Episode 20: Prison (2)
The first time Julius saw Alexia while serving his time, she was probably in her mid-teens. A girl still brimming with innocence.
Dressed in a plain and unembellished military uniform that made her look like a newly appointed prison guard, she was so breathtakingly beautiful that it demanded a second glance.
He later learned that she and her father, the Margrave, were taking turns inspecting the prison to ensure no misconduct or abuse was happening inside.
At that time, Julius was so unwilling to genuinely serve his sentence that he often clashed with the guards and frequently found himself isolated in solitary confinement. Consequently, he was completely unaware that the lord was visiting regularly.
In a prison full of rough men, there stood a young woman—an exceptionally beautiful one at that. Just the sight of Alexia passing by sent a ripple of excitement through the prisoners.
Julius couldn’t remember clearly, but he felt he must have said something rather provocative. He hurled insults at her, peppered with the foul slang he had picked up living as a mercenary, but Alexia didn’t flinch at all.
Fueled by the sight of Alexia’s composed demeanor and the way the guards doted on her, Julius grew increasingly annoyed and lashed out even more.
—So, are you all busy entertaining the men? What a scandalous woman. How about you entertain me too?—
“I’ll take you on,” she replied without hesitation.
For some reason, he found her agreement completely unexpected, and before he knew it, he was ordered out of his cell.
As the guards attempted to stop her, Alexia calmed them down. She arranged to have two matching swords brought in and handed one over to Julius.
“……!”
After holding the sword for the first time in ages, he felt the weight of it cause his body to tremble with excitement.
Julius was known for his strength. He’d even been called a sword master once. Though his skills had dulled during his time in prison, the physical prowess he developed during his mercenary days hadn’t waned.
After all, she was just a woman. He thought he could easily overwhelm and pin her down.
But that was a momentary fantasy.
In the next instant, Julius found himself lying on his back, staring up at the blue sky peering over the wall.
Right beside his face lay his own sword, rolling away from him. Without a moment to evade, a strike hit him squarely in the torso, making his entire body resonate with its impact.
Stunned from being instantly defeated by the beautiful girl, Julius lay staring at the sky while a guard informed him that she was the daughter of the Margrave governing this land.
—You’ve got to be kidding me, say that sooner!—
Even more than the moment he learned he was being sent to Rietberg, Julius felt like his life was over.
What kind of harsh labor would he be subjected to?
If he was lucky, it would just be punishment, but there was a real risk it could end in execution.
Memories of his miserable life, devoid of good recollections, flashed through his mind like a rapid slideshow.
“You have good arms.”
A compliment he never expected.
As he wondered if he had misheard, Alexia continued to praise him, remarking on how well-trained he seemed and that he had the build of a knight.
Julius couldn’t help but spit out a retort.
“…Is it fun for a well-off lady like you to tease a filthy prisoner?”
“That’s right. I’ve enjoyed a privileged life thanks to my noble heritage. The strength I’ve acquired to fight and defeat you comes from the high-quality education I received,” she replied.
Alexia’s eyes, as blue as the azure sky over the prison, looked down at him.
“There’s room for empathy towards your origins and circumstances. But it would be a shame to wallow in hatred for the world. You are not the kind of person who should end up like that.”
—Take my hand, Alexia said, extending her hand toward the fallen Julius.
“You came to Rietberg by fate. It’s time to live anew as if you’ve died once already. Put an end to the days of being loathed, feared, and rejected. Protect people, be appreciated, and become someone who is truly needed.”
—You can definitely become that person, Alexia asserted.
“You’re a man with a sound body, great strength, and the courage to stand up to me…”
“…I’m in trouble, you see,” Julius said, looking frustrated as he pressed his brow and turned away.
“That was the first time anyone’s told me that…”
For Julius, who had lived in poverty, scraped by, and even engaged in petty crimes for survival, being told he was a truly strong man hit him with the force of a blow to the head.
This revelation seemed to resonate with Klaus and Marius as well, who, despite being born in different places, had led similarly troubled lives.
Nobody ever expected much of him.
No one lamented his situation.
And he had never had anyone genuinely believe he could become a protector of others.
Since that day, Julius had transformed entirely and become a model prisoner.
It wasn’t that he was moved by the lady’s naive pickup line. Not at all.
However, as she had said, if even someone like him could truly become a better person, he wanted to take that chance.
He wanted to believe in himself once more.
After serving his sentence, Julius was released from prison and, along with Klaus and Marius, who had become close friends during their time together, was appointed as an apprentice knight in Rietberg.
Having recounted all this, Julius tilted his head in confusion.
“Luke-sama? Are you still breathing?”
Luke had his eyes closed, frozen in a pose with his arms crossed over his chest, not moving an inch.
Julius waved his hands in front of Luke’s face.
“Luke-sama? Luke-sama?”
“Oh, sorry, the story was just too good, and I was transported to heaven.”
“It was such a good story that you went to heaven?!”
Luke remained with his eyes shut, tears rolling down his cheeks as he prayed.
“Thank you, thank you… what a fantastic episode…”
“This guy turns a bit strange when talking about young ladies!”
Luke earnestly wished he could have witnessed that moment. He wanted to see it from the front row, but there was no point in voicing that desire. Still, he could replay it vividly in his mind.
Thanks to all this, it seemed that many former prisoners like Julius were among the Rietberg Knights.
“Commander Nikolaus is different, though.”
“That man is the real deal, a genuine knight.”
“Most of the members of the knights are law-abiding, but, well, there are a few ex-prisoners like us.”
The Rietberg Knights were composed of homegrown knights like Nikolaus and ex-prisoners like Julius, merging seamlessly without friction or disarray, managing to run their knightly order in unity—a remarkable feat.
By the way, after joining the ranks, Julius, Klaus, and Marius had showcased their natural abilities, quickly rising through the ranks, and a few years later, were assigned as unit commanders.
Of course, this wasn’t just based on capability but considered individual suitability as well, yet Luke was still baffled that someone with a criminal record could be granted these chances for promotion. Both the appointing side and those appointed were amazing.
Of course, Julius, Klaus, and Marius had long since washed their hands of their past misdeeds and were now carrying out their duties as upright knights.
All three had a high success rate in apprehending criminals, and as they claimed, “We can read a villain’s thoughts like an open book.” Quite reassuring, indeed.
This lengthy tale aside, the gist was that Alexia was currently conducting an inspection inside the prison.
“…So that means?!”
Luke’s light blue eyes sparkled with innocence as if he had just made a delightful realization.
“If I get confined there, I could get some training from Lady Alexia…?!”
“Please don’t wish to go in, Luke-sama!”
“Though it is just a pigpen!”
“This is no place to admire with pure eyes like that!!!”
While Julius, Klaus, and Marius rambled on, Luke barely absorbed their chatter.
He had been gazing at the floating island resting on the lake and the prison extending in the shape of an X when an epiphany struck him.
(…Wait, something smells nice!)
A refreshing, crisp scent wafted from the direction of the lake, carried by the wind.
As he looked down at the small island, he noticed a section of the iron-barred gate slightly ajar, with several figures emerging from inside.
Though they appeared as small as grains of sand, Luke’s sharp sense of smell identified them—one was Alexia.
“It’s Lady Alexia!”
“Eh, it’s too far away; I can’t see anything.”
“That’s surely just a mistake,” Klaus dismissed, but Luke shook his head defiantly.
“I know! There’s no doubt about it!”
“This guy is unreal…”
Marius took a step back with a bewildered expression, but Luke remained unfazed by the skeptical looks cast his way.
Breathing in the air fragrant with Alexia’s presence, he leaned precariously toward the edge of the cliff.
“She looks wonderful today too…”
It wasn’t merely a thought; he couldn’t help but voice it out loud.
The world felt magical, simply because she was there.
While Julius, Klaus, and Marius watched him with warm, bemused expressions, Luke burned with unrequited affection yet again.
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