"Date"

The next day, all affairs were settled.

The purchased grain was all loaded onto carts, and the hired transport team was ready to depart.

The supplies promised by Earl Rochefort had also been confirmed and would be shipped to Carnford five days later.

Most of the recruited craftsmen had finished their personal matters, and some had even brought their families along, determined to follow Karl to the Northern Border to start a new life.

Karl stayed at the inn, suddenly idle, and felt a bit lost.

He was contemplating whether he should find an excuse to visit Charlotte again, to "further their relationship" during the free time before departure, when the dutiful prompt in his mind sounded again:

[Daily Quest Updated]

[Quest Content]: Go on a date with Charlotte Rochfort. (Incomplete)

What a great quest! Karl praised inwardly. The slight hesitation he had felt moments before vanished instantly.

Now it was a "date by order," so he had no choice but to go.

He carefully tidied his clothes, ensuring he looked sharp and neat, and then left again, heading towards Charlotte's house.

When he knocked, the door was opened, as before, by the maid Martha.

But as soon as Karl entered, he realized the situation was not quite what he had imagined for a "date."

Charlotte was standing in the living room, with the help of two maids, putting on a practice cuirass.

Seeing Karl, her face immediately lit up with an excited smile: "Karl! You're here at the perfect time! I was just looking for a suitable opponent! Come quickly, accompany me to the training grounds for a spar. I've just advanced and need to consolidate my strength!"

Karl looked at Charlotte's eager and spirited expression, and a very bad premonition surged in his heart.

Half an hour later, in the training grounds of Fran City's inner city.

Karl stood in place with a look of utter despair, forced to wear a heavy, extremely clumsy full-body training cuirass.

Fortunately, nearly a month of military life and arduous reconstruction had greatly honed his physical fitness. If it were the mediocre noble young master who had just left the Royal Capital, he would probably have collapsed under the armor just standing there.

Across from him, Charlotte was already fully equipped, holding a blunt training longsword, casually stretching her wrists, her eyes flashing with a warlike glint.

"Ready, Karl! Let me see the swordsmanship of the Schmidt family!" Before Charlotte could finish speaking, she lunged forward, her sword tip aimed directly at Karl's chest plate!

Karl hastily raised his sword to block. With a loud "Clang!", the immense force made his arm go numb. He stumbled backward repeatedly, his steps unsteady and disorganized.

The following time became entirely Charlotte's one-sided "lesson."

She moved around Karl like a dancing butterfly, her footwork light and her swordplay sharp.

Slash, chop, thrust, lift... all the basic moves came easily to her, combining into a continuous offensive.

Karl was completely reduced to a human punching bag.

He possessed good reflexes and increased strength, but lacked systematic swordsmanship training and practical combat experience. Facing Charlotte, who had undergone formal, rigorous training and possessed exceptional talent as a knight, he was utterly defenseless.

He could only block and dodge instinctively, being hit again and again, or skillfully tripped and sent crashing heavily onto the sand-covered training ground with a loud "Clang!"

"Get up! Block steadily! Keep up with your footwork!"

"Pay attention to my feints!"

"Don't just use brute force! Use your waist!"

Charlotte continued to attack while also offering instructions, but it was clearly having little effect.

After being precisely poked in the chest by Charlotte's thrust for what felt like the hundredth time, losing his balance and falling backward again, Karl lay on the ground, feeling as though his bones were about to fall apart. Through the gaps in his helmet, he looked up at the sky, panting, almost too exhausted to even get up.

Charlotte walked over to him, gently tapped his chest plate, and then removed her helmet.

Her golden hair was damp with sweat, clinging to her flushed cheeks, but her breathing was even; she was clearly far from her limit.

She looked at Karl, sprawled on the ground, and a hint of helplessness flashed in her blue eyes. She couldn't help but complain, "So boring, Karl. You're from the Schmidt family, aren't you? Your ancestors won their ducal title and vast territories with their renowned military achievements and unparalleled valor. How could you let the family's signature skills fall into such disrepair?"

Karl struggled to sit up, laboriously removing his stuffy helmet, revealing a sweaty, disheveled face.

He gasped for air and said with a bitter smile, "If I really had those talents... the family wouldn't have sent me to the Northern Border... cough cough... to my death, would they?"

Charlotte was taken aback at his words, then she also laughed, and her slight complaint seemed to dissipate.

She reached out and pulled Karl up from the ground.

"That's true," she said, tilting her head as she examined Karl. "But you're lucky, you're smart, and... you always seem to find people who can help you."

She said this meaningfully, it was unclear if she was referring to herself, or Old Morrell, Brendan, and the others.

The two walked to the edge of the field and sat down, drinking water and chatting.

Their conversation shifted from swordsmanship training, then slowly circled back to Carnford, the situation in the Northern Border, and even some gossip from the Royal Capital.

Although the initial "date" had been rather brutal, the atmosphere became more harmonious amidst the sweat and frank conversation.

[Quest]: Go on a date with Charlotte Rochfort. (Completed)

[Reward Information Issued]:

[Intelligence Content]: The Soren Battle Group, lurking in the Black Forest west of the city, has determined its primary target for tomorrow's attack. They will ambush the entourage of Cyril von Eichberg at the "Icewater Creek" section.