Chapter: 10
Harne’s classes are not fun.
It’s not that she can’t teach.
It’s just that I lack the basic knowledge, so I can’t understand what Harne is saying.
Isn’t this how a math dropout must feel when attending a math class?
I finally understand why they slept during every class.
If I can’t understand a single word they’re saying, what else can I do but sleep?
I somehow endured Harne’s class, but the only thing I learned during that time was one thing.
As expected, taking notes leads to nowhere.
All that’s left for me is dungeon exploration.
*
Having spent the class blankly staring into space, I headed to the training grounds as if it were my daily routine.
Normally, I would start with a warm-up and run, but first, I had something to check.
I had to find out what that loud noise I heard last night was!
As I walked deeper into the training grounds, I naturally ran into other soldiers and knights.
Normally, they would politely greet me in silence and vanish, but today was different.
“Thank you! Young lady!”
“Thank you for your mercy!”
Suddenly, they started expressing their gratitude loudly.
What’s going on? Why on earth are they acting like this? What did I do to deserve this?
All I did yesterday was give a shabby knight a good whack!
Is that really something to be thankful for?
Just as I was feeling bewildered by their unexpected kindness, a knight approached me.
He had a bunch of small scars on his face and a nice clean head that seemed to have a grudge against hair.
With a sharp gaze and a physique bigger than an average adult male, he was a knight who looked like he meant business.
He blocked my path without saying a word.
‘Uh. What’s up?!’
“What? What’s up, Bald Knight!”
What the heck is this about a bald knight?! With my Mesugaki skill, doesn’t he know to read the mood? What’s he planning to do if he provokes me?!
Of course, as a member of the family, he won’t harm me, but there’s always a chance!
“Lady Lucy.”
‘Yes!’
“What!”
“Thank you so much for saving Karl!”
The fierce knight knelt down in a poised manner, burying his head into the ground.
“I thought I wouldn’t see Karl again! But thanks to you, young lady!”
“That’s right! It’s all thanks to you, young lady, for your mercy!”
Before I could process it, just as the knight finished speaking, a soldier ran over and buried his head into the ground alongside him.
No. What’s happening?!
As I fumbled around, unable to comprehend the situation, the number of people kneeling before me began to grow.
Karl? When they say Karl, they’re talking about that sloppy knight, right?
And “mercy” refers to when I told Benedict not to chew him out too harshly, right?
Is that really worth this much gratitude?
Honestly, I get it’s nice to sorta thank me, but come on, everyone! Calm down, you ruffians!
I can’t say anything!
Caught in confusion, just then, the man who protected me from Karl approached from a distance.
Was it the Knight Commander, Possell?
“You guys! The young lady is flustered! Step aside!”
When Possell shouted, the entire training ground shook with boom.
Whoa, how can someone be that loud? At this rate, he could probably kill someone with his voice!
I wasn’t the only one feeling the pressure of that voice.
The folks surrounding me moved back as per Possell’s request.
As expected of the Knight Commander! Thank you!
I can’t say thank you due to the Mesugaki translation, but please understand I feel that way!
“Miss Lucy, are you okay?”
‘Yes, I’m alright, but why is everyone acting like this?’
“Do you think I look okay? Why are these fools acting this way?!”
Possell didn’t answer, even though I sought clarification.
Instead, he knelt, just like the knight did earlier.
How tall is this guy? How is his gaze still higher than mine while kneeling?
“Miss! I, Possell, would also like to thank you! Thanks to your high mercy, the future of a knight has been preserved!”
Ha. Damn. Right.
This man was the leader of many knights.
So naturally, he was just like everyone else.
‘Knight Commander.’
“Possell, you rascal.”
“What?”
‘Disperse everyone immediately. Before I retract my words!’
“Resolve this commotion right now. If you don’t want to see swords summoning some swish from your nonsense!”
*
As some time passed and the situation calmed down a bit, I could finally hear the full story from Possell.
He explained that for a knight, striking someone they serve is the worst act imaginable.
If that happens, they’ll be held accountable and kicked out of the family.
Moreover, the dishonor would follow them like a shadow, making them incapable of acting as a knight again.
So why not just become a mercenary?
I thought, but that’s just the naive opinion of a regular person like me.
Most knights end up taking their own lives because they can’t bear the disgrace.
When I realized that, I couldn’t help but snicker at how things might have gone if I hadn’t intervened with Benedict.
No. It could have been much worse.
When he came to see me, Benedict looked absolutely ferocious!
“Karl is generally a fine fellow. He made a mistake for some reason yesterday, but I will train him well from now on. So please, don’t change your mind.”
‘I don’t have anything against that guy.’
“Why would I care about a sloppy knight?! I’m not interested in trash!”
I understood that what he did was a significant deal.
But it was all my fault!
Considering that knights and soldiers, including their commander, gathered to defend him, it seems Karl is genuinely a good knight.
Then the cause of his lost composure becomes evident.
It’s my Mesugaki skill causing mayhem!
So, he really wasn’t at fault, meaning there’s no need to push for punishment.
But still, how strong is the provocation effect of that Mesugaki skill? It’s enough to drive a noble knight into a fury!
I had originally thought Karl had trouble managing his emotions.
Typically, when levels differ significantly, skill effects are minimal.
But if that’s not the case, maybe the Mesugaki skill is far beyond what I initially thought.
“Really?!”
While I was lost in thought, Possell suddenly shoved his face in front of mine.
Whoa!
That surprised me!
When a giant man suddenly thrusts his face into yours, it’s genuinely intimidating.
Why do so many scary-looking people exist in the Allen family?
Did the family head, Benedict, look like a troll and still keep the genuine lineage?
Sure, Karl is a little peculiar, but at least he looks okay!
‘Yes, I don’t have anything on my mind; can you move your face a bit?’
“Can you get your disgusting face outta here since you’re so mindless?”
“I’m sorry!”
Possell just chuckled heartily, unfazed by being called disgusting.
Is he really that happy that his subordinate was completely exonerated?
He looks rough, but he’s genuinely a decent old man.
‘Oh, Knight Commander. About yesterday…’
“Idiot Possell! Do you have any idea about the explosion that happened yesterday?”
“That? Ah.”
Possell, who was in a cheerful mood earlier, belatedly snapped back to reality and clamped his mouth shut, but it was already too late.
You knew, didn’t you?
“Lady! I’m sorry! Please pretend you didn’t hear this!”
“Karl.”
“…”
“Punishment.”
“…”
“Not saying anything, eh?”
“…Well, could you keep it a secret I said this?”
‘Yes. I’ll keep it under wraps.’
“Great! Now spill it.”
“That was the sound of the Count swinging his fist last night.”
What?
‘Are you saying that a punch from a person made such a sound?’
“Are you messing with me? How can a human punch make that kind of noise?”
“It does make sense. At least for the Count.”
He didn’t seem to be joking.
Even in a fantasy world like Soul Academy, a single punch causing an explosion sounds ludicrous.
I was at a loss for words, but upon reflection, it’s entirely plausible.
The protagonist of Soul Academy ends up doing all sorts of outrageous things by the end.
A punch sounding like an explosion?
Okay, that’s definitely bizarre.
Just how strong is Benedict?!
If he’s that strong, he’s practically a legend even within the world of Soul Academy?!
His grand title “Iron-Blooded Knight” was well-deserved!
How did I not know about this character before?
I’ve memorized all the major NPCs in Soul Academy.
Is it because Benedict came to life alongside Lucy?
But wait—why was Lucy, the daughter of such a monster, so weak before I possessed her?
Generally, physical abilities are inherited, right?
Just as children of athletes grow up to be athletes, and fighters’ kids become fighters.
If only she had even a tenth of Benedict’s abilities!
Then, I wouldn’t have to worry about starting as a munchkin!
Could’ve skipped all these life-or-death dilemmas!
Just thinking about it feels so unfair.
While I was internally grumbling, a thought suddenly struck me.
What happens to someone who gets hit by a man shaking the earth with his punches?
‘Knight Commander, how’s Karl doing?’
“Possell, is that sloppy knight alive?”
“Yes, he’s alive, though he’s a bit battered.”
After mentioning that, Possell guided me to the knight’s prison while implying I’d understand once I saw it.
Though it was called a prison, the vibe was far less threatening than I had imagined.
In fact, it felt quite calm and quiet.
Perhaps it was because it was meant to punish those who caused trouble in the knight order.
“This is the result of the punch he threw.”
There was a hole in one of the prison rooms.
And it wasn’t just a small hole.
The whole wall had been blasted away, making it look like it was designed that way from the start.
But that wasn’t all; the remnants of the punch extended beyond that.
Through the gaping opening in the wall lay a long streak of destruction.
It looked as though a monster had unleashed laser beams as seen in some movies.
Well, I guess I should be grateful that Benedict is a doting father.
Had he been merciless to his offspring, I’d have been done for long ago.
But how can someone hit by such a punch come out unscathed?
‘Where’s Karl?’
“Where’s that sloppy knight?”
“He’s right next door. Should I show you?”
‘Yes.’
“Uh.”
Karl looked better off than I had expected.
He had a substantial bruise on his face, but that was about it.
Considering he got hit by that punch, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say he had no other injuries.
This guy is really something.
Getting hit by a punch that left such grave aftereffects yet still seems fine.
What if he truly unleashed his power through that punch? What would have happened to me then?
Had I misstepped, I could’ve genuinely bought it!
“Miss! I’m sorry! I’ve committed a grave sin! As a knight, trying to harm my master! It’s a crime deserving of death!”
Until now, I hadn’t given it much thought, but learning how dangerous it really was made me feel a bit resentful.
Telling Benedict might lead him to do something wacky.
Hmm. What should I do?
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