"Are you really going to live as a wanderer, Sir Lancel?"
"Yes. I still need more training."
"I think someone of your caliber will soon become stronger than me, so there's no need to wander around in danger..."
"What are you saying, Mary? I'm still far from ready. And I don't want to become just another knight who disappears without a trace on the battlefield."
"I suppose there's no helping it. Then I'll stay by your side and protect you. Where are you planning to go first?"
"North, for now."
"It'll be winter by the time we arrive."
"Enduring the cold is part of being a knight."
Lancel had been preparing for his wandering life since summer began to fade.
He intended to improve his skills to overcome the regrets of his previous life. In his last playthrough, he hadn't become a particularly remarkable figure even within the knights order.
"Is it true that you said you don't need a horse, Lancel?"
"Yes, Father. I'll build my skills by walking on my own two feet and return when I'm ready."
"Heh, such a fearless lad. Just make sure you don't return as a corpse."
Viscount Dante didn't try to stop him.
Wandering knight, errant knight, free knight—different names for essentially the same thing, and he knew it well.
They were just restless wanderers who roamed from region to region, attaching themselves to local lords and people to make a living.
Usually, this life was chosen by those caught between nobility and commoners, but Lancel was undeniably the son of a viscount family. He was quite an unusual type for a wandering knight.
"Thank you, Mary. For joining me on this arduous journey."
"It's fine. I like the feeling of traveling together, just the two of us."
As Marigold said this, her expression carried a hint of loneliness and nostalgia. Lancel deliberately pretended not to notice.
No matter how focused he was on his own life, he couldn't ignore it.
Marigold's devotion to him.
Her blind faith.
When he thought about it, his shoulders felt heavy, and an inexplicable sense of guilt made it difficult to hide his awkwardness. But since having her along was genuinely helpful, Lancel decided to brazenly accept her company.
"Young Master! Lady Mary! Please return safely!"
"Have some fun and come back soon, Young Master!"
"Let him be. Whether he lives or dies. I told him to join the knights order, but he never listens to his mother."
"Haha, my lady, don't give him such a hard time as he leaves."
"Hmph."
Lancel and Marigold headed north, sent off by the household members.
"Are you really planning to walk the whole way, Sir Lancel?"
"Why? Is that a problem?"
"No, I'm just worried it might be too hard for you..."
"...Let's see how it goes, and if it gets too difficult, we can buy horses."
"Yes!"
Having Marigold around was quite reassuring for Lancel.
He could even learn swordsmanship while traveling. She was helpful in many ways.
As he had felt in his previous life, knights of Marigold's caliber were rare on the battlefield. Almost nonexistent. If one could fight even half as well as she could, they would be considered a great knight. A true protagonist indeed.
Moreover...
"Light our way."
As Marigold muttered with her hand raised, a glowing orb floated up before her.
"Magic...!"
"Hehe."
Marigold puffed out her chest proudly.
Lancel knew very well how rare it was for someone to wield both magic and the sword.
"You're far more impressive than I thought, Mary."
"Not as much as you were back then, Sir Lancel."
"What kind of person was I in those days?"
"Ehehe..."
Marigold lowered her head slightly and scratched her cheek.
*Mary.*
Lancel couldn't grasp the extent of the bond between his previous self and Marigold.
Perhaps it far exceeded the scope of what he imagined. That was all he could sense.
"Let's go, I can see the castle."
"Yes! Sir Lancel."
The first place they reached, Nepher Castle, had what might be described in modern terms as a gloomy atmosphere.
Lancel looked around, standing among merchants undergoing strict inspections, beneath the tall fortress walls and under heavy security.
Soon, the captain of the guards approached him.
"This is the seal of House Dante. Ask for Lancel and they'll know."
"My apologies, Sir Lancel!"
"The atmosphere seems strange. Has something happened?"
"...It's a bit difficult for me to explain... There's been some trouble with bandits."
"Please take me to the Count of Nepher Castle."
"Pardon?"
"As a knight, I should help if there's trouble. Please, lead the way."
"Ah, understood."
Marigold expressed concern beside him, saying, "Aren't you being too eager from the start?" but Lancel just waved her off.
"Lancel! You've grown so much. Is Viscount Dante well?"
"Too well, in fact—he still regularly beats his children with a stick. I've just run away from home."
Before long, they heard the full story from the Count of Nepher Castle.
"My daughter hasn't returned from a party she attended three days ago. I suspect it's the work of those mercenaries who accompanied her, but there's been no ransom demand yet, so I can't be certain."
"What a terrible situation. I'll go find her for you."
"To be honest, I don't have high expectations, so don't push yourself too hard. If something happens to you, I won't be able to face Viscount Dante."
"I'll bring you only good news. Now, if you'll excuse me."
"If you need anything, just ask. I'll even give you a room in the castle, so don't stay at an inn—lodge here instead."
Thanks to the generous Count of Nepher, Lancel and Mary were able to rest in a luxurious guest room.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"It's just interesting."
"Interesting?"
"Yes. I'm realizing that Sir Lancel was such an enthusiastic person at first..."
"In other words, the me you remember was somewhat lazy."
"Not exactly, but... You would do anything for me."
"..."
Marigold's face brightened as if thinking of the Lancel from long ago. With flushed cheeks, she chattered about old times until she fell asleep.
It was like having a little bird chirping beside him. Lancel closed his eyes while listening to her endless life stories.
.
.
.
"Who are you?"
"As you can see, I'm a knight looking for the Count's daughter."
"Fearless fools, just the two of you... Seize them!"
Thanks largely to Marigold's tracking abilities, Lancel had no trouble finding their hideout.
"Mary, let's clean this up."
"Just trust me, Sir Lancel."
A mercenary band turned bandit group. A common occurrence.
Especially for those who had been escorting a nobleman's daughter—such a decision was even easier to make.
By simply detaining her, they could earn more money than decades of honest work.
But this time, they'd picked the wrong target.
Lancel and Marigold drew their swords and cut through the hideout.
"Where did these monsters come from...!"
—————————
-Name: Mercenary Leader "Wood Faul."
-Reward: 10 gold coins and all spoils.
-Infamy: 3 Karma points.
—————————
In less than an hour, all the mercenaries were dealt with. Half were dead, and the other half were tied up like dried fish and dragged out.
"You came to rescue me, Sir Knight!"
They soon found the Count's daughter who had been held captive. She was a woman of somewhat ample figure. When she enthusiastically threw herself at him, Lancel almost staggered.
"Now we must get married, Sir Knight!"
"No, marriage is a bit..."
Feeling Marigold's gaze sharpen, Lancel managed to detach the woman.
—————————
-You've defeated Wood Faul and rescued the hostage.
-Bonus Points increased by '3 points'.
-Marigold's current Bonus Points: 3 points.
â»Unused Bonus Benefit: 50% Karma Discount Coupon.
—————————
*Bonus Points?*
Lancel blinked at the unfamiliar information.
.
.
.
—————————
[Game Guide]
â»Benefits of Bonus Points?
-10 points: Initial funds multiplied by 10.
-50 points: Start with a rare trait.
-100 points: Partially restore noble status.
-200 points: Acquire a 50% Karma discount coupon.
-999 points: Maintain succession state permanently.
â»999 points - Inherit all memories from the previous game.
—————————
The bodies of the executed mercenaries were hung one by one at the fortress entrance as dusk fell.
An unexpected feast was held at Nepher Castle. Not only had the kidnapped daughter returned, but the mercenary band responsible had been captured as well.
The smell of roasting meat, the sharp scent of alcohol, music, dancing, and a blazing campfire—it was a lavish festival rarely seen.
The thoroughly intoxicated Count kept grabbing Lancel and talking incessantly.
"Lancel, my boy! Marry my daughter!"
"I'll, I'll consider it when I return."
"Why do such dangerous work as wandering! Just marry my daughter!"
"I should discuss it with my family first..."
After finally escaping him, Marigold approached Lancel.
"You worked hard, Sir Lancel."
"Indeed I did."
Lancel felt a sense of ease wash over him when he saw Marigold.
Without realizing it, he had become quite familiar with her. Just being together made him feel this relaxed.
As they watched men and women dancing around the campfire, Marigold leaned slightly toward Lancel and spoke in a quiet voice.
"Shall we dance too, Sir Lancel?"
"I'm not sure I can, since I've never danced before."
"You just need to follow my lead."
Marigold twirled around once and extended her hand to Lancel, who was sitting down.
"Sir Knight, may I have this dance?"
Lancel took her hand with a slight smile.
The blazing campfire that seemed to light up the night sky, the festival, the dancing people, and Lancel and Mary.
"Follow me slowly."
"This is difficult."
Lancel followed her with awkward movements.
—*I wish time could just stop like this forever.*
"Hehe!"
Marigold's laughter. Lancel felt as if fragments of memory were brushing through his mind.
—*You can always come back. I told you to come collect your money.*
—*I don't think I'll have time.*
—*Then... in your next life, bring me along again. That would work, right?*
—*...You're right... I hadn't thought of that. That would work.*
*Memory.*
.
.
.
"Come back and take my daughter with you. Understood?"
"Y-yes."
"Sir Lancel, you must return."
"...Of course, Lady Nepher."
Lancel was pestered by the Count of Nepher, who had marked him as a son-in-law, until he left the castle.
When they set out on their journey again, Lancel gazed at the vast fields stretching before him. Marigold, who was walking ahead, was holding a handful of barley ears and savoring their scent.
"Mary."
"Yes, Sir Lancel?"
Lancel brought up what he had been pondering.
In truth, he was reluctant to mention the "game system" to the people of this world. And he would continue to be so.
Therefore, Lancel changed his approach slightly.
"Let's say, hypothetically, there's a score that increases when you commit evil deeds and decreases when you do good."
"...?"
As she tilted her head in confusion, Lancel cleared his throat.
"I'm saying this because my memories might return."
Karma.
Bonus Points.
Even Lancel didn't know exactly how the system worked. He would have needed to see it in action.
Moreover, he wasn't even sure if these metrics applied to him as well.
Based on everything Marigold had told him so far, it seemed possible, but nothing was certain.
*'After all, I'm also a protagonist... or something similar in this world, right?'*
Yes.
As someone who had even experienced regression, it wasn't unreasonable to think so. Lancel still considered himself a protagonist-level entity in this world.
Self-important? As someone who had both transmigrated and regressed, wasn't he entitled to such thoughts? Lancel wasn't worn down enough yet to consider himself merely an extra.
*'Though I don't know much.'*
Ignorance.
Beginner.
Naturally, he didn't have much to tell Marigold. Lancel could only share what he had seen.
"So if we defeat villains... blessings accumulate... and your memories will return?"
"Well, s-something like that?"
"Sir Lancel!"
"Goodness, you startled me."
"Let's go defeat villains right away! Right now! This instant!"
"Calm down first."
Lancel made Marigold sit down again as she jumped up with an excited face.
Still, her excitement didn't subside. Her eyes sparkled like jewels as she kept exhaling forcefully through her nose.
*'Is this the first time I've seen her so animated?'*
Lancel wiped away nervous sweat.
Normally, one might be skeptical upon hearing such an outlandish claim, but Marigold seemed to trust it completely simply because it came from Lancel's mouth.
"Let's go, Sir Lancel. We'll punish every villain in this world! We'll eradicate bandits completely!"
"You're quite fierce, Mary."
Lancel tried to calm her down while sweating nervously.
"Come on, let's not get ahead of ourselves since nothing is certain. Besides, how many could we possibly catch within ten years?"
"Don't worry, Sir Lancel. Starting today, we'll cut back on sleep and travel more. Fortunately, this land is still full of villains. We'll catch them all!"
"..."
Was that fortunate?
*'This is also a kind of training.'*
Having opportunities to use his sword during his wandering life was a good thing. Lancel decided to go along with Marigold's suggestion to devote this life to "bandit eradication."
After all, he had nothing to lose by doing so.