Chapter 81

81.

Pass by merely making contact with the small maid.

At this simple condition, the novice knights relaxed and loosened up their bodies.

How hard could it be to grab a small girl? Even though their fully armored bodies weighed them down, they had spent plenty of time honing their stamina.

The difference between ordinary townsfolk and novice knights on the capital streets was like that between a child and an adult. And, indeed, the contrast between Rani and the novice knights was clearly visible at a glance.

“This is easy. A straight race would be tougher.”

“The captain underestimates us too much. We should wrap this up easily.”

“If we finish too quickly, it might embarrass him. Shall we do it a bit more leisurely?”

Each one brimming with empty confidence, the game of tag began.

Chasing after Rani, who darted nimbly around the training grounds, the armored masses thunderously clattered in pursuit.

Due to the basic difference in stride, the gap between Rani, who had gotten a head start, and the novice knights quickly narrowed.

And then, Russell, at the forefront, gleaming with determination, reached out his hand toward her.

“Huh!”

But his hand swept through empty air, and in the brief moment of hesitation, Rani had already increased the distance between them.

She was the personal maid to the Duke; rashly handling her could lead to dire consequences.

So, he slightly reined in his momentum and extended his hand toward her waist, but that small maid sidestepped with the grace and ease of a young woman out for a stroll, evading the attack lightly.

As Russell stood there dumbfounded, trying to catch his breath, the other novice knights rushed past him with a fierce metallic clanging, their expressions tinged with mockery: “Whoops, you’re having fun there, huh?”

Russell’s face turned red with embarrassment as he tried to move again…

Already, the novice knights had reached out to grab the fast-approaching Rani. And the result?

Thud!

“Ugh!”

“Argh!”

“Ah! Look where you’re going, idiot?”

“Don’t get in the way and step aside!”

The novice knights, tangled up in a messy heap, sprawled out with their heavy steel armor.

As they groaned, others hurriedly pursued Rani, who had already distanced herself. However, the result remained the same.

Whether they reached out or blocked her path in advance, Rani slipped away smoothly, shaking off their pursuits.

And so, after approximately ten exhausting laps of hide-and-seek around the training grounds under the weight of nearly 20 kg of full armor, which was unlike their usual training attire, the novice knights collapsed onto the ground, unable to move any further.

“Huff! Huff!”

“Mu, water… Can someone bring water?”

“Anyone still capable of moving?”

Responding appropriately to his comrades’ nonsense, Russell forced his trembling body back up.

Due to his extensive physical training, his physical capabilities had vastly improved. Normally, running ten or even twenty laps around the training grounds would have been an easy task due to his enhanced stamina.

Yet, running in full armor made his entire body unbearably heavy. His breath filled his throat to the point that he saw yellow at the edges of his vision.

Since armor was mandatory for duty shifts at the inner defenses, he was no stranger to wearing it. In fact, it felt almost comfortable and familiar, allowing him to move almost as freely as when wearing training clothes.

‘How do the seniors manage this so effortlessly?’

Not long before, senior knights clad in armor had been sprawled on the ground. Now, they were quickly exchanging blows with Cain.

Even as they were being mercilessly beaten, most of them darted around the training grounds, probing for weaknesses. Their breathing might have been labored, but not a single one trembled.

‘They’re not just upper-level knights for nothing.’

Needless to say, Cain, who teased and toyed with these upper-level knights with ease, required no further explanation.

“…It’s not easy. This is the path of a knight.”

As Russell tried to steady his weary body and calm his breathing, a brisk sound of bounding footsteps caught his ear.

Looking back, to his astonishment, the brown-haired maid who had been enthusiastically chased earlier was jogging around the training grounds without the slightest sign of labored breathing.

Her serene and composed demeanor gave no hint of exhaustion.

No matter how much physical training they had done together in the training grounds, the fact that Rani was a young girl remained unchanged. Yet, like Cain, who had faced off against the knights and remained calm, she continued to move about effortlessly.

‘What…’

Staring at her in utter shock, a calm voice echoed across the training grounds.

“Upper-level knights, that’s all for now. Reflect on what I just showed you and proceed with your independent training. And, novice knights.”

“Yes, yes!”

Of all the novice knights, Russell was the only one in relatively decent condition to respond loudly. The others managed to rise as best they could to look at Cain.

Glancing at the sorry state of the novice knights, Cain stuck his training wooden sword into the ground and spoke.

“Someone might be wondering, what sort of game of tag is this all of a sudden, and why are we doing it fully armed. It’s not just playing around.”

At these words, some of the novice knights sheepishly averted their eyes.

Russell hadn’t entertained such doubts, but he listened intently to Cain. Honestly, it was just regular running that had become more intense, wasn’t it?

Everyone must have had similar questions, though unspoken.

“Who are you guys?”

No one answered Cain’s sudden question.

Silence hung over the training ground, and just as Cain was about to speak again, Russell quickly responded.

“Herald Knights’ trainees!”

“That’s right. You’re still trainees, but nonetheless knights. So, what image comes to mind when you hear the word ‘knight’?”

This time, everyone responded immediately.

“An honorable person!”

“A mounted warrior!”

“Steel.”

Cain nodded at their varied responses.

“The expressions may differ, but ultimately, you’re people who wear armor and wield weapons. Moving around vigorously while fully armed must be incredibly tough, right?”

The novice knights silently affirmed Cain’s statement.

Their bodies felt a thousand pounds, their breathing wouldn’t steady easily. The irregular motions taxed their stamina far quicker than maintaining a steady pace.

“The battlefield is unpredictable. There’s no stage prepared for duels where you measure each other’s skills, and there’s no leniency offered to the enemy.”

Cain looked each of them in the eye as he spoke.

“If you collapse from exhaustion, that’s the end. A ruthless sword will pierce your unprotected body. And are you not going to wear armor? You’ll become nothing but a target for blind arrows and a lifeless corpse without resistance.”

The gentle spring breeze on the training grounds, combined with Cain’s words, calmed the novice knights’ excited hearts.

The battlefield, and death.

At these two words, the novice knights listened intently, their composure deepening.

“Moreover, to minimize damage from those monsters’ or beasts’ attacks, wearing protective gear is essential. Therefore, you must always exhibit agile movements even in full armor.”

The upper-level knights practicing in the background quietly nodded in agreement.

Having experienced some actual combat through their missions, they knew Cain was telling the truth.

The steel-armed strikes of a swordsman are powerful. Even more destructive are mounted charges when wielded on horseback.

Yet, engaging an unmounted knight was no easy task either.

A full suit of steel armor that solidly protected the body.

Most attacks were easily deflected by the armor, losing much of their power. Some skilled knights even used their armor proficiently to deflect strikes entirely, which proved effective even against beasts.

When facing monstrous creatures in the northern regions, a companion struck on the chest by a whip-like blow was able to bounce back and stand up despite the impact, thanks to his armor.

As the upper-level knights reminisced about past battles and nodded in agreement, Cain’s directive drilled into the ears of the novice knights.

“Starting today, except during rest periods, novice knights will live fully armed. The decision to remove the armor will come after Milene and I, along with the knight commanders, inspect your conditions. Understood?”

“Huh…”

The order to wear armor all the time made their chests tight, but as they hesitated with their answers, the upper-level knights nodded again.

“Here comes the inevitable.”

“It’s something you have to go through once. It all becomes a good memory later.”

“Tch tch, do your best!”

The senior knights smiled and encouraged them. As the novice knights awkwardly smiled their gratitude, Cain raised his wooden sword and shouted.

“Got it? Everyone stand up! Novice knights, continue the game of tag like before. If you fail to catch Rani by the end of today, I’ll add Macbilian’s special training. Got it? Start!”

Thud! Thud!

With an urgent expression, Russell took off, followed by the other novice knights running across the training grounds.

Dust clouds spiraling up as Rani cheerfully darted around. The novice knights, with strained faces tumbling on the ground, while Rani, with her brown hair, nimbly weaved through them.

Their cheerful spectacle caused the upper-level knights to chuckle until an abrupt, sharp sound cracked through the air.

Whoosh –

Turning their heads toward the source of the sound, the upper-level knights saw the captain of the knight team grinning while swinging his wooden sword.

“You still have some energy left, huh? Draw your swords.”

“Wha…?”

“Squad leader! Captain! Gather everyone, we’re starting practice sparring with the upper-level knights. The sparring will last until the sun sets!”

“Understood!”

The upper-level knights, with pale faces, clutched their wooden swords tightly as Milene and each sword team’s captains rushed in.

Once Cain joined in, swinging his wooden sword, the training grounds were filled for some time with the clear sounds of wooden swords landing on someone.

***

By the time they had a good workout with the team in the training grounds, it was already nighttime.

I had mentioned to Iris that there would be a dinner as a bonding activity for the knight team.

Judging from her expression when she heard about the dinner plans, she was dissatisfied about not being included.

As servants of the empress, the Royal Knights were no different. It was natural to feel that way.

However, inviting her to join seemed slightly awkward, akin to an awkward situation where the president of the company suddenly joins middle managers’ dinner.

While Milene and the other captains were used to dealing with me,

having Iris, the master of the empire and the primary protector of the Royal Knights, join would likely leave everyone wondering whether the food went down their throats or noses.

Thus, I couldn’t invite Iris to the knights’ dinner. Moreover, the food we were having might not even suit her noble palate.

“Brought some pork belly… and the grilling plates.”

Cruel said he would fetch the firewood, so we only needed to move to the training grounds.

“Dinner’s got pork belly and soju.”

Honestly, about dinner parties, memories with cranky section chiefs and middle managers who tested limits and drank too much were annoying.

But in this world, there were no section chiefs who hit us on the head and no middle managers vomiting in taxis.

I might be in that position, but if we exclude the stress-building situations, the dinner parties were just a place to eat meat and drink freely without worrying about expenses.

Cruel and Hexson would probably enjoy it.

Though, would Milene and Lady Lunia, who were from noble families, like this kind of food?

“Female employees like meat too.”

When we were together in our department dinners, the women seemed awkward, but at the meetings with their peers, they were having fun while criticizing the managers.

It’s harder to find someone who hates meat than someone who loves it. Does anyone dislike pork belly?

“Salivating already. Let’s go.”

The dim training ground with the moon rising was perfect for firing up a grill.

Absolutely the best situation for a barbecue. The atmosphere is good for exchanging stories too. It’s a chance to answer Milene’s latent curiosities.

Finally, I took the cold drinks hidden in the makeshift fridge and made my way to the training grounds.