“Sir Claire Lannon?”
Claire, who was leaving the knighthood, stopped when she noticed a middle-aged man standing in front of the building. Although he is said to be middle-aged, he looks young. This is because he has a solid physique.
“Roin Escalee.”
Of course Claire knew who the man was. She said, taking Roin’s hand.
“I know. You are Miss Julia Escalee’s father, right?”
A smile appeared on Roin’s face when he heard that it was not Sir Roin Escalee, the leader of the Black Wolf Knights, but Miss Julia Escalee’s father. It means that Claire knew Julia. He said, lightly squeezing Claire’s hand and then releasing it.
“Yes. But today I came as the leader of the Black Wolf Knights.”
Okay? Claire nodded and stepped aside. This was the building of the White Lion Knights and was slightly away from the building of the Black Wolf Knights. If Roin Escalee were to visit, he would have come to see Sir Esma, the leader of the knights.
“The leader is inside.”
She was just leaving after finishing the interview. Sir Esma checked to see if Claire’s arm was okay and if she wanted to remain in the Order. The answer was yes to all.
“No, I came to see you today.”
Roin waved his hand and said. And he turned around, conscious of the knights looking at him and Claire from afar, wondering what was going on.
“Are you on your way home?”
“No. I’m staying at Biscon Mansion for a while now.”
Claire moved her bandaged arm slightly. She said doctors told her not to move until the bone came together. As she wondered if she should explain why she was staying at Biscon Manor, Roin nodded and said,
“You saved Oliver.”
Yes. Claire didn’t say anything. If you think about it, Sir Escalee was not only the leader of the Black Wolf Knights, but he was also a relative of Countess Biscon, and the two families were quite close. Of course you would know.
“Do you know why you were able to take the entrance exam?”
At that time, Roin suddenly asked a question. Why were you able to take the entrance exam? Because there was a seat. Claire said, furrowing her brows.
“I heard that some of the knights were missing.”
To be precise, they were kicked out. Because they broke the rules. Basically, knights couldn’t leave the capital without permission. As it was an order of knights for the royal family, they couldn’t escort others without permission. But there were some guys who broke all of that at once.
“Count Germarot went on a trip a few months ago. At that time, he lured some knights and took them as escorts.”
Did you do that? Claire’s eyes widened. He heard the other knights whispering about Duke Germaroth. But they didn’t include her, and she didn’t really have any intention of joining their group, so she didn’t pay any attention to them.
“No, it doesn’t make sense to say they tricked me. The problem is the idiots who think it’s a trick.”
Roin shook his head and said that. Pathetic bastards. It was said that Count Germaroth paid a considerable amount of money. Moreover, even if the Knights found out and got in trouble, they would have taken care of it since his father was a duke. But neither Count Germarott nor his knights returned. At least until last week.
As soon as Roin and Sir Esma found out about Count Germaroth and the knights who had left, they kicked them all out. Some people simply took a few days off, while others said they were unwell and took sick leave for several months. All were expelled. That was the reason why Claire was able to take the entrance exam. A position became available, and the Knights attempted to fill the vacancy in the major group through a test in the minor group. In the process, it was natural to give opportunities to people outside the Order.
“To be honest, I didn’t know there would be someone from outside who would pass.”
Roin said and stroked his chin. Claire was the only one who was accepted among the external applicants. At the same time, he was the person whose skills were expected to be the highest among those who took the test at that time.
“I’m here to explain.”
“Yes?”
In the third unexpected situation, Claire forgot that she was being rude and asked in shock. Explaining? It was strange that Sir Escalee came to visit her and asked her out of the blue how she got into the order. But it wasn’t any more strange than saying he had come to explain.
“The one that dropped you. There’s a rumor going around in the knights that I rejected you because I didn’t want a woman joining the Black Wolf.”
Wasn’t it? Claire looked in disbelief and Roin sighed. It’s true that he rejected her because she was a woman. Although the reasons were different and not all. He ran his hands through his hair. And he said with his gaze down.
“I don’t want women joining the Order. When I imagine Julia saying she will protect the country and becoming a knight, my courage falls apart.”
According to the common sense of the common people, when a woman takes up a sword to protect her country, it means that all the men are dead. At least that means he’s already dead.
“I hoped you would marry into a good place and live without hardship. I also hoped that the other knights wouldn’t get upset because a woman came in.”
That hasn’t changed even now. To be honest, Roin was still worried that if Claire joined the Black Wolf Knights, other knights would spy on her and cause an accident.
“That’s your problem, not mine.”
At that time, Claire spoke quietly. If a strange person comes in and you become confused and can’t handle your work properly, you can’t be called a proper article. Roin was speechless at her words. That’s right. Didn’t he just say that those who get away with it just because they tricked him are also a problem?
“Julia said something similar.”
Roin said with a grin. He once got into a fight with a male student at the academy, for which he was called out. When she scolded the girl, wondering what others would think if she fought like that, So, did she have to stay quiet even when others made fun of her because she was worried about what others thought? She also said that if someone said something about her punishing someone who made fun of her, it would be strange for them.
“Why did you want to become a knight?”
Roin asked, pretending not to know. Applicants are asked to write why they want to become an engineer in the application form. Claire answered without delay.
“There is someone I want to protect.”
It said so on the application form. Roin asked with a dark expression.
“Isn’t that what His Majesty the King is?”
If so, he would have written that he would like to have the honor of protecting His Majesty the King. Many applicants write that way. When Claire didn’t say anything, Roin asked again.
“What would you do if, by chance, His Majesty the King and the person you want to protect are in danger at the same time?”
When asked who she would go to rescue first, Claire again said nothing. She has nothing to answer. If the king and Eugenie were in danger at the same time, she will rush towards Eugenie without delay.
“That’s why I eliminated you.”
It was a complex reason. He didn’t want Claire to live a rough life after joining the knights, and he didn’t want the knights to become lax due to being distracted by the only woman. And it’s also because the people Claire wants to protect are not the King’s family. Both knights exist for the king’s family. If your family and the king are in danger, you should be able to give up your family. Of course, he doesn’t really force him to do that, but he thought Roin should at least have that mindset.
“To put it in the extreme, if the person you want to protect is plotting treason, then you should never be in the Knights.”
Claire was about to say that Eugenie wasn’t the type of person to do that, but she stopped. Now, that possibility has disappeared. She didn’t want to risk saying Eugenie’s name while arguing with Roin.
“But I apologize for eliminating you because I didn’t want you to raise a sword.”
Roin said that and held out his hand to Claire. Apologizing? Roin spoke to her in confusion.
“It’s not easy to stand up to your colleagues alone. Even if it’s the right thing to do. You are the most chivalrous person I have seen in recent years.”
Claire, who had been dazedly holding Roin’s hand, came to her senses at his words. He is the most chivalrous person? She opened her mouth not knowing what to say and then she finished biting. It was for Eugenie that she stood up against the other knights.
“I am…”
Claire carefully opened her mouth. She couldn’t say Eugenie’s name carelessly. She had already seen in her dreams what kind of slander Eugenie was subjected to. She saw how far the noble Lady Biscon would go to protect her country. That’s why Claire was convinced that Eugenie could not possibly be plotting treason. But others may think so too. That’s the way rumors are. It is adapted to suit the tastes of the people making the noise. That’s why Claire and Elliot never mentioned Eugenie’s name carelessly.
“I just did what I learned from him.”
One of Roin’s eyebrows rose. He looked at Claire blankly. He was told that she held out her own arm to catch Lord Psylocke’s sword while protecting Oliver and making sure no one got hurt. If Roin knew Claire’s skills, she would have been able to subdue Lord Psylocke. But one of them must have been hurt. Lord Psylocke’s sword had a rough and cruel edge, and inevitably had loopholes. If it had been any other knight, he would have chosen Sir Psylocke to be harmed rather than herself. Roin thought that Claire, who held out her arm, was amazing.
“Did you learn that arm from him?”
He is talking about how he minimized the damage by giving up his arm. Some people said that she was stupid because she was injured.
“Yes.”
Claire shook her injured arm slightly. And she said with a grin.
“If Lord Psylocke had been the victim instead of me, would he have been demoted?”
Lord Psylocke was a relative of Marquis Psylocke. This meant that if it had been Sir Psylocke who was injured and not Claire, the Marquis’s influence could have ended with a suspension rather than a demotion. The punishment of demotion given to Sir Psylocke included the crime of injuring his colleague, a knight of the White Lion Order.
Her.
Roin nodded his head and stroked his chin as he watched Claire mount her horse and leave. He thought it was stupid of her to get hurt protecting Oliver, but it seems he figured it out. Come to think of it, she said he was wearing protective gear because she chased after him right after work.
“What a shame.”
Roin shook his head and walked in the opposite direction. If he were a man and not a woman, he would have wanted to introduce him to Julia.
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Translator Note:
Hello there! This is RJR. I hope you liked it <3
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