Chapter 4

The date has rolled over. It's Monday.

"Aaah......"

Knight Commander Harold lets out a low groan, a complex smile on his face. With hair as red as a lion and a sturdy, robust build, he is the epitome of a seasoned warrior.

In front of him stands a formidable opponent.

A pair of twins, a brother and sister, wearing blue and green ponchos.

With wide, earnest eyes, they look up at Harold, standing resolutely with their mouths in a firm line.

"Could you repeat that, please?"

Without hiding his wry smile, the knight commander asks, and the little person answers clearly and loudly.

"We want to become apprentices in the knight order."

With a wide grin, Harold looks up to the sky. Then he gives a sharp glance at Dorfen, who is standing behind the twins.

"Dorfen, what is this about?"

Dorfen tilts his head slightly and raises an eyebrow with a composed face.

"It is the wish of the young masters."

Deciding that Dorfen is no help, Harold looks down at the twins in question.

"The knight order is not a playground. To become an apprentice, one must pass an examination. The age requirement for taking the exam is thirteen and above, as one must be an adult. Unfortunately, you have not reached that age."

Even when dealing with children, Harold shows no mercy. He explains logically and looks at the twins with a stern gaze. The little person nods vigorously and speaks up again.

"Even as an apprentice's apprentice, that's fine. Please let us observe every day."

The request is mature for a child. It seems familiar, somehow.

Narrowing his eyes, Harold looks at the little person.

With smooth black hair and emerald green eyes, the slightly thin face and slightly slanted, cat-like eyes bear a strong resemblance to Princess Sakura, the former princess of Kilvan.

And the admiration welling up in his chest.

Indeed, they are Princess Sakura's children. They are well-mannered. It's as if he's looking at the little person again.

The young girl who once ran through the palace.

She changed the norms and prejudices of the frontier, brought new knowledge, and laid the foundation for the current era.

In a sense, her achievements rival those of the first generation. Yet, she disappeared from the public eye.

She lost all her tumultuous memories and her golden eyes, and now lives as just a princess deep within the palace.

This must be the will of the gods.

To allow the young princess to live as an innocent child after her hardships, the gods have regressed her memories.

That's what the palace officials concluded. It feels right.

However, it's also true that they couldn't go on without thinking so.

The immense disappointment and despair that swept through the palace four years ago. The deceptive answer to erase it.

The lost memories and eyes were for the little person's happiness.

By believing this, people found a sense of closure. They tried to forget the little person and accept the current princess.

But......

It's impossible to forget.

That lively smile and innocent eyes, gleaming with mischief.

Even if pushed to the back of their minds, the shadow of the young child would occasionally flicker.

And now, it's here again, right in front of him.

Though their appearance is completely different, the aura emanating from them is exactly the same as his.

A challenging gaze filled with hope and expectation. They don't think it's impossible at all, exuding a free spirit.

If he says no, she will surely tilt her head and ask, "Why?" just like the person he knew.

Harold lets out a deep sigh and smiles faintly.

"Very well. You may observe. I won't ask why. You are that kind of creature, after all."

Sensing something in his words, Chiharu and Chihaya look at each other and tilt their heads, but Dorfen and Harold exchange glances and smile secretly.

"That kind of creature"

This was Prince Romer's catchphrase.

To the people who were flustered by the little person's reckless actions, he would observe calmly and say, "That's just the kind of creature she is."

A similar phrase was also used in the kitchen.

No matter what the young girl did, they would say,

"Because it's the little person."

There could be no better words to describe that whimsical child. It's a perfect phrase that conveys everything without excess.

Thus, the twins of the Drago family were allowed to train at the knight order.

"Brother, let's go."

"Wait, Hero. Where's Pochiko?"

Early the next morning, the two changed into their usual overalls and were about to head to the knight order's training ground, but for some reason, Chiharu had not brought Pochiko.

The twins usually rely on the bees for long distances, as their home is quite far from the training ground.

When the brother, who had brought the bee assigned to Chihaya, noticed that Chiharu had not brought Pochiko, he was puzzled.

"What are you talking about? We're going to run from here. It's obvious, isn't it?"

"Huh?"

Stretching their short limbs, the little person grins widely.

"Running is the best way to build stamina."

"Wait, for swordsmanship?"

"Stamina is important for everything. Let's do our best!"

Chihaya, who had heard about the plan for Chiharu to learn swordsmanship from the knights and was inspired by the cool knights, was already feeling discouraged.

Why do we have to run for swordsmanship?

Leaving his brother, whose face was full of question marks, behind, the little person started running.

"Brother, if you don't come, I'll leave you behind!"

Without looking back, the sister ran ahead. Chihaya hurriedly chased after her.

Watching the twins run cutely, Dorfen followed at a brisk pace.

Though they were running, it wasn't a full sprint. It was a cute jog, so Dorfen could keep up with a brisk walk, given the difference in stride.

Chiharu, breathing steadily, and Chihaya, running with his chin up and panting, showed a difference in their running styles, which Dorfen found quietly impressive.

Taking several breaks along the way, the three of them, with different expressions, ran the distance that would take an adult about thirty minutes.

Finally reaching the training ground, the twins waved at Harold, who they could see in the distance.

Actually, only Chiharu was waving enthusiastically with both hands.

Chihaya was being supported by Dorfen, panting heavily.

Seeing the contrast, Harold's eyes widened.

"You ran here?"

"Yeah, we'll be doing the same thing here, right? It's more efficient to get it over with first."

The young girl smiled brightly.

No, it's not more efficient.

That's not adult thinking, is it?

Remembering the way he used to inwardly comment four years ago, Harold's lips curved slightly.

"Originally, I planned to start with a light jog around the perimeter five times. But you've already run more than that. Let's start with the basics, then."

"Okay!"

The enthusiastic sister raised her hand, while Chihaya looked at her as if she were a monster.

Why...? I can't even do this.

Swallowing hard and taking deep breaths, Chihaya also raised his hand, determined not to be outdone.

I won't lose, I'm the brother!

Looking down at the contrasting pair, Harold nodded.

"Your spirit is commendable. Let's start with wooden swords for practice."

The wooden swords Harold prepared for the twins were slender. As he handed them over, he gave detailed instructions.

"You're not ready for real swords yet. Straining your underdeveloped bodies can lead to lifelong injuries. So, we'll use these."

Harold took out a slender rapier, a sword one-fifth the weight of a regular sword.

It seems this wooden sword is a replica of a rapier. It was the perfect size for the twins, being just over half the length of a regular sword.

"These should still be heavy for you. Start by getting used to the weight and practicing swings. Take breaks when you're tired, and don't overdo it."

Then Harold beckoned Dorfen.

"Teach them the basics. Start with downward and sweeping strikes. Don't teach them drawing or sheathing. Focus on control and precision."

Tapping Dorfen's chest with the back of his fist, Harold returned to the knight order's drills.

Watching him go, Dorfen turned to the twins.

"I've been entrusted with your training. Let's begin."

Dorfen smiled slyly.

"First, the forward stance. Like this."

Dorfen held the sword up and slowly brought it down, stopping precisely at a diagonal angle.

"Repeat this stance. Always stop at the end. Raise the sword again with the same control. Both the raise and the stop are important. Don't swing recklessly."

The twins nodded and began practicing the form, with Dorfen demonstrating alongside them.

This... is tougher than I thought.

Holding and swinging the sword.

Just that, and it's not going well.

The weight of the wooden sword is one thing, but they can't swing it straight. The stops are also wobbly.

Glancing at Dorfen, they saw him stopping and swinging straight at the same speed.

Despite the faster movement, his stops were precise and his form was beautiful.

Beautiful. I want to be like that...

Chiharu gripped the wooden sword tightly and repeated the form over and over.

Chihaya also repeated the form, determined not to be outdone.

The knights, watching the two children practicing with such focus, were surprised.

"Hey, what's that?"

"They're only three or four, right? Impressive concentration."

"Their form is starting to look good. Oh, one of them fell."

"Wow, but they're getting back up. Not even crying. They're something else."

Repeating the same action over and over is a grueling task, especially for children whose perseverance and patience are not fully developed.

The knights recalled the princes who would give up and cry after just a few minutes and smiled wryly.

"If only the princes had that kind of spirit."

"They would be much better by now."

The second prince, who had recently entered the noble academy, was struggling with swordsmanship and had come to the knight order for guidance. The same had happened with the first prince a few years ago. It seems the royal bloodline is not suited for martial arts.

"...The king was the same."

Knight Commander Harold's grumpy comment was still fresh in the knights' minds.

Dorfen suggested a break to the focused little person and, with a vague sense of foreboding, asked a question.

"But why swordsmanship all of a sudden?"

While drinking the fruit water Dorfen brought, the little person narrowed her eyes.

"I want to become an adventurer. I can register when I turn seven, right? I want to master the basics of martial arts by then."

Dorfen accidentally swallowed the fruit water and choked.

Trying to speak, he was interrupted by the water in his airway and couldn't form words.

Coughing violently, Dorfen tried to recover while Chiharu looked up at the sky.

If Chaos and Abyss are right, the next pilgrimage will be to the frontier, the edge of the world.

Even with Pochiko and the others, it will take several days of non-stop flying. There will be many dangers and the need for camping.

Though the monsters will protect them, it's better if she can fight too.

She wants to build her strength and skills to start fully prepared.

The adventurer's guild is an international organization. Registering as an adventurer will also help with flexibility in other countries.

"Registering as an adventurer... Hero, are you becoming an adventurer?"

Looking at her brother's surprised face, Chiharu smiled mischievously.

"An adventurer, huh? I wanted to be a cook like Dad, but being a knight is cool too... I'm torn."

Her brother, looking puzzled and exhausted, watched as the twins had a fun and tiring day and returned home to the sound of Drago's sobs.

It seems he had heard somewhere that Chiharu was going to become an adventurer.

Running from the forest bear who was lecturing him, the little person continued on her own path.

Unusually, the little person is taking a roundabout way. It's a good thing.