Chapter 1
Chapter 1
New Recruit Knight Ian
"Hey, you—trash!"
A sharp taunt cut across the training ground. When I turned my head, a blonde woman stood there with a sword slung over her shoulder, sneering.
"What’s this, what’s this~ I heard they actually got a male knight now~"
Sierra. The worst troublemaker in the knight order.
She let out a scoff and blocked my path.
"You think trash like you can join the knight order? Are you joking?"
Sierra bent at the waist and peered into my face with a mocking look.
That forehead of hers really looks like it’s begging for a flick.
"Seriously~ do you even know how to hold a sword? That bit of blood on the tip—wasn’t it just an accident?"
Laughter erupted from the surroundings.
I let out a small sigh and spoke calmly.
"I decline your interest, senior."
"Wow~ so stiff!"
Sierra jabbed a finger into my chest and shouted loudly, as if making sure everyone around her could hear.
"Guys! Isn’t this hilarious? A guy pretending to be a knight~"
At that moment, the sharp sound of armor rang out.
"Sierra. That’s enough. I won’t tolerate you lowering the dignity of the knight order any further."
Elegant yet sharp eyes, a strand of silver hair falling across her face. The commander of the Imperial Knight Order Silver Light, Yuki.
...It’s been three years.
The childhood friend I could never forget. There was a subtle tremor at the corner of her lips. In my eyes, I saw the girl she used to be.
At Yuki’s appearance, Sierra faltered for a moment, then quickly pouted.
"Alright~ Commander~"
She turned back to me and whispered.
"You won’t last a week. I guarantee it."
At that moment, a red-haired woman suddenly stepped in front of me.
The greatest battle maniac and training fanatic in the knight order.
Claris.
She lifted my chin with her hand.
"Ha, this thing is supposed to be a knight? Looks weaker than my training dummy."
"Claris."
A soft voice stopped her. Vice Commander Lillian spoke as if mediating.
"He passed according to the rules."
"According to the ruuules~"
Sierra mimicked Lillian in a teasing tone.
"Vice Commander, you’re laughing inside too, right? A man as a knight~"
As I looked at Sierra continuing to provoke me, my gaze naturally dropped.
She’s shorter than I thought.
"Please judge after seeing my skills—"
"Skills?"
Sierra cut me off and burst into loud laughter.
"Ahahaha! You were actually going to talk about skills? Let’s see it then~"
With a mischievous grin, she pulled a dagger from her waist and threw it.
"Try catching this, trash."
Thwack—
The dagger stuck into the ground in front of my feet.
"I’ll give you three seconds. Hahaha!"
The surrounding knights burst into laughter. I slowly picked up the dagger. Sierra’s eyes widened.
"It would be best to end this joke here."
I tossed the dagger into the air. It spun three times before—
Slash!
A single strand of Sierra’s hair was cut off.
The training ground froze instantly.
"...This."
Sierra’s low voice deepened the chill in the air. Before the severed strand of hair even hit the ground, her figure blurred.
Clang!
Daggers collided, sparks flying. Sierra’s eyes narrowed sharply.
"You don’t know your place? You dare touch my hair? You lowly trash!"
Her dagger slithered toward my throat like a snake. It was fast, certainly. But her anger made the trajectory obvious. I slightly tilted my head to deflect the blade, then grabbed her wrist and slammed her to the ground.
Boom!
"Ugh…!"
Dust rose with her short groan. Pinning her wrist to the ground, I aimed the tip of the dagger at her neck.
"Senior. How does the taste of the training ground floor feel?"
The surrounding knights stared in shock.
Sierra, considered one of the strongest in the order, subdued by a new recruit—and a man at that. Their thoughts were written plainly on their faces.
"L-let go! Where do you think you’re touching with those filthy hands, trash! I’ll kill you! Let go right now!"
Sierra struggled on the ground, her face flushed red.
Though she spat venomous words, her thigh pinned between my legs trembled slightly.
Was it humiliation?
"That’s enough."
A cold voice fell from above. It was Commander Yuki. Her hand pressed down on my shoulder with gentle but firm strength.
"Stop there. Sierra, admit your defeat."
"Commander! This is…! He fought dirty…!"
"Sierra, stop talking. This is your defeat."
At Yuki’s firm command, Sierra bit her lip and glared at me. As I stood up, she adjusted her clothes, seething.
"You… just wait. Watch your back at night. I’ll put you at the top of my list of toys…!"
She left as if fleeing, not forgetting her usual sarcasm until the very end.
Watching her go, I turned my head and gave Yuki a brief bow. Looking at her stirred many emotions in me. Even those that had already faded.
"Thank you, Commander. But…"
"But?"
"I don’t want favors. I only ask for fair treatment."
Yuki’s eyes trembled slightly.
"...Understood, Ian."
Then she lightly bit her lip, turned her face away, and put distance between us.
"In that case, without special treatment, fulfill your duties as a formal knight."
The Imperial Knight Order Silver Light.
Here, I—
became the first male knight.
As the situation ended, the training ground began buzzing again. But unlike before, there was no ridicule.
"Did you see that just now? He slammed Sierra like it was nothing."
"Hey, did you see Sierra’s face earlier? She looked like she was going to die of embarrassment. But… wasn’t it kind of cute?"
"You’re crazy, what part of that temper is cute? More importantly, that new guy isn’t normal."
Meanwhile, in a corner of the training ground, Sierra sat on a bench, scratching the wall with her nails and muttering.
"Just you wait, trash… I’ll really kill you. You dare touch me? You dared to pin me to the ground?"
After the chaotic noise subsided, only Yuki remained.
Confirming that all the knights had left, she slowly lowered her gaze to the ground.
She stopped where the dagger Ian had planted—and the same dagger that had cut Sierra’s hair—lay.
With an expressionless face, Yuki bent down and picked it up.
It was an ordinary supply dagger, but she carefully traced the blade with her fingertips as if handling a one-of-a-kind treasure.
"Fair treatment…"
A strange smile formed on her lips. Yuki tucked the dagger deep into her chest.
A knight who had accidentally witnessed the scene swallowed dryly and stepped back, but Yuki paid no attention.