SOTBW - 19

“All knights must report the situation to the commander after the battle in the field. After that, they are to return to the quarters before 7 a.m., but there’s no fixed time. As long as they return before lunch, that’s enough. Also, there are training sessions at the training ground three times a week. The training time will depend on the situation of the battle that morning, so I will relay the details through Amelia, who will be your personal maid from now on.”

Najane listened to Didina’s explanation while looking at the document. Besides the basic rules Didina had mentioned, the document also included information about the salary.

The salary was 200 lira every fortnight, five times that of a maid. After familiarizing herself with all the details, Najane signed at the bottom of the paper.

Next to her signature was Maximón’s name. Najane quickly added her own signature as well.

When she woke up in the bedroom, Maximón was nowhere to be found. Instead, the fire in the fireplace was blazing fiercely. It looked like there was so much firewood that the flames wouldn’t die down until the night.

At first, she had felt depressed about the fact that she had shown signs of being in heat, but as time passed, she grew more composed. Maximón had probably anticipated it. Perhaps this kind of thing would happen a few more times.

Najane reassured herself. It had felt like showing her vulnerable side to Maximón, a side she didn’t want anyone else to see, but if she didn’t get used to this feeling, she wouldn’t be able to remain a knight of Romsoa.

“In bed, you’re the one in control.”

Najane put down her ink pen and absentmindedly touched her ear. Of all things, why did that thought come to mind? She cleared her throat awkwardly and glanced out the window.

“Is there no training today?”

She threw out a random question, trying to avoid the thoughts of Maximón that were making her face flush.

Didina, who had gathered the documents, responded kindly.

“There is, but Dame Schnicks specifically said that you are exempt. He said you would likely be feeling quite unwell...”

Oh no.

Najane quickly pressed her lips together. She knew exactly what that meant. Her ears instantly turned bright red. Fortunately, Didina seemed to interpret it in another way.

“Is my formality bothering you?”

Najane, who had been rubbing her ear with her palm, looked up at Didina in surprise. Didina seemed to think Najane was flustered because of her formal speech.

It was understandable. After all, Najane had originally been a maid of Romsoa. If everything had gone quietly, she would probably still be diligently doing the laundry under Didina’s orders by now.

“As long as you are a knight, you must continue to be addressed formally. It might be uncomfortable now, but you’ll get used to it soon.”

Najane awkwardly nodded at Didina’s gentle words.

“But what about Amelia?”

Najane was still pondering over the sentences written on the document when she belatedly remembered Amelia.

“She received a request from the Recheo Order and was sent there.”

“...To Recheo?”

“Since there are no female knights in the Romsoa Order, it was difficult to find armor that would fit Dame Schnicks’ body. Also, you’ll need to personally manage your weapons. There are good blacksmiths in the mercenary district, so if you ask them, they’ll take care of them at a low cost.”

“So, from now on…”

Najane trailed off as she looked up at Didina, who was about to leave the room.

“Wouldn’t it be better to go to the dining hall and have a meal first? The dining hall for knights is always open.”

That was useful information. Najane parted ways with Didina and headed straight for the dining hall. She was already hungry, and her stomach was aching.

As she quietly ran down the corridor connecting the buildings, she saw Belshua coming from the opposite direction. Belshua’s eyes were an ordinary brown, but strangely, there was a peculiar glistening in them, almost reminiscent of a reptile.

Najane greeted Belshua absentmindedly. Belshua accepted her greeting but didn’t respond further. There was an air of indifference, as if she had no interest in anything. It was a stark contrast to Daniel, and Najane quickly passed Belshua.

“Don’t use your sword aura more than three times a day. Your body can handle it now, but it won’t be long before your body starts breaking down.”

Just as Najane was about to enter the dining hall, Belshua spoke to her. Surprised by the sudden advice, Najane turned around. Belshua said what she needed to say and quickly left, her retreating figure devoid of any lingering thoughts. Najane blinked in confusion.

Now that she thought about it, she had heard similar words before. It was definitely from Mikael...

“Miss. For your own sake and your master’s, you must never use your sword aura. But if you ever find yourself in a situation where you must use it, limit it to no more than four times a day… no, three times is the limit. Please remember my words.”

Why had she asked why that was the case? No, she hadn’t asked. She had just assumed that Nellis had said that to avoid making things difficult for her.

An odd sensation briefly ran down her spine, but the smell of stew simmering in the dining hall quickly pulled her attention back to the present. A few knights were eating their meals, and among them was Daniel. As soon as Daniel saw Najane, he put his spoon down and waved his hand.

“Najane!”

At Daniel’s cheerful shout, the knights in the dining hall turned to look at Najane. Their gazes were markedly different from yesterday’s. Najane sat across from Daniel, receiving a bowl of stew filled with chunks of vegetables and meat. Jacob gave her a brief glance before speaking curtly.

“I heard you stopped the holy knights from advancing on the walls last night?”

“Ah, I just got lucky...”

“No, no, you did great! It’s tough for a rookie knight to face holy knights like that!”

Daniel ruffled Najane’s hair. Feeling embarrassed, she tightly shut her mouth and smiled. It was a strange feeling. Just a few days ago, she had been trying so hard not to get close to the other maids...

She took a bite of the savory stew and alternated her gaze between Daniel and Jacob. Would she eventually become like those two, once she got used to fighting like she did with Serith? Colleagues. That word somehow made her feel itchy inside.

Najane chewed on a large piece of meat as she listened to their conversation.

“Damn it, I knew those Amberon bastards were just drinking and fooling around. Now what? A whole order of knights is practically wiped out!”

“What’s done is done. We just have to hope the Church sends reinforcements quickly.”

“So until then, we have to fill the gap?”

“Maybe.”

“Ugh, we only get to rest three times a month at best!”

“Or we could hire mercenaries... the knights will probably figure something out.”

“Figure something out? It’s obvious that our commander will just push everything onto us.”

As Daniel grumbled louder, a horn sounded from outside. The knights in the dining hall all looked towards the window.

Najane, who had a spoonful of stew in her mouth, looked confused. Daniel suddenly began eating his food faster, not so much eating as forcefully shoving it into his mouth. Jacob did the same, hurriedly eating. The knights quickly finished their meals and rushed out of the dining hall.

Noticing the tense atmosphere, Najane tried to stand up, but Daniel and Jacob both pressed down on her shoulders.

“You’re exempt from training today, right? Don’t worry about it, just keep eating.”

With that, Daniel and Jacob ran off toward the training ground. Najane stared at them through the window, then quickly surveyed the now empty dining hall. The staff working in the hall seemed to be used to this sort of thing, going about their duties as if nothing was unusual.

She sat back down and continued eating her stew. After finishing, she had nothing else to do.

She could go back to her quarters and sleep until nightfall, but strangely, she didn’t feel tired. Was it because of the heat and the sex? Najane didn’t understand how the curse engraved on her chest was exactly affecting her. It would be nice if she could get a book on curses.

Perhaps there were related books in the room that only Maximón could enter. As she took another bite of stew, she recalled that room and paused for a moment. She remembered the door hidden under the carpet. It might just be a door to a storage area, but what if it was hiding something important...?

Maximón was a knight with extraordinary strength who had overwhelmed Serith, and he was always a topic of great interest among the people. Everyone was curious about how Maximón had gained such power, and Najane was no exception.

After finishing her meal, Najane wandered around the quarters and made her way to the barley field. Behind the knight’s quarters, there was a field of barley grown by the servants on leased land. She stood in front of a narrow path leading into the barley field, gazing at the glistening green grains.

The barley swayed gently in the wind, resisting it but still bending in the same direction. Children ran and played among the stalks. It was hard to believe that just the night before, there had been fierce battles in the field—it looked like such a peaceful scene.

Najane walked slowly, brushing her palm over the prickly barley. She enjoyed the rough, scratchy feeling as her fingers ran through it.

‘What does Najane mean?’

‘It’s an ancient word from Elgort, meaning ‘blue barley field.’’

‘It’s an ill-suited name.’

Recalling Maximón’s words, Najane let out a quiet laugh. The name Najane was the most common name in her homeland, thanks to a famous legend from the northern part of Elgort.

The north was harsh, with steep mountains and barren land, causing many people to starve to death. One day, a woman who had received a prophecy spoke of hope beyond the mountain covered in snow. People didn’t believe her. They thought there was nothing beyond the mountains, so they shunned her, calling her a witch and throwing stones at her.

But the woman didn’t give up and crossed the mountain alone. She climbed the snow-covered mountain for over thirty days and finally reached the other side. There, she found plants that survived the cold, untouched by frost. The woman left all her burdens behind and filled her bag with the seeds of those plants. However, by the time she reached her homeland, the struggle had taken its toll, and she passed away.

Years later, one day...

As the people were about to give up and leave their homeland, they saw fields of barley spread across the wasteland. The barley, blown by the northern winds, shimmered more vibrantly green than any living thing. Among the barley, they discovered the woman, lying peacefully.

Her name was Najane. The same woman they had once called a witch.

From that day on, the people of Elgort called the vast, green barley fields “Najane” in gratitude.

Najane walked through the wide barley fields, brushing the wind-tangled hair from her face as she gazed at the distant horizon.

At the end of it stood a large tree. It was a tree deliberately planted to provide shade for the peasants to rest during the summer. The tree was so tall that she had to tilt her head back to see its top.

Najane walked against the wind, heading toward the tree. She thought she would rest under it for a moment before returning to her quarters.

Suddenly, she became curious about where Maximón was. Perhaps he was watching the knights’ training. Did he know there was such a beautiful barley field here? Did he remember that his name meant “blue barley field”?

As she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, Najane looked down at the tree. To her surprise, someone was already there.

Najane approached quietly, making sure not to make a sound. Beyond the rustling barley, she saw a familiar face. Lying between the exposed roots, taking a nap, was Maximón.