The Weakest Knight Became a Swordmaster, But Only in Dungeons - Chapter 20

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Oblivious

◈ The Weakest Knight Became a Swordmaster, But Only in Dungeons ◈

Chapter 20: Sparring - Interlude

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Commander of the White Wing Knight Order.

Lucia Silverbane, the Silverblade Demon.

She had been the foremost contributor to the Beast King Subjugation, and the tale of how she single-handedly ended the large-scale battle that turned a mountain blanketed in eternal snow into a sea of blood, known as the Battle of Garges Snow Mountain, was famous among Magic Knights.

I had heard she earned the title of Sword Demon that day.

And she had just made me an offer.

“Personal Squire... you mean?”

“Yes.”

The instructors, healers, first-year cadets, and even the Magic Knights standing far away.

Everyone turned toward me with shocked expressions.

I was equally flustered. No, I was probably the most surprised person here.

“Everyone, face forward!”

Instructor Logan quickly brought order to the area.

Snap!

The cadets immediately faced forward.

‘Why me...? Is it because of that?’

A theory had struck me the moment the White Wing Commander passed Elise.

My swordsmanship was built upon what I had learned in the Swordmaster’s Realm. My physical ability and mana were simply at the level of the weakest cadet at the knight school.

So even if the results of my unconventional swordsmanship training looked strange to a seasoned veteran, it would not be surprising.

She was blind, but her aura sense was absurdly sharp. I had even seen settings where she could distinguish the breathing of a single ant within its range.

There was a high chance she had judged me using that ability.

It was difficult to answer on my own, so I was wondering how to respond when...

“Commander of the White Wing Knight Order.”

Instructor Logan hurried over to Lucia and assumed a parade-rest stance.

The normally bold man had a tense face and was dripping with sweat.

It made sense. If I compared their positions to military ranks, it was like a sergeant facing a colonel. No, maybe she was closer to a brigadier general.

The White Wing Commander and her two knights turned toward Instructor Logan.

“Please forgive my impertinence. Under school regulations, offers to become a Personal Squire are not yet permitted. Could you please withdraw this honorable offer for now?”

“Ah... A formal offer is not allowed yet? I’m sorry. This is my first time in such a situation, so I didn’t know.”

“Not at all.”

‘Like hell you didn’t know.’

Even if the White Wing Commander had no interest in the knight school and did not know its rules, the knights accompanying her could not possibly have been unaware.

They would have told her.

Which meant she knew and did it anyway.

“Cadet Ron Hazely?”

“Cadet Number 17, Ron Hazely!”

“You don’t need to answer yet. Let us simply say that I have made my intentions known today. I’ll await a favorable answer.”

The White Wing Commander turned back toward me and gave a gentle smile.

‘Is she staking a claim on me...?’

Representatives of every Magic Knight Order in the Imperial Five Wings had gathered to observe this sparring test.

Was she publicly saying, This one is mine, so don’t touch him?

Considering the White Wing Commander had gone this far, it was safe to say she had thoroughly marked her claim.

“Until next time, Cadet Ron Hazely. It was lovely meeting you.”

Her snow-white hair swayed.

As if she had finished her business, the White Wing Commander bid me farewell and left with her knights.

Her fluffy white fox tail swayed softly with every step.

“Everyone! Salute the commander of the White Wing Knight Order!”

Snap!

Following Instructor Logan’s order, the cadets gave another hand salute.

Even as she departed, the White Wing Commander turned back and lightly returned it.

‘This is going to...’

...give me even more things to worry about.

* * *

“Commander of the White Wing Knight Order.”

“What is it, Commander of the Red Wing Knight Order?”

As Lucia, the White Wing Commander, was leaving, Cloel, commander of the Red Wing Knight Order, approached her.

His face was filled with confusion and bewilderment.

“Why did you offer that cadet... Ron Hazely, a position as your Personal Squire? He certainly had some promising qualities, but it was only one sparring match.”

“...”

“More than that, he clearly lacked strength. If you had made an offer to the fairy’s contractor or the Fish Sword user from the Twislope family, I could understand, but...”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“Pardon?”

“His body and mana could not keep up with his understanding. But the level of that understanding was far too high.”

Throughout the sparring test, the White Wing Commander’s aura sense had spread across the entire building.

It grasped every detail of the cadets’ movements, the output and density of their mana, and more.

And from Ron’s sword strikes...

The White Wing Commander had caught a glimpse of the Swordmaster’s Realm.

Her finely tuned aura sense had seen straight through Ron.

It was not something Ron could conceal just because he wanted to.

However, Ron was obviously not a Swordmaster. He was merely a first-year cadet at the Second Tier.

That meant...

“I was simply especially interested in that cadet.”

It must have been a glimpse of overwhelming genius.

“Is that... so...?”

The Red Wing Commander had no way of knowing just how advanced the White Wing Commander’s ability was, or how she had assessed the cadets.

Still, he could understand the basis for her high evaluation of Ron.

He, too, had glimpsed martial talent in Ron.

“Then.”

Click, click.

The White Wing Commander quickened her pace again.

‘Ron Hazely...’

The Red Wing Commander recalled Ron’s face.

For even the White Wing Commander to express such firm interest in him...

Separate from the fact that Ron had defeated his son, Cloel was beginning to take an interest in the cadet.

“...Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

The Red Wing Commander also departed with his subordinates.

* * *

“C-Can someone like me really eat at the same table as the person who might become the White Wing Commander’s Personal Squire...!?”

“...”

Long, deep-violet hair hung down from a head decorated with a skull-shaped hairpin.

Violet Blackgarden trembled as she ate alone with me at a restaurant in the knight school’s commercial district.

It was a day off. I was keeping my promise to spend time with Violet after the sparring match.

I had earned enough for basic living expenses by occasionally completing quests with Violet and Turak, so I could easily afford this much.

“So? Does this make you uncomfortable around me? Are you going to distance yourself from me?”

“N-No! It’s not that...”

“It wasn’t even an official offer. She might change her mind later. You’re making a big deal out of nothing.”

“I don’t think this is nothing.... She must have seen something in you, Mr. Hazely. Some incredible talent, perhaps...!”

Ever since the White Wing Commander offered to make me her Personal Squire, the cadets’ gazes had changed.

That applied to Violet, Elise, and Lara alike.

The only one who seemed completely uninterested was Turak the Barbarian. He only cared about jerky.

‘After I took Theodore down in badass fashion, too...’

For the topic of my awesome sparring match to get buried like this. Ah, what a tragedy.

Still, there was an upside.

‘The White Wing Commander has marked me.’

Who would dare take me lightly now?

If anyone looked down on me, I had become someone who could say, “How dare you get above yourself? Are you disregarding the judgment of the honorable White Wing Commander?”

Just imagining it made me happy.

Well... enough playful thoughts.

‘Still...’

I needed to consider how becoming a Personal Squire would affect the story going forward.

‘It would be nice if the benefits outweighed the drawbacks, but if the drawbacks are greater, I’ll have no choice but to refuse.’

There were also the enemy faction’s movements, my growth, the next story...

There was a lot to think about.

“Mr. Hazely? Is something bothering you?”

“Hm? Ah.”

Maybe my thoughts had shown on my face. Violet tilted her head and asked.

There was no need to hide some of my concerns, so I stirred my drink with a straw and answered honestly.

“Just... I don’t know how things will turn out with the Personal Squire matter, whether I’ll do well in the future, or how I should get stronger faster. Things like that.”

“Ah.... Um. Ahem.”

Violet thought for a moment, then cleared her throat.

She puffed out her chest and put on a determined expression. Her right hand rested over her ample chest.

Her cheeks had reddened and her eyebrows twitched, so she apparently found it quite embarrassing. Still, she seemed to be trying to say something nice for my sake.

So I prepared to be moved by what Violet was about to say.

“You have me, Mr. Hazely! I-I’ve studied a great deal of magic, and the Blackgarden family is a respected family of mages too.... I think I’ll definitely be able to help you as you learn magic in the future...!”

“Ooh...!”

Now that was our Violet. She knew how to move someone.

“I can provide useful things from my family, and my knowledge will surely help too. So if you keep spending time with me in the future..., I can be there for you...!”

“Ooh... Wait?”

Hm? Hold on.

“Even after you become a Personal Squire, I can help you adjust...! Hm...? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Violet. You don’t have to try so hard to help me.”

“Pardon...?”

“Really. You don’t need to go that far.”

Come on.

I wasn’t cold-hearted enough to stay friends with someone just because they paid friendship fees....

“Why are you looking at me like I’m so pitiful...? Gasp.”

Violet suddenly flinched, then froze like a broken machine.

Her pink eyes began to tremble, gradually filling with wariness.

She was looking somewhere behind me. What was there?