"Of course… we must go in."
"… Yuder?"
Startled by Yuder's unexpected proposal, Steiber, who had thought that Yuder came to help calm the members, could not hide his surprise as he stuttered from a distance.
'What is he trying to do?'
Yuder looked back at the members after flashing a reassuring smile in Steiber's direction.
"Who said they left something inside?"
"It's me."
From behind the gathered crowd, a Cavalry member, who had been looking somber, raised her hand and stepped forward.
'Phieny Moffle. She can shoot arrows of wind that are invisible to the naked eye.'
Although she could only shoot about five arrows per day, the invisible attack was a valuable ability with high growth potential. Yuder glanced at the bow she was carrying on her back and nodded.
"Alright. Can you tell me exactly what you left inside?"
"It's a leather pouch with a bow pattern."
Phieny stared at her bare hands and replied in a gloomy tone.
"I thought I had taken it after training… I didn’t realize I dropped it because I was in such a rush to leave."
"When did you realize it was missing?"
"I noticed it as soon as I left the training ground and started walking."
Upon realizing her pouch was missing, Phieny returned to the training ground but was blocked by the imperial knights who were already inside. Her companions who had followed her out of concern protested, but all they received were cold disdain and scoffs.
"I feel so sorry and ashamed in front of everyone else. I should have checked my pouch more thoroughly… It's all my fault."
"Don't say that, Phieny."
Another member standing next to Phieny raised his voice in fury.
"It's not a simple bow-patterned pouch. You're worried that the damned knights will trample on the bow-patterned pouch that your deceased mother made, what's wrong with that? We're not here because we want to be. You don't have anything to apologize for."
At his words, everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Yuder surreptitiously glanced at Steiber who by now looked displeased. He had heard about the lost item, but he didn't seem to know about its sentimental value.
"Steiber."
After saying his name with the meaning of 'you should go in after hearing all this,' Steiber met his gaze with a complicated look in his eyes.
"Phew... alright. If that's the case, we should go in and retrieve it. But, do you have any good ideas?"
"What kind of plan could there possibly be?"
Yuder quietly answered as he moved.
"Even though the training ground usage time is divided, that only applies to training activities. They can't prevent simple visits. We just need to go in and find it."
"Uh, um. Okay. I don't know whether I should say it's good because it's simple, or… it's quite clear."
Looking at Yuder with a peculiar gaze, Steiber looked up at the sky once, bowed his head towards the ground, and let out a long sigh again.
"I'm asking just in case, what if they attack us?"
"What do you mean, what if?"
Yuder, who was walking through the parted Cavalry members, stopped right in front of the entrance to the training ground and turned around.
"Steiber. Surely, you're not worried that we might lose to them?"
A word of provocation, accompanied by a smirk, had quietened the crowd.
A moment later, Steiber broke the silence with a hollow laugh.
"There's no way that could be."
"Yes, I think so too."
‘No problem then.’ Yuder left his words unspoken, but everyone understood his intention. The members, finally permitted to enter, began to chatter in deep excitement.
"Good. Of course, it has to be like this!"
"We can go in now, right? We will show them what we are made of!"
"Wait, just a moment."
Phieny, who still wore a sorry expression, raised her voice lastly, standing beside the members who were preparing to enter with clenched fists and high spirits.
"But the Commander is not here, what if he finds out about this later……."
Yuder glanced back at her and responded briefly.
"It's okay. That's the least of our worries."
"What?"
He was willing to bet that Kishiar, who learned of this event belatedly, would regret not having been part of such an intriguing incident.
"Alright, let's go in. Whoever finds the leather pouch that Phieny lost, immediately raise your hand and shout out loud. Don't delay the search."
Steiber loudly gave the final notice to the members. Once the decision was made, his attitude became carefree, as if a weight had been lifted off his chest.
"Find either me or Yuder immediately if you think it's dangerous. Well, there shouldn't be anyone like that here, though."
"Of course."
The members responded in unison.
They entered the training ground eagerly, ready to blow off all the frustration they had accumulated so far. The area was spacious enough for dozens of people to train scattered about, so it seemed that finding a small pouch would take some time.
"What are you doing!"
Then, a knight swinging his sword nearby came straight forward and started yelling.
"I kept telling you not to enter, yet you intrude? Leave immediately. If you do not retreat within three seconds, I will attack you for ignoring the warning."
"Let's scatter and start looking."
Steiber gestured dismissively, ignoring the knight's threats. The members scattered smoothly as if they had been waiting for this. The knight who had been brandishing his sword dramatically was taken aback, his eyes wide open in surprise.
"Can't... can't you hear me? I said, leave right now......!"
"Why should we?"
Yuder opened his mouth in place of Steiber.
"We're not intending to stay here forever, we will leave as soon as we find the item we lost. I don't understand why you're threatening us for that."
"Threatening......? How dare this insolent peasant slander me!"
Why did these guys always bring up "peasants" when they ran out of arguments? It's as tedious as it was in his previous life, Yuder thought, letting out a small sigh. The knight took his action as an even greater insult.
"You insolent boy. I will correct that bad habit of yours today."
The knight aimed his sword at Yuder, making Steiber, who was standing nearby, furrow his brows. Yuder responded with a slight nod to his inquiring look, signaling not to worry.
"My beloved sword Alrund has no mercy. Even if you lick the ground crying, bark like a dog, and beg, I will never forgive you! You will regret provoking me!"
'That's a peculiarly detailed description. Perhaps he's a pervert of that taste.'
Yuder distinctly remembered there being a rule in the Imperial Knight about never drawing one's sword without cause, yet for some reason, the knights he encountered had no problem whipping out their swords and bragging about it, regardless of what was said. It was questionable whether they even realized that their conduct lacked the knightly or aristocratic dignity they so boasted about.
'Well, no matter. All I need to do is kill off their deception today.'
‘Shall we start with this one?’ Yuder contemplated, as he eyed the knight's sword.
"What's going on here?"
However, at that moment, the other knights seemed to sense the impending crisis and peered from behind. Yuder noticed among them the ones who had previously ignored Kishiar, and felt relieved that he wouldn't have to go hunting for them.
"The impudent commoners who have been making a ruckus outside have dared to trespass into the training grounds. And among them, this one has shown particularly insolent behavior, so I thought it would be best to teach him a lesson before expelling him!"
The knight, who had behaved entirely differently when dealing with Yuder and the Cavalry, reported loudly.
"He did that?"
The knights collectively glared at Yuder. Instead of answering, Yuder straightened Kishiar's clothes, which he was still casually draping over his arm, an act that anyone could interpret as a clear sign of disregard.
"Huh! He must have nine lives. Is he of a significant rank?"
It was so like them to judge everything based on rank or social status. Yuder just tilted his head in response, swallowing a twisted smile.
"What's your name?"
"..."
"Ha, it seems you'll need to be half-dead before you regain your senses!"
'You lot are the ones more likely to be half-dead.'
However, Yuder was once again prevented from acting as another group of knights made their appearance.
"Everyone's here. I clearly asked you to find out why the Cavalry members suddenly came here and started wreaking havoc..."
The man approaching with an angry voice suddenly stopped his sentence. Kiolle da Diarca stared at Yuder with wavering eyes.
"..."
"..."
‘Why are you here?’
To the agonizing silence, Yuder could only respond with a significant smile. Kiolle, who faced the smile, momentarily tried to step back but stopped himself just in time.
"Sir Diarca, what's the matter?"
Another knight standing next to Kiolle asked him cautiously, sensing something was off. Kiolle then regained his composure and turned his pale face.
"Nothing... nothing at all. But why is everyone crowding around... one... person?"
"Listen, Sir Diarca, this man has...!"
The knight who had first attempted to attack Yuder came forward, excitedly opening his mouth like a fish out of water. With every word he uttered, the hostility towards Yuder among the knights escalated, and Kiolle's face turned increasingly pale.
"...So, it was time to teach this man, who dares to ignore the entire Imperial Knight, a lesson. Judging from his fearlessness, it appears he holds a significant rank. I believe it would be appropriate to discipline him first, and then expel the rest."
"...How could you do what even I couldn't?"
"Pardon?"
A knight who hadn't clearly heard Kiolle's muttered question asked for clarification, but Kiolle didn't repeat himself. With a quick intake of breath, Kiolle looked at Yuder, his face a mixture of unease and impatience.
"Y-you... No, what... What in the world are you doing here?"
"Of course… we must go in."
"… Yuder?"
Startled by Yuder's unexpected proposal, Steiber, who had thought that Yuder came to help calm the members, could not hide his surprise as he stuttered from a distance.
'What is he trying to do?'
Yuder looked back at the members after flashing a reassuring smile in Steiber's direction.
"Who said they left something inside?"
"It's me."
From behind the gathered crowd, a Cavalry member, who had been looking somber, raised her hand and stepped forward.
'Phieny Moffle. She can shoot arrows of wind that are invisible to the naked eye.'
Although she could only shoot about five arrows per day, the invisible attack was a valuable ability with high growth potential. Yuder glanced at the bow she was carrying on her back and nodded.
"Alright. Can you tell me exactly what you left inside?"
"It's a leather pouch with a bow pattern."
Phieny stared at her bare hands and replied in a gloomy tone.
"I thought I had taken it after training… I didn’t realize I dropped it because I was in such a rush to leave."
"When did you realize it was missing?"
"I noticed it as soon as I left the training ground and started walking."
Upon realizing her pouch was missing, Phieny returned to the training ground but was blocked by the imperial knights who were already inside. Her companions who had followed her out of concern protested, but all they received were cold disdain and scoffs.
"I feel so sorry and ashamed in front of everyone else. I should have checked my pouch more thoroughly… It's all my fault."
"Don't say that, Phieny."
Another member standing next to Phieny raised his voice in fury.
"It's not a simple bow-patterned pouch. You're worried that the damned knights will trample on the bow-patterned pouch that your deceased mother made, what's wrong with that? We're not here because we want to be. You don't have anything to apologize for."
At his words, everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Yuder surreptitiously glanced at Steiber who by now looked displeased. He had heard about the lost item, but he didn't seem to know about its sentimental value.
"Steiber."
After saying his name with the meaning of 'you should go in after hearing all this,' Steiber met his gaze with a complicated look in his eyes.
"Phew... alright. If that's the case, we should go in and retrieve it. But, do you have any good ideas?"
"What kind of plan could there possibly be?"
Yuder quietly answered as he moved.
"Even though the training ground usage time is divided, that only applies to training activities. They can't prevent simple visits. We just need to go in and find it."
"Uh, um. Okay. I don't know whether I should say it's good because it's simple, or… it's quite clear."
Looking at Yuder with a peculiar gaze, Steiber looked up at the sky once, bowed his head towards the ground, and let out a long sigh again.
"I'm asking just in case, what if they attack us?"
"What do you mean, what if?"
Yuder, who was walking through the parted Cavalry members, stopped right in front of the entrance to the training ground and turned around.
"Steiber. Surely, you're not worried that we might lose to them?"
A word of provocation, accompanied by a smirk, had quietened the crowd.
A moment later, Steiber broke the silence with a hollow laugh.
"There's no way that could be."
"Yes, I think so too."
‘No problem then.’ Yuder left his words unspoken, but everyone understood his intention. The members, finally permitted to enter, began to chatter in deep excitement.
"Good. Of course, it has to be like this!"
"We can go in now, right? We will show them what we are made of!"
"Wait, just a moment."
Phieny, who still wore a sorry expression, raised her voice lastly, standing beside the members who were preparing to enter with clenched fists and high spirits.
"But the Commander is not here, what if he finds out about this later……."
Yuder glanced back at her and responded briefly.
"It's okay. That's the least of our worries."
"What?"
He was willing to bet that Kishiar, who learned of this event belatedly, would regret not having been part of such an intriguing incident.
"Alright, let's go in. Whoever finds the leather pouch that Phieny lost, immediately raise your hand and shout out loud. Don't delay the search."
Steiber loudly gave the final notice to the members. Once the decision was made, his attitude became carefree, as if a weight had been lifted off his chest.
"Find either me or Yuder immediately if you think it's dangerous. Well, there shouldn't be anyone like that here, though."
"Of course."
The members responded in unison.
They entered the training ground eagerly, ready to blow off all the frustration they had accumulated so far. The area was spacious enough for dozens of people to train scattered about, so it seemed that finding a small pouch would take some time.
"What are you doing!"
Then, a knight swinging his sword nearby came straight forward and started yelling.
"I kept telling you not to enter, yet you intrude? Leave immediately. If you do not retreat within three seconds, I will attack you for ignoring the warning."
"Let's scatter and start looking."
Steiber gestured dismissively, ignoring the knight's threats. The members scattered smoothly as if they had been waiting for this. The knight who had been brandishing his sword dramatically was taken aback, his eyes wide open in surprise.
"Can't... can't you hear me? I said, leave right now......!"
"Why should we?"
Yuder opened his mouth in place of Steiber.
"We're not intending to stay here forever, we will leave as soon as we find the item we lost. I don't understand why you're threatening us for that."
"Threatening......? How dare this insolent peasant slander me!"
Why did these guys always bring up "peasants" when they ran out of arguments? It's as tedious as it was in his previous life, Yuder thought, letting out a small sigh. The knight took his action as an even greater insult.
"You insolent boy. I will correct that bad habit of yours today."
The knight aimed his sword at Yuder, making Steiber, who was standing nearby, furrow his brows. Yuder responded with a slight nod to his inquiring look, signaling not to worry.
"My beloved sword Alrund has no mercy. Even if you lick the ground crying, bark like a dog, and beg, I will never forgive you! You will regret provoking me!"
'That's a peculiarly detailed description. Perhaps he's a pervert of that taste.'
Yuder distinctly remembered there being a rule in the Imperial Knight about never drawing one's sword without cause, yet for some reason, the knights he encountered had no problem whipping out their swords and bragging about it, regardless of what was said. It was questionable whether they even realized that their conduct lacked the knightly or aristocratic dignity they so boasted about.
'Well, no matter. All I need to do is kill off their deception today.'
‘Shall we start with this one?’ Yuder contemplated, as he eyed the knight's sword.
"What's going on here?"
However, at that moment, the other knights seemed to sense the impending crisis and peered from behind. Yuder noticed among them the ones who had previously ignored Kishiar, and felt relieved that he wouldn't have to go hunting for them.
"The impudent commoners who have been making a ruckus outside have dared to trespass into the training grounds. And among them, this one has shown particularly insolent behavior, so I thought it would be best to teach him a lesson before expelling him!"
The knight, who had behaved entirely differently when dealing with Yuder and the Cavalry, reported loudly.
"He did that?"
The knights collectively glared at Yuder. Instead of answering, Yuder straightened Kishiar's clothes, which he was still casually draping over his arm, an act that anyone could interpret as a clear sign of disregard.
"Huh! He must have nine lives. Is he of a significant rank?"
It was so like them to judge everything based on rank or social status. Yuder just tilted his head in response, swallowing a twisted smile.
"What's your name?"
"..."
"Ha, it seems you'll need to be half-dead before you regain your senses!"
'You lot are the ones more likely to be half-dead.'
However, Yuder was once again prevented from acting as another group of knights made their appearance.
"Everyone's here. I clearly asked you to find out why the Cavalry members suddenly came here and started wreaking havoc..."
The man approaching with an angry voice suddenly stopped his sentence. Kiolle da Diarca stared at Yuder with wavering eyes.
"..."
"..."
‘Why are you here?’
To the agonizing silence, Yuder could only respond with a significant smile. Kiolle, who faced the smile, momentarily tried to step back but stopped himself just in time.
"Sir Diarca, what's the matter?"
Another knight standing next to Kiolle asked him cautiously, sensing something was off. Kiolle then regained his composure and turned his pale face.
"Nothing... nothing at all. But why is everyone crowding around... one... person?"
"Listen, Sir Diarca, this man has...!"
The knight who had first attempted to attack Yuder came forward, excitedly opening his mouth like a fish out of water. With every word he uttered, the hostility towards Yuder among the knights escalated, and Kiolle's face turned increasingly pale.
"...So, it was time to teach this man, who dares to ignore the entire Imperial Knight, a lesson. Judging from his fearlessness, it appears he holds a significant rank. I believe it would be appropriate to discipline him first, and then expel the rest."
"...How could you do what even I couldn't?"
"Pardon?"
A knight who hadn't clearly heard Kiolle's muttered question asked for clarification, but Kiolle didn't repeat himself. With a quick intake of breath, Kiolle looked at Yuder, his face a mixture of unease and impatience.
"Y-you... No, what... What in the world are you doing here?"
