Kane, too, only now realized the reality of the engagement between the two. Cherrya and Enoch seemed to be engaged in a conversation that sounded like they were competing for his attention.
“………”
Unable to figure out what to do, he could only look back and forth between them. Jealous stares from the people around them were all directed toward Kane. Among all the attention he’d received during his time at the academy, this was the most intense.
‘Why do I have such a bad feeling about this?’
With that uneasy feeling lingering, Kane stood next to Enoch as they prepared for the training lineup. The burning gazes at the back of his head were still piercing.
***
That bad feeling, as expected, was right on point.
[Kane, the man caught between Emblem and Gray—just who is he?]
After the Emblem training ended, articles about Kane flooded the headlines of the Continental Academy’s news outlet day after day.
From reports claiming his impoverished parents abandoned him at an orphanage to reduce the number of mouths to feed, to stories of his adoption by a noble family who needed a beaten servant for their son—every detail of his past was laid bare.
The articles delved into even the most private aspects of his life, even though Kane had never personally shared these stories.
“They say he secretly ‘stole’ knowledge while watching the noble educate his son, then betrayed that kindness and ran away to become a boy mercenary, staining his hands with blood as he grew…”
Kane let out a hollow laugh and threw the academy’s news outlet into the trash bin.
“They should have at least gotten the facts straight.”
Did they even know what being a ‘beaten servant’ entailed to call it a favor?
Being a beaten servant meant taking the punishment in place of the noble’s son whenever he failed a test. The scars etched on his body from that time were far more grotesque and numerous than those he earned as a mercenary.
The real ‘kindness’ he had received was from the mercenary corps that had taken him in. Upon realizing Kane’s natural talent for swordsmanship, they taught him everything they knew and even supported his admission into the Continental Academy by funding his entry fees.
The captain, who had taken on excessively risky commissions to cover Kane’s academy tuition, ended up crossing paths with a dangerous noble and was punished, leaving him with a limp. The mercenary corps quickly fell apart, and those whom Kane had considered family scattered due to lack of funds.
“This is why nobles are…”
Grinding his teeth at the familiar disgust he felt, Kane briskly walked through the academy corridors.
“………”
“………”
While Kane had always drawn attention whenever he passed, the nature of those stares had recently changed.
“Will he go to Emblem?”
“After all the effort Enoch Gray put in, wouldn’t he choose Gray instead?”
“What kind of talent does this commoner have to be coveted by both families at once?”
“Hey, watch your mouth. Looks like he could easily snatch a Baron’s title if he wanted to.”
Now, because Cain was a commoner—one who stood tall with unyielding pride—even the disregard that once followed him naturally had turned into wary glances.
Kane sneered at the blatant hypocrisy of the nobles, whose attitudes flipped like turning a hand over. Grabbing a random passerby, he asked,
“Do you know where the commander of Emblem is?”
“Huh? Oh, someone said Cherrya Emblem headed to the dean’s office earlier.”
After hearing what he needed, Kane turned away without a word of thanks. The student he stopped didn’t seem the least bit offended. Instead, their eyes sparkled as they whispered excitedly to their friends.
“Looks like he’s thinking of joining Emblem!”
“Gray must be fuming.”
Kane was no longer an object of disregard but of fascination.
‘This is all because of Cherrya Emblem.’
When people had once gossiped about Kane being desperate to join the Gray knights, their interest hadn’t been nearly as intense.
However, when the name ‘Emblem’ was placed alongside ‘Gray,’ the academy practically erupted into a frenzy. Fully aware of this, Cherrya Emblem only stoked the flames.
“Make sure to refuse. Be clear about it.”
Kane muttered, chastising himself for the brief moment he had been swayed by Emblem. With firm steps, he walked away.
The overwhelming and destructive swordsmanship Cherrya had demonstrated during their training still lingered vividly in his mind.
During subsequent sessions, while the students barely managed to slice through their targets, none had matched the precision and rhythm displayed by Emblem.
‘If I join Emblem under Cherrya’s leadership, could I replicate those beautiful movements?’
That thought alone had stopped Kane from outright rejecting Emblem, and now, it had escalated into this situation.
“Excuse me, is the commander of Emblem currently in the dean’s office?”
Upon reaching the office, Kane asked a student waiting outside.
Recognizing Kane, the student’s eyes gleamed with the same interest as the others and nodded.
“Yes, the two of them are speaking right now. What, do you have something to say to the commander?”
“…No.”
Kane stiffened his expression and turned to leave. But the academy student quickly grabbed him.
“Wait, I was just about to leave anyway. If you’re here to see the dean, you should wait here.”
The student stepped aside, smirking in a way that felt less like a courtesy and more like a taunt.
Kane, already accustomed to such attitudes, stepped into the spot the student had vacated without a second thought.
As soon as Cherrya Emblem emerged, Kane resolved to make his intentions clear—to reject any involvement with the Emblem knights.
As this thought steeled his resolve, he suddenly heard voices from within the dean’s office.
“…Surely, there’s no need to go to such lengths… is there?”
It was the dean’s voice. Straining his ears, Kane realized he could discern fragments of their conversation. It seemed strange—weren’t the walls of the dean’s office supposed to be soundproof? On closer inspection, he noticed that the door was ever so slightly ajar.
‘Was he secretly eavesdropping?’
Kane was about to close his gaping mouth in shock at the audacity of the student who had given up his spot for him.
“Kane. Do you even know how arrogant that insolent student is?”
The dean mentioned Kane’s name, and Kane froze, his hand hovering midair as he was about to shut the door.
“The academy has shown that commoner child every possible kindness. But instead of gratitude, he looks down on and disregards his peers.”
“………”
“Do you think that attitude will change just because he joins Emblem? I’m certain there would be conflicts within the knight order as well.”
It was clear the dean was doing his utmost to dissuade Cherrya Emblem from recruiting Kane into Emblem.
“There are plenty of excellent students in this academy who aren’t Kane. You don’t need to insist on him…”
At that moment, Kane realized what the sly smirk of the student who had given up their spot really meant.
‘They wanted me to hear all of this.’
This was the extent of goodwill one could expect from nobles. Kane had always known this, yet he couldn’t suppress the fury bubbling in a corner of his chest.
Unknowingly, Kane bit his lip so hard that it burst, blood trickling out. The metallic taste of the blood would undoubtedly remain etched in his memory for a long time.
Kane resolved to leave without causing a scene.
“Oh, I see now.”
But just as Kane turned to leave, Cherrya Emblem’s voice, tinged with amusement, rang out.
“I was wondering why you were speaking in such a roundabout way.”
The sound of Cherrya standing from her seat was followed by a frigid tone.
“You’re going on at great lengths to say that my judgment is flawed.”
