NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: The unexpected truth
It’s obvious, but like any organisation, the knight order has a ranking system.
It begins with us, the new recruits… and proceeds through ranks: knight apprentice, lower knight, intermediate knight, upper knight, elite knight, vice commander, and finally, commander. Apparently, only those with noble lineage, particularly the younger sons of aristocrats, are eligible for upper knight positions or above.
To lead even a small group, you must at least be a lower knight. However, most assignments go to intermediate or upper knights, so in practice, lower knights are not much different from soldiers or apprentices.
On a side note, the one-eyed instructor who interviewed me, known as Row, is a remarkable figure—the first commoner to rise to the rank of elite knight. As a result, he is immensely popular among commoners, and many knights in the order were trained by him.
Yeah, there’s no way anyone could escape from someone like that, Faye. It’s a good thing I stopped you, seriously.
Trying to push aside reality for a moment, I cast a quick glance upward.
Standing there was… a red-haired, red-eyed beauty.
Her sharp gaze gave her an air of strong-willed elegance. Her hair was neatly tied back, and her slender figure and dignified posture only reinforced her commanding presence. But now, dressed in a frilly nightgown—perhaps due to the late hour—she seemed softer, more approachable than during the day.
Her name was Eresdia von Donnart, a count’s daughter from the Kingdom of Asbelt, famed as the strongest of her generation. As proof of her talent, she alone among the new recruits was granted the rank of knight apprentice.
And now, this prodigy, this noble girl, was standing before me, a commoner.
“Um, what exactly am I supposed to do here…?” I asked hesitantly.
“Ugh, be quiet for a moment… Just shut up, would you? Who in their right mind yells that loudly in the dead of night?”
Glaring at me with irritation, Eresdia-Sama gaze was sharp enough to pin me down, and I, still in a kneeling position, looked up and replied, “You’re looking at him.”
“I was being sarcastic! Don’t twist my words with logic!”
Still wide-eyed, Eresdia-Sama grabbed my ear and began to scold me furiously, though this time she whispered, likely trying to avoid shouting again after the earlier incident.
“It’s like some kind of shady business service. How much am I supposed to pay for this?”
“If you joke around again, I’ll make sure you never speak again.”
That’s quite the dangerous threat you’ve got there.
“How exactly would you do that?”
“In a very unpleasant way!”
“Ow! That hurts…!”
I raised my hands in surrender as she yanked my ear even harder. Eventually, she let go, sighing deeply as she did.
Cradling my now sore ear, I asked, “So, what do you want, Eresdia-Sama? Looking for a punching bag? I happen to know someone perfect for the job—Fei—”
“I’m not some insane person who enjoys beating people up!”
Oh, I guess that wasn’t it. For a moment, I thought she targeted me because of my quick healing, but if not, why was she here?
“So, why are you here, then? There’s nothing out here.”
“It was just a coincidence. I opened the window to get some fresh air, and I happened to see you sneaking into the barrier.”
Damn. I didn’t expect to be spotted from so far away. Next time, I’ll have to use binoculars.
As I made a mental note, Eresdia-Sama, glancing at me with interest, asked, “By the way, why were you casting magic in the middle of the night?”
A sensor inside me went off, and I cautiously responded, “Are you interested in me?”
“What? No! I just noticed your chant when you cast your enhancement magic. It wasn’t like anything I’ve heard before.”
“You didn’t need to deny it so forcefully… Wait, huh?”
I blinked in confusion, piecing together what she said.
“Wait, are you… interested in magic?”
Traditionally, knights are those who couldn’t become mages. Even an average mage could easily wipe out a group of knights, and the strongest mages in history were powerful enough to bring down entire nations.
This is why knights are often looked down upon compared to mages, and most knights grow to detest magic. They refuse to use elemental magic, limiting themselves to body-enhancing spells at best.
Personally, I’ve always thought their stubbornness was ridiculous, but that’s just how things are.
Which is why I found it odd—no, fascinating—that Eresdia-Sama, a prodigy knight, would show interest in magic.
“Wh-what? Is it really that strange?”
“Well, yeah… It’s pretty unusual.”
Honestly, I was impressed. She didn’t seem to share that same prejudice.
“Still, magic is amazing, isn’t it?”
I said this casually, mostly to keep her happy, but…
“Yes! Magic is truly incredible!!”
Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and her voice climbed several octaves. She was far more enthusiastic than I had expected, and then she casually dropped a bombshell.
“In fact, the reason I joined the knight order is because I wanted to experience magic firsthand!”
Wait… She’s not a sadist—she’s a magic-obsessed masochist?!