Chapter 280 (2/2)

「Huh? Wait, do you know her?」

「We once had a meal together.」

As the black knight answered dully, Kain swallowed. She had a meal with the princess. That had to mean that she was someone of a fairly high status.

Staring at the knight whose name he didn’t even know, Kain felt cold sweat run down his neck. She had to be powerful. The only thing this could mean was that the black knight was an extraordinarily powerful warrior.

He wasn’t sure how much of her memory she had lost, but one thing he did know was that she had to be one of the strongest knights that Kain had ever met.

「…W-why, exactly, did you have a meal together?」

「Ah, it was pretty simple. I talked about the Alva earlier, didn’t I?」

「Eh?」

「I cut them down one by one, and I was praised pretty highly. She invited me to a meal after that.」

She spoke of this casually, as if she had cut them down just because they were in their way. There was no hint of lie in her voice. With her eyes still dull and lifeless, she spoke as if she were just mindlessly spouting the truth.

「She also offered to hire me then.」

「Did you refuse? Why?」

In response to Ein’s blunt question, the black knight narrowed her eyes as if she were trying to remember.

「It wasn’t anything particularly serious. I just didn’t feel like I would get along with the girl standing next to the princess.」

「A girl…?」

As Ein tried to question her, the black knight stood up from her chair with a thud.

「She looked as though she could see through everything in the world with her eyes. Just thinking of her makes me sick… Well, thanks for the meal.」

「Uh, sure. Wait, don’t go yet!」

「What’s the matter?」

Reacting to Cain’s call, the black knight froze as if she had no choice.

「Um… You’re going to be in this city for a while, right?」

「Well, I don’t know anything about any place other than this town, so yeah.」

「Understood. I will go to meet you again sometime.」

「Is that so.」

Watching as the black knight walked away into the distance, Ein glared at Kain.

「…So you abandon the girl that liked you back in your hometown and now you’re trying to hit on women in a different kingdom. You’re doing great, aren’t you?」

「That’s not what I’m doing, okay…?」

As Kein responded with an exhausted look on his face, he looked off into the direction in which the black knight left.

「…I don’t even know her name.」

「Yeah. Because she had memory loss.」

Saying this, Ein wondered why he was stating the obvious.

「I’m still not entirely sure, but I think that she’s the sort of person that we shouldn’t become enemies with.」

「…Hm. Are you trying to claim her for yourself?」

「T-that’s not what I meant. I was just hoping that she could become our ally.」

As Ein snorted at him, Kain mumbled, wondering what to say. But just as he opened his mouth to say something, suddenly, a fully armored knight walked through the entrance of the restaurant.

The knight had a full golden set of armor, complete with a golden sword. The crest engraved into his equipment was that of the Canal Kingdom.

「Is Kain Stagius in this building!? I come from the king’s castle! If you are here, please come forth!」

「Kain, they’re calling you.」

「Huh? Oh, okay.」

After taking a quick glance at Ein, Kain raised his voice.

「My name is Kain Stagius! I will be seeing one of Celis’s knights, is this correct?」

「Yes sir, there is no mistake! My name is Boralio Boreas and I am one of the members of the Swords of Light Chivalric Order serving our ruler Celis. Following the orders of my master, I will be guiding you and your friend to the castle!」

While Ein frowned in response to Bolario’s noisy yelling, Kain nodded his head as if he were used to it.

「Understood. I accept your invitation.」