Chapter I: Inglis, Age 15—Dual Starlets (1)
The circumstances around the hieral menace Ripple had complicated matters around the knights' academy, but Inglis and the others had successfully resolved the problem. Ripple had thanked them profusely before heading to the border with Venefic, where she was supposed to be helping in the war
On the other hand, the school building was a wreck. The cafeteria inside had suffered the same fate, and with their unlimited meal plan sealed away, Inglis and Rafinha were now in a crisis. Every day, they aided in the reconstruction effort with hungry stomachs, hoping for the cafeteria to reopen as soon as possible. In the end, their hasty work output only left their stomachs emptier.
Grrrrgl!
Liselotte, walking in front of Inglis and Rafinha holding tools, spun around in shock. “Wh—?! Whose stomach might that have been? It was very unladylike.”
Inglis silently pointed at Rafinha, who did the same to Inglis.
“Liar! It was you, Chris!”
“No! It was you, Rani!”
“Don't blame other people! I heard it from both sides of me!” Leone yelled as she walked between them.
“Tch...” came the dismissive reply from both Inglis and Rafinha.
“The hunger has you two out of control...” Leone laughed wryly.
“Are you truly that hungry?” Liselotte asked. “The rest of us are eating as much as you are...”
For the time being, all students who helped in the reconstruction received the same rations for their work.
“It’s not enough at all!” the pair responded.
“Well, why not think of it as a diet? See, if I lose a little here, my back might feel better...” Leone gestured toward her own chest, where Rin had burrowed and was relaxing. It seemed Rin preferred her today.
“Well... I guess you could say that...” Inglis nodded, understanding her point.
But Rafinha was an outlier in that. “No you can't! I don’t have anything there to lose!”
“Now, now, Rafinha. You’re slender. That’s something to be envied,” Liselotte remarked.
“Well then, I’d like to trade. I absolutely want big ones like Chris and Leone! If I don’t have anything to lose at times like this, I’ll just shrivel up and die instead!”
“Aha ha... I am honestly amazed by how you never seem to put on weight regardless of how much you eat, Rafinha.”
Rafinha paused before making a grand declaration. “And thus, since my life is in peril, 111 be taking some of Chris’s food!”
“Whaaat?! Even if you keep asking me, Rani—”
“It’s fine! You’ve got plenty of calories stored away right here!”
“Eeek! S-Stop it, Rani! I’m carrying a big log right now!”
“Oh? I feel like they’ve gotten a little bit bigger again. It’s not like you have much to eat. How are they growing?! There, there, there!” Rafinha said, poking at Inglis.
“S-Stop! Knock it off. I get your point. Why don’t we go fishing in Lake Bolt later? Ill give you a little bit extra of what we catch.”
“Huh? But the fishers there complained. They said we were threatening their livelihood.”
“If we do it quietly at night, they’ll never notice. Probably...”
“Isn’t that poaching?” Leone interjected, chuckling.
“Does this really constitute ‘survival’?” Liselotte asked wryly.
Interrupting their conversation, Principal Miriela called out their names as she came rushing over. “Inglis! Rafinha!”
“Principal Miriela?” Inglis asked.
“Did something happen?” Rafinha followed.
“A messenger from the palace just arrived! King Carlias requests your presence!” Miriela answered.
“A summons from His Majesty?”
“At the palace?!”
“Yes. Sorry, but you’re to head to the palace as soon as possible,” Miriela explained.
“Oooh! All right, Chris!”
“Heaven’s smiled on us, Rani!”
Inglis’s and Rafinha’s eyes lit up. Their thought process was simple: the palace. Summoned there. Thanks for the help! A feast! Yes, a feast!
Their hope propelled them into action.
“Yay! I can’t wait! S The food at the palace was delicious the other day!”
“Yeah, you’re right! Let’s make haste.”
“I’ll call a carriage, then. You two go get ready,” Principal Miriela said.
“Of course, ma’am.” Inglis nodded.
“No, that would take too long! Our food will get cold!” Rafinha cried. “You know how we should go, Chris?”
“Possibly?”
“Yeah, you know! Let’s just whoosh over! It’ll be faster than a carriage!”
“Oh, right. Err... Well...” Miriela stammered.
“Itll be fine, Principal Miriela! Well take the Star Princess'”
The Star Princess was Inglis and friends’ private Flvgear. They had captured it from Highland so they could rush from the battle above the palace to the knights’ academy. It was still intact when everything was over, and they’d been permitted to keep it for their own use. Flygears made for Highlanders were better made than the ones for the surface. Something was different about it now, though...
“Yes, you can take it, I suppose. It’s cute. Very girly.”
“Thanks, I’ll go get it!” Rafinha replied. “Hold on, Chris!”
“Okay...”
In no time at all, a Flvgear piloted by Rafinha appeared over their heads. It had been repainted entirely in hot pink. Apart from the coloring, the front of the hull had also been painted with extremely prominent sparkling, starry, girly eyes. The whole thing was covered with glittering details. Rafinha had decided that since it was theirs now, it had to be cute; it should be made theirs. Her classmate in the knight program, Pullum, had helped out.
“All right, let's go, Chris! Get in!”
“Okay...”
It was a high-performance Flvgear, and Inglis had made her own tweaks...but she was still a bit reluctant to ride it. It was a bit too girly for her. Her own self-conception still preferred something cool-looking with subdued colors—a bit more masculine than Rafinha's tastes. Maybe in black all over. But whenever Rafinha insisted on something, Inglis was powerless to resist. Rafinha, who was like a granddaughter to her, wanted her toys in pink.
Grandfathers never could argue with such cute granddaughters.
“All right, let's go! Set a course for deliciousness!”
“Indeed. Let’s go.”
With Rafinha at the helm, the Star Princess soared away into the sunset.
The direct flight path from the knights’ academy to the palace flew over a crowded boulevard. Of course, the design of the Star Princess caught the attention of the people below.
“Ah! It’s the knights! Heeey!”
“Yay!”
The adults didn’t pay much attention, but the children waved happily.
To be precise, Inglis and the others weren’t knights yet; they were students training to be knights, but the children couldn’t tell the difference. If someone was in a Flygear, then they had to be a knight.
“Hi there!” Rafinha, always friendly, slowed the Flygear to a hover and waved to the kids. With dinner on the table, so to speak, she was in a good mood.
And because the children saw her as a real knight who was even stopping to wave, they waved back in delight.
“Aha ha ha. Kids are so cute. Don’t you think so, Chris?”
“They’re adorable. This reminds me of you when you were little. You were that cute too.”
“You were a kid then too, you know. Ah, well. I want to have kids soon.”
“Overruled. You’re still too young for that.”
“But wouldn’t you like to have kids soon? Kids are happier with a younger mom.”
“N-No way! I don’t need kids of my own!” Just the thought of having her own kids terrified her. She didn’t even want to imagine it. It sent a chill down her spine.
“Because you wouldn’t be able to fight anymore?”
“Y-Yeah. That’s it.”
The truth was that she had a much more fundamental, physical problem with it. But she could leave it at that.
“Wait, isn’t that thing the knights are riding really lame?” a boy asked.
“Wow... You’re right, why’s it so pink and glittery?”
The children who had been so excited to see them now only had critiques of the Star Princess. It came as quite a shock to Rafinha.
“Huuuh?!”
Inglis, meanwhile, wanted to applaud the boy who had not only distracted Rafinha but pointed out the plain facts. Thank you, young one.
“Th-That’s mean! Pullum and I were proud of this!”
“Maybe it is a bit too flashy. We can change the color back...” Rafinha acquiesced.
“No way! I think it’s really cute!” A girl in the crowd of children fervently defended the Star Princess.
“That's right! Listen up, boys! This one’s for girls! It’s a girl thing! Boys wouldn’t get it!” Rafinha’s cheer had returned. “Right, Chris? Right?”
“Well... The boys may have a point... Maybe in a situation like this, it’s best to adopt a compromise that everyone can live with?”
“Denied! You there. What’s your name?” Rafinha asked the girl who had spoken up.
“Alina...”
“Well, then, Alina. Thanks for being so nice! Later, do you want to ride the cute Flygear?”
“R-Really?!”
“Yeah! We have things to do today, but if you see us again, just say hi!”
“Okay! Promise?”
“Yep, I promise! See you then!” Smiling and waving, Rafinha set the Star Princess in motion again. “What a nice girl.”
Rafinha probably won’t even consider repainting the Star Priticess until she gives that girl her ride, Inglis realized. I need to remember her face so that can happen as soon as possible.
“What’s wrong, Chris? Are you going to complain that I make promises too easily?”
“No, that’s not true. I just want to remember her face so that we can find her again.” If anything, Inglis was pleased with how friendly Rafinha was with the citizens. As both a knight and the daughter of a duke, she needed to be approachable; it was a good trait. The trust it birthed might serve her well someday. It was one of Rafinha’s many talents—though perhaps putting it that way betrayed Inglis’s bias toward the girl.
“Oh, that would be really helpful actually. Chris, you’re good at remembering people’s faces.”
“Yep. Life experience.” In her previous life as a king, remembering faces was a vital skill, and she’d given it a lot of practice. Even for trivial exchanges, if the king, foremost in the realm, remembered it and touched on it later, his people would be happy. Such small pleasures accumulated and became loyalty. A king should remember the faces of everyone he meets, even just once. At least, that was what King Inglis had done whenever possible.
“So is that why you remember the faces of strong people? To pick a fight with them later?”
“No, I request a sparring bout with them.” lean let her think that at least.
“Those are the same thing!”
“No, they aren't. It's not a demand, just a polite request.”
As they spoke, the Star Princess reached the vicinity of the palace, where they were stopped by a knight on guard duty riding a Flygear.
“Halt! You’re entering the palace’s air defense zone and must identify yourselves. Students from the academy, I see. What brings you to the palace?”
“Rafinha Bilford and Inglis Eucus of the knights’ academy! We’ve arrived after hearing that King Carlias has requested our presence!” Rafinha answered.
“Oh, it’s you! I’ve already been informed to expect you. You can land your Flygear in the courtyard. Ill lead you in.”
“Yes, understood.”
They followed the knight and landed the Star Princess in the courtyard. It wasn’t long before they heard another person’s voice.
“Ah, you two! I’m glad you came!” Reddas, captain of the Royal Guard, ran over at a brisk pace and bowed deeply. Something was different about him.
It’s not that he was a particularly haughty person, but he was a high-ranking knight. Even though his shameless overprotectiveness of his younger brother, Silva, gave him an odd air, he normally had a certain gravitas when speaking with Inglis and Rafinha. Today, he was unusually humble for some reason.
“Reddas...?”
“Er, sure...”
Inglis and Rafinha looked at each other, a bit confused. And it wasn’t just Reddas who had come to greet them, but also the Royal Guard under his command, who streamed in en masse.
“Welcome! We’ve awaited your presence!” The crowd bowed deeply to Inglis and Rafinha.
“Wh-What? Something’s strange here...” Rafinha said.
“I agree...” Inglis muttered. There were too many of them for it to be a mere welcome. There were enough knights there to overwhelm them.
“Right this way! His Majesty is waiting!” Reddas led the way. It was true that Inglis and Rafinha had saved the king recently, but they still thought this level of attention was unnecessary.
What in the world...? Inglis wrondered as she followed Reddas. She then noticed three knights had surrounded them in particular. Guards, maybe?
“This is pretty showy, Chris...”
“Yeah, Rani. Maybe we should be careful for now...”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Maybe they're leading us into a trap and they're going to attack all at once?” Inglis whispered quietly. It was strange for mere students from the knights’ academy to be given such close protection. This was the kind of guard expected for a princess or a high official.
“Huh?! We didn’t do anything wrong... Well, maybe we did? You were pretty violent then, Chris...”
“So what, you’re saying it’s my fault?”
“I mean, you did pick a fight with a Highland ambassador and send him flying with a kick... You jammed the king’s severed arm into his wound too. Stuff like that.”
“Ah...”
“And that Ivel kid did end up dying in combat, right? Even though it wasn’t you who did it...”
“I still share responsibility...! guess.”
“Maybe they think you're in trouble because of how much damage you dealt to him?”
In the end, it was not Inglis who had killed Highland’s ambassador, Archlord Ivel, but the black-masked leader of the Steelblood Front. Nonetheless, she had definitely struck him a heavy blow. She might well have been an accomplice in his slaying.
“W-Well... If someone wanted to put it that way, maybe...”
Ivel had been from the Papal League, one of Highland’s two primary factions. The Papal League had not intended on any show of rapprochement to begin with, but even so—if Ivel’s death had changed their position from simple hostility to a demand that the person responsible be surrendered to them, Inglis was a much easier scapegoat than the black-masked man, whose whereabouts were unknown. King Carlias seemed subservient to the Highlanders, willing to accept any high-handedness, so that was a possibility.
Inglis chuckled at the thought. “That might be fun to deal with.”
As far as Inglis could tell, King Carlias wasn’t incompetent. So, no matter how elite the Royal Guard might be, he couldn’t expect so few of them to be able to capture her. Meaning, he had to have something up his sleeve. Inglis wanted to see it. However, if that was true, no feast would be awaiting them...
“W-Wait! You can’t fight them! That would make us traitors!”
“Maybe. But it’s okay, Rani. Ill be sure to tell them you weren’t involved.”
“You can’t! We’re family! We’re practically sisters—or at least someday well actually be sisters...” Rafinha trailed off.
“No, I don’t plan on that.” For Inglis and Rafinha to really be sisters, Inglis and Rafael wTould have to...
Anything but that.
“Anyway, it’s only natural for us to be together, right? You can’t shoulder all of the blame...” Rafinha nervously tugged at Inglis’s sleeve. It was so adorable that Inglis had to smile.
“Mm. I know. Itll be fine.”
As their whispered conversation concluded, an incredibly pleasing scent wafted to their noses. Having infiltrated the palace as maids recently, they had some idea of its internal layout. The kitchen was nearby.
So there really is a feast?!
“Ahh! Wow, that smells scrumptious!” Rafinha couldn't help but remark loudly.
“Yes! The feast is ready! But first, you must speak with His Majesty. Then, we celebrate!” Reddas said.
“But what are we celebrating?” Inglis asked.
The recent incident had not led to a more cordial relationship with the Papal League as King Carlias had hoped. Instead, it had resulted in a detrimental battle with the Steelblood Front. It had been a good fight for Inglis. Good training, even. It had left her satisfied. For the country, though, there was nothing to celebrate. A banquet and praise for her efforts, perhaps—but a full-on celebration would be strange. Just what was going on?
“I can’t tell you yet, but youll know soon. I hope you enjoy it.”
“Hey, Chris, I guess this means there was nothing to worn7 about after all?”
“Maybe?”
Reddas’s expression was quite cheerful, and he didn’t seem to be lying. If it was a trap, there'd have been no reason to prepare a feast, but Inglis still couldn’t discern what reason there was for celebration. That wasn’t the point, though—the feast had become a reality. Honestly, she couldn’t help but rejoice.
“All right! I’m so happy!”
“Me too, Rani.”
“And here’s the audience chamber,” Reddas announced. “Shall we enter?”
“Yes!” Inglis and Rafinha, their hearts dancing with anticipation, stepped into the audience chamber where King Carlias awaited. The chamber was already crowded, and as they entered, they drew attention at once. Inglis and Rafinha heard their whispers as they walked past.
“Oh, they’re here!”
“As beautiful as ever!”
“Ah, so that’s the girl they’ve been talking about... She certainly—ah, but...”
Judging by their clothing, Reddas s Royal Guard are the most prevalent, but there's others as well, Inglis thought. By their own fine attire, maybe they're aristocrats close to King Carlias?
“Congratulations!” someone called out, and then other exclamations rang out.
“Congratulations!”
“I’ll follow you to my dying breath!”
Cheers and clapping erupted.
“Huh?” Inglis and Rafinha tilted their heads in confusion. Just what was there to be so overjoyed about?
“Wait, wait, everyone. It’s too soon, they haven’t been told anything yet,” Reddas chuckled and called out. “Now, please, step before His Majesty.” He cleared a path for Inglis and Rafinha before stepping back himself. It was as if he were a subordinate or a retainer to them, paying respect to his superiors. At any rate, it was an unnatural level of humility.
“Y-Yes...” A bit bewildered, Inglis and Rafinha made their way to King Carlias’s throne.
Inglis set one knee on the ground and bowed deeply. “Inglis Eucus and Rafinha Bilford respond to your summons.”
“Mm. I welcome you... Ah, I see. Before you were palace maids, today students at the knights’ academy—but beautiful flowers either way.”
“Thank you,” Inglis said after a pause. She was more the practical type. She’d take the feast over the praise. There was only so long she could keep her stomach from rumbling, and this would be a very awkward situation for it to do so. So—feast first!
“I’m sure many of you have already met this pair, but not everyone has. These two young ladies are the ones who saved my life during the recent battle!
I’d like to thank them for their help on that occasion.” King Carlias bowed his head.
Inglis had already thought that King Carlias didn’t care at all about vanity or appearances. His bow further reinforced that impression.
That’s why he can so easily bow to a mere student of his own knight’s academy like me. I believe Prince Wayne shares the same tendency. Their politics may be in opposition, but their personalities are similar.
Clap, clap, clap!
The cheers arose again.
“You did a wonderful job!”
“Thank you for saving His Majesty in our stead!”
“I’ll never forget the sight!”
Praise, followed by more praise.
“Ha ha ha, it feels good being honored like this,” Rafinha whispered to Inglis.
It’s good that Rafinha’s happy, but... “I’d really rather get to the feast myself... If I don’t soon, my stomach is going to get loud!”
“Ugh, me too... But that would be very rude in front of the king, so we have to endure!”
A hundred words of praise aren’t worth a single bite of meat. C’mon, c’mon...
“Especially you, Inglis...” King Carlias said.
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“You single-handedly took on a Highlander archlord and repelled the Steelblood Front assault. I must say, the way you fight is less like a beautiful girl and more like a fierce god!”
“It’s an honor.” Inglis bowed slightly. Honestly, she was barely listening to what King Carlias had to say. She was focusing on keeping her stomach quiet.
Plus, she was preoccupied with an anticipation of the upcoming words: And thus, let us celebrate with a feast! Bring the food!
“Mm. Whether standing before myself now or Ivel before, you remain calm and collected, not showing even the slightest hesitance.”
That wasn’t true. For one, she was nervous because it would be embarrassing if her stomach rumbled, and she was excited. She couldn’t stop imagining the palace’s extravagant feast, of course. All told, she was anything but calm and collected right now.
“Reddas tells me that, though still a young girl, you have not just a keen strategic eye and an eloquent tongue, but an extraordinarily sharp mind as well.”
“Yes,” she said after another pause.
“And thus I have decided to reward your achievements with the utmost sincerity.”
Here it is! The banquet begins! A feast. I’m so happy. I can feel myself start to smile.
“Inglis Eucus, I proclaim you the new captain of the Royal Guard!”
Inglis’s eyes snapped wide open. She was paying attention now.
“Whaaat?!” Rafinha screamed in her place.
“Congratulations!” Those in attendance must have known that King Carlias would announce this. That was why a few had cheered too early.
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
The sound of the clapping and cheers echoed through the audience chamber.
“But what about my feast?”
Grrrgl!
Unable to hold back any longer, her stomach made a fierce rumble at the end of her question. Fortunately, the applause drowned it out.
“Y-You? Captain of the Royal Guard, Chris? It doesn’t seem possible...” Rafinha’s eyes seemed likely to roll to the back of her head from shock.
Having overheard Rafinha, King Carlias smiled. ‘Tou may be forgiven for thinking so. It’s certainly an unusual choice. But I believe my own eyes. Inglis is of a caliber to rival even a holy knight or a hieral menace. Why not bring out the best in her? As a king, one must evaluate people properly and treat them in accordance.”
To be honest, if I wanted to be a captain to the knights, that’s well within my capabilities, Inglis thought. In my past life, lied a large country, one much larger than this. Compared to that, leading an order of knights would be easy. In that sense, King Carlias is correct in his perception. He accurately assessed my abilities. But at the same time, he’s wrong. Correct in regard to my abilities, but incorrect in regard to my nature. Rafinha knows me better. This is impossible.
“But the main problem is that Chris’s personality isn’t really suited for that—no, even before that, Reddas, are you fine with no longer being the captain?”
Rafinha turned to Reddas, as if looking for his help. If Inglis were to become the captain of the Royal Guard, Reddas would go down in rank. Surely he had to have objections to this.
However, Reddas shook his head without the slightest hesitation. “I don’t mind at all! In fact, I beg it of Inglis! I accept the demotion to lieutenant- captain and will serve the new captain with whole-hearted devotion!”
“Huuuh?! Wh-Why go so far?!” Rafinha exclaimed.
“In the moment when Inglis... No, when Captain Inglis confronted Ivel from Highland and kicked him far beyond the castle...I felt a frightening sense of pleasure. Didn’t you all?” he called out to his knights.
“Yes! We did!”
“It was unbelievably refreshing!”
Ivel’s behavior, even toward King Carlias, was utterly lacking in respect, simply trampling his dignity. Inglis’s blow seemed to have literally kicked away the depression of Reddas and the knights who had been forced to watch it up close.
“Until now, we have only been able to bow down to the Highlanders. No matter how outrageous their treatment of us, we have had no choice but to endure. Without the Artifacts granted to us by Highland, we would have no way to defend ourselves from the magicite beasts... Even the power of holy knights and the hieral menaces derive from Highland. There was no way to change our subordinance to Highland... Nonetheless, Captain Inglis, with neither Rune nor Artifact, was able to defeat a Highlander of the grandest rank. She broke through our way of thinking, our sense of stagnation! Her beauty, her power in that moment is etched into our minds! We can’t get it out of our heads! Captain Inglis, please lead us!” Reddas insisted.
“We beg of you!”
“Captain Inglis!”
The Royal Guard, including Reddas, wrere in a fervor. They all gazed at Inglis, eyes gleaming with hope.
“And that is why there’s no need to worry, Inglis,” King Carlias said. “You’ve completely charmed the Royal Guard. You are a true goddess defending this country, more than even a hieral menace... I entrust these men to you.” He clapped a hand on Inglis’s shoulder.
A short, portly man wearing not a knight’s armor but the clothing of a civilian official cut through the swelling enthusiasm before Inglis could even respond. “B-but, Your Highness! I cannot approve! I-Is she not a Runeless?! Granting her a high rank such as captain of the Royal Guard would set a poor example! There is simply no precedent! It violates our country’s knightly traditions!”
“Fool! There is no need to worry about such trifling matters in light of Inglis! Her talents are so outstanding that she needs no Rune! Hers is a new existence, unbound by the old ways... To reject the unknown, to continue to fear change, will leave us unable to survive on the surface!” King Carlias announced.
“His Majesty is correct! We of the Royal Guard approve. Who can overrule us?” Reddas agreed.
“Indeed!” Inglis finally said, having watched quietly all this time. “I agree with this man!” She turned to face the administrator.
“What?!” Everyone but Rafinha let out a stunned gasp.
Inglis brandished her right hand, bare of any Rune. “As you see, I have no Rune—and this country’s rule is that the Runeless rise no higher than trainee squire! The king, meant to set the standard for all, and Reddas, the captain of the Royal Guard, would break that themselves?”
“Ngh?!” Reddas grunted.
“B-But, Inglis!” King Carlias began.
Inglis knew they would keep insisting she take the position, but she wouldn’t back down. The time has come to fight. I, for one, am absolutely against this personnel decision. It's too bothersome. As a knight captain, I would be walking the same path as my previous life: offering my life up to the country and its people.
Inglis was done with that. She’d already exhausted its possibilities in her previous life. It should be left to someone else, someone more motivated. She wanted to stand on the front lines, sharpening her skills in battle.
So I absolutely refuse...but it wouldn't be good to offend King Carlias with my refusal. I've come to like my position and my life as a student at the knights'academy, and if I were to end up in a situation where I couldn't stay in the country, I'd be separated from Rafinha. So I need to refuse, calmly but firmly!
Inglis spoke clearly to those around her. “Rules are made to be followed. Thus, I cannot accept a position as a knight captain. I do not want our knightly traditions, handed down unbroken from generation to generation, to be bent for me alone!”
“B-But, Inglis—do we not weave our future by reviewing our old customs, and finding better ones?!” King Carlias argued.
“His Majesty is correct! We must make the decisions that are truly for the best of our country and its people rather than clinging to rigid tradition! You have inspired that in us!” Reddas insisted.
As Inglis had expected, both wTere firmly set on her appointment. They seemed to truly believe that installing Inglis as a knight captain was for the sake of the country. It was a good attitude to have, willing to see the good in things without being bound by wisdom passed down from elders.
It was wonderful—but that was precisely why it was bothersome. Inglis didn’t want to get herself involved in things for the sake of society or the sake of others. “But is it sure to be a better way? Is it truly for the sake of the country and its people? Isn’t one here, now, objecting?”
“A trifling matter, Inglis. A trifling matter set against much greater ones,” King Carlias said.
“Indeed. He merely seeks to safeguard his own position!” Reddas agreed.
“It’s only natural for a person to safeguard their position. I see nothing wrong with it—were I a knight captain, others would surely voice their discontent.”
“Yet still...!”
“But...!”
“And at the same time, seeing my Runeless self become a knight captain, other squires would seize the hope of one day becoming knights. Yet would
that hope not be forlorn?”
“Of course, if they did not share your power.”
“It’s because they lack the strength to wield Artifacts.”
“Yes, but if I, Runeless, rise so far as captain of the Royal Guard, yet nothing changes for them, would they not be dissatisfied? Those now of status
would jump at shadows, those now squires would feel only a moment of elation. It would lead to division between those with Runes and those without. I
fear that my single exception would lead to unnecessary conflict. Please consider this. I cannot defend the country alone. It can only be done if we are united,
standing hand-in-hand. Our country has a tradition and a record of accomplishing this, even if it’s meant relying on the Highlanders. Is it worth driving a
wedge between us to make me a knight captain? There may be something to gain, but I believe there’s much to lose. I don’t want to see the country driven
into chaos for my sake!”
“Hmm... Even a small movement of the heart cannot avoid creating division, you say...” the king said.
“So you mean that in the overall view, it would be a poor choice for the country?” Reddas asked, seeing her point now.
“Yes. So...unfortunately, I cannot accept the position. It’s truly a shame, but...” As Inglis spoke, a single tear ran down her cheek. It was half an act, but
half serious.
It's no lie that I have regrets. Not, of course, about the position as a knight captain nor staying in my lower status. I regret the feast that could have awaited.
After she’d declined the appointment, there was no way King Carlias would see a cause for celebration and a banquet. She was truly sad in light of the
feast that might have awaited, and she couldn’t help but cry, but she probably had no choice but to depart.
“Chris...” Nearby, Rafinha also cried. She understood from the circumstances that she’d have to give up on the feast.
“Inglis...” the king said.
“I’m sorry to have put you through this,” Reddas apologized.
Her emotion seemed to have a different meaning to King Carlias and Reddas. The tears of Inglis, already a stunning beauty at fifteen, seemed to resonate in their hearts. It seemed they were likely to give in. But what would it mean? There would be no feast, only the work of politely rejecting a post she had no interest in.
At this rate, I should have kept helping with the knights’academy rebuilding and gotten rations. Those re probably gone by now too. No, this is just the begi?ining—tio matter what, I need to make the most of it. At least let me have this! With that resolve kept firm, Inglis again kneeled before King Carlias. “Your Majesty, while I cannot accept a position as captain of the knights, I offer my strength to you.”
“Hm... Meaning?”
“In the event of a crisis such as the one recently, I will rush to your aid, so call on me. Use my strength as you will. In this way, the unneeded conflict of raising me to knight captain will be avoided. I believe that, in a way, this is how I can be used most effectively.”
“But you would be—”
“I don’t mind. I have no need for status or honors. As long as my heart is satisfied, I want for nothing.” And, of course, what would satisfy her heart was fighting strong enemies, gaining battle experience, and witnessing her growth. But how her words would be taken depended on the listener.
“What an admirable young lady! I’m impressed by your spirit.” King Carlias seemed to have come away with the understanding that it was for the good of the country and its people. Inglis had not lied—she knew listeners would read certain things in her words, though.
“I see... It’s a shame,” Reddas said. “I had wanted to serve under your command. Simply being beside a form as beautiful as the moon in the night sky, in the company of the fragrance of the sweetest flower, would have been like heaven every day...”
The room went silent.
“Ah, er...! A-Anyway! Even though you won't become the knight captain, I'll still be able to fight by your side, right?!”
“Yes. When the time comes, we will fight together. When you need my strength, call on me.”
From Inglis's perspective, being available to fight a powerful foe without committing to any annoying responsibilities was an even better result than she could have hoped for. It was a dream come true. There were differences in the thinking of those who fought for a cause and those who fought for the sake of fighting—but that was fine. Each was good for the other. She had made the most of it, she thought.
“Now, if you'll excuse me...” Inglis bowed deeply and left the audience chamber.
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