Chapter 13
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Chapter 13
Ian smiled warmly. Despite his somewhat sharp appearance, he possessed an approachable and sociable demeanor—qualities that explained his position as representative. Echinacea exhaled softly.
"Then could you explain why recruitment competition is intensifying?"
"Hmm."
Ian cleared his throat. Around them, cadets were subtly focusing their attention on their table. In the bustling Common Dining Hall, the sight of a strikingly unusual freshman and the cadet representative sitting side by side was impossible to miss. Under their scrutiny, he examined Echinacea once more before dropping a bombshell.
"First-year Echinacea Loaz, you are designated as a Squire."
The noise in the dining hall vanished instantly. A chilling silence lingered before voices erupted from all directions.
"A Squire? A freshman as a Squire?"
"...What did he just say?"
"Ian! Hey! You're joking, right?"
"Senior, what's happening?"
Several cadets approached Ian directly, pressing for details. He laughed awkwardly, as if he had anticipated this.
"An announcement will be posted on the main building's bulletin board soon."
"An announcement? Insane—is this really a Squire designation?"
"No way, it must be a temporary designation. Surely not."
"Is this true, Senior? Isn't this the first new Squire in two years?"
The gazes directed at Echinacea intensified, far sharper than before. She stared blankly, utterly bewildered.
Appointing a Squire was merely a recommendation, not an obligation for Knights. Errands and assistance were handled by cadets on rotation anyway. Designating a Squire in such circumstances was essentially equivalent to taking on a personal apprentice. It was not uncommon for entire cohorts of fifty cadets to produce no Squires at all.
Therefore, Echinacea had never intended to become a Squire. A deep relationship with a formal Knight was something she wished to avoid. Her goal was to remain a cadet, make her mark within Changtian, accumulate modest achievements, become a Master, and then advance directly to formal Knight status.
Yet here she was, designated a Squire on her first day. She found herself grinding her teeth as she asked.
"Who exactly is it?"
What madman designated me as a Squire out of nowhere? I haven't even been formally introduced to a single Knight from the entrance exam until today! Could one of the Giosa Owners have recognized me? No—if that were the case, they would have tried to kill me or arrest me. So who could it possibly be?
A torrent of thoughts rushed through her mind. At her question, all eyes turned toward Ian. He accepted the attention without hesitation and answered calmly.
"Knight Yurien de Harden Kirie."
No one could have anticipated this name. A silence far heavier than before settled over the hall.
A Giosa Owner, master of the Holy Sword Rangiosa, Commander of the Changtian Knights. At twenty-three, he became a Master; at twenty-four, he defeated the previous commander through sheer skill and became the new commander. For the four years since then, he had never even designated a temporary Squire.
A cadet finally broke the prolonged silence with a trembling voice.
"Ian, you're joking, right?"
"Check the announcement yourself."
Ian shrugged and turned back to Echinacea. She sat frozen, as though time itself had stopped. He withdrew a parchment scroll and placed it before her, speaking matter-of-factly.
"This is your appointment order. Your probationary period is one month, with formal assignment to follow. During probation, I will conduct your preliminary Squire training. Report to the 4th Training Ground east of the main building by 9 AM tomorrow. Any questions?"
"..."
She stared down at the scroll before her. The high-quality parchment, sealed with red wax bearing the unmistakable seal of Changtian's hawk, seemed to blur before her eyes. Her mind felt as though it were turning white.
"Seems like there aren't any, then."
As she remained silent, Ian rose from his seat. Just as he was about to leave, he added something as if he had forgotten.
"Oh, you're supposed to have a duel at sunset today, right? Behind the Female Dormitory at the 7th Training Ground? I heard from Cadet Alice. I've accepted as a witness, so I'll see you then. Enjoy your meal."
Only then did her mind snap back to reality. Echinacea reflexively seized the scroll and shot to her feet.
The moment she vanished from the dining hall, it erupted into chaos as if an explosion had occurred. Words like "Owner," "Squire," "freshman," "Changtian Knights Commander," and "duel" filled the space in a dizzying blur. In the confined world of the Military Academy, rumors spread like wildfire.
Echinacea rushed back to her room at nearly a sprint. Fortunately, Alice was not there. She closed and locked the door behind her, then collapsed onto the floor. With trembling hands, she peeled away the wax seal from the parchment scroll.
An appointment order written in deep blue ink with neat script came into view.
―Official Appointment
Military Academy First Year, Echinacea Loaz.
The aforementioned cadet is hereby appointed as squire to Knight Yurien de Harden Kirie.
April 18th, Year 1629.
No matter how many times I read it, the content remained unchanged. The crimson seal stamped clearly upon it was unmistakably the emblem of Changtian. I crumpled the appointment letter and tossed it aside carelessly.
[That's Yurien, the owner of Rangiosa, right? Do you remember him? You seemed to recognize him? But if you know who he is, shouldn't he be trying to kill you? A squire? Master, what do you think about this?]
'Yurien? Yurien, you say?'
The Demonic Sword's chatter failed to penetrate my consciousness. I stared into the empty air. Images of Yurien flooded my mind.
The man who had pointed a white blade at me. The face that had startled upon seeing my tears. The voice that had offered me a chance. Those blue eyes watching me through the gap in the iron door. Eyes that had beheld me amidst the stench of corpses blanketing Agenka.
The emotions I harbored toward him were difficult to express simply. Those feelings might have blossomed into love. There had been moments when I awoke and gathered words I wished to tell him, my heart fluttering with anticipation. My heart had certainly been staining itself with a rosy hue.
Yet for my heart to fully mature, the atrocities I had committed were far too heinous. I could not bring myself to love him.
The memory of meeting his gaze amidst the annihilated Agenka, the moment he drew his final breath—these had crystallized into sharp guilt and throbbing sorrow, overwhelming every other emotion I held toward Yurien. My feelings had shattered before they could even take root.
Stained by the Demonic Sword, I had killed countless people, and among them were many who held meaning to me. I carried guilt toward them, yet I also had words of protest. That I had not done it willingly. That it was all the Demonic Sword's doing.
But with Yurien, I could not make such a claim. What he had believed in was not the shell tainted by the Demonic Sword, but Echinacea within it. And I had betrayed his trust.
'It wasn't the Demonic Sword—it was I who shattered that faith. I... I squandered the chance he gave me. Because I could not overcome it...'
I buried my face in my knees. Why had he appointed me as his squire? Simply because I had ranked first in entrance examinations? Had I been too excessive against the quasi-knight during the second test? Had that quasi-knight conveyed something to him?
Or could it be... that he actually remembers? That he recognized me? But how? I haven't encountered him since my regression, have I? That's impossible. If he had recognized me, he would have come to kill me alongside the Giosa Owners, not appoint me as his squire.
He who had once shown mercy only to face catastrophic ruin. If a second chance came, he would not hesitate to cut me down. I was certain of this. If his memories remained, Yurien could not help but despise me. That was why I both wanted to see him and had no intention of doing so.
Yet now I was appointed as his squire. I would have to remain constantly at his side.
Dizziness washed over me. I remained motionless in that spot for a long time, lost in thought. The Demonic Sword chattered several times in between, but when I gave no response, it grew weary and fell silent.
As the sun set, the glow of dusk streamed through the window. Only then did I rise from my seat. I picked up the longsword I had leaned in the corner. It was the only crude object among my elaborate belongings. It was a cheap blade purchased hastily in the streets of Agenka, of poor quality.
I could not wear a sword with a dress. I gripped the sheathed blade in one hand and headed directly to the 7th Training Ground behind the Dormitory. Every cadet I passed on the way flinched at my appearance, then whispered something to those around them. The word "squire" echoed multiple times.
The crowd gathered around the Training Grounds was extraordinary.
The Military Academy may not provide instruction, but it certainly provided support for training. There were multiple Training Grounds of varying sizes, types, and purposes. The 7th Training Ground was a small space intended for cadets to stretch briefly before sleep or upon waking, equipped with a few scarecrow dummies and surrounded by a hedge fence.
There was ample space for a duel, but nowhere to observe from. Thus the cadets crowded together outside the hedge fence and near the scarecrow dummies. One might suspect that nearly every cadet in the school had gathered here.
A duel between the first and second-ranked cadets on entrance day would have drawn curiosity alone, but when one of them was appointed as the Knight Commander's squire, even cadets uninterested in duels were compelled to gather. It was an inevitable result—the student representative who served as arbiter had kept silent, but numerous cadets had spread the news in the Common Dining Hall.
As the protagonist of the rumor that had seized the Military Academy in half a day approached, the cadets shuffled aside hesitantly. I entered the Training Ground with an expressionless face. Alice Winterbell was already there. Her expression seemed strange, as if she too had heard the news of my appointment.
"Welcome, Cadet Echinacea."
Ian Peletro greeted me with a friendly smile. I offered no response, merely bowing my head slightly. I took my position across from Alice.
"Well, there's no reason to waste time... shall we begin right away? Cadet Alice, as the challenger, will make the first move."
"Yes, thank you."
"Very well."
Alice and I gave our assent. Ian, standing between us, clapped his hands together lightly, producing a sharp sound. The gaze of the densely packed cadets around the Training Ground converged upon him.
"On the 18th day of April in the year 1629, in the late afternoon, under the auspices of arbiter Ian Peletro, Cadet Echinacea Loaz and Cadet Alice Winterbell commence their dialogue of blades. May the victor be graced with mercy and magnanimity, the vanquished with acceptance and humility, and the blade itself with honor and justice. Ar Sebattiem."
It was a duel declaration akin to a prayer. The Changtian Knights had originated from apostles who revered the Holy Blade Kairosgiosha as divine testimony, so Changtian culture retained considerable religious elements. "Ar Sebattiem," meaning "Glory be to God" in archaic tongue, was originally an expression primarily used by priests.
As the declaration fell, Alice drew the blade at her waist. The sword's sleek silver body gleamed like a mirror. At a glance, it was a masterwork carefully maintained and consistently honed.
Alice held the blade upright before her torso. She straightened the edge, brought the guard between hilt and blade close to her lips as if to touch them, then withdrew it. Afterward, she extended the tip downward to her right. It was the disciplined salute of an Imperial knight.
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