episode_0113

Hermel borrowed two horses with the princess’s authority and immediately left the academy and headed somewhere.

I rode on horseback, following Hermel, and arrived at a small, well-maintained barracks.

Looking at the royal symbol stuck on the door, it looks like this is the barracks where Hermel’s knights, whom Hermel mentioned earlier, stay… … . It was much smaller than I thought.

As I blinked and looked up at the barracks, Hermel got off his horse first and came towards me, giggling.

“For a knight corps, the barracks are smaller than you think, right?”

As Hermel said, the barracks were too small for a knight corps. Even in the stables right next to the barracks, there were only five horses.

If I say no here, it would be like outright lying. I smiled awkwardly and brushed it off.

“It’s okay! Not only is the barracks small, but there are also fewer people!”

“Uh… … . Ah, yes.”

I guess that can’t be said to be okay. Those words came up to my chin, but this time I just laughed it off. How can it be that there are only things that are difficult to react to like this?

With that in mind, I got off the horse, followed Hermel, tied the horse to the entrance to the stable, and then walked back toward the barracks.

“Ah, Charles. Just in case, I’m telling you, there’s no need to be anxious because I said earlier that there were few people. Since there were only a few people, only top-notch people were selected. It’s a small elite group.”

“I see… … . Well, as soon as Sir Germa heard the story of the knights, his mood calmed down, so it must mean that his skills are trustworthy.”

Hermel smiled confidently and nodded at my words. And just as Hermel was about to open the door on the first floor and enter, a squeaking sound of a wooden board being pressed was heard from the side.

When I turned my head at the sound, I saw a man in his 30s wearing short-sleeved shorts and dark blonde hair coming down the stairs, yawning.

“Hmm… … .”

Hermel placed his hand on the door handle and stared at the man coming down the stairs. He then frowned slightly and tilted his head.

“Jin?”

“Huh? Huh?”

The man was startled by the voice and opened his eyes. After looking at Hermel for a moment, he blinked blankly, then rubbed his eyes with his hand and looked back at Hermel and me alternately.

“Uh… … ?”

Then he made a dumb noise and started dry washing his face.

“I haven’t slept well these days and I can see everything… … .”

Hermel, hearing those words, wriggled and trembled under his eyes, picked up a small stone nearby and threw it at the man.

“Hey!”

“Ugh!?”

The moment a rock hits the man’s stomach. The stone turned into powder, and the man who was hit squarely in the stomach fell forward on the spot.

The man who was standing in the middle of the stairs naturally fell down the stairs with a crash, and Hermel folded his arms as he watched.

“Hermel… … . Is that okay?”

“Huh? iced coffee… … . Sorry, Charles must have been very surprised as it was his first time seeing something like this.”

Hermel scratched his head and said that.

“You don’t have to worry about that guy. It’s okay. He is one of the strongest men in the knights’ order. so… … . How long are you going to lie down!!”

At Hermel’s words, the man who was sprawled out on the floor slowly stood up.

“Umm, it’s been a while, Princess Hermel.”

“It’s only been 5 months since I entered the academy.”

“If you think about the time when you were by his side every day, 5 months has been a long time.”

“Hmph, if you can’t even talk… … .”

The man answered in a drowsy voice with one eye closed, scratched his head and stood up.

Then, he brushed off the dust on his clothes, placed his hands on his chest, and bowed down.

“Lady of the Duke of Rochelle.”

“This is Charlotte La Rochelle.”

“This is Gene Carter, leader of the White Lion Knights.”

Hermel must not have liked that calm and weak appearance, so he crossed his arms and answered in a rough voice.

“Well, I’ve finished saying hello, so let’s skip the other stories.”

Hermel uncrossed his arms and pointed behind himself with his thumb.

“I’m going to go to war now, so finish all preparations and come out.”

“Yes. I will prepare and come out soon.”

Nod, man. Gene Carter bowed lightly and entered the first floor of the barracks.

At the same time, the sound of about five footsteps moving busily began to be heard from inside the barracks.

“Hermel.”

“Huh?”

I was wondering if it was really okay, but I suppressed it. I can’t say that to Hermel, who even gave up his exams to help me.

It’s not that I don’t trust Hermel. But even as the afternoon passes by, seeing him wandering around like a neighborhood dog, wouldn’t anyone but me be anxious?

“… … It’s nothing.”

I tried to laugh it off by saying that, but Hermel seemed to have noticed because of what I said before.

Hermel smiled awkwardly, scratched his head and said.

“Isn’t that a bit untrustworthy just now?”

“Sorry… … . I tried to help, but I got this reaction.”

Even though it was me, I still had some conscience, so I smiled bitterly and apologized.

Hermel was very embarrassed to see me like that and waved his hands.

“It’s okay! It’s really okay! don’t mind! Even when I saw it, it was unreliable! No wonder Charles thinks so!”

“That… … . Princess, if you say that in front of me, even I would be hurt… … .”

When I turned around, I saw Gene Carter, who I had seen earlier, standing there wearing fancy full plate armor. And at his side was a helmet with a long red feather.

Seeing him as such a perfect knight that it felt rude to compare him to what I saw earlier, the anxiety that had remained in my heart disappeared.

okay. At least it won’t be a hindrance.

“No, isn’t it weirder that you just saw that and thought that such a thing wouldn’t come out?”

“What… … . That’s certainly true. Originally, when the princess was at the academy, she was always off duty, so it was like that. I didn’t know that the princess would come to visit during the semester.”

He spoke while touching the back of his neck as if he was feeling unfair. Hermel also nodded, making a groaning sound, as if he had nothing to say in response to Carter’s words.

“That was my mistake. Sorry.”

“No. it’s okay. Not even for a day or two――?”

As Carter continued speaking, he looked at Hermel with wide eyes.

“… … Wow, what did you just say?”

“What is that expression? Did I say something strange?”

“Hehe. no. You’ve grown. Princess Hermel.”

Hermel pouted at his words and turned his head away.

“I heard the same thing from my grandfather.”

“Hahaha. I see.”

Behind him, smiling happily, four more full plate knights walked out.

One was holding a halberd that was taller than his own height, another was holding a great shield and flail that was as tall as he was, and the other two were holding great bows that were much longer than their own height.

All but two of them had different weapons, but they had one thing in common: they were wearing lion-shaped shoulder armor decorating one shoulder.

“It’s all out now. then… … .”

After saying that, he put on his helmet, placed his fist lightly on the place where his heart was, and lowered his head.

“Order anything.”

The light and languid voice changed into a deep, heavy voice that rang out from under the helmet.

[Your sword is here.]

Following his words, the four knights behind him also took the same stance and spoke, and when Hermel saw that, he was shocked and rubbed his arms.

“Ugh… … !! I told you not to do that!”

“Haha, that hasn’t changed at all.”

“Noisy! It’s urgent, so don’t talk nonsense and just get moving!”

The knights who brought Hermel’s horse to the stable saw Hermel and I get on the horse first, then got on the horse and said,

“So princess, where is your destination this time? They told me to prepare, so I prepared, but I haven’t heard the purpose yet.”

“Oh, that’s right. Our destination this time is the Bneron Mountains. To be exact, it is the valley of the Bneron Mountains.”

“Are you going to catch a gryphon?”

Hermel shook his head at the knight’s words.

“If I was just going to catch a griffon, I wouldn’t have come here. If you fight with Charle, you’ll be able to cut through a griffon more easily than a steak.”

“Are you saying that Princess Charlotte is that strong?”

“Yes. Charles is strong. Really, really, really strong. He beat me, but he beat your brother too.”

As soon as Hermel finished speaking, the knights’ gazes became quite burdensome. Awe? surprise? Of course, those feelings were also mixed. Most of the emotions felt in their gazes were astonishment.

You defeated Hermel and made him admit it? How on earth? I could see that he was thinking something like that.

Of course, I also knew roughly what kind of person Hermel was in the past, so it’s not like I don’t understand those feelings. However, such an intense gaze was a bit burdensome.

“Hmm… … .”

“Ah, Charles must be embarrassed.”

Hermel giggled mischievously and waved his hand at the knights following him. The eyes of the knights who had been focusing on me disappeared in an instant.

As the conversation was interrupted by that, it became quiet for a moment, but Carter, who was following right next to Hermel, opened his mouth again and continued the conversation.

“So. If you’re not going to catch gryphons, why are you in the Bneron Mountains?”

“Ah, there was an idiot who was kidnapped by Gryphon. I’m going to go rescue him.”

“… … Yes?”

In response to a similar answer as before, Hermel frowned and shouted.

“I know very well that saying I’m looking for someone doesn’t suit me!? So stop making that stupid noise!!”

“Ah, but you know that those words don’t suit you.”

I smiled vaguely as I thought about that.

“Charles, even you… … !!”

“Huh?”

Ah, I spit it out.

I looked at Hermel looking at me with a shocked face and just smiled.