He never expected that the children wanted to repay him this much, even after learning about Septa.
What he didn't know was that the children had understood the rumors. No, Erica was the one to figure out the person in the rumor as the smartest kid in the group. She told them that Noel had been protecting her this whole time, making the children feel moved.
Even though he wasn't with them anymore, their 'Big Brother Noel' was still protecting them.
Their pure hearts truly wanted to repay Noel for everything because they knew that Noel would still take care of them until they truly grew up.
Septa seemed to be more and more interested in them as he asked again, "So, who is this man that you want to repay?"
"He is big br—" The children seemed to want to show Noel's kindness in front of everyone, but Erica hurriedly shut them up with a glare. If they gave away the name, the knight who seemed to be superior than Noel might make it difficult for him. She didn't want to repay Noel with trouble.
Erica shook her head and said, "I believe we can't tell you that."
"You are truly a smart kid. You think I'll make trouble to him after knowing his name. I heard that you're from the slum… so, I'm quite surprised to see such a smart kid like you. Alright, you don't have to tell me! How about this? I will guide you a bit after your performances and you don't have to enter the Demon Banner Army."
Erica squinted her eyes, feeling suspicious. She looked at Septa and said, "Something that is too good to be true shouldn't be trusted."
"As expected!" Septa was truly satisfied with Erica's intelligence. So, he added, "Then, I can guide you in front of these people. Fixing some mistakes here and there. I'm sure that I can't do anything to you that way!"
"But I don't see any reason for you to help us."
"I just want to see how far can you go with this style. After all, this dance is a new branch that has yet to be explored. As a swordsman, I obviously want to see how far can you grow… There's a chance that it will become popular in the future, so I'm just leaving my mark in that history." Septa explained while smiling.
"That's…" Erica thought for a moment. There was no demerit in this deal. If the person wanted, he could simply kidnap them instead of letting people know about his intention. And with him showing his status as the knight captain, it would make everyone suspect him in case something happened to them.
And Septa seemed to understand that implication because he added one more condition. "If someone harass you in the next three months, feel free to go to the barrack and tell the soldiers that Captain Septa is protecting you. Alright then, it's time for me to go. Make sure you think about it, kids. Give me the answer tomorrow… I'll visit your performance again."
After leaving the message, Septa left the plaza with a smile.
Meanwhile, Noel kept staring at his back, wondering whether the man had a hidden intention or not.
Seeing Noel's serious face, Rica couldn't help but say, "You seem to care about them."
"Ehm, I guess?" Noel scratched the back of his head, realizing he forgot to handle his emotion. The kids were truly his soft spot. They were the same as him, who were once useless but wanted to change their fate.
"In any case, the children seems to be wonderful. I can understand why you bring me here. Thank you, Iadre."
"No, it's fine. Since the performance is over, it's time for us to leave as well. I have a few other places that I can bring you."
"Alright." Rica agreed and shifted the topic so that the atmosphere didn't become awkward.
Even though it was coincidence, Anna was actually among the crowd and noticed Noel and Rica walking together.
'That's Noel, right? Who is that woman beside him? This is the first time I see her and I don't think she's someone from this fort either. I was buying my dinner and watching the children's sword dance, but I would never expect Noel to be here with a woman.
'Who in the world is that woman? Has Noel actually gotten involved in that kind of situation? But then again, I can't seem to remember the woman's face… I don't think I know her in my past life. She mustn't be someone important…
'Well, whatever. It's not my place to intrude on his privacy. I don't think it'll last that long anyway…' Anna squinted her eyes. She didn't realize that Noel's matter was actually much more important in her head compared to the appearance of another knight captain, Septa.
'Still, why am I that bothered after seeing Noel with a woman? I don't feel anything when the female knights hanging around him.' Anna scratched the back of her head, confused. 'Do I actually know her or do I not?'
She couldn't remember anything about the woman, so she just gave up and stopped concerning herself with Noel. Of course, on the way to her room, she was trying to recall all people related to Noel, wondering if there was an event she was missing.
Meanwhile, Noel and Rica continued walking around the town as Noel showed some good spots that he got from the local. It was a relaxing mood since he almost never stopped practicing every day.
Rica also told him that she would be leaving to another town to finally work as a merchant group recognized by her father. Noel wished her luck and continued until the night arrived.
But it seemed that fate still connected him to the man called Septa.
"Noel, Anna. There is someone that wants to talk to you." Shale suddenly called them in the middle of their spar.
They were confused but still followed Shale to meet this person, only to find the familiar figure. This was the same person as the one they saw yesterday. The Demon Observer Squad's Squad Captain, Septa.
"Hello." Septa smiled while waving his hands.