Chapter 50
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: The Woman Dreaming of Knighthood (2)
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After thinking about it calmly, it seemed best to just gloss over the matter of the informal speech.
Over 99 percent of the students enrolled at the Academy were nobles, and any noble was at least on par with a barony or higher.
Besides, she already knew I was from the Nineheart Barony. If she'd spoken informally to me, there must have been a good reason for it.
Of course, the Academy's rule was that all students were equal, but I wasn't fool enough to stake everything on that alone.
"Yes, I'm Luke Nineheart. If it's all right with you, may I have your name?"
"Walter Douglas. I'm the older brother of Evi here."
She did look vaguely similar to him after all. So they really were blood-related.
That explained the informal speech earlier too. The Douglas family was an earldom, so it was only natural for them to look down on someone from a barony.
"I just came to check on my sister after hearing she'd collapsed. You're probably not much different."
"That's right. I came to see Evi because I was worried about my classmate."
I shifted my gaze to Evi. She lay on the bed, breathing steadily and rhythmically.
What followed was silence. Was it because we were awkward with each other? The atmosphere felt oppressively heavy for some reason.
For a moment, Walter, who had been watching Evi, turned his eyes to me.
"Sir Luke, just one question."
"Yes, go ahead."
"Why did you give my sister false hopes?"
"Could you explain a bit more?"
"I heard my sister, who was about to give up on the sword, regained her spirit after sparring with you. You know better than I what those false hopes are."
Thanks to Walter's explanation, I easily grasped what he meant.
It was the day Evi had first challenged me to a duel. He was clearly referring to that incident.
But still, even making every concession, I couldn't understand calling it false hopes.
And that was because...
"Evi said she dreamed of becoming a great knight. And she had the talent for it. I merely helped her realize that fact. I've never given her false hopes."
They say there's no paradise in running away. Even if Evi abandoned her dream of knighthood and fled, that life wouldn't bring her happiness.
Moreover, Evi's talent was quite outstanding even among the Swordsmanship Department. The fact that fewer than five first-years in the department had awakened their aura was proof of that.
For someone like her to give up the sword?
The first time I met her, I thought she was just a backwater bumpkin, but now that I knew her talent, I would sincerely try to stop her.
Unfortunately, her brother Walter seemed to think differently.
"Do you really think Evi can become a great knight, Sir Luke?"
"Yes."
"And if she can't? Can you take responsibility? Can you bear the sense of loss my sister will feel when all her efforts go to waste?"
Responsibility for Evi's life. I couldn't even imagine the weight of that. I might have to dedicate my entire life to it and still fall short.
Coincidentally, I'd had the same thoughts countless times since that day.
Maybe I said something unnecessary to Evi. Maybe I'd ruined her future.
Could I take responsibility for that?
My answer hadn't changed since then. No, I couldn't. Everything I had belonged to Elena.
But I believed. In the progress Evi had shown so far, in the steps she was taking toward her dream.
That's why I ended up saying what I shouldn't have.
"Yes, I can take responsibility."
"...You're arrogant. More than anyone I've ever met."
Walter's expression twisted. The emotion in it was, naturally, displeasure. It was only natural for him to be upset that a lowly barony upstart dared claim responsibility for his earldom lady's life.
"If I've offended you, I apologize. But my intentions won't change."
There's a saying that if a man draws his sword, he should at least cut down a reed. At least when it came to the sword, I never compromised. Not now, and not in the future either.
"Sir Luke, I'll give you one last chance. Take it back now, and I'll pretend I never heard those words."
"I'm sorry."
"It seems you're under some delusion, Sir Luke. Receiving a medal doesn't make you great. You're just an outstanding student."
Thud-.
A pure white glove flew and struck my chest. Walter had removed and thrown the one he'd been wearing.
What that meant was none other than a challenge to a duel.
"I'll correct that thinking of yours. Tomorrow after classes, come to the Swordsmanship Department's training grounds."
With that, Walter brushed past me and exited the infirmary.
I stared blankly at the glove on the floor before letting out a hollow chuckle.
'No one to blame for this but myself...'
Suppressing the villain at the entrance ceremony, facing a magic beast in joint class—those were all beyond my control. Accidents, in a word.
But this time was different. This was entirely my own doing.
How had a guy planning to live quietly by Elena's side, freeloading off her, ended up stirring up this mess? A sigh escaped me at my own patheticness.
That's when an unexpected voice sounded.
"Luke."
A voice I knew all too well came from behind.
I couldn't mistake it. It was the voice of the person I vowed to serve for life.
I turned around immediately and came face-to-face with Elena and the rest of the gardening club. They must have come to visit together.
Elena glanced at Evi lying in bed, then shifted her gaze back to me.
"Shall we step outside for a moment?"
"Yes, my lady."
Elena took the lead, and I bowed my head slightly to Erje and the others before following her belatedly.
We ended up in the courtyard behind the Swordsmanship Department building. Elena stopped, let out a sigh, and looked at me.
"Luke, by coincidence, I overheard your entire conversation outside. You know what that means, right?"
In short, don't even think about hiding it.
I hadn't planned to anyway...
But that wasn't the important part right now.
I bowed at a perfect ninety degrees.
"For acting on my own without remembering that I'm a servant of the Frozenheart Ducal Family. I have nothing to say even if I had ten mouths. I'm truly sorry. I'll gladly accept any punishment."
"Raise your head, Luke."
I lifted my head at Elena's command and met her gaze. Negative emotions swirled in her eyes.
"At least you recognize it was wrong. That's something."
"I have no excuses."
"Given your personality, you probably couldn't stand seeing Evi belittled. You're the kind of fool who cares more about those around you than yourself."
It wasn't entirely accurate, but for this incident, I had no retort. She was spot on.
"What on earth possessed you to start something like this...?"
Elena, who had furrowed her brow deeply, let out a long sigh and slumped her shoulders.
When her gaze returned to me, her eyes held no anger or passion.
I thought those emotions were directed at me, but ironically, they weren't.
Grip-.
Elena raised her hand and grabbed my collar hard. She gripped so tightly that my clothes pulled taut, pressing against my neck.
"Luke, I'm not getting involved in this. Fight or don't, it's up to you. But if you fight, win. No matter what. On the honor of Frozenheart."
"I will."
With that, Elena released her grip.
I naturally thought the matter was settled, but...
"Now that I think about it, it pisses me off!"
Elena reached out again and pinched both my cheeks, stretching them wide.
"What the hell were you thinking, causing this kind of problem-?!"
"I-I'm sorr-mmph..."
"You were so mature as a kid, so why are you acting like a child now that you're grown up?!"
"Sorr-mmph..."
In the end, I was freed only after my cheeks turned bright red.
Compared to what I'd done, it was incredibly lenient, so I had no complaints.
Time passed, and the next day arrived.
As I stepped outside to feel the crisp morning air, an unexpected person was waiting for me.
"Luke..."
It was Evi. She called my name while staring at the innocent ground.
From her apologetic demeanor, she must know everything about the conversation I had with Walter yesterday.
"Evi, how's your body feeling?"
"Huh? I'm fine now. But that's not the point..."
"Can you run?"
"Yeah, just like normal. No, even better than normal. Listen to me first. What happened yesterday..."
"Then let's run first."
I started running without letting Evi finish. If we were going to talk, it didn't have to be right now. Lunchtime would do just fine.
And above all, I had no intention of backing out of this duel.
My pride had been scratched raw. I couldn't just let it slide. I had to land one solid hit to feel satisfied.