Abel followed a red-haired squire of about fifteen years old, carrying his luggage.
Leaving the stern main keep behind, they walked for a while until they reached a gloomy building set against the castle wall, where little sunlight reached.
It was two stories tall, worn and shabby in appearance.
Inside was a corridor with several doors.
It hadn’t been maintained, and there was no sign of anyone living there. It was more like a storeroom or warehouse. Yet on one of the doors hung a knight’s crest and a family crest.
The squire whose name Abel didn’t know knocked. There was no response.
“This is the room of Knight Ise Ark. Lady Ark is away on some errand. Well then, I’ll be going.”
“Huh? Wait, please. What am I supposed to do now?”
“Squire Abel. You were ordered by Commander Berle to serve Lady Ark. That’s all there is to it. What else would you do?”
With that curt answer, the red-haired boy walked away, leaving Abel staring blankly after him.
Left alone, Abel glanced at the sky.
It was overcast and heavy, about to rain.
Evening was already falling.
He was worried about Rick, but he couldn’t leave the castle today.
First he had to make contact with Ise.
So Abel sat down on the floor, deciding to wait outside the room.
From outside came the faint patter of raindrops.
As darkness deepened, Abel cast the spell Light.
A glowing sphere appeared above his head.
This magic gave off bright light but almost no heat. It was very useful, especially for dungeon expeditions.
There was a similar spell called Fire. It was a first-rank fire spell that produced a flame about the size of a match.
For illumination, Light was far superior, but Fire could serve as a spark for kindling.
In other words, they each had different uses.
Time passed.
The day had been unexpectedly exhausting, with training and, above all, the conversation with Count Barth, whose presence radiated the dignity of a hereditary noble. That alone had worn Abel out mentally.
He began to nod off a little.
Without a clock, he had no way of knowing the time.
Still, Abel kept waiting… though the thought crossed his mind that perhaps she wouldn’t return tonight at all.
When he thought of Ise, a strange feeling welled up inside him.
She was an unusual girl.
Her appearance was beautiful, but her personality or perhaps her very nature was unfathomable.
That was why she had remained in his mind, though he had no idea how he ought to approach her…
From the far end of the corridor, near the staircase leading to the second floor, Abel sensed a faint presence. He turned.
Someone was standing in the dimly lit hallway.
His heart leapt.
The figure wore a rain cloak with the face concealed.
Since the only entrance was on the opposite side, she must have come down from the second floor.
Abel called out.
“Who is it?”
“…Who are you?”
A voice he recognized.
Clear and calm. It could only be Ise’s.
“Ah! Lady Ise Ark. Do you remember me? I’m Abel Ray. We fought the magical beasts in Fumu Village.”
Ise pushed back the hood of her cloak and strode quickly toward him.
Before Abel stood that same unusual yet sharply beautiful girl.
Her slightly wavy, raven-black hair flowed down to her chest as if it was damp.
Her eyes were mysterious and radiant like rubies. They were just as he remembered.
She was, without doubt, an extraordinarily beautiful girl.
She looked around fourteen, the same as before.
“So it’s you. That strange child from back then. Abel, was it? I didn’t recognize you… you’ve grown.”
“Strange child”….that was bluntly put.
But since it was true, Abel had no grounds to object.
So he steeled himself.
—This girl, who somehow saw through me.
Her intuition must be incredibly sharp.
And now I’m to serve under her… but I have no other path.
“Uh… well, let’s not worry too much about me. I’ll explain in due time. I’ve been ordered by Commander Berle Highwand. From today, I’m your squire.”
“You, my squire? So that’s why you’re speaking so politely now? Your former, more adult way of talking suited you better. This ‘boyish’ tone of yours….if it’s nothing but a flimsy coat of paint, wouldn’t it be better not to wear it at all?”
“Ha, hahahaha… I apologize for being rude back then. But really, I was surprised. You came back from the opposite side of the entrance.”
“Because of you. I was being cautious.”
Ise unlocked her door and stepped inside without another word, leaving it open.
Abel waited outside, but from within came her voice telling him: “What are you doing? Come in.”
It was a girl’s room, after all…
Abel hesitated, but since she had given permission, he set aside his doubts and stepped in.
With the Light spell, he saw a space about the size of the apartment he’d lived in during his previous life.
One bed.
A large chest.
A bucket, a water jar.
Some jars and bags stacked together.
A rope strung across the room, with laundry hanging from it.
Ise took off her cloak, removed her breastplate, and then slipped out of her leather wear. She ended up in her underwear in the blink of an eye.
—Hey, just because I’m a kid doesn’t mean you can ignore modesty!
Abel was surprised.
She heated the water in the bucket with a spell, turning it into warm water, and then stripped off even her underwear to wash her legs and body.
Abel tried not to look.
But he saw anyway.
Her chest was modestly full, in a way fitting a girl her age.
She stood a little taller than Abel, about the height of an ordinary teenage girl.
Her limbs were supple and graceful, yet firm with muscle.
Her skin was so smooth, so delicate, and so white that it almost hurt to look at.
There was a cold, luminous charm about her. A kind he had never seen before.
Once finished, Ise quickly dressed in her room clothes. In a plain linen outfit, like a simple one-piece.
It had no decoration at all, utterly lacking in glamour.
It felt like such a waste.
“Why did you become my squire?”
That was Ise’s question.
“It was an order. Probably because I used your name, Lady Ise…”
“Why did you use my name?”
“When I stopped by the town of Kaizan, your house was empty. I thought maybe something had happened.”
“That’s no longer my post.”
“You’re working at the castle now?”
“That’s right.”
“What kind of duties?”
“Dealing with bandits and thugs. Slaying magical beasts.”
It sounded like a grim assignment.
“I’ve heard knights do all sorts of tasks. Like collecting taxes, settling disputes…”
“Yes, that’s true. But I can’t handle those kinds of tasks. All I’m good at is fighting.”
“Actually, I was ordered to become your squire, but I have no idea what I’m supposed to do.”
“As long as you’re useful in battle, that’s enough. Have you improved since then?”
“Hmm… a little. But I still haven’t scored a single win against my father or mother.”
“How skilled are your parents? Their performance during the magical beast hunt was impressive.”
“My mother is Sixth Rank in the Offensive Sword Style. My father is Fifth Rank in the Swift Defense Style. But they say the ranking system is just a rough guide.”
“Abel. That strange magic of yours…who taught you that? Your parents?”
“I came up with it myself.”
“That was an interesting way to use it.”
Ise lay down on the bed and pulled the blanket over herself.
“Huh? You’re going to sleep already? What about dinner?”
“I already ate. I don’t cook, so I don’t eat in my room. We’ve got an early morning tomorrow, so you should sleep too.”
“…Ah. I see. So the room next door is mine?”
“No. The door next door is locked, so you can’t use it. If you want to sleep, it’s either here or the floor.”
By “here,” she meant the bed. In other words, sharing it.
—Huh… What’s with this woman?
Abel froze.
His body had grown somewhat, but she must have still seen him as a child and let her guard down.
“Just so you know, once there was a man who tried to touch me.”
“Yes.”
“He was clumsy about it, so it felt gross. So I punched him. Broke his teeth. Smashed his facial bones. He’s never shown his face around me again.”
She was, in some way, a woman of carnage.
Abel sat down on the floor in silence.
He decided to think about his sleeping arrangements tomorrow.
***
In the morning, birds chirped outside.
Abel woke up.
Having slept sitting on the floor, his sleep was poor in quality.
Ise seemed to be awake as well.
She got up from the bed and opened the wooden door.
The rain had stopped, and the light outside was faintly bright.
Ise took off her room clothes and put on pale green-dyed linen undergarments.
The white top might have been made of silk.
She only wore the breastplate for armor.
It was dull-colored and almost completely undecorated.
Its design resembled the prow of a ship.
What stood out was the sword in her hand. It was nearly as tall as she was.
It was a large two-handed sword, the kind a full-grown adult would struggle to wield.
But Abel knew very well how effortlessly she had swung that sword when fighting goblins.
For someone of Ise’s build, carrying the sword on her back suited her better than wearing it at her waist.
She slung the sword over her shoulder using a cross-body sword belt.
Her footwear was rugged. It was leather shoes covered by iron greaves that extended up to her shins. That kind of gear reflected her real combat experience.
When Abel looked more closely, he noticed several days’ worth of undergarments scattered around.
“Lady Ise, does a squire also do the laundry?”
“Apparently. But for today, forget about laundry. Carry the bags; we’re going to breakfast.”
Abel walked behind Ise.
The area within the castle walls was spacious.
Besides the main keep, there were many small stone buildings like the one Ise slept in.
There were also much larger buildings.
One of them had an unusually large number of people coming and going.
“That’s the dining hall. Meals are served twice a day, morning and evening. Normally, the knight sits down and the squire brings their meal. Serving is part of a squire’s duties. But you don’t have to do that for me.”
Inside, there were a lot of people. They were easily over a hundred.
It was easy to tell knights from squires.
Squires wore the red ribbon badge that Abel had on his chest.
The kitchen was at the back, and a line had formed.
Abel and Ise joined the queue.
When it was their turn, a middle-aged woman handed them trays with food on them.
“My seat is always the same.”
It was a small two-person table in the corner of the room.
“Is it alright if I sit and eat with you?”
“Yes. Do that.”
Abel took his seat.
The meal was a piece of hard black bread, a thick gooey-looking soup, and a block of cheese.
That was all. But the portions were large.
Abel took a sip of the soup. It was made with beans and meat.
It had a military-style flavor.
Not terrible, but not good either.
Ise ate silently.
Abel followed suit, but he couldn’t help feeling a deep sense of longing for Ayla’s cooking.
Ise showed no intention of making small talk.
It was a meal taken purely for fuel.
“Do you not have to pay for meals here?”
“That’s right. It’s one of the privileges of being in the Order.”
“Some people over there are drinking wine. And I see others eating meat.”
“Those who want something different prepare it themselves. This is more than enough for me.”
Abel felt several eyes on him.
Maybe it was unusual for someone to be eating at the same table as Ise.
After finishing his meal, Abel filled his cup with water using magic and drank it.
Without taking any time to relax, he and Ise carried their dishes to the kitchen.
There was no conversation with the other knights at all.
Most of the knights in the dining hall were chatting with their fellow knights or squires…
Looking closely, Abel realized there were plenty of knights who didn’t seem to intend to eat the provided food at all and were just there to talk.
In other words, this place seemed to be meant for socializing.
Yet Ise didn’t speak to anyone, nor did anyone speak to her.
—Ah, so Ise’s being ignored.
Abel let out a wry smile.
Once they were outside, they headed for the water source.
As Abel wondered what Ise was doing, Ise began brushing her teeth.
Yeah, that’s a good habit.
Abel nodded his head, then took out his own toothbrush from his pack.
Toothbrushes existed in this world too, and Abel’s was made with horsehair.
There were also types made from plants similar to bamboo.
Once they had freshened up, Ise headed to the stables.
There were dozens of horses lined up inside.
“So, you have your own horse?”
“It’d be inconvenient not to.”
For the record, in the Empire, there’s no law saying only nobles can ride horses.
However, since horses were expensive to maintain, commoners rarely owned them for leisure.
Most were used as valuable labor for transport or farming.
Ise received her tack from the stable keeper.
“Are horses issued to you? Or do you have to own one yourself?”
“In my case, I bought this one myself. But the castle covers the cost of the stable and care.”
“I think I’m starting to understand the relationship between a knight and their master. Meals, lodging, and the environment for battle. Those things are provided by the master… and for the squire as well, I guess.”
“That’s the right idea. There are two types of squires. One is like you, Abel hired by a count and then assigned to a suitable knight. The other is when a knight hires a squire directly. In that case, the knight pays the squire’s wages.”
Ise quickly and skillfully fitted the tack onto her horse.
The horse seemed attached to her and followed obediently.
“I’ll ask bluntly. I heard that Lady Ise’s squires quit very quickly. Why is that?”
Ise turned her red eyes toward him.
“The purpose of becoming a squire is to become a knight. Then a knight with an official post… and eventually, a baron or a viscount.”
“A career path, then.”
“As you can see, I’m of mixed blood of the demon race. The current emperor, His Majesty Wells, has a dislike for non-humans. He even passed laws to exclude them.
People judge by appearances. Which means that no matter what I do, my chances of rising in the Empire are slim. On top of that, fighting is all I’m good at, so I’m always given the most dangerous assignments. Naturally, squires hired by the castle lose heart quickly. The work demands risking your life, but the rewards don’t match.”
Abel nodded, now understanding the reason.
“Would it be the same if you hired squires personally, Lady Ise?”
“I’ve never met anyone who was truly right for the role. I’ve tried hiring a few times, but they all quit.”
Berle and the rest of Highwand’s family are probably just waiting for me to give up.
If I ask for help, I’ll have no choice but to submit.
They want me to play the part of a pathetic dog, groveling for favor.
—I won’t lose to them.
And if I can’t follow orders, my position will get even worse.
This is really a raw deal…
“Have you thought about quitting too? If you’re going to, the sooner the better.”
“No. I want to be both a healing mage and, if possible, a knight. I won’t give up that easily.”
“Finding someone else to serve under might be faster.”
“…Well, that may be, but still. Besides, you said you’d teach me how to fight, didn’t you?”
“You do have something in mind, I see. I know you’re not ordinary. Do as you like.”
Ise’s horse was a black mare.
Her name, surprisingly enough, was Nana. It was a rather cute name.
Abel had once heard from Walter that warhorses tended to have wild temperaments.
But Nana had a calm expression, and her nature was exactly as it seemed.
She was built like a large breed, with remarkably sturdy legs and hips.
“She looks like a strong, fine horse.”
“She’s not good at running fast, but she’ll keep going through hills and fields as far as needed.”
“Should I just run along behind, then?”
“Until we get you a horse of your own, we’ll ride double. Sit behind me.”
Ise placed a hand on the saddle and mounted with a light, effortless leap.
Despite the weight of her equipment, her precise movement put no strain on the horse.
Abel followed after her.
It usually took some practice to mount properly, but thanks to Walter’s lessons, he managed it well.
Together, they made their way toward the castle gates.
“So, where are we headed today?”
“Out of Porto Town, to an area where the security has deteriorated. Several bandit groups are raiding within the territory.”
“On the way to Porto… yeah, the atmosphere was definitely bad. I just thought that’s how it always was.”
“You took the main road, didn’t you? If bandits start showing up even on the highways, that’s a serious problem. It disrupts trade.”
“Is the count’s territory really that dangerous? Where I lived, there weren’t any bandits at all.”
“Bandits rarely target rural places where crime doesn’t pay. As for security, much of the Empire has been gradually falling into disorder. The reason is our ongoing state of war with the Kingdom for thirty years now. The fighting grows fiercer every year.
And on top of that, beastmen and tribal raiders cross over from the non-human lands in search of plunder. There are all kinds of villains out there.”
Abel asked about the thing that weighed on his mind.
“If we find criminals… do we kill them?”
“The bandits operate in groups of ten or more. It’s just the two of us. Realistically, subduing them without killing is impossible. If you hesitate and try to show mercy, you’ll only end up dead instead.”
“Lady Ise… have you killed people before?”
“More than I can count… And you, Abel?”
“I… have.”
The man within Abel’s core remembered his father with burning hatred.
It was as if his vision turned red with rage.
—A worthless man.
A miserable bastard, always whining.
A rat who deserved to die.
Criminals are no different from my father.
Parasites who don’t care about anyone’s suffering but their own.
Ise spoke quietly with a detached tone.
“Then you’re already prepared to kill.”
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