Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: Somewhere Between the Black Flame Dragon and Blackening
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Squires, also known as squires or apprentice knights, had a wide variety of duties.
From polishing the armor and weapons of the knight they served, to learning various martial arts and horsemanship skills necessary to perform their role as apprentice knights themselves, and even handling miscellaneous tasks like tending to the horses.
Normally, knights would take on each other's children as squires, but Risikida was a knight who had surrendered from Nudia, so she didn't have that level of camaraderie with the knights under Clausen's banner.
For that reason, even though the two siblings had become squires, they were full-grown adults rather than young boys and girls—cases of common villagers becoming squires were practically unheard of—so from Jimmy and Trisha's perspective, it was nothing short of heavenly luck.
That was the prevailing view among the people in the castle.
'Uwaaaaaah!'
But Trisha couldn't tell if this was fortune or misfortune.
"Rise and shine!"
Exactly three days after entering the castle of Clausen Margrave, which had felt like a dream.
Trisha jolted awake at the thunderous shout that struck like lightning.
When she sat up, a female knight in simple attire with a sword at her waist was glaring at her.
"Wh-what's with the sudden..."
"The sun's already high in the sky—what are you doing?
Get ready for training right now!"
The sun's high in the sky?
Trisha turned her head to look out the window.
The sun had risen, sure, but it hadn't even climbed a quarter of the way up yet—it was still the dim early morning hours.
What the hell is going on? As Trisha dragged her feet, Risikida's forehead vein popped out, and she flipped the bed over entirely.
"Uwaaak?"
"Rise and shine.
Don't make me say it twice."
"Wh-what are you doing!
I..."
"First: Your name is Trisha Faker, not some Dark Dragon.
Second: The Young Lord appointed you as my squire, so from now on, you obey my orders unconditionally."
"Why do I have to follow your orders!"
"Because if you don't, I can punish you."
Srrrring—.
The sword at Risikida's waist hissed with a chilling aura as it slid halfway out of its sheath.
On top of that, when she released a bit of her presence, Trisha flinched and shrank back.
Even a middle school syndrome Black Flame Dragon devotee knew that getting stabbed by a sword meant death.
"I'll give you five minutes.
Assemble at the training grounds.
If you're late, you'll find out firsthand whether your Dark Dragon or my sword is stronger."
Risikida was executing Sion's order to treat Trisha as bitchily as possible, without a hitch, at 200 percent capacity.
A true knight indeed.
And so, Trisha's nightmare began from day one.
Normally, one would build stamina through basic training before moving to intensive drills, but Risikida deliberately subjected only Trisha to intensive training from the start, completely breaking her spirit.
She even separated the siblings under the excuse that male and female squires had slightly different duties, treating Jimmy kindly while being utterly ruthless to Trisha.
"Is that all it takes to wear you out?
What a waste of the nickname Dark Dragon!"
Trampling all over Trisha's Black Flame Dragon was par for the course.
"Clinging to your brother with this pathetic level and weak mind!
Worthless trash!"
Personality assassination was a given.
'Damn human woman!'
For the first few days, she endured out of resentment and anger, fueled by spite and grit.
She figured she was just stumbling now because it was new, but as the heir to the Dark Dragon's blood, she'd surely excel and put that noisy female knight in her place.
But Risikida was no pushover.
Whenever Trisha showed even a hint of endurance or growth, she'd hurl an insane obstacle at her, smashing her pride to bits.
At the same time, she structured Jimmy's training to mirror her own tests, ensuring he could outperform Trisha relatively.
A true knight matching her master, indeed.
'Kughhh!'
A week passed, then two, and Trisha grew increasingly exhausted.
This woman who wouldn't give her even an hour—a single minute, not even five—to rest and drove her like a madwoman.
For a girl who had lived as an ordinary villager, helping her brother Jimmy Faker with housework or tending fields, it was only natural she couldn't withstand the storm of training.
But what tormented Trisha more than the training or Risikida was Jimmy Faker, who praised Risikida nonstop whenever they met during breaks.
Her own brother.
"Trisha.
We're incredibly lucky.
I thought being saved by Young Lord Sion was a fortune I'd never repay in my lifetime, but to learn everything about being a squire under such an excellent knight..."
"What?
Excellent?"
"Yeah.
Knight Risikida Amshel.
She teaches everything from the smallest details to the big picture, so thoroughly and kindly—makes me want to become a knight like her someday."
"..."
When the brother she trusted and followed most said that, she first wondered if she was mistaken, or maybe she'd show a better side later, so she tried to tough it out.
But Risikida kept hounding Trisha mercilessly, grinding her down without mercy, treating her oppressively beyond reason.
Yet her brother praised this devilish woman every single day, right up until they returned to the barracks—Trisha, who put her brother first above all, couldn't help but grow resentful.
"Today, I trained swordsmanship with Risikida—she said I'm still lacking but definitely improving..."
"Stop!
Just stop!
I'm sick of it!"
"Huh?"
"I'm sick of it!
That woman, that amazing female knight!
Stop talking about her in front of me!"
Jimmy glanced around at Trisha's shout, filled with rage and irritation, then hurriedly spoke.
"Trisha, what's wrong with you?"
"Excellent?
A good person?
Do you even know what that woman says to me, what she does?
How can you praise her nonstop for over a week without knowing anything!
Don't you care about me?
Aren't you curious how I'm spending my time?!"
Jimmy looked at his sister with flustered eyes, then offered an apology first.
Lately, so many good things had happened that he'd overlooked his little sister's mood.
Sorry, brother was wrong.
He apologized like that, not knowing the reason.
Wondering if something had happened between Risikida and his sister that he didn't know about.
But the next day, Risikida—as if she'd anticipated the whole situation—suddenly gathered the siblings together for training.
Naturally, the sharp barbs and venom aimed at Trisha vanished.
Instead, fair criticism and scoldings took their place.
"I've warned you over and over not to do that, Trisha!"
"Ugh!"
"Look at your brother.
He's still holding his shield steadily!
This isn't about gender.
It's about the will to win, the will to protect what's precious to you!
Shield up!"
Trisha wouldn't know—and neither would Jimmy—
But Risikida deliberately showed Trisha the hard path and Jimmy the easy one.
That created a difference in learning speed, so even when training together on the same thing, the gap was glaring.
Thanks to that, from Jimmy's view, his incompetent sister—who couldn't keep up despite the same master—was becoming more and more obvious.
"The Young Lord specially accepted you two as squires.
This is a tremendous benefit and gift no commoner could dream of!
Why do you keep sleeping in and acting foolish, bringing shame to him?!"
Throwing in Sion's name subtly made it impossible for Jimmy to defend Trisha carelessly.
He'd arranged this special favor for their sake—if they couldn't prove their worth, being cast out was secondary; betraying someone's expectations was the real issue.
Especially when that someone was their lifesaver.
"See.
See!
He's only picking on me!
That woman's weird.
She treats you nicely and..."
"..."
"She definitely has some ulterior motive.
Something petty and dirty..."
"Trisha.
Stop."
With all those thoughts piling up, Jimmy raised his stern voice to his sister for the first time.
"...What?"
"I said stop.
Stop whining.
You're not a kid, and neither am I.
I'm an adult, and you'll be twenty in two years.
An adult."
"What's that got to do with anything!"
"I'm saying I can't keep playing along with your childish nonsense forever.
We have expectations on us, and we have to meet them.
No time for complaints."
"You think I'm just complaining for no reason?
That female knight..."
"I said stop, Trisha!"
Jimmy shot to his feet and yelled.
At her brother's sharp reaction—something she'd never seen—Trisha could only let out an 'Eh?' in shock.
"Baseless complaints.
Yeah, that's exactly what baseless complaints are.
Look at you today.
You couldn't follow the knight's training even once properly.
Like you accomplished nothing in over two weeks!"
"Th-that's..."
"Every time, the training's too hard, too grueling, she keeps yelling.
But what have you actually done?
Trisha, snap out of it.
The world won't indulge your pranks forever.
I almost died in the war.
We have to get strong.
To survive, we have to get strong—and that means effort!
Playing your silly games won't improve anything!"
Resentment toward his sister badmouthing someone who treated him well and whom he respected.
Stress built up from raising her since childhood, enduring her chuunibyou antics knowingly and unknowingly.
Plus the pressure to meet expectations—it all piled up, and Jimmy snapped.
And it wasn't just anger.
All the emotions he'd held toward his sister came spilling out.
She was his only family, precious, someone he'd give everything for.
But they couldn't live together forever; someday she'd have to walk her own path.
So it was time for her to get strong and drop the nonsense.
"Trisha.
I'm human too.
I get tired, exhausted.
And I can't be by your side forever.
That's what I mean—I can't indulge your pranks forever."
"Th-that's..."
"I want to live properly.
This life the Young Lord saved—I want to use it right.
That means effort from now on.
Even if this body breaks, I don't want to betray his faith.
If you don't want that, quit now.
And if you plan to badmouth the knight again, I won't listen.
I've seen clearly how much meaningless time you've wasted."
The one person she trusted and relied on most suddenly pushed her away.
The one who'd accepted any words or pranks was saying no more, that things had to change, putting distance between them.
"..."
Deep down, Trisha might have sensed it vaguely.
She couldn't hide as the Dark Dragon forever.
Like her parents, her brother would build his own family someday, and she'd have to leave his side, facing the world alone.
She'd shouted "Black Flame Dragon" even more to delay that moment.
Preparing bit by bit to drift from her brother.
But then this weird female knight Risikida stuck around, stole her time, took her brother, and pushed them apart.
"...Jerk."
She hated Risikida, hated this harsh reality.
But more than that, she hated her brother—who'd smiled at her and treated her well for eighteen long years.
But in just over ten days, he'd changed, yelling and scolding her.
"Get lost.
I don't need you."
Trisha muttered that, turned her back on her brother, and walked away.
Jimmy watched his sister go, sighing but not apologizing like before or trying to comfort her.
Both he and his sister.
It was time to face reality and shed the illusions.
―
Officially a squire of Clausen now, Trisha could move somewhat freely inside the castle.
That's why she was currently holed up in the garden, sobbing.
"How could he...
How...
Just two weeks, and he falls for that female knight?
Is that it..."
She knew she shouldn't.
Her brother who'd cared for her all this time—reason screamed that.
Yet Trisha's eyes welled up with surging resentment and betrayal.
The one who'd been her ally for so long, whom she'd thought would be forever, had changed suddenly—the shock was huge, her emotions overwhelming, as expected.
Trisha huddled pathetically in a corner of the garden, sobbing for tens of minutes.
"Why is the great Dark Dragon crying in a corner?"
At the sudden voice, Trisha startled and looked up.
There stood a strikingly elegant young man smiling down at her.
"Y-Young Lord Sion..."
"Something wrong?"
Thud—.
The noble heir to this vast margrave territory plopped down casually in the garden corner.
Flustered by his easygoing demeanor yet wiping her tears messily, Trisha forced a casual tone.
"Just... training's a bit tough.
N-no.
That's it.
No big deal."
"Is that so?
Good then.
I've watched you a few times lately—seemed pretty rough."
Trisha glanced at Sion at his words.
Watched her?
She'd never felt such eyes...
"Trisha Faker."
"Yes."
"It's tough, huh?"
At Sion's sudden words, Trisha blinked rudely despite herself.
The timing was too perfect: right after the one she trusted most cast her out, as she flailed in shock, someone approached.
"Trisha.
Want to hear something fun?
Did you know most people in the world carry a Dark Dragon in their heart at least once?"
"Wh-what do you..."
"Because they see themselves as so precious.
But the world doesn't recognize it, just makes things hard—so they hypnotize themselves.
I'm amazing, I can do anything.
Consciously and unconsciously, that's how they live."
"..."
"Those who succeed there become real dragons; those who can't escape the fantasy stay Dark Dragons."
Sion chuckled and pointed at himself.
"I was a Dark Dragon once too."
"...Really?"
"Yeah.
Thought I was special, could do anything, different from others.
But thoughts alone weren't enough.
Had to do something, prove it.
Can't stay a joke or fantasy.
Because I'm truly amazing."
"..."
"Gotta go.
Believe you'll pull through."
As Sion stood to leave, he let out an 'Ah' with a sigh.
Then pointed at the garden.
"If it's tough again, come here.
If I see the Dark Dragon slumped over, I can give a cheer on my way."
"...Pfft.
Don't need that."
"Suit yourself."
With that, Sion left the garden.
Trisha pretended nonchalance but secretly watched his back.
The man who saw her Black Flame Dragon—even a little—as real, not just childish play.
"..."
Just one problem.
Risikida had witnessed the whole scene of Sion and Trisha's warm conversation.
Crunch—.
The smoke turned real in that moment.