Abel felt pleasantly tired after training with Kashe.
At first, he thought it would be a hassle, but as they continued, he began to sense Kashe’s genuine dedication.
She clearly had talent, and if she kept up her training with perseverance, she would likely improve significantly.
He started by teaching her the basic forms of the Offensive Sword Style that had been passed down from his mother Ayla.
“Lady Kashe, that’s enough for today.”
“Very well. Make sure you come again tomorrow.”
Kashe declared with pride. She looked quite pleased with herself.
Abel gave a polite bow like a proper squire and made a quick exit.
He had mountains of work to get through, after all…
He had the narrow castle gate opened by the gatekeeper and made his way to Baron Gatu’s quarters, where he found Ise as well.
Baron Gatu, Abel’s superior, might seem a bit lax at first glance, but in reality, he was a man well-versed in the undercurrents of the world.
Unlike the typical lower-ranking noble, he oddly showed little sign of entitlement.
Abel felt a certain kinship with this easygoing man.
So, he decided it might be time to tell him everything about his lineage, and more.
However, it turned out Gatu already knew that Abel’s father Walter was the illegitimate child of the Count.
Naturally, he also knew about Abel’s origins.
Incidentally, it seemed Ise was learning for the first time that Abel was the Count’s grandson.
“Even so, the Count instructed me to serve as a squire. He said I wouldn’t be acknowledged as a member of House Highwand… so please continue to treat me as a squire.”
Gatu gave a twisted smile. Somewhere between amused and troubled.
“No wonder… There’s no way a normal guy would end up working under me. I figured there was something. So I got a few drinks into some old knights and poked around. They said the Count has an unacknowledged bastard child. And apparently, the new squire named Abel is his son.”
“Well, it was bound to come out sooner or later. My father isn’t even treated as family, so there’s no chance his son would be accepted as a member of House Highwand. Honestly, I prefer it that way. It’s easier.”
Abel decided this was a good opportunity to ask about Gatu’s own past.
“So, Baron Gatu… what exactly did you do?”
“Me? Well… I used to serve a powerful noble, Duke Berginfon. But I got involved with his second daughter. It was mutual, I swear. But apparently, a baron having a relationship with a duke’s daughter out of marriage was out of the question. So I got kicked out.”
“Love isn’t easy when you’re free to choose…”
“In noble circles, marriage is usually about politics or money. I messed with something valuable. Once you defy your house, no other noble wants anything to do with you. But the Highwand family took me in. So I don’t complain….even when I get all the jobs no one else wants. Like taking care of a half-blood who struggles with socializing.”
“I’m grateful to Sir Gatu. But I don’t recall needing anyone to ‘take care’ of me.”
Ise replied in her usual calm, composed tone.
“By the way, Sir Gatu, there’s something I’d like to ask your advice on.”
“What is it?”
“There’s a boy named Rick Hazaf from my village. He came to Porto with me. He wants to become a squire. What do you think we should do?”
Gatu’s relaxed smile vanished in an instant.
His eyes sharpened.
In that moment, he looked every bit the battle-hardened warrior.
It was honestly a little intimidating.
“Hmm. So he wants to become a knight someday. How’s his magic?”
“Completely nonexistent. Not only can he not strengthen his body, he can hardly even sense magic.”
“Does he have any special skills? Like Professor Casalos, for example. Or maybe he’s good at drawing, or something.”
“…If I had to say, he’s probably good at woodworking. But… he doesn’t seem to enjoy that kind of labor.”
“Hmph. Sounds like he’d be better off becoming a carpenter, don’t you think?”
“Exactly. But he’s stubborn about it. He’s obsessed with the idea of becoming a knight. I thought… rather than force him into farming, maybe it’d be good if he had at least one chance to try.”
Gatu fell silent for a moment, deep in thought, before replying.
“The war with the Kingdom is growing fiercer by the day. The main battlefield is the Central Plains to the east, so it might not feel real to you yet… but if the Empire’s expeditionary forces are defeated, the next battlefront will be here. Highwand and the Reinhargh territories on the Empire’s eastern edge.”
“……”
“This won’t be some skirmish between a few hundred men. It’ll be a full-scale war with thousands and tens of thousands fighting for their lives. In my opinion, things are going to keep escalating. Neither the Emperor nor the current King seem interested in negotiations or ceasefires, unlike their predecessors. We’d better brace ourselves for a major war.”
“…Has the relationship with the Kingdom of the True King deteriorated that badly?”
Gatu nodded firmly.
“It’s on fire, practically beyond repair. It’s been thirty years since the Emperor took the throne, and the war’s been dragging on ever since. Now it’s reaching a hopeless point.”
“Should I try to talk Rick out of it?”
“You should let him decide for himself. There are those who want to die gloriously. Unless you’re his parent, you’ve got no obligation to stop him. But… if you really want to stop him, Abel, I’ll knock some sense into him for you. And if, even after that, he still insists on becoming a squire… then maybe I’ll help him find some kind of job. Can’t promise it’ll be as a squire, though.”
Abel nodded.
If Rick were sent into a place like that mine from the other day… there would be a high chance he wouldn’t make it out alive.
—Yeah. This isn’t a normal kind of job.
Talking to Gatu was the right call. He’s willing to help.
After that, since Gatu had promised to treat him to a lavish meal, they headed out into the city.
Incidentally, he had no squire.
He explained that once you take someone on as a squire, you can’t help but feel responsible for raising them into a knight, so he rarely accepted one. Apparently, he had a peculiar sense of responsibility.
Strange, considering how rough his appearance and manner of speech were…
It was still broad daylight, but once night fell and the gates were closed, no one would be allowed back into the castle unless on a special mission.
For example, escorting criminals.
That being the case, on their days off, there were always a few who started drinking in the afternoon and returned to the castle at dusk.
Abel approached the gatekeeper at the outer gate.
It was the same young soldier who had once persistently demanded silver coins from him.
“Um… do you remember me?”
“Huh? Ah! Sir Squire, do you need something?”
The sudden change in attitude caught Abel completely off guard.
“Eh? Wh-What’s with that way of talking?”
“No, no! I must apologize for my rudeness before. I had no idea you were serving under none other than Lady Ise Ark. I meant no disrespect. It’s just that, well… a soldier’s pay is meager, and without a little extra on the side, it’s hard to get by.”
“Uh, ah… I see. That sounds tough.”
“No, no, not at all!”
“Um… I actually wanted to ask you something.”
“What might that be, sir?”
Abel couldn’t help thinking, what kind of conversation is this?, but he went on.
“Have you seen a boy with a lumpy, potato-like face waiting around by the outer gate?”
“…Potato. Ah. That one, maybe.”
“You know him?”
“I think I might’ve seen a boy like that.”
Abel casually pulled a few copper coins from his pocket and handed them to the soldier.
“His name is Rick Hazaf. If you see him, could you have him wait here? And then let me know right away. I’d appreciate it.”
“Understood. I’ll pass the message along.”
And with that, Abel and his group headed into the city.
The people coming and going were of all sorts, but all of them were human.
Some looked wealthy, while others had the appearance of beggars.
What Abel couldn’t quite understand were the heavily armed men.
Some of them even had attendants, almost like squires following knights.
Could they really be knights…?
Abel asked Baron Gatu about it.
“Ah, those? They’re mercenaries. The Highwand County is short on soldiers, so they’ve been hiring mercenaries as well.”
“I don’t really understand the difference between mercenaries and soldiers.”
“Not surprising. The Empire claims that it alone is the only true nation. Officially, it doesn’t recognize other countries. But in reality, that’s not the case. Plenty of humans live in the non-human Realm too.
And then there are groups that don’t call themselves nations but still hold strong autonomy. Some areas are counted as provinces of the Empire, but there are vast regions where its control doesn’t reach at all. Fighters from those places end up drifting here…well, you could call them migrant workers, too.”
“Oh. Now that you mention it, my parents once lived in the non-human lands. They worked as adventurers though…”
“Exactly. People like that. Now, as for high-ranking nobles like counts, even when they’re ordered to mobilize, by law they can only conscript soldiers from within their own lands. But sometimes, even after conscription, they still don’t have enough men to field an army. That’s when mercenaries step in.”
“So even humans from the non-human lands are allowed to enter the Empire?”
“As long as they’ve got the proper papers and pay the entry fee, they can cross the border.”
“What about people from the Kingdom?”
“Officially, they’re forbidden.”
“Which means… unofficially, they slip in anyway. Smuggling, then?”
“Exactly. And cracking down on that is part of a knight’s duty. I’ll teach you more about it another time.”
Gatu then led him into a shop not far from the castle, tucked away in a back alley.
Its name was The Turtle’s Friend.
A strange name. Especially since the inside was decorated with dozens of turtle shells.
It felt more like The Turtle’s Enemy.
The place was tiny, with room for maybe twenty people at most.
There was only one other group of customers.
Gatu, without asking, went ahead and ordered a variety of dishes.
After sampling a bit of what was brought out, Abel asked something that had been on his mind for a while.
“Um… non-humans are discriminated against, aren’t they? Why is that? My father always told me not to discriminate, and I feel the same way.”
“That’s a long, complicated story. Hard to sum up simply… But let’s start with this: do you know about the Great Empire?”
“Yes. A thousand years ago, the First Emperor of the humans founded it as a unified nation.”
“Right. When the First Emperor passed and the Great Empire split apart, the non-humans resisted human rule and fought bitterly against it. That’s the first cause.
Second, every time famine strikes, non-humans cross the border and raid Imperial lands. That’s a major reason.
Third, the current Emperor despises non-humans. He’s launched several harsh campaigns to suppress them. And that’s just scratching the surface. There are plenty more reasons if you want them.”
“Lady Ise deserves better. She works so hard, yet no one appreciates her.”
“Mhmmm. True enough. But still, if Ise had the kind of personality to crack a joke now and then… or if she could use her charm a little better… People wouldn’t keep their distance. But the way she answers all sharp and cold, like she’s untouchable….well, it just pushes people away.”
The subject of the conversation Ise remained silent as a stone.
Abel asked why she served an empire that treated her so coldly.
“My grandfather and father served the Highwand family.”
That was her only short reply.
“Are they both non-humans?”
“My father is human. My grandfather was half demon and half human.”
Now that he thought about it, Abel remembered hearing something like that back in Kaizan.
“My grandfather told me that my worth could only be shown through battle. I feel the same way.”
Since Ise was speaking even less than usual, Abel decided not to ask anything more.
Gatu gave a wry smile.
“Well, guess we’ve just gotta keep going. And now that Abel’s become a companion of Lady Kashe, the wind might be turning in our favor.”
“About becoming her companion… to be honest, I’m a little confused. It’s taken an odd turn.”
“Who knows? The count might’ve had that in mind from the beginning.”
“As a playmate, you mean?”
“Lady Kashe didn’t have a very fortunate home life. That might be what he’s concerned about. Let me tell you something…she doesn’t share the same mother as her two older brothers.”
“…I didn’t know that.”
“It’s common knowledge in Highwand. Commander Berle’s marriage was apparently terrible. After they finished having children out of duty, things got even worse. Berle never divorced his legal wife, but he took another woman as a lover. That woman is Lady Kashe’s mother.”
“No wonder she doesn’t look like her brothers. Her eye color is different too.”
“Yeah. Those pretty purple eyes of hers. Just like her mother’s.”
Gatu downed the grape wine that had been brought over, clearly enjoying it.
Abel, of course, drank tea.
Ise, for her part, was sipping a very strong distilled liquor as if it were water.
Her face was just slightly flushed with a hint of pink.
More food was brought to the table.
The staff explained what it was.
Herb-steamed land turtle. River turtle soup. Turtle egg omelet.
The meat was tender, not gamey at all, and even better than top-grade chicken.
“Ise, you’re taking Abel on dangerous missions without hesitation. I know you’ll help if it comes to it, but still.”
“I don’t intend to treat Abel like a child. If he’s trained in life-and-death situations from now on, he can become a capable warrior. Every renowned swordsman and mage was raised in harsh environments from a young age. Creatures dull and rot in peaceful surroundings.”
“Lady Ise… please don’t say such ominous things…”
—So Ise intends to make me into a warrior?
I still don’t really know what I want to become in the future…
But I’m pretty sure I’m not going to be a warrior or a hero.
“I haven’t clearly decided on my future yet, but I do feel like I want to help at my father’s clinic. That’s why I’m thinking of becoming a knight. I’d be fine with just being a squire, too. And… someday, I’d like to travel the world.”
“…I see.”
Ise responded with the same calm expression she always wore.
She really was a mystery…
Her face was finely shaped and beautiful, but as unmoving as a sculpture.
Abel couldn’t read Ise’s true feelings at all.
After eating their fill, they returned to the castle in the evening.
That’s when Abel realized—
He had forgotten to buy bedding.
In the end, he ended up sharing a bed with Ise again.
***
Lopez and Monke were talking privately.
The older brother Lopez was twenty. The younger Monke was fifteen.
They were close siblings who got along well.
They always ate and hunted together.
With a bitter look on his face, Lopez handed a letter to his brother.
A letter from their grandfather, Barth Highwand.
The content was a reprimand. He was criticizing them for forcing the still-inexperienced Abel into a duel with a criminal.
Lopez slammed the desk in frustration.
“I made him Ise’s squire and had him duel because Father said he was a coward and needed to be unmasked quickly, and now Grandfather’s scolding me for it.”
“Well, big brother, let’s expose his true colors eventually. He’s stuck being Ise’s squire. He’ll either quit in frustration or start sucking up to us. We’ll use him up.”
“Hmph. I’ll keep him stuck under Gatu, buried in exhausting missions. And every now and then, we’ll stir up trouble for him. He’ll get fed up and go running back to the countryside… I can’t stand seeing a half-baked brat acting like he’s a member of the main house.”
The two brothers laughed together.
There was a damp, shadowy undertone to Monke’s laughter in particular.
Monke Highwand’s talent was lacking. His magical ability was stuck at the beginner level, and his physical enhancement skills were nowhere near his brother’s.
Even if he fought their younger sister Kashe he would probably lose…or, at best, manage a draw.
He had trained diligently, but both he and others had to admit that his magical power was weak.
“Why don’t I have any talent?” Monke blamed himself every day.
Their father Berle would sometimes try to encourage his son, telling him to use his head and serve as a strategist or quartermaster.
It was comforting and at the same time, deeply frustrating.
It felt like he was being looked down on, as if they were telling him, “Useless people should stay quietly at home.”
In the end, he was just a mediocre warrior. No, even less than that…
It was a truth he couldn’t accept. A burning, bitter shame that ate away at him.
And then, Abel appeared.
A boy overflowing with talent.
He could use healing magic, and his swordsmanship was beyond what one would expect from a child.
Envy.
Jealousy.
You could even call it hatred.
One day, I’ll turn him into a slave lower than a dog.
Monke laughed as he imagined that day.
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