Chapter 420: Launch(2)
Chapter 420: Launch(2)
Isaac’s older brother, Dave, and his older sister, Nicole. Unlike Isaac, these two siblings were born with a profound natural talent for the martial arts.
Dave was the spitting image of Hawk, from his facial features down to his physical build, while Nicole, despite her appearance, had inherited Hawk’s raw physical aptitude.
Because of this, they had both stood out since their days as freshmen at Halo Academy. After serving as martial studies teaching assistants, they eventually earned their spots in the Navy Knights.
At the time of their enlistment, the Knights held massive expectations for them simply because they were Hawk’s children.
The Navy Knights was a place where meritocracy was the absolute rule; one couldn't buy their way in with bribes or enter through noble political maneuvering.
To begin with, the entrance exam itself was designed to test the very limits of human endurance—marching for days on end without a wink of sleep, or training for several days straight without a single meal.
Even this was after Hawk himself had stepped in to significantly reduce the intensity. As is well known, the area the Navy Knights oversaw was the border region, a place often referred to as hell.
It was a place where even the strong, those who had surpassed human limits, could crumble helplessly. Consequently, a large number of people used to die during the entrance exams.
Hawk, the former Knight Commander, was well aware of this. Once he had finished clearing the border region, he was able to drastically lower the difficulty of the test.
Regardless, while the workload in the border region had certainly improved, that didn't mean the combat power of the Navy Knights had diminished.
If anything, it was the opposite. An army can only function properly if it has the manpower, even if the supplies are plentiful.
Originally, the Navy Knights had been like a leaking dam, with manpower constantly draining away, but that hole had mostly been plugged.
With personnel being replenished and the ability to replace those who did leave, things had become somewhat more relaxed.
Furthermore, the Navy Knights had always been one of the units that received a deluge of supplies.
With the budget remaining the same but the drain on resources significantly decreased, their quality of life was much better than before.
"Hey. Dave."
"Yes?"
"When you go on leave, can you get me Xenon’s autograph?"
"..."
That didn't mean the unique customs of the military had changed, however. The Navy Knights were a unit that undertook various special missions, including guarding the border region.
Naturally, they lived in barracks, and while they were meritocratic, a culture of seniority was still appropriately mixed in.
The knight currently making the request of Dave was no different. Dave, Isaac’s biological brother, gave an ambiguous smile upon hearing the request.
The man could make such a request because he was far above Dave in both skill and seniority.
Not only that, but he was also a senior Dave was personally close with, making it awkward to refuse.
"Hey, hey. Aren't you trying to get a free ride a bit too much?"
As Dave hesitated to answer, a female knight who was changing her clothes chimed in with a scolding tone.
Dave and the other knight immediately shifted their gaze toward her.
Since she was changing with her back turned, they had a full view of her rear profile.
However, anyone seeing her broad shoulders and latissimus dorsi would feel admiration rather than any impure thoughts.
"Even so, you should ask for something reasonable. Think about Dave’s position, having to ask Xenon for a favor like that."
The female knight, now finished changing, turned around as she continued. She had a pretty face with blonde hair and blue eyes, but her well-trained physique allowed one to guess her true strength.
As one might expect from her changing clothes despite the presence of men, the three of them shared a single room.
Due to the poor working conditions before Hawk took command, the Navy Knights hadn't had the luxury of separate rooms. Originally, it wasn't three to a room, but ten people living together.
Worried that something untoward might happen?
Nonsense. The mere fact that someone had joined the Knights meant they were already quite powerful; anyone trying anything would likely end up on the receiving end.
There was no need to worry about toxic hazing, either. Every day was hell, and everyone was too busy trying to survive, which led to a tight-knit bond of camaraderie.
Besides, the budget had to be invested in manpower and supplies; there was no room to spare for building new barracks.
"Come on. Surely one autograph is fine? I heard that while Xenon is hard to get close to, he’s more than happy to give an autograph if you actually manage to reach him."
"Where did you hear that rumor?"
"You didn't hear? Some adventurer supposedly broke through the guards and got to Xenon. And Xenon gave him an autograph right then and there."
"Hmm..."
Perhaps she was slightly swayed by those words. The female knight looked at Dave with a subtle glint in her eyes.
Dave could only offer a bitter smile under her gaze. This was entirely up to Isaac—that is, Xenon—so he wasn't in a position to say anything.
Of course, his kind-hearted younger brother would probably laugh and readily agree. But as an older brother, Dave couldn't help but feel guilty.
The female knight seemed to realize this as well, as she spoke again in a solemn voice.
"Still, no. It’s his long-awaited leave; he should just rest without worrying about anything."
"Tsk. Fine."
"You’re not planning on asking Nicole because Dave said no, are you?"
"I have a conscience too, you wench."
For the record, Nicole was receiving similar requests. The difference was that, unlike Dave, she refused them flatly.
Unlike Dave, who had completely blended into the military lifestyle, Nicole had a very sharp personality and was capable of saying no.
"Well, anyway, have a good leave. How many months has it been?"
"I don't even remember anymore. I do remember going once with Nicole last year, though."
When Hawk was in command, the concept of leave barely existed for the Navy Knights. Desertion or suicide were common occurrences if leave was granted.
The reason they were able to work in such a living hell was thanks to massive economic support. It was a level of funding that would make even a noble’s jaw drop.
Without that, the Navy Knights would likely have remained a penal battalion filled with death row inmates and other prisoners, all desperate for freedom.
In fact, that was half-true; even Hawk himself had been sent there semi-forcibly after getting on the wrong side of the higher-ups.
"True. The barbarians have been acting up lately. How many years has it been since Commander Hawk left?"
"Is it ten years this year? Probably around then. The little ones back then must be all grown up by now."
"The former Commander should have just wiped them out root and branch."
"Stop that. Even back then, he told us not to touch the children."
This was one of the decisive reasons Dave couldn't treat them lightly. In military slang, these people had massive seniority.
Aside from that, they were veterans among veterans who had survived from the days when the border region was a literal hellscape to the relatively peaceful present.
Humans who have reached the ranks of the strong can preserve their combat power even as they age, provided they continue their training and combat.
The man and woman before him were exactly those kinds of powerhouses. For Dave, they were seniors he still had to look up to for a long time.
"Still, according to the scouts, the barbarians are split into moderates and hardliners. We’ll have to keep a close eye on them for now. If the hardliners win..."
"Enough. What’s the point of talking about it now? Dave, you just get going on your leave. Your brother must be waiting."
"Yes. Understood..."
"Ah, wait a second."
Just as Dave, who had been standing awkwardly and listening, thought it was his chance to pack his things, the female knight stopped him.
Dave froze in a half-bent posture. He looked at her with an expression that asked why she was calling him.
As soon as she saw him, she cleared her throat as if slightly embarrassed, then spoke quietly with a flushed face.
"It’s nothing else, but about Xenon Biography..."
"Again, again. You scold me, but you’re doing the same thing. I’m telling you, Jin is going to die! He looks completely broken; do you really think he’ll survive?"
As if he had predicted what she was going to say, the knight next to her sneered with a look of disdain.
Unlike his previous playful tone, his expression of genuine exasperation was quite a sight.
Stung by this, the female knight bristled, her face turning beet red as she barked back.
"Sh-shut up! This is an extremely grave matter!"
"Grave, my foot. You might as well just ask for an autograph. Is the death of a mere character more important than an autograph? You’re looking at the trees and missing the forest."
"Ha. That’s rich coming from the guy who lost sleep worrying that Xenon might die and then dozed off during a mission the next day."
"Better than sobbing in the middle of the night. You have the build of an Ogre, yet your sensibilities are so girly. Are you going to wail if Jin actually dies?"
"You little bastard..."
"I’ll be going now! Have a pleasant time!"
As the two knights looked ready to tear into each other, Dave quickly packed his bags and hurried outside.
As he stepped out, he heard the female knight scream, "Just don't let Jin die!" but he ignored it.
"Phew..."
"You must have been pestered quite a bit too, Brother."
A woman approached Dave as he emerged from the quarters. Dave stopped rubbing his tired face and glanced sideways.
Navy-blue hair and identical golden eyes. Broad shoulders that even a neat uniform couldn't hide, and a curvaceous figure beneath.
It was Nicole, his younger sister and fellow knight. She was also just about to head out on leave, just like Dave.
"...Yeah. I can understand the autograph, but they told me not to let Jin die. As if I have any authority over that."
"Same here. Someone actually clung to me, begging. Asking if there was anything I could do. Saying it’s too tragic for those two to go like this."
"Who?"
"Sir Vail."
"That man too... There are so many sentimental people here."
He said that, but he could understand. Aside from being the Empire’s strongest knight order, their 'entertainment' was remarkably scarce.
Before that, there were almost no knight orders that lived in barracks like the Navy Knights. Soldiers were excluded since they weren't conscripted except during wartime or special occasions.
Other knights had private residences they stayed in, rather than barracks. In other words, it was more like commuting to work.
Why would the strongest knight order live in barracks instead of private residences? In the past, they had tried living in residences out of concern for that very thing.
Until they suffered massive losses from members being assassinated one by one. So, until Hawk took command, they truly had no choice but to live in barracks.
Because of this, entertainment to relieve the knights' stress was absolutely necessary, and currently, Xenon Biography held that spot firmly.
The fact that new volumes of Xenon Biography were included as part of their supplies should give you an idea of its prestige.
As a result, it had become almost their only source of stress relief during rest periods, and it was only natural for them to become more deeply immersed in it than others.
"There probably isn't another knight order that loves Xenon Biography as much as ours."
"I totally agree. The only things to do are exercise, training, and Xenon Biography. Just those three."
Dave and Nicole shared various stories as they headed back to their territory. First and foremost was the topic of Isaac.
Actually, even before Isaac revealed his identity, the Knights had been very interested in him. This was because the siblings, Dave and Nicole, had joined the Knights side-by-side.
So, would Isaac also be joining the Knights soon? Numerous officials had showered them with questions since they first joined.
Even when they told people that Isaac wasn't a warrior but an ordinary aspiring scholar, almost no one believed them. That was how much the Maishal family was branded as a martial family.
"Still, it’s better than before. When Isaac revealed his identity, we were the ones who got caught in the crossfire."
"I’d call it infinite interest rather than crossfire."
However, after Isaac revealed his identity, they began to receive intense interest in a different sense. Nicole shuddered as she recalled those days.
The entire knight order were ardent followers of Xenon Biography, and a fellow knight’s younger brother was Xenon?
Most of the knights went into a state of 'Oh, I can't hold back' and made all sorts of demands.
Starting from basic autographs to requests to bring Isaac here.
The siblings had somehow managed to refuse them all, and since the Knight Commander had seen this disgraceful behavior and taken a firm stance, the matter had eventually fizzled out.
Also, fortunately or unfortunately, the detection of barbarian beastkin activity meant they had to stop worrying about Xenon and focus on their primary duties.
"Still, I’d like to bring Isaac here at least once. It could be good source material, couldn't it?"
"Forget it. I don't want to bring Isaac to a weird place like this. Everyone here has a screw loose."
While Dave showed a side like an immature older brother, Nicole refused as a reliable older sister.
Just because it was the strongest knight order didn't mean the people gathered there were any different; the world is full of all sorts of eccentrics.
They were tense at first, but since there was nothing to do for fun besides Xenon Biography and physical activity, all sorts of bizarre incidents were constantly occurring.
The most memorable one was when they had a competition to see who could dig a tunnel the fastest, and some 'black water' had gushed out.
The black water could be used as oil to start fires, but it gushed out so violently that they had no choice but to cover it back up.
"Anyway, it’s been a while since we’ve gone on leave. I wonder if Isaac is doing well? I heard he was attacked by demon worshippers at the Academy."
"He’ll be fine. Adele is by his side, and Cardinal Kate is there too. I’m more worried about whether he’s attracted more women."
"Women... Come to think of it, I need to find a partner soon too. How did Father meet Mother in a place like this?"
When the topic of women came up, Dave crossed his arms and fell into serious thought. He was currently slightly past the typical marriageable age.
If the family told him to go on a blind date, he was more than willing, but things were a bit complicated.
With his younger brother being Xenon, there wasn't just one or two families that would come running at the chance.
"What about that woman you met at the Academy? Marry her."
"I heard she’s already married. But what about you? You didn't want to accept even after getting confessed to by four people at once?"
"Shut up. And it was three people, not four."
"It’s all the same."
"You want to die?"
The siblings bickered playfully inside the carriage. Nicole sighed at Dave, who remained mischievous despite his age, and then looked out the window.
It was a return to their family home after a very long time. She wondered how the territory had changed. She had heard the Imperial Family was providing support.
She was also looking forward to seeing how much Isaac had grown and how adorable their youngest sister, Lily, would be.
And finally, one more thing.
'I hope Volume 30 comes out during our leave.'
They had been granted nearly a month of leave. Nicole hoped that Volume 30 would be released during that period.
If not, it was obvious the Knights would throw a fit. The timing of their leave was good.
'I should get some sleep for now.'
Dave or the coachman would wake her when they arrived at the territory. She slowly closed her eyes, looking forward to what was to come.
And truly, by some stroke of incredible luck, the distribution of Xenon Biography Volume 30 began just one day later.
"Hey, you... Where are the Maishal siblings right now? Huh? I asked where they are!!"
"Why don't you calm down and wipe your tears first? If you're going to be angry, be angry; if you're going to cry, cry."
"Sniff... I'm not crying! I said I'm not crying, you bastard!!"
"There, there. I'll give you a handkerchief..."
"Get lost!!"
First, there were signs of a frenzy.
"Commander. I’m going on leave."
"Suddenly?"
"Yes. I have something I must do."
"Hmm... Your destination?"
"The Maishal territory."
"Get out."
Next came a flood of leave requests.
"Ah, please! Just this once! I have something to do there...!"
"Don't you dare dream that someone like you would become a criminal! And everyone, listen up! I will reject anyone who says they're going to the Maishal territory! Now get out and get back to work!!"
Finally, the desperate struggle began.
As mentioned before, Xenon Biography was treated as a type of supply, so the Navy Knights were the first in the Empire to receive it.
In other words...
"No... It can't be...! Not like this...! Gasp... Choke...!"
"Huh? Hey, hey! Snap out of it! What’s wrong with this guy all of a sudden?!"
"Waaaaah!! He really, really killed him...! Why, of all things!!"
"Hey, why are you crying too..."
It didn't take long for the tactical nuke to drop on the public.