Chapter 13. Knight Order, Your Training Is a Disgrace
The northern mountains, which produced most of the empire’s iron for weapons, were under their control.
The magic stones used to craft magical artifacts also came primarily from the northwestern region.
And despite the harsh northern terrain, they never lacked grain. The fertile lands stretching across the northeastern region were so abundant that they could be completely self-sufficient just from the crops grown there.
No matter how much profit the capital made from jewels, without control over weapons and grain, no one could be a true power in the empire.
Moreover, the power of aura inherited by the eldest sons of the family was extraordinary.
From the perspective of any noble house, Arcades was an insurmountable mountain. If the Arcades family were to declare a territory war right now, there would be hardly any noble house capable of holding out.
“Don’t worry. Our clan stands with you, Marquis.”
Garte offered in consolation. But Marquis Baluja’s expression remained stiff.
“Still, it’s strange. I told the messenger as well—how did that kid know?”
“Maybe the kid just made a wild guess?”
“No. I heard it myself. She clearly said she saw it. It was bizarre. What’s more, she didn’t look scared at all. And she was only five.”
“That’s impossible.”
The marquis snapped, sounding unimpressed. To him, it just seemed like Garte was embarrassed after losing to the Archduke and making excuses.
“I swear, there was something strange about her eyes. She didn’t seem like an ordinary child. And… I felt like she smelled familiar. So I hinted at it, and she went and said ‘you d**** b***** to my face.”
“A kid said something that weird? That’s… impressive.”
At the marquis’s sarcastic tone, Garte, still in his snake form, lowered his gaze as if hurt.
“In any case, we should look into that kid.”
“But they saw your face. Can you really get close again?”
“This time, I’ll use someone else’s blood for a better disguise. I’ll pick a face that children would naturally trust.”
Some of the more unique serpent types had the ability to shapeshift into human forms.
If they absorbed the blood of a specific person, they could transform to closely resemble them.
There were even snakes who lived hidden among humans that way—though they’d occasionally be caught because of their tongues.
“What shocked me the most was that I never opened my mouth—yet somehow she still knew.”
“Really?”
“Well… I slightly opened it, but I don’t think it was enough to see anything.”
That only made it weirder for Garte.
The fact that the child had recognized he was a snake, and had shown absolutely no fear even when he transformed into a giant one—these were nearly impossible feats for a child.
He had let his guard down because of the kid.
Of course, part of him also hadn’t wanted to kill a child.
Maybe that was why…
He now felt oddly drawn to stay near the child and watch over her.
***
Sometimes, ominous feelings turn out to be true.
Just like today.
I’ve been walking and running a lot lately, so my stamina has improved. I no longer need naps during the day.
Ever since the snake incident, Lisa and Casey no longer let me walk alone and insisted on joining me for strolls.
But they always tired out before I did, which meant I got plenty of chances to run around on my own.
Today was no different.
I said I’d stay right in front of them—and then suddenly vanished.
Ditching Lisa and enjoying my freedom had become routine.
As I neared the northern training grounds where the laundry rooms were, a group of knights suddenly swarmed in like they’d been waiting for me.
This kind of thing was happening every day now.
“Young Miss, you’ve come again! Are you really okay?”
“I’m fine. Stop asking already.”
Ugh. So annoying.
Until recently, I only knew Cherto and Arthur, but now I’ve learned the names of several others—Endorph, Robin, and the rest.
They all trained here, at the second training ground.
“Where are you headed? We’ll escort you safely.”
“I’m not headed anywhere. I’m just taking a walk.”
“Then we’ll escort you as far as you go. Who knows when another **** snake might show up.”
Using the snake as an excuse, the knights had taken it upon themselves to guard me.
They treated me like a hero and, at the same time, someone they had to protect.
Lately, it seemed like they weren’t even training anymore….they just stood along my path, waiting for me to pass by.
If another snake was going to show up, it would’ve done so by now. I’ve looked everywhere and haven’t seen a trace.
Sure, it seemed like they were using their “concern” as an excuse for something else, but I appreciated that they were thinking of me at all.
“To the brave knights who remain ever vigilant against the cursed snake, I commend your spirit. However, I shall now be on my way alone. Please focus on your training.”
That should be clear enough, right?
“…Still, just in case, we’ll escort you to the bottom of the hill.”
So much for that.
Robin, the one with the handsome name, stuck to me with grim determination.
And the moment his words ended, the knights instantly surrounded me in an oval formation, forming a protective escort.
Ha! Seriously? They still don’t get it?
“You guys, this is stalking. Stalking, I tell you. I seriously hate stalkers. So go back and train already.”
“But still…”
‘If reasoning doesn’t work, I have no choice but to use drastic measures.’
“If you ignore me one more time, I’m not walking through here during my strolls anymore.”
“How could you say something so terrifying! We’ll head back to training right away!”
Endorph shouted frantically in response.
“Everyone, s’alute the Young Miss!”
Following Endorph’s command, the knights gave me a salute.
“Thalute!!!”
Them bothering me was already annoying, but the way they saluted was even worse. They couldn’t pronounce it right, and their hand placements, which should be straight at the temple, were all over the place.
One guy was saluting at his nose, another near his ankle, and Robin of all people had his hand bent into a weird L-shape.
I could overlook the pronunciation, but the hand shape? What was that?
No matter how much I tried teaching them, Robin and a few others never got it right.
It almost felt like they were doing it on purpose, so I just gave up.
After giving a half-hearted nod to their salute, I was about to move on…when I suddenly stopped in my tracks.
Today, I suddenly felt curious about what kind of training the knights in Training Ground 2 actually did.
They always seemed to just be hanging around wherever I passed by.
I started to wonder—do they actually train?
“I wanna see what kind of training the knight order does…”
“Really? Please, follow us. We’ll escort you, Young Miss.”
The knights eagerly opened up a path for me.
Apparently, Jake had stepped away for a break, which made me feel more comfortable about watching.
Jake always looked annoyed whenever he saw me, maybe because we still weren’t on friendly terms.
The training ground that extended into the northern mountains was wide and had a cozy, cradle-like feeling.
I’d heard the Denev River flowed just past the mountains. I wanted to go there one day.
Of course, crossing those mountains would require more stamina.
As soon as we arrived, the knights formed a circle and began whispering among themselves, trying not to let me hear.
I figured they must be getting fired up to show me their best performance, so I waited quietly for practice to begin.
“Young Miss, we’ll begin now,” said Endorph.
I nodded lightly in response.
They picked up well-forged swords and began sparring.
Some knights practiced hand-to-hand combat without weapons.
But something was… off.
The way they sparred with swords, and even their hand-to-hand routines—it all felt sloppy and half-hearted.
Even a five-year-old like me could do better than that.
Are they slacking because I’m a kid? Ha! I knew it.
Ever since they started following me around instead of training, I knew they’d gone soft.
“Stop right there!”
I planted my hands on my hips and barked with authority.
“Stop training immediately!!!”
The knights all responded in unison and turned to look at me.
“You call that proper training? Training should be done right! I hate half-hearted effort. Got it?!”
“Yes, Young Miss!!!”
Training resumed.
They answered with enthusiasm… but yeah, still half-baked.
There’s no way that’s their real skill level…
But when they obsess over me and follow me everywhere, of course their discipline slips.
Guess I’ll have to whip these guys back into shape.
“Everyone, stop again. Knight Order, your training is a disgrace.”
“We’re sorry! We’ll do better!”
What good is shouting if your actions don’t match?
Their faces said it all.
Grinning like idiots while saying “sorry”—those aren’t faces of people taking this seriously.
Do they think I’m just some kid they can slack off in front of?
This won’t do.
“What’s the point of just talking? Your discipline’s already rotting. You guys are all obsessed with me because you’ve gotten soft. Knight Order, all of you—drop and give me push-ups!”
