2

Three days since I got back to the capital.

I was swinging my sword in the courtyard of the dormitory inside the castle.

The first two days were a proper feast of rest and slow time—just how I liked it. But by the third, even the slowest moments started to feel like idle waiting.

So I figured I’d pass the time by moving my body, swinging my sword.

—fuh, fuh—

Swinging the sword again and again, just like Rene taught me.

But something feels off—like the image in my head. Maybe I’ve been too long away from the battlefield, not swinging a sword properly. My sense’s a bit dull, I think.

Sharper—arm, like this—

Swinging the blade, remembering the moves Rene drilled into me.

By the time I’d gone through it enough to feel the tip’s movements sharpening, just a little—enough to think I might be getting the hang of it—I paused my practice, wondering if I’d be all right now. Then, from the dorm, applause. I turned. There stood Leon, in a T-shirt, sword in hand.

“Always thought so—pretty clean form, you’ve got.”

“Had a tough teacher.”

Leon stopped clapping, stepped out into the garden, and drew his blade.

“Mind sparing a moment? I’ve got nothing better to do.”

“A week, was it?”

“Yeah. Honestly, I’m surprised it’s gone this easy.”

Unlike me, Leon hadn’t been forbidden from touching Armunale. Well, that machine never really belonged to him to begin with, so they probably figured the ban meant little either way.

Leon’s machine had already been retrieved and was in the middle of maintenance. They said it’d probably be handed over to one of the second-in-command officers up front, just like the other generators.

Still, even though he’d scored a few victories, Leon wasn’t getting a second chance with a machine of his own.

I raised my sword toward him, showing I was ready to fight.

Leon smiled, gripping his blade tight.

“Let’s go.”

“Come on.”

Clang—our swords met, sparks flying small.

Both of us were serious. A real hit’d mean injury, but neither of us was that careless with our skill.

We pushed against each other, then stepped back with the recoil. Leon lunged forward first. I blocked his upward slash with a downward chop from above.

He slid his blade’s flat side along mine, slipping away to the rear.

Right after, a sharp scrape rang out.

I spun around mid-motion, sweeping my blade horizontally—Leon had already raised his sword, blocking the strike.

If I’d just turned, without moving, I’d’ve been cut open by now.

“Still got good instincts, huh.”

“Not instincts. I heard the grass crunch.”

It was quiet this time of morning—almost no one around the dorms, and the area still as a stone. So the sound of us stepping on the lawn carried clear and sharp.

That’s why, the moment Leon stepped back, I heard the unmistakable twist of grass underfoot. I swung my blade then, just to scare him off.

“Huh. Then how about this?”

“Hmph.”

Leon lunged forward—this time, not a single footstep gave him away.

But he wasn’t holding back—same speed as before, sharp and strong, his blade cut through the air.

Dodged the first strike, stepped back, and calmly blocked the second.

“What’s this?”

“Training for fighting in the rain. Practiced a bit.”

“So this is what that was.”

Now it makes sense why he moved so oddly at the Kailen base.

Probably spent time learning how to feel the ground just right, how to channel every ounce of power without waste. That kind of footwork.

“Fighting on unstable ground’s gotten easier. Rain-slick grass or sand—no way I’d lose to Eld.”

“Don’t think I’m going down easy!”

I drove forward, forcing Leon back.

Not sand, not raining—so I’ll just push him with sheer strength!

When I went on the offensive, Leon stepped back, blocking and deflecting my sword with a flick.

I feinted left, then right—still couldn’t land the decisive blow.

“Stubborn, aren’t you?”

“Eld’s attacks are too soft!”

The instant I showed even the tiniest flicker of frustration, Leon seized the opening and surged forward.

I froze my feet, instinctively parrying his blade—only to find myself completely on the defensive now.

His strikes did cut sharper than mine, true—but I’d been drilled into by Rene’s tactics until defense was second nature. No way I’d let myself be caught open like that.

“Still as solid on defense as ever.”

“My body remembers.”

Rene’s drills had carved the moves deep into me. Thanks to that, I can defend just as well as Layla now—maybe even better.

Clang—clang—only the sound of swords meeting echoed through the quiet courtyard, the sun climbing slowly toward its peak.

“Phew… phew… maybe we should call it a day now.”

“Yeah…”

We both were breathing hard, and Leon pulled back his blade.

I doubt either of us couldn’t keep going if we wanted to— but pushing further would cross the line from training into something else.

We wiped the sweat from our brows with the towels we’d brought, cooling down our overheated bodies. The courtyard, tucked in the dorm’s shadow, was chilly already, the winter’s approach making it even colder. Might get too cold if we stayed much longer.

“What now?”

“Almost noon. Want to grab Ange and head to the mess hall?”

“Ange’s been called to the Second Princess. Probably just playing doll for her—she’s got nothing better to do, I guess.”

"Aw, that's rough. How about hitting the tavern for a drink, then? Just for old times' sake."

"Midday? Sure, why not!"

So there we were—out in town, drinking in broad daylight. Not exactly the sort of thing a knight on standby’s supposed to do, huh?

After changing clothes, we hit the streets. It was lunchtime, so folks were packed into inns and taverns like sardines.

Most taverns serve lunch during the day, but if you ask, they’ll pour you a drink too. Might not get a warm welcome, but as long as we don’t cause trouble, it’ll be fine.

"Which one should we hit?"

"Everywhere’s packed."

Peeking in through the windows, every seat was taken. I was already kicking myself for not coming a little later—just as I was about to give up and keep walking, we turned down a side street and finally spotted a place with a free table. We ducked in.

Guess the main road’s too far off to draw much foot traffic during breaks.

We slid into a tavern with barely half the seats filled. Ordered lunch and barley beer at random. The server asked if work was fine—answered straight up we were off-duty, and got a smile in return.

Funny how young you are, huh? Probably would’ve been turned down if we were old men.

After a while, our meal and drinks arrived on the table.

“Alright, cheers then.”

“Cheer what?”

“Obviously that, right?”

“Yeah, fair enough.”

“Then let’s drink to the successful recovery of the Kailen Base.”

“Cheers!”

We clinked our wooden cups together and downed the brew in one go.

Bitterness and fizz danced on my tongue, washing down my dry throat after the workout.

“Phew!”

“Ah… nothing like a drink after a good workout.”

“Tell me about it.”

We chatted like old men, drained our first drinks, and then ordered whatever each of us fancied. I like my liquor sweet and low in alcohol, but Leon goes for the strong, sharp kind—whiskey, mostly.

No need to order the same thing. We always matched up on the first round, then let each other pick freely after that.

“But you’re really a noble now, Eld.”

“I’m shocked myself. Honestly, I didn’t even know such a system existed.”

“True enough—nobody talks about it. Still, imagine the trouble if people found out.”

“Yeah… true.”

Power-hungry people aren’t just nobles, you know. If every lowborn bastard’s itching to climb a little higher, and starts flouting orders just to stand out, the army’s discipline goes to hell. In that sense, I was pushing it pretty hard myself. I guess I just barely scraped by—only because the princess gave the order, really.

“Still, joining noble society sounds like a real headache.”

“True enough. It’s rough at first. Nobles are all slippery little snakes. They’ll be all over you the second they smell a chance to get a sweet bite.”

“Even if the title can’t be passed down?”

Knight-lords are one-time nobility—no inheritance. So if you can’t pass it on, why bother getting involved? There’s no real payoff, right?

Like a bucket of cold water to that soft hope, Leon answers.

“How old’s Eld now? You think you’ve got decades left before you kick the bucket?”

“Sixty, minimum.”

“Then you’ve got over forty years. That’s more than enough. And if the kid inherits your magical talent or piloting skill, plenty of nobles’ll be lining up to marry ’em off.”

“Premium genetics, huh.”

“Honestly, you should get hitched to Ange sooner rather than later. Otherwise, noble suitors’ll be flooding in, all wanting to marry this kid.”

“Feels like I’d rather refuse a knight’s honor than deal with all that hassle.”

“Give up. You’re the one who’s been showing off too much.”

“Hmph.”

I let out a long sigh, downing the extra drink that was just brought over. Sweet wine—just right for soothing my tired heart. Maybe I’ll have another.

“Sorry! Another of the same, please!”

“Yessir!”

Well, lucky for Eld, I’ve got me and Batis here. If some fancy noble shows up, we’ll stand behind him and keep him safe.

Funny, haven’t thanked Leon and the others for being nobles in a while.

Being in the army, you kinda forget they’re highborn. In the ranks, it’s mostly equal—same treatment, same respect. So a noble title don’t mean much here.

Might just be 'cause they don’t strut around like lords, though. Still, I reckon the kind of nobles we’ll have to deal with down the line won’t be so easygoing.

Heh. Guess we’ll get to enjoy the perks then.

…Actually, I take that back.

Leon and the others really are nobles.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Thanks.”

I take the cup the waitress hands me, passing back the empty one.

“Um… you two, are you by any chance knights?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, we are.”

Talk about retaking the Kailen base, or nobles, and you’d think anyone could guess we’re knights. Maybe we should’ve kept our voices down? It’s loud enough at noon, but there’s a different kind of noise when the wine kicks in—enough that you can still catch bits of the table next to you.

“Forgive the intrusion, but do you happen to know Kasso Village? I’m from there… I just can’t tell what’s become of it. I’m worried.”

Ah. A traveler from out of town, then.

But I’ve never heard of Kasso Village. Leon shakes his head too.

“Where’s it located?”

“Along the road from Kailen toward the capital. Right between Kailen and Woralan.”

“Kailen and Woralan…”

Kailen’s the base we recaptured. And Woralan’s the town that served as the second line of defense.

Which means the village she’s from—just a few days ago, it was right in the middle of a battlefield.

Looking at how the other villages turned out… it might be hopeless.

I’m wondering how to say it, glancing at Leon. He’s clearly wrestling with it too.

“Um…”

The waitress—she must’ve sensed something from our silence—comes over with a worried look, eyes brimming like she might cry any second.

Then Leon speaks.

“Kailen was retaken just recently. So if she’s still alive, there’s no need to worry anymore. But before that, it was under attack, so we can’t say for sure what the village’s like now. We only know it was hit from the north when we went there.”

"Yeah... sorry, bothering you like this, even though you’re off duty."

"Nonsense, I understand the worry. I’m praying the villagers are safe, that’s all."

"Thank you."

The waitress bowed once, then turned back to her work.

Watching her go, I feel a little heavier in the chest. I mean, I just heard the truth about the war from the princess herself.

A war deliberately started—people like us are scared. And of course, there are the ones who’ve already died on the front lines, just like I’ve seen with my own eyes.

Still, the way the king’s using this war to fuel the nation’s prosperity... I just can’t bring myself to agree. I’ve seen the front. That’s why it hits harder.

"If only we could be out there, on the front."

"We’re soldiers. Going against our commanders? That’s not something you just do."

"Yeah, but—"

There’s still something I can’t quite swallow. Just thinking that, a plate lands on the table. A pile of sausages and cheese sits there.

I look up, startled. Not the same waitress from before—but a plump woman with a broad frame.

“Sorry ’bout earlier. That girl’s been fretting over her parents ever since.”

“No, no, if we’d just kept our own heads held high, we wouldn’t’ve made her worry like that.”

“Now, now. War’s war—nobody knows how it’ll turn out. Everyone here knows you’re doing your best. Don’t you go blaming yourself.”

“Thank you.”

“This here’s my apology. Felt like I’d spoiled the mood, so I thought I’d make it up.”

“Appreciated.”

Picking at the food, sipping the wine again—somehow, I feel just a little lighter.

We stepped out of the shop around three o’clock, well past noon.

The sausages they served were far too delicious—Leon and I both ended up drinking too much, not just a little tipsy, but properly drunk. Still, I managed to keep from falling completely into a stupor, and I like to think it was thanks to my daily training, maintaining that knightly pride.

"Nice little place, huh."

"Yeah. Next time, let’s bring Batis and Ange along."

"True. Say, does either of them have a lover? You’d think a noble like them would already have a fiancé by now."

"I’ve got someone I could call that, I suppose. Batis’s parents are keeping things from going further, though—his personality’s just too much for them to handle."

Yeah, fair enough. He’s been all over the place since academy days, chasing one girl after another. Multi-partner relationships were a breeze for him. Even if he were a noble, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to be engaged to someone like that.

Guess Batis’s parents are the ones doing the filtering.

But I’ve never heard Leon’s engaged before.

“Why don’t you introduce me?”

“Just settled it a few days ago. I haven’t even met her yet, you know.”

Ah. So that’s how it is.

“So you’re meeting her during your penance?”

“Probably.”

“Then introduce her after. Ange and I’ve got nothing but time for a while.”

We might be idle for a few months. A bit of distraction would be nice.

“Yeah, if she’s someone I can stand. It’s a noble match. Could be someone not worth the trouble.”

“What if she is?”

“How do you think?”

Leon says it with that sideways grin—my spine gives a little shiver. Not seriously thinking of faking an accident, are you? He’d do it without blinking.

“Maybe… just kill her?”

"Idiot. Even if she's not much, she's a proper lady of our station—can't just kill her like that."

"Then what do we do—no, better not ask."

"That's the idea."

I hope Leon's fiancée's a decent sort.

We were still talking when we made it back to the dorms.

Splitting from Leon at the front door, I headed to my room.

"Back."

"Oh, welcome home, Eld-kun."

I stepped inside, and Ange’s voice floated from the back.

She’d already come back? I figured the princess’s summons would take until evening. Did I do something wrong?

Thinking that, I moved deeper into the room—and there she was, in a dress.

"What’s with the dress?"

"Miss Ines lent it to me. Said I looked good in it, so I came to show it to you."

"Oh. Yeah, it suits you."

The dress had a sharp, clean look—light blue, with intricate knotwork draped across the shoulders.

Not flashy like something for a party, but the kind of thing a noble might wear on a quiet day. Still, the Second Princess’s insistence on showing it left a faint unease.

Ange smiled, cheeks tinged pink, happy I’d praised her, then darted down to me.

“Anyway, the Second Princess said to pull this ribbon—she said to tell you, Eld-kun.”

“This ribbon?”

I took the one she offered, eyes following where it led.

Seemed to connect somewhere near the side, no obvious trick or hidden mechanism. But something was definitely there. Just waiting.

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh? It’s the Second Princess’s order, isn’t it? I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

It’ll be fine. Ines-sama wore the same dress and had someone else tug the ribbon, but it was just a simple change.

You know about it?

It’s a secret, though.

Seems like Ange wants me to see how she looks when she uses that mechanism.

Then again, if the princess herself has tried it and Ange saw her do it, there’s no need to worry, right?

“Pull hard, okay?”

“Yeah, just yank it all at once.”

“Got it. Here we go!”

I do as Ange says and pull the ribbon.

It slides smoothly—then pops right out of the dress. At the same time, the shoulder ornament loosens, and the dress drops straight down with a soft thud.

“Huh?”

“Eh?”

Looks like even Ange didn’t expect that.

There I am, staring right at her—Ange, in nothing but a pretty lace undergarment she’d borrowed from some princess, mouth hanging open. Then, slowly, she realizes what’s happening—her face turns scarlet.

Well, yeah. Even if it’s your boyfriend, getting undressed like that on the spot? Awkward.

But me, drunk as I was? She looked absolutely adorable—

That day, I learned something: a man isn’t just a wolf. He’s a monkey, too.

Made it to E-7. Digging? Don’t know the kid…