Chapter 84

"Is the Commander of the Alusia Knights here!?"

"Huh?"

After finishing her sparring with Alusia, she was about to refocus and start guiding the others.

The training hall's door was dramatically opened with a series of hurried footsteps.

"Evan, what's the matter?"

The one who burst in was Evan Jean, a young knight of the Reberio Knights. He was about the same age as Curny, with an average height and a decent build—basically, a promising young man. His slightly droopy eyes and short, neatly cut hair gave him an active and well-mannered appearance.

Evan, as well as the others, had joined the knights, so they weren't bad at all. Training these young knights was a feeling that was hard to come by at the local dojo. Of course, there were such kids at the dojo, but for some reason, most of them were children. That was fun in its own way.

Evan seemed quite flustered. I couldn't help but be curious about what had happened.

"A representative from the Sphendyardvania Church Knights is here!"

"Hmm. Do you know their position?"

"T-the Commander of the Church Knights, they say..."

"See, I see."

Oh, a big catch right off the bat.

Alusia didn't flinch at this information. After a brief moment of hesitation, she responded with a lively voice.

"Where are they now?"

"T-they are waiting at the front gate."

"Understood. Hembritz."

"Yes, sir!"

It seemed the Commander had come in person, and even brought the Deputy Commander. This was a solid setup. It was probably related to the upcoming envoy's visit. There might also be something to do with Bishop Rebeus, but that seemed a bit outdated. Besides, it was a problem that couldn't be made public, so I didn't think they would act so openly.

No, wait. I've got an idea.

"Alusia, is it okay if I come along?"

"Yes, I don't see any problem."

I asked Alusia for permission to join, and she readily agreed. Good, this should work out.

"Let's go then. Evan, good job."

"Y-yes!"

"Hey, hold on a moment. Isn't it a bit rude to keep a high-ranking official waiting at the front gate?"

I stopped Alusia, who was about to move.

Surely, the person wasn't faking their title. If so, the one waiting at the front gate was almost certainly the real Commander of the Church Knights. I thought it would be inappropriate to keep such a person waiting, Evan.

"Indeed. Evan, please guide them to the reception room."

"Y-yes, sir!"

Alusia thought for a moment, then raised her head and gave instructions to Evan. I agree; it's not good to keep them waiting outside, even for a short time, and it's not appropriate to have a conversation outside.

As a knight, such a lapse in protocol would normally warrant a reprimand, but I think Evan was just caught off guard and nervous. Neither Alusia nor Hembritz seemed to want to punish him.

"We're all sweaty, so let's wipe off a bit before we go."

"Yes, that's a good idea. I'm sorry, sir, I should have thought of that."

Since the visitor was the Commander of another country's knights, even without an appointment, we couldn't be too casual. We were all sweating from training, and it would be impolite to receive them in such a state. So, we decided to tidy up a bit.

With that, Alusia, Hembritz, and I left the training hall and hurried to the reception room where the Commander of the Church Knights was waiting.

"Do these kinds of things happen often?"

On the way, I asked Alusia a question that came to mind.

"No, not usually. We usually meet during the envoy's visit."

"Hmm."

It seems this wasn't a common occurrence. Of course, the Commander of another country's knights is a high-ranking official, and it wouldn't be good if they showed up unannounced frequently.

"By the way, why are you coming along, sir?"

"Well, I thought I might as well introduce myself."

Alusia asked me why, and I gave a vague answer. This introduction was actually my goal.

She had mentioned setting up a meeting to introduce me to the envoy. I'd rather avoid that if possible. So, I thought if I could establish a connection now, we might not need to set up a special meeting.

It would be better not to have to make a formal introduction in a room full of important people. If I had to, I would, but I wanted to minimize that possibility.

However, if I told Alusia all of this, she probably wouldn't agree. She might even be more determined to introduce me. So, I just said I thought I might as well introduce myself.

"Do you know the Commander of the Church Knights?"

"Yes, we meet every year, if there hasn't been a change in leadership."

When I asked if she knew him, she said she did. It's not surprising, given that they meet for state affairs.

I was supposed to be living a life far removed from such a world, but somehow I found myself in the center of it. I don't resent it or think badly of it, but I still haven't quite found my place.

With these thoughts in mind, we exchanged a few words and continued to the reception room. When we opened the door, we saw two silhouettes, one large and one average-sized. It seemed there were two visitors.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Huh? ...Hey, Citrus! It's been a while."

Alusia greeted them, and the two silhouettes reacted. The deeper voice belonged to a large man. They stood up as we entered, and the man greeted Alusia with a loud, cheerful voice.

As expected, he was huge, clearly taller than Balder. He might even be close to two meters tall. He wore a heavy full plate armor that I had seen somewhere before, and his long, chestnut hair was tied back. His neatly trimmed beard gave him a clean look, and at first glance, he didn't seem like a bad guy. It was hard to guess his age; he could be younger or around my age, with a sharp face and a well-built body.

"You look well, Razoon."

"Haha! Sorry for the sudden visit. It's been a while, Drought."

"Indeed, it has been a year."

Razoon, the man called, laughed heartily and shook hands with Alusia. Given the situation with the Ibroi request and the Sphend church, it was a bit unpredictable how he would react, but it seemed the relationship between the two Commanders was good.

By the way, Hembritz's last name is Drought. It's a bit fresh to hear it since no one calls him that.

"You must be... meeting for the first time? I'm Gathgar Razoon, Commander of the Sphendyardvania Church Knights."

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Beryl Gardenant, the special instructor at the Reberio Knights."

Greetings are important.

Especially since I came here for this purpose, I had prepared my words carefully in my head. His sharp eyes and imposing build made him look quite intimidating, but I couldn't let that scare me. We weren't going to fight, after all.

Suddenly, the person standing next to Gathgar seemed to react to my words.

"Hmm... a special instructor."

"Yes, he's strong."

"Haha! That's great!"

Alusia, stop promoting me to everyone. It's embarrassing.

"By the way, where's Hinnis? I thought he would come with you."

Alusia asked Gathgar. Gathgar's gaze shifted uncomfortably, and he finally spoke.

"Ah... Hinnis, well, there were some issues. This is the new Deputy Commander, my little sister."

He patted the back of the woman standing next to him.

"Stop it, Commander."

The woman, whose back was patted, sent a protesting look and voice to Gathgar but eventually sighed in resignation.

Her translucent blue hair and gentle face gave her a refined air. She was about the same height as Alusia and probably a bit older. Her face wasn't wrinkled, but her alluring presence was something a young girl couldn't have. Her speech was also distinctive, drawn out and unique.

She wore the same full plate armor as Gathgar, but what caught the eye more was the pure white kite shield in her left hand. Shield bearers were quite rare.

And.

Everything about her, except for the pure white shield,

was extremely similar to the only person I knew from the Sphend church.

This is bad. I have a bad feeling.

"Let me introduce you. This is our new Deputy Commander, Rose."

"Hehe, pleased to meet you, I'm Rose Marbleheart~"

Rose greeted everyone cheerfully, shaking hands with Alusia and Hembritz in turn. Then, she extended her right hand to me.

She smiled even more brightly.

"Long time no see, Rose."

"Yes~ I'm your beloved disciple, Rose Marbleheart~"

...I want to go home.

New character appearance (ta-da!)