Chapter 27

The Next Day

After school in the morning, Raon set out in the afternoon to visit his swordsmanship master, with Adrian accompanying him. Just as Raon had described, a modest shack stood nestled within the bamboo forest bordering the village.

“Is that you, Raon? Your mother, Ms. Ramona, mentioned you wouldn’t be able to make it for a while…”

The man, who had been tending to his yard, looked up at Raon with a welcoming smile, only for his eyes to snap wide open when he spotted Adrian. Adrian, too, froze mid-greeting as he looked at the man Raon called his master.

“Y-Young Duke?”

“M-Master Zenon?”

Freire Zenon was the foster brother of the current Duke Cassius, Adolf. Recognizing Freire’s potential early on, the previous Duke had enrolled him in the Knight Academy. After blossoming into a talented knight, Freire had cut down enemies without hesitation on the battlefield, eventually earning the title of Baron Zenon for his distinguished service. Later, Freire took charge of young Adrian’s education before declaring his retirement seven years ago.

Despite Adolf’s protests, Freire remained steadfast, claiming he was sick of the life of a knight. He had requested that no one come looking for him, and everyone had let him go with heavy hearts.

Finding him here, and as Raon’s teacher no less, left Adrian so stunned he could barely find his words.

“Master, do you know my Dad?”

“Eh? D-Dad? What on earth…”

Looking back and forth between Raon, who was blinking in confusion at their reactions, and the shocked Adrian, Freire let out a faint smile. He had thought Raon looked remarkably like someone when they first met, but since the boy had said he didn’t have a father, Freire had dismissed it as a mere coincidence.

To think he really was Adrian’s son.

“I never imagined Master Zenon would be my son’s teacher. We lost contact, and even when I thought of you, I didn’t know where to send a letter. I suppose this is what they call fate.”

“It is a twist of fate I never could have anticipated. Young Duke, have you been well all these years?”

After a brief exchange of greetings for men who hadn’t seen each other in seven years, Freire invited his former and current pupils into his home.

“Your lifestyle hasn’t changed a bit since then, Master Zenon.” The house was sparse, containing little else besides swords mounted on the walls.

“They say if you change your life too suddenly, you’ll die early. Since I’ve retired, I’m living a long, quiet life of leisure.”

As they spoke, Raon unpacked and laid out the lunch box. Having missed Ramona’s cooking since Raon hadn’t been visiting, Freire felt his appetite return just by looking at the food.

“Master, please eat. My Mom made this specifically for you.”

“Indeed, thank you. Be sure to tell her I enjoyed it immensely when you get home.”

Living alone, Freire’s meals usually consisted of a single piece of bread from the village and a bowl of thin soup. He normally forced food down just to survive, but Ramona’s meals were something he ate for the sheer pleasure of the taste.

“Haha, this is delicious. Truly delicious.”

“Right? My Mom’s cooking is the best in the whole world.”

“Indeed, indeed! Hahaha! Young Duke, you should eat as well. It’s marvelous.”

Adrian had never seen Freire smile so brightly while eating. It felt as if he were seeing a lifetime’s worth of Freire’s smiles all at once. Watching Freire indulge in the meal with such happiness, Adrian took a bite while looking after Raon.

“Mph! What is this flavor?”

“It’s spicy! It’s fermented cabbage seasoned with a chili sauce that’s a national dish in the Southern Continent, chopped up and fried with rice. It’s so good!”

“Quite right. Though, it seems the Young Duke doesn’t handle spicy food very well.”

Instead of refilling Adrian’s glass as he gulped down cold water, Freire simply set the entire pitcher down in front of him, signaling him to help himself.

Watching the two of them completely absorbed in the spicy Kimchi Fried Rice, Adrian reached for his second glass of water. It was spicy. Incredibly spicy. Yet, strangely, it was delicious.

“Dad, can’t you eat spicy things?”

“I’ve just never tried them before.”

Because Ramona had intentionally omitted spicy ingredients when cooking for him previously, Adrian had been able to eat everything without being a picky eater.

“If it’s too spicy, it’s better if you eat it with a fried egg. You can ask Mom to make it for you later.”

“Ssshh— Haa… I couldn’t possibly ask Ms. Ramona for more, considering I’m already being treated to this.”

He wasn’t in a position to be picky while receiving such hospitality. At first, he only thought it was hot, but after a few bites, a savory, deep flavor began to emerge. His stomach was fuller than it had ever been after finishing the addictive Kimchi Fried Rice and filling up on water. Adrian smiled and stroked the head of the grinning Raon.

“Does Ms. Ramona make spicy food often?”

“Yes! Mom loves spicy food. At first, it was too hot for me to eat, but I kept trying it and it became so delicious I couldn’t stop.”

“Spicy food has a certain addictive quality that’s hard to break. When I was wandering for a while, I had Southern style food; it was so good I kept thinking about it even after I returned.”

Freire hadn’t returned to the Cassius estate immediately after being knighted. Knowing that returning would mean being put on a leash, he had delayed his homecoming to travel. Thanks to Ramona, he was finally tasting the Southern flavors he had encountered back then, and he wore a very satisfied expression.

After finishing their meal, Freire stood up to begin Raon’s lesson. Raon, however, raised his hand enthusiastically.

“I want to see Master and Dad spar!”

His eyes sparkled; he was more interested in seeing them fight than practicing himself.

“Hmm. Master Zenon, how about a quick spar for old time’s sake?”

“Well, why not. Let’s see how much the Young Duke’s skills have improved.”

With a smirk, Freire handed Adrian a heavy wooden sword. Stepping out into the clearing, Adrian immediately took his stance. Though his opponent had been retired for seven years, this was still the master who had taught him since childhood.

Knowing that victory wouldn’t come easily, Adrian swallowed hard. As if reading his mind, Freire stood before him with a light chuckle.

“I’ve been out of practice for a long time, so go easy on me.”

“And who was it that told me to throw the idea of ‘respecting your elders’ out the window when it comes to swordsmanship?”

“Now that I’m older, my memory isn’t what it used to be. You’ll understand when you reach my age, Young Duke—every day feels different.”

If Freire’s personality had once been as rigid as a log, he was now as flexible and sly as a stalk of bamboo. His expressions and temperament may have shifted with time, but his skill remained as sharp as ever.

Clack! Clack-clack! Tak-tak-tak!

A faint curve formed at the corners of Adrian’s mouth as he instinctively blocked Freire’s strikes. Just like the old days, the thrill of crossing swords with Freire was unchanged. The rhythmic clashing of wood filled the air. Raon, perched on a large nearby rock, watched with wide eyes. The swordsmanship moved at a speed the eye could barely follow; it was nothing short of a fantasy.

He squeezed his fists tight, filled with the burning desire to one day reach such a level himself.

They swung their swords without rest for nearly two hours. Without a clear winner, the two eventually stepped back, gasping for air.

“Phew… The sun is going to set at this rate.”

“Let’s… haaa… end the spar here.”

Both men shared a satisfied smile and reached out to shake hands simultaneously.

“I thought you wouldn’t be at your peak since retiring, but you are as formidable as ever, Master.”

“And yet you were so quick to challenge me, knowing I might not be at my best?”

“I wanted to save some face in front of my son, but I suppose I failed. Hahaha.”

“Young Duke, you must consider my reputation as Raon’s master as well.”

Watching the two end their spar on such friendly terms, Raon let out an exclamation and laughed brightly. He was more determined than ever to become a knight just like Adrian and Freire.

“Since it’s getting late, we’ll skip the lesson today. Come back next time.”

“Yes! Oh, wait. Master, Mom said if you have time this evening, you should come for dinner…”

Before Raon could even finish his sentence, Freire dashed into the house and reappeared in clean clothes. Adrian shook his head, watching Freire finish grooming himself faster than he would prepare for a battle.

“Well! Let’s go. Refusing a dinner invitation is a violation of the knight’s code, after all.”

Before Adrian could even argue about when that was ever added to the code of chivalry, Freire was already far ahead of them.

***

“Welcome. I was just waiting for you.”

When the door opened, Ramona and Toto greeted Freire. The table was already heavily laden with food, and Freire sat down immediately, casting aside any pretense of hesitation.

“This is truly magnificent. How can your skills be this good? If I were twenty years younger, I might have proposed. Hahaha.”

Freire’s face was a picture of joy as he feasted on pork slathered in bright red seasoning. In contrast, Adrian found himself forced to seek out vegetables to stuff into his mouth just to manage a single piece of meat.

“Wow! To become a cool knight like Dad, you have to eat meat and vegetables together!”

Adrian had desperately wanted to just eat the meat. But because it was so spicy, he had to wrap the pork in several layers of greens. Under Raon’s adoring gaze, the Young Duke was forced to transform from a carnivore into an omnivore that very day.