“I’ll draw a card now~”
A game was in full swing in the lounge of the Frenheim Order of Knights.
“Drumroll, please······ Oh! I drew Binding Sword.”
A psychological card game in which, out of a total of nine players, two Specters, five Knights, one Mage, and one Duke were chosen; the Knights had to find the Specters, and the Specters had to kill the Knights.
It was the currently popular “Specter with Knight.”
“Whose heart should I stab with the Binding Sword······.”
Cindy, one of her subordinate knights, swept her gaze around the round table. Yuli sat calmly, still as ever.
In truth, her heart had sunk the moment Cindy drew Binding Sword.
“Commander?”
“What is it?”
“You’re a Specter, aren’t you?”
Cindy leaned toward Yuli. It was open suspicion.
Yuli placed both hands neatly on her knees. Then she shook her head.
“I am not.”
“I think you are. See? Commander, you really can’t lie at all.”
“What do you mean?”
“Last round, we said your expressions were way too obvious, so now you’re forcing yourself not to make any expression at all.”
Yuli puffed out her cheeks, pretending to sulk.
“Now you’re forcing an expression.”
“······I said I’m not.”
“Then I’ll use ‘Binding Sword’ on Commander Yuli.”
“You’ll regret it. I am a Knight.”
“Mm······ Now that you say that, I’m starting to hesitate again.”
Cindy pretended to ponder.
Yuli wondered whether that hesitation was real, but it was, of course, just toying with her.
“Yes. I’ll take the risk.”
“······.”
When Cindy infused the card “Binding Sword” with mana, it began to glow. A small blue blade floated up and poked the card placed in front of Yuli.
Whoooosh— A ghost slipped out.
“See? I told you, Commander, you just can’t lie at all.”
“······This game is difficult.”
As Yuli sighed, Cindy asked back with a smile.
“But it’s fun, right?”
By nature, Yuli was not the sort of person to tactlessly intrude on her subordinates’ games. This time, however, the members had practically dragged her in, insisting that she play with them.
Knowing the deeper meaning behind it, Yuli merely gave them a faint smile.
“Yes.”
“Exactly~ You need to rest like this once in a while. Commander, you’ve been doing nothing but work lately.”
“······.”
“But if you get Specter, Commander, let’s just start over, okay? You’re good at card strategy, but your mind games are really not great.”
“······It will be different from now on.”
Yuli fiddled with the cards. She did not find the game itself particularly fun, but her competitive spirit had been ignited.
She was looking forward to one more round.
However.
“Mm, it’s already eight. The jousting match is about to start.”
“Oh, really?”
“Commander! Then we’ll be heading off now. Practice a little more~”
The subordinate knights sprang from their seats and left.
The lounge, which had held as many as fourteen people, quickly emptied.
“······.”
Left alone, Yuli stared blankly at the table.
She tossed aside the deck in her hand.
Fshhh—
Just as the cards scattered limply—
Rumble—
The knights returned.
Yuli, delighted, began gathering the cards.
Had they only pretended to run away on purpose to tease their commander? How insolent. But this time would be different······.
Her subordinate knights stood at attention behind Yuli, and soon after, people from the Imperial Family entered.
“Yuli von Deia Phaireden.”
Yuli also shot to her feet and saluted first.
“A letter from the Imperial Family. Receive it with due courtesy.”
“Yes.”
Lucan, an imperial knight. At his words, she dropped to one knee.
Lucan handed her the letter.
Its contents were as follows.
[ Yuli von Deia Phaireden. I grant you the opportunity to be selected as the Emperor’s tutor knight. The first test is to find your way to the destination, “Ron Fast.” ]
The greatest topic in the world of knights lately. It was a letter informing her that Yuli had been included among the candidates for “Emperor’s tutor knight.”
* * *
······There existed many “magical spaces” on the continent. As the words implied, these places were strange as magic itself, each possessing its own distinct nature.
Some places were winter or summer all year round, some were always night, and in some, not a single blade of grass grew.
The outskirts of the continent, called the “Annihilation Lands (滅地)” or the “Land of Demon Beasts,” could also be considered one such magical space in a broad sense.
Yuli was walking through one of those magical spaces. Though the season was summer, eternal snow filled every direction.
This arduous march, which had continued for half a day, was now not far from its end.
The flickering light in the distance guided her onward.
It was a large villa, her destination.
Yuli stood before its door and knocked.
Knock, knock—
“Is anyone there?”
There was no response.
Knock, knock—
—Come in.
When she knocked once more, a voice spoke from inside. Yuli opened the door. The warmth within pushed back the chill of the snowstorm.
In the cozy villa’s living room, there were familiar faces.
Sirio, Raphel, Gwen.
All of them were her seniors from her university days.
“It’s been a while, Yuli.”
Sirio, vice-commander of the Ileide Order of Knights, smiled brightly first. His impression and features remained as refreshing as ever.
“Yes. It has been a while.”
“I knew it would be you. Sit~ Make yourself comfortable.”
Five chairs had been placed in the living room. Yuli sat in one of the two still-empty seats. The remaining seat at the head was likely for the examiner.
Sirio said,
“I wonder what the test will be like~ Now that we’re all gathered like this, it somehow feels like one of those group missions from university. Right, Gwen?”
“I don’t know. First of all, I’m not going easy on anyone. That goes for you too, Yuli, so be prepared.”
Gwen swept a sharp gaze over the knights.
“Yes.”
Yuli nodded composedly.
Raphel remained silent as ever, and Sirio continued speaking.
“The remaining seat is probably for the examiner······ Vice-Commander Isaac was injured, right? Don’t tell me Sir Gefrid is coming?”
Gefrid. At the name of the Empire’s Guardian Knight, Yuli tensed.
“Hmph. As if.”
Gwen let out a mocking snort.
“Sir Gefrid is all but retired now. Besides, the Guardian Knight stays in the south, not at the Imperial Palace.”
“That’s true.”
The very moment Sirio shrugged—
Knock, knock—
A clear knock rang out.
Everyone’s gaze focused there. The person outside did not wait for an answer and opened the door.
Whooooosh······.
A snowstorm surged in from beyond the door.
He was wearing a coat. A fedora sat on his head, hiding his face from view. He was tall, however, and solidly built.
For some reason, Yuli found his aura familiar.
She understood why when he removed his hat.
“!”
Yuli’s eyes widened. The other knights merely blinked as well.
Whether he knew of their absurd shock or not, he calmly hung his hat and coat in “midair.”
Creak— creak—
The wooden floorboards groaned with each step he took. His shoes were clean, without even a trace of snow.
“Good to see you.”
At last, he sat in the examiner’s seat at the head.
“I am the acting examiner, Deculein.”
······Silence.
No one opened their mouth.
They were simply dumbfounded. The knights stared blankly at Deculein.
“······Deculein?”
It was Raphel’s heavy voice, who had remained taciturn until now. Deculein nodded.
“You? You’re the examiner?”
“That is correct.”
Raphel, Sirio, Gwen, and Deculein had entered the Departments of Knight Studies and Magic Studies in the same year; they were classmates.
“Do you know anything about the sword? No, do you even know the way of a knight? How dare you—”
Raphel, who stood nearly two meters tall, shot to his feet and glared at Deculein. His masculine features twisted in every direction.
“Of course, as I am a professor and not a knight, I will judge according to the manual.”
“Manual? What would you know about swordsmanship—”
“Not much. However, swordsmanship is not the only virtue required of His Majesty’s tutor knight. Furthermore, I have already been selected as the Imperial Palace’s tutor mage, so I am sufficiently qualified.”
Sirio opened his eyes wide and asked back.
“You were selected? What about Ruina? Did you shut her out again this time?”
“······Ruina.”
Deculein thought about that name, one he had been hearing often of late.
Deculein’s inevitable rival, Ruina von Schlot McQueen.
By now, she ought to have shown herself, yet since the Floating Island, there had been no word from her at all.
“Wow, fascinating~ Anyway, if Deculein is the examiner, then there are four classmates here?”
Sirio chattered like that, but Raphel and Gwen, for their part, seemed full of complaints. Yuli felt uncomfortable more than dissatisfied.
“But is this really fair? You’re not going to favor someone in particular, are you?”
Sirio grinned as he pointed out the crux of the matter.
Deculein shook his head.
“I will conduct the selection, but the final decision will be made by His Majesty.”
“Mm. You’re not saying it’s fair······ Well, fine. If His Majesty is deciding, then I have nothing to say.”
“Enough. When does the test begin?”
Gwen said. Deculein turned to look at her. When their eyes suddenly met, Gwen flinched in surprise.
“The first test was to reach the destination. The true beginning will be tomorrow, so rest today.”
* * *
[ Independent Quest Complete: Tutor Mage Selection ]
◆ Mana +100
◆ Shop Currency +2
◆ Imperial Medal
11:30 p.m.
I was in the examiner’s room, reading through the knights’ information.
[ Sirio │ Knight of the Azure Wind │ 33 ]
[ Raphel │ Knight of Might │ 34 ]
[ Gwen │ Knight of the Holy Star │ 31 ]
[ Yuli │ Knight of Refinement │ 28 ]
A volume reaching one hundred pages per person. It was unexpected, high-grade information provided by the Imperial Family.
“······.”
Three days ago, the Imperial Family had entrusted me with the title of “acting knight selection examiner.”
It was probably the Emperor’s whim, but the moment I saw the list of knights to be selected, I accepted without a moment’s hesitation.
Because of Yuli.
I murmured as if sighing.
“······If it had been the original Deculein, Yuli would not even have been selected.”
Deculein’s behind-the-scenes maneuvering would have excluded Yuli from this test itself. However, I lacked the time and connections for that.
Clang—! Claaang—!
Suddenly, the sound of swords and mana colliding rang out. I approached the window and looked down.
The knights were crossing blades.
It was Gwen and Sirio.
Clang— clang—!
I examined their swordsmanship with 「Naked Eye」.
Gwen possessed 「Highest-Grade Rodeltraza」.
Sirio possessed 「Highest-Grade Sirio Swift Swordsmanship」.
Both were tremendous realms at the highest grade, but if one had to compare, Sirio, who had created his own swordsmanship, was slightly superior.
—······Sir Raphel, please grant me a bout.
—Very well.
Next, the spar between Yuli and Raphel began as well.
Thud—! Paaaang──!
Their swords mingled sharply, scattering sparks. Raphel’s heavy blade seemed to burst with force, while Yuli received it without much difficulty.
Watching the process, I let out a faint breath.
“······Yuli.”
The Emperor’s tutor knight.
However, Guardian Knight and tutor knight were entirely different positions. They had no relation to each other.
I wanted Yuli to be excluded from that glory.
I sincerely hoped she would not be selected.
That was why I had accepted the absurd proposal to select knights in the first place.
In the depths beneath the Imperial Palace, “that monster” still existed.
The abyss of Phaireden, and the secret that would become the first step toward its downfall.
Deculein’s death variable, and that “mirror” you must never encounter.
Until I—or someone else—destroy that damned mirror, I do not want you to reach the Imperial Palace.
Therefore······.
“I will eliminate you.”
* * *
The next day, Yuli woke before dawn.
“······.”
After stretching, she began with warm-up exercises. It was yoga to put her body in order and clear her mind.
Having warmed up her body with flexible movements, Yuli soon came outside. The other knights seemed to have finished preparing as well and were seated in the living room.
“Yuli, did you sleep well?”
Gwen asked. Yuli nodded.
“Yes.”
“Ah, but you really have improved. I don’t think I can afford to let my guard down.”
“······Not at all.”
Yuli remained humble, but Sirio and Gwen showered her with praise. That ice dwelled in her sword, that she was a magic swordsman who wielded the elements, and so on······.
Just as Yuli was holding back a hamster-like smile at the praises of these experts—
Deculein appeared.
He had been staying in the examiner’s room, separated from the rest of the villa on its right side.
“Is the test starting, Examiner~?”
Sirio asked with a bright smile. Deculein nodded and sat in a chair.
“The first test is designed to evaluate your powers of observation and your perseverance.”
As he said so, he infused mana into the crystal sphere.
A total of four items rose into the air.
“Within this space, ‘Lon Fast,’ there are many rare products of mana, such as ice flowers, Latran, mana nodules, and crystal herbs. I will assign each of you an item to find. Bring it back.”
Deculein assigned an item to each of them.
Sirio was given “Latran,” Gwen a “mana nodule,” Raphel a “crystal herb,” and Yuli an “ice flower.”
“However, it must be intact. It cannot be damaged in the slightest. Also, I will not move a single step from this spot.”
Yuli etched the appearance of the ice flower into her mind. A transparent flower that grew only on the sheer cliffs of the Seolseon Plateau. Since ten were said to bloom and wither in a single day, it did not seem too difficult.
“If you have any objections, state them now. The rules can be revised to a certain extent.”
At Deculein’s words, everyone, including Yuli, shook their heads.
“Good. Since all of you have agreed, you have twenty-four hours starting now. Begin.”
Seven o’clock sharp.
All the knights rose from their seats.
“Well then, everyone, let’s do our best~ A friendly competition!”
Sirio said, as if offering encouragement.
The moment they left the villa, they split up.
Yuli headed for the highlands where the ice flowers grew.
Since “Lon Fast” was a magical space of considerable size, there was a sloping mountain range not far away.
Her climb began.
“······Haa.”
It was not easy. A blizzard had raged all through the previous night, so the snow was deep. With every step, her legs sank in, and she could barely move by jerking her knees upward.
After climbing the mountain like that, she reached a sheer cliff.
On that precarious slope, where one wrong step would send her plummeting, she found an ice flower. It was a clear, transparent blossom.
When she checked the time, only three hours had passed.
Yuli placed the ice flower in her hand. Then she retraced the path she had taken.
Creeeak—
She arrived at the villa and opened the door.
Deculein was waiting in the living room. Yuli approached him and held out the ice flower.
“Here it is.”
“······.”
He silently took the flower she offered and stared at it intently. He examined it here and there.
Yuli waited without a word.
Soon, Deculein spoke.
“It is defective.”
“······Pardon?”
“I said it had to be an ‘intact object, without even the slightest damage.’”
Deculein returned the ice flower to Yuli. On one of its petals was a speck-sized flaw.
“Ah, yes. I understand.”
It was an excessive standard, but Yuli said nothing and went outside.
Her face red from the cold, she crossed back and forth through the mountain range.
She searched the most treacherous highlands near the summit.
“!”
At last, another blossom caught her eye. Yuli hurried over and examined the flower. No matter how she looked at it, there was no damaged part.
“Good.”
Nodding in satisfaction, Yuli returned to the villa.
Deculein was still waiting in the same place.
“Here it is.”
This time, she was confident, but······.
“It is defective.”
The same words came back.
Startled, Yuli stepped closer and looked, and sure enough, there was a scratch on the underside.
It definitely hadn’t been there when she first saw it.
Had it happened while she was securing it?
“There are defective ones too?”
Sirio asked in return. He seemed to have already completed the test and was eating.
Yuli was hungry as well. After all, the one weakness of knights with superior physical ability was their tremendous basal metabolic rate.
Deculein said,
“Meals are provided after the objective is completed, or after one gives up.”
“Ah, is that so? Sorry, Yuli. I was going to give you a bite.”
Sirio shrugged.
“It’s all right. I will go again.”
Yuli forced herself to ignore her empty stomach and went back outside.
She began her third climb.
Because she was hungry, there was a limit to how much mana she could use, and she endured the cold with the power of her armor.
“Haa, haa······.”
She wandered the area for nearly six hours. To make matters worse, the blizzard began to rage again. Snow clung to her entire body, and her hair had already frozen solid.
······At the end of that ordeal, she found one ice flower.
She was already exhausted, so she did not even feel happy. She returned to the villa once more.
After checking its condition outside the door, she immediately handed it to Deculein.
“······.”
Deculein looked into the flower. Yuli’s whole body trembled from the cold, and tension tightened around her throat.
Tick, tick, tick.
Three seconds that felt like thirty minutes.
Deculein said with perfect composure,
“It is defective.”
“That can’t be! That can’t be true!”
Yuli’s face looked as if she were about to cry.
“Look for yourself.”
Deculein held out the flower. Yuli took it and looked.
But truly, there was a very tiny scar.
“Ah.”
What had happened?
Yuli clutched at her hair and thought.
There had definitely been no damage outside the villa.
What on earth was causing it to keep getting damaged······?
Crackle—
Suddenly, a spark flew from the fire in the fireplace.
At that moment, Yuli’s eyes widened. A realization flashed through her mind.
“Are you giving up?”
Just then, Deculein asked.
“······I will be back.”
Yuli answered so and immediately went outside.
She cut through the blizzard like a madwoman. It felt as if her whole body were freezing over. It felt as if her raw flesh were being torn away.
The fourth ice flower was not found easily, but she did not give up.
“Ah······.”
In that bitter cold, she found the ice flower blooming more radiantly than any other.
The fourth one.
Yuli staggered back to the villa. Afraid the flower might be damaged, she did not run, and she cupped it carefully in both hands so that the wind would not brush against it.
“······.”
The villa door was open. Gwen, Raphel, and Sirio. The three who had passed the test were visible.
Standing before that door, Yuli shouted loudly.
“Here it is! I brought it!”
She did not enter the villa. She merely stood in the middle of the freezing cold and showed him the ice flower.
“Yuli, bring it here.”
Deculein said. Yuli shook her head.
“Please come out.”
Ice flowers were sensitive to temperature.
Therefore, the moment she entered that villa and it was exposed even slightly to the fireplace behind the chair where Deculein sat—
The ice flower would inevitably be damaged.
“The ice flower is here.”
Yuli believed this was the answer.
She berated herself for having been so stupid until now.
She held out the ice flower in the blizzard. The flower maintained its perfect form, and Yuli’s breath froze in the air.
······However.
“I refuse.”
His answer was far colder.
“······Pardon?”
Yuli asked blankly.
Beyond the cold world.
In the living room of the villa, where warmth rippled through the air, he was staring at her with a gaze colder than ever before.
“I’m certain I told you.”
Only then did Yuli realize it belatedly.
“I will not move a single step from this spot.”
That Deculein had intended to eliminate her from the very beginning.