“New orders have come from Balak.”
Shylock said.
As soon as he returned to the training camp, he summoned me.
Avoiding the eyes of others, I came to meet Hermis and him.
He handed me a piece of paper and said.
“To summarize, it means you have to take care of it personally. Break an arm or something to instill fear.”
The content was exactly as written.
[Temporary disablement of one of the target’s limbs. Handle with more care than before.]
The meaning conveyed by the short writing was just as he said.
The handwriting was rough and clumsy, as if it had been ghostwritten.
A rather meticulous character.
I handed the paper back.
Shylock struck a match and burned it as he continued speaking.
“The last order was a recommendation, but this time it seems we have to carry it out for sure. Hermis can’t always be by your side, so it probably means to seize the opportunity.”
He was right about that.
Surprisingly, Hermis spends a lot of time away from me.
It can’t be helped.
This training camp is a thoroughly male-dominated group.
Hermis can enter the training camp, but she can’t be there every moment.
During training times, for instance.
Or during showering and meal times, among other things.
In the meantime, Hermis waits in the guest room prepared at the entrance of the training camp.
“It seems that Sir Hermis is conscious of protecting me.”
“That’s probably it. I wouldn’t be, but… the other two should be careful.”
Aside from Shylock, there are two knights under Balak’s command.
Gaston and Dalant.
Gaston teaches group combat training, and Dalant is responsible for the living regulations.
I’ve encountered them a few times since being warned by Shylock.
They haven’t shown any reaction toward me.
“I can’t follow you into the shower… so I’ll have to be especially careful.”
At Hermis’s words, I narrowed my eyes.
“What do you mean by that?”
“What kind of imagination do you have? When washing, you usually close your eyes, making it hard to detect external dangers, right? That’s why I mentioned being careful.”
“…”
When I glared, Hermis chuckled.
Even now, she’s filled with the intent to tease.
But it is surprisingly sharp insight.
When showering, you’re inevitably less aware of changes around you.
Sometimes your eyes are closed, and the sound of water interferes with hearing.
“Thank you for letting me know.”
“Nothing. Just doing what needs to be done.”
“How about it, why not just let Shylock hit me right now?”
“…What?”
“Well, I thought it would be strange if I seemed too fine. If you strike first, the other two might behave for a while, right? Just control your strength a bit.”
“Do we really have to go that far? Above all, the goal is for you to be injured enough to be excluded from training, so even controlling your strength seems odd.”
He’s right.
Shylock looked down at me as if he’d seen every kind of lunatic, shaking his head.
It’s true; I don’t hold back when it comes to my own body.
“Sometimes I can’t tell whether you’re clever or foolish.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
Suddenly, an unwarranted sense of anxiety crept in.
“By any chance, have our relationship been discovered by the other two?”
“I can’t be sure, but probably. We’re getting the same orders, but we’re not too close.”
“Hmm… I see.”
*
The next knight I met after Shylock was Sir Thomas.
He was the knight in charge of the zone containing the 13th Room.
It’s strange that the zone supervisor has so little opportunity to see his face.
After all, most of the communications go through Dillon.
It wasn’t a solo meeting either.
He gathered the candidates from zone three and explained.
This time, it was news from Eliya.
The recipients were all the candidates.
It was also a response given to me.
“There will be a major change in the training camp meal plan starting today.”
Apparently, the quantity has increased.
And the variety will also be much richer.
It’s hard to gauge just from words how much it has changed.
I thought that was the end of it, but Sir Thomas continued to speak.
“And from this month, a new rule has been added. Every month, the instructor will assess the candidates’ capabilities and give scores. The total score of the highest-scoring room will receive special meals for a month.”
Special meals?
“We will provide food that you couldn’t even imagine for the special meal, so feel free to look forward to it.”
Most of the candidates are growth-stage boys.
They are satisfied with the camp’s meals for various reasons, yet they inevitably want more food.
At that age, it’s only natural.
A heated atmosphere spread among the candidates listening to the announcement.
I felt the same way.
Special meals that he said I could look forward to.
I guessed it would be the food served at Eliya’s mansion.
The luxurious and lavish meals we have for breakfast and dinner.
‘Can we eat that at the training camp?’
There’s no way my mouth isn’t watering at the thought.
‘But even if there are limits on the quantity, will they really keep providing that… It will cost a lot.’
Hmm.
It’s ridiculous for a commoner like me to worry about Eliya.
‘Special meals… I’m happy about it, but I’m not sure if I’ll receive it.’
The method for determining the special meal recipients is not individual but room-based.
In other words, no matter how good one person is, if the room’s average is low, they won’t receive benefits.
I’m not among the top ranks in the camp.
While I beat one of the upper ranks, Galliot, it’s not a result achieved solely by my own skills.
It was thanks to several coincidences and luck.
Additionally, the 13th Room isn’t in the upper ranks throughout the camp.
It’s more of a middle rank situation?
In other words, it’s almost impossible for me to enjoy those special meals in the training camp.
‘What a frustrating thought…’
The one who changed the camp’s meal plan was precisely me.
After all, I talked to Eliya about it.
While the change of the ordinary meal being better was good enough, it felt very uncomfortable that I can’t eat the added special meals.
So, people can enjoy what I’ve strived to change?
I mean, they can eat it, sure. That’s exactly why I asked for the change.
But, I can’t eat it, and others can?
That’s a bit off.
‘Am I being targeted on purpose…?’
Is it that they expect me to stir things up again?
‘Wait a minute. Am I being overly self-conscious about this?’
Just thinking that Eliya expects something from me is already a mistake, isn’t it?
I shook my head to clear those ridiculous thoughts.
Let’s just act as usual. Just as usual.
Special meals. It’s regrettable, but I already eat my fill at Eliya’s mansion for breakfast and dinner.
There’s no need to be overly greedy.
But I couldn’t help feeling a bit uneasy about it.
*
After the morning training, during lunchtime.
I got to see firsthand how much the training camp’s meals had changed.
“I had no idea it would be like this just from hearing it…”
All the candidates receiving their meals had surprised faces.
Groups were whispering together.
“Wow… Can we eat this much?”
“There’s meat in the soup…”
“The bread is soft? And way larger too.”
“Isn’t this the special meal?”
Just as they said.
Compared to what we usually eat, the ordinary meal served today might as well be a special meal.
Not only has the quantity increased, but the quality has overall improved as well.
The thin soup has gotten richer and thicker than before, with more ingredients.
The bread is definitely harder compared to what we get from the mansion, but it’s softer than before.
It’s clear evidence that Eliya has invested a lot of money and effort.
‘I didn’t expect such a dramatic change… but I truly appreciate it.’
My fellow candidates in the 13th Room also had bright expressions.
Argon suddenly said.
“Isn’t this thanks to Judah?”
How did he know?
“I feel like the lady made the change thinking about Judah.”
…Ah. Was that the approach?
I’m already famous in the training camp for being favored by Eliya.
Other room candidates seem to be pretty displeased by that.
Our room, meaning the 13th Room candidates, felt differently.
Until now, Eliya hadn’t paid any attention to this escort knight training camp.
Yet, since I entered, she began to show interest.
So, they figured I might have caused Eliya’s attention, therefore this is ultimately beneficial for everyone.
That’s quite a plausible reason.
While it’s embarrassing to say it myself, there is a lot of truth to that.
‘Of course, I can’t ignore the influence of the cookies and chocolates I’ve brought so far.’
Either way, the room members are all favorable toward me.
“That makes sense.”
Richard chuckled in agreement.
Then, the conversation of fools daydreaming of romance ensued.
I ignored all of that and just ate my meal.
‘Well… I truly appreciate that they’re being mindful of me…’
As I bit into the moist potato coated in soup, it crumbled inside my mouth…
‘Ah, hot!’
As I cooled my tongue, Richard clicked his tongue.
“Who’s stealing your food?”
He chuckled and handed me a glass of cold water.
As I took a sip, I casually spotted Dillon sitting in a corner.
He was quietly eating his meal.
Just like usual.
While Richard, the highest-ranking senior, kept the group together, Dillon was ultimately the central figure who unites and leads them all.
A quiet but responsible person.
He may be a leader, but he’s quite reserved.
It’s rare to see him closely interacting with someone or smiling.
‘Hmm…’
However, he had never looked as deflated as today.
It didn’t just seem awkward; it was a different kind of atmosphere.
‘Is it just my imagination?’
Sometimes there can be tough days without a specific reason.
There may be personal issues involved too.
I focused on my meal, putting my mind at ease.
*
Before the afternoon training began, during a short break.
Richard called me aside.
“I’ve received all the money back.”
That was an unexpected topic.
But I understood it right away.
It was about the orphanage.
“They came the very next evening. They brought back all the money they had taken. Also, said they’ll do the repairs on the building for free.”
In just one day after Eliya gave the command, so much had progressed.
‘In this world, administrative processing can typically take days or even months…’
I got a strange sense of Eliya’s formidable authority.
The direct power of the Bevel Family is nothing to scoff at.
“Benni sister was also happy.”
Beninita.
The woman in charge of that orphanage.
She burst into tears when she heard the news that her debts had been forgiven.
She looked like an adult, but she was actually quite young.
It must have been quite challenging for her to manage alone.
Richard patted my shoulder and smiled.
“Thanks for that, man. That’s why I called you.”
I smiled back at him.
“No need for gratitude over this.”
“Just don’t overdo the modesty.”
“To be honest, it was all her doing. It feels a bit silly for me to take credit for it.”
“That’s true.”
Richard laughed, then he turned serious for a moment.
“Hey, but… Dillon seems a bit off today, doesn’t he?”
“Yeah? You feel the same way as well?”
We shared a brief glance.
A moment of mutual realization reflected in our eyes.
Richard, despite his rough personality, has quite the sensitivity.
Especially regarding Dillon, whom he’s known for a long time.
I thought it was just my imagination, but it wasn’t.
“Did something happen over the weekend…?”
“Why not just ask him directly?”
“I asked him in the morning, but he said nothing was going on. But I can definitely tell something’s off. The problem is that he doesn’t share much about himself.”
“Hmm…”
We shared our concerns.
However, neither of us had a solid plan.
We couldn’t force Dillon to talk until he was ready.
Without any fruitful outcome, we returned to our previous activities.
And the reason would be revealed after the afternoon training ended.
*
After the afternoon training.
Dillon said he had something to do and headed somewhere other than the dining hall.
“Judah.”
“Yes?”
“Let’s follow him.”
“Are you seriously suggesting we tail a fellow dorm member right now?”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s go.”
Richard and I kept our distance from Dillon as we trailed behind him.
We couldn’t afford to be caught and appear suspicious.
This required maintaining considerable distance, yet we occasionally lost sight of Dillon.
“Where did he go?”
But I had a special ability.
[Hunter’s Sense]
Only Dillon’s footsteps shone brightly before me.
“I think he went this way.”
It dawned on me just how vast the training camp is.
Even after going around the corners, there are still places I’ve never been.
As we pursued Dillon, both Richard and I grew more serious.
He was heading toward a location that didn’t seem right for this hour.
A path that was this secluded and tucked away.
A dark path that likely hadn’t seen a patrol in some time.
“Why on earth is he going to such a place…?”
Richard murmured as we turned the corner.
Behind the building.
Dark and dingy, much like an alley.
We could see a small group of people.
The atmosphere was clearly unsettling.
Richard and I quickly pressed ourselves against the wall.
Peeking out to observe the alleyway.
I felt my face harden.
“…”
In that place, Dillon was being beaten by someone.
To be precise, he was being collectively assaulted by nearly ten individuals.
“…”
From a distance, I couldn’t hear the sounds, but despite the beating, Dillon remained stoic.
He didn’t contort his face or scream in pain.
It was dim, but I could identify the faces of the assailants.
One of them was Envinil.
He was one of the kids from Judeca, just like me.
And a few steps away from the assault, there was a young man with crossed arms, looking down at Dillon arrogantly.
The very guy who glared at me when I visited the 5th Room.
‘So they’re the kids from the 5th Room?’
I heard a crack behind me, the sound of a broken twig.
No need to look further.
I didn’t know why Dillon was in that position.
And I had no idea why those guys were beating Dillon.
There’s a small chance he might be a villain or an enemy to those ten.
But my emotions move faster than that faint rational deduction.
My fists clenched tightly.
The course of action was crystal clear.
I needed to intervene.
Stop the one-sided assault.
I could worry about the explanation afterward.
I stepped forward without a word.
“Are you thinking of charging in there?”
Richard asked in a low voice.
“Yes.”
“I’m with you.”
He took his place at my side.
“Let’s go now.”
Richard and I stepped boldly into the alleyway.
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