ERIC
ROOKIE KNIGHTS spilled out of the castle and into town, chatting excitedly once they were out of earshot of the main forces. Normally, only carriages belonging to nobles and merchants occupied the sole route to the castle—but today, Freesian citizens making merry on their way to the festivities crowded the road.
The knights, on the other hand, were headed in the opposite direction. They flitted around the royal district, home to the upper classes and the shops the royal order frequented.
This part of town was just as lively as the rest. Some shops were open late, trying to capitalize on the festivities by selling fancy food and fine spirits. Many had closed up for the evening, their shopkeepers preferring to enjoy the festival themselves.
Musicians performed on street corners, and the townsfolk danced. Even the middle classes thronged the royal district, which they rarely visited even to shop. For commoners like me, just watching the knights head down from the castle was a form of entertainment. Knights from the main forces patrolled the larger areas of the royal district, while the rookies delved deeper into the neighborhoods where the middle and lower classes lived.
“Whoa, look, more knights! There’re so many in the royal district.”
“Hey, don’t be rude! Stop pointing at them!”
The main forces and the rookies were very different, but people unfamiliar with the order couldn’t tell them apart at a glance. They were all part of the Freesian royal order sent out to maintain public safety. Townsfolk eyed the knights with envy and admiration as they passed by. Their pure-white uniforms fluttered behind them, drawing everyone’s attention.
Being a commoner myself, I was no exception. As my younger brother and I watched them go, he said to me, “I thought you wanted to be a knight like them, Eric.”
“I’m trying. Don’t make it sound like I gave up.”
I’d failed this year’s entrance exam, but my desire to join the royal order remained unchanged. Plenty of hopefuls flocked to the entrance exam every year, but the royal order screened most of us out. From the rookies to the full-fledged knights—I admired them all. It was still such a faraway world from where I existed now.
“What unit would you choose?” my brother asked. “I know you said there’s a bunch of different ones.”
“I don’t know. I just have to make it in first… Well, personally, I think I’d like the rear guard.”
I didn’t fully understand the differences between squadrons, to be honest. Only the knights understood the makeup of the squadrons and their specific duties. I struggled to imagine what might exist aside from the rear guard and vanguard, nor could I picture myself in the vanguard after I was so thoroughly defeated in my entrance exam. I didn’t even have a special power.
“You should’ve said the vanguard! It sounds a lot cooler.”
“I’m not buying you any more food if you keep complaining. I don’t have much money to spare.”
With that, I resumed walking toward our destination. My little brother was supposed to help with the family shopping. I purchased alcohol on a special festival discount, drained my wallet on the food my brother pestered me for, and then practically dragged him back to the middle-class district.
The festive mood lingered even as we left the royal district behind, but I couldn’t help but notice the lack of warmth in the air. The middle-class district was full of street performers attended by audiences of children, traders calling out to passersby, and restaurants serving huge banquets thanks to financial support from the castle. This way, the middle-class Freesians could fill their stomachs for free without heading up to the castle. Even impoverished townsfolk left the slums on a day like this to sit at tables full of food and beer. All of them, regardless of class, drank heartily.
“Th-thief! Someone, help!”
Upon hearing the scream, I shoved my brother behind my back. A man sprinted away with a drunkard’s wallet in hand. A nearby knight chased him down, let out a shout, and summoned more knights to help him. In a blink, the whole thing was over, and the thief was caught.
The knights truly were amazing.
✦ ✦ ✦
VAL
“HMPH! What an idiot.”
I grumbled at the caught and fecklessly struggling thief while I sat at a table eating with my bare hands. A lot of people tried to take advantage of the festival to line their own pockets. More often than not, they targeted people wandering down alleys and backstreets, too drunk off the city celebrations to realize they were in danger.
If it worked out, the thief could walk away with a nice payday, but I didn’t like the odds of getting nabbed by one of those knights or guards sniffing around. Most people in my line of work took the day of the Precognition Festival off. We got to eat thanks to the royal family’s donations, even this far outside the castle, so I didn’t see the point in resorting to theft during the holiday.
I pulled the hood of my long-sleeved jacket deep over my head, leaning over the table so no one could see my face, and bit into a slice of ham. Then I stuffed my pockets with bread and left the restaurant, still holding a mug of beer. I knew I needed to leave as soon as that stupid thief drew so many guards and knights to the area. Not only did my earthy skin tone make me stand out here, but my villainous features drew suspicion from everyone who noticed me. Of course, I actually was a criminal, on top of just looking like one.
I munched on the ham sticking out of my mouth, held my hood down, and set off at a brisk pace. Some little brat blocked my path, so I kicked him aside.
“Ow!”
I just glared and pressed forward. The boy’s older brother spun around and yelled after me, but I ignored the brat completely and stuffed the rest of the ham into my mouth, taking a swig from my mug.
Avoiding the road where the knights had apprehended that thief, I slipped into one of my usual alleyways instead. I finished off my giant beer in a couple gulps and dropped it on the ground, where it joined many other mugs and food scraps. My fellow criminals shot me wary glances, but once they realized I was one of them, they lost interest.
I was about to step out onto another main street, lured in by the smell of grilled meat, when I spotted a few brats from the slums chowing down on their free bread and meat skewers. Children normally ran away from me, but they were too absorbed in their meals to notice my approach. I barked at them for blocking my path—stepping on them, pulling their hair, and kicking them to the side. They screamed and cried, abandoning their half-eaten food as they fled. I spit on the remnants of their bread and skewers before stepping out into the street.
“Stupid brats. Everything’s somethin’ to cry about with them.”
I didn’t hate the festival itself, since I got free stuff out of it. The problem was that the usual criminal hangouts and the streets themselves wound up packed with people from the slums, not to mention all the knights and guards on patrol. I didn’t even want to look at those bastards.
“Guess I’ll just drink for a while before headin’ home.”
“Home” was a cliffside area outside of Freesia’s borders, but I didn’t say that out loud. A fellow cliffside resident had forced me to show him the best route into Freesia, since I was Freesian. He’d told me the festival was a great opportunity for us to take advantage of the townsfolk, but then that idiot went and got himself arrested by the knights and guards only moments ago, meaning my responsibilities as his tour guide were through. I followed the scent of meat to another table full of free food and drinks, ready to eat and drink to my heart’s content.
After all, the only place I truly belonged was outside of Freesia.