[Name: Judas Defecit]
[Age: 18 years]
[Origin: Slave]
[Strength: 52.0]
[Power: 45.5]
[Agility: 46.9]
[Magic: 45.0]
[Traits]
– Stealthy Steps, Object Armament, Swordsmanship (Lv.15), Hunter’s Instinct, Survival Expert, Revelation Discovery, Horsemanship.
Just a few weeks away from the final exam, I decided to check my status window. Can you believe it’s been five years since I arrived here? I still haven’t run away. Whether I couldn’t or just didn’t is hard to tell, but anyway, I’m still here with Eliya.
There are several reasons for this; for starters, my relationship with Eliya is… well, not bad at all. It’s hard to imagine a tragic event unfolding with the two of us like this.
The second reason? The tragedy hasn’t come knocking yet. But lately, I have this sneaking suspicion that it’s getting closer. The blurry image of me and Eliya from that tragedy I saw once before looks a lot like us today as adults.
“Maybe it’s time to figure out what to do….”
It’s been five years, and I’ve changed a lot, yet there are some surprising things that have remained the same. First off, my traits haven’t changed much. When I first entered the training facility, I got tangled up in various events and earned different traits, but after settling in and being recognized, nothing substantial has happened.
It hasn’t been smooth sailing, though. I’ve had my share of ups and downs, but overall, it’s been manageable. In the end, I’ve only added one new trait: Horsemanship. However, my existing traits have seen significant growth. My swordsmanship level has now crossed double digits.
There was no way my stats wouldn’t grow. I train regularly and voluntarily, so the improvements came quickly. But all of these changes were only visible to me. There was something else that stood out.
– Shwaaaaa….
The cold water pouring down was refreshing. It cooled my body, which was heated from morning training. I wiped the fog off the mirror with my hand. Where I once could only see my upper body, now my entire figure filled the mirror.
I recalled the first time I checked the mirror after arriving here; there stood a tiny boy. Literally just bones.
Thanks to hard training and missions, I had gained countless little scars and scratches over the years, but more noticeable was the firm muscles I had built.
“I measured myself the other day, and I was 186 cm tall and weighed 89 kg.”
It felt like I had become almost the same physique as in my past life. Eating well, resting well, and exercising well had paid off. It was hard to repeat what I had done before, but I managed somehow.
“Hey, Judas.”
The shower room is one of those places where candidates often run into each other. The one calling me was Leo. Five years ago, he was the candidate blocking my path when I went looking for that guy Envinil.
Because of what Salaman did, the candidates from the 5th Room were kicked out as a group. Only two remained—Leo and Cooper—because they hadn’t gotten involved in Salaman and Gaston’s activities.
We weren’t on the best of terms back then, but now we’ve become quite friendly.
“Is it true the final exam is coming up soon?”
“Is it a week away?”
“Will you pass it on your first try again?”
So far, I’ve passed all exams on my first try without any failures.
“I’ll try to.”
“Even saying that is impressive.”
In the beginning, I fought a lot. My personality tends to pick fights if someone messes with me. After a few skirmishes, the fighting calmed down. After that, I started to bond with candidates from other rooms, including Cooper, who had blocked me with Leo back then.
I’ve got a decent number of candidates I get along with.
“It makes sense. You shot right up to second in the training facility, so it figures.”
And indeed, I became the second strongest candidate in this training facility.
“I’m counting on you—not just me, but others too.”
To reach my position, not a single candidate has become Eliya’s knight. There hasn’t even been one who passed the final exam.
Rumors also spread that Eliya had no intention of selecting a knight. Supposedly, she throws out impossible tasks deliberately, so candidates just give up.
“Well… I don’t really know if that’s true.”
Anyway, it’s simple why people are counting on me. If I become her knight, it’ll prove that rumor to be nothing more than a pack of lies.
“My shoulders feel heavy.”
Should I be happy about having good relations?
“After all, I….”
*
After washing up, someone came looking for me.
“Mr. Judas! Over here!”
Outside the training facility, a woman waved from a distance.
She was dressed in the black uniform of the authoritative Bevel family’s knights, with brown hair and freckles that looked rather plain in contrast.
“You seem taller than yesterday?”
She was on her tiptoes, looking up at me.
Hermis. Once upon a time, I used to look up to her, but now, I’m looking down at her.
“If you grow that fast in one day, you’re not a person, but bamboo.”
“Honestly, if I think back to the first day we met, you could very well be.”
Hermis is still following me as my guard. Balak’s scrutiny isn’t over yet.
Unlike before, Balak isn’t posing threats, but he’s keeping watch. Every time I go out, Hermis warns me that someone is watching.
I’ve got followers, and Shylock mentioned that even within the training ground, there are people keeping an eye on me. Apparently, Shylock received orders to do so too. Thankfully, Balak hasn’t caught onto Shylock playing both sides yet.
“But this is strange. After the Salaman and Gaston incident, Eliya supposedly started managing the internal personnel of the training facility…”
However, there are still suspicious individuals left in the training facility. Maybe there are things Eliya can’t touch.
I don’t know everything Eliya does.
“Five years, and this is how much I’ve grown.”
“Typically, it’s not like that… I envy you for being able to grow a bit taller.”
“You’re already tall enough!”
Hermis is among the taller girls in her age group, I’d guess around 173 cm?
“But when you live as a knight, there are times you yearn to be taller. Anyway, that’s not the important thing; about that land ownership you mentioned…”
Hermis pulled out a folder from her pocket.
As she handed it to me, she spoke.
“It’s been settled. A portion of Jericho territory will now belong to you, Mr. Judas. As shown in the subdivided area beneath.”
I had connected early on with the information guild and helped them out. The goal was simple: to secure a place to stay after escaping this place.
And now, the results are right here in front of me. The territory reclaimed by humanity. Jericho.
The information guild purchased it, and I bought back part of that land.
Thanks to the connection between Yurideke and Orphe, I reaped substantial benefits.
“About one-fourth of Jericho’s total size.”
A size that leaves plenty of room for building my house.
“…Running away.”
Tragedy. Eliya.
Is it the right choice to run away while leaving her behind…?
“Mr. Judas?”
“Yeah?”
“Is something wrong? Your expression doesn’t seem good.”
“…Oh, no. I’m just…”
I unconsciously tightened my brow.
I laughed it off casually.
“I’m just worried about what to build on the land now.”
It wasn’t a lie.
I bought land, not a house.
And it was land that had only recently been reclaimed.
There wasn’t a proper house yet.
“Oh, I see. By the way, Yuri said she has a proposal.”
“A proposal?”
“Yes, she plans to build a wall around Jericho and form a city.”
Hermis moved closer and placed her finger on a map I was holding, drawing a virtual line.
“What she’s thinking right now is to wrap around like this. Originally, she envisioned a much larger circle. Like this.”
Hermis drew a larger circle.
“However, to do this, we need your consent, Mr. Judas.”
“Since it encroaches on my land, I suppose that’s true.”
“If you allow it, we will provide compensation. And if there’s anything you’d like, she said she’d consider it in a way that would benefit you.”
That proposal sounds enticing.
The future Jericho I know also had massive walls around it, serving as a fortress and a city.
“I’m in favor.”
“I’ll inform Yuri shortly. Is there anything else you wish for?”
“I hope for at least one house…”
“Do you have any conditions in mind? Such as style or size?”
“I don’t have any yet.”
“Understood.”
Hermis noted what she’d relay to Yuri.
Watching her did make me sigh inwardly.
The plan to escape is steadily taking shape.
In fact, it’s almost all set.
I can leave this place anytime I wish.
I have the strength to do so.
I’ve even secured a place to stay.
I’ve gotten close enough to the information guild to hide my identity and past.
“But….”
The final exam is drawing closer in just a few weeks.
What should I do?
*
Today’s official training at the facility is relatively easy.
It’s sort of a theoretical class.
How to behave when serving a master as a knight.
Things to keep in mind when faced with such situations.
They check how we would act when taking an arbitrary person in a carriage.
A knight is akin to a noble’s accessory.
Which implies that they are pressured to uphold their dignity and manners.
I dislike this time the most.
“If only I could be doing chin-ups instead.”
I can’t skip it just because I don’t like it.
The path to the training area is bustling with excitement.
Each section distributes training schedules based on candidates’ skills and the exams they’ve passed.
This training is only open to upper-tier candidates.
So, everyone around me is implying that they are upper-tier as well.
“No way! Isn’t it enough just to win? I just needed to take off that bear’s head, why should I care about how I did it?!”
Richard.
“Relying solely on outcomes isn’t wise. Instead, we need to refine the process in detail to raise our chances of success if we encounter the same scenario again…”
Dillon.
“Can you quit fighting already? That mission ended ages ago!”
And then there’s Lindell.
All three of them rank 3rd, 5th, and 10th in training facilities, respectively.
For weeks, we’ve been debating fiercely about our last mission where the four of us went bear hunting.
And not just any bear, but a monstrous bear that had grown huge due to mana influence.
It was bigger than a four-seater carriage.
We all grew up from being kids to adults over the last five years.
Richard’s about my height while the other two are slightly shorter.
There hasn’t been any significant difference in our heights.
Five years of exclusive special meals provided by Eliya has something to do with this.
There are several reasons for this—mainly because our room had no turnover.
We steadily stayed here, enhancing our skills and coordinating well with each other, making it easier to win special meals.
As a result, we frequently consumed special meals, and the more we ate, the better we grew.
“Hey, Lindell. Don’t mistake my desire to fight for wanting to do so. But thinking of the way he nitpicks just pisses me off! What am I supposed to do?”
“In other words, your frustration is merely a result of imagined disputes?”
“Anyway, it’s your fault!”
“To be honest, if you hadn’t protected me back then, I’d have been badly hurt.”
“Hmm…”
Richard swallowed those words with a frown.
This argument always ends up this way.
Back then, Richard recklessly charged in, losing his balance.
The bear’s enormous paw slammed down heavily on him—seriously, it was bigger than a person’s upper body.
And I managed to block that blow just in time.
“That’s true enough…”
“Be thankful for a lifetime.”
I said it in an exaggeratedly serious tone.
At that, Richard laughed and bowed his head in a similarly exaggerated manner.
“Thank you very much, really.”
Thus, the pointless banter slowed down.
“…The atmosphere feels off, doesn’t it?”
As soon as we arrived at the training area, Lindell muttered.
And he was right.
For some reason, the atmosphere felt tense.
Especially, the knight in charge of the training looked quite stiff.
He gestured for us to come forward.
“There’s something I need to announce before we begin today’s training.”
With what he was about to say, my body froze in place.
“Lady Eliya has stated her intention to observe today’s training session.”
As my escape plans became more concrete, I started feeling uncomfortable at the thought of facing her.
I didn’t know why.
It felt somewhat like guilt.
Seeing her always makes it feel like someone is poking a sore spot deep inside me.
So as much as possible, I try not to see her.
But with things the way they are, it’s not easy to avoid her.
We live under the same roof, after all.
Maybe because my purchase of land in Jericho has finally been confirmed, it feels even more uncomfortable.
I have to escape.
That’s what I’ve promised myself.
Because Eliya is a villain.
I might end up dead because of her.
But now, five years later, I’ve got to face facts.
She isn’t the wicked person I once thought.
If anything, she was probably forced to handle dirty deeds as a bastard with many enemies.
Perhaps she could indeed be called a villain.
However, she is not the maniac I once knew.
Not a murderer or an arsonist.
Why did she change?
I mulled it over, but there was only one conclusion.
An incredibly arrogant and cocky conclusion.
Because I got involved with her.
However, I don’t know the exact reason but she did change because of me.
But isn’t leaving her the right choice?
This is all hindsight, but looking back now,
I owe it all to Eliya that I’ve grown to this age and could live safely in a place where I feel I belong.
I can’t help but feel grateful to her.
‘Is it really only because of that?’
Five years have flown by, and I am still here; still eating her food; and sometimes, she crawls into my bed at night.
Eliya still seems oblivious to pleasuring.
I can guess the cause of her somewhat twisted reaction quickly.
Sardis.
The horrors she nearly faced that day have left scars in her mind.
And because of that, Eliya instinctively rejects anything related to intimacy or desire.
I thought she was refusing to become aware of those feelings.
But there’s one problem.
‘Not me…! I’m perfectly normal…! Ugh, seriously!’
Every time we hold hands or she hugs me, it drives me to madness.
Especially when we sleep together.
Of course, Eliya doesn’t care an ounce about my situation.
It’s all a frustrating scenario for various reasons.
They mention a tragedy that awaits us, but before I knew it, I…
“Hmm…”
Suddenly, someone shouted.
“Lady Eliya has arrived!”
Everyone immediately lowered their postures and gazed in one direction.
My head naturally turned that way too.
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