“While you were unconscious, the king of Pavan Kingdom visited the academy and spoke with the dean before leaving. It seems he intends to ensure that you and Enoch never return from the Carmedan jungle.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
Cherrya frowned deeply, as if the situation were absurd.
Seffield hesitated, wondering where to start so that Cherrya wouldn’t be too shocked. After some thought, he decided to explain everything step by step.
Cherrya was able to accept the fact that she and Enoch were currently considered missing and that no one knew they had returned safely.
She could even understand that the Pavan Kingdom and the dean were using this opportunity to bring down both Emblem and Gray simultaneously in order to keep the Lutinas Empire in check.
However—
“Why—why does this situation mean that Enoch and I have to get engaged?”
“The king of Pavan Kingdom is using the relationship between Emblem and Gray as justification, and no one will think he’s forcing the issue.”
“That’s true. People will just assume that Emblem and Gray got into another fight like they always do—except this time, it led to a major disaster.”
She let out a deep sigh.
“But, Grandfather, Enoch and I have returned safely!”
“…That may be the case this time, but what if something happens in the future, and you don’t even get the chance to explain?”
“What do you mean? There’s no way Enoch and I would both go missing again, right?”
Cherrya waved her hand dismissively, though her gaze shifted slightly toward Enoch.
Her eyes trembled faintly, as if she had a bad feeling about it.
“If either of you gets hurt, people will immediately claim it was Emblem’s conspiracy or Gray’s scheme. They will tear each other apart. And once the king of Pavan Kingdom establishes this justification, every nation on the continent will realize how much power he holds.”
“…Filthy nobles.”
Cherrya muttered the words, momentarily forgetting that she was a noble herself—sounding just like Kane.
The very people who once expressed eternal gratitude to the Emblem Knights for exterminating monsters—how many of them would now resist the temptation of seizing personal benefits and the title of the continent’s greatest knight order?
Cherrya couldn’t be sure.
“That’s why it’s necessary to make it clear—through you and Enoch—that our family has changed. If only to divert their attention.”
“I never expected to hear such words from you, Grandfather.”
Cherrya understood, but Seffield’s change still felt unfamiliar. She hesitated before gripping the hem of his robe.
Seffield gently took her hand in his and spoke.
“It’s just a show engagement. Before it leads to marriage, we’ll break it off.”
He gave her a playful wink.
Only then did the tension ease from Cherrya’s face, and she let out a soft chuckle.
“Haha, I knew it!”
“Of course! Do you think I would simply hand you over to Gray?”
Seffield laughed along with her before continuing.
“It seems you’ve overcome the wall within yourself.”
“………..!”
“And so has he.”
“Wh-what, Grandfather…”
Cherrya stammered in surprise. Her reaction made it clear to Seffield that she hadn’t yet realized the power she had gained.
There was still much to teach her.
As he thought this, he added,
“Once people find out that you two have broken through your limits, Pavan Kingdom won’t be the only threat to Emblem and Gray.”
When that time came, Cherrya wouldn’t just be facing Pavan—she would be confronting the entire continent.
Even Lutinas itself would fear that power.
“That’s why we need to ensure that all eyes are on Emblem and Gray’s engagement ceremony.”
“…….….”
At Seffield’s firm instruction, Cherrya couldn’t bring herself to refuse this time.
***
The atmosphere among the Emblem Knights gathered in the training hall was grim.
They felt powerless, haunted by the memory of watching Cherrya leap into the infamous swamps of the Carmedan jungle to save a student—while they stood by, unable to do anything.
Even though their head, Seffield, had managed to rescue Cherrya and she was now recovering, their morale had taken a severe blow and showed no signs of returning.
“Senior, do you think our Commander will be okay?”
Jack asked anxiously, his eyes trembling with worry as he clung to Osric.
Osric, trying to maintain a strong front as a senior, replied,
“We’re talking about Cherrya here. Give it a little time, and she’ll be complaining about how restless she is before heading straight to the training hall. So don’t slack off and get scolded—keep training.”
“But still…”
Cherrya had never been injured so badly that she couldn’t regain consciousness.
They had grown up training together, but to them, she was always their leader—someone they followed without question.
A wall they could never surpass but could always rely on.
Hearing that someone like Cherrya had fallen shook them to their core.
Osric was trying to convince himself that she would be fine, but even his expression had hardened, just like Jack’s.
“Osric’s right. Stop whining and focus on training.”
At that moment, Henry, who had been silently polishing his sword beside Jack, sheathed his blade and stood up.
He patted Jack on the shoulder and said,
“Our Commander is alive. She didn’t die. So stop looking like you’re at a funeral.”
“But, Senior Henry…”
“Aren’t you going to train?”
Henry, wearing an uncharacteristically stern expression, growled as he scolded Jack and the rest of the Emblem Knights.
“Do you know why the Commander always takes the lead on missions?”
“……..…”
“Because she trusts us to watch her back?”
“Senior…”
“No. It’s because we’re not strong enough. We’re not as strong as the Commander, so we can’t take the lead.”
A heavy silence fell over the Emblem Knights.
Henry sighed, sensing the somber mood, and continued.
“It was the same this time. If we had been stronger, the Commander wouldn’t have had to throw herself into danger alone.”
The Emblem Knights had grown proud of their renowned reputation across the continent. But if they became complacent, the gap between them and Cherrya would only widen.
They had to stay focused. They had to concentrate on the swords in front of them. Only then could they stand alongside Cherrya and wield their blades as equals.
Henry handed a sword to Jack, Lucas, and Osric, whose eyes had turned red with emotion.
“So stop moping around and start training. Next time, we’ll be the ones protecting the Commander.”
At his calm yet firm encouragement, a new determination swept through the Emblem Knights.
Osric was the first to move.
“Henry is right. How much longer are we going to keep cleaning up after the Commander?”*
“Yeah, she deserves some rest too.”
Lucas agreed as he stretched and started jogging in place.
“We’ll train until the Commander has no choice but to ask us for help.”
“Like Cherrya would ever do that.”
“It’s just a figure of speech.”
As the Emblem Knights shook off their gloom and prepared for training, Jack, who had been wiping away his tears out of his comrades’ view, suddenly turned and shouted.
“…Huh? Isn’t that the kid our Commander marked as hers?”
🍓; ‘Cleaning up after the Commander’ here means dealing with the aftermath of her sacrifices—not because she’s reckless, but because she has no choice. They want to change that dynamic, so instead of always relying on Cherrya, they can stand beside her and share the burden.
Thank you for the update <3