After stepping down from the carriage, Evelyn glanced over the dress she was wearing and added,

“Looking like this, who would ever think I was a noble lady? They’d probably take me for a maid sent out to run an errand for her mistress.”

The escort knight sucked in a startled breath, as though she had caught him completely off guard. That reaction was practically an admission that he agreed with her.

Unable to argue against her words, the escort knight shifted his eyes awkwardly before hurriedly changing the subject.

“Regardless, my lady, this is a far more dangerous area than you might expect. It is such a lawless place that people even say His Majesty the Emperor has given up on it…”

Even after they had come all the way here, the escort knight was still trying to persuade Evelyn to turn back.

“I’ve had things far too easy until now. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to have a little more awareness of the dangers around me.”

“……”

“With the gold my family has given me.”

Evelyn looked straight at the escort knight, one corner of her lips curling upward.

The knight’s lips moved as though he wanted to say something, but at last he pressed them firmly shut.

Evelyn pulled the hood of the cape she had prepared in advance deeply over her head, concealing her face, and turned toward the shabby building.

Just as she approached it,

Boom!

A tremendous crash echoed from inside. A moment later, someone came flying out of the building and went rolling across the ground.

Something serious seemed to be happening.

“Haa…”

The escort knight let out a deep sigh, quickly drew his sword, and stepped in front of Evelyn.

It seemed that after Harrison had stormed into the gambling den, the security guards had rushed in to subdue him once he started causing a commotion.

After causing such a disturbance here, Harrison would eventually become unable to return to the knights. There had been quite a number of casualties.

Marquis Ceres and his son, Shion, had regretted the outcome.

Most members of the knights came from noble or knightly families, and discrimination based on social status was said to be severe.

Despite opposition from the other members, Marquis Ceres had kept Harrison by Shion’s side because he recognized his abilities.

There had even been talk within the knights that if Harrison had not kept getting himself into trouble, Shion might never have died.

Of course, perhaps the others had simply needed someone to blame for Shion’s senseless death. But Evelyn had decided to take a gamble on Harrison.

For the sake of a future that might change if Harrison remained in the knights and continued to stand beside Shion.

“This place is dangerous. We need to get away from here!”

The escort knight shouted as he blocked Evelyn’s path. But Evelyn did not move an inch.

“Can you hear me, my lady? I said we need to leave!”

The escort knight shouted again, keeping a wary eye on their surroundings. Evelyn simply shook her head.

“There seems to be a fight going on inside. Do you think you can go in and break it up?”

“…Pardon?”

The escort knight stared at her with his eyes wide enough to pop out of their sockets.

“Sir, when did you receive your knighthood?”

“Why are you suddenly asking me that…?”

Though the escort knight dutifully answered each of Evelyn’s questions, his eyes continued to carefully scan both inside and outside the building.

Watching how unusually tense he was, Evelyn thought that perhaps he was only now beginning to understand who he was supposed to be loyal to.

Even so, there was no denying that the situation was dangerous.

Clang! Clang!

The sounds of metal striking metal and angry shouts continued to echo from inside the building. And from where they stood, there was no way to properly assess what was happening inside.

“I apologize. Please understand that there was simply no way around this.”

The escort knight finally lowered his stance as though he intended to scoop Evelyn up and carry her away.

He seemed to have decided that leaving before they were caught up in the chaos was unquestionably the safest choice.

But Evelyn could not come all this way only to return empty-handed. Suppressing a small sigh, she shouted at the top of her lungs.

“Sir Harrison! Harrison!”

***

Harrison’s movements came to an abrupt halt as he dealt with the security guards attacking him one after another.

One of the guards immediately noticed the momentary lapse in his concentration and rushed toward him, trying to exploit the opening.

Harrison swiftly closed the distance and struck the back of the guard’s head with the hilt of his sword. The guard collapsed limply.

Harrison turned away from him and looked toward the direction from which he had heard his name moments earlier.

“A kidnapping…?”

As he stepped outside the building, he saw the back of a man running away with a woman slung over his shoulder.

Harrison and the woman were complete strangers. Then why was she desperately calling his name and begging him for help?

“Sir Harrison! Help me!”

Harrison squeezed his eyes shut and roughly scratched the back of his head. 

There would undoubtedly be countless crimes, both large and small, taking place throughout Metton Street even now.

There was no way Harrison could solve every one of them.

For all he knew, the scene unfolding right in front of him could simply be a pathetic father trying to pay off an unbearable gambling debt by selling his own flesh and blood.

Just like his own father.

“D*mn it…”

Muttering a low curse, Harrison finally ran after the woman.

Perhaps the reason he was willing to go out of his way to involve himself in someone else’s problem was because the woman reminded him strongly of someone he knew.

Someone who happened to be very dear to him, the very people who had once been his benefactors, Marquis Ceres and his son Shion.

“Hey! Stop right there!”

“What do you want?”

The man carrying the woman over his shoulder tensed the moment Harrison caught up to him and glared at him.

“Let the woman go.”

The man stared at him blankly. Then he gave a disbelieving laugh and hurried to explain.

“I understand how this situation might look to you. But I’m not trying to kidnap this lady. I…”

That was when someone shouted from behind them.

“There! Over there!”

Harrison turned around.

More than twice as many security guards as he had already dealt with were standing there, staring at him.

As expected, every one of them was armed.

“D*mn, this is getting ridiculous…”

Harrison let out a long, weary sigh, his eyes flashing with irritation. It was already difficult enough dealing with all of them.

And now he also had to figure out what to do with the man who was supposedly trying to kidnap the woman. After only a brief hesitation, Harrison raised his sword, preparing to strike the alleged kidnapper.

“Sir Harrison. I’ll explain everything later, but for now, let’s get out of here together.”

There were so many things he wanted to ask. How did she know his name? Was this man really not a kidnapper?

But for the moment, it seemed best to do as the woman said.

“This way.”

Harrison nodded toward a narrow alley. He was a native of Metton Street. 

He knew his way through its narrow, twisting alleys, which sprawled in every direction like an anthill.

Unfortunately, the security guards from the gambling den were just as familiar with the area as Harrison was.

After running until they were nearly out of breath, they reached a dead end. 

A barricade they had never seen before blocked the path. It seemed to have been erected during the years Harrison had spent away on the battlefield.

Harrison was frustrated by the stone wall blocking their way, but only for a moment.

A voice came from behind them.

“Metton Street has changed quite a bit over the past few years. That barricade is one of those changes.”

A bearded man spoke.

“Perhaps becoming a knight has made you rather unfamiliar with what goes on around Metton Street.”

One of his men chimed in.

“Come to think of it, boss, that woman looks like she could be quite useful.”

“I’m sure she will be. She ought to be quite popular.”

The men snickered as they continued making vulgar remarks.

“If you knew who this lady was, you’d regret saying such filthy things!”

The escort knight shouted through clenched teeth.

“I don’t particularly care who she is…”

The bearded man replied with a mocking expression before turning toward his men.

“…What are you waiting for? Take them all down at once!”

“Yes!”

The security guards answered in unison and charged forward with a roar.

Harrison and the escort knight naturally positioned themselves in front of Evelyn, shielding her from the attackers.

Then they prepared for the battle that was about to begin.

“Judging by your stance, you don’t look like a knight who has received proper training.”

At the escort knight’s remark, Harrison gave a disbelieving laugh.

“And you? I assume you have some actual combat experience.”

“…What did you say?”

While the two exchanged barbs, the security guards launched their attack.

“Hyah!”

“Raaagh!”

The escort knight and Harrison defended themselves without straying too far from their positions.

“Don’t kill them.”

Evelyn’s voice came from behind them.

Harrison gave a short, incredulous snort.

‘What an ignorant young lady.’

“…Pardon?”

Perhaps they agreed with each other for once, because the man who appeared to be Evelyn’s escort knight also turned toward her with an expression that clearly said her request was absurd.

But after meeting her eyes, he made no further complaint. Instead, he struck one of the attackers in the neck and knocked him unconscious.

Apparently, he was even more loyal to his mistress than Harrison had expected.