第３７９堀：竜騎士と騎士 (Part1)
**Chapter 379: The Dragon Knight and the Knight**
**Side: Deryu**
In front of us, a hundred soldiers stood in formation, and the captain standing before them raised his voice.
"Prepare yourselves!"
"Ooh!"
*Thud.*
Responding to the command, the soldiers moved in perfect unison, slamming their shields into position. The sound echoed throughout the area. Following the captain’s further instructions, the soldiers shifted their formation and stances in time with his shouts. Their agile movements made it clear that they had undergone rigorous training.
"What do you think? This is the strength of the Royal Guard that Ex prides itself on."
...If this were just a regular unit, as Arne claims, I would be impressed.
Arne, who had come along as our guide, was beaming with confidence as she introduced the training scene before us. If these were low-ranking soldiers, their performance would be highly commendable.
However, if this is the Royal Guard, it’s a different story.
This level of coordination should be the bare minimum, and individual skill is also required. After all, their primary duty is to protect the King. If the Royal Guard is being deployed to the front lines, it usually means the kingdom’s fate is already sealed. Or perhaps, in this country, "Royal Guard" doesn't refer to the King's protectors, but rather some kind of special forces unit?
Well, I can't exactly ask them that directly. People like this are bound to take offense and snap at me for being insulting.
"That's amazing, Arne-san."
"Isn't it? It truly is, Lady Amanda."
While the rest of us remained unimpressed, it was fortunate that Amanda spoke up with genuine awe. In situations like this, Amanda’s conventional way of thinking is quite useful. To her, soldiers working hard at their training are simply amazing. She doesn't stop to consider how practical this would be in actual combat.
Well, there is also the possibility that they gathered these members specifically to show off to us—or rather, to Amanda, the Dragon Knight. A "performance troupe," if you will. It’s a common tactic: putting on a show to provide false information to an opponent without revealing one's actual military strength. That seems more likely. I should take everything she says with a grain of salt.
Anyway, we were currently in the training grounds watching this tedious display. Amanda’s demonstration as a Dragon Knight had already concluded, and after parting ways with Popuri, we found ourselves in this situation.
Amanda’s performance afterward had been quite a sight. She had merely lifted her Wyvern, Wai-chan, into the air, circled around, and breathed a little fire, and the crowd had erupted in cheers. She had turned bright red and panicked. Honestly, compared to the time with August and Hifie, she had handled it much better. I suppose the stakes were different—one was a matter of life and death, while the other was a performance from the start.
The bigwigs of Ex who participated in the demonstration seemed to have judged Amanda as someone easy to manipulate; they finished their greetings quickly and started talking about invitations to parties and the like. Popuri and Noble had gently stepped in to stop them when she looked troubled, bringing the event to a close. Since then, as planned, Popuri and Noble had gone to evaluate the magic tools, while we were "touring the castle," which was really just a pretext for us to map out the interior, gauge the soldiers' proficiency, and probe Arne for information.
"But, being able to do something like that means they must train quite a lot, right?"
"Yes. Group coordination isn't something that can be achieved overnight. They repeat these drills daily to hammer it into their bodies and minds."
"Whoa. That's amazing."
"What are you saying? Lady Amanda, you seem quite well-trained yourself, don't you?"
"Oh, that's just because the school's policy is that mages are only as good as their mobility."
"I see. So the Magic Academy emphasizes practical combat. I think I understand why His Majesty holds Lady Popuri in such high regard."
Well, we were mostly just listening. In this situation, Amanda is the one with the highest priority—at least on the surface. It makes things easier that she’s chatting so naturally with Arne.
"Come to think of it, I had a talent for magic, but why did you become a knight, Arne-san? We aren't that far apart in age, are we? Oh, you don't have to answer if it's something you'd rather not talk about."
Good, the conversation had naturally shifted to Arne. Although "everyone" really just meant me, Eris, and Taiki, we were all listening intently while pretending to look elsewhere. Eoid was busy watching the soldiers' training with a serious expression.
"No, there's nothing to hide. I just wanted to become a knight in hopes of repaying His Majesty for his kindness."
"Repaying him?"
"Yes. My hometown was in a different country, and my family ran a general store there."
"Oh?"
"But then, a famine occurred. As part of the compensation—as immigrants—His Majesty brought us here."
"Eh? That sounds like... w-wait, aren't you a slave?"
"No. His Majesty would never do something so cruel. He provided us with food, clothing, and shelter, and we never had to worry about our daily lives. He only asked that we cultivate the land within Ex so that if a similar situation ever occurred, a support system would be ready."
"He's a kind person, then."
"Yes. At the time, my goal was to open a general store just like my parents, but after experiencing His Majesty’s benevolence, I wanted to help in some way, so I volunteered to become a soldier."
"And now you're a knight. That's amazing."
"No, I'm still inexperienced compared to Lady Amanda. Even as a knight, I've only just finished my training and started appearing in places like this."
"Then we're the same. I only recently became a Dragon Knight myself."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, it is."
The conversation between Amanda and Arne continued in that vein.
...We exchanged glances and nodded. She is definitely connected to Princess Dressa.
Moreover, she doesn't even seem to know what happened to her hometown since then. Naturally, she wouldn't know about Princess Dressa either. No, this is likely intentional information suppression.
But why keep someone so volatile close at hand?
Hmm, I can't quite tell what that man Noble is thinking. I should report this to Yuki and have everyone think it over.
"...So, the Principal was amazing, but Master Eris is also incredible."
"Oh? Is that the Lady Eris here?"
"Yes. And the other person with the cream-colored hair is Master Deryu; her hand-to-hand combat and swordsmanship are amazing."
Hm? The conversation had turned to us.
"Hoho. Since Lady Popuri allowed you to accompany her, I assumed you had some skill, but to that extent?"
Ah, this is a very predictable pattern. Arne approached us and said:
"If you don't mind, would you be willing to give me some guidance?"
"Hmm. Right here?"
"Yes."
"I wonder about that..."
"Is there a problem?"
"No, I just thought it might be improper to do so without Lady Popuri or King Noble present. If something were to happen, it wouldn't be good for either of us, would it? I felt it was a bit much to act on my own authority."
"I see..."
Phew, I managed to brush it off, but that was a close one.