Chapter 15
The area erupted into commotion in an instant.
The commanders of the various Knight Orders were especially worked up.
“What?! The Commander-in-Chief is going to appear? Hey, emcee! Are you kidding us?!”
“No, well... this was at the Commander-in-Chief's own direction.”
“Huh? Then let me be his opponent! Please, let me fight the Commander-in-Chief!”
“No, no, no! This is a demonstration match against a new knight. That's not the point. It's supposed to be the new knight who gets to learn from the Commander-in-Chief...”
“Then bring out this Fia Ludo or whatever! Who is she?! And why is a rookie in the First Knight Order in the first place?!”
...Wh-what should I do?
This had turned into a huge mess, even though it wasn't my fault at all.
Fabian looked at me with heartfelt sympathy.
“Um... do your best? The Commander-in-Chief has all sorts of legends and stories about him, like defeating an A-rank monster single-handedly or cutting down a thousand enemy soldiers. So don't worry about the result, whatever happens, okay?”
He was already coaching me on how to handle losing before the fight even started! Or rather, how to handle getting utterly trounced?!
“Y-yeah. Usually, your opponent in a demonstration match is a senior knight who joined about five years before you, and even captains hardly ever take part. I've never even heard of a commander doing it, let alone the Commander-in-Chief...”
“One hit! If you can last even one, you're a hero!”
A strange sense of solidarity seemed to form, and even knights in my class whom I'd never spoken to started cheering me on.
Feeling like an animal being led to the slaughterhouse, I cautiously stepped forward, and the assembled knights stared at me with blank expressions.
“...Huh? Who's that little girl?”
“She's tiny, isn't she? Doesn't she only come up to the Commander-in-Chief's stomach? What is that little kid doing here?!”
“C-Commander-in-Chief, this'll just be a one-sided slaughter! Please, don't do it!”
A chorus of cries and angry shouts erupted.
I was already on the verge of tears.
No, I can't.
With this many people watching, I was so nervous my body wouldn't move.
I could tell my right hand and right foot were moving forward together, but I didn't even know how to stop.
When I turned toward the spot where my fellow rookies had gathered, as if seeking help, every last one of them was gone.
I looked around in surprise and saw that they'd somehow joined the oval formation the senior knights had made around the rookies.
...H-how cruel. They're offering me up as a human sacrifice so they can watch the show.
As I stood frozen, trembling and unable to run away, I saw my brothers rushing over.
“B-Brother...”
I was moved to tears for a different reason.
Blood really is thicker than water! In the end, the only people you can count on are your family!!
“Listen carefully, Fia! Getting to cross swords with Commander-in-Chief Savis is the luckiest thing that could ever happen to you! Even if you die, even if you get cut clean in half, fight for as long as you can!”
My second son, Leon, started saying something I couldn't understand.
“Fia, listen. A knight's ironclad rule is never to give up on victory, even when the odds are overwhelmingly against you. Even an ant might be able to defeat a dragon. That possibility only exists if you don't give up. Understand?”
My eldest brother, Ardio, began spouting ideals that were far too lofty.
Seeing the two of them say such foolish things with completely serious expressions reminded me.
My brothers were knight-obsessed idiots.
And hadn't I always wanted to become a knight, too? Now that I was standing in the place I'd long admired, what was I so afraid of?
Thanks to my brothers (and their idiotic words and actions), my nerves settled. I looked up at Commander-in-Chief Savis... and realized he was walking toward me. At some point, he'd taken off his cape.
“You're Fia, right?”
“H-he called Fia by name—the Commander-in-Chief did—!”
Leon screamed, then ran off with Ardio so they wouldn't get in the Commander-in-Chief's way.
Even from a distance, I could feel the Commander-in-Chief's heat—or maybe the weight of his muscles, or the pressure threatening to crush me—with my whole body.
...I have goosebumps.
The Commander-in-Chief, meanwhile, didn't so much as flinch, despite having the eyes of all 1,200 knights fixed on him. He stopped about twenty meters away and drew his sword.
“I won't attack you at all. Come at me with everything you've got.”
...Waaah, what a man!!
Even as a battle-hardened hero, he intended to give me his full attention.
Normally, someone at the top of the Knights—and the king's younger brother, no less—wouldn't even spare a rookie knight a glance!
Now I couldn't give him a half-hearted fight. That'd be disrespectful to the Commander-in-Chief.
Actually, the knights surrounding us would kill me!
I put my hand on my scabbard and whispered a spell.
“Physical Enhancement: Attack power x3, speed x3.”
My sword was enchanted too, but I couldn't imagine it would be enough against the Commander-in-Chief, so I enhanced myself to the limit.
But...
I glanced at the Commander-in-Chief and felt utterly hopeless.
Whoa...
What is that? What is that? What even is that? Is he human?
The Commander-in-Chief looked like nothing but a monster. I mean, he was a monster. Yeah, definitely a monster. Like the Black Dragon Zabiria, or maybe even stronger.
Since I was a saint in my previous life, I was as good at gauging strength as I was at sensing the severity of injuries.
I used to gauge my enemies' strength and cast defensive magic to match it, so I wouldn't waste mana...
Haha, even after buffing myself this much, speed is the only thing where I have the advantage...
I could see an imaginary dragon behind the Commander-in-Chief.
“I, Fia Ludo, unworthy as I am, humbly ask to learn from you, Commander-in-Chief!”
I gave as proper a knight's salute as I could and raised my voice.
I bit down hard on my lip, steeled myself, and began to run lightly.
When I was about five meters away, I suddenly accelerated, drew my sword, and attacked with all my strength.
With a dull clang, the Commander-in-Chief caught my blow and narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. His whole body tensed for an instant.
————That's right. This sword is incredibly heavy, isn't it?
I know... I can feel how heavy it is too, as I'm crossing swords with you...
I'd taken off the magic stone that causes full-body paralysis, since I was up against the Commander-in-Chief, but he was so absurdly strong I could imagine him powering through a status ailment with sheer determination.
I sprang backward.
Then I went for the Commander-in-Chief's left, left, left, feinted to the right once, and then struck to the left again.
Clang, clang, clang—the sounds rang out.
Before I knew it, a low murmur had started to spread through the grounds.
...Yeah, the sound of our swords was different from an ordinary exchange of blows. Anyone who knew their swords could probably tell how heavy mine was.
“...Wh-what is that speed...?”
“More importantly, that sound of their swords clashing! That sword must be incredibly heavy, right?!”
I retreated once more, then ran forward, leaped into the air, and attacked the Commander-in-Chief's left side.
“Haaah!!”
Then left, left, left, and left again!! One more time to the left!!
“Tch!”
The Commander-in-Chief spat the words out, then for the first time pushed my sword back, sending it flying with the force of his blow.
“...M-match over! The winner is Commander-in-Chief Savis!”
The judge loudly declared the Commander-in-Chief the winner, but the knights just stared at us, dumbfounded.
The Commander-in-Chief was glaring at me with blazing eyes.
I landed on my butt and gave him a weak, ingratiating smile.
...H-huh? Did I do something wrong?