As Lowell had mentioned, I was expected to receive a reward.
A grand award ceremony was held in the capital.
Everyone who had participated in the investigation team—except for the deceased and the seriously injured—had gathered in one place.
Among them, I was recognized as one of the individuals who had made an outstanding contribution, receiving an enormous reward.
However…
“Hah…”
Even after receiving a reward that others would admire, I let out a sigh in the garden.
“Wow! With this much gold, you could buy a mansion!”
“The Dawn Star Medal… That’s one of the highest honors for contributions…”
That was the issue. The reward I had received consisted of a medal and a large sum of gold.
“You’re truly amazing…!”
“You went out there and accomplished something incredible….”
The mansion’s servants had nearly all gathered around me.
Once word had spread that I had received a medal and gold, they had come to take a look.
To me, it was just a shiny badge, but they were making a big fuss over it.
“Is this really that impressive?”
Honestly, I had been hoping for a special weapon or something of the sort.
Yet, what I received was a medal—something I couldn’t even eat or use in battle.
“Of course! Just wearing it means you’ll be treated with respect anywhere in the kingdom!”
“I see…”
Was it really that great?
Now that I thought about it, there had been quite a few shocked reactions when I received it.
Maybe this wasn’t such a bad reward after all.
Besides, the gold was the most important part.
With this, I could visit Gareth’s forge and buy something useful, or perhaps look into getting some good armor.
Or maybe even an artifact.
I absentmindedly touched the blue necklace still hanging around my neck.
Even if it was a one-time-use item, having it made me feel more secure.
Where would I even get an artifact?
Should I ask Terra when she visits the mansion later?
She seemed like an exceptional mage, so she probably knew a lot about artifacts.
Well, in any case…
“You should all go now. I’d like to rest.”
“Oh, that’s true. You received your reward this morning, so you must be tired.”
“Get some good rest!”
As I spoke to the gathered servants—mostly a group of excited maids—they quickly dispersed.
I hadn’t expected a medal to draw so much attention.
“You’re still here… Oh, right, this is your workplace.”
“Yes…!”
Once everyone else had left, only Sienna remained in the garden.
She showed no interest in the gold or the medal, focusing solely on petting Whitey.
…That little guy really follows her well now.
Before, he used to get anxious whenever I wasn’t around, clinging to me like he had separation anxiety.
But now, he seemed much more relaxed.
Anyway.
After tidying up the gold and medal, I stored them in the hidden compartment beneath Whitey’s doghouse cushion.
“Rain, are you here?”
I heard Lowell’s voice from the courtyard and stepped outside.
“Yes, Lowell.”
“Come to the office for a moment. We need to talk.”
“Understood.”
What could this be about?
Since he had called for me, I paused my organizing and followed Lowell to the office.
“It’s about your reward.”
“My reward? But I just received it.”
“That was the kingdom’s reward. There’s still the Boyd family’s reward.”
As soon as we arrived in the office, Lowell brought up the topic of rewards.
Now that he mentioned it, I had heard that the Boyd family was preparing a separate reward for me.
“What will I be getting?”
“You can tell us what you want, and we’ll provide it accordingly.”
“Oh…”
The way he phrased it suggested that almost anything was on the table.
In that case, my choice was obvious.
“The Boyd family’s Vision technique. Can I learn the advanced version?”
If it was a reward from a noble house rather than the royal family, this was naturally what I wanted.
The Boyd family’s Vision techniques were divided into two or three stages depending on the technique.
There is a basic and an advanced version.
And in between, there’s an intermediate stage to pass through as well.
“You haven’t even fully mastered the basics, yet you’re asking for the advanced version?”
“I can learn it after I finish mastering the basics.”
Though I was still a bit uncertain, I was confident that given a little more time, I could perfect it.
Besides, I was far more interested in the Vision technique than in any equipment I could receive right now.
Hadn’t I already seen it firsthand with Locke and Arthur Clayton?
Even with the same techniques, the difference in how each individual wielded their Vision techniques was vast.
“Hm… the advanced version, huh.”
At my request, Lowell closed his eyes in thought for a moment.
And soon after—
“Your contribution isn’t quite enough to warrant the advanced version, but I’ll make an exception.”
“Oh, thank you.”
“However, the advanced version is only taught to knights of the household.”
“…Is that so?”
“It’s about time you were officially knighted.”
…Was this inevitable?
Honestly, given how much I had received from the Boyd family already, staying in the mansion as a slave was starting to feel like I was just mooching off them.
From the start, even the basic Vision technique was normally only taught to vassals.
I had been getting by without any real status for quite a while now.
“You don’t seem like the type who wants to be tied down, so I’ll exempt you from any formal duties.”
“Then what happens?”
“Your name will simply be listed as a knight, nothing more.”
“I appreciate your consideration.”
Just having my name on the list—that was definitely Lowell being considerate.
I wasn’t sure why he was being so generous.
In truth, he could have just assigned me an official position along with the knighthood.
“…I wonder how the young lady will react to this.”
“She’s maturing into a proper lady. She won’t throw a tantrum over it.”
…So he considered her insistence on calling me Puppy as her throwing a tantrum.
Well, I suppose it wasn’t like she’d suddenly glare at Lowell with glowing eyes and demand otherwise.
“Once you’re knighted, you’ll be given a proper room in the mansion.”
“Oh, that’s right.”
So my long stint of yard life was finally coming to an end?
Whitey would probably be the most disappointed.
“I’ll make the necessary preparations then.”
With that, the discussion about the Boyd family’s reward came to an end.
After that, I spent several quiet days simply resting in the mansion.
“The young lady has returned.”
As expected, the young lady had come back to the mansion.
“Puppy!”
She wasn’t all that different from before, except for one thing—
Her hairstyle had changed slightly.
She used to tie her hair into twin tails, but now she had let it down into a more neatly arranged style.
“I heard you did something amazing this time?”
“Oh, yes. That’s correct.”
“Good job!”
She must have heard about it beforehand because, as soon as she saw me, she reached out her hand.
…She wanted my head, didn’t she?
As usual, I knelt on one knee to match her height, and she immediately ruffled my hair.
“How are you always such a lucky charm?”
Rustle, Rustle.
She messed up my hair completely, using both hands to roughly pat my head and face.
“Uh… uh…”
Beside us, Sienna seemed a little shocked by the scene.
…Now that I thought about it, was this their first time meeting?
“Hmm? And who’s this?”
“She’s Sienna, the trainer hired to educate Whitey.”
“…I’ve heard a lot about you, young lady.”
“Nice to meet you.”
Unlike with Whitey, she didn’t react much this time.
She simply acknowledged her like any other servant in the mansion.
“Young lady, Lowell is waiting for you.”
“Oh, right.”
Now that I looked at her, she had come straight to the courtyard as soon as she arrived.
Telling her to go change first, I watched as she nodded and headed inside.
“I’ll be back after unpacking!”
And with that, the young lady disappeared into the mansion.
“…Um… you really are a dog.”
“The young lady is the only one who treats me that way.”
Sienna, who was standing beside me, gave me a bewildered look.
“…You’re an Aura user, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“And you made a huge contribution this time.”
“That’s right.”
“…Do you like being treated like a puppy? Should I start treating you like Whitey too…?”
“That’s not it.”
Did she really think I had some kind of submissive tendencies?
I was just going along with the young lady.
After all, she was the one who saved my life and gave me a second chance.
“I’ve received a lot from her. That’s all.”
Saying that, I lay down on the garden grass.
Unlike the stale and cold underground quarters of the Colosseum, the grass here was soft, and the sky stretched wide and blue above me.
The food was delicious, and I could train whenever I wanted.
Sure, my home had been a doghouse, but the passing maids had always taken care of me, and just because I was called Puppy, it didn’t mean the other servants looked down on me.
It wasn’t the best life, but it wasn’t bad either, was it?
“Still… with your strength, isn’t it natural to have greater ambitions?”
“Well, Lowell is much stronger than I am, and he’s still serving as a butler.”
Of everyone I had ever met, Lowell seemed like the strongest.
And Alden, who was even stronger than me, was living as a fugitive.
The only one whose position actually matched his strength was Arthur Clayton.
Even Lorenz seemed overqualified for his rank.
And as for Terra, I wasn’t even sure what her exact profession was.
“Puppy! Let’s go for a walk!”
While I was lost in thought, I heard Aria’s voice calling from the garden.
Yip!
“Oh, no, not you, Whitey…”
Hearing the word walk, Whitey got excited on his own.
I left him with Sienna and walked over to Aria, who was cheerfully holding up a leash.
“…That’s…”
“I’ll buy you something tasty in return!”
…Well, this was just another part of going along with the young lady, wasn’t it?
“Oh, yes…”
“Oh, and by the way, that advice you gave me last time was great! Now, I don’t go anywhere alone!”
Advice?
Ah, I had told her something before.
I had told her that, as a Boyd family member with great abilities, she didn’t need to be anxious about her social relationships.
“I’m glad. So, who do you go around with now?”
“The daughter of Baron Heinzel and the daughter of Viscount Beitel. They’re both my subordinates!”
“…What?”
“I’m special, so naturally, there are people who follow me, right?”
Uh… well…
I had given her that advice, but I hadn’t expected her to adapt this quickly.
Something about this felt… slightly off.
But, well…
“That’s great.”
“Right?”
It wasn’t a bad thing, was it?
Learning how to handle people early could only be beneficial for her.
“I did well, so praise me!”
“You did well.”
And so—
As the young lady grinned, asking for praise, I smiled back at her.
