Barrett carefully peeked out the window, and to his surprise, the visitor was the handsome blue-haired famous swordsman—Brain Unglaus.
The swordsman hadn't come empty-handed. In his left hand, he carried a light yellow flat wooden box, and in his right, he held a bouquet of pure white tulips. His face was full of humble smiles as he stood straight and waited quietly outside the door.
Brain Unglaus was quite well-known in Re-Estize, a genius swordsman on par with the former Warrior Captain Gazef. He'd once fought Gazef to a draw in the Re-Estize's royal martial arts tournament and created several Martial Arts of his own.
He'd also worked as an adventurer for a while, earning an orichalcum-level rating. If he hadn't been so obsessed with swordsmanship alone and had put more effort into mastering monster-hunting techniques and building up exploration experience, reaching the highest adamantite-level wouldn't have been hard for him.
Such a renowned swordsman showing up out of the blue, looking like he was there to deliver gifts with no hint of ill will—logically, Barrett should have hurried to open the door and shown some proper adventurer hospitality. But Barrett felt a bit hesitant and uneasy.
When the Last Defender of the Way adventurer team first met Brain, he'd tried to teach the overconfident EeDechi a lesson on behalf of Princess Renner. Instead, EeDechi turned the tables on him effortlessly, snatching his sword away with one hand and leaving him totally humiliated.
Brain looked completely crushed, as if EeDechi's overwhelming strength had stirred up some dark shadow from his past.
Afterward, EeDechi stopped Brain as he tried to bolt and had a long, serious talk with him. When it was over, Brain acted like he'd just been spared from the noose—as if he'd been hauled up to the gallows for interrogation and then let go.
Barrett had seen his captain strolling calmly behind Brain, while Brain himself was a total mess, forehead drenched in cold sweat, wearing the look of someone who'd barely escaped with his life. That's why the whole thing stuck in Barrett's mind.
Now Brain was showing up at their door on his own, gift box in hand, bouquet of tulips clutched tight, no sword at his waist, and a big, friendly smile on his face. But Barrett couldn't be sure there wasn't a dagger hidden behind that grin.
"Hey? Barrett, does opening the door really take this long?" EeDechi's annoyed voice called from the back of the house.
Barrett shook his head and stopped overthinking it. He walked to the door, unlocked it, and welcomed Brain inside.
"Sit anywhere. What's the matter?" EeDechi lounged in the leather chair, showing no arrogance toward a defeated opponent, just her usual carefree vibe.
Brain perched on the edge of the leather chair, his face full of cautious hesitation. He said sincerely, "Princess Renner has something she wants to ask for your help with—she hopes you can come to Sandrin Castle to meet her."
EeDechi nodded. "Princess Renner is being too formal. She already hired me, so lending her a hand with something is only natural. No problem, I'll head over to see her right away."
Brain had now joined Princess Renner's service, so delivering a message for her made sense. But for such a simple note, couldn't she just send a servant? No need for a famous swordsman to play messenger boy.
After hesitating for a moment, Brain made another request, "I personally have a small favor to ask. I'm competing in the national martial arts tournament to select the Warrior Captain. I wonder if Miss EeDechi might have some free time to give me pointers on sword techniques."
EeDechi turned her gaze to Brain and frowned—this seemed to be the first time anyone had called her "Miss."
The Warrior Captain reported directly to the king, tasked with protecting the royal family and commanding an elite royal knight order. Ever since the demon lord Ainz wiped out the Re-Estize's main army a few years back, the royal knight order had become the Re-Estize's sharpest fighting force.
Since the previous Warrior Captain Gazef died in battle, the top military post had sat empty for years. Now the old king had decided to restart the selection process for the Warrior Captain, and plenty of nobles were sending in their stand-ins for the tournament, chomping at the bit for the chance to lead the Re-Estize's royal forces.
"Can't teach you. No time." EeDechi's reply was as blunt and final as ever. She glanced at the gift box on the table and the big bouquet of tulips. The tulips' snow-white petals layered over each other, their buds dotted with dew drops, like little snowflakes ready to burst open, fresh and tempting.
"Are these flowers from Princess Renner?" EeDechi asked offhandedly.
"No... they're from me," Brain replied.
Tulips from you? And white ones at that? Barrett, sitting nearby, raised an eyebrow and snuck a glance at Brain without making it obvious. The genius swordsman was sitting ramrod straight in the leather chair, hands folded neatly in his lap, eyes fixed on EeDechi—like an obedient apprentice in a tailor's shop getting his first lesson.
EeDechi grabbed the bouquet of tulips, buried her head in the petals and took a deep sniff, then lifted her head, wrinkled her nose, and nodded. "Mmm, not bad, pretty fragrant. You guys take your time chatting—I'm off to see Princess Renner first."
With a Bang, the door slammed shut heavily, the girl's rustling footsteps gradually fading away, leaving only the veteran adventurer and the famous swordsman in the room.
Brain let out a sigh of relief. He looked at Barrett, a bit uneasy. "May I ask if your captain likes chocolate?"
Only then did Barrett notice the pretty gift box on the green-lacquered tabletop. The box was made of boxwood, exceptionally exquisite, with a blue satin ribbon tied in a bow shape securing the lid, and in the center of the lid was engraved a line of elegant cursive: Gillena Chocolate.
Chocolate? And white tulips? Barrett's eyes widened as he stared at the swordsman in front of him, unsure what expression to put on his face.
He'd traveled and adventured around the world for many years, picking up bits of local customs and traditions everywhere. He'd once gathered Songfan Yin flowers in the forest for a noble young master, and chatted plenty about love and romance with that charming playboy, vaguely hearing about the flower language of white tulips in Re-Estize.
At first, when he saw the white tulips, Barrett hadn't thought too deeply about it, but now seeing this box of chocolate…
Oh! Man… your taste is a bit over the top. Although the captain isn't unattractive, her martial demeanor is more striking than delicate beauty! And her personality always comes off as rather stern and unapproachable. She seems to have nothing like the word "miss"! No, not just unlike a "miss," she seems nothing like a "woman" at all!
The veteran adventurer, who had weathered countless hardships and tasted the ups and downs of life, sat bolt upright, his lips not twitching an inch, but inside, his mind was reeling like thunder, as if a thousand goats and camels were dancing across the prairie of his thoughts.
Brain, however, had a sincere look in his eyes, leaning forward slightly as he waited for Barrett's answer. His earnest gaze fixed on the adventurer without blinking, convincing the worldly Barrett that he wasn't joking.
"Let me think," Barrett turned his gaze elsewhere, "I've never heard the captain say whether she likes chocolate or not, but she might." Hmm, most ordinary girls would probably like it.
"Why... did you give her tulips?" Barrett suddenly felt a spark of curiosity.
In Re-Estize customs, white tulips represent a secret crush. White itself means purity and innocence. If a boy has feelings for a girl, he can give her white tulips, symbolizing that his affections are as pure and flawless as the white tulips.
The blue-haired genius swordsman's demeanor was a bit awkward and uneasy. "I've spent over twenty years in grueling sword training, and this is the first time in my life I've met a girl as unique as Miss EeDechi."
Yeah, me too—this is the first time I've met such a unique character. Barrett inwardly agreed with Brain's words.
"She is powerful and fearless, with a straightforward and candid personality, yet approachable and gracious." Brain said with a reverent tone, his eyes seeming to sparkle with light. "I know you might not agree with what I'm saying." He looked at Barrett.
No, no, except for "approachable and gracious," I agree with everything else you said, Barrett thought, eyes turning to the ceiling, unsure how to respond to this poor kid who'd fallen head over heels.
"I once encountered a vampire girl just as powerful as her—a silver-haired vampire girl in a black dress, only coming up to my waist.
"But she saw me as an ant, defeating my twenty years of hard-earned swordsmanship with just the nail of her pinky finger. In that moment facing her, I first understood what true despair was, what the fear of death felt like.
"Later, I met an incredibly powerful Magic Caster. My close friend Gazef and I both thought he was a good person, but on the battlefield, he killed Gazef and casually slaughtered tens of thousands from my homeland, leaving bodies strewn everywhere..."
Brain spoke slowly, as if reminiscing, or perhaps pouring out his heart. As he spoke, two shadows gradually emerged in Barrett's mind: one was Shalltear from the Great Tomb of Nazarick, the other was the great demon lord Ainz Ooal Gown.
"But Miss EeDechi is so unique—she's willing to talk equally with ordinary people like you and me, even travel together, adventure together, laugh together, sing together..."
Barrett faced Brain's sincere gaze, lost in thought.
...
The conversation between the two men ended quickly. Barrett was a seasoned elite adventurer, Brain a long-famous swordsman—two mature adults didn't need many words between them.
Barrett saw Brain out.
At the moment of parting, Barrett suddenly asked, "What do you think of Princess Renner?"
Brain had pledged himself to Princess Renner's service, so he must know a lot of inside information that Barrett didn't.
"Princess Renner lives up to the title of 'Golden Princess.' She's the greatest ruler I've ever seen. The people and nobles all need her, support her—all those willing to protect the citizens in these chaotic times flock to her side."
Brain gave Barrett a slight smile. "Of course, we definitely won't trust her unconditionally like Climb does."