The Little Knight Girl Studies Hard!
The Erissa girl worked hard on her studies! There was a tiny hiccup with getting certified as a guild master-approved lolicon and pickled for it, but I brushed it off as no big deal. 'I'm a legend for calling that a hiccup.' But as I vowed earlier, wasn't I done being trash? No matter the field, if you hit the top, people respect you for it. So I shouldn't be ashamed of being seen as a lolicon! Might as well go all in—I'll become the God of Lolicon. Yeah, the one and only Loli God!
"A title that makes me wanna bust out a requiem."
"Si-hyun, what've you been mumbling about?"
"Haha, nothing at all."
Nom nom—Leah sat at the desk like a proper student, staring right at me. Eating pudding during class wasn't ideal, but she wouldn't sit still without it, so I had no choice. She'd come a long way from the feral wild child she was months ago, but there was still plenty to teach this girl. Like how to button her shirt properly, for starters.
"Leah, I get it's stuffy, but you gotta button up right."
"But Si-hyun, this chest part's uncomfortable시다. This body's having trouble breathing시다."
"Guess Erissa didn't get Leah's size right."
Thirty minutes ago, Erissa had dropped off some new clothes as a gift for Leah. The girl, who'd been stuck in the same outfits forever, bolted to change into them... but they seemed a bit small. Especially around the chest.
"Hoo... Si-hyun, feels like the buttons are gonna pop시다...!"
"Hold still. I'll fix it for you."
I let out a small sigh and stepped over to the girl, rebuttoning so she could breathe easy.
"S-Si-hyun... G-Gently, please시다..."
"Yeah, yeah. Gently it is, knight lady."
Leah blushed faintly and clasped her hands behind her back. 'She's so damn cute when she just takes it like that.' Leah could be a total tomboy hellion at times, but if someone attended to her like a servant, she'd switch up like a different person. Accepting it as if it were natural.
'She calls herself a knight, so maybe...'
I finished buttoning her shirt neatly and pulled a chair over to sit across from her desk.
"Leah, before we start class, wanna hear an old tale?"
"Old tale?"
"Yeah, you wanna?"
"The old tales Si-hyun tells to put this body to sleep are all boring시다. This one's the same?"
I always tucked Leah in with stories like CKongjwi and Patjwi or Lucky Day—basics of teaching kids morals through tales. 'But Leah always griped, "Lacks the ku-kwa-kwang and choo-choo-chug flavor!"' Like most fairy tales, no real violence, so they bored her.
I told her I'd prepped something extra fun today just for her.
"This one's worth the hype. Get excited."
"Ooh...! This body trusts Si-hyun시다!"
Leah's purple eyes sparkled as she bounced in her seat.
"First, a couple questions. You always say you're a knight and a mengmang-grade ghost story, right?"
"Yup, this body's a mighty knight and ghost story시다!"
"Leah, no forcing it—just whatever pops up from your past."
"Hmm... Got it시다."
Leah crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and rocked back and forth. 'Pushing a ghost story girl to remember is risky... but I need info on her.' Worth the risk.
"Hmmm... This body's past... past..."
Unlike my worries, no headache or rampage. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and yelled.
"No memories at all시다!"
"Huh?"
"Tried, but only that this body's a knight and mighty ghost story시다!"
"Just those two?"
"Well... Actually, one more시다!"
"What?"
Leah raised her hand like wielding a sword to my chest.
"This body beat Lucifer시다."
"...Leah, remember who that is?"
Her purple eyes flickered like flames at his name.
"Lucifer is..."
Her gaze mixed sorrow and joy in a complex swirl—
Thump.
'Wh-What the...? Suddenly?'
A sharp, painful pang stabbed my heart out of nowhere.
"Th-This body only remembers beating Lucifer시다...! Nothing else—"
Drip.
A single clear tear rolled from her purple eye. Like a snowflake, sparkling like a star in the sky.
"Ah...? S-Si-hyun...? Something weird from this body's eye..."
Neither I nor the girl knew the emotion in that tear.
Squeeze—I jumped up and pulled her into my arms the second I saw it.
"Hyah?! S-Si-hyun...?"
"It's okay now, Leah. No forcing memories."
"U-Ung..."
"Sorry. Must've been scary not remembering, and I grilled you."
"I-It’s fine시다... Not Si-hyun's fault시다."
Leah nuzzled my chest, comforting me. Her scent brushed my nose, slowly dissolving that weird heart sting.
'What was that feeling just now...'
Familiar, not brand new. Same as when Luna mentioned Lucifer.
'Sigh... Everything gets weird around that Lucifer guy.'
Forced misconceptions, memories shoving in... Total nuisance character. Just wait'll I meet him—I'll sue for damages hard!
Vowing petty revenge on Lucifer, I looked down at Leah in my arms. Her eyes gazed up bright and sparkly, tear long gone.
"Leah, feeling better?"
"Hmm~ Actually, not really시다. Si-hyun forced into this body's heart, hurt and sad시다."
"Sigh, Leah... Told you to watch your words. Sounds bad if overheard."
"Hehe, Si-hyun's this body's guardian, so deal with it시다!"
Leah grinned like a playful cat and poked her cheek.
"Si-hyun hurt this body, so heal it시다."
"How's cheek-poking healing?"
"Like every night, Si-hyun kisses this body's cheek goodnight to chase pain away시다."
"Wha...? Pfft... Haha!"
Her shy-yet-bold demand cracked me up.
"Eek...! N-No laughing시다! Why?!"
—Pat pat! Embarrassed by her own request, she pounded my chest with tiny fists.
I wiped a laugh-tear and hugged her again.
"Ahaha... Sorry, sorry. Your cheeks all flushed but owning it was too cute."
"Hooo... This body mustered courage, but super embarrassing시다..."
"I get it. Thanks for speaking up first."
"Th-Thanks...?"
"Not 'th-anks,' thanks. Taught you thanks and sorry a bunch—still mixing 'em?"
"Ung... Pronunciation's tricky시다."
"Hmm~ Guess punishment for slip-ups? Like this!"
"T-This body's getting naughty punishment agai— Hyaaah?!"
—Smack.
I pecked both her wriggling cheeks in turn. Warm, soft girl skin. Just cheeks, but so tender it felt like a real kiss.
"Slip up again, and it's cheek-kisses for Leah."
"N-No시다! Touching knight's body carelessly brings punishment시다...! And Si-hyun's kisses make this body's heart go weird시다! Or it'll... it'll break시다!!"
Calling heart flutters a "break." Her pure cuteness made me smile.
"I'll be careful not to break it. And if it does... I'll take responsibility and fix it."
"Hooo... B-But...!"
"Plus, I'm Leah's 'special' person, right? First guy to name you... Can't I?"
I gave her big pleading Puss-in-Boots eyes.
She fidgeted, eyes shaking.
"Hauu... F-Fine, Si-hyun gets special permission시다."
"Haha, thanks, knight lady!"
"O-Only Si-hyun special시다...! No other guys시다!"
"Obviously. I'll chase off any other guy near Leah."
"Si-hyun scolds them?"
"'Cause I'm Leah's 'special' guy."
"Hehe... 'Special' has a nice ring시다."
—Squeeze.
Leah giggled and snuggled back in.
Watching her innocent smile, I wondered if this girl really bore an apocalypse tale. Top-tier mengmang-grade among ghost stories.
'Apocalypse needs more than normal despair. So Leah, like Luna...'
What story crushed a bright, emotional girl like this? What made her seal her memories and power? How tragic to make her forget herself?
'Please... may that unbearable despair never return.'
I patted her gently, whispering a prayer to the sky. After ten minutes of purring in my arms, Leah poked my cheek.
"Oh yeah, Si-hyun! You gotta tell this body a fun special story시다!"
"Right, forgot."
"Hehe, this body remembered시다. Hurry시다!"
"Haha, got it. This one's a thriller—listen up."
I sat her on my lap, cleared my throat, and began.
"Today's tale's about knights—Leah's favorite."
"Ooh! Finally a story fit for this body시다!"
Her purple eyes glittered with focus.
"Once upon a time, in a far-off land, there was a kingdom of knights. Where the Sword was law and the Swear was life—an empire. Twelve territories, each ruled by mighty knights."
"Ooh...! Twelve knights...!"
"Cool, right? They cherished their twelve noble crests—vows dearer than life. At their pinnacle sat one king. He ended wars, built peace. His noble sword gleaming legendary, mythic. So they called him with respect—"
I swallowed, stroked her focused head, and spoke.
"The pinnacle of the great twelve knights, the Knight King."