episode_0010

1.

The Star Knights.

They are a guard unit stationed around the Starflower Forest, protecting three villages. Leuwen serves as the captain of this guard unit.

There was no intention to create such an organization from the beginning. In order to protect the villages, Leuwen taught the villagers how to wield swords and conducted patrols in the forest, rescuing various people. When they realized it, people had gathered around Leuwen, and a knight order had been formed. The name was chosen by the members themselves. There was no order to disband them. It’s more efficient to protect together than alone.

“Excuse me.”

Karen, the vice-captain, knocked on the door and entered the small house.

It was Leuwen’s house, her superior.

“Karen!”

Leuwen’s youngest sister, Lana, who was drawing a picture and playing in the house, greeted Karen with a wide smile on her face.

The sound of her short tongue makes a contented smile appear.

Lana clung to Karen’s leg.

Karen took off her gloves and gently stroked Lana’s head.

“It’s been a while. How have you been?”

“Yeah!”

While Karen was stroking Lana’s head, Leia, who was reading a book in the room, heard the commotion outside and came out to see what was happening.

“Oh? Vice-captain, you’re here?”

Leia checked Karen and looked at Lana, who was sticking her cheek to Karen’s leg and rubbing her cheek against it.

“Lana! Don’t make things difficult for the vice-captain!”

Leia tried to separate Lana.

“No, it’s okay.”

Karen smiled and kindly stopped Leia.

Leia, who was only 12 years old, was too mature for her age.

Was it because she couldn’t act childish when her parents were alive?

She has a tendency to impose her own maturity on her younger sister as well.

“Should I stroke Leia’s head too?”

Leia hesitated.

She also wants to act childish.

Becoming an adult early doesn’t mean she became an adult by choice.

It’s because she feels sorry for her older sister who took care of them alone after their parents passed away.

“Well, I’m too old for that.”

Leia tightly closed her eyes and turned her head quickly.

Karen smiled bitterly at her reaction.

“But why are you here?”

Leia tilted her head.

The vice-captain, Karen, is a busy person.

She has to manage the members and handle administrative tasks.

He/she can’t easily leave the place.

So it’s rare for her to leave her post and come here.

She only comes for occasions like celebrating after protecting the village from monster attacks or to celebrate her sister’s birthday.

Today is not anyone’s birthday.

There haven’t been any recent monster attacks either.

“What about the captain?”

I purposely came a little later in the afternoon because I knew he would be in the forest in the morning. He usually stays at home in the afternoon.

Especially in spring.

“If it’s my sister, she hasn’t returned yet.”

“Is that so?”

Then I think I know where she might be.

Several places come to mind.

It has been about 5 years since Karen met Leuen.

They met when she came from a neighboring village to this village for relief work 5 years ago.

Helping her with her injured arm after defeating a monster became a connection that has continued until now.

“Thank you.”

Karen carefully separated Lana, who was clinging to her like a puppy.

“I’ll come back for dinner in a little while.”

“Yes.”

Karen patted Lana’s head, tapped Leia’s head, and left the house.

She headed straight for where Leuen might be.

If she hasn’t returned from the forest yet, she would be in the flower garden in the center of the forest.

She entered the forest, which was densely covered with oak trees, and headed deep into the woods.

After walking for about an hour, the thick oak trees split on both sides like curtains, revealing a flower garden.

A flower garden full of white starflowers.

Among the white flowers, there was one black flower blooming.

Karen approached the black flower and spoke.

“Captain.”

Leuen, who had a doll-like expression on his face, raised his head and looked at Karen.

A face filled with sadness.

For the past 5 years, she couldn’t figure out the reason.

Even though she always had a sad face, it became even darker in spring.

She had asked about the reason out of curiosity, but she hadn’t received an answer.

“…Karen.”

Leuen confirmed the face of the person who spoke and started to space out again.

“I’m sorry for interrupting your time.”

Leuen shook his head.

“…It’s okay.”

A subdued voice.

It seemed like he had just been crying.

“…What’s wrong?”

“A guest came to the Order and I came to inform you.”

“…Do as you always do.”

“Well, this time it’s a guest who came to meet the Commander, so I think you should go see them in person.”

Lewyn’s eyes widened.

“Me?”

Lewyn looked at Karen again.

There was a strange anticipation mixed in his golden eyes.

“Who is it?”

Lewyn’s eyes sparkled as if someone had been waiting for them.

His lower lip trembled slightly.

Who could he be waiting for?

Karen’s question remained unanswered for five years.

“They’re from the Drager family.”

“Ah…”

Lewyn’s face immediately darkened with disappointment.

“…Is that so?”

Even after hearing the name of the family, Lewyn turned his head as if uninterested. The members were surprised when someone came from the Drager Duchy.

“…I’m busy,” he said.

“The eldest son of the Drager family came personally. It seems like it wouldn’t be right to send him back like this.”

“…What is it about?”

“I didn’t hear the details, but he said he really wants to meet the Commander. And now that I think about it, the second son of the Yegertree family was also with him. According to him, they came to repay a favor from a few days ago.”

Lewyn recalled the events from a few days ago.

It was the incident where he helped the Yegertree family, who were attacked by monsters in the forest.

After briefly contemplating what to do, Lewyn stood up, brushing off his bottom.

“Sigh…”

He let out a deep sigh and brushed his long hair aside.

“…Fine.”

“I told them they couldn’t meet today, so come with me tomorrow morning.”

“…Okay.”

Lewyn walked sluggishly, as if drained of energy.

Suddenly, Karen looked at Lewyn’s finger. A thin finger was adorned with a single starflower, entwined like a ring.

Seeing it, Karen smiled with satisfaction.

“So the Commander has such a girlish hobby?”

“…Huh?”

Lewyn tilted his head as if he didn’t understand what she meant.

Karen pointed at Lewyn’s finger.

The ring finger on his left hand.

He seemed completely uninterested in marriage, but did he secretly have romantic aspirations for marriage?

“Ah…”

Lewyn took off the flower ring.

“Just… bored.”

Lewyn’s face became even sadder.

Karen realized that she might have made a mistake.

To refresh the atmosphere, I unintentionally made the atmosphere worse.

2.

The next day.

Leuwen rode Karen’s horse and headed towards the Star Knights.

The Star Knights have their residence in a field slightly away from the Starflower Forest.

“Commander!”

“Commander, it’s been a while!”

The members saluted when they saw Leuwen.

Everyone respects Leuwen.

Thanks to her, they became soldiers capable of protecting the village from monsters.

“…Yes.”

Leuwen nodded and received the salute, then headed to where the guest was waiting.

At that moment, a soldier came running from afar.

“Commander!!”

Leuwen turned her head slightly.

It was Raven, Leuwen’s younger brother, with black hair and a golden pendant, running towards her with a smiling face.

As soon as she saw Raven, Leuwen put on a stern expression.

“…Why didn’t you come home yesterday?”

She immediately started scolding him.

“Yesterday, Mr. Chris asked me to have a drink…”

“You should have said no and come home.”

“Sorry, I’ll definitely tell you next time.”

“You said the same thing last time.”

“I’m serious this time. And I’m not a kid anymore…”

“So? You won’t tell your sister?”

Leuwen glared at Raven.

“Sorry, I’ll really tell you next time.”

Nineteen is an adult age.

It’s also an age where one can live independently.

However, there are several reasons why Leuwen is overprotective.

He is her only younger brother, and she has taken care of her siblings like parents. Above all, she returned to her hometown to take care of her siblings, so they are the reason she keeps going.

If something were to go wrong, she would lose one reason to live.

That’s why she couldn’t help but be overprotective.

“…Okay, I got it.”

Leuwen resumed her path.

The guests were waiting in Leuwen’s room.

She doesn’t usually use it, but when guests come, she treats it like a reception room.

“Hello. Do you remember me?”

As soon as she entered the room, the gazes of the two people focused on Leuwen, and Haid Yegertree greeted her with a pleased face.

“…Yes.”

Leuwen sat down across from them.

“So, what’s the matter?”

She asked directly.

There was no need to prolong the conversation or engage in idle chatter.

She wanted to go back quickly.

Lewin looked at the eldest son of the Drager family. The person who probably had a real reason to be seen was him. While there might be a reason for Heyd Yegertree to come, there was no reason for that person.

The man who noticed his gaze spoke.

“I am Alfred Drager. Nice to meet you.”

Alfred reached out his hand to Lewin.

Lewin shook his hand and gave a light handshake.

“Seeing your face, I’ll get straight to the point.”

“…Yes.”

“Let me be direct. Won’t you join the Imperial Knights?”

“…No, I won’t.”

There was no hesitation.

This was where Lewin should be.

Only by being here could he justify his foolish choice.

Alfred was taken aback as if he didn’t expect such an immediate response.

“Is that the end of the conversation?”

Lewin stood up from his seat.

“Wait! Please listen to me a little more!”

Heyd stopped him as he tried to leave.

“The Empire currently needs talents like you. The Demon King is showing signs of making a move. It hasn’t escalated into a full-scale war yet, but the battles on the front lines are becoming fierce.”

Lewin raised an eyebrow.

“…So?”

Alfred answered his question.

“So, I want to recommend you to the Imperial Knights. I heard from Heyd. It seems you single-handedly took down ten demon soldiers?”

“…Anyone can do that.”

“No way. Among the knights on the front lines, there are plenty who couldn’t defeat even one demon soldier alone. It’s tough for me to handle ten at once. So, it means you’re remarkable.”

Regardless of what he heard, Lewin didn’t think much of it.

“It’s a bit awkward to say this, but I can issue a conscription order and forcibly call you to the Knights, but I’ll give you time to prepare.”

Alfred was a high-ranking officer who led generations in the Imperial Knights and a person from the Drager Duchy, so he had the authority to issue a conscription order to Lewin. He also had the power to punish him if he disobeyed the order.

In essence, he was making a proposal-like demand to Lewin.

Although it seemed like there were choices, there were none.

“I must protect my knights. And our families must be protected as well.”

“Taking that into consideration, I will have your knights incorporated into the Imperial Knights. And our family will provide support by supplying soldiers from our household. You have done well so far in protecting them, but our soldiers can also protect them effectively.”

Alfred looked at Llewelyn with a serious gaze.

“Think about it carefully. It’s about achieving success on the battlefield and making a name for yourself. With your skills, it is definitely possible.”

“…”

“You might even become a hero of war.”

Alfred encouraged Llewelyn.

“…”

However, Llewelyn remained indifferent.

To become a hero…

He didn’t have the slightest desire for such grandeur.

If he had a dream, it was to live happily with the person he loved.

A sad hope.

But now, it couldn’t be realized.

To meet someone new?

He couldn’t do it.

How could he possibly meet a man like Evan, and where?

If Evan were in this world, it would be a different story.