The Unwanted Escort
We left Dmitry and arrived at the outskirts of Hailan, where we stayed at an inn for the first time. We were assigned rooms and enjoyed a somewhat more lavish meal than usual.
The kids were thrilled to finally sleep in proper beds, and I felt the same. We paired up nicely, two to a room—everyone except me.
“What, am I a monster or something?”
The girl assigned to room with me threw a fit, insisting she’d rather die than share with Jeanie Crowell, so I ended up with a room all to myself.
Damn it. At least a double room is spacious and comfortable.
[Cheer up, Master! You’ve got me, after all.]
“Who asked for comfort?!”
[But you’re being ostracized……]
“Shut up! Just shut up! I hate kids!”
[Master is also a kid……]
There was only one way to deal with this.
When I ground my teeth and glared, Rai finally stopped talking.
Rai was usually the one I practiced my killing intent on. The spirit had a knack for getting on my nerves like this.
“Don’t offer comfort I never asked for! Got it?”
[Yes……]
“This is so annoying. Seriously.”
Getting this worked up just because some kids ostracized me was ridiculous.
Back at the academy, having no friends hadn’t been much of an issue. But the moment we left school grounds, it became painfully obvious.
I never expected Mia’s absence to hit me this hard. Still, I had no intention of fawning over children just to make friends.
Better to stay alone than stoop to something that humiliating.
I sat alone in the double room, trying to remind myself how much I liked being by myself.
It didn’t work very well.
Choosing solitude and being rejected into it were two entirely different things.
Why did a double room have to be so unnecessarily large? They should’ve just given me a single. No singles left? What kind of lousy place was this?
Unable to sit still any longer, I stood up.
“Let’s go out, Rai.”
If I stayed here stewing in irritation, I’d only ruin my own elegant temper.
I’d already slept well, so I wasn’t tired, and it was still broad daylight. Besides, this was my first time outside Dmitry since I was born.
I decided to take a look around the town while I had the chance.
My room was on the third floor, while the teachers’ rooms were on the second.
The first floor housed the reception desk and dining hall. I was stopped on the second floor before I could even pass through.
“Where do you think you’re going, Jeanie Crowell?”
What an unpleasant voice.
The one who grabbed me was Dinel, the combat instructor—one of the two teachers who had come along as chaperones for the representative team. He’d been openly hostile toward me ever since the incident with Leo. How childish.
“I just wanted to look around the market.”
“And who gave you permission?”
“……Is it not allowed?”
“Of course not. You clearly don’t understand how dangerous the world is. A child wandering alone in an unfamiliar town? Absolutely not. I have a duty to ensure everyone’s safety. Return to your room at once and behave……”
“Instructor Dinel.”
The combat teacher, who had been about to declare a ban on outings in his usual sarcastic tone, immediately shut his mouth when Irito, the economics instructor, appeared.
I learned for the first time that the combat teacher’s name was Dinel. She and Irito, who worked in the same building, were already acquainted.
“Am I mistaken? I was under the impression that students are allowed to go out as long as they’re accompanied by a knight.”
“Ah…… Ahem. Is that so?”
“Yes. The combat class students rushed out the moment they arrived. As expected of the athletic types—they have excellent stamina.”
Irito wore glasses, a rare sight here, and carried the refined air of a scholar. Her speech and manner were impeccably elegant.
She was one of the teachers I actually liked.
“I see! I must have forgotten. You wish to go out, Miss Jeanie?”
At her pointed remark, Dinel forced a hearty laugh and suddenly acted friendly. Not that I found him any more likable.
The way he blushed and rolled his eyes made it obvious—he had feelings for Irito.
“Miss Jeanie? I heard you’re using a room by yourself.”
“That’s how it turned out.”
“If you don’t mind, would you like to come to my room? I’m also staying alone.”
Dinel’s crush on Irito was practically confirmed by the look of pure envy on his face when she invited me.
“No, thank you. I prefer being alone.”
“I understand. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“By the way, if I want to go out, I just need to bring one knight, right?”
“It’s a precaution against any possible danger. The outskirts aren’t exactly known for good public order. The knight captain should be in the dining hall on the first floor. You can speak to him there.”
A beautiful and kind woman really was the best.
I looked up at Irito, who smiled gently, then glanced at Dinel standing beside her before slowly sidling over and burying myself in her embrace.
“Thank you, Instructor! You’re so kind. The other representatives dislike me, so I’ve been feeling really sad.”
“Oh my…… They’re all misunderstanding. You’re such a good student. Are you sure you’ll be all right staying alone?”
“Can I come find you if I get lonely? At night.”
“Of course.”
How nice of her. While hugging Irito tightly, I smiled at Dinel.
I deliberately emphasized the word “night,” rubbing my face against her soft stomach and chest as much as I pleased.
Dinel’s cheek twitched in clear displeasure, which only made me more satisfied. Being a child really was convenient at times like this.
Jealous? You should be.
When I grinned, Dinel looked like he couldn’t believe such an irritating brat existed.
When I went down to the dining hall, I saw knights in full armor even indoors. I’d seen them every day, so their faces were familiar by now. Spotting the knight captain among them was easy—just look for the most arrogant one.
“There he is.”
[Master, that knight’s sword……]
[No.]
Was this guy possessed by a glutton? He got excited over every decent-looking sword he saw. Anyone watching would think he was starving.
The knight captain sat in the best seat in the middle of the hall, reading a book—an obvious display of pretense. The moment I approached, he closed it as if he’d been bored.
I caught a glimpse of the title and nodded to myself.
1,253 Ways to Tame Arrogant Subordinates
Where on earth did that number come from?
“What is it?”
Being the captain, he spoke casually to me, unlike the other knights who used formal speech.
“I want to go out. The teacher told me to come see you.”
“Hmm.”
I hadn’t observed him closely before, but he seemed like a rather overbearing man. He was always scolding someone.
Maybe that was just how strict the knights’ hierarchy was.
“Which class are you from?”
“Why does the class matter for going out?”
“Answer the question first.”
“……I’m from the Spirit class.”
“Spirit? Ah, you’re that one.”
He’d just openly sneered at me. Was the captain the same type as Instructor Dinel—someone who didn’t like me?
“In that case, I’ll have to assign you two knights.”
“What? One should be enough.”
“Spirit users are delicate, after all. Be grateful for my generosity and stay quiet! Hey, bring those two over.”
“How annoying.”
Swordsmen really did look down on Spirit Masters. It was infuriating. Spirits weren’t weak! Well…… they were a bit…… Water Ball had definitely been lame, though. Ugh.
“What did you just say?”
“Me? Nothing.”
“I’m pretty sure you called me annoying.”
“Annoying? Me? No way. Why would I think you’re annoying? You’re not annoying at all. Maybe you’re just used to hearing that word a lot and misheard me.”
“……Enough. Don’t treat adults like fools!”
I’d overdone it. Great, now I’d made another enemy. But he really was annoying. I hated overbearing people. It was hard to tolerate things I disliked.
“It just seems like you’re not acting your age.”
“You really don’t hold back. How insolent.”
“I’m quite clever, after all.”
He looked like he wanted to hit me but was holding back. If I were one of his direct subordinates, he’d definitely have made me do push-ups or something. But I was a child, a noble, and a student the king had personally taken an interest in.
The captain could only glare daggers; he couldn’t do anything else.
The fact that he was seriously glaring at a ten-year-old proved he wasn’t acting his age either.
While we were locked in that strange staring contest, three knights approached.
“Captain, we’ve brought them.”
“Good. Hansen, Philo? Greet her. This young lady wishes to go out.”
Weren’t knights supposed to respect ladies? This captain had no manners! I was clearly a lady.
“Greetings. I am Hansen of the Fifth Knight Order.”
“I am Philo of the Fifth Knight Order.”
The captain’s triumphant smile made sense now—he’d brought two commoner knights.
You could tell just from their names, and being escorted by commoner knights was something many nobles found humiliating, especially high-ranking ladies.
“Ah.”
“If you have complaints about commoner knights, I suggest you skip the outing. These are the only ones suitable for the Spirit class.”
I wasn’t surprised because they were commoners, but because they looked strangely familiar.
The red-haired and brown-haired knights, who seemed a bit intimidated, were the same ones I had given water to before.
Seeing familiar faces made me oddly glad. They also recognized me, their eyes widening.
Among so many knights, running into them again and again made me wonder if there really was some kind of connection.