The Weakest Knight Became a Swordmaster, But Only in Dungeons - Chapter 43

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Oblivious

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

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

Chapter 43: Puppet - Interlude

──────

Near the eastern border.

“Uh, huh...?”

Violet Blackgarden was sharing the vision of a spirit-form undead servant.

Watching Ron and Elise, she could only blink with her mouth hanging open.

Beneath the sunset, Elise was gently stroking Ron’s fingers, creating a strange atmosphere between them.

“No, ah...”

As though she had malfunctioned, Violet fidgeted restlessly. She could not understand her own feelings.

For some reason, a sharp sense of vigilance suddenly rose within her. Alarm bells rang in her head.

Hey, Violet! Get a grip! Someone’s about to steal Ron’s heart!

Her instincts screamed at her, but Violet vigorously shook her head.

‘Mr. Hazely isn’t mine, anyway!’

But what was this?

“Ugh...”

An inexplicable impatience kept needling at Violet.

Scally, the skeletal dog that had been watching Violet’s endlessly shifting expressions, nodded knowingly with a “Hm.”

[Jealousy.]

“What are you talking about now...!”

Violet flushed and weakly snapped back.

...

The incident was resolved for the time being.

“I’m so glad you’re alive...” Mary said emotionally, patting Ron’s head, while Lara let out a relieved sigh.

As soon as they returned to the Eastern Base, Ron had the healing unit examine him. The diagnosis found nothing wrong.

Afterward, Ron gave the Eastern Base the statement he had planned.

He had loudly begged the Demonkin to spare him, then suddenly lost consciousness. When he came to, Elise had been waking him.

Elise mentioned the possibility that the unidentified Swordmaster who had helped her until now had intervened.

The existence of that Swordmaster was already known throughout the Imperial Five Wings.

However, because no facts could yet be confirmed, the Eastern Base decided only to keep that hypothesis in mind for now.

After reporting the incident to headquarters, the Eastern Base formed a search party to investigate the eastern forest. By the commander’s orders, Ron, Elise, and Lara rested thoroughly.

The next day, in the Eastern Base commander’s office.

The Eastern Base commander, who wore an eyepatch over one eye, was reading the incident report.

“So, according to the search results, every magical beast corpse controlled by the Demonkin had been freed from the influence of demonic energy?”

“Yes. The demonic energy had vanished without a trace. I remember them clearly because I saw them myself. It’s too early to be certain, but considering the circumstances, we believe the Demonkin has died.”

Mary, the messy-haired female knight among the two Blue Wing knights standing before the desk, answered.

If the Demonkin had dispelled her magic and fled, traces of demonic energy should have remained.

If even those traces had cleanly evaporated, it was highly likely that the Demonkin, the owner of that demonic energy, had died.

“If the Demonkin disappeared and the Dungeon was cleared while Ron Hazely was captured and you went looking for him...”

The commander muttered, stroking their chin.

“Then the likelihood that the unidentified Swordmaster intervened certainly rises.”

As though they knew the future, that Swordmaster had appeared at exactly the right time whenever Demonkin emerged. They had defeated enemies with overwhelming strength, then obsessively erased every trace and disappeared.

It was also the most convenient explanation for this strange situation.

“Investigate further.”

“Yes!”

The two knights answered.

Then, knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

A Blue Wing knight entered and saluted.

“Commander, I have a report. We have received a message from the commander of the White Wing Knight Order regarding this incident.”

“What...?”

The commander briefly wondered whether they had heard correctly.

“That exalted person sent a message out of nowhere? What is it?”

“The White Wing will immediately send personnel to protect Elise Lorendia and Ron Hazely. They have requested that we hand them over as soon as the Special Training Cadet mission ends.”

As the knight answered, they handed the commander an official document.

The commander read its contents.

“The Blue Wing headquarters approved it as well. Why is the White Wing commander going so far? Is there a reason?”

“After looking into it, it seems that the two may have been chosen as candidates to become the White Wing commander’s personal squires...”

“Personal squires...?”

The commander let out a low groan.

“Ha. So that’s what this is.”

It was widely known that the White Wing Knight Order commander had never recruited a personal squire.

Still, no one knew whether that had changed recently. Such information was unlikely to reach the far eastern edge of the Empire.

Moreover, the current first-year cadets were still far from being confirmed as personal squires.

Even if Elise and Ron were prodigies selected by the White Wing commander, there had been no reason for that information to reach the Eastern Base.

“Elise Lorendia is a fairy’s contractor, so I can understand that much. But Ron Hazely too...”

The commander gave a hollow laugh and leaned back in the chair. A deep breath slipped through the commander’s teeth.

“I cannot even imagine what would have happened if things had gone wrong...”

* * *

Eastern Base training grounds.

Lanterns cast a soft mana-powered glow. Moonlight streamed through the windows.

Shing.

“Huff, huff...”

I had taken off my shirt and was repeatedly swinging my mock sword while handling aura late into the night. Before I knew it, my body was soaked in sweat.

According to the original schedule, we were meant to leave tomorrow. But because we had to assist with the investigation, we would have to stay several more days.

I couldn’t waste this time. It was time to immerse myself in training.

‘I can feel that my mana has increased.’

My Mana Grade was still C-, but the experience points I had gained from completing achievements had steadily accumulated.

‘It’s about time I paid attention to magic again, too.’

I considered relying on Violet a little during the rest of the break.

The Blackgarden estate was not very far from Griffin Knight School, so I should be able to meet Violet every now and then.

‘Should I wash up and sleep now?’

Just as I was heading toward the towels to wipe off my sweat...

Swish.

“Hm?”

A magenta-haired woman in pajamas suddenly held out a towel to me.

A fresh smile filled her face, illuminated brightly by the lanternlight.

“Gasp.”

For a moment, I sucked in a breath.

Damn, my heart skipped a beat.

“Hi~”

“You startled me... Hey, when did you get here?”

“Just now?”

“Seriously, stop startling me... You do it again after not doing it for a while.”

“What can I do? It’s fun watching you get startled, Ron~”

I narrowed my eyes at Elise and took the towel.

As I wiped away my sweat, I wondered.

‘That’s strange... Why didn’t I notice her coming?’

Wasn’t my aura sense fairly developed by now?

I should have reached the point where I could notice Elise quietly approaching me.

...I quickly guessed the reason.

‘Did she deliberately sneak up on me like it was a real battle?’

It did not seem like she had approached secretly just to tease me, as usual.

“You’re working hard even late at night. Even after going through something like that.”

“Honestly, it still doesn’t feel real. The fact that I nearly died.”

“Hmm, I see? That’s a relief. I was wondering what I’d do if every night you remembered being captured by the Demonkin and came looking for me crying, ‘Waaah, I’m scared~.’”

Elise pretended to cry as she giggled.

My brow twitched at the absurdity.

“Yeah, right. Why would I come looking for you because I was scared?”

“Because I’m strong? I’m dependable.”

“Is that really something you should say about yourself...?”

Elise smiled brightly.

Her self-esteem was still through the roof...

Well, that was proof she had a healthy mindset, so fine.

“Ron, where are you going after the mission ends?”

“I’m staying at the school.”

“Hm? You’re not going home?”

“I don’t have many good memories of my hometown. And it’s not like I have a place I can really call home.”

“Um... I see.”

Perhaps she did not want to pry into someone else’s past. Elise changed the subject there.

“By the way, Ron, you’ve built up your body quite a bit.”

“Hm? Ah.”

With both hands held behind her back, Elise bent sideways and examined my abs up close.

Since I had raised my Physical Grade so quickly, the changes in my body were bound to be noticeable.

Still, being shirtless made me feel strangely embarrassed. Wasn’t she staring a little too openly...?

But I couldn’t act embarrassed and look uncool for no reason.

‘Elise would definitely tease me for it.’

She would find all kinds of ways to tease me, saying, “Were you embarrassed~?”

As I briefly considered how to respond, a sense of unease suddenly crossed my mind.

‘But has she been looking at my body all this time?’

You needed something to compare it to in order to notice changes.

At the academy, male cadets sometimes had to train shirtless together. Maybe she had seen my body then.

It couldn’t be because she liked me...

Elise had always been interested in my swordsmanship. She might have watched me for that reason.

Whatever the case.

‘This is my chance.’

It was time for revenge. I would get back at her for all the teasing I had endured.

I narrowed my eyes and grinned mischievously.

“Hey, Elise. You must be really interested in my body, huh? Are you a pervert?”

“...”

“...Hello? Elise?”

What was this? Why was she not firing back?

Elise looked up at my face with a meaningful smile. It only made me more flustered.

“You know, Ron.”

Elise straightened up and took a step closer. She smelled of soap, as though she had just washed.

“I have something I want to ask you.”

Soon, Elise’s slender hand softly rested on my chest, where I had wiped away the sweat.

I could clearly feel the skin of her fingers and palm. Her hand was cool. The air settled into silence.

‘What... is she doing...?’

As I silently stared at Elise without understanding, my face was reflected in her clear turquoise eyes.

“Ron, you...”

“Me, what?”

“...”

A heavy silence followed.

A sudden unease rose inside me. It did not seem like Elise was acting this way for no reason.

Elise looked as though she was about to say something, but ultimately gave up and closed her mouth.

Then she gave me a mischievous smile.

“I can’t do this~ I was going to tease you because you called me a pervert.”

Elise beamed, took her hand from my chest, and stepped back.

“If you can’t control your racing heart like that, I lose the desire to tease you.”

“Ah.”

No, damn it...

I had been played.

“I guess Ron thinks I’m pretty too?”

“...”

Elise casually spoke as she tilted her head to one side. Her magenta hair slipped down with the movement.

This time, it was difficult for me to answer easily.

Still, I had a complaint. I glared at Elise.

“Even so, wasn’t that a little too much just now...?”

“Hmm... You’re right. I think I went a little too far. Sorry.”

Elise gave me a faint smile, lowered her eyes, and apologized.

This was making things awkward for no reason... I scratched my head.

“I wasn’t saying it because I wanted an apology...”

“I guess I’m unexpectedly susceptible to the mood, too. Keep that in mind from now on, Ron.”

“What am I supposed to keep in mind?”

Elise quickly shifted the atmosphere again, then walked away from me with a broad grin.

I watched her leave, finished drying my upper body with the towel, got dressed, and headed to the showers.

As I washed beneath the pouring water, I sank into thought.

I had guessed something from Elise’s suspicious actions.

‘Elise... is suspicious of me.’

She suspected that I was the Swordmaster who had been helping her.

‘It makes sense. I expected this from the beginning.’

I recalled the original story.

When Elise’s group had nearly reached the Gate in Act 10 of Chapter 1, Scenario Note only foretold the tragedy in which Elise and the people around her would die.

So, determined to gamble everything on overturning fate, Elise set up a magical device that would fire smoke into the sky after some time had passed.

It was a magical device the knights kept on hand. She had somehow persuaded them.

Later, the smoke launched by that magical device was a major reason the commander could sense that something was wrong.

Then Elise’s group jumped through the Gate.

Inside the Dungeon, Elise was supposed to fight Mary against her will and fail to properly use her full strength. After destroying a few puppets, she was supposed to experience the despair of their infinite regeneration.

As with everything until now, it was a story that gave Elise nothing but helplessness and screwed with her head instead of helping her grow.

But I had intervened in that episode...

‘At least Scenario Note probably didn’t mention me. I wasn’t supposed to die.’

It must have updated with something that would make Elise suspicious of me.

What else could I do? If I had not become a Special Training Cadet, even finding the Gate would have been difficult. I had no choice but to take the risk.

Of course, nobody knew what had happened inside the Dungeon. Elise couldn’t be certain of anything.

In any case, I would have to be even more careful than usual from now on.

‘Until everything is exposed.’

The effect of Scenario Note would be strengthened, and it would only be a matter of time before my identity was discovered.

Before then, I needed to gain enough strength.

So that Elise wouldn’t have me on a leash when it came to resolving the tragedies ahead.

* * *

Private room.

Elise Lorendia sat at her desk, reading a book on magical studies as she lost herself in thought.

It was an immense relief that Ron had been unharmed in this incident. But the more she thought about it, the more she felt both unease and a disconnect.

‘Why was Ron not mentioned in Scenario Note?’

If Ron were the unidentified Swordmaster, the mysteries of this incident fit together almost too perfectly.

So she had subtly checked Ron’s abilities once more, but...

‘He didn’t even notice me sneaking up on him, and he was still Second Tier.’

If Ron had noticed her beforehand, Elise would have sensed his reaction as well.

She had not even trusted Fairy’s Eye, which could discern another person’s circle, this time. She had directly placed her hand on Ron’s chest to check his circle herself.

As expected, Ron was clearly weak.

She had even directly witnessed the moment he awakened from First Tier to Second Tier.

Ron could never be a Swordmaster.

‘Scenario Note makes me suspect Ron... but every other piece of evidence says that Ron is not the Swordmaster.’

She could not be certain. Her opponent was a Swordmaster who obsessively concealed their identity.

Even if they had hidden their identity through a method beyond common sense, it would not have been strange.

Scratch, scratch.

Elise used a quill to draw a cute picture of Ron’s face in the corner of her book. Beside it, she drew another face with a question mark.

She drew a line between them and wrote, “Same person?” over it.

‘Come to think of it, Ron said he would stay at the academy during break.’

Then...

“Maybe I should stick with Ron during this break...”