Chapter 74
Irina asked Gaon,
“And then?”
“Well, other than that, it looked like the usual training knights do.”
“That’s because Sir Gaon was watching openly.”
“What?”
“You should see how Kedric does his best even in the worst situation.”
“And how do you know that?”
“You have to do an undercover investigation.”
“Undercover… what?”
“There’s such a thing. You have to hide and watch secretly. If you look openly, how can you see someone’s true nature?”
Gaon asked Irina,
“Only the direct family knows Kedric has holy power, right?”
“Yes. The trainee knights don’t know he has holy power. They just think he can’t use mana.”
“So that’s why they’re so aggressive toward him. They thought he was just a ‘parachute’ case.”
“……”
“Hm. That does sound interesting.”
The trainee knights were still harassing Kedric in petty ways.
‘Though I heard Kedric doesn’t just sit quietly—he gives it back just as hard.’
By now, everyone was probably worked up. They were angry at Kedric, and they were also annoyed at Gaon for always hovering around and stopping them from doing as they pleased. With nowhere to vent, their resentment had only piled up.
Gaon might have acted uninterested, but Irina knew he was secretly watching Kedric closely.
Now that time had been bought, she planned to use it to bring Gaon and Kedric closer together.
“Come on, hurry.”
Gaon was dragged along by Irina’s hand.
Among the trainee knights, Jerat had a good reputation. He was known for always treating everyone fairly.
But not everyone was happy about that fairness.
Because Jerat treated Kedric the same way—even though everyone thought Kedric only got into the order because of Irina’s backing.
That day, however, Jerat looked different.
The usual gentle smile was gone from his face.
“Bring that boy to me.”
At his words, a knight dragged Kedric forward. Jerat stared at him for a long time. His normally kind eyes were cold and expressionless.
The other knights noticed his unusual attitude and started glancing nervously at each other.
Then Jerat turned away from Kedric and spoke.
“Today, we train outside. Get ready.”
Gaon glanced at Irina beside him. As a seven-ring mage, her skills were impressive.
She had cast invisibility magic so that none of the knights nearby could see them.
Gaon could hide his presence too, but making himself vanish completely was another level. He couldn’t help but be impressed.
‘No wonder Duke Kania treasures her. She’s a real talent.’
The only drawback was the strange amount of dark energy in her body. Sometimes, just standing near her made it hard to breathe.
And yet she could still cast magic while carrying that burden. That was amazing.
“Want me to use holy power? You’re drenched in sweat. I can hide my presence on my own, so you don’t need to push yourself this hard.”
“No. If I recover with holy power, I can’t use magic at the same time. It’s unsafe, so I try to avoid it.”
“You have to drain all your mana first?”
“Yes… and even after that, your holy power doesn’t suit me, Sir Gaon.”
“Huh? That boy works, but I don’t?”
“Yes.”
Even with her blunt answer, Gaon didn’t feel offended.
He realized Irina was more objective than she appeared.
‘And she’s a mage.’
Mages didn’t lie.
“Fine. Then let’s see just how amazing that boy is.”
Kedric gripped the sword he had been given.
It was just a standard iron sword for trainees.
The other knights’ eyes burned holes in him. Most of them were full of resentment.
“Damn it, because of him, we’ve been suffering since morning.”
“Must be because of that time with Lady Irina. Sir Jerat didn’t look pleased after talking with her.”
“Don’t tell me… did Lady Irina take that commoner’s side?”
“And now he’s dragging us to the Monster Forest? Isn’t that too dangerous?”
“Well, senior knights are coming too, right? So maybe it’s safe…”
Even so, fear filled the trainees’ voices.
That morning, Jerat hadn’t even tried to hide his displeasure. And now he had declared they would all march to the Monster Forest within the Ledas’s lands.
At that moment, a trainee named Max approached Kedric.
He was also a commoner, and one of the few who felt sympathy for him.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“What do you mean?”
The reason Kedric was hated was simple. Leaving aside that he was brought in specially by Irina, his attitude was too blunt.
Nobles hated commoners who didn’t bow.
Even Max, who once resisted, was slowly being influenced by the order’s culture.
In a way, he even envied Kedric’s stubbornness. He himself didn’t have the courage to resist like that.
“The Monster Forest is dangerous. Trainees like us could die easily.”
Kedric glanced around.
Elite knights of the Leders family stood near Jerat. Whenever trainees went for real combat practice, veteran knights accompanied them.
“Don’t trust them. You’ve angered Sir Jerat. If things get dangerous, they might not save you. No matter how kind he seems, he’s still a noble.”
“……”
“…I hope you survive.”
Max looked at him with pity.
Maybe today would be the boy’s last day alive.
To fight monsters, one needed to at least wield mana—or holy power.
‘Otherwise, he’ll die. Damn, he can’t even use mana. Poor kid.’
If Jerat had even a little ill intent, the boy would be eaten by monsters today.
But Max could do no more.
“Good luck.”
He prayed silently for Kedric’s life.
For some reason, Jerat truly seemed intent on killing Kedric.
Kedric realized it when the groups were assigned.
Every single one in his group was a commoner.
Max’s face turned pale. He had just wished Kedric luck, only to find himself grouped with him.
He despaired, and so did the other commoners.
“Damn it, someone trade places with me!”
“Why do I have to be with him?”
The other trainees avoided their eyes.
Jerat looked at Kedric and spoke.
“Don’t worry. A senior knight will be following each group at a distance. All you need to do is complete your assigned task.”
But everyone already knew the truth.
Whether they lived or died, Jerat had no intention of interfering.
He had never once demanded something unreasonable before.
Yet today, even with his so-called fairness, the fear of death pressed down on the trainees.
Max forced his trembling legs to move. Memories of his family flashed in his mind.
‘Mother, Father… my little twin sisters, Lara and Luri…’
They had always pinned their hopes on him, sending letters telling him to return as a proud knight of the Leders.
‘I have to survive!’
Max’s eyes hardened with determination.
He had people to protect.
His group went deeper into the forest than the others.
When lesser monsters began appearing, Max swung his sword automatically. Kedric and the other trainees did the same.
“…That boy fights better than I thought.”
Normally, without mana, even low-level monsters were difficult.
But Kedric cut them down without much trouble.
