“So, Mr. Beryl Gardinant will be collaborating with us as a special instructor for the order. I expect all of you to devote yourselves to your training even more than before.”
The dignified voice I heard next to me was coming from Allusia Sitrus. Unlike when we’d been chatting just moments ago, her tone now was commanding and heavy. Was this what people called a formal voice? It would be hard for me to replicate.
There were dozens—maybe over a hundred—members of the order standing before me. They all wore identical sets of gleaming silver plate armor, exerting an incredibly oppressive presence. The knights were made up of men and women of a wide range of ages, but at a glance, none were as old as I was. That made sense. It would be difficult to be a knight in your forties when your body started to genuinely deteriorate. I’d want to spend my days lazing around in the countryside too, not on the front lines of conflict.
“Mr. Gardinant is strong enough that I’m not even worth considering as his opponent. Be sure to focus all your energy on your training.”
That was really going too far, but I didn’t want to draw any unnecessary attention by cutting in. I was already exposed to all their eyes—interjecting would’ve been far too much for me.
Even among all my pupils, Allusia was exceptionally talented and had learned very quickly. That was why I’d recognized her relatively quickly, despite how long it’d been since I’d seen her. She’d left that much of an impression as a pupil, though I was sure she’d long surpassed me by now.
“Master, if you would, offer a word to the knights.”
After losing myself in a few moments of reminiscence, the conversation suddenly turned to me. Huh? Seriously? I hadn’t come up with any kind of speech. If Allusia had expected me to speak, some advance notice would’ve been nice.
Not that there was any way for me to voice my complaints. So, I did just as Allusia requested. Somehow, I avoided all the eyes that were focused on me and put together a greeting.
“Uh... Just as you’ve heard, I am Beryl Gardinant. I don’t know how much my techniques will be of use to you, but I’ll do my best to provide you with what assistance I can. I look forward to working with you.”
After my greeting, the knights’ gazes focused even harder. Hmm, looks like eighty percent are doubtful and twenty percent hopeful. Among the doubtful eyes, some even surpassed skepticism and entered the realm of hostility.
Maybe it really was unreasonable to appoint me as a so-called special instructor... This old man was getting worried. Though considering everything, I also felt like it was pretty weird for any of their expressions to be hopeful. Several optimistic gazes came from vaguely familiar faces. I wasn’t confident I could identify them individually though, so considering the mood in the room, I decided not to call out to any of them. They were probably my former pupils, but it’d be embarrassing if I was wrong.
From my arrival in Baltrain, to my trip to the Liberion Order’s office, to being introduced in front of everyone, everything had thus far gone smoothly. There’d been four of five knights standing guard outside the building, but as the knight commander, Allusia had gotten through by simply being recognized. For some reason, that had even extended to me, and they’d allowed me to pass without any questions. The knight commander sure was amazing.
We hadn’t spent any time going around the capital after our arrival—we’d gone straight to the order’s office—but just looking at the streets as we passed was enough for me to understand how prosperous this place was. There’d been plenty of pedestrian traffic on the wide, carefully paved roads, giving me a glimpse of how lively things were here. We’d parked the carriage at what I assumed to be a carriage stop, and nearby, I’d spotted what looked like souvenir shops. The plan was to have Allusia guide me there later.
It went without saying that this environment was vastly different from Beaden. It was ridiculous to compare a village in the sticks to the capital, but I just couldn’t help myself.
Allusia spoke once more, and my mind snapped back to the room full of knights. “We’ll be working out the training schedule,” she announced. “All of you, return to your duties.”
With that, the meeting was apparently over. I’d felt restless with all those eyes on me, so I was grateful that it’d ended quickly.
“Master, shall we?” Allusia said, her tone suddenly gentle.
“Aah, mm-hmm.”
Apparently, she didn’t feel the need to use her formal voice anymore. There’d been a certain majesty to it, which suited her well. She really had become an outstanding woman.
“C-Commander! Hang on a tick!”
Just as I thought we were going to leave this place, which looked like a central plaza of some sort, one of the knights ran over to us in a fluster.
“Kewlny, quietly now. A knight must always remain composed.”
The knight called Kewlny gave an energetic “Yes, ma’am!” before turning toward me. She had dazzling light-brown hair cut in a short bob, and she gave off a very cheerful impression. Lookswise, she seemed to be a few years younger than Allusia. Her eyes were blue—their large and cute shape made her seem even younger and more energetic. She was far shorter than Allusia too. Quite frankly, you could call her petite. All in all, she gave off the impression of a friendly puppy. This image was something I remembered well.
“Kewlny?” I asked. “I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”
“Yup! Long time no see, Master!”
This girl—Kewlny Crucielle—was also a graduate of our dojo. She’d only spent two years there, even less time than Allusia, but her energy and affability remained so strong in my memories that I couldn’t forget her.
I hadn’t given her a sword as a farewell gift. She’d had a knack for swordsmanship, but two years hadn’t been enough for me to teach her everything. Though, being the order’s instructor, I would probably have the opportunity to train her personally again. If possible, it would be nice to watch her progress until I could hand her the sword I hadn’t given her back then.
“So you’ve become a splendid knight. I’m proud of you.”
“N-Not at all!” she stammered. “I’ve still got a super long way to go!”
Kewlny’s passion for joining the order had been even more apparent than Allusia’s. I clearly remembered her shouting, “I’m definitely gonna get into the Liberion Order, just you wait!” while enthusiastically devoting herself to her training. It turned out her dream had come true. I couldn’t have asked for more.
After I honestly praised her, she waved her hands about in a panic. I was vividly reminded of the familiar sight of an invisible tail wagging about. Yup. A puppy. Kewlny really was a salve for the heart.