The Emotion Farthest from Longing (2)
The former Royal Knight Commander.
And right now, he is the advisor to the Royal Family, offering counsel to members of the royal house without reservation.
His name is Drex Valefor.
He had been the Knight Commander for more than fifteen years, but the countless achievements he accumulated back then, and the profound insight he still shows as a royal advisor, are praised everywhere without exception.
A man who can mediate differences of opinion between the royal family and the Knight Corps, adjust them, and even influence royal affairs.
His position now was that solid within the palace.
“Hmm… It’s a mystery. A real mystery.”
Drex Valefor, sitting with his snow-white hair neatly parted to form a clear M, rested his hand on his forehead and sank into deep thought.
The reason was not that there were too many documents. The workload was not heavy.
Only a few sheets of a certain report on an incident lay on his desk, and Drex was clenching his teeth.
Every time he looked at the report, a feeling of the deepest sorrow welled up, but at the same time his head seemed to lock up on a puzzle he could never understand no matter how he thought about it.
“…Bulent. What were you planning to do?”
On the report it read, “Report on the disappearance of Former Knight Commander Bulent.”
It had been an event that caused a great stir in the kingdom. Though the wizards ranked above the knights in hierarchy, a middle position like Knight Commander vanishing overnight was no small matter.
It had happened less than a year ago.
And about a month ago, a new report came out at the same time the name of the incident changed.
“Death of Former Knight Commander Bulent.”
The friend who had disappeared was found as a cold corpse.
Of course, the kingdom was more upset than ever, and opinions split on why Bulent had fled the Knight Corps and why he had been discovered as a corpse.
Simple guesses ranged from him feeling disgust at the Knight Commander’s duties and running away, to him turning traitor and becoming a follower of the Demon King who had been used and discarded.
“Ridiculous.”
But Drex, who had been friends with Bulent his entire life, knew something.
His friend would never have chosen such a path.
He had always followed his own beliefs, and the friend had left behind accomplishments so great that they seemed insignificant next to his own existence.
He had been so devoted to humanity, so intelligent, and had always held the title of Knight Commander with such pride.
For a friend like that to feel disgust at his duties or to become a follower of the Demon King—that was impossible to believe.
The ripple effect continued throughout the entire kingdom even now, a year later.
The Knight Corps, without a center, grew weaker by the day, and even the knights felt unease toward the very group called the Knight Corps.
Still, thanks to ‘Rigel’ remaining, the position of Knight Commander had been passed on to him…
“Idiot.”
Rigel, still so young, was not the material for Knight Commander. Drex had always thought he lacked the knightly instinct.
And even Rigel, broken by the news of Bulent’s death, had rejected everything and fled from the Knight Corps.
In other words, the current status of the Knight Corps could be called the worst.
Everything stemmed from the fact that Bulent had somehow fled the Knight Corps.
“…My friend, why? What exactly did you see that made you run away without a word to me?”
There had to have been a reason. If not, why would Bulent have abandoned even the Knight Corps?
Drex’s head simply could not figure out the reason.
To soothe the throbbing in his head, he tilted it back and rubbed his neck, when he heard a knock at the door.
“Come in.”
The door opened forcefully, and who entered was the Royal Magic Commander, Rogelos.
When Drex naturally gestured toward the soft chair, Rogelos sat down as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“You look like you have a headache.”
“What? Your own state is no better. You’re ten years younger than me, and you look like you’re about to collapse. Well, there are plenty who have gone beyond the line, so it’s only natural…”
Rogelos’s usually emotionless face showed a faint frown.
Rogelos rested his elbows on his knees and leaned his upper body forward slightly, then adjusted his disheveled glasses.
“I have already handled it. He is a danger to the future of the kingdom, but it is regrettable that I cannot purge him to the extent I would like because of my position.”
“What can you do? He’s probably fine. So don’t get so worked up.”
Drex, who had built a rather close relationship with Rogelos, knew something.
Seeing Rogelos show such a rare flustered expression meant that his emotions had become unusually strong.
“We haven’t heard anything from him, so in a way it’s fortunate.”
Drex stood from his seat and walked toward Rogelos.
***
“Oh. You look surprisingly well.”
Inside the house, I stood in front of a full-length mirror I had bought at a high price not long ago and raised my arms, then tried different poses for my feet.
I grasped the window frame and slowly recreated the feeling of swinging a staff at the golem from before, then picked up the sword and struck a boastful pose.
It was embarrassing to show to others, but what did it matter? There was no one else here.
“It’s easier than it looks. I thought it would feel uncomfortable.”
Of course I had passed the Farnike Academy entrance exam. I hadn’t worried much; even if I messed up the written part, my practical skills were clearly better than anyone’s.
I had spent my days in comfortable training and house arrest until the acceptance letter arrived.
So now I was wearing the academy uniform I had just received. A snow-white shirt and black pants.
Over that I wore the formal jacket only for the Knight Department, and a blue tie gave me a surprisingly stylish appearance.
Appearance was important, but practicality came first, so I swung the sword and staff and moved around, and the movements didn’t feel awkward.
“…I guess the original model really was better.”
With this body I could have worn the tight knight armor or the Knight Corps uniform without shame, but for now the academy student uniform looked the most suitable.
With my bluish silver hair and slightly sharp eyes, wearing this outfit honestly looked quite beautiful and stylish.
Finally, when I wrapped a cape bearing the academy’s blue emblem representing the Knight Department, it completed the look perfectly.
“Hmm. Perfect!”
I glanced at the mirror once more, satisfied with my reflection, and put on my shoes.
The sun was about to rise in the distance, and today was the first day of academy entrance.
This was my first time at the academy.
In reality, only the children of prestigious noble families from all over the kingdom, great nobles, or famous people ever stepped inside the academy.
Right now, my heart was pounding with excitement.
Entering the academy after spending my life in the rigid Knight Corps was something I could get excited about even at my age.
I opened the door.
The clear sky welcomed me from afar, and the warm air wrapped around me.
From now on, the life of an academy student began.
***
The Farnike Academy, located on the outskirts of the royal castle.
The fresh new freshmen gathered in one spot even within the vast campus, creating a noisy atmosphere.
Of course, the location was the grand auditorium.
It was because a notice had been given to all the new students to gather there for the entrance ceremony.
“My eyes are dizzy. Why are there so many?”
Hundreds of people were swirling around the auditorium without order or discipline.
It would have been better if their clothes were unified or at least the same color—anything but the blue of the Knight Department and the red of the Mage Department mixed together.
Blue, red, blue, blue, red. Blue-red-blue-blue-red-blue-red-red-red-blue-red-blue-red-blue-red.
Ugh. My eyes.
Tsk. The one who chose the cloak design should be demoted.
“Still, since it’s an academy for kids, the atmosphere feels free.”
I couldn’t have dreamed of such an atmosphere in the Knight Corps.
As for me, I had been in the Knight Corps since I was a child, so I was used to it.
The Knight Corps entrance ceremony had strict discipline for military discipline reasons. Of course, it started from the ceremony itself.
It was impossible to laugh and chat, to move around freely with others.
I didn’t particularly dislike it. On the contrary, now that I had distanced myself from the Knight Corps, this kind of atmosphere felt more comfortable and pleasant.
“Freshmen, please move to the grand auditorium and take your seats…”
It seemed the entrance ceremony—rather, the entrance exam—was about to begin. I looked around once more and searched for a familiar face.
Number 281. His name was… Dael Rok Langland, right? He too was sitting in this spot, wrapped in a blue cape.
“If he doesn’t pass, that’s weird.”
He was the kind of person who could have entered the Knight Corps immediately without shame.
Since he entered the auditorium first, I followed and took a seat.
The entrance ceremony was, as expected, boring.
Except for the orchestra performance that had pleasantly entertained the ears at the beginning, there was no way for someone high-ranking to give a speech to students to be fun.
“That person is busy. He’s probably dealing with official business anyway.”
Still, I found it interesting because someone I knew was giving a sophisticated speech from that seat.
After the tedious speech ended, about ten people climbed onto the stage of the auditorium.
“This year, we will introduce the new professors who will be taking charge of the Magic Department and the Knight Department.”
Since I wasn’t particularly interested, I had been resting my chin on my hand and closing my eyes in thought.
“We will introduce Professor Rogelos Clifoid. He has entered as a professor of the Magic Department.”
Wha… What…?!
I sprang up from my seat and opened my eyes. The name was far too familiar to me.
But I had never imagined I would hear it here.
“Why… Why is that guy…?”
The figure standing far away with yellow slicked-back hair and an eyepatch. His face was exactly the same as the one I had seen just two months ago.
Even though he was standing right in front of me, I had no idea why he was here. And a professor?
He was a member of the Royal Magic Department.