Tiben's Blue Wings
Just as if to prove she was a high-ranking black mage, Irina's body crumbled into ashes and vanished entirely. But the aftermath of that battle was far more severe than expected.
Even Cloi's holy magic couldn't fully heal the knights' wounds, so in the end, she ordered the group to rest for two days in Tiben, a small city in the duchy that they reached the next day. Using the emergency communication orb of Tiben Baron, the city's lord, she reported the incident to the main Valentia estate.
[Wait in Tiben.]
The reply from the Valentia family came swiftly. That single line, delivered via expensive magical communication, was all it said. But the very next morning, an event that turned all of Tiben upside down exploded onto the scene.
Before dawn even broke, over a hundred knights appeared at the city's east gate.
"Whoa!"
"It's a knight order!"
"That's the one we've only heard about in stories..."
"...Blue Wing Knights."
"The Blue Wings!"
The eagle emblem and the prominently displayed blue wings on their armor and flags symbolized the elite knights of the famed Valentia Ducal House in the empire. The citizens of Tiben, unaccustomed to seeing such a large knight order in their small city, poured into the streets to gawk.
But the girl at the group's destination clutched her face and collapsed to the ground the moment she saw them.
Flo von Tiben, the baron standing beside her, looked at her in bewilderment, but Cloi was too busy hiding her flushed face.
"Aghhh, Dad, why go this far..."
Tiny couldn't help but chuckle at her fidgeting, which grew worse as the knights approached.
'At least she's acting her age for once.'
Of course, he could understand her reaction. A third of the Blue Wing Knights—Cloi's symbolic protectors from the ducal house—had been mobilized just for her. Even after the battle was over.
He knew the Sword Emperor doted on his daughter, but feeling it this viscerally made him let out a dry laugh.
"...At least His Grace didn't come himself."
Zap.
Vivian's half-hearted consolation earned only a fierce glare in response. As the red-haired knightess averted her eyes toward the distant mountains, a knight on an exceptionally large horse approached them.
Clop, clop.
The horse, with pure white fur only around its hooves and forelock, exuding luxury, halted about ten meters from Cloi. The knight dismounted, removed his helmet, and knelt on one knee right there.
"Blue Wing Knights Vice-Captain Garen Clemens and 103 knights under my command greet the Lady Cloi."
Thud.
"We greet you!!!"
The vice-captain's lead cry was echoed in a thunderous chorus. The knights, now all dismounted, knelt in unison and shouted, drowning out every other sound around them.
Cloi straightened up, her flushed face now composed.
"...You've had a hard journey, Sir Garen. And all you other knights as well. Rise."
"As you command."
The sharply handsome middle-aged blond man, Garen, stood first, and the knights behind him rose in perfect synchronization.
The flags and emblems emphasizing blue wings, along with the silver plate mail reflecting the sunlight, exuded an aura that silenced the street.
Garen stepped forward a few paces and smiled as he spoke.
"I'm relieved to see you in good health, my lady. His Grace was very worried."
"I clearly reported that I'm fine. No casualties either. This is a bit much, Sir Garen. Why even you...?"
"Ahaha, but it was a high-ranking black mage attack. His Grace was quite concerned. He practically turned the estate upside down assembling us."
"Agh, Father..."
Cloi's face flushed red again as she recalled her father, who lost all his usual wisdom and acted like a fool whenever anything involved her.
"If not for the emergency at the main estate, he really would have come himself."
"...Emergency?"
"Ah, that's... You'll see when you get back."
Garen trailed off, glancing at Tiben Baron standing a step behind Cloi.
The baron, oblivious or not to how he'd soured the mood, extended his hand with a smile.
"If you're Sir Garen, then you're the famous Knight of Divine Speed? Ahaha, it's an honor."
"Ah, Baron. Nice to meet you."
A mere knight shook hands with a noble without deferential speech, but the baron—who ruled Tiben—didn't seem offended; if anything, he looked thrilled.
"To think I'd meet Blue Wing knights like this... Truly an honor. Haha, if you'd given notice, I could have prepared a feast..."
"Haha... Apologies, but I'll have to politely decline, Baron. His Grace is eager to see my lady as soon as possible."
"Ah... Of course. Then, during your stay in Tiben, anything you need—anything at all—just say the word. I'll support you with everything I have."
"Thank you. Now, if you'd excuse us?"
"...Pardon?"
"We have important matters to discuss with my lady."
"Ah... Haha. Ah, in that case, I'll step aside... Haha."
Sweat trickled down the flustered baron's bald head. His shallow scheme to forge ties with the ducal house had gone up in smoke.
Garen's words were practically a rebuke, and the scene made the knight seem like the baron's superior—which was odd, at first glance.
But knowing the circumstances, it made sense. As Blue Wing vice-captain, Garen held the status of a viscount granted by imperial decree. Even if it was just inherited title without land, it was beyond a mere baron's reach.
Garen gave the baron's awkward expression a faint smile and bowed his head.
"I'll visit you later to express my thanks properly, Baron."
The baron beamed, overjoyed at Garen Clemens himself offering this courtesy.
"Hahaha. If the Knight of Divine Speed says so, it's my honor. Then..."
As the baron wiped his cold sweat and retreated, Garen's gaze shifted to the black-haired boy beside Cloi.
"My lady, who is that child? He doesn't seem like an ordinary kid."
Catching the wary tone toward Tiny, Cloi pushed the quietly standing boy's back.
"Eek!?"
"This child's name is Tiny. He made great contributions in the black mage attack. And he's agreed to testify to Father about the mastermind behind the Philes incident."
Cloi meant there was no need to treat Tiny as an outsider, but Garen frowned slightly instead.
"...Tiny?"
"I know it's hard to believe, but he's already at knight level..."
"Tiny... Unusual name. And Philes... No way?"
Cloi tilted her head curiously as Garen kept tilting his, puzzled.
"...Kid, don't tell me you're the one who sent the petition...? No, no, couldn't be. Nah..."
Garen shook his head as if denying it to himself, but Tiny smiled and nodded.
"If it's the petition exposing Philes' slave trade and the lord's corruption, then yes, that was me, Sir Garen."
"...For real!?"
The knight's shock was evident, contrasting the boy's confident expression. Cloi, baffled between them, looked back and forth until Garen sighed softly and explained the petition that had arrived at the ducal house recently—and what followed.
"...That's how it happened. Until we heard the lord was revealed as a black mage and died."
"...Whoa. Tiny, why didn't you tell me?"
"It got buried under the black mage incident anyway. No need to mention it."
"Again with that old-man talk."
Cloi put her hands on her hips, scolding his speech like a teacher, but.
'Whatever.'
Tiny could only sigh inwardly.
But Garen's eyes sparkled more as he watched.
"Definitely 2nd stage... How old are you this year, Tiny?"
"...Thirteen."
"Huh...? Haha, this is... I can't believe it even seeing it. Can you really call this just 'genius'?"
His amazement lingered with wary eyes. Tiny swallowed another sigh and recited his fabricated backstory, just as he'd told Philes' lord.
"...Then recently, I suddenly awakened to mana and escaped beggar life."
Hearing the tale, Garen's eyes lit up again.
'Heir to a fallen noble house?'
And not just that.
"Awakened to mana just two months ago, and already at 2nd stage?"
"...I got lucky."
Hard to believe, but.
'...It's true, what can I do?'
Garen's brown eyes burned like flames, but Tiny's black ones remained calm.
"...Hmph."
Garen suddenly turned to Cloi with a strange smile.
"My lady, can you trust this child?"
"What kind of question is that all of a sudden?"
"This kid has absurd talent. If there's even a sliver of chance he could oppose the ducal house, you should kill him here."
Cloi's eyes widened at the sudden lethal words.
"...That serious?"
"A guy who awakened mana two months ago at earliest is already knocking on 3rd stage, Expert's wall. Even among the Seven Great Knights of the continent... No, I haven't heard of any legendary hero achieving this at his age."
Making his prior warning seem tame, his words turned to pure praise for Tiny's talent.
Who wouldn't like praise?
'Hmm... It's true, but...'
As Tiny basked in the flattery, Garen continued, now excited himself.
"Even if I were reborn, I couldn't achieve this. He's a genius—no, a monster! Beyond human limits! We must bring him into our house!"
...Huh?
Garen's fervent logic veered into an unexpected conclusion.
And moreover.
"Of course we will."
Cloi's pleased agreement made Tiny's mind reel.
'...Why me?'
Ignoring the protagonist's bewilderment, Garen and Cloi gazed at him warmly.
"He's a mystery, but trustworthy. Thanks to him, we spotted the black mage's scheme early. He was the only one who could keep up with Vivian in that fight."
"That good? So not just mana talent, but innate combat sense too... Haha, what a tantalizing talent! Kid, let's get close!"
The middle-aged man eyed him like a beast drooling over prey. It wasn't pleasant at all.
"Y-Yeah. Ah, haha..."
Forcing a smile to play along, Tiny felt his mouth twitching.
'I respect the Sword Emperor, sure...'
He had many admirable qualities, but Tiny had no desire to serve under him.
Tiny's dream was to carve his name boldly and purely into the world—not prepend someone else's.
"So, what was that emergency? Something keeping even Father from moving?"
"Ah, well..."
Garen glanced around awkwardly, trailing off.
"It's fine, Sir Garen. You can trust everyone here. Including this child."
When Garen still hesitated with a smile, Cloi asked firmly.
"Or is it something even I shouldn't know?"
"N-No, of course not. Haha."
Garen sighed faintly, gave a wry smile, and continued.
"Yes, you'd find out anyway. Truth is... About a month and a half ago, the secret treasure, Tempus, suddenly vanished."
Cloi's face hardened instantly.
'Secret treasure?'
Tiny's eyes gleamed at the unexpected turn in conversation.