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~Horacio’s Perspective~
“Listen up, everyone! Today, His Royal Highness Ernest, the first prince of the Kingdom of Schrendl, was killed in an attack by the Anti-Noble Faction. This is a blunder that is tantamount to defeat for the Order. Therefore, tomorrow’s leave is canceled!” (Knight)
“Eeeee…” (Apprentices)
On the day of the “Nest Leaving Ceremony,” we knight apprentices were on guard duty in the third district.
There wasn’t a big commotion in the northern district, where we were in charge, but we heard that there were large-scale attacks in the northwestern, western, and southwestern districts, I never thought that a member of the royal family would have lost their life.
For the past month or so, there had been no days off due to training and patrol work in the third district, so everyone was looking forward to the holiday starting tomorrow.
Since it was suddenly canceled, I thought there was nothing we could do to voice our dissatisfaction, but when I saw the look on the head instructor’s face change, everyone who spoke out must have thought that we had failed.
“Quiet! Don’t you feel frustrated that we have been outsmarted by these anti-aristocratic bastards? Don’t you feel ashamed? In addition to His Highness Ernest, there were many other casualties in the halls of the cathedral. It is our role as Knights to protect the royalty, the nobility, and the people. The meaning of our existence is being trampled on, and you want to rest? Those who have such misconceptions should leave this place right now and get out of the Order!” (Knight)
After the instructor yelled like a rain of blazing flames, the training ground fell silent.
“Tomorrow morning, I will get up at 6:00 a.m., eat and get ready, and meet here at 7:00 a.m. to work on identifying suspicious persons in the third district. Anyone with a warm, listless expression on their face will be mercilessly beaten to a pulp. Understood?” (Knight)
“Ye-yes sir!” (Apprentices)
“Hmph… Dismissed!” (Knight)
After seeing off the instructors as they entered the barracks, the trainees let out a collective sigh.
I think canceling our vacation is unreasonable, but if we can’t accept this level of unreasonableness, we won’t be able to survive as a knight apprentice.
“Horacio, Torre, let’s go back…” (Zacharias)
“Oh, what is it? What about Rubero?” (Horacio)
“Huh? I think he is gathering information, there was a lot going on today.” (Zacharias)
“I see…” (Torre)
I return to the dormitory with my roommate Zacharias, a bearkin, and Torre, a horsekin.
My room is a four-person room including the dogkin Rubero.
The knight apprentices have free time after the evening ceremony until the next day’s morning ceremony, unless there is a night patrol training.
Well, we have a little less free time because we can’t keep up with the training if we don’t do self-study or self-training.
“What should we do? Shall we go out to dinner after Rubero comes back?” (Horacio)
“No, let’s go first. There was a lot of commotion, so I don’t know when he’ll be back.” (Zacharias)
“I guess…” (Torre)
Rubero, the dogkin, is the smallest of the four and a bit weaker to the others in terms of magic and physical strength, but he is good at gathering gossip.
When it comes to gossip, there is a mixture of true and false information.
Rubero has a unique sense of smell to sniff out the truth or falsehood of rumors, and he hopes to join a department that does reconnaissance work in the future.
Since children with superior magical abilities are gathered at the knight training school, many of them are born with outstanding talents.
One way to survive in such a situation is to make use of your own characteristics.
Even when we returned to the room after eating and bathing, Rubero did not return.
“It’s already been two years, huh?” (Zacharias)
“Yeah, it’s gone fast.” (Horacio)
“We’re surviving alright…” (Torre)
Two years ago, during the “Nest Leaving Ceremony,” our magical qualities were recognized and we came to the Royal Capital.
The three people in the same room are all from rual villages.
Zacharias, the bearkin, is from the Escalante territory, next to the Viscountcy of Lagart, where I lived.
I heard that martial arts are popular there, and he has been teaching me the basics of martial arts since the day I joined.
Torre, the horsekin, is said to be from a mountain village in the northeast region, and he is very fast.
He is aloof and doesn’t talk much, but he is always with us.
“Three more years… It seems like a long time, but it maybe shorter.” (Zacharias)
“That’s right. But I promised to become a knight, so I’ll do my best.” (Horacio)
I clutch the fire magic tool that I always wear around my neck.
It’s a precious memento that I got at the blowgun stall with Nyango.
“That childhood friend… I hope she was a cute girl.” (Zacharias)
“Hehe… I can’t imagine Nyango wearing a skirt. I wonder if he’s doing well… I promised to show him around when he came to visit the Royal Capital.” (Horacio)
“That would have been a precious vacation if you looked around the Royal Capital…” (Zacharias)
“Yeah, it’s unfortunate.” (Horacio)
“But your childhood friend is a catkin, right?” (Zacharias)
“Yeah, that’s right.” (Horacio)
“Wouldn’t it be difficult for a catkin to come to the Royal Capital from Atsuka, which is on the edge of Viscount Lagart territory?” (Zacharias)
“Yeah… Probably.” (Horacio)
When I came to the capital and talked to instructors and other people, I learned for the first time how catkins are viewed in society.
Everyone in the room is careful with their words around me, but some of the trainees blatantly looked down on catkins.
The sons of aristocrats, who seem to have gotten in through connections, are especially prone to do so.
I want to say that Nyango is different… but I can understand their point of view.
The children gathered in the Knight Order are all strong in magic power and most of them are large in stature.
Besides, there doesn’t seem to be a single knight with the void attribute, which is called an empty attribute.
If it is difficult for Nyango to come to the capital, he would like to work at Fort Bisreus on the northern border after becoming an official knight.
There, it would take less than half a day by horseback to reach the village of Atsuka.
If I can get leave, I should be able to leave the fort on the morning of the first day, spend the night in the village, and return at noon the next day.
I want to see Ines, and I want to look back on Miguel with pride.
While I was immersing myself in the memories of Atsuka Village, Rubero, who had been running around gathering information, returned.
“My bad, my bad, my bad.” (Rubero)
“I can trust Rubero’s hard work…” (Zacharias)
“Sorry, Zacharias. Today is seriously tough. Apparently the venue for the ‘Nest Leaving Ceremony’ was attacked and there are a huge number of casualties.” (Rubero)
“I know, the instructor said that at the evening announcement.” (Zacharias)
“I see, well, that’s it… a large amount of stones the size of a person’s head fell down, causing chaos at the venue and forcing the cancellation of the ‘Nest Leaving Ceremony’.” (Rubero)
“That’s wrong… I mean, weren’t the knights on high alert?” (Zacharias)
“That’s right, but the west gate was breached and the attackers poured in from there.” (Rubero)
Whenever Rubelo gathered gossip, he and Zacharias often proceeded like this.
The pace of their conversation is so fast that Torre and I are mostly devoted to listening.
“Are there any deaths in the knights?” (Zacharias)
“Yeah, it seems there are more than one or two..” (Rubero)
“Speaking of which, didn’t the Fifth Princess attend the ceremony this year?” (Zacharias)
“That’s it. I heard that the area where the princess was was also mercilessly bombarded with stones.” (Rubero)
“Seriously? Then the princess…” (Zacharias)
“Well, don’t panic. The venue was not only bombarded with stones, but the attackers also rushed to the venue and used magic guns and pulverization magic circle.” (Rubero)
“What is that? That’s a battlefield. Even we won’t be able to save ourselves.” (Zacharias)
“You think so, don’t you? But it is said that Princess Elmerine is alive and well, not a scratch on her.” (Rubero)
“Amazing, as expected of the Royal Knights. So cool…” (Horacio)
As a knight, they put themselves at risk to protect the princess from danger… For us knight apprentices, this is the kind of scene we can only imagine in our dreams.
Even Torre, who is usually easy-going, seems excited, but Rubero has a strangely proud expression on his face.
“Everyone thinks so. The Royal Knights are amazing. But it seems that the knights of the Viscount Lagart family actually protected Princess Elmerine.” (Rubero)
“Eh… Viscount Lagart territory is my hometown.” (Horacio)
“It seems that the knight was the only one who could get to the princess in the chaos that ensued.” (Rubero)
“So if there was only one knight, the mob wasn’t after the princess, but the king.” (Zacharias)
“I thought the same thing, Zacharias, but it seems the princess was the one they were after.” (Rubero)
“So there were only two or three attackers?” (Zacharias)
“No,no, there were more than 50 people.” (Rubero)
“You must be lying, did they defeat them by themself?” (Zacharias)
“And he was protecting the princess and two other noblemen’s children.” (Rubero)
“Amazing, aren’t they super amazing?” (Zacharias)
Both Torre and I nodded in agreement at Zacharias’ words.
“But, how did they protect them? Did thgey bring in multiple shields?” (Horacio)
“Horacio, Rubero said there was chaos at the venue.” (Torre)
“Yes, Torre was right, the knight had leapt through the chaos of the bleachers to get to the princess.” (Rubero)
“What are they? Are they a master of Body Enhancement Magic?” (Zacharias)
“Zacharias, can you do it?” (Horacio)
“It’s impossible for me. I went to see the venue at the cathedral. No matter how much I try, I can’t jump that high and that far.” (Zacharias)
Rubelo, who knew the answer to our question, was smiling at us.
“Rubero, if you know, tell me now.” (Zacharias)
“I wonder how to explain…” (Rubero)
“If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s okay, tomorrow we will hear it from someone.” (Zacharias)
“Yeah, all right, you know what to tell me. Listen carefully, especially you, Horacio.” (Rubero)
“Eh, me…?” (Horacio)
“That’s right, don’t miss anything.” (Rubero)
Rubero grinned and began telling an incredible story.
“The knight of Viscount Lagart didn’t have a single shield.” (Rubero)
“That’s impossible, so how…” (Zacharias)
“Well, well, hear me out. It was as if there was an invisible wall around the viscount knight, and all of the magic gun’s flame bullets and so forth had been blacked like they hit a wall.” (Rubero)
“I-Is that… Maybe…” (Horacio)
“Yes, it seems that the knight used void magic.” (Rubero)
“Impossible…” (Torre)
“Besides! Listen carefully, Horacio. I heard that the knight was a catkin.” (Rubero)
A shiver ran through my entire body.
There should only be one person who can do something like that.
“It’s Nyango… I’m sure it’s Nyango…” (Horacio)
“Calm down, Horacio, I haven’t confirmed yet that it’s your childhood friend.” (Rubero)
“No, Rubero. It’s definitely Nyango, no doubt about it. Ah! What should I do…” (Horacio)
“What’s wrong, Horacio?” (Zacharias)
“What should I do, Zacharias? I said I would show Nyango around the capital…” (Horachio)
“Haa, that’s what you’re worried about. Rather, if they are really Horacio’s childhood friend, that’s amazing. He’s the same age as us, and he’s already an active knight. That’s amazing!” (Zacharias)
Nyango, when did he become a knight? Did he come to see me?
I miss you, Nyango. There are so many things I want to talk about.
T/N: I really like chapters devoted to other side characters. They broaden the story without messing the world (sometimes).
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