Chapter 56 (2/2)
”…and that's what happened.”
A sigh echoed across the room after Wynn finished telling his story. In one of Simurgh Knight Academy's many rooms, five people listened to his story: Prince Alfred of Lemmroussell, Princess Cornelia, the High Elf Tiara, and Royce, Wynn's direct superior.
Wynn's body glowed with a pale light. Tiara had asked for the others' permission to cast enhancement magic on Wynn. The spell she cast was Body Strengthening, the preferred spell of knights.
”How surprising! I have never seen someone with so little mana; he has no resistance to magic at all, thus amplifying the effects of the spell.”
When Tiara asked him if he had any experience with enhancement magic, Wynn told them the story of his first battle as an adventurer.
”I see,” Alfred said, nodding his head in satisfaction. ”So his strength would increase tremendously if he is aided by someone who can cast enhancement magic.”
”That was when I was nine, and Leti — I mean — Lady Mavis was seven-years-old at the time.”
”So, what happened after you slew the dog-headed demon?” Alfred asked, curious about what happened next. A demon — a high-level named one — was slain by such young children. One of them eventually became the Brave, and the other was her master, but it was still an unbelievable story.
Wynn continued his tale.
Two days after the battle, Oort's party and the three novice adventurers returned to the Adventurer's Guild to split the reward. In the end, most of it went to Wynn. Oort's party and Paul only took the expenses necessary for the goblin extermination while the rest was pa.s.sed on to Wynn. The reward Laura had put up was obviously not enough to compensate for defeating a demon. But a few days later, the magician came up to Wynn with additional money, wearing an apologetic face.
”Sorry about this, but this is hush money. They want you to pretend like this incident never happened.” It would be a scandal of epic proportions if word spread that the Empire had made light of the information from the Adventurer's Guild and almost ruined the country by allowing a demon, and a high-leveled one at that, to roam freely. The magician and the sole-surviving knight would soon be sent to the front lines to silence them. To the top bra.s.s, there was no place in the Capital for such inconvenient existences. ”I think I'll be sent to the front lines soon. Before that, I tried my best to get you reward money, but I was only able to get you this much. I'm really sorry.”
Oort and the magician had agreed to keep the fact that Wynn and Leti were the ones to defeat the demon a secret from the Knight Order. Leti's power, in particular, needed to be kept a secret. It was something so abnormal that one would have to see it to believe it. Fearing that such young children would be easily manipulated, it was a unanimous decision. The more they heard about the magician's superiors, the deeper the adventurers' convictions became. They would not even think to bring harm upon the children who had saved them. After investigating the incident and everyone involved, the magician even went as far as warning the adventurers not to get too involved with Leti. As a result, only Lilia and the Guild Master knew the truth. With Oort's positive a.s.sessment of their performance during the ”goblin extermination”, Wynn and Leti were officially approved to become full-fledged adventurers.
”That adventurer named Oort seems quite sharp. What happened to that magician?”
”I apologize, I do not know…” As Wynn had been only a child back then, he didn't know the magician's name.
”I guess I should look into this incident. It intrigues me,” said Alfred as Royce nodded in agreement.
”And what about the Avian girl?”
”Laura ended up adopting her. I think they should still be living together.”
”Your Highness. I believe it would be best not to try recruiting the Avian. If you try to force her, we'll risk starting a war with the Avians.”
”A war with the Avians would certainly be undesirable. Even I would not intrude upon the peaceful lives of my subjects. She may be an Avian, but she still lives in this country, and is therefore my subject,” stated Alfred. Moreover, the Avian girl is acquainted with the Brave. If I force it, the Brave may turn against me. That's too dangerous a bridge to cross.
”Let us put the matter of the Avians aside and return to the previous topic. You were thinking of having Wynn serve as my sister's guardian knight, but why? Do you believe him worthy of serving Princess Cornelia?”
Wynn alternated his gaze between Prince Alfred in front of him and Captain Elstead behind him, his body still glowing from Tiara's strengthening magic.
”Princess Cornelia is a skilled enhancement magic user. She's perfect for someone like Wynn, who barely has any mana.”
In a flash, Wynn understood why Royce had asked if he could become Princess Cornelia's guardian knight. He had doubted his ears when he first heard of it. He was surrounded by persons of high status, which put him on edge. Rather, it wasn't just their status that put him on edge. He felt at ease with Cornelia and Leticia, after all. However, the prince and the elven princess were not people he would normally have had the chance to meet.
Alfred's next words erased any possibility that Wynn had misheard. ”In addition to enhancement magic, I do believe that their romantic compatibility is quite high.”
”Huh?!”
”Your Highness!”
”Dear brother!” Alfred's outrageous statement startled an objection from Cornelia. The princess glanced at Wynn, then immediately stared at the floor, blus.h.i.+ng furiously.
”Haha, I'm only joking.”
”Your Highness, I ask that you please refrain from teasing my subordinate.” Royce, who was standing to the side behind Alfred, sighed before giving Alfred a sidelong glare.
”He's been acting so stiffly, I just had to ease the tension a bit,” Alfred laughed lightly.
”Don't stir things up like that,” Royce muttered, agitated by the prince's att.i.tude.
”No normal person meeting royalty for the first time would feel at ease.”
”My apologies, Count Elstead. Well, back on topic. Wynn. I would like you to become my sister's guardian knight.”
”What does a guardian knight do?” asked Wynn, ”How is it different from being a regular knight?”
”Put simply, you would escort the princess. Think of it as the princess's elite guards. They would normally be hand-picked from the knights of the Imperial Guard.”
”Elite guards…” Wynn looked at Cornelia for a moment. She was a princess, yet she still allowed him to call himself her friend. Cornelia looked back at him silently. ”Why was I chosen?”
”First, Cornelia trusts you. But the bigger reason is that you are the Master of the Brave.”
”Wynn.” Tiara's azure eyes looked directly at Wynn. ”We Elves are very interested in the person known as the Master of the Brave, the one named Wynn Bard. Other countries and races are no less curious.”
”It is as the Great Sage said,” agreed Alfred, placing both hands on the table. ”You have a large influence over the Brave. Frankly, it would be a huge problem for me if you remained in the Knight Order.”
”But… I'm just…” Wynn fumbled for words as he looked down.
”Wynn Bard,” Royce called out to the youth. ”In the eyes of the Empire, you are just a commoner who became a knight cadet. Most think that your t.i.tle as the Master of the Brave was just something you received by being her childhood friend. However, outside the Empire, that t.i.tle holds great weight. You are the only person to whom the Hero will kneel and bow. That is not to be taken lightly.”
”What you think of yourself is one thing, but what Leticia thinks of you is another. If you wished it, Leticia would wield her power for you. Essentially, you wield the Brave's power.”
”I agree with Royce,” said Alfred, nodding. ”You control a power that could shake the very foundations of this world. I am loath to leave that power under the Knight Order's hands. For better or worse, the Knight Order operates under a strict hierarchy. It is difficult to refuse an order from someone higher in the chain of command. I wish it weren't true, but it would be utter foolishness to believe that everyone in the Knight Order is chivalrous and trustworthy. As Cornelia's guardian knight, you will not be under such control.”
”Are you ordering me to become her guardian knight?”
”No, this is not an order,” said Alfred with a bitter smile, ”I said so at the beginning. Right here, right now, you are not acting as Knight Cadet Wynn — Ah, though if you accept, I would have to add a 'former' to that — but as the Master of the Brave, Wynn Bard. I will respect your decision, whatever your choice.”
Royce looked at Prince Alfred disapprovingly. Such empty words. A commoner cannot possibly refuse a royal.
”Cornelia is not yet eighteen. Therefore, there are only a limited number of official engagements that require her to fulfill her role as a royal. However, this does not mean that she has no obligatory functions to attend as a royal. You will be responsible for her safety during those events. As her guardian knight, only Cornelia may give you orders. It would also help her when interacting with foreign dignitaries if the Master of the Brave were to be by her side.”
”We Elves shall act as a neutral observer to prevent the Empire from exploiting you and your t.i.tle.”
”As a user of enhancement magic, she has great compatibility with you. While I would like to establish an official group, there are many preparations I have yet to make. In the meantime, it will be you alone.”
Cornelia's guardian knight… Under normal circ.u.mstances, it would be a great honor to be offered such a post. The knights who guarded the Imperial Princess of Lemmroussell could only come from the cream of the crop, hand-picked from the Imperial Guard. As someone who dreamed of becoming a knight, it would be a dream come true. Well, the princess was his friend, though. But what bothered Wynn was that he was there because he was the ”Master of the Brave”, and not because of any personal merit. He would only be gaining the position because he had been lucky enough to know Leticia in the past. That would be a slap in the face for the other knights who had poured their blood, sweat, and tears into slowly rising up the ranks.
Was he really fine with that? Would that really be a dream come true?
”Wynn.” Seeing Wynn's hesitation, Cornelia finally opened her mouth to speak. ”Previously, you told me how you dreamt of becoming a knight. You told me how knights were stronger, wiser, and more determined than anyone else. Their swords fight to bring justice for the weak, and their s.h.i.+elds are the last defense of their lords.”
Cornelia looked as she did the first time they had met at the Knight Academy. Unable to find a partner, she had looked lonely and helpless. Cornelia asked him imploringly, ”Do you consider me to be an unworthy liege to serve and protect?”
- -
<script>