the wooden railing of the observation deck and quietly admired the scenery.
"I used to come here alone sometimes."
Reinhard leaned against the railing beside him. The evening breeze lifted the red hair over his forehead, revealing the clean, handsome lines beneath.
"I wouldn't do anything. I'd just watch the city change from dusk into night."
"Alone?"
Rowan looked a little surprised.
"Mm."
Reinhard tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling upon the lights gradually illuminating the city in the distance.
"Because I love this city. Every corner of it, and every person who lives here."
"That kind of affection isn't something that's easy to share with others."
Rowan turned to look at him.
The sunset cast a warm glow across Reinhard's profile.
"Then bringing me here today…"
Rowan asked, "Does that count as sharing it with me?"
Reinhard remained silent for two seconds before smiling softly.
"I suppose it does."
By the time night had completely fallen, Reinhard brought Rowan to a lively riverside night market.
Paper lanterns lined both sides of the riverbank, their warm yellow light reflected upon the water and shattered by the ripples into countless fragments of gold.
The smoky aroma of grilled fish, the sweet fragrance of fried dough, the steam rising from spiced mulled wine, and the endless calls and laughter of merchants and customers transformed the entire riverside into a flowing river of vivid sights, sounds, and aromas.
At the end of the night market stood an open-air tavern.
Tables and chairs had been placed directly on the grass beside the river, with a small lamp glowing atop every table, casting warm but gentle halos of light.
Reinhard led Rowan to a table, ordered several dishes from the waiter, then leaned back against his chair and looked up at the stars.
After a while, Rowan noticed that he had closed his eyes.
"Tired?"
That should have been impossible.
With Reinhard's strength, he could probably fight continuously for several days and nights without becoming exhausted.
After all, the man was a walking cheat.
"A little."
There was a rare trace of relaxation in Reinhard's voice.
"We walked quite a lot today."
Rowan burst into laughter.
That was the funniest joke he had heard all day.
But thinking about it carefully, the Sword Saint had been acting as Rowan's free tour guide since early morning, leading him all across the royal capital.
Along the way, Reinhard had explained the stories behind every shop and the history of every street in that same calm, unhurried voice.
He carefully avoided crowded areas and arranged every little detail with meticulous consideration.
No wonder he was tired.
"Thank you," Rowan said.
Reinhard opened his eyes.
The dark-blue night sky reflected in his sky-blue pupils, making him appear almost as though he had blended into the night itself.
"You're welcome. It's been a long time since I've been able to leisurely walk around the capital like this."
At that moment, the food arrived.
A steaming stew bubbled inside a clay pot.
The river fish had been grilled perfectly, its skin so crisp that it made a light cracking sound when touched by a knife and fork.
There was also a basket of freshly baked herb bread.
When torn open, hot steam poured out. Dipping it into the stew and taking a bite caused warmth to spread from the tip of the tongue all the way down into the stomach.
Rowan tasted the stew, and his eyes immediately lit up.
"This is really good."
"This stew uses eight different spices and is simmered for more than four hours."
Reinhard lifted his own serving and elegantly blew on the steam.
"The owner of this place used to be a chef in the royal palace. After retiring, she opened this little restaurant."
"Not many people know about it. You could call it—"
"Your private favorite?"
"Mm."
Reinhard took a bite of bread and answered vaguely.
The river flowed quietly only a few steps away.
The warm glow of magical lamps shattered across the water into countless dancing points of light.
The noise of the distant night market was softened by the evening breeze into gentle background sound.
Rowan drank his hot soup while watching the man regarded as the strongest in the entire kingdom carefully remove the bones from a fish.
His movements were smooth.
Then, as naturally as breathing, Reinhard pushed the deboned fish toward Rowan.
"There are quite a few bones. Be careful."
Rowan froze for a second before he could not help commenting,
"Don't do that. You're scaring me."
"Scaring you?"
Reinhard looked genuinely confused.
"Why?"
"Because I'm afraid I might fall for you."
Pfft!
Reinhard sprayed out the water he had just drunk.
"Cough! Cough, cough!"
He coughed violently before putting down his cup and looking at Rowan with complete seriousness.
"My apologies, but I'm not interested in men."
Rowan immediately burst into laughter.
"What a coincidence. Neither am I."
Reinhard froze.
Then he finally realized he had been played.
But instead of becoming angry, he simply shook his head with a bitter smile.
"You really are quite terrible."
"I wouldn't call it terrible. Just a little mischievous."
Rowan picked up a piece of fish and placed it in his mouth.
The meat was fresh and sweet, carrying the distinctive smoky fragrance of charcoal grilling as it melted across his tongue.
"By the way, Reinhard, there's something I want to ask you."
"Please do."
Seeing Reinhard immediately straighten up with a serious expression, Rowan waved his hand.
"Don't be so formal. Just treat it like casual conversation."
"I'm curious."
"As the strongest person in the world, have you ever fought someone who was truly evenly matched with you?"
"Or rather, have you ever had a battle where you genuinely had to go all out?"
"The strongest in the world is an exaggeration."
Reinhard modestly replied,
"This world is vast. Perhaps somewhere I don't know about, there is someone capable of fighting me evenly—or even defeating me."
Rowan looked at him speechlessly.
As far as he knew, such a person probably did not exist.
Still, he did not bother arguing with Reinhard about it.
If the man wanted to be modest, then let him.
That was simply his personality.
"Forget strongest in the world, then."
"You can at least admit you're the strongest in this kingdom, right?"
This time, Reinhard did not deny it.
In his opinion, he indeed was the strongest person in the kingdom.
At least, he had never encountered anyone within Lugunica who could defeat him.
No—
more accurately, he had never encountered anyone who could withstand a single sword strike from him at full strength.
Seeing Reinhard silently acknowledge it, Rowan smiled.
"What a coincidence."
"I happen to know someone who is also considered the strongest in an empire."
"And this so-called strongest is a complete battle maniac."
"Her favorite thing in the world is fighting powerful enemies."
"She defeats them openly and honestly, then captures them afterward and tortures them day and night until they're reduced to dogs that can do nothing but stick out their tongues."
Reinhard frowned upon hearing that.
"Isn't that… excessively cruel?"
As a knight, he genuinely disliked such behavior.
Defeating an enemy in battle was one thing.
Torturing them afterward went completely against the conduct of a knight.
However, considering that the person Rowan described was probably not a knight, Reinhard did not openly condemn her.
Rowan shrugged.
"It can't really be helped."
"She was born into a hunting tribe where the strong devoured the weak."
"From childhood, she was taught that might makes right, that victors obtain everything, and that winners may do whatever they wish with those they defeat."
Reinhard immediately understood.
If that was truly how she had been raised, then her behavior was not particularly surprising.
A twisted upbringing would inevitably produce a twisted person.
Perhaps that was simply how she had learned to survive.
Reinhard might dislike it, but he would not casually criticize someone's way of life.
After all, he had never lived in her environment or received the same upbringing.
However, he was curious why Rowan was telling him all of this.
Rowan calmly said,
"Actually, I want you to fight her."
"Huh?"
Reinhard looked confused.
"Why?"
"She's technically my maid right now."
Rowan explained,
"I promised her that whenever I encountered a powerful opponent, I'd introduce them to her so she could properly enjoy a fight."
"Maybe even experience what it feels like to lose."
Reinhard shook his head and opened his mouth to refuse.
But Rowan raised a hand and stopped him.
"Of course, I'm not asking you to fight for free."
"I remember you mentioning that this kingdom is currently holding a royal selection, right?"
"I possess a form of magic that allows me to foresee the future."
"And I know who the fifth candidate is."
Reinhard's gaze instantly sharpened.
"Is that true?"
"Absolutely."
Rowan continued,
"And the fifth candidate is actually a descendant of the royal family."
Reinhard was stunned.
"How is that possible?"
Why was the Dragon Kingdom holding a royal selection in the first place?
Because every member of the royal family was believed to have died.
With no remaining heir, they had no choice but to select a new ruler through the royal selection and find someone capable of leading the kingdom forward.
Yet Rowan was now telling him that a royal descendant was still alive.
It was almost impossible to believe.
But at that moment, Reinhard suddenly thought of something.
"Could it be…"
"That's exactly what you're thinking."
Rowan snapped his fingers and smiled.
"The fifth candidate in the royal selection is the descendant of the previous royal family who was kidnapped as a child."
"She's currently living in the slums of the royal capital."
"Her name is Felt."
Reinhard looked surprised.
He had not expected Rowan to reveal both the person's name and location so casually.
The slums.
Felt.
With those two pieces of information alone, Reinhard could locate her without any further help from Rowan.
"What? Surprised?"
"A little."
Rowan laughed.
"If it were someone else, I might hold back the information and bargain with them."
"But there's no need with you."
"You're Reinhard—the knight among knights."
"If I give you a favor this large, you'll definitely repay it."
Reinhard could only smile bitterly.
They had only met today, yet Rowan seemed to have already seen straight through him.
"I understand."
"I'm willing to fight this person you mentioned."
~~~
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