“However, there are also many areas in which you must improve.”
The unconscious Galev was carried to the infirmary on a stretcher.
The remaining members stood in a line and received Light’s assessment.
“First, Alvan. You supported your allies admirably with Healing Magic, but you neglected your own condition until you nearly succumbed to Mana Exhaustion. A Healer is the highest-priority target on a battlefield. Remember that and place the management of your own condition above all else.”
“Yes, I will be careful, Instructor!”
The boy answered solemnly between ragged breaths.
“Next, the three who were dropped near the deepest reaches. Were you out of your minds, moving so carelessly that you awakened the monster within? Verdi, I understand that you are a Mage of the Detection Branch in particular.”
“…I apologize. My skills were insufficient, and I mistook the monster for an ally.”
The blonde girl lowered her head after being singled out.
“Galev’s injuries are entirely your responsibility. Anyone who places a comrade in danger cannot become a knight.”
Light’s voice was colder than ever.
The Instructor passed the intimidated trio and stopped before Lunae.
“Your Magic possessed impressive destructive power. Your chanting remained steady even while you were supporting Joshua. You also controlled the range of your attacks well enough to avoid injuring the vanguard while fighting alongside them.”
“…Thank you.”
“However, if you possess such outstanding ability, you must be capable of telling your teammates how to coordinate with you. Start by answering with some spirit, and correct that rotten attitude of yours! Do you understand?”
After showering her with praise, he abruptly changed his tone and roared at her.
“Understood.”
“Louder!”
“U-Understood!”
Lunae’s cheeks reddened as she answered in a faint, breathless voice.
“Every morning, you will wake up by screaming at the top of your lungs. That is an order from your Instructor.”
It was a somewhat severe but effective remedy for a timid girl.
Watching this, Heria nervously bit her lip.
“It appears that you have advanced by one Circle since the survival examination. Congratulations. Your precision attacks were also worthy of a Mage of the Control Branch. Continue devoting yourself to your training.”
“Th-Thank you!”
The girl smiled brightly after receiving nothing but praise, contrary to her expectations.
“And finally, Joshua! If you continue fighting so recklessly, you will die before you even reach your Coming-of-Age Ceremony!”
“…I apologize.”
“In the end, the Skeleton Archer wounded you, and you became a burden upon Lunae. You also forced Alvan to expend his mana. You may speak loudly about protecting others, but you repeatedly make the teammates who follow you sacrifice themselves.”
Joshua had nothing to say.
Every word of Instructor Light’s assessment was true.
“…A leader must always remain dispassionate. You cannot allow your heart to act before your mind. From now on, think before you draw your sword.”
“I will remember that.”
Laughter suddenly came from around him.
Joshua raised his head, which had somehow fallen toward the ground, and saw that Instructor Light was also smiling.
“As expected, Leader should be our Squad Leader.”
“I look forward to following you, Joshua!”
Only after reflecting upon the Instructor’s words did Joshua belatedly understand what was happening.
“With wits this slow, I wonder whether you will be capable of fulfilling the duties of a Squad Leader.”
“…I will prove myself worthy of the position you have entrusted to me.”
“Good. In case anyone questions the decision, I will explain why Joshua was selected. He possesses outstanding willpower and ability, the trust of most of his Squad, and an exceptional talent for drawing out the potential of his comrades. Does anyone object to Joshua becoming the Squad Leader?”
The three who had newly joined them raised no objections.
Thus, Joshua was appointed Squad Leader of the 1st Squad in the 352nd Cohort of the Galahad Knight Order.
“You all endured a difficult exercise on your very first day. I will show you to the Dormitory, so spend the rest of the day resting.”
A shabby building stood in a corner of the Knight Order’s grounds.
Its interior could not be called pleasant, even out of politeness, but it was reasonably clean.
Every Squad member and their Instructor would live there together until the Squires were officially appointed as Full Knights.
RUSTLE―
Joshua unpacked his few belongings in a room containing only a bed and a desk.
‘A Knight Order dress uniform, a daily uniform, a combat uniform, and a wooden sword.’
By Joshua’s standards, it was more than sufficient.
After placing the notebooks containing Serena’s teachings upon the desk, something slipped out and fell near his feet.
― To my disgusting but beloved brother ―
It was unmistakably a letter from his younger sister.
A pleased smile naturally appeared upon Joshua’s face.
However, just as he was about to break the seal, he noticed the words written on the back and placed the letter upon the desk.
― Open this only when things become truly difficult! ―
― If you open it for no reason, I will kill you. ―
“Is this a secret strategy devised by a genius Mage?”
An irresistible curiosity rose within him, but he decided to endure it for the sake of the future.
KNOCK, KNOCK―
Someone came to visit Joshua after he finished unpacking and stretched out upon the bed.
“It is me, Joshua! May I come in?”
“Come in.”
The gentle, high-pitched voice belonged to none other than Heria.
“Your room… truly has nothing in it.”
“A knight has no need for material possessions. Lofty honor is enough.”
“As expected of you… By the way, I heard Galev has awakened. Would you like to visit him?”
“Of course.”
“Haa… S-Save me.”
Whenever Galev saw Joshua, he remembered the nightmare of that day.
“I never gave you permission to leave this place.”
A demon.
The natural enemy engraved into his instincts.
It had been the first one he had ever faced.
He had been unable to do anything.
Even as his friend was nearly killed.
Even though he had promised that he would save that friend.
Even though he had vowed to walk beside him.
He had failed to overcome his fear and fled.
When Galev saw his friend again, Joshua was unconscious, his entire body wrapped in bandages.
Galev could not face him with his head held high.
In truth, he could barely bring himself to hold a sword.
The Aura he had manifested for a single instant during the survival examination had never appeared again.
Whenever he held a sword, he thought of Joshua.
Then he thought of the demon.
He began to despise himself.
That was why he could not face Joshua.
A part of him wanted to abandon the sword altogether.
However, without the sword, he could do nothing.
He had spent his entire life swinging it because he wanted to become like the legendary Joshua.
Yet he could never become Joshua.
Someone who abandoned his friend and fled could never become a knight.
And yet—
“You are a true knight.”
The boy Galev wished to resemble had acknowledged him.
Therefore—
He—
Would try to become a knight once more.
“Are you awake?”
“How do you feel?”
Joshua and Heria.
When Galev opened his eyes, his comrades-in-arms were beside him. Some of them were people he had protected with his own hands.
“…I’m sorry. You were injured because I acted carelessly.”
The blonde girl, Verdi, apologized.
Batir and Ivali lowered their heads beside her. None of them could easily meet Galev’s eyes.
So Galev told them—
“It’s all right… You will save me next time, won’t you?”
“O-Of course!”
“Then that is enough.”
After comforting the three, Galev looked toward Joshua.
The boy was smiling as though he were proud of him.
Galev did not particularly like the way Joshua looked at him more like a student than a comrade.
That was why he made a vow.
“Joshua… Next time, I will protect you without fail. Even if the Demon King himself appears.”
“I will always await your aid.”
The following morning, an ordinary day in the Knight Order began with Lunae’s scream.
The Squires’ bags were all packed with thick textbooks.
<What Is Chivalry?> <A History of Galahad>
First Period: Moral Education.
<Horsemanship and Horse Husbandry> <Care of Weapons and Armor> <Methods of Binding Hostages> <Tent Construction> <How to Attend to Knights>
Second Period: Practical Education.
<Fundamentals of Magic (Fundamentals of Swordsmanship)> <Fundamentals of Tactics>
And finally, Third Period: Combat Education.
After enduring the grueling lessons, the Squires ate their meals with empty eyes.
“I cannot bear all this thinking, fellows.”
Batir released a deep sigh as he spoke.
“More importantly, Leader, how can you be good at everything? During Practical Education, you were even more skilled than the Instructor.”
“After doing it for approximately ten years, all of you will become this capable as well.”
Joshua realized his mistake a moment too late.
“Have you been training to become a knight since you were five years old, Leader?”
“…You could say that.”
“As expected, Joshua, you are amazing!”
Fortunately, Heria agreed without the slightest suspicion.
A Mock Combat Exercise was scheduled for the afternoon.
Galev, who had missed all the morning classes, had just joined them.
“Squad Leader, report your head count.”
“All eight members of the 1st Squad are present. No one is excused.”
“Good. Then we will move out.”
They followed Instructor Light to private land owned by House Galahad.
Along the way, they naturally encountered the 2nd Squad.
“As expected, you became the 1st Squad Leader?”
“It appears that you became the 2nd Squad Leader, Herb Girl.”
“…Freya. I already told you my name.”
The lively girl greeted him warmly, while Hannibal continued to glare at him with open hostility from behind her.
They soon arrived at the snowy mountain where the survival examination had taken place.
At some point during the journey, the 2nd Squad had separated from them.
“Today, you will train alongside the 2nd Squad. This will be a practical combat exercise intended to improve the coordination between your Squad members. Your objective is to seize the base halfway up the mountain currently defended by the 2nd Squad. When five hours have passed, whichever Squad controls the base will be declared the victor.”
Light added that the Joint Knight Order Combat Training Exercise would include an exercise of this nature, so they were to concentrate carefully.
“I have a question, Instructor.”
“Speak, Squad Leader.”
“Will there be a reward if we win today’s exercise?”
As though he had been waiting for the question, Light raised the corners of his mouth.
“The victorious Squad will receive a Weekend Leave Pass. The losing Squad, on the other hand, will face hellish training. Therefore, give this exercise everything you have!”
“Yes, Instructor!”
Their thunderous response echoed across the snowy mountain.
During the preparation time granted to them as the attacking Squad’s disadvantage, the 1st Squad discussed its strategy.
“I did not distinguish myself during the previous exercise, but I am a Defensive Mage of the Enhancement Branch. Since we also have our Healer, why do we not simply break through from the front?”
Batir offered the first suggestion.
“No. The enemy has many Mages with outstanding destructive power. A frontal confrontation would be dangerous when the terrain already places us at a disadvantage.”
Verdi, the Detection Mage, replied.
“I agree. Freya can use Teleportation Magic. We must be even more thorough when approaching them.”
“When I observed her before, Teleportation Magic seemed to consume a great deal of mana. What if we exploit that by attacking from several directions?”
Galev recalled what he had witnessed during the survival examination.
“I think they would defeat us separately, one group at a time. Once the battle begins, they will understand the situation faster than we can exchange information with one another because they possess Teleportation Magic.”
Joshua had also noticed it during their classes, but Verdi possessed a gift for tactics and strategy.
For some time, the Squad exchanged various ideas, with the girl at the center of the discussion.
At last, a promising idea formed within Joshua’s mind as he quietly listened.
“What if we expand upon Galev’s suggestion and apply the Hammer-and-Anvil Tactic?”
After Joshua explained his plan, every member of the Squad exclaimed in admiration.
“It certainly sounds like an excellent strategy, Squad Leader.”
“Thank you, Verdi. Our preparation time is nearly over, so let us begin immediately.”
Following Joshua’s strategy, the 1st Squad divided into three groups.
Team 1 consisted of Galev, Verdi, and Alvan.
Team 2 consisted of Batir, Joshua, and Ivali.
Team 3 consisted of Lunae and Heria.
“Everyone, move to your assigned positions.”