CH 103

Episode 103 – A Chaotic Morning

Author Note: This chapter is from the POV of Iris Kirty, Captain of the Knights of the Royal Order.

Morning.

Just like always, I awoke to the sound of birds chirping. I still felt like I hadn’t gotten enough sleep, but I forced myself to crawl out of bed. Going straight to the bathroom, I washed my face with cold water to wake myself up.

After getting rid of my drowsiness, I stretched my stiff body as I waited for some bread to heat up. It was still a bit chilly since the sun hadn’t risen yet, but I put my armor on as I chewed on a slice of toast.

Now then, let’s go watch the boy’s swordsmanship today.

I left my rented house and started jogging in an exuberant mood as I headed towards the front of the rundown inn to observe the boy’s intensive sword training, which had already become a routine for me. When I arrived at the rundown inn, the boy was already there swinging his sword. Hmm… it was strange, since I was always the one who arrived first.

I noticed that the boy was swinging his sword a little faster than usual as I ducked into my usual hiding spot in the shadows of the building opposite the rundown inn. A while ago, I had gotten permission from the owner of this building to use this spot. Of course, I didn’t tell him the exact reason when doing so, but he gladly allowed it after I showed him my credentials as a Knight of the Royal Order and briefly explained that it was for training purposes. This was misusing the name of the Knights of the Royal Order to some degree, but it couldn’t be helped since, lately, watching the boy’s sword training was more interesting to me than the time I spent running.

Today as well, I was trying to steal a glance at him from the shadow of the building when I noticed that something was out of place with his sword swings. Were his sword swings duller than usual? Maybe there was something on his mind or something, but he kept on swinging his sword in a fairly sloppy manner, so I suddenly felt like speaking out to encourage him.

Hmmm…. If you don’t concentrate when you swing your sword, you could get hurt, you know?

I was fretting a bit since he didn’t seem to be that fired up today, when he suddenly put his wooden sword away at his waist and started walking somewhere. This was the first time he looked like he was going somewhere in the middle of his sword training, so my eyes followed him… as he walked straight towards me without turning into the road.

―This is not good!

I looked behind me, trying to look for a way to escape before I was discovered, but there was a wall behind me so there was nowhere to run! As I was floundering about, the boy had already come up to the front of the building I was hiding next to.

The boy was gazing at me fixedly, and cold sweat began to run down my face like a waterfall.

I’m done for. I’ve been caught red-handed without any excuses…

“Um… may I have a word with you?” (Boy)

While I was in a panic, the boy spoke to me. A word with me…? Absolutely not!!

I shook my head as hard as I could and tried to walk around the boy to escape, but he stuck both of his hands out to block my path.

Why are you bullying me?!

I felt like crying as I backed up slowly since there was nowhere to run, but my back bumped against the wall behind me.

T-There’s no way out, huh… I have to get away with this somehow!

I was falling into a panic, but I moved my mouth to try to manage the situation somewhat.

“Awawa~! I definitely haven’t been looking at you swinging your sword every day, you know?! T-This is just… I just happened to be passing by! ―Uh, yeah, that’s w-what it is! J-Just happened to be passing by, that’s all!” (Kirty)

I blurted out whatever came to my mind, but the boy’s expression was blank. Even I myself had no idea what I just said, but I couldn’t help it. I was so flustered that I couldn’t even think straight.

……….T-That’s right! If I can prove that I’m a Captain of the Knights of the Royal Order, maybe I could work something out! Just like that time when I asked for permission from the owner of this building, maybe it could work! Thinking that I’d seen the light, I thrusted my identification papers in the boy’s face.

“…….Ah! That’s right! Here, look at this! My Knights of the Royal Order identification papers! See, ‘Captain’, written right here?! I’m a Captain of the Knights of the Royal Order, you know?!” (Kirty)

I pointed at my identification papers with a smug face, but the boy’s expression was still completely blank. Refusing to talk didn’t work… proving that I was a Knight of the Royal Order didn’t work either… I tried to come up with various ways to get out of this situation, but I couldn’t see any way out other than to honestly turn myself in.

“Kirty-san, please calm down a bit.” (Boy)

“H-h-how do you know my name?!” (Kirty)

Did he already do some research on me beforehand in order to catch me?! If that was the case, then the Kingdom Soldiers had probably already been updated on my information and my actions. If I had been reported, then everyone in my squad would look down on me… and it wouldn’t even stop there, wouldn’t I be… fired from the Knights of the Royal Order? I mean… I could even be arrested… couldn’t I?

Me, who climbed to the top as the youngest and first female Captain of the Knights of the Royal Order, arrested for stalking…? My prestige would be repainted as infamy overnight. As the worst possible scenario played through my mind, the boy spoke.

“No, I saw your name written on the identification papers you just showed me! More importantly, please calm down a bit so we can talk. Alright?” (Boy)

T-that’s right! I was the one who showed my identification papers to the boy just now. So does that mean… the boy didn’t investigate me? After realizing that the greatest danger was now behind me, my whole body felt weak, and I felt like I could hardly stand anymore. Somehow managing to brace my legs, I responded to the boy.

“N-now that you mention it… that’s right…. Sorry, I lost my composure…” (Kirty)

“It’s fine. I didn’t come to speak to you with any bad intentions, so please don’t worry.” (Lewin)

After I apologized for my flustered state, the boy smiled and spoke to me gently to calm me down. I was assuming all kinds of worst case scenarios, but this boy might actually be a good child. Even now, as I was desperately trying to calm myself down from my panicked state, the boy was still smiling at me. Looking up and seeing the boy in front of me, I felt relieved as I managed to regain my composure.