“Is he really incompetent?”
Ryan whispered in my ear.
As always, keep your voices quiet outside.
I whispered back and gave it back.
“Alex?”
“Uh. What... He’s also a person with special abilities, but he’s hiding his powers by tricking you into escaping?”
“No. No. It’s not time for him to be kicked out yet, so I’ll have to wait a bit longer... But when we last met, Alex hadn’t displayed any special abilities.”
“Hmm, I see.”
I thought of Alex.
Alexander Wassenberg.
My brother...
"Sister! The pink roses in the garden are blooming so beautifully! They look just like you, so I picked them for you!"
He was a good kid. He was my only sibling, and my childhood memories are filled with him.
“Father, what about Alex? Please don’t kick him out...”
Before I returned, I asked my father not to kick out the kid who was found to be incompetent.
"Don't worry, daughter. Why would I cast out my son? Even if he's incompetent, he must fulfill his duties as a member of the family."
Saying so, my father sent Alec to the battlefield where demons were swarming.
A child of only twelve years old.
Like a fool, I hoped that if Alex came back alive, we could live together.
From the beginning, my father had sent him to the battlefield with the intention of killing him by disguising it as an accident.
And... whether it was unfortunate or fortunate, Alex developed this ability on the battlefield where he was sent to die.
"Ha."
Ryan was staring at me as I sighed, thinking of Alex.
"Yeah, it's suspicious, right? But I'm never going to tell the truth about this."
Alex is not incompetent.
But...
I'm going to make Alex a powerless being for the rest of his life. I hope he never manifests his powers again as long as he lives.
So that even Alex himself could die thinking that he was incompetent until the day he closed his eyes in old age.
"Hey!"
At that moment, Revan, on the other side, clapped his hands.
“Let’s do it!”
Oh, right... This is Koenig now.
This is the first restaurant I went to after arriving on the continent.
We left Belzer after two weeks (we walked, of course, as far as we could find a carriage), and after sending a letter to my father in the great city of Koenig, we were staying at this restaurant-inn for the fourth day.
“Actually, if I just mine magic stones, I don’t have to worry about making a living without working...”
Revan and Ryan have been digging for two weeks, but they still haven't found any ore. They need to hire a professional digger, but since they don't have the funds yet, they can't even offer hazard pay...
"Okay, so! While we're at it, let's take care of all the things we need to do."
Revan showed me that he had spread out a piece of paper on the table and was writing diligently.
~Our Work~
Food and necessities replenishment
Earn a month's living expenses
Save the miners
“See? The baby and I are in charge of the necessities. And...”
Revan smiled brightly and put a piece of paper in Ryan's hand.
"The rest is up to you, brother. Earn some living expenses and find some miners who want to go to Belzer."
“?”
Phew... I couldn’t help but laugh at Ryan’s expression, so I covered my mouth.
“You’re the best~.”
"Are you kidding me? Even if you're asking me to make money, what kind of miner are you? Who would go to Belzer if they don't even pay hazard pay?"
"You'll have to figure out a way, brother. Just open your mouth. If you just mine the rocks, you'll get rich. So, try to persuade him by promising to pay you back after you're done."
“Will it work? I’ll be lucky if I don’t get reported for fraud and end up losing my bread again.”
“Anyway, tongue!”
“Are you crazy?”
I was happily watching Ryan and Revan, who were getting along well today, and I cautiously raised my hand.
“I want to save that one knight.”
“?”
“??”
Two men immediately looked at me in disbelief. "You have no money, so how can you say you have good fortune?" Their eyes asked.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not used to living without an escort...”
"What kind of princess-like remark is that? And why do you need an escort when you have a father, daughter?"
“Oh, no. That makes sense.”
Revan intervened.
"Brother, if you're working, you can't be by Bunny's side 24/7. Let's at least save him when you're out of town. It wouldn't be too expensive to hire him for a short period of time from a mercenary guild or something."
"No, what do those mercenaries believe in? Just stick to the dorm while I earn money, you two!"
“Hey, not now!”
I carefully pulled out the notice tucked into my sleeve. I'd picked it up on the ship to the continent.
[105th Imperial Swordsmanship Tournament]
The path to becoming an honorable knight!
...
"There's an opening in the system in December. I'm going to go there and choose someone. Not a short-term position, but a one-year contract with a salary."
“...”
“...”
The two men who saw the notice were silent.
Ryan looked at me like I was some kind of foolish girl, and now Revan couldn't bear to look at me anymore and avoided my gaze.
'Yeah, it'll look pathetic.'
A swordsmanship competition held every winter by the Imperial Family.
Anyone with 'capability' can participate, regardless of gender, age, or status.
If you win first place here, the imperial family will award you a title and give you a job in the knighthood. Anyone with the confidence to win first place can become a knight of the imperial family.
This is the fastest way to turn your life around!
"You really don't know the ways of the world. Do you have any idea how many high-level talents gather here?"
That's right. Only capable people who have no regrets about earning a living with their own abilities gather here.
And what they are after is not the number one position, but a position as a bodyguard for a noble family.
Because many families come to watch the competition, it is a structure where you catch their eye and are scouted.
Although it was honorable, the position of bodyguard for a wealthy family was much more popular than that of an imperial knight, who had a rather low salary.
'Kali was a rare contestant who withdrew from the finals due to money.'
Before my return, my escort knight, Kali, was a skilled fighter who was predicted to win without even having to wait until the finals.
However, Wassenberg, who had noticed Kali's skills, took action behind the scenes, and after hearing the salary offered by our family, Kali gave up the finals without a second thought.
My father appointed Kali, a proven and skilled man, as my bodyguard, whom he loved the most among his children.
“Kali, why didn’t you become an Imperial Knight and come to Wassenberg?”
“I am money-oriented.”
money-oriented?
He's a money-crazy kid.
That's what Kali said.
In other words,
'He'll go anywhere if you give him money.'
I'm thinking of offering about double the salary he was getting at Wassenberg.
I have to bring Kali back no matter what.
Kali is kind and easygoing. It's a shame I'm the only one who remembers him, but he has many memories.
Above all else.
'The mercenaries will come along as a bonus.'
Before entering the competition, Kali was the leader of a private mercenary guild.
When hired by our family, Kali became my bodyguard, and the rest became Wassenberg's private soldiers.
“...Let’s go next year. Next year. When we make lots of money.”
Ryan must have misunderstood me for being silent because I was thinking of Kali, so he spoke to me in a soothing tone.
"Sorry. I really don't have any money right now. Even those who get eliminated in the preliminaries of that tournament have to pay at least 5,000 gold."
"Ah!"
I should have said I had money first, but I missed the timing.
But thanks to that, I was touched by Ryan's affection that I was able to confirm...
Instead of scolding his ignorant younger sister, he will save up money and hire a high-level employee...
“Thank you, Dad. But I’ll pay for my own escort.”
"What?"
When Ryan turned around and asked what I was talking about, I pointed to my skirt.
“...?”
Ryan's mouth dropped open as he remembered how I had lifted my skirt and taken out the hidden knife and brooch as soon as they met.
“You... could it be...?”
“Yes, if you look here, it will come out~.”
Ryan whispered in my ear.
As always, keep your voices quiet outside.
I whispered back and gave it back.
“Alex?”
“Uh. What... He’s also a person with special abilities, but he’s hiding his powers by tricking you into escaping?”
“No. No. It’s not time for him to be kicked out yet, so I’ll have to wait a bit longer... But when we last met, Alex hadn’t displayed any special abilities.”
“Hmm, I see.”
I thought of Alex.
Alexander Wassenberg.
My brother...
"Sister! The pink roses in the garden are blooming so beautifully! They look just like you, so I picked them for you!"
He was a good kid. He was my only sibling, and my childhood memories are filled with him.
“Father, what about Alex? Please don’t kick him out...”
Before I returned, I asked my father not to kick out the kid who was found to be incompetent.
"Don't worry, daughter. Why would I cast out my son? Even if he's incompetent, he must fulfill his duties as a member of the family."
Saying so, my father sent Alec to the battlefield where demons were swarming.
A child of only twelve years old.
Like a fool, I hoped that if Alex came back alive, we could live together.
From the beginning, my father had sent him to the battlefield with the intention of killing him by disguising it as an accident.
And... whether it was unfortunate or fortunate, Alex developed this ability on the battlefield where he was sent to die.
"Ha."
Ryan was staring at me as I sighed, thinking of Alex.
"Yeah, it's suspicious, right? But I'm never going to tell the truth about this."
Alex is not incompetent.
But...
I'm going to make Alex a powerless being for the rest of his life. I hope he never manifests his powers again as long as he lives.
So that even Alex himself could die thinking that he was incompetent until the day he closed his eyes in old age.
"Hey!"
At that moment, Revan, on the other side, clapped his hands.
“Let’s do it!”
Oh, right... This is Koenig now.
This is the first restaurant I went to after arriving on the continent.
We left Belzer after two weeks (we walked, of course, as far as we could find a carriage), and after sending a letter to my father in the great city of Koenig, we were staying at this restaurant-inn for the fourth day.
“Actually, if I just mine magic stones, I don’t have to worry about making a living without working...”
Revan and Ryan have been digging for two weeks, but they still haven't found any ore. They need to hire a professional digger, but since they don't have the funds yet, they can't even offer hazard pay...
"Okay, so! While we're at it, let's take care of all the things we need to do."
Revan showed me that he had spread out a piece of paper on the table and was writing diligently.
~Our Work~
Food and necessities replenishment
Earn a month's living expenses
Save the miners
“See? The baby and I are in charge of the necessities. And...”
Revan smiled brightly and put a piece of paper in Ryan's hand.
"The rest is up to you, brother. Earn some living expenses and find some miners who want to go to Belzer."
“?”
Phew... I couldn’t help but laugh at Ryan’s expression, so I covered my mouth.
“You’re the best~.”
"Are you kidding me? Even if you're asking me to make money, what kind of miner are you? Who would go to Belzer if they don't even pay hazard pay?"
"You'll have to figure out a way, brother. Just open your mouth. If you just mine the rocks, you'll get rich. So, try to persuade him by promising to pay you back after you're done."
“Will it work? I’ll be lucky if I don’t get reported for fraud and end up losing my bread again.”
“Anyway, tongue!”
“Are you crazy?”
I was happily watching Ryan and Revan, who were getting along well today, and I cautiously raised my hand.
“I want to save that one knight.”
“?”
“??”
Two men immediately looked at me in disbelief. "You have no money, so how can you say you have good fortune?" Their eyes asked.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not used to living without an escort...”
"What kind of princess-like remark is that? And why do you need an escort when you have a father, daughter?"
“Oh, no. That makes sense.”
Revan intervened.
"Brother, if you're working, you can't be by Bunny's side 24/7. Let's at least save him when you're out of town. It wouldn't be too expensive to hire him for a short period of time from a mercenary guild or something."
"No, what do those mercenaries believe in? Just stick to the dorm while I earn money, you two!"
“Hey, not now!”
I carefully pulled out the notice tucked into my sleeve. I'd picked it up on the ship to the continent.
[105th Imperial Swordsmanship Tournament]
The path to becoming an honorable knight!
...
"There's an opening in the system in December. I'm going to go there and choose someone. Not a short-term position, but a one-year contract with a salary."
“...”
“...”
The two men who saw the notice were silent.
Ryan looked at me like I was some kind of foolish girl, and now Revan couldn't bear to look at me anymore and avoided my gaze.
'Yeah, it'll look pathetic.'
A swordsmanship competition held every winter by the Imperial Family.
Anyone with 'capability' can participate, regardless of gender, age, or status.
If you win first place here, the imperial family will award you a title and give you a job in the knighthood. Anyone with the confidence to win first place can become a knight of the imperial family.
This is the fastest way to turn your life around!
"You really don't know the ways of the world. Do you have any idea how many high-level talents gather here?"
That's right. Only capable people who have no regrets about earning a living with their own abilities gather here.
And what they are after is not the number one position, but a position as a bodyguard for a noble family.
Because many families come to watch the competition, it is a structure where you catch their eye and are scouted.
Although it was honorable, the position of bodyguard for a wealthy family was much more popular than that of an imperial knight, who had a rather low salary.
'Kali was a rare contestant who withdrew from the finals due to money.'
Before my return, my escort knight, Kali, was a skilled fighter who was predicted to win without even having to wait until the finals.
However, Wassenberg, who had noticed Kali's skills, took action behind the scenes, and after hearing the salary offered by our family, Kali gave up the finals without a second thought.
My father appointed Kali, a proven and skilled man, as my bodyguard, whom he loved the most among his children.
“Kali, why didn’t you become an Imperial Knight and come to Wassenberg?”
“I am money-oriented.”
money-oriented?
He's a money-crazy kid.
That's what Kali said.
In other words,
'He'll go anywhere if you give him money.'
I'm thinking of offering about double the salary he was getting at Wassenberg.
I have to bring Kali back no matter what.
Kali is kind and easygoing. It's a shame I'm the only one who remembers him, but he has many memories.
Above all else.
'The mercenaries will come along as a bonus.'
Before entering the competition, Kali was the leader of a private mercenary guild.
When hired by our family, Kali became my bodyguard, and the rest became Wassenberg's private soldiers.
“...Let’s go next year. Next year. When we make lots of money.”
Ryan must have misunderstood me for being silent because I was thinking of Kali, so he spoke to me in a soothing tone.
"Sorry. I really don't have any money right now. Even those who get eliminated in the preliminaries of that tournament have to pay at least 5,000 gold."
"Ah!"
I should have said I had money first, but I missed the timing.
But thanks to that, I was touched by Ryan's affection that I was able to confirm...
Instead of scolding his ignorant younger sister, he will save up money and hire a high-level employee...
“Thank you, Dad. But I’ll pay for my own escort.”
"What?"
When Ryan turned around and asked what I was talking about, I pointed to my skirt.
“...?”
Ryan's mouth dropped open as he remembered how I had lifted my skirt and taken out the hidden knife and brooch as soon as they met.
“You... could it be...?”
“Yes, if you look here, it will come out~.”
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