SOTBW - 35

Najane took the holy sword from the side of her bed and checked its blade. If the soldiers sent by the Pope fought Serith without any issues, she wouldn’t need to draw the sword, but strange events always occurred at the fortress. Even the most skilled knights, who always boosted the morale of the soldiers, could lose their lives from a momentary mistake. She had to stay vigilant at all times.

After she sheathed the sword, Najane began preparing to leave. Amelia, who had come to visit Najane’s room, tilted her head when she saw her getting ready. There had been rumors that all the knight orders at Noctis Fortress would be taking a day or two off, so why was she preparing for battle?

Najane smiled sheepishly, as if she had forgotten something, while pulling on several layers of socks.

“I’ve volunteered to be on standby as reserve troops until the battle is over. I need to head to the barracks before the battle begins.”

“What? What about the others? Is it just you going?”

“I volunteered. I figured I’d have to do it sooner or later.”

“Ugh, you’re so foolish! The other knights are out having fun at the tavern, but here you are, all filled with a sense of duty….”

Amelia didn’t hide her frustration but helped Najane with putting on her armor.

The outside was just about to be swallowed by the night. As Najane buckled her arm and wrist armor, she stared out at the darkening scene beyond the castle walls. It made her think of Maximón. She wondered what he’d say if he saw her putting herself through this trouble.

Najane, now fully equipped with the holy sword, smiled bitterly. She found herself thinking about him often, which annoyed her. She shook off the thought and quietly left the room.

But Amelia, following behind her, handed Najane something wrapped in paper and a thick blanket.

Amelia insisted on giving them to her with a worried look, so Najane wouldn’t refuse.

“Eat the sandwiches on your own, and if you’re cold, wrap yourself in this. And if anyone on the walls asks for help, don’t go. Do you understand?”

Najane knew exactly what Amelia was worried about.

She smiled faintly, hugging the sandwiches and blanket close to her.

“I’ll be fine. I won’t do anything foolish. Now go back inside, it’s cold.”

After parting with Amelia, Najane neatly wrapped the sandwiches inside the blanket and ran toward the barracks, which was near the relief station. Sitting at the head of the table was the commander of the Colnux Knight Order, Nathan. Najane greeted him respectfully. Nathan seemed to recognize her right away.

“You’re Najane Schnicks of the Romsoa Knight Order. Please, have a seat.”

“Excuse me for a moment.”

When Najane sat down, Nathan handed her a piece of paper. On it were the names of the knights who had stood by in reserve until late at night on different days. Najane carefully wrote down her name and affiliation. Surprisingly, the person who had spent the most time here preparing for unforeseen situations was Belshua.

As Najane counted Belshua Chernon’s name, she glanced at Nathan and returned the paper.

Nathan smiled softly as he looked at Najane.

“I’ve heard of your feats from afar. I am stationed at the second wall, so I don’t have many chances to train with the Romsoa knights, nor do we often cross paths. But it’s always a pleasure to hear of the new heroes’ deeds. The fourth wall, with all the relics gathered there, must be a tough place to guard. You must be working hard.”

Nathan spoke with a voice that was both refined and gentle, praising Najane. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Najane smiled in response.

“I still have a long way to go. My combat skills are underdeveloped, and my judgment is not quick enough. But hearing the commander’s praise puts my mind at ease a little.”

“You have a more refined way of speaking than the knights of Romsoa. The knights there, especially under Lord Elgort, tend to be a bit rough around the edges.”

“They... are quite honest,” Najane said awkwardly with a small laugh.

“There hasn’t been a female knight in Romsoa until now, has there? It’s always been all male knights. Is it uncomfortable for you?”

“I’m being well taken care of, so it’s not a problem.”

“There are two female knights in Colnux. One is my niece, and the other is Rachel’s cousin.”

Najane blinked at Nathan’s words. Rachel. It was a name she had never heard before.

Could it be someone she should know as a knight of Romsoa? Thinking of Lucas, she looked at Nathan with a slightly flustered expression. Nathan, noticing her reaction, spoke in surprise.

“You don’t know Rachel? Didn’t the knights of Romsoa mention her? Rachel Rochelle, the fiancée of Maximón Elgort.”

Nathan’s kind explanation caused Najane’s cheek to stiffen slightly. She remembered the letter Maximón had been writing so carefully while standing her at the door. That letter had been for Rachel.

Najane looked down at the cloth-covered table. Although he was the adopted son of the Marquis Elgort family, given his prominence, it wasn’t surprising that he might have a fiancée. It was not unusual for aristocratic families to arrange engagements for children at a young age.

But it was hard to smile casually. She had always acted as though she didn’t care, as though she couldn’t love, yet he had a fiancée. The thought of Maximón smiling faintly while writing that letter made her throat tighten and her mouth dry.

Najane clenched her lips tightly, forcing herself to maintain her composure as she stared firmly at Nathan. She didn’t want to look pathetic in a place like this.

Nathan continued speaking as he glanced at the empty chair.

“Rachel was a remarkable person. After Maximón, she became Dame Elderketh disciple. She, like you, had the potential to be a Sword Master and could control sword energy.”

Najane’s eyes widened as she listened. Suddenly, an uneasy feeling hit her heart like a hammer.

Could it be that Maximón made her a knight just to fulfill Rachel’s wish? No, it couldn’t be. He wasn’t that kind of person.

But what if Rachel had been the center of Maximón’s world?

What if Maximón had embraced her with the same warm touch, confusing her with Rachel?

Najane rubbed her forehead and forced a smile to calm her emotions. She was just mentally exhausted, thinking such foolish things. She needed to snap out of it. Stay focused, please.

Nathan, fiddling with the paper covered in knights’ names, continued talking about Rachel.

“Rachel learned all of Dame Elderketh techniques at a young age, but just before her final exam, she was diagnosed with an incurable disease. The nature of the illness wasn’t revealed, but they said her condition was so severe that she could never wield a sword again.”

Nathan’s quiet voice carried a genuine concern for Rachel. But Najane couldn’t focus on his words. For some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had been deceived by Maximón. Her negative feelings clung to her like sludge, darkening her thoughts.

She hoped that Maximón would suffer as much as she did emotionally. If time couldn’t be reversed, then at least she wished he would suffer because of her.

Of course, she knew it was an impossible wish. Maximón wouldn’t shed a tear if she died today. She had painfully realized this truth, so she cried alone, smiled alone, and now did nothing at all.

“If Maximón becomes a member of the Rochelle family, it wouldn’t take long for him to become the captain of the guard. The Rochelle family is a prestigious one that has consistently produced commanders for the royal guard.”

Nathan, stroking his chin, glanced at Najane.

“What about you?”

“…What?”

Startled by the sudden question, Najane snapped out of her thoughts.

Nathan smiled warmly and spoke kindly.

“If you wish to advance, I can introduce you to a good man. With your potential as a Sword Master, wouldn’t you be satisfied as just a mere knight?”

“A good man? What do you mean by that…?”

“Someone with a title, a husband.”

Najane fumbled, not having considered such a thing before. A husband? She had never expected that, not even when she was in the Kingdom of Elgort. Especially after the kingdom fell and she lost Luna.

She could explain the curse in her heart at length, but there was almost no one who would believe her. Maximón had been a rare case. Normally, people would doubt her status just because she carried such a curse.

She waved her hands hurriedly, declining.

“But I’m not from the Kingdom of Bastronia, and I have no family, no money, nothing….”

“Your body alone is enough. The ability to wield sword energy is a blessed talent. In a world like this, it’s almost a miracle.”

A blessed talent. She had never heard such words before. She knew her ability helped those fighting on the field, but she had always been more focused on hiding it than flaunting it. She didn’t think of sword energy as anything impressive. The idea of using it to rise above others or achieve success never crossed her mind.

She was just grateful that she had such a skill. Without it, she wouldn’t have been able to become a knight of Romsoa, and finding Luna would have taken much longer.

In that sense, Maximón was Najane’s benefactor. She had lived in constant fear, always worried that her true identity would be discovered, or that the high-ranking priest who had cursed her might recognize her. But after becoming a knight, nothing had really changed.

Still, there were times when, on particularly tough days, she imagined a normal life. A life with ordinary parents, a normal sibling, a modest home, a cherished hunting dog, a gentle horse, kind neighbors, and perhaps a childhood friend who would occasionally give her a bouquet of flowers...

At one point, Najane had wished that Maximón would be the one to hand her a clumsy bouquet of wildflowers, playfully laughing as he did so. She probably thought that way unconsciously, since she hadn’t had much experience with men.

But as she wiped away her smile, she turned to Nathan. Although she appreciated Nathan’s offer, she had already strayed too far from that ordinary life to ever return.

“Commander, I…”

“You don’t need to answer right away. Think it over slowly. I’m offering this because it’s a shame to see someone with your talent being overworked under Lord Elgort.”

As if he had expected Najane to decline, Nathan spoke first. At that moment, some unfamiliar knights entered the tent. Najane placed the blanket that Amelia had given her over her lap and nodded at them with a brief greeting. Strangely, the idea of Nathan offering to introduce her to a potential husband kept swirling in her mind.

She told herself that it was just exhaustion from the recent battles, and turned her attention to the knights who were sitting down one by one. Once the designated number of people had gathered, Nathan began explaining. Soon, the sound of a bell rang out from not far away, signaling that Serith had launched an attack.