Vol 1 Chapter 1 (1/2)

The Boy who Aims to be a Knight

On the western part of Alfana[1] continent stood a large nation, the Remuls.h.i.+l[2] Empire.

In the location that faced the main street of Imperial Capital s.h.i.+murg[3], was a small inn called 『Migratory Bird’s Mistletoe[4]』 that was frequented by rowdy customers such as peddlers and adventurers.

With its first floor also served as bar, it just an inn that could be found at anywhere else.

At this place was a five year old boy, named Wynn Bard who was excitedly watching the outside spectacle from the window that faced the Main Street.

「Wow~, So cool~」

Armor that s.h.i.+ned silvery white, steel long sword that was carried on the waist, and also a s.h.i.+eld from the same steel on the back.

On the chest was etched with Coat of Arms of the Empire’s Knight Order, an emblem picturing a double headed lion.

Since Wynn was still a child, he didn’t really understand, but the Knights were returned from subjugation mission from a forest near the empire’s border that was overwhelmed by a swarm of monsters.

To saw the knights’ gallant figure as they made their triumphant return to the Imperial Capital, countless citizens were lined up on both side of the Main Street.

Of course the front of『Migrant Bird’s Mistletoe』 was also not that different, there also numerous people had lined up on the other window. And Wynn was only able to see the figure of the knights from the gaps of people ––

「Wynn! Don’t slack off!」

So Hanna the proprietress of this inn shouted.

She turns around and she stops the hand she uses to write on the ledger while glaring at Wynn.

「I, I’m very sorry.」

Wynn get off from the table which strong point of it is its st.u.r.dy enough to be climbed, he return to his work ofpolis.h.i.+ng the tableware such as forks and spoons that have been spread around.

He polishes them that have been used till they turns muddy with a cloth thoroughly.

「When that over, draws the water next! It’s busy today, don’t slack off.  You useless slacker[5]!」

Wynn had lost his parents.

His parents, who were peddler, entrusted Wynn to the owner of this inn who was their close friend, then they lost their lives en route their travel when they were attacked by bandit.

It wasn’t an unusual thing in this age.

Though he becomes an orphan, fortunately with the excellent amount of money his parents pay before travelling, the child who still five years old of the inn owner close friend can’t be thrown out, so Wynn was allowed to work.

However, he was never spoiled.

Hanna who was the wife of the owner of the inn, turns her job to Wynn when a visitor came, Wynn was overworked.

For the cheapskate Hanna, a five years old child who still can’t become a workforce, will only cost large amount of money for his food expense and the other things, and become a good for nothing.

Still, it might be better that than being thrown out.

There are a lot numbers of children that becomes orphan and die. Also, there is slave dealer that selling child too.

However, the current situation might be equal to a slave or other people, but at least the owner of this Inn paid a salary for Wynn. Though it no more than an amount of sparrow tears[6].

「Nee, Hanna-obasan.」

While polis.h.i.+ng the spoon, Wynn called Hanna timidly.

「To become a Knight, what should I do?」

「Ah? Becoming a Knight?」

Although Wynn was scared of Hanna, he can’t suppressed his interest for the Knight after he saw their gallant figure from the gap of the crowds

「If you want to be a Knight you must enters the school in this Empire. You need knowledge and education, and you need to learn martial arts and magic.」

「How do you enter the school?」

「You need to study and pay the entrance fee.」

「Fuuun....School, huh?」

When her hand that writing on the ledger stopped, she saw Wynn’s eyes sparkling.

Just as usual he works silently as ordered, but it’s unusual for Wynn who been called as the unsociable child to have a smile that is suitable for his age.

However, it didn’t matter for Hanna.

「Hey, you can’t stop your hand. Because you still need to draw the water next.」

「A, u.....」

「Also, because the enrolment fee is high. Though you are employed in here, you don’t have any money to let you go to the school! 」

When he finishes polis.h.i.+ng the spoon, Wynn went to the public well while carrying a bucket.

Drawing the water is a hard labor for a five years old child.

To fill the water jug on the back of the inn, he must do many round trip.

「Aren’t you don’t have enough time because you are slacking? If you don’t finish drawing the water until the evening, you don’t get any food!」

Wynn went outside from the backdoor of the inn in silence.

―― In the『Migratory Bird’s Mistletoe』parlor not only provide alcohol and meal for the guest, at the evening the first floor bar seats was fully occupied

Wynn still pondering about Knights while was.h.i.+ng the plates in the was.h.i.+ng place in the kitchen.

(School..... How much money I must save before I can enter........)

*Clang*!

「A......」

Slipping from his hands, the plate split into two――If a five year old child is thinking about another thing while was.h.i.+ng the plate, it will becomes like this.

「What are you doing! That plate’s price will be subtracted from your salary you know!」

Wynn’s small body twitched because Hana’s angry voice while he is squatting down and collecting the broken pieces.

「What’s happened, Wynn? Is there injury?」

The owner of this Inn, Rendell noticed that Wynn was absentminded since a while ago.

This boy who was the orphan of his close friend, he didn’t selfish even when he was young and could be said as an intelligent child.

Well, it was pity that he was bluntly treated by Hannah, however from Rendell’s standpoint, as a child who lost his parent less than three month ago and despite want to be spoiled and want to play, he must did bitter work day after day.

Although it was painful to treat his best friend orphan like this, but although『Migratory Bird’s Mistletoe』could be called prosperous, it didn’t mean that their business condition had room to spare.

Well, Hannah was dissatisfied with Rendell’s arbitrary decision to look after the child, so he decided Wynn to work.

That’s why, Rendell paid attention on Wynn’s daily work. Even if he just a child, Wynn was concentrating on his job, but today he noticed that Wynn was unusually distracted.

「Did something happen?」

「Yes, I saw the Knights from the noon. And, I heard from Hana-obasan that to become a Knight money is needed......I want to become a Knight.」

「Knight huh....」

For a boy, there a period where they dreamed on to become a knight.

Rendell also secretly had such period.

「I wonder how much money is needed......?」

「Etto....... Wasn’t it four gold coins?」

Although the young Wynn didn’t know how to perform calculation, but nevertheless he had some understanding about Gold Coin.

Currently, Wynn had a monthly pay of one silver. One gold coin could be exchanged into 100 silver coins.

「Is that so? There also a time when I too yearned to become a knight.」

「Randall-ojisan was also?」

「Yeah, since it’s cool. Holding a sword on my hand, I did Knight game.[7]」

Knowing that Rendell also yearned to be knight, Wynn breaks out a smile.

After he lost his parents, it was a rarely seen expression, Rendell unconsciously also cracked a smile.

「Hey! Slacking off again? I won’t give your meal today, you know!」

Peeking from the kitchen, Hanna shouted

「You too! The additional orders are piling up! You can’t let the customer wait you know!!」

「Yes」

The two return to their work once again with an embarra.s.sed like expression

On the behind of the inn there was a small storage shed.

Since it didn’t really get used often, it was modeled with a bed. This was Wynn’s new house for the last three months.

After the night wore on and pa.s.sed the midnight, after finished with tidying the shop and cleaning, Wynn’s long day finally ended.

A five year old child would normally feel fear if was left alone in the darkness when the shed was closed, however Wynn who was exhausted by the daily ch.o.r.es slip into the crude blanket and sheet, and usually he would immediately went to sleep.

However, maybe because there still some excitement from seeing the knights at this noon remained, he wasn’t able to sleep.

(What is knowledje and educasion[8]? But Rendell ojisan said that it will be good to train the body.)

He didn’t understand the difficult words but Wynn remembered that it will be good to train his body.

(I want to become a knight. But first, I will train my body)

Adventurers also lodged in this inn.

He had noticed how they ran with weight in the early morning or their figures training by swinging the sword.

(I will work hard from tomorrow morning......)

Even if he was excited, he couldn’t cheat his exhausted body.

Wynn who was overwhelmed by drowsiness, fell asleep.

From the next day, before the chicken that was kept in the inn perform its morning call and the early morning was still blanketed by darkness, Wynn had opened his eyes and run around the neighborhood, day after day.

He considered drawing water from the well as muscle training. He made a round trip using a big bucket and ran around with it even when it was empty.

When Rendell and Hanna wake up, they were surmised seeing that the water jugs had already been filled, because it was not something that was troublesome, they were glad that Wynn was able to do other jobs.

From peeling potato and carrot, he also learned how to use Kitchen Knife and Dagger.

His jobs were increased, but his pay money didn’t increase.

Nevertheless, Wynn didn’t complain even a bit, he found those works as a place where he trained.

And then, time flew by.

The Boy who Aims to be a Knight (Second Part)

―― Wynn turned 8 years old.

His tasks every day increase further.

However, the pay doesn’t change.

But, when you compare Wynn’s agility with children with the same age as him, he was clearly superior.

Because there was no one he can compare with, he still don’t noticed it――。

While Randel and Hanna have two boys who turned 11 years old and 9 years old, but different with Wynn, they were raised and spoilt by Hanna. Wynn’s time to play are taken by work――or more precisely, if there are free time Wynn used it to training――Wynn also doesn’t have the opportunity to meet either.

He wake up early on today’s morning too, he run to the building because he need to finish drawing the water. Unlike the time when he was five years old, he now holds two bucket.

Even with just this, it’s already surpa.s.sed a common sense of a normal eight years old child.

He finish drawing the water because the double speed so far, at time before Randel and Hanna wake up, Wynn swings a wooden sword.

He got this wooden sword from an adventurer who stayed for about one month when he was seven years old.

He who wake up earlier to training himself was surprised when he saw the figure of a child who running around while it’s still dawn, but when he heard Wynn’s dream that he was aiming to become a knight, the adventurer not just gave Wynn this wooden sword, he also teach Wynn the way to hold the sword and the way to swing it.

It was a G.o.dsend that Wynn never hope for to be able to be taught about the sword by adventurer for one month before he once more departs.

The sun rose, as the cleaning on the morning and the training were finished his free time in the day increased.

With the rise of the work’s efficiency, Wynn’s basic endurance was more than the children on the same age as him.

On that day too, Wynn used his free time to earnestly swing his wooden sword.

Suddenly, he felt someone gaze and looked back.

A small Girl looked at Wynn while hiding behind the building next to the inn.

Unlike the shabby looks of Wynn, the Girl wears lovely clothes using a high cla.s.s white cloth.

Her eyes are like saying, what is the boy who is slightly older than she was doing here? Is it interesting? Or such light of curiosity dwelled in her eyes.

When Wynn stopped the hand which swinging the wooden sword and turn his eyes at the Girl, the Girl runs and stepped out from the shadow.

「What are you doing?」

「I’m training.」

「Is that interesting?」

「I don’t know whether it is interesting or not, but it’s pleasant.」

「May Letti do it too?」

Letti might be her name.

She picks up a stick on the ground nearby and swings it alongside Wynn.

Wynn swing his wooden sword too while thinking that’s okay as she doesn’t particularly disturbing him.

From that day, Letti come and swing the stick alongside Wynn.

She asked Wynn the time he wake up, she come at the time Wynn come.

Letti’s clothes are always different.

However, because he saw the clothes she wear uses high cla.s.s cloth, Wynn thought that she might be a child of a wealthy family.

It’s likely she come after sneaking out, because her kneecap was always dirty when she arrives.

Doesn’t her family concerned about it?

So he thought, but there’s no pleasure in training. Wynn has a goal, because he didn’t dislike the pleasant fatigue after the training he was able to continue it every day, but if it was a normal child they get tired immediately.

In fact the two boys of the inn, mimicking the action of the child who was younger than themselves working, they s.n.a.t.c.h the wooden sword from Wynn, they try training but got tired of it before the third day, they threw away the wooden sword and gone out to play.

The girl who introduced herself as Letti will eventually not come again and he sure that he will trained alone.

Wynn was walking and carrying two buckets full of water while looking back at Letti who similarly carrying one bucket following him with unsteadily step.

「Onii-chan....... It’s heavy......」

「If it’s heavy, it okay to leave it behind, you know? Because I’ll come back later and pick it up.」

「I’ll do my best......」