Chapter 10

As the cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

Just as Zerii had said, the night forest was a terrible path.

Even with the night vision talent, it doesn't work in complete darkness. So, I decided to flash light magic every few seconds to save mana and use the "Comprehensive Memory" ability to navigate without issues—so I thought.

But in reality,

"Ah!?"

The moment I cast the next flash, a swarm of bats flew right in front of me,

"Whoa!?"

There was a deep hole in the shadow of the light, and I almost fell. In the end, I had to combine this with a tongue click, using "Comprehensive Memory" to analyze the sound reflections and grasp the terrain while running—of course, this was exhausting.

Thanks to this, I managed to run through the forest without any major injuries, but my body was covered in mud.

"But... finally made it."

A vast grassland stretched out, with four small hills lined up. Three of them were surrounded by fences and had barracks set up.

But the lack of people compared to the number of barracks was probably because many were out in battle.

"—Is that it?"

I peeled off a leaf stuck to my forehead and started walking. The sky in the distance was still shrouded in dark clouds, with red cracks running through it. Even with "Enhanced Vision," I could only see a little, but it seemed that monsters were still being mass-produced and falling from the sky.

"Well, what should I do first... I want to meet up with 'Silver Scales' once. According to Zerii and Yua, merchants gather in one place for trading. If I go there, I can probably talk to them—"

I could have sneaked in secretly, but during the day, the chances of being spotted were high. So, I thought it would be better to go in straightforwardly—this was a mistake.

"Stop right there."

A sharp voice came from behind.

Turning around, I saw five people on horseback staring at me.

They all had the same equipment, with well-polished silver chest armor and protectors made of the same material covering their shoulders, elbows, knees, and ankles.

Their battle uniforms, primarily in white, red, and gold, were perfectly maintained, indicating that they were—

(Knights of the Light Heaven Kingdom.)

Their status was clearly shown.

Even on the battlefield, they meticulously maintain their equipment. "A knight must die beautifully" is not just their motto but a national policy.

Indeed, among the five, some had beards, but they were neatly trimmed.

The person who called out to me was at the front of the group.

He had long, deep green hair tied back, and his cool, green eyes. His slender jaw and high nose would make him look excellent in women's clothing.

Well, due to training and marching, his skin was tanned, so he would need makeup if he were to dress as a woman.

"Is that outfit a spy's?"

The knight, who could be mistaken for a woman—especially a beautiful one—looked to be in his teens. He called out, and the older men, who were probably twice his age, silently placed their hands on the swords at their waists, perhaps because he was of higher rank.

"…Please forgive my disheveled appearance. I ran through the forest all night."

I knelt on one knee and bowed, a gesture I learned during my time as Eva's bodyguard.

The knight with the beard let out a small "hmm," and I could see the young captain raise his hand slightly in the shadows, easing the tension.

"Who are you?"

His voice was clear and high-pitched, almost feminine—perhaps due to his androgynous appearance.

I hesitated for a moment, considering what name to use. "Silver Scales" might be known to them, as they are a famous adventurer party that cleared one of the "Labyrinth of the Nine Emotions." However, Yua mentioned that Luluza was captured, and "Silver Scales" was in a bad position.

So,

"I am a messenger from the Margrave of Kurvaan to Sir Series."

I'm borrowing your names, guys.

"…The Margrave of Kurvaan?"

The atmosphere changed.

…Huh? Did I say something unnecessary? Or is it surprise? Ah, since he's a margrave, both could be true!

"…Do you have anything to prove it?"

"Yes. I will remove my sword, so please do not be alarmed."

I removed the short sword from my belt, placed it on the ground, and took three steps back.

The sword I received from the Margrave of Kurvaan was in poor condition, but when I stayed at his house for two days, he gave me a new one. The Margrave is generous… or so I thought, but Lady Mira said, "Since you worked so hard for us, it's only natural…"

It seems they couldn't give me money, but they had plenty of weapons to give.

"Sir Wilhelm, I will handle this."

"Very well."

The bearded knight dismounted and examined the short sword I placed on the ground.

The first short sword was ornate, but this one was simple. "You can handle this," he said, and the blade was thicker and heavier.

It was a weapon that embodied "practical and sturdy," with the words "House of Margrave Muel" discreetly engraved on the hilt.

He seemed to struggle to find the inscription but finally did.

"Hmm, this 'name doesn't matter' inscription is indeed from the 'Tyrant of the Border' House of Muel. First, it's hard to imagine anyone would willingly impersonate the Muel family. If exposed, the Muel family's wild horses would chase them to the ends of the earth."

…The Margrave is being described as quite something, isn't he?

Indeed, those muscular gorillas—excuse me, the retainers—would swing their weapons at the sight of them and shout "spar!" "spar!" at the sight of new faces.

I don't think I could have beaten them in a fight without magic. Their muscle training was different.

"Hmm. So, you must be quite skilled, despite your appearance?"

The androgynous Sir Wilhelm's eyes sparkled.

…Huh?

"Indeed. The Muel family wouldn't send a weak child as a messenger. You casually mentioned running through the forest, but a mere child couldn't do that."

I'm more concerned about the ominous clouds than being called a child.

"…So, what are you saying?"

Sir Wilhelm's eyes, fixed on me, were intimidating. He asked the bearded knight,

"Johann. Who is this person?"

"…I cannot tell just by looking at the short sword."

—What?

"I see, I see. Then, you must prove yourself with your own hands."

"Wait, I already confirmed it, didn't I?"

"Are you saying that we, the knights of the Light Heaven Kingdom, lied!?"

The bearded knight shouted, spitting as he did so. It was scary.

"Johann, calm down. —There. If you are from the House of Margrave Muel, you must be quite skilled. So, if you spar with me and show your strength, I will take you to Sir Series with full responsibility."

My head started to hurt. Is he also a "spar!" "spar!" person like the Margrave? I should tag him as part of the "Margrave" group.

"…No, I don't have time for that."

"Are you lacking confidence? Ah, no, you said you ran through the forest all night. In that case, I will offer you a bed from the Light Heaven Kingdom. You should also eat something."

"…No, I need to hurry."

"Are you refusing the offer of the Light Heaven Kingdom!?"

The bearded knight was really annoying.

"…Fine, let's do it now."

I stopped kneeling and stood up.

"Ah! So, I will—"

"No, no, Sir Wilhelm, I will."

"What are you saying? This is a chance to fight someone from the House of Margrave Muel! I should—"

"No, I have already dismounted."

"Johann, you touched the sword from the House of Margrave Muel."

They started bickering.

Sigh… Mentioning the Margrave's name was a mistake…

"Hurry up. Why don't you all come at me at once?"

When I said this, everyone stopped moving.

"…What did you just say?"

Sir Wilhelm's eyes glinted.

"I said, hurry up. Or are the people of the Light Heaven Kingdom afraid to face a single child?"

I extended my right hand and beckoned.

"Give the signal. I'm ready to fight anytime."

I made a mistake in the numbering. Thank you to those who pointed it out. It seems there were no issues with the content.