Archie Rhein was a young man with a striking appearance. Even among a group of noble children dressed in dazzling attire, he managed to draw attention, becoming the center of discussions.
At this moment, several females surrounded him, seemingly vying for the opportunity to converse with him. Envy and jealousy cast from nearby male companions.
Riezel's arrival initially went unnoticed by the group. However, the most popular figure, Archie, was the first to notice him and warmly welcomed him.
"My buddy, it's really good to see you again!"
Leaving the group, Archie strode toward Riezel, arms open as if to embrace him. However, before Riezel could react, two people stepped forward, namely Ain and Ian.
The two female knights, who were silently following Riezel from behind, positioned themselves between Riezel and Archie, blocking his approach.
"Hmm?"
Archie halted, staring at the two female knights in surprise. Others followed suit, and soon a murmur arose.
"Who are these two female knights?"
"They look so beautiful..."
The outstanding looks of Ain and Ian caught the attention of the nobles, with many admiring their beauty.
Ain and Ian, however, remained indifferent, focused on protecting Riezel. Their actions were unmistakably aimed at safeguarding him from unfamiliar and suspicious characters.
As attendants, preventing unknown and potentially threatening figures from approaching their master was a mandatory skill. Since Yuri had entrusted them with Riezel's protection, they acted with the commitment expected of those safeguarding their master.
Observing this scene, Riezel finally spoke up.
"It's okay, you two can step back."
Upon hearing his words, Ain and Ian silently retreated a step, returning to their positions behind him. Yet, their vigilant expressions persisted, eyes fixed on anyone approaching him, ready to intervene at a moment's notice.
What was initially a lively atmosphere became somewhat awkward and tense due to Ain and Ian's unexpected actions. Bodyguards from all around subtly moved closer, especially Archie's bodyguard, hand on the hilt of their sword.
Fortunately, at this tense moment, Riezel broke the silence.
"I hope I wasn't too late?"
Stepping forward, Riezel spoke to Archie with a casual tone.
"Of course not." Archie, finally grasping the situation, glanced briefly at Ain and Ian before returning his warm smile to Riezel. "We were delighted that you could come. It had been a month since we last saw you, y'know."
Just as he finished speaking, however, another voice chimed in.
"Looks like you're doing well, Riezel."
The speaker was a man with slightly dark skin and a robust body.
Not as handsome as Archie, he exuded an athletic vibe, the type that seemed to enjoy running under the sun—a rugged and appealing man, likely to attract those who appreciate strong, muscular men.
Approaching much like Archie, he glanced over Riezel from head to toe before breaking into a smile.
"Your condition is better than I imagined. I thought you might be too scared to leave the house by now."
Seemingly teasing but carrying a hint of underlying sarcasm, Riezel turned his gaze toward this robust man. Drawing from the memories of the original Riezel, he easily identified this man.
Senna Lahm, the third son of the Viscount Lahm Family, a year older than Riezel and a somewhat awkward acquaintance. Although the original Riezel might not have sensed any subtle animosity, Riezel, from the man's sly smiles, deduced that this man harbored some dislike for him.
Undoubtedly, this had to do with the Lahm family being a vassal to the Rhein family, which explained Senna's submissive attitude toward Archie. In essence, he was Archie's servant and likely developed a bit of resentment due to Archie's continuous friendly attitude toward Riezel.
As Riezel was lost in thought, others took this opportunity to step forward.
In total, six people approached.
Among them, four were male, and two were female.
The four males had distinctive looks—one tall, one short, one fat, and one skinny, forming a peculiar combination of tallness, shortness, fatness, and skinniness. Walking together, they created an irresistibly comical sight.
Some were children of a viscount family, and some were from a baron family. As they approached, they immediately gathered around Senna, giving off an aura of reverence toward Archie.
As for the two females, one was a girl with striking red hair that immediately caught Riezel's eye, while the other was a young girl with a curious expression, glancing around in all directions. The two formed a vivid contrast, prompting him to take a closer look.
These four males and two females, along with Archie and Senna, totaled eight people—the noble children who had been mingling with the original Riezel.
Seeing everyone gathered, Riezel's eyes subtly flickered, hinting at thoughts unknown, though his face remained calm.
"Apologies for the wait. I didn't expect you all to arrive so early." Riezel said with a calm tone.
Upon hearing that, Archie was the first to smile.
"Hey buddy, we were just dying to know how you're doing," Archie said, arms open but holding back from a hug this time. "Heard you got attacked and took some serious injuries? Man, we were freaking out, you know. Hope you're alright."
"Yeah..." Senna maintained his mysterious half-smile. "If we had known you'd come out unscathed and even formed a relationship with the Frenzel family, we wouldn't have worried at all."
His words caused the gazes of the noble children present to subtly flicker. The red-haired girl and the curious-looking girl even cast a glance at Ain and Ian standing behind Riezel, their thoughts unclear.
In contrast, Riezel paid no attention to Archie's words or Senna's theatrics. He merely glanced meaningfully at Archie before speaking up.
"This time, I really hit a jackpot."
Encountering Yuri, such a kind and life-saving benefactor, Riezel did feel that his luck was not bad at all. Of course, to those present, his words carried a different meaning. In their ears, his remark likely referred to his relationship with the Frenzel family.
Being acquainted with the famous, talented, and beautiful young lady of the Frenzel family, who was a Strategic-Class Magician and national treasure at such a young age, was bound to make countless noble children jealous.
This young lady, similar in age to Riezel, was already the head of the family. One must know that the Frenzel family was a marquis family, second only to a duke. Many, including the fathers of these noble children present, would be eager to establish connections with this young lady, known for both beauty and strength.
Yet, this exceptional and talented young lady chose to take in Riezel.
As that fact crossed the minds of some noble children present, their hearts filled with jealousy, except for Archie, who still showed genuine warmth toward Riezel.
"Anyway, as long as you're okay." Archie patted Riezel's shoulder. "Today, it's on me. Let's celebrate your smooth recovery."
"Celebrate?" Riezel paused for a moment, then said with a hint of strangeness in his voice. "Where are we celebrating?"
"Do I even need to say?" Senna took over the topic, revealing a smile understood only by men. "Of course, we're going to a place that will make everyone happy!"
His words brought forth meaningful smiles from the four tall, short, fat, and skinny youths.
Seeing this, Riezel knew exactly what these guys were up to.
Even Marilyn knew that Riezel used to spend time with these guys, indulging in drinking and pleasure. With the memories of the original Riezel, he was well aware of their nature.
"Forget it." Riezel immediately shook his head. "If that's the case, you guys go ahead. I'm not going."
"Why?" Senna asked with a surprised face. "Aren't you the best at this kind of thing?"
To be honest, hearing someone evaluate him like that left Riezel genuinely somewhat stupefied.
"You guys better not involve me. I don't want to be kicked out." Riezel said flatly.
With that answer, everyone fell silent and quickly understood.
"You're right..." Archie smiled wryly. "If I were you, I wouldn't dare to mess around either."
"Meh... It's different when you need to climb up to a thigh of big shots, huh..." Senna remarked sourly.
At this point, the red-haired girl, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke up.
"Hmph, it's because your thoughts are too gross." The red-haired girl snorted coldly, wearing a disdainful expression. "Do you forget we girls are here too? You really want to drag us along to that place?"
The curious-looking girl who had been observing everything joined the red-haired girl in casting a disdainful glance at the male group.
"Hey hey hey, don't take it seriously, okay?" Archie's wry smile deepened. "How could we really go? It's just a casual joke, okay!"
""That's right!""
Senna and the four tall, short, fat, and skinny youths immediately nodded repeatedly in agreement.
"Alright, let's head to the market then. I heard there's a bunch of new stuff lately. It's been a while since I went. Let's go and check it out." Archie suggested.
"That sounds about right."
The red-haired girl finally expressed satisfaction.
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Archie's mention of the market wasn't about the ordinary day-to-day market where one could buy groceries, meat, and various daily necessities—the kind of market anyone could stroll into.
In Yeluvia, such places did exist, but what he referred to was a place accessible only to nobles and wealthy merchants.
Its purpose was not significantly different from a regular market, but the items sold were entirely different.
In that exclusive market, various magic items, magic weapons, magic books, swordsmanship books, and even slaves were on sale.
During their leisure time, many nobles and wealthy merchants enjoyed browsing this market, looking for valuable purchases. Some idle noble children also liked to pass their time at this place. Especially females, who naturally enjoyed shopping, were particularly fond of such places.
Hence, the two noble girls found Archie's suggestion satisfactory, while the other noble boys raised no objections.
Of course, Riezel knew that this was also a result of everyone present giving face to the red-haired girl.
As mentioned earlier, in this small group, everyone else was from minor noble families, such as viscounts and barons. Only two people were from the count families, which were the major nobles.
Archie Rhein was one of them, and the other was precisely the red-haired girl, Carrera Elliott.
Like the Rhein family, the Elliott family was also a count family. Carrera was the eldest daughter of this family, nineteen years old, the same age as Archie, making her one of the older members of this small group.
Though Archie held a leading position in the group that was almost unshakable, he couldn't ignore Carrera's opinion. When she was present, he often entertained her, going to places she liked.
Honestly, Riezel was a bit puzzled about why a rich young lady would join this group and spend her days seeking thrills like a delinquent.
Especially Carrera—according to the original Riezel's memories, she seemed to have joined this small group voluntarily, unlike the others who were either brought in by Archie or intentionally joined for connections with the Rhein family.
There was also a somewhat immature and curious-looking girl who joined the group with Carrera. Her name was Sylvanie Roxy, fifteen years old, undoubtedly the youngest within the group. She followed Carrera like her shadow, believing that without Carrera, she wouldn't have joined this group on her own.
Carrera's motives were known to none except Archie, who had some understanding. The original Riezel was equally clueless, never even contemplating the issue at all. However, the original Riezel was initially willing to join this small group not only due to Archie's influence but also Carrera's influence.
If one were to ask why?
"Does this world's Riezel actually like Carrera?"
In a luxurious carriage, as Riezel muttered and recalled various aspects of the group's dynamics, he suddenly discovered something somewhat shocking.
"What?" Ian overheard his inadvertently mutter words, unable to hear clearly, and thus showed a bit of curiosity.
Ain, on the side, also cast a glance in his direction.
"It's nothing, don't mind it."
Riezel remembered that Ain and Ian were both in the carriage, protecting him nearby. As a result, he shook his head and brushed it off.
Though Ian furrowed her brows, slightly dissatisfied with his dismissive attitude, she didn't mind adding a few more words since she had already spoken.
"Forgive my frankness, Mr. Riezel..." Ian stared seriously at him. "But this second son of the Rhein family seems a bit untrustworthy. I don't recommend getting too close to him."
"Oh? On what basis?" Riezel's attention shifted as Ian spoke, immediately turning to her.
"In his eyes, there's harbored ambition."
It was Ain who answered him, not Ian, but this answer made him smirk.
"Ambition, huh? That's one way to put it..." Riezel muttered to himself.
If it weren't for ambition, why would a son of a count family pull in a countryside boy like Riezel into his group full of noble children?
The group comprised nine individuals, eight of whom were nobles, leaving Riezel as the sole commoner—signifying something suspicious.
It meant that before Riezel joined, Archie and the rest weren't willing to accept any commoners into their group.
If that was the case, why was Riezel an exception?
Because he had value to exploit.
Someone with the potential to become a Tactical-Class Magician and even a Strategic-Class Magician was someone anyone would want to recruit.
Yet, as Riezel recalled, he discovered an interesting fact.
Apart from Archie, no one in the entire Spriller Academy had shown closeness or goodwill toward the original Riezel. This was not normal, and he refused to believe that no one had ulterior motives if they knew his potential.
'Those people... most likely stopped by Archie, right?'
Archie seemed intent on keeping the potential of Riezel under wraps.
With a group of children from other noble families gathering around Archie, it seemed to Riezel that Archie was tirelessly recruiting these noble children to build his own circle of influence.
Why was Senna subtly at odds with Riezel? Simply because he thought Archie valued Riezel more than him, recognizing Riezel's future potential, and felt jealous as a result?
Carrera joining this group with Sylvanie was probably a result of Archie's careful manipulation too. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so friendly toward her, clearly intending to build a good relationship.
Everything was carefully planned.
'Does that guy really think I'd believe his nonsense, thinking he's been worried about me?' Riezel chuckled inwardly.
If Archie was truly concerned about him, why was there complete silence from Archie when he was recuperating? Yuri had sent someone to Spriller Academy to request leave on his behalf so Archie should've known his condition.
If Archie were genuinely worried, Yuri's representative would have brought back some information, such as Archie searching for him or something similar.
Unfortunately, there was nothing.
Furthermore, since his 'Gate' was damaged and he could no longer continue as a magician, Yuri discreetly leaked this information long before he recovered from his injuries, hoping to evade further assassination attempts.
With all these reasons, Archie should have known about his poor condition long ago but chose to remain silent—or perhaps he didn't even care in the first place.
Riezel found this intriguing.
He understood that Archie indeed knew about his condition and precisely because of that, Archie decided to abandon and ignore him, as he had become a waste with no further use. Yet, why did Archie knock now, not earlier or later, but precisely after news spread about him turning to swordsmanship and being taken in by the Frenzel family?
Senna's remarks earlier were also full of bitterness, clearly envious of his growing relationship with the Frenzel family.
Was there really no special reason behind their behavior?
Ain and Ian, these two competent attendants, also noticed some clues behind Archie's group behavior and decided to warn him. After all, if he handled this poorly, it might affect Yuri, who was their master.
Finished pondering, Riezel turned to Ain and Ian.
"Do you two know anything about him?"
The two female knights exchanged glances, and after a moment, Ian spoke up.
"Rumors are telling that Count Rhein is preparing to appoint his heir soon."
"I see..."
After hearing that information, Riezel understood something, and soon, his expression returned to calm.
'Let me see then... What you actually want to do, Archie.'
===
Yeluvia, Royal Market.
This exclusive upscale market, open only to nobles and wealthy merchants, was situated in the city center near the palace.
Carriages escorted by bodyguards made their way to this place, stopping at the entrance of the market. Extraordinarily dressed individuals disembarked from the carriages and only then did the carriages proceed to the adjacent open space for parking.
Riezel and the others, following Archie's lead, entered the Royal Market.
At the market's entrance, stationed personnel scrutinize the identities of those entering, allowing only nobles and wealthy merchants through. Ordinary residents, and even their bodyguards, were halted and denied entry.
With Archie and others present, Riezel was naturally allowed to enter, but Ain and Ian were stopped. However, when they showed a token engraved with a snowflake pattern to the personnel at the gate, they were immediately allowed through.
This scene caught the attention of many, causing Archie and the others to look at each other in blank dismay, their eyes flickering, wondering what was going on in their minds.
After a while, the group entered the Royal Market and stopped at the plaza near the entrance.
"Do any of you have something specific you want to buy?" Archie asked, holding a parchment listing various items provided upon entry.
Some items on the list were marked, indicating their rarity or recent arrival, capturing the interest of many.
"I want to check out the slave district." Senna raised his hand, having just been eyeing a batch of newly arrived and exceptionally beautiful female slaves.
""We want to go too!""
The four tall, short, fat, and skinny youths also exclaimed simultaneously, all sharing Senna's interest.
Observing the directions many male nobles and wealthy male merchants were heading, it became apparent that they too were heading toward the slave district.
Only Carrera and Sylvanie furrowed their brows slightly upon hearing the slave district.
"I want to buy a magic item." Carrera declared.
"I want to check out the new jewelry." Sylvanie added, expressing a different preference.
"Okay, what about you, Riezel?" Archie, seemingly anticipating this situation, turned to Riezel for his input.
"I'm open to anything." Riezel replied nonchalantly. "Although, if possible, I'd like to see what swordsmanship they have here."
Upon hearing his words, everyone reacted with intrigue.
"You're not seriously considering switching to swordsmanship, are you?" Senna asked while observing Riezel with a subtle sense of amusement.
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