It had been about a week since Kairen first realized the true nature of the First Knight Order.
"Ah, hello!"
"...."
"...K-Knight big sisters!"
The knights, who were taking a short break inside the barracks after today's grueling training, spotted the youngest son of the family peeking his head through the entrance as usual and quietly furrowed their brows.
"...You're here again."
"There's nothing good for you here."
"Especially not for a young master like you."
Honestly, on the first day he showed up at the barracks and they all shrieked and fled, the First Knight Order had felt relieved, thinking they wouldn't get dragged into any unnecessary trouble.
But they hadn't anticipated just how abnormally persistent Kairen could be.
Ever since that day, Kairen—who seemed obsessed with something—had been showing up at the barracks every single day, stamping his face there like clockwork.
"Um, h-here. I brought this."
"...?"
"It's a g-gift!"
And starting a few days ago, he'd even begun bringing gifts he'd prepared himself.
First, it was cool water he'd personally filled into bottles and handed out. The next day, it was handkerchiefs scribbled with doodles and the words 'Hang in there!' The day after that, herb tea packs for fatigue recovery that even noble ladies would struggle to obtain….
"I didn't know what you'd like, so I went with something light today."
"...."
"K-Knights use a lot of strength, so I hope it gives you some energy!"
Today, he even brought bear-shaped chocolates made from top-quality cacao from who-knows-where, beaming with an innocent smile.
"...We can't eat stuff like this."
"Eating high-calorie snacks outside of combat situations will ruin your body."
"Sorry, but we'll just accept the thought."
But even the knights who had reluctantly accepted his gifts until a few days ago had no choice but to turn away coldly today.
"...He probably won't come tomorrow."
"Shh, be quiet. Time to draw the line."
"Still kinda disappointing, though…."
They didn't particularly dislike Kairen or have malicious hearts.
They were the faces representing one of Belverk's three major powers—the knight order—and the Duke's sword.
But these women, who cared only for honing their martial skills and obeying the family head's commands, greatly disliked getting entangled in Belverk's complicated internal politics.
That was why the First Knight Order couldn't accept Kairen's goodwill at face value. No matter how uninterested they were, every action they took toward him could be interpreted as political maneuvering.
There were also some knights who felt averse to receiving help from a frail child like Kairen as fellow knights.
"Hng…."
But even those knights who turned away coldly with such thoughts in mind couldn't completely ignore Kairen as he stood there blankly holding the basket, his face starting to crumple into a pout.
'...My muscles, my training.'
Kairen himself was sulking inwardly because the muscular physique he'd drawn for days had gone to waste, but given his appearance, it produced a devastatingly pitiful effect regardless.
"...One wouldn't hurt, right?"
In the end, one knight grabbed Kairen just as he was drooping his head like he'd lost the world and clutching the basket to trudge out of the barracks.
"No, today's training was especially tough, and…."
She faced her comrades' icy glares but scratched her head in excuse and swiftly snatched a chocolate from the basket.
"Mm, this is tasty?"
After chewing for a moment, she suddenly widened her eyes and muttered that.
"...This could sell big if we put it out there."
But in truth, her words were a bit exaggerated. To her, who blew her entire salary on luxury desserts every time she returned from an expedition, this chocolate was just a tad lacking.
"Really?!"
Kairen, who lit up at her words, soon grinned broadly and started bouncing in place.
The knights felt a twinge of guilt for liking him despite themselves, but silence suddenly fell over the barracks at his next words.
"Hehe, I stayed up all night making these yesterday."
For reference, the First Knight Order evaluated everyone purely on skill regardless of status, but they all shared one common trait.
"...You made them yourself?"
"Yes! Gifts have to be handmade to mean anything…."
Most of them were either noble ladies cast out as black sheep by their families or those who'd shown talent from childhood, burdened with family expectations and devoting their lives solely to training.
Moreover, from the moment they joined the First Knight Order, romantic relationships were strictly forbidden, so naturally, none had ever received chocolates made by a man in their lives.
"...Yawn."
Thus, as Kairen yawned from the aftereffects of his all-nighter, the knight ladies—struck by a sudden wave of compensatory sentiment for their hard lives—began gathering around him one by one.
"Maybe just one…."
"...Well, a piece or two can't hurt."
"Don't bring any next time or we'll get in trouble."
After that, things progressed smoothly. Even knights uninterested in men were women at heart, and as those fond of sweets flocked in, the chocolates in the basket rapidly disappeared.
"Thank you all!"
Just as the basket sold out completely and Kairen beamed his innocent smile (without bowing his head, of course) to express his gratitude—
"...Damn it!"
A curse suddenly echoed from a corner of the barracks.
"Why won't it move like I want…."
One knight lady, having tossed aside her armor and roughly wrapping a bandage around her arm, muttered with a face on the verge of tears.
"Aren't you pushing too hard?"
"...You'll ruin your arm for good."
"Take some leave. You look pathetic."
Her comrades gathered around and offered advice with sympathetic looks.
Her arm, badly sprained from the previous expedition, looked seriously concerning even to the First Knight Order members who treated most scars and wounds as badges of honor.
"You know better than anyone how fierce the competition in the First Knight Order is."
"...."
"Taking leave now means you might never come back."
Of course, with a few months of treatment, the Empire's advanced medicine could handle it.
However, Belverk's First Knight Order was the ultimate destination and dream for any woman pursuing the sword in the Empire.
Moreover, among the Empire's properly established knight orders, it was the only one that accepted commoner women without conditions.
"I'm just a commoner with nothing to my name, and I have to feed my mom and little siblings…."
Naturally, the competition was brutal, and so many comrades had taken extended treatment and never returned that no one could easily criticize her decision.
"Knight big sister!"
Just then, as the barracks atmosphere—enlivened by Kairen's chocolates—grew somber—
"Let me see your arm for a sec!"
Kairen suddenly scampered over to the injured knight, clenching his fists tightly as he said that.
"What are you doing? Did you get permission to enter?"
"Uh, that…."
"No, saying that to Belverk's heir apparent is pointless anyway…."
The knight, who had snapped irritably at first, muttered self-deprecatingly upon seeing Kairen's startled expression.
"Still, I have no obligation to show my arm to you."
"Yes?"
"A knight doesn't reveal weaknesses to untrusted people."
But she soon glared at him warily again, reasserting her pride.
"...I might be able to heal it."
Yet at Kairen's serious expression, her eyes wavered for a moment.
"Do you know the state of my arm when you say that?"
"...."
"...I even broke Belverk's unspoken rule and visited a priest from the Holy Church. But they said short-term treatment is impossible."
She shook her head with a hopeless look, and Kairen quietly stared at her.
"So don't meddle needlessly…."
"...."
"...Tch."
Faced with his pure gaze, untouched by the world's filth, the knight—who had tried to ignore him—finally relented and extended her arm while turning her head away.
"Hup."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A deep breath from Kairen as he suddenly grabbed her soft arm with both hands.
- Rrrrr….
The barracks briefly glowed red, then Kairen wiped the cold sweat from his brow with his sleeve and smiled with crinkled eyes.
"There, all done!"
The knight, misunderstanding that she was being toyed with, moved her arm with teary, indignant eyes and raised her voice.
"What do you mean 'done'… Huh?"
But soon, her eyes began to widen gradually.
"...Impossible."
Her arm, which had been too burdensome to even lift moments ago, was now moving fluidly.
"What? It's healed?"
"...Her eyes turned red just now."
"Could the youngest young master's ability be…."
The knights watching from the side realized the secret ability of Belverk's hidden heir apparent—which had been classified and concealed—and held their breath.
"Yawn…."
Meanwhile, Kairen—having pulled an all-nighter making chocolates and now used his Crimson Eyes—yawned again and began dozing off.
"I'll just nap a bit…."
As he murmured softly and toppled forward, the knight caught him with her now-healed arm, laying his head on her lap by reflex, and added in disbelief.
"...Not just the arm—the training fatigue is gone too."
By then, the knight ladies' gazes toward the sleeping Kairen began to turn peculiar.
"...The mansion folks don't know about this yet, right?"
"We could keep it exclusive."
"What's the escort duty rotation?"
And from that day on, not a single person stopped Kairen from entering the barracks.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
About three days had passed since I healed the knight big sister's injured arm and became the knight order's hero.
"Oh, you're here, young master?"
"...Hehe, we were waiting."
"Coming so often is a problem, though."
I made time to visit the knight order's barracks again today, and the knight big sisters—who had been waiting—greeted me with smiles.
"Who gets it today?"
Compared to a few days ago, when gifts were met with cold reactions, the atmosphere had changed dramatically. But there was a reason for the shift.
"Young master, my shoulder hurts so much."
"...Yep, got it!"
It was none other than Kairen-brand special on-site massage. A luxury course enhanced with Crimson Eyes Unique Ability, no less.
"Young master, only one per day. Side effects might make you hurt again."
"...It's fine! I can handle three easily!"
"Ah, then maybe me too…."
"You next. You got one last time."
The knight big sister I'd healed was stuck by my side, worried I'd overdo it, constantly wiping the sweat from my forehead.
But it was unnecessary concern. From experiments over the past few days, as long as the injuries weren't severe, I could heal about three without strain even using my Crimson Eyes.
"Mm… Ah, feels good."
"...Uh, hey, why the clothes?"
"Swinging a sword all day makes you overheat. Please bear with it."
Though, now that we're a bit closer… these big sisters are way too tough.
I don't know if it's because they see me as a kid, but every time they strip off their clothes without hesitation in front of me, I can't look up.
"Pfft."
"Boys will be boys."
"...So cute."
Thanks to that, as I massaged with my face slightly flushed, laughter-tinged voices came from the side.
"Pretty big sisters, stop teasing."
To maintain my dignity as Belverk's heir apparent, I narrowed my eyes and scolded them, but the knights' gazes turned a bit strange.
"...Young master, don't say that so casually here."
Gasp, is calling Belverk's elite knights 'pretty' rude?
"Right. This place is full of rejects who don't get treated like women, so hearing polite words like that just makes us misunderstand."
But at the explanation from the laid-back knight receiving the massage, I inwardly sighed in relief and muttered.
"I meant it sincerely…."
The knights' gazes toward me grew even stranger.
"...Haha, you're so sweet."
"...I got proposals back when I was a lady."
"Young master, ever heard you're a natural charmer?"
Their eyes seemed a bit dangerous, but I'd probably earned plenty of favor from the knight big sisters by now.
"Um, big sisters."
"...?"
"I have a favor to ask…."
So, it was time for that request?
"If you have time…."
I'd wanted male training partners, but no one could beat the First Knight Order in skill. So since we're here, get pro PT from the big sisters and become a cool guy….
"Kairen Nox Belverk."
As I thought that excitedly and opened my mouth— a sunken voice came from the side.
"...Yes?"
Turning, I saw a knight who'd never spoken to me before—actually, who'd never uttered a word while sitting in her chair until now.
With a long scar over one eye she could no longer open, she'd kept to herself without mingling, so I'd paid no attention… What was this about?
"If you'll excuse me, please don't come here anymore after today."
I tilted my head puzzled, then widened my eyes at the thunderbolt news and asked back.
"Why?"
"I judge you a potential threat to the knight order."
She gazed down at me calmly and replied softly, her one good eye flashing coldly.
"...Do you understand?"
Yeah, yeah—in romance fantasy parenting stories, the protagonist getting flak from a minor knight is cliché.
But this knight order's more democratic than I thought? The one who'd been loudly commanding from day one had subtly allowed my visits.
"...Five minutes left for break."
The person checking her watch, glancing over, and announcing break time seemed to be the knight captain, but I had no intention of asking her to intervene.
"Hey, big sister."
"Yeah?"
"Lend me those gloves for a sec."
Trial dumped in front of me? Gotta handle it with my own strength.
Truth is, I saw this coming and already prepared countermeasures.
To survive in Belverk, I need to handle stuff like this lightly—this was actually a good opportunity for me.
- Toss….
Sorting my thoughts, I borrowed the gloves from the knight big sister nearby, put on my most confident face, and threw them at the one-eyed knight before me.
"...Kairen Nox Belverk."
I delivered the line I'd always wanted to say in a moment like this, keeping my coolest gaze, and silence descended around us.
"...challenges you to a duel!"
Seeing the knight big sisters' mouths drop open in unison amid the silence, they must all have fallen for my charm.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
About five minutes later. In the Belverk family head's office.
"Kairen's not showing his face much lately."
Astridje, rifling through documents as usual, glanced at the window and murmured softly.
"...His love's cooled, unlike someone."
"Lilien, get out of my office."
"No? Kairen's coming soon, right?"
She received childish ribbing from Lilien, who was idly spinning a knife nearby, sighed, and returned to her papers.
"Haa…."
"Duke! Big trouble!"
Right then, the door burst open, and a pale-faced maid raised her voice.
"...."
"...What's the fuss?"
But unlike the maid's urgency, Astridje and Lilien merely looked down at her coldly.
They were jaded by Belverk's 'big troubles'.
If it involved Kairen, it might be different, but with the First Knight Order guarding the mansion 24/7, no worries there.
"No knock."
"...Let's hear how urgent it is."
Astridje and Lilien showed displeasure at the maid entering the family head's office without permission.
"Y-Young master…."
But as the panting maid delivered the bad news without catching her breath, they dropped what they held and shot up from their seats.
"...challenged the First Knight Order Captain to a duel."