Chapter 27 - An Invitation from Deirmar (1)

"Well..."

Though the instructor was not a knight, he was a man with experience in many fields.

He had served the Bayezid Family as a soldier for a long time, fought countless battles, and survived them.

Peter valued that experience and entrusted him with the position of instructor who trained the squires, and for that reason, the instructor had been teaching the Bayezid Family's squires for close to ten years.

But even for him, who had trained squires for so long, a case like today's was nothing short of bewildering.

"Why are there only this many here today?"

Looking at the squires gathered on the training ground, the instructor asked in a bewildered voice.

He was puzzled as he looked at the squires, less than half their usual number.

Had there been some accident?

Food poisoning?

Or were they rebelling against him?

All sorts of thoughts passed through the instructor's mind.

"Why are you all standing there like your tongues have been cut out? Is there not a single person who can answer me?"

At the instructor's shout, the squires naturally turned their gazes toward one place.

"... Vlad, you tell me."

There stood a blond boy with split lips and dark blue bruises here and there.

"They seemed to be hurt."

"What?"

At the insincere answer that had finally come out, the instructor frowned.

"They seem to be hurting somewhere. It looked like they won't be able to come out for a while."

"..."

The instructor could not help but feel puzzled by Vlad's answer.

"Hurt?"

That could not be.

Just yesterday, there had been more than ten of those rampaging brats, not just one or two, so there was no way they could suddenly all be hurt.

"..."

Sensing something not quite right in Vlad's answer, the instructor looked over the gathered squires once more.

'None.'

Sovanin.

And not a single one of the squires who had gone around with him was here.

The squires gathered here now were only those who were not close to Sovanin, and those who had gone out with the knights during the last monster subjugation.

'Did they fight?'

Such cases did happen from time to time.

Since hot-blooded boys had been gathered together, scuffles of one kind or another were bound to occur, and once every few years, a fight would grow large enough to be called a brawl.

'But they all look fine?'

But the situation now was a little different.

The ones left here were not particularly the sort to move around in groups, and considering there had supposedly been a brawl, all of them looked perfectly fine.

No matter how hard he looked, the only injured one was Vlad, the squire who had newly arrived this time.

'No way.'

In that moment, a thought flashed through the instructor's mind.

It was also the only possibility that could fully explain the current situation.

"... Did you do it alone?"

The instructor had spoken the conclusion that naturally came to mind, but the answer that came back was only bright and innocent.

"There aren't many people today, so may I practice riding a horse a little more?"

"..."

Watching Vlad smoothly dodge his question, the instructor understood.

'It was you.'

'And you did it alone against more than ten of them.'

There had never been a case like this before.

In more than ten years, the instructor had never once seen a squire take down a group of more than ten by himself.

This boy was outside the standard.

At the tension brushing the back of his neck, the instructor unconsciously gulped.

"... Fine."

Toward the boy he could not handle, the instructor could only nod.

* * *

The regular meeting among the knights, held once a month.

With Peter seated at the highest seat, the knights faced one another across a broad red carpet.

It had not particularly been intentional, but on one side were the knights who supported Rutiger, and on the other were the knights who followed Joseph along with those who remained neutral, facing one another.

"... The duty roster has been readjusted in preparation for the absence of Lord Rutiger and the knights who will soon depart on their mission."

An elderly knight stood one step below Peter.

He was a man whose hair and even beard had turned completely white, but his voice was clearer and stronger than anyone's.

In fact, the knights were reacting to each and every look he sent them.

The man who, with Peter's permission, held all the knights of the Bayezid Family in the palm of his hand.

A man qualified to do so.

"Therefore, I ask each of you to confirm your duties once more."

Antalas, Captain of the Bayezid Family's knights.

The meeting continued under his direction.

"... The next agenda item concerns the distribution of the holy relics sent by the church."

Through his uniquely sharp senses, Antalas detected that the atmosphere had changed from before.

'They have reason to be pleased.'

However, he had no intention of taking issue with it.

"..."

"... Hm."

Jager, who somehow looked relaxed, and the knights who supported Rutiger, whose expressions had subtly hardened.

Antalas had noticed that subtle war of nerves, but this time, he decided to leave it be.

Because he thought the knights on Joseph's side, who had been cowed all this time, needed to have their spirits raised at least once.

Though the only knights on Joseph's side standing there now were just Jager and Vordan.

"Lastly, anyone with a matter to propose may speak."

"..."

Seeing the knights express through a brief silence that they had nothing more to say, Antalas bowed his head toward Peter, who sat in the highest seat.

"I have conveyed everything there was to convey."

"You have done well."

The meeting was over.

Now, unless something special happened, only the Family Head's order to dismiss them remained.

But instead of the command that should have followed, a subtle silence flowed.

"...?"

Just as the knights began to feel that something was off.

At that moment, Jager realized that Peter's gaze was directed at him.

With a faint smile whose meaning he could not read.

* * *

"Sir Jager!"

Among the knights pouring out, someone approached and tapped Jager on the shoulder.

"What is it?"

"Are you pretending you don't know?"

Gregory was laughing, his bearded face twisting into a broad grin.

"The rumor has already spread everywhere."

"What rumor would that be?"

Seeing Jager pretend not to know as he fiddled with his eyepatch, Gregory smiled as if he could not help it.

"They say Sir Jager's squire caused quite the ruckus. And that he swept them all up by himself."

"... Is that so?"

Jager was acting evasive despite knowing it, but Gregory did not particularly feel displeased.

'He has the right to show off a little, at least this once.'

Until now, the knights who followed Joseph had had no proper reason to walk around with their chests out.

The person they served, Joseph, was not someone who shone like Rutiger, and with only five knights, it was not easy for them to scheme anything either.

They had merely been holding out with desperate effort against a balance of power that was gradually tilting away from them.

But today, for the first time in a very long while, they could straighten their shoulders proudly.

"... Tsk."

"You brought in a vicious dog that might bite anyone."

There were knights who clicked their tongues as they brushed past, but Jager merely looked at them indifferently.

With only the faintest hint of a sneer.

"Ha, I really do have an eye for people. What did I say? I said that boy was quite manly, had a firm spirit, and..."

"I told him to at least eat with him."

"His character is as fine as the knight he serves."

"While he was at it, he seems to have introduced him to the others as well."

"... Feel free to use me once. It can be a little difficult and troublesome."

As he listened to Gregory, Jager needlessly stroked his eyepatch.

Whatever else Jager might show, he was not a man who greatly revealed joy.

But though he did not show it, inwardly, he did think Vlad was praiseworthy.

Since he had swept aside fourteen of them by himself, that level of martial prowess was enough to make Joseph smile as well.

'He ought to do at least this much.'

When a knight of his caliber had poured that much effort into him, it was only right for the boy to repay him to this extent.

Thinking so, Jager walked toward the place where Joseph's office was located.

* * *

Joseph's office stood in a quiet part of the mansion.

Upon arriving there, Jager quietly announced his presence.

"Come in."

Once the owner of the room gave permission, Jager took the handle, turned it, and went inside.

"... Are you all right?"

"I am managing."

There sat Joseph, the shadows under his eyes even darker, looking exhausted.

Together with a large box in the middle of the room.

"Father sent a gift for Vlad."

Noticing Jager's gaze, Joseph told him what the box was.

"It isn't something like peanuts again, is it?"

"... That certainly was a vivid memory."

Having already been caught once by Vlad, Jager naturally looked at the box Peter had sent with wary eyes.

Vlad was not someone one could let one's guard down around.

In many ways.

"I checked it. You may relax."

Only after Joseph said that did Jager relax and open the box in the middle of the office.

"Oh..."

When Jager opened the box, Vordan, who was standing beside him, unconsciously let out a small exclamation.

"It is armor."

Inside was a set of armor that anyone could see had been well maintained.

A breastplate, pauldrons, guards to protect the wrists and knees, and even boots.

For something sent to a mere squire, it was far too splendid a set of leather armor.

"..."

But unlike Vordan, who had exclaimed in admiration, Jager was only looking at the armor with serious eyes.

Because the sunlight reflected on the dark gray leather armor overlapped with the look Peter had sent him.

"It is orc leather."

"It is not the highest-grade leather, but it is more than usable."

"And it is gray orc leather."

"... Indeed."

Jager carefully lifted out the gray armor and examined it closely.

Anyone who used a sword was bound to have great interest in equipment.

But Jager was not examining it carefully out of simple curiosity toward new armor.

"It has been a long time since I have seen this."

"So that was the meaning after all."

What Peter had sent was armor made from gray orc, which was found only in the North.

For that reason, armor made from gray orc leather also signified the warriors of the North.

Looking at the gray armor with deep eyes, Jager said,

"Where did that boy catch Lord Peter's eye?"

"I do not know that either. Shall we catch him and torture it out of him?"

"Ah!"

Only now catching up to their conversation, Vordan let out an exclamation.

"Now that I think about it, it was gray orc armor!"

As if he had realized something, Vordan slapped his palm and approached the armor Jager was holding.

"It really has been a long time since I have seen this. It was something we saw often in the previous Family Head's time."

"The squires we have now are all inferior to the ones from back then."

Nowadays, knights came from all over the continent after hearing the Bayezid Family's fame, but up until the previous generation, the Bayezid Family had expanded its power through knights it had raised itself.

Antalas, the current Captain, was also someone who had begun as a squire in the Bayezid Family back then.

The people of the North had called the knights active in those days the golden generation of the Bayezid Family.

Though now, it had become an old story.

"He is a boy who earned my father's recognition within a month of arriving here. We can say he has already proven he is worth investing in."

"That is true."

Jager carefully set the armor back down in the box and answered.

"At the very least, among the squires we have now, there does not seem to be anyone comparable to him."

"I heard that story. The rumor has already spread everywhere."

Joseph glanced over at Jager.

When their eyes met, the two naturally smiled.

Their judgment had not been wrong.

"Good."

Joseph opened the drawer beneath his desk and took out a letter.

"Though we suffered a painful loss, that does not mean we can simply remain fallen like this."

Joseph opened the envelope and handed it to Jager.

"What is this?"

"The next step."

After handing over the letter, Joseph rose from his seat and walked toward the window.

Standing where the midday sun was dazzling, Joseph quietly looked outside.

The blue sky with puffy clouds floating in it was pleasant to look at.

"Can it be done?"

"Hm..."

After checking the letter, Jager heard Joseph's words and nodded.

"Things had been piling up while I was busy looking after that boy lately, so this works out well."

Hearing Jager's words, Joseph turned his head and spoke to Vordan.

"Make the preparations."

"Where will you be going?"

While the blond boy who had come to the Bayezid mansion was twisting his whole body to prove his worth, the young man with dark shadows under his eyes was also struggling to stand again.

A single letter obtained that way.

It was an invitation, and to Joseph, it was also like a step toward opportunity.

"We are going to Deirmar."

The puffy clouds in the blue sky were drifting south.