Chapter 38 (1/2)

Camp (Part 1)

“At any rate, for it to need not only Apprentice Knights but Knight Cadets, the Knight Order really has fallen low.”

“Truly. It’s all the fault of those fools who conspired with Zaunas, now we have too many problems. The Knight Orders of other countries must be laughing at us.”

“In the first place, it was a mistake to allow commoners to become knights. They let it get to their heads.”

If they continued marching at a good pace, the Imperial Knight Order’s advance party, which had departed from the capital, would reach the place where the Petersian knights disguised as bandits were causing problems the next day.

At sundown, the knights made camp at a clearing, and were greedily eating their provisions as a pot hung over a campfire.

The knights gossiped, slightly tipsy, since a little alcohol was permitted in order to raise morale, since there was a chance that a battle would occur the next day.

The more serious knights discussed the prospects of the battle with the Petersian army, while the others talked about wine, women, and also the outsiders among them: the Knight School students.

The victims of the knights who talked about the students were invariably the commoners like Wynn.

Since the knights sent on the advance party were largely of either n.o.bles or knight status, they didn’t have good sentiments towards commoners, who were the made up most of the insurgents who worked with Zaunas during the coup d’état.

“The mood is somewhat bad, huh.”

Reeno frowned while adding firewood to the campfire.

“Is it my fault?”

As if it weren’t in plain sight, Wynn asked about the surrounding state of affairs. He had felt the stares. They weren’t merely stares of interest. There were stares that clearly contained contempt.

“No, it’s not only because of you, Wynn. We’re also being targeted by the words.”

Even though the Marine house held more influence than lower-cla.s.s n.o.bles, the fact that Locke was a commoner was enough for them to scorn him.

“I wonder, how much money did they have to save up to get the status of knight?”

“Cut it out! The can hear you, you know?”

“There’s no way they have that kind of money. The probably pooled their money together. Don’t forget. Those guys are apprentice knights, not real knights.”

“Well, if they stood there with spears, then all they’re good for is for filling up numbers.”

“Come to think of it, there is even a knight cadet who hasn’t even been promoted to apprentice knight. He’s even wearing the Knight Order’s crest!”

They were clearly speaking loudly to provoke the students.

“&h.e.l.lip; Those people&h.e.l.lip;”

Locke clenched his fists tightly and tried to stand up, but Wedge, who was also by the campfire, put a hand on his shoulders.

“Those guys are just trying to pick a fight.”

“&h.e.l.lip; But, they were saying&h.e.l.lip;.”

“Wait a minute, what do you think about this, Wedge?”

It wasn’t Wedge who responded to Locke’s surprise, but Reeno.

Wynn was also looking at Wedge, wide-eyed.

He had never talked with him in Knight School, but since they were now in the same group, he would at least listen to what Wedge had to say.

“There are superior officers among them. They are provocatively picking a fight with us, in order to trick us into getting punished for going against superiors. It’s best to ignore them.”

Saying only that, Wedge crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and made no more movements.

“When you speak, you have a surprisingly manly[1] voice.”

Dumbfounded, Locke stared at Wedge’s face, which was illuminated by the campfire.

He seemed like an enlightened priest, the way he was silent, and didn’t tremble even a bit.

“But I wonder, do those people not know that Wynn is the Master of that Leticia the Brave?”

“From what I can see, those who are from knight families and lower cla.s.s n.o.bles don’t. If that’s the case, then there are some people who must not recognize Wynn’s face, since his name wasn’t called.”

Locke felt that the Empire’s upper echelons were avoiding the fact that Wynn, who was born a commoner, had achieved something that raised his reputation. If they had recognized his deeds during the coup, there was no way that Wynn would remain a Knight Cadet.

“If it were me, I would be too scared of Leticia-sama to say such things.”

As the the Brave and a Duke’s daughter, Leticia’s words held a large influence even on powerful n.o.bles, and weaker houses would not be able to sway that influence.

“Well, it’s not just Wynn. I feel like they are treating us uniformly, complaining about the fact that we are commoners.”

Some of them belonged to houses of lesser n.o.bles which had less power than Locke’s family, the Marine House.

Though it was highly probable that they couldn’t find out Locke’s lineage just by looking at the people that were being scorned.

“Sheesh, how unlucky&h.e.l.lip;”

Reeno, looking down, called the other three’s attention in a small voice.

One knight approached the group of four, getting tired of provoking them to no effect.

“Hey you four!”

His gait was unsteady. He was clearly drunk.

It seems that he had drank more than was permitted.

“Us REAL knights think that you commoner knights being here is a real pain in the a.s.s. You got that?”

“What is this guy saying&h.e.l.lip;?”

‘Before bullying us commoner knights, you real knights should follow the regulations!‘

The four probably agreed with Locke’s soft retort and probably had the same thoughts.