The Knight Commander of the Second Male Lead [Novel] Chapter 87

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 87

Chapter Title: Chapter 87

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 87

Chapter Title: Delicious Beer

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"The beer here is delicious?"

Raja looked down at his glass in surprise before downing it again.

"Whew, it's so refreshing. How do they keep it this cold?"

"Maybe they have an ice cellar underground or something."

Kel took a sip of his beer. His eyes widened round.

"It's really good."

Seeing their reactions, Shallo lightly brought her glass to her lips. Her expression suggested she was satisfied.

Raja asked,

"But why can't I beat you?"

Kel whipped his gaze toward Raja, thinking, 'Wait, you're bringing that up out of nowhere?'

Shallo blinked and said,

"Because of your impatience."

'Oh, she's actually answering?'

"Impatience?"

"All your movements are too fast, too hasty. That's why your strikes lack sharpness at the start. Being fast doesn't automatically make it sharp."

Shallo slowly raised the hand holding her knife. Both men's gazes followed the knife.

"The beginning should always be slow. Precision is key. Then speed."

She thrust the knife out with a whoosh and retracted it. A perfect motion honed through thousands, tens of thousands of repetitions.

"Sharpness comes from precision. Raja, your body can't keep up with your thoughts. That's why it wavers. The Captain said so."

"When?!"

"During training. 'If your body can't keep up with your head, train your body.' She said."

"That was what she meant?!"

"If you don't look at your training schedule and ponder why you're doing each exercise, you won't improve. Only you can feel your own body."

"You're right......"

Kel nodded. It was the kind of advice that explained why Shallo was progressing the fastest out of the three.

She wasn't just using her body; she was using her head at the same time.

Once the conversation got flowing, it quickly shifted from training to swordsmanship, heating up.

The three debated fiercely, raising their voices about combat.

It was a pretty enjoyable holiday.

That's what Kel thought at the time.

"Sir Lui!"

Nina ran over with a bright smile and hugged him. Lui smiled with a soft "Whoa" and asked,

"Have you been well?"

"Yes, I've been a good girl."

"Sure you have."

Jin added from behind and greeted Lui warmly.

"Welcome back, Chief Steward."

Lui gave Jin a gentle smile as well. His light brown long hair was neatly tied back in a single ponytail, as always. Despite the long carriage journey, he showed no signs of fatigue.

"Lady Nina's fame has spread even down here. They say you defeated the Belak that appeared in the capital."

"The rumors reached that far?"

"Yes. And quite quickly, in a very positive light."

Nina laughed, understanding what Lui meant.

Jack's men must have been busy spreading them.

And Lui was mentioning it for that reason.

Jin shook his head. "What? Has the Captain become that famous?"

He said that, but his body was honest—his shoulders straightened with pride.

"Well, it's about time we made a name for ourselves. We've stayed too cooped up in the capital for too long."

As Jin nodded, Lui and Nina exchanged smiles.

The servants from the Chara Viscountcy were amazed by this casualness but tried to maintain their exemplary demeanor.

Lui glanced at them sideways and asked Nina,

"Are those the new hires you mentioned?"

"Yes, I picked them up."

"Picked them up?"

"Ah, I mean I found them."

She whispered softly, and Lui nodded knowingly before saying,

"I'll have to have a talk with them. I'm planning to implement Deputy Chief Steward Gerahim's system across the entire duchy."

"It's quite efficient," he added with a grin.

Jin jumped in eagerly.

"Then let's head up and have a drink."

Jin had a backlog of stories to share. He'd vented through letters, but he wanted to talk face-to-face.

Lui stopped him, saying,

"I'll pay my respects and report to the Duke first, then we can talk."

Jin obediently nodded. "Of course."

Nina bounced after him up the stairs.

"I greet the Duke."

Entering the study, Lui crossed his arms in salute. Adrian gave a faint smile and gestured to a chair. "Come in."

Nina quickly took her place behind Adrian, who then said,

"Isn't the Captain off today?"

"I'm not here as an escort, but to listen."

Adrian chuckled at the quick reply and turned back to Lui.

"How was Silver Lake Castle?"

"Completely empty."

Lui delivered the pointed remark. Adrian leaned back in his chair and tapped the desk with his finger.

Go on.

Understanding the cue, Lui briefly recounted the reorganization of Silver Lake Castle. Just listening made it clear the place was far larger and more beautiful than Black Shield Castle.

It was more like a grand mansion than a proper castle.

They were suffering from a chronic servant shortage there too, so Lui concluded it would be best to send the people from Chara Viscountcy ahead for training.

At least funds weren't an issue, so his face looked relaxed.

"The wheat?"

"According to the latest report, it's growing vigorously. It's thriving even in the barren soil that couldn't produce wheat before, and the farmers are thrilled. If this continues, this year's harvest will be incomparable to before. The Ilra Plains go without saying."

"Good."

"To prevent prices from dropping too low, it might be wise to collect a bit more in taxes."

"I'll consider it."

After a few more topics and handing over the reports, Lui withdrew.

Nina, who had listened quietly, was glad it wasn't her job to handle the reports and left with him.

Jin had already prepared everything for "a drink." When he suggested it in the afternoon, she thought it was a drinking party, but he'd prepared something mundane: black tea.

Nina sat down, a bit deflated. Lui happily remarked, "It's been a while since I've had quality black tea leaves," and began brewing it himself.

Nina enjoyed watching Lui brew the tea.

When Adrian did it, the room felt serene; with Lui, it was like a waltz was playing.

Jin looked at Nina with a sullen face.

"Why are you here?"

Nina grinned playfully and asked,

"Were you planning to talk without me? What were you going to discuss?"

"About you."

Jin declared boldly, leaving Nina's mouth agape before she asked,

"About me? What about? Were you going to talk behind my back?"

"Who talks behind someone's back so openly?"

"Talking without me is talking behind my back. What exactly were you going to say? What's the problem?"

"If we were going to talk in front of you, why would I tell you to leave?"

"After saying all that, now you—?"

While the two bickered noisily, Lui elegantly sipped his black tea.

At that moment, noise erupted from downstairs, and Jin and Nina jumped up simultaneously. Lui said leisurely,

"I'll stay here, so you two go check."

Down on the first floor, Kel was being helped by Shallo and Raja to sit down.

"Kel? What happened?"

An Ebony Knight Order member injured outside and coming back?

Nina strode over, and Kel looked up.

Shallo hung her head low, and Raja grumbled. Kel was pressing a handkerchief to his forehead, which was soaked through with blood.

He looked up at Nina and gave an awkward smile.

"Sorry for the commotion."

"Never mind that. Who did this?"

Jin growled.

Who dares touch one of our own?

Shallo stepped forward.

"I'm sorry. It's my fault."

Nina and Jin looked at her in surprise at the unexpected words.

The quietest-looking one?

"What exactly happened? Who did this? Why did you come back beaten?"

Jin started interrogating, but Nina stopped him.

"Kel, go to the infirmary first. There should be medicine from Kiril. Get treated. Shallo, come out and talk with me for a bit."

"Captain."

Raja took a step forward, but Nina raised her hand.

"I'll hear from one at a time. You're next, Raja."

"Understood."

He looked a bit dissatisfied but crossed his arms and bowed his head with unwavering trust in his eyes.

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