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“I found you.”

His hair was a deep black, clear yet dark, his eyes even more so.

With a gaze so cold that it might intimidate the fearful, Shione caught sight of him looking at her and Ainel Shianella with his characteristic expression, one eyebrow raised.

In that moment, Shione unconsciously whispered his name.

“…Ray.”

“……?”

At her words, the attention he was directing at Ainel shifted momentarily to me.

…Ray was a former knight. An excellent archer who continued the task of slaying monsters.

Even if he seemed weak now, his senses remained sharp, capable of assessing his surroundings. His basic hunting skills hadn’t faded away.

His calm and profound black eyes sparkled with a faint light, as if he were gathering information about his prey.

“Oh.”

Ainel Shianella would definitely not let that opportunity pass by.

She crossed her arms and quietly asked the attendant, “Explain this slave in more detail.”

“Ah, of course. This here is our Ray, a man who has awakened his mana. It’s quite an event for a man to awaken mana, you know? So, we’ve trained him more rigorously than your average slave and treated him with utmost care.”

“Awakening mana is rather interesting. Then this slave should have no trouble with quite strenuous tasks.”

“Of course, of course. There’s a world of difference between those who have and haven’t awakened mana.”

“Hmm….”

With a thoughtful look, Ainel pushed her bangs back and soon found herself looking at Shione.

Seeing Shione quietly gazing at Ray, the slave, Ainel scoffed.

“Do you like that slave more?”

“…What?”

“I mean, is that slave keeping your attention?”

“……”

Shione hesitated, not able to answer immediately to Ainel’s sudden question, making Ainel exhale softly.

It seems my daughter was captivated by the mention of mana awakening and the knight title. As Herrel said, she preferred fictional tales favored by the common people over strategy books meant for nobles.

“He is a knight, and he has received some basic training as well.”

“Yes, that’s right!”

“Then I’d like to see his swordsmanship or fighting skills. Can we do that?”

“Of course. If you come this way, I’ll quickly prepare him!”

Preparation was completed swiftly.

Outside the building.

I was guided to a place where a scarecrow, haystack, and target for archery were set up. As I glanced around, a merchant soon approached Ray with a bow and sword.

The demonstration of swordsmanship was simple. He could have shown off even sharper, deadlier techniques, but it seemed that there was no motivation or vigor in him now. He merely displayed the rudimentary swordsmanship he had learned briefly here.

However, his fluidity in each movement was enough to capture the attention of those knowledgeable about swords.

As Ainel quietly observed his self-defense techniques, she nodded.

“Is this the extent of your swordsmanship? Surprisingly skilled in transitions. With this much, he wouldn’t have much trouble with common thugs─”

Her gaze then shifted to Shione.

“If he can also handle mana, escaping from someone trying to cause trouble wouldn’t be a problem at all.”

“Haha, isn’t that good? He’s also learned archery… as for archery─”

“No, that’s enough. Just seeing this is─”

Interrupting Ainel’s words with a steady gaze, Shione quietly stated.

“…I want to see archery too.”

“You? Archery?”

“…Yes.”

“Well, I heard you’ve been going to the shooting range recently to shoot arrows. But what could you possibly learn by watching him shoot, all alone without a master?”

“Please.”

“……”

Ainel sighed deeply again and instructed the merchant.

“Let him shoot.”

Ray stood in front of the target, guided by the merchant. Meanwhile, Shione, having rushed ahead of her mother, stood closer to him than anyone else, aside from the merchant supervising him.

With Shione’s sudden action, everyone’s attention was focused on the scene.

As Ray lazily strung the bow and began to pull the string, Shione quietly murmured.

In a world destined to vanish, it would be interesting to see how her mother would react upon discovering a new side of him and the relationship they would build, making it more fun like a novel.

“Looks like you grabbed the arrow with your thumb and index finger. The archers of this world call that pinch shooting.”

Ray’s gaze turned towards her, departing from the target.

“Isn’t it a bit boring to shoot only with that pinch style?”

“…?”

At her ongoing remarks, a faint light began to glimmer in his dull eyes.

It was only natural.

When he first taught her archery, he had shared various techniques not in the terms of this world, but using the names from his own. Therefore, he wouldn’t suspect anything strange about her unfamiliarity with the terminology. It was a remnant of the world they both understood.

He couldn’t help but be intrigued. Certainty.

“It seems you intend to shoot with dead release instead of sliding release. I know the tension is weaker, making pinch easier, but a Mediterranean-style… shooting with split finger would be─”

Before she knew it, he was listening intently to her words.

For some reason, it looked as if he were reading something in the air with his eyes rolling.

A hint of vitality returned to his formerly decadent face.

“Wouldn’t it be more fun to shoot that way?”

“…….”

As Ray’s arrow pulled back with dead lift.

The moment he turned his head to focus on the target—

<Whoosh!>

The arrow shot forward, finding its way to the center of the target, and Ray, removing an arrow from his quiver, readied himself again.

With the arrow positioned between his index and middle finger, and the middle finger supported by his ring finger in the split shooting style. No, rather, he used the French style by removing the ring finger support and using just the index and middle fingers, minimizing any interference with the arrow.

The once lethargic figure who sought to evade the situation straightened up.

Then, speaking to Shione in a foreign tongue, he asked quietly.

“You, where are you from?”

<Whoosh!>

As the arrow shot using the French style and sliding release struck the very center of the target—

Shione replied in the only words she had firmly learned from his homeland.

“Shibal.”

She observed as Ray’s eyes went wide in surprise; inside, she cheered.

This time, unlike last time, she successfully left the best first impression.

*

It didn’t take long for Ainel Shianella to determine what kind of slave she should buy.

The slave she had to purchase was none other than the knight of iron bars, Ray.

The fact that he could read language was significant, and he could use proper self-defense techniques. Additionally, he had been trained in the basic etiquette required to serve a noble, and she had confirmed he was capable of doing various tasks. Furthermore, hadn’t he communicated with her daughter using some unidentified shared understanding?

Upon returning to the mansion, Ainel used magic to ensure Shione and Ray formed a contract. A stipulation that would prevent his actions from harming the Shianella family or its members, while also ensuring he would respond appropriately to any mischief from her daughter, whose behavior had changed over the past six months but still couldn’t be fully trusted.

Under Ainel’s directives, Ray honed his abilities as a servant. After a month passed, the time finally drew near.

Ainel summoned him to her office.

“From now on, you will work as a servant alongside Shione Shianella’s exclusive maid, Herrel.”

“Your duty is to assist Herrel and remember her every move.”

“And unlike Herrel, who will always embrace Shione, you must objectively report to me without distortion whenever significant matters arise.”

Ray merely bowed at her weighty words.

“I shall comply.”

So as the meeting concluded, not long after Shione Shianella entered the office, the previously interrupted discussion began anew.

“The training for servants is complete. Starting today, this one will begin to serve beside you.”

“Even if his status is humble, it would be wise for you not to treat him carelessly, as he will be assisting you.”

“Now, take him out.”

Shione Shianella nodded at her coolly whispered command, which was even sharper than the words directed at Ray.

She left her mother behind and returned to the room with Ray.

Creek…

As the door closed, Shione slowly sat on the bed, crossed her legs, and asked.

“You must have been filled with doubts about me since that day.”

“……”

“The knight of iron bars, Ray. Don’t you have any questions for me?”

A small smile adorned her face.

The title of the book she had placed beside her while reading in bed the previous night was none other than “How to Survive as a Regressor.”

 

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