Chapter 32
I'm not sure whether it's okay to say my familiar is a Black Dragon, so I simply stare at the captain.
The captain traced the black ring around my left wrist with a finger, then slowly opened his mouth as he thought.
"Ah, you don't have to tell me what kind of monster it is. If you made the contract before joining the order, you're not obligated to report it. Besides, if the monster you contracted with happened to be powerful or rare, the Monster Knight Order would pressure them to transfer you there, so it's more convenient if they don't know."
Then the captain patted my head.
"Actually, if anyone in the Monster Knight Order asks, it might be best to just grin and say nothing. They tend to judge their standing relative to one another by the strength of the monsters they command. If they find out your familiar is weak, they'll make fun of you immediately, so I think it's more effective to be vague and make them wonder."
"Um, why do you think my familiar is weak?"
At my question, the captain seemed to let out a soft chuckle despite himself.
"The fact that you'd ask that tells me you know nothing about familiar contracts, which makes me imagine the monster you subdued is weak. ...Generally, a familiar's strength is judged by the width of the mark left by the contract. In other words, the wider the mark, the stronger the monster, and the narrower it is, the weaker the monster. Even the weakest H-rank monsters normally leave a mark about one centimeter wide."
"Huh? Does that mean Zabiria is weak, even though he looks so impressive?"
What a letdown! Zabiria, you're all show and no substance!
"Well, to be precise, the width of the mark reflects how long it takes from when a knight begins a familiar contract to subdue a monster until the contract is complete. ...So if the knight is exceptionally strong or the monster is especially receptive, the mark tends to be narrower than usual."
"Oh, I see."
That's right. Now that I think about it, Zabiria defeated an A-rank monster while I was asleep.
Heh heh heh, I knew it. I knew Zabiria was strong.
"That's why I think you should act confident, keep up an air of mystery, and avoid revealing your monster's name. ...Though, this is the first time I've ever seen a mark just one millimeter wide, so I'm not sure how far the bluff will get you..."
The captain rested a finger against his chin and began pondering something.
"Normally, you'd assume that you formed a familiar contract in a short time with an H-rank monster that was weakened by an injury or something, wouldn't you...?"
The captain seems to be muttering something, but don't worry. I understand, Captain!
It's that thing where imagination gives birth to the strongest thing of all.
Instead of showing them the Black Dragon, I'll let them imagine what kind of monster it is, and they'll picture something even more terrifying.
Yes, Captain. Your wise subordinate understands exactly what you're trying to say.
I smiled to show the captain I understood, but for some reason, he let out a huge sigh.
Huh? I thought so from the beginning, but maybe he's tired.
"Captain, you look more tired than usual today. Maybe you shouldn't push yourself so hard?"
Despite my offering the kindest words imaginable, the captain glared at me.
"You hardly remember what happened yesterday, do you? ...Yesterday, I was called a 'bastard' to my face, so it affected me a little."
"A bastard?! At the captain?! What kind of idiot would do that?! More importantly, are they still alive?!"
"Yes, they seem to be alive and well."
The captain glared at me before sighing.
Huh, he really does seem down. All right, his direct subordinate will cheer him up!
"That's a pretty rough sort. Don't let what someone like that says get to you! By the way, I've never used such foul language in my life."
"Oh, really..."
The captain drawled in an obviously deadpan voice. W-what's that supposed to mean?
His subordinate is trying so hard to comfort him!
"W-well, I guess anyone who'd say something that insulting to the captain is either brave, reckless, doesn't care if they die—or all of the above."
"To be precise, that person didn't say 'bastard' just to me. They said it to the Commander-in-Chief as well."
"What?! T-to the Commander-in-Chief?! Th-that's absolutely disrespectful! That's a capital offense! I mean, all the knights would beat them to a pulp!"
How terrifying. Whoever said that, terrifying. They must've been a little out of their mind. To say something so self-destructive... Ugh, just imagining it sends a chill down my spine.
But the captain denied what I said.
"No, there was no punishment. The person was a child, and in the first place, they were only answering a question from the Commander-in-Chief."
"Oh, it was a child! I'm glad they got off the hook! But that child must've been so nervous!"
"Well, perhaps they didn't feel a thing and have already forgotten. The person who truly has it rough is probably the child's guardian."
The captain murmured with a strangely knowing air.
Hmm? Still, I think the child must've been more nervous.
"By the way, Fia. This is something you agreed to last night, but since you don't seem to remember, I'll ask again. Please don't tell anyone that I'm stronger than the Commander-in-Chief."
"Understood! I would never cause you any trouble, Captain. I keep my promises."
I gazed at the captain with sparkling eyes, but...
"...The biggest problem is probably that your idea of causing trouble and mine don't quite line up."
As he said this, the captain let out a deep sigh.
◇◇◇
Now then...
As I walked down the long corridor toward the Fourth Monster Knight Order, I thought.
First impressions are important, after all. Maybe I should bring a little something to get the Monster Knight Order to like me. No, but we'll be there in about five minutes, so it's too late to prepare anything now. Hmm, I guess I'll have to give up on the gift strategy...
Before I knew it, we'd arrived at the office of the Fourth Monster Knight Order's captain, so I knocked and called out.
"Excuse me! I'm Fia Rudo, from the First Knight Order! I'm coming in!"
When I entered the room, a knight sat in a chair with limbs sprawled out in a terrible lack of manners, a deep scowl furrowing their brow.
"Hah! I was told you'd be here first thing in the morning, but look what time it is! If this is first thing in the morning to you lot, then the First Knight Order sure does live a life of luxury!"
Ohhh, that's absolutely true!
"I sincerely apologize for my rudeness! I deeply regret being late!"
When I bowed, the knight sprang up, kicking the chair back with a loud bang.
"I'm Gideon Oakes, deputy captain of the Fourth Monster Knight Order. The captain's been away for a long time, so I'm the one actually in charge here."
He was a large knight in his mid-thirties with reddish-brown hair. An air of arrogance and insolence seemed to radiate from his entire body.
Gideon raked a hand through his short hair and looked at me with annoyance.
"Well, look at that. They've sent us someone who looks incredibly capable. Captain Cyril of the First Knight Order recommended you, so I wondered what kind of person you'd be, but you're still a little chick who hasn't even hatched!"
...Wow, he's in a foul mood. Definitely the type who's not a morning person.
"And what's the idea behind keeping you assigned to the First Knight Order while we 'look after you' for a while? Are you playing around? Honestly, the First Knight Order acts so high and mighty, as you'd expect from the top-ranked knight order, and only ever thinks about what suits you!"
Hmm, well, he has a point. Deciding this last night and putting it into practice this morning is pretty heavy-handed. Captain Cyril is actually quite the operator.
"So? I hear you can measure a monster's vitality. Wow, that's wonderful, wonderful. This'll be a huge help—did you think I'd say that?!"
Deputy Captain Gideon spread his arms and put on a delighted expression, then immediately scowled and slammed the desk.
...He's been all over the place this whole time.
He doesn't seem like a bad guy, going through the trouble of putting on little skits with all those gestures, but how should I handle this?