Royal Capital, Knights of the Royal Guard.
At the great round table sat a handsome young man with fiery red hair and clear blue eyes, dressed in a pristine white knight's uniform. Having just finished patrolling the entire royal capital and resolving a few minor disturbances, he now took his seat at the head of the table.
He began handling matters related to the capital's security. Every movement he made was filled with elegance and gentlemanly grace. At a glance, he looked like heaven's favored son.
Yes, this man was none other than the legendary strongest Sword Saint, the prodigy spoken of in countless tales—Reinhard.
Knock knock knock!
"Come in."
Having just finished reviewing a document, Reinhard paused at the sound of knocking. His blue eyes flickered slightly as he responded casually.
The door opened, and a man with purple hair dressed in a white knight's uniform walked in slowly. He offered a formal knight's salute to Reinhard.
"Lord Reinhard, if you are not busy, please take a look at the intelligence just obtained by the Hoshin Company."
The purple-haired knight was Julius, the second seat of the Royal Guard beneath Reinhard, and also the knight of Anastasia of the Hoshin Company. Upon receiving the merchant guild's intelligence, he had come specifically to report it.
"Oh? What information has your company obtained this time?"
Reinhard showed interest and gestured lightly. Julius stepped forward and handed over the sealed report.
Opening the tightly secured document, Reinhard discovered that it contained two pieces of intelligence.
One stated that Felt from the slums possessed the qualifications of a royal candidate.
The other reported that beside the royal candidate Emilia, a silver-haired girl had suddenly appeared—an individual of extraordinary strength.
With a single glance, she had eliminated three hundred bandits. She had even dispatched creatures formed from her own mana to wipe out the bandits' stronghold. Even the notoriously troublesome Elsa had been defeated within a few exchanges.
And the slum girl qualified to be a royal candidate had fallen into the hands of that silver-haired girl known as Shendu.
"Lord Reinhard, that woman called Shendu is absolutely not simple. Her origins are extremely mysterious. Even Roswaal's side has failed to uncover anything about her."
"She could very well be a foreign spy."
Julius' eyes were filled with vigilance. With the crucial Royal Selection approaching, the sudden appearance of such an unfathomably powerful silver-haired girl at this timing was highly inappropriate.
Most likely, she was not a citizen of the kingdom. The Royal Guard existed precisely to protect the realm.
Now that such a potential threat had surfaced, Julius had reported it immediately, wanting to see how Reinhard would handle the matter.
"I don't believe she is a spy. Powerful individuals usually possess their own pride. They would not willingly submit to another's command. By my estimation, her strength is likely on par with mine."
Reinhard considered carefully before giving a fair assessment. Comparing her to himself left Julius visibly unconvinced.
In his eyes, Reinhard—born of the Astrea Sword Saint lineage, the current Sword Saint possessing the world's strongest combat ability, hailed as the 'Knight Among Knights' and a household name in the royal capital—how could he possibly be compared to some mysterious girl?
"That's impossible!"
"Lord Reinhard, surely you jest. How could anyone rival your strength?"
Julius harbored near-blind admiration for Reinhard and looked down on nearly everyone else. Naturally, he could not accept such an evaluation.
"There is always someone stronger, always a greater sky beyond the sky. We must never underestimate anyone."
Reinhard stood up slowly and opened a drawer before him. Inside lay a badge engraved with the image of a dragon.
"Moreover, I cannot fully trust the other royal candidates of this kingdom. Only if our Knights guard the kingdom directly would I feel at ease."
"Perhaps... we need a king of our own—one who can realize the true value of knighthood."
"Lord Reinhard, could it be that you mean...?"
Julius' eyes widened in surprise as he seemed to grasp the implication.
"Yes. Exactly as you think."
Reinhard spoke softly. As he gazed at the dragon-emblazoned badge, his eyes shifted repeatedly, as though he had already reached a decision.
...
At the same time, Shendu had no idea that Reinhard had already taken an interest in her.
Even if she had known, she would not have cared. Sooner or later, they would inevitably meet.
At this moment, as they walked toward the village outside the territory, Shendu continued admiring the scenery. The landscape nearby was quite pleasant.
Not far ahead lay a village called Arlam Village. The residents there belonged to Roswaal's domain. Whenever the mansion ran short of food, supplies would often be replenished here.
Arriving at the village once more, the distant villagers glanced at Shendu before quickly turning their attention to Rem. The village chief approached slowly and greeted Rem with a smile.
"Lady Rem, welcome to Arlam Village. Have you come to replenish supplies today?"
The chief addressed Rem respectfully, his gaze briefly shifting toward the unfamiliar individuals beside her.
"Yes, we're purchasing some ingredients. I'm also accompanying them for a short visit."
Rem glanced at Shendu, who looked mildly uninterested, then at the visibly excited Natsuki Subaru and Felt, before offering a simple introduction.
"I see."
The village chief nodded and said no more.
After Rem walked away, several nearby children ran over. However, upon seeing Shendu's silver hair, they looked at her with fear and did not dare approach.
Seeing this, Shendu let out a quiet sigh of relief. She had no desire to be surrounded and pestered by a crowd of children.
Naturally, Natsuki Subaru became the center of the children's attention. In no time at all, he blended right in with them.
Meanwhile, Felt watched eagerly from the side. She clearly wanted to join but appeared somewhat shy.
"What's wrong, Felt? If you want to go, then go. I won't stop you. Just make sure you enjoy yourself."
Seeing the longing expression on the blonde girl's face, Shendu waved her hand calmly.
"Thank you, Big Sister! Then I'll go play!"
Felt's face lit up with excitement. She ran over immediately, quickly joining in the lively play.
Though already in her teens, her temperament remained childlike and unchanged. Playing with the younger children gave her plenty of ways to pass the time.
"Hah... a peaceful life isn't so bad. I'm rather enjoying this kind of isekai life."
Leaning against a tree, Shendu admired the pastoral scenery, feeling thoroughly at ease.