episode_0050

Even though midnight had arrived, Emma, trapped in a solitary cell, couldn’t fall asleep.

More accurately, she couldn’t sleep.

Because of that evening’s incident.

– Recently, there were rumors of embezzlement involving the Marquis.

– That’s absurd. The rumor was that someone embezzled money from the Marquis’s estate. But isn’t it suspicious that someone suddenly came into a large sum of money at that time?

– Well, I heard that Emma also recently bought expensive clothes. It’s quite suspicious, isn’t it?

Casually dropping by, Carcine didn’t reveal any details related to embezzlement.

Naturally, that wouldn’t happen.

How could Carcine possibly know?

For the wretched commoners who barely left their rooms and ate trash-like food, there was no way such information would reach their ears.

That’s why.

Emma couldn’t figure out what Carcine knew or how he gathered that information.

Lost in confusion, Emma grabbed her throbbing head.

“If she knew her money was leaking, she would have informed the Marquise earlier. She must have heard about financial matters too.”

But that never happened.

At the very least, Carcine didn’t disclose this fact…

“Oh really? Among the Marquis’s knights, there are some who suddenly replaced their equipment. Is this just a coincidence?”

“Nonsense. You think I wouldn’t notice that you’re diverting the money that should be allocated to me at the Marquis’s expense and adding it to their salaries?”

“Financial management is probably Arina’s responsibility. However, ledger management and allocation are the rights of the Marquise. You easily manipulated the records, didn’t you?”

She knew all too well.

Where the money allocated to Carcine Baghdad was flowing.

“Oh my god…! How on earth…!”

Carcine’s final words made Emma’s body tremble.

“Last month, when we urgently needed funds from the estate. You definitely punched holes in the ledgers, right?”

There was an urgent need, so she diverted the money.

But to make a flaw in the supposedly perfect ledgers. Even if the opponent was Carcine, it couldn’t simply be dismissed as a mistake by the Marquise.

A situation where there was direct evidence of embezzlement at the Marquis’s estate.

She had to escape from this solitary cell as soon as possible.

But if she waited for that moment, it would be too late.

“There’s nothing I can do…!”

Tap, tap.

“Hey. Guard over there, can I talk to you for a moment?”

“Huh?”

When Emma knocked on the window, the guard appeared.

As expected, among the guards, there was someone who recognized her.

“Can you bring the people I’m talking about from the First Knight Division?”

“What people are you talking about? You’re currently detained. Don’t you remember that you can only request during inspection hours?”

“I know that. But emergencies can happen even in my hometown.”

Emma smiled mischievously and took out the gold coins she had hidden in her pocket.

“As a Marquise, I’m asking you. Take this and please overlook it.”

“Uh, huh? No, what… this…”

“Don’t worry. I plan to ask them to deliver a message. It’s better to ask courteous knights for such things. So, please bring them.”

“Well, if that’s the case…”

Seeing the gold coins, the guard licked his lips, glanced between the Marquise and the gold, then took the coins and called someone.

After the guard left, a knight appeared shortly after.

“What’s going on? This late at night.”

“No one else around, right?”

“Of course not. We don’t need to advertise that we’re meeting each other.”

Swallowing nervously, Emma got straight to the point.

“How is Carcine doing?”

After going outside, something didn’t seem right.

Realizing that the letter had been missing since her conversation with her fiancée, she needed to know how he was doing.

“Uh. I was just about to say that.”

“Yeah?”

“That Karsein guy came to the training ground. I have no idea what he’s thinking.”

Emma’s heart sank at those words.

“K-Karsein came to the training ground?!”

“Surprise, huh. Why are you yelling all of a sudden?”

…”

Emma trembled, gripping the window bars tightly.

“No way… Could it be that he really knows something?”

She thought it was impossible.

That she had deceived him perfectly. That she would never get caught.

Embezzlement and contacts with the knights were mentioned. Did he even go further by coming to the training ground himself?

Suddenly a sense of foreboding surged in Emma’s mind.

There’s no time now.

“…Drive him out.”

“Yes?”

“Use any means necessary to drive him out. Frame him however you want. I’ll cover for you once I’m out of solitary confinement! Report to me every day on what he’s up to!”

At her words, the knight chuckled, forming a circle with his thumb and index finger.

“Rather than a cover-up, this seems more necessary, Your Highness.”

“You…!”

“It’s easy to manipulate public opinion by harassing other knights, but what you’re asking for now requires more effort. Right?”

Even though he had taken the money and kept it, the man was still greedy.

Seeing a knight openly discussing money, Emma felt disgusted.

But it couldn’t be helped; it was urgent.

“Fine. Double the usual allocation.”

“If it’s triple, I’m in. Double is too little.”

Emma snapped at the relaxed knight as if she were going to burst.

“Alright! Alright! I’ll give you what you want, just make sure to kick him out of the training ground for good. Got it?!”

“Understood. If you say anything else later, it will be troublesome~.”

The man whistled, looking satisfied with the deal.

“Well, that’s fine. As long as we can get rid of anyone who knows the truth.”

If necessary, even if there are unbearable consequences during the removal process.

Karsein Vagrand.

For Emma, he had become someone who should no longer be associated with the aristocracy.

***

It was winter.

With each cold gust of wind, the body shivered, reluctant to leave the warm blanket in the midst of a harsh winter.

Despite such a season, heat rose fervently from the boy’s body.

Moving his two legs in the center of the field, sweating profusely, he was vigorously running around the training ground.

“From the start, it seemed like I couldn’t keep up, but he’s still running? Does anyone know how many laps are left?”

“It must be five laps. Once he finishes that one lap, it’ll be four laps left.”

“At that speed… Hmm. He’ll probably keep going for a few more minutes.”

The knights watched Karsein and chatted among themselves.

…”

The deputy commander Mark, who was the first to finish running, watched Karsein intently.

Originally, it was an impossible task.

For regular knights, let alone apprentice knights, it was routine. Even for trainees who might find it slightly challenging, they had been building their bodies since childhood.

For this reason, they could complete their training period and become apprentice knights from trainees.

However, it was much more difficult for noble young men.

Especially for nobles who had never used their bodies before or had long gaps without movement.

‘Normally, the principle is to reduce the intensity of the training to avoid straining the body…’

Karsein persisted without giving up.

Despite having an untrained body compared to the knights.

Despite undergoing physically demanding thief training.

‘…It’s not just that.’

Mark subtly shifted his gaze to the left.

As Karsein, who left four wheels behind, paused at the starting line to catch his breath, a group sneered at him.

“Haha. Pathetic. Why don’t you try suffering a bit?”

“Maybe it’s because I used to crawl on the ground that I can endure quite well?”

“How long do you think you can endure? You underestimated the knights’ daily routines and challenged us so lightly. Back in the day, we never fought alongside each other.”

“Yeah. That’s probably why my legs felt shaky this morning. It’s only been two days, but if I’m already struggling this much, I might give up soon, right?”

If it was just a matter of physical training intensity exceeding what his body could handle, he might endure it. However, they retaliated against Karsein during training, sometimes bumping shoulders as they passed by, deliberately swinging their arms wide to jab his side, or pushing ahead under the pretext of being obstructed.

They were enduring not only training intensity beyond their capabilities but also physical and mental pressure. Beyond a day or two, into the third day.

“Mark, where do you stand on this?”

A fellow knight approached Mark, holding a board indicating how long Karsein would last.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Oh, it’s fun. Besides, those who participate in the initiation ceremony are tough anyway.”

Specifically, the bet was whether Karsein could endure the one-week initiation period. They wanted to hold onto that period and make a bet for this gathering.

It might be an unpleasant tradition, but even Deputy Commander Mark couldn’t stop it.

“No. Maybe not stopping it is actually better.”

If they endured a full week despite their rebellious spirit, they could turn the impossible into possible.

Given the overwhelming failure rate in the first scenario of initiation success, the discussion shifted towards betting on the latter period, with the next day being the most favored.

Watching the dismal odds, Mark turned his head back to Karsein.

– Huff, huff… huff!

No matter what he tried to see, all he could see was a boy gasping for breath and running weakly. But…

– Swish.

“Wait, are you serious?”

“Mark was a traitor…”

“Come on, that’s too much!”

Even amidst the laughter of his fellow knights, he didn’t utter a single complaint. That led Mark’s hand to take the opposite path.

“This is for the initiation bet. Are you sure about this?”

“Just for fun.”

“Well, that’s true. But don’t regret going solo later, okay? Hehe.”

Seemingly questioning the appropriateness of such a bet, a fellow knight had a look of realization.

“If you’re going to tire out at this level, are you really going to train our way-!”

“Oh, Mark. This guy is reckless.”

“Haha. Leave me alone. Money’s on the line.”

With three wheels remaining, as the voice urging him to run again echoed through the training ground, Karsein, who had stopped, raised his head.

Though he looked exhausted, he wiped the sweat off and started moving his legs again.

In this manner, Karsein successfully completed the race.

“Wow, that was tough. He finished it till the end.”

“Yeah! Let’s use the money from today’s bet for a big feast?”

“I’m placing my bet a bit further back… Oh well. Why do we have such persistence.”

“It’s not helpful at all, not helpful.”

Finally, after enduring the third day of training with determination, he collapsed on the field, panting heavily.

“Yes, that’s the least you should do.”

Only then does it become worth asking.

With that level of determination, he could eventually ask why things happened the way they did.

Why did Lady Radye embrace you?

What exactly happened that day?

***

“Huff, huff.”

Finishing the last tenth lap, I gasped for breath and automatically stretched out on the training field.

My mouth won’t close. Something is flowing continuously, so watery that I can’t tell if it’s saliva or water.

“It’s so hard I could die!”

I expected a certain level of hardship, but applying the knights’ training methods directly to trainees was beyond my imagination.

Really, feeling the sensation of eggs bursting all over my body every day, I start to worry about what kind of aftermath will hit me tomorrow morning again.

“Well, still… this is right.”

■ Karsein Bagrand ■ – 18 years old

Lv. 7 (SP owned: 0.15)

▶ Strength 2.59

▶ Agility 3.35

▶ Endurance 4.01

▶ Stamina 2.00

▶ Immunity 1.03

▶??? 0.20

Although there have been some additional gasping and guidelines beyond the current state, it’s not a huge threat, and it’s noticeable that the stats are significantly increasing.

Karsein’s weak and frail body is growing. The most important thing is that he is moving away from a deteriorating health bad ending.

Of course, that’s not the end.

▶ Successfully completed the third day of training! ◀

▶ Mark Redeltine’s intimacy is increasing! ◀

[ Current value: -6% ]

If Karsein cannot endure more than half of the 7-day initiation period, Mark Redeltine’s intimacy cannot recover from negative.

The only one who has less enmity towards Karsein at the moment, if even they fail to grasp him, entry into the training field will naturally become impossible.

So, if today, surpassing the third day, you can be somewhat relieved, but…

▶ Rewards increase proportionally to the days completed in training! ◀

Rewards improve as the days endured increase. This is something that cannot be given up.

Even if it’s tough, can’t you just let it go? You might think that, but the rewards in the training field should not be overlooked.

Because it leads directly to the Dead Trigger.

For that one reason alone, it is necessary to complete the training period.

However, something feared since entering the training field has happened.

“Jegiral. Why does Karsein lose so much HP every time he gets hit in this mini-game?”

The side that was still hit and couldn’t dodge properly throbs.

In the game, Karsein could have avoided it as much as he analyzed, but now that he has become a real body, he couldn’t move like that.

Expecting those who would pressurize me after receiving Emma’s prophecy. However, even the knights who openly dislike Karsein are mixed in public opinion, making the situation a bit severe.

It was understandable why the HP bar dropped rapidly every time Karsein got hit in the game.

Naturally, this cannot continue.

If it were a normal training, I would have gritted my teeth and continued, saying it’s better than juggling part-time jobs and studies, but enduring more physical torment is too risky.

With suffering accompanying it, even if I try to endure with mental strength, it may be a matter of whether I will fall first before the remaining 4 days.

If that happens, it’s game over naturally.

I’ll die and end with a bad ending.

But that won’t happen.

“Huh? Who’s coming again?”

“Wait, is that person…?”

“Oh no…!”

The knights who were laughing nervously noticed someone approaching through the main gate and quickly took their positions, sweating coldly.

“All, line up!”

Not only apprentice knights and probationary knights but also full-fledged knights are no exception.

At this moment, they all must be knights of the Bagrand Viscount.

“Salute!”

Following Vice Captain Mark’s command, the knights lined up in formation.

-Ding!

▶ Isabella has come to the training field!

…

…

“He’s here.”

Having raised enough intimacy, today’s debriefing after this training will no longer continue.

But it should end right here.

I, too, picked my rough breathing and got up from the training field where I had sprawled out.

The woman who passed by the knights checked my appearance and quickened her steps.

Isabella, who had come right up to me, was astonished.

Of course she would be.

The son of the Viscount Bagrand, having trained so hard to become this much of a mess.

“Did you train them until Karsein reached this point?”

With a heavily distorted face, Isabella instilled tension in the knights.

The knights closed their eyes tightly, sensing that the Viscountess would soon be furious.

They would undoubtedly receive severe punishment along with reprimands.

So, this timing is a golden opportunity for me.

“How can knights undergo improper bandit training under their master─”

“I wanted it.”

“…What?”

“This training, I requested it and am receiving it by my own will.”

[4. I wanted it, Mother.]

As she made her choice, Isabella’s face, previously filled with astonishment, turned into one of doubt.

▶ Mark’s intimacy has increased! ◀

[Current value: 0%]

The status window finally indicated that Mark’s intimacy had returned to a white box.