Chapter 5: Krena vs. Vice-Captain of the Knights

Three months had passed since the Appraisal Ceremony, and it was now July. No word had come from the feudal lord during this time. Allen’s family spending the night seemed to have done the trick in helping Rodin and Gerda reconcile. According to Theresia, the two of them getting into spats had been a pretty common occurrence ever since their childhood.

Summers here at this frontier village were hot, with the temperatures easily climbing above thirty degrees. Allen was careful to make Mash drink water frequently so that he would not get dehydrated. Now that he had turned two, he was capable of walking and followed Allen everywhere. Once he turned three, he would also be granted permission to go out into the garden.

Not much had changed with Allen’s training menu or his Status. He was close to reaching Synthesis Lvl. 3, but because he had to Create two cards first before being able to Synthesize them, it was taking quite a while. Sword Mastery was, of course, still at Lvl. 3. Leveling up in Hell Mode was no walk in the park.

“Allen, are you ready?”

“Yes, mama.”

Today was a big day—an order of knights would be visiting the village. Rather than summon Krena, the feudal lord had chosen to dispatch his knights to call on her instead. A herald had arrived a few days ago to inform the village chief, who had in turn visited Gerda’s house the next day to pass along the message that he was to bring Krena to the residential area that day.

The order of knights, huh. The authorities who rule this fiefdom. They’re practically gods in the eyes of us serfs. I hope they won’t cut people down just for meeting their gaze...

Although it had been Krena and Gerda who had been summoned, Rodin wanted to be there as well. He wanted to witness, in person, the moment that his childhood friend obtained success beyond his social class. And in turn, Gerda had also invited him to come.

“All right, we’re off, Theresia.”

Once again, Theresia was staying home to take care of Mash. It was too important an occasion to bring him along, as he might get startled by the horses or large crowd and start crying.

Soon, Rodin and Allen reached Gerda’s house. The large man and his daughter were both standing outside waiting. Mathilda was next to them with Lily in her arms.

The instant Krena caught sight of Allen, she started waving her arm vigorously. “Alleeennnn!” she cried in a loud voice.

She looks so happy today. Not that I don’t understand how she’s feeling.

For almost three years now they had continued to play knight. Every single one of those days, Krena had introduced herself as “Krena the knight.” Today, finally, she was going to meet real ones. Her excitement was palpable.

“I’m gonna become a knight today!”

“Ha ha ha,” Gerda chuckled, ruffling Krena’s hair. “We’ll still have to ask, all right? It’s not confirmed yet.”

Ah, I bet the two of them have been like this the entire day.

The group of four—Mathilda was also staying behind to look after Lily—struck off together. Krena talked nonstop until the residential area eventually came into view.

“Where’re we supposed to go?” Rodin asked.

“Deboji said the square,” Gerda replied.

“The square? Not his house or the gate?”

By the time they arrived, there was already a whole crowd gathered in the center of the residential area where the square was located. Murmurs of “the Sword Lord’s here!” rippled through the crowd like waves as people parted to make way. Apparently they had all gathered after hearing that the knightly order would be coming today. In a rare change of pace, the majority of the attention was not on Allen for having black hair and eyes.

No one approached Krena and Gerda. The general mood in the air was to simply await the knights’ arrival.

Hold on, we’re going to have to wait over two whole hours? Great, I’ve got nothing to do, so...might as well nap.

Allen started dozing off, not caring in the slightest about any looks directed his way. For him, this was the same thing as sleeping while riding the bullet train or on a plane. As a general rule, when he had nothing to do, he would sleep. And because he did so, Krena leaned against him and started nodding off as well.

Eventually, the bell clanged again, signaling noon. This incredibly loud noise—due to how close it was—caused both children to jolt awake.

“Bwuh?!”

“Hey there, sleepyhead. Looks like they’re here,” Rodin said in response to Allen’s sleepy gasp. The knights had arrived at twelve o’clock on the dot.

Oh? Are they already within sight? I can’t see from this position...

The villagers buzzed with conversation. During the time Allen had been asleep, the crowd had grown significantly larger. There were even quite a number of serfs who usually never came to this part of the village.

Before long, the clip-clop of horse hooves rang out.

They really are here! They seriously came all the way to this frontier village. How far away is the feudal lord’s city anyway?

The order of knights soon came into view. Clearly it was not the entire order, as there were only ten or so knights, all mounted on horses. Their small number made sense, as they were only here to see Krena, not to fight against some terrifying enemy.

The village chief patiently stood in front of the crowd. Soon enough, the man who appeared to be the leader of the knights stopped in front of him. Allen could not hear what was being said, but judging by the village chief’s body language, he was probably welcoming the knights to the village. He then pointed toward Krena.

The knights’ leader removed his helmet—as did the rest of the knights a beat later—and looked directly at the pink-haired girl. She returned their gazes with glittering eyes, already wide awake.

The village chief beckoned with his hands, as if asking Krena to approach. Gerda looked at Rodin, who nodded back. It was time to meet the knights. Gerda walked forward, pulling his daughter along. Rodin and Allen stayed where they were and just watched.

Are the knights going to bring her back with them? It’s a bit strange thinking that I won’t have an afternoon nap buddy or a partner to play knight with anymore.

Allen stared at his childhood friend, feeling somewhat melancholic while also wishing her the best. Although she was now a fair distance away, her energetic “I’m Krena!” could be heard all the way back where he stood. The brawny Gerda was acting meek as a mouse. It looked like he chastised his daughter for being too loud.

The knights’ leader, who had a strapping body himself, stroked his mustache while talking with Gerda. As Allen watched on, however, Gerda jerked backwards in surprise and shouted, “What?! That’s unreasonable, m’lord!”

The conversation seemed to have taken a worrying turn. In order to hear what they were saying, Allen decided to get closer, weaving between the villagers who had started whispering furiously to one another in response to this unexpected development.

Gerda seemed to be in the middle of desperately making a case for something. “—rd, Krena is still a five-year-old child who has never held a real sword before. She ca—”

“Enough. She is a Sword Lord, is she not? Then there should be no issue. Or was the report of her Talent falsified?”

“N-No, m’lord, she was declared a Sword Lord at the Ceremony. But fighting against an actual kni—”

“Vice-Captain Leibrand, into position,” the company leader barked toward a subordinate who had already dismounted, uninterested in listening to Gerda’s impassioned pleas any longer.

“Yes, Captain!”

The other knights moved their horses to the edge of the square. The village chief was quite flustered, not knowing what was going on, but complied with the order to show the knights to the village stable.

“Please, m’lord, Krena will die! Please show mercy!” Gerda fell to his knees and bowed so low he literally planted his face into the ground.

“It appears that you still don’t get it, so I will put it simply: anyone who submits a false reading from the Appraisal Ceremony will receive the death penalty. In this case, it would be both you and your daughter. If she does not fight against my subordinate right here and now, we will cut the both of you down for the crime of fraudulent Talent declaration. Make your choice.”

Gerda fell silent, despair emanating from his every pore. He watched as another knight drew a sword and handed it to his daughter. The naked blade, which resembled a medieval longsword, was double-edged and nearly as long as Krena was tall.

Are these guys serious?! That’s ridiculous! What’s going on here? Did the knights plan on doing this from the start? Is that why they designated the square as the meeting point?

As Allen finally understood the situation and furiously racked his brains for a solution, Krena adorably asked, “If I beat Mr. Knight, do I get to become a knight too?”

The knight captain looked surprised, then replied, “I...suppose if you can beat him, the path toward becoming a knight yourself would be opened, yes.”

“Okay!”

The pink-haired girl was the only person who was smiling at the moment. She stared at the very first real sword she had ever held with sparkling eyes.

The rest of the knights returned and proceeded to herd the gathered villagers backwards to create enough space for Krena and the vice-captain to fight in.

“Please, m’lords, we beg your mercy!”

Gerda could not help but beg for leniency once again, but he was summarily escorted to the edge of the square, with one knight even standing guard next to him.

“Enough, I said. Dverg the Sword Lord defeated a red dragon by himself when he was but ten years old. Your daughter is already five, is she not?” The captain’s point was that Krena should already be more than capable of fighting.

Allen and Rodin hurried to where Gerda was.

Is this really happening?! This has turned into one hot mess!

Even Allen had no idea what to do. He was equally powerless against the knights himself, being only Lvl. 1 and having Summoning only at Lvl. 2. He would not last a second in a direct fight.

Krena and Vice-Captain Leibrand both moved to the center of the impromptu ring, facing each other with swords readied. Whereas the former was a little girl barely over a meter tall clad in little more than rags, the latter was a fully armored man almost twice her height. Their difference in power was plain to see. The villagers all cast pitying looks toward Krena from where they stood at the edge of the square.

Despite the situation, Krena looked entirely unfazed. There was not a shred of worry on her face. Rather, it was as if she thought this was a game. Just as she always did, she named herself out loud using the line that Allen had heard more than a thousand times.

“I am Krena the knight! Let us fight with honor!”

The knight paused briefly, then replied, “I am Sir Leibrand the knight. Come at me.”

There was no referee or starting signal. The battle had already begun. Krena charged forward like how she always did when playing with Allen. She lifted the heavy metal sword as if it was nothing and brought it down in a flash. There was no hesitation whatsoever in her movements, despite this being her first time wielding a sword with a real edge.

The knight parried her attack with his own weapon, causing a loud metallic clash.

Considering how my Sword Mastery is Lvl. 3, Krena’s is probably Lvl. 5, right?

If Allen really was the only person in this world who was in Hell Mode, then the math could be done to figure out Krena’s skill level. Almost all her training had been with Allen, so he could assume the amount of Skill XP she gained was similar to his own. And because he had to earn a hundred times more Skill XP to level up, and because the amount of Skill XP required to level up a skill would go up by a factor of ten for each successive level, it meant Krena’s Sword Mastery should have been higher than his by two.

Even as Allen continued his analysis, Krena and the knight continued slashing at each other furiously, every attack powerful enough to be lethal. The air of the square was filled with the cacophonous clangs of metal on metal.

Most of the villagers had expected Krena to be killed as soon as the fight began. However, she had grown so much from the three years of “playing knight” that she apparently had the ability to stand her ground against a fully trained knight.

The knight captain watched silently with his arms crossed, his face unreadable. Several minutes and dozens of clashes later, the fight that had seemed equal up until now saw a sudden development.

“Kuh!” The air left Krena’s lungs as Leibrand’s armored foot landed squarely on her abdomen. There was no rule that they could only use their swords. The perfectly timed attack sent the girl flying through the air and crashing against a building. She crumpled to the ground, her head bowed. The wall had been made of solid wood, and yet the force of the impact had still left very conspicuous cracks on its surface.

“KRENA!!!” Allen yelled. He and Gerda tried to dash forward to help, but the knights closest to them wrestled them to the ground.

It really was too much for her! She is still only Lvl. 1 while that knight must have way more skills and experience from years of service. There was no hope of winning from the very start. What should I do?!

“What is—?! Stay still, kid!”

“Let me go, you asshole!”

Unfortunately, the man holding Allen down was far stronger than he was. The boy strained to get up, but could not budge an inch. There was no way for him to get free.

Leibrand stood still, choosing not to pursue Krena and deliver a finishing blow. The entire crowd’s eyes were on the limp figure of the girl. Seeing as how the knight had kicked with his full strength using an armored boot, many villagers even suspected that Krena was dead.

The knight captain closed his eyes and sighed heavily. “She couldn’t do th— Hm?”

Just when everyone thought it was all over, Krena slowly rose to her feet, still looking downward. The sword in her hand—which she had not let go of despite being sent flying—came back up as she adopted a fighting stance. Allen watched her with trepidation from his position on the ground.

Leibrand also raised his sword once more. However, he showed no intention of charging forward. Just as before, he was clearly waiting for Krena to attack him.

Krena’s head shot up. She and Leibrand stared straight into each other’s eyes for a while. As the villagers watched nervously, wondering if she was going to continue fighting, Krena suddenly shouted, “RAAHH!” That moment, the cracked wall behind her exploded into smithereens as an aura exploded from her body, enveloping her in a shimmering contour that looked like a heat haze.

Wait, what?!

In the same breath, Krena charged forward once again. She leaped high up into the air and rotated furiously to add centrifugal force to her swing before bringing her sword down. The powerful attack descended upon Leibrand’s head like a flash of lightning.

“Ugh!”

The knight needed to use both hands to block the slash, but the shock of the impact still ran through his body. The attack was so powerful that his feet sank slightly into the hardened dirt ground of the square.

“HAAAAHHH!”

Leibrand also let out a battle cry as the exchange of swords resumed. Sparks exploded in bursts again and again, vivid even under the blazing sun. However, things were clearly different from before. With every blow, the knight lost ground. He stepped back once, twice, thrice, unable to withstand the shock of the blows being meted out. No longer was the fight evenly matched. Even the villagers, most of whom knew nothing about sword fighting, could tell that he was being backed onto the ropes. Krena was swinging her weapon with unbelievable strength and speed, as if the hunk of metal as long as she was tall was but a mere twig.

What? What’s going on?! Wait, could this be...an Extra Skill?

Allen found a possible answer to what he was witnessing within his memories. Back when he had been selecting the settings for the “game” that was this world, he had read in the description for Normal Mode that it included “the opportunity to roll for one Extra Skill.” He now suspected this condition was the same for the residents of this world.

Sword Mastery is just a Normal Skill that even I was able to acquire. Krena must have been born with an Extra Skill that complements her class as a Sword Lord.

The difference in strength between Krena and Leibrand was so significant that Allen had regained the calmness to resume analyzing the situation. Krena losing no longer seemed even possible now. The grip of the knights holding Allen and Gerda down loosened as they, too, looked on with slack-jawed astonishment, forgetting themselves.

“HYAAAHHH!!!” Krena swung her sword horizontally.

CLANG!

A disbelieving “N-No way!” escaped Leibrand’s lips as he stared at what was now the remaining half of his sword. The broken-off blade flew through the air then pierced the ground. However, the knight quickly regained himself and lifted his broken sword to prepare for the next incoming attack.

“STOP! Both sides, lower your weapons!” the captain of the knights shouted.

“Whaaat?” Krena asked in an unsatisfied tone, as if she had not had enough. “No more?”

“That’s right. The fight is over.”

The girl’s shoulders slumped a little, but then she picked herself back up. She trotted over to Leibrand and bobbed her head. “Thank you very much! You’re very strong, old Mr. Knight!”

Leibrand replied with a stiff face, “I-I’m not that ol—”

He never got to finish his sentence, however, as his hips suddenly gave way and his knees hit the ground.

“What?! You there, take care of the vice-captain!” the captain barked with urgency. After all, it was unbecoming for a knight to be kneeling in front of so many commoners and serfs—after having lost to a five-year-old girl, no less. Two other knights lent Leibrand their shoulders and helped him up, carrying him off somewhere. The way they were supporting him indicated that he could no longer even stand by himself. When he passed by, the captain gave him a few pats on the shoulder as if to say, “Well done.”

Krena approached the captain, still holding her sword. The man stiffened slightly as if in wariness.

“Thank you very much! It was fun!”

“Hm— Huh?!”

When the knight captain accepted the sword that Krena was returning, his brows shot up incredulously. The steel blade was squashed flat and its edge was badly chipped in more places than could be counted. Even more surprising was the handle. Although this was also made of steel, there were now ripples on its surface as if it was a stick of modeling clay with the imprint of a child’s hand. The knight could not even imagine just how powerful Krena’s grip had been. A chill went down his back as he handed the weapon that could no longer be sheathed to a subordinate.

“Sh-She really is a Sword Lord...”

“The rumors were true! She defeated a knight!”

“Her swings were so fast I couldn’t even see the blade!”

The villagers were in a complete uproar after having beheld such an unforgettable spectacle. This day, more than two hundred people bore witness to a fight that started seemingly for no reason and ended with Krena’s indisputable victory.

＊ ＊ ＊

When he was freed, Gerda immediately rushed over to Krena to check if she was hurt anywhere. She had just clashed swords what looked like over a hundred times with a full-grown adult. It would not have been strange at all for her to have taken at least a few slashes. What’s more, she had taken the full brunt of Vice-Captain Leibrand’s kick and had been sent flying dozens of meters into a wall. As it turned out, however, she was entirely unhurt—she did not have even a single bruise on her body. She giggled ticklishly under Gerda’s worried fussing. Final damage tally: slightly dirtier clothes. That was it.

Has she always been this tough? Wait a sec, has she ever gotten hurt during our “play knight” sessions?

Every once in a while, Allen had had no choice but to block Krena’s swings with his arms or legs. Whenever that happened, he would end up with painful-looking bruises. Now that he thought about it, however, he realized that he could not recall a single time that Krena had ever been injured.

“Well done developing her abilities as a Sword Lord this far. That was impressive,” the captain of the order said as he approached, calmly offering Gerda a hand. The truth, however, was that another chill had just run down his back when he overheard how Krena was entirely unhurt. The contrast to Leibrand, who could no longer even stand and had to be carried out of the square, was stark.

Gerda looked up warily. Understandably so, as his daughter had just been forced to fight for her life out of the blue. Thankfully, she had won, but one wrong step and she might have died.

The knight captain kept his hand extended as if he wanted Gerda to take it as an indication of his forgiveness. Gerda’s face was all red from bottled-up rage—he had always had a short fuse, so much so that it was almost always he who threw the first punch whenever he and Rodin fought. However, he understood that the difference between his social status and that of the knight captain was like heaven and earth. His precious child, his close friend, and his friend’s child were all there with him. He did his best to suppress his anger and reverently accepted the proffered hand.

Clink.

Gerda started and looked up. Something had been placed into his hand. The sensation as well as the glitter he noticed through his fingers told him it was three gold coins; he had been handed money under the guise of a handshake. Despite being surprised, he managed to pull his hand back in a natural way without saying anything.

The captain turned to Deboji as if nothing had happened and asked, “So then, is there somewhere we can sit down and talk?” This was apparently him showing consideration to Gerda by giving him time to put the money away before the large number of surrounding villagers noticed.

“Y-Yes, milord. A feast is being prepared in your honor at my house.”

“Much appreciated. As for you, your name is Gerda, yes? Can I expect you and your daughter to be in attendance as well?”

“Wh— Um, uh...yes, m’lord.”

Noticing the look that Gerda shot toward Rodin, the knight captain said, “Ah, if you wish, your friend may also join us.”

Allen suspected that the knight captain was actively trying to get Gerda to lower his guard. Rodin nodded at Gerda as Krena invited Allen to come along as well. Just as the four of them were about to head to Deboji’s house together, however, it was revealed that the preparations for the feast would not be finished until around 3 p.m. Therefore, Rodin decided to head back to update Mathilda and Theresia, leaving Allen to stay with Gerda and Krena.

With nothing else better to do, the three went for a walk together. Everything was a new sight for Allen, who was seeing the residential area of the village practically for the first time ever.

This place is huge. The square just now could fit a hundred people easily. By my estimate, this village has a population of, say, three hundred?

As this was the heart of the village, there were quite a few shops lined up. Allen’s eyes were naturally drawn toward what appeared to be a commercial district.

Is that a weapons shop? And I spy plants inside of that place, is it a general store? Or a drug store?

It was not all that far from the square to the village chief’s residence. Allen’s first impression upon laying eyes on it was that it was massive. It seemed roughly the size of two stand-alone houses from modern Japan. Due to having lived the past several years in little better than a shack, he could not help but be overwhelmed by the sight.

When they knocked on the door, they were shown to a room where they could wait.

Because the knightly order arrived pretty much right on time, I guess we can expect the feast to start between 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Oh, it’s time to do my Creation and Synthesis.

A quick look at his grimoire showed Allen that his MP had topped back up. It did not matter that Rodin and Krena were also there with him, as they could see neither the tome nor the cards. He proceeded to convert his MP into Skill XP.

This was part of the daily routine he had been maintaining ever since he turned one year old. At first, he only managed to do it twice per day on average, but now he could maintain a steady schedule of both Creating and Synthesizing three times a day. He understood that the only way toward power was through diligent and unceasing effort.

After finishing within a few moments, he looked up to study the room he was in.

Looks like commoners really do have a much higher standard of living. Then again, maybe the village chief’s house isn’t the most accurate representation.

Soon Allen found himself with nothing to do once more. Just as he was thinking how much the trope of pastimes such as reversi becoming popular in otherworlds now made sense, he felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him. And of course, once he fell asleep, Krena followed suit, leaning against him. Gerda looked over them with a soft gaze, smiling wryly at how much the two of them slept.

＊ ＊ ＊

“Allen, wake up. It’s starting.”

“P-Papa...?” Allen looked around, rubbing his eyes, and found Rodin looking down at him. Two hours had passed.

Allen and Krena roused themselves, then headed with Rodin and Gerda toward the large room where the feast was being held. The closer they drew, the clearer they could hear the hubbub, indicating that there was already a sizable crowd. True enough, when they stepped inside, they found not only the knights, but also quite a few other villagers and their children present. They were wearing fine clothes, indicating that they were likely important people in the village. As it turned out, this banquet was not just for the knights, the village chief, and Gerda’s group alone.

Hey, that’s the village chief’s son. And that other one...what was his name again? He’s the one who’s an Ax User, right?

Allen looked around curiously as his group sat down at the table they were escorted to. Sharing the table with them was the knight captain, the village chief, a woman who seemed to be his wife, the village chief’s son, the Ax User boy, and a man who was likely his father. Of the three tables in total, this one was at the most honorable position at the front of the room. The remaining two tables were occupied by the other knights and villagers.

Since the Sword Lord had arrived, the feast could finally kick off. After the village chief gave his welcoming speech, the knight captain also stood up to offer a few words of commendation for the progress of the village’s development. However, none of the words entered Allen’s ears.

They’re serving molmo?! I’ve got to bring tw— no, three of them home for mama!

Both Krena and Allen had noticed that one of the plates on the table was loaded with molmo, a fruit they both loved. Allen made up his mind to nab some, if the opportunity arose, to bring home with him.

The knight captain was eating quite heartily, probably due to having grown hungry from the long trip. The oppressive aura that he had been emanating at the square had dissipated without a trace. Leibrand was not present at this feast. It was not clear if it was because he had not yet recovered enough to eat or if he was feeling awkward about having fought Krena.

The mood surrounding the knightly order has changed completely. Is this because now they know for sure that Krena is a Sword Lord? Would they really have killed her if she wasn’t?

As the conversation flowed, the knight captain suddenly turned to the village chief. “I said this before, but you’ve really done a good job with this village, Deboji. Things have changed quite a lot since my last visit three years ago.”

“Th-Thank you, milord. Everyone in the village has been contributing however they can,” Deboji replied, bobbing his head repeatedly.

Funny how he himself is kinda chubby while his son looks so gangly, Allen thought idly. I guess those genes didn’t get passed down.

“In light of all the effort you have dedicated over the past ten years, it’s a bit difficult for me to say this, but...”

“O-Of course, milord,” Deboji stuttered, anxiety clouding his face. “You can tell me anything.”

The knight lowered his head apologetically and said, “His Lordship said that if Krena was indeed proven to be a Sword Lord, this village will be named after her instead of you.”

“I’m sorry, milord?”

In most cases, a newly founded frontier village would be named after the person who “contributed the most to the development of the village.” In most cases, this would be the village chief by default. Previously, there was talk that the same would be true here.

The captain seems a lot more humble now than my first impression of him. Was he acting out there in the square earlier?

“I-I see. We shall comply with His Lordship’s decision, of course.”

Deboji did not attempt to protest the announcement. Or rather, it was more correct to say that he knew that nothing would change even if he did attempt to protest.

Ahh, so our feudal lord wants to make this “the village where Krena the Sword Lord was born.”

The meal had only just started, but it seemed the knight wanted to get this news off his chest as soon as possible. As the conversation went on, more and more dishes kept being carried in. It was the first “proper” meal that Allen had had since coming to this world. He hungrily shoveled down all the dishes that were not just blandly roasted or boiled. Whenever no one was watching, he tucked a molmo under his seat.

“There’s one more thing I ought to say,” the knight captain continued, turning toward Gerda. “I sincerely apologize for springing the fight on the Sword Lord so suddenly just now. His Lordship is somewhat sensitive to this matter as of late, though it isn’t particularly his fault.”

“I...see?”

Apparently the knight intended to properly explain the backstory for the fight with Leibrand in the square, also stressing to Deboji that this was something he needed to know. Rodin and Gerda gave him their undivided attention as the village chief indicated that he was all ears.

“The truth is, there was an incident three years ago involving the son of a count who was said to be a Sword Lord.”

A Sword Lord born to a count? Hold on, didn’t Sword Lords only go up to baron? Allen thought back to the character selection options that he had seen in his old world. He recalled checking the social classes available for Sword Lord and seeing only serf, commoner, and baron.

The knight captain continued his story. The boy was lauded as a Sword Lord and, when he came of age, was accepted into service by the royal family. He did indeed have a strong build and impressive proficiency with the sword. However, at a moment when he needed to activate his true power as a Sword Lord, what he managed was underwhelming, to put it mildly. There was at the time another Sword Lord in active service to the kingdom named Dverg, and the difference in strength between the two was like night and day.

“I see...” Gerda mumbled in response to show he was listening, but not fully understanding where the story was going.

“So then they re-appraised the boy. As it turns out, he was just a Swordsman, not a Sword Lord. The revelation was so shocking that many other nobles and their children were forced to be appraised once more. This revealed that there was a rather significant percentage who had been falsifying their Talents. Some were Talentless but claimed a Talent, whereas others had claimed a stronger Talent than their own, such as Mages claiming to be Archwizards and, well, Swordsmen claiming to be Sword Lords. The kingdom fell into a huge uproar.”

I see, so there were a large number of nobles embellishing their Talents.

“His Majesty the King was furious at this and penalized all the offenders. The count who had passed his son off as a Sword Lord was stripped of his title and his land. And so that is why, this time, I was ordered to come and confirm Krena’s abilities in person. Our review of the records of the Church had largely convinced us that there was no fraud involved in this instance, but we still had to be sure.”

The appearance of a Sword Lord in the fief was a matter that necessitated a report to the royal family. However, it was just recently that punitive action had been taken against some of the most prominent members of nobility due to false reports of the exact same thing. The records from the Church gave credence to this particular claim, but this proved insufficient for allaying the feudal lord’s worries. As such, he had deployed his order of knights to come investigate.

This explanation was actually far more than serfs had any right to expect in this world. The captain had meant it partly as an apology toward Gerda and Krena for testing them.

Everyone turned to look at Krena. She was currently focused solely on gorging herself with all the dishes that she had never seen before. It was clear that not a single word of what the knight just said had entered her ears.

Deboji cleared his throat. As the representative of the others, he said, “Thank you for sharing the circumstances of the situation with us, milord.”

The knight captain nodded. “Make sure that the results of next year’s Appraisal Ceremony are also reported without falsehood or inaccuracies. We would hate to have to punish you after all the work you did in this village. That said, we want accurate, undoctored reports whenever any issues or problems arise as well. Otherwise, we will be unable to provide you the support you require.”

A short while later, as this topic seemed about over, Gerda asked, “Um, m’lord, what will become of Krena going forward?” He wanted to know what she would have to do—or what he had to do for her—now that she was officially acknowledged as a Sword Lord.

“For now, simply raise her with love and care,” the knight replied, shooting a glance at the girl in question, who was still packing food away at an unbelievable speed.

“O-Of course, m’lord.”

“When she reaches twelve, however, she is to attend the Academy to gain an education. After she graduates, barring any unforeseen issues, she will likely be entering the direct service of the royal family.”

Whoa, there’s an academy!

“The royal family?!”

What Allen reacted to was the mention of a school, but what everyone else, including the village chief, reacted to was the mention of the royal family. Serving the royal family was an incredible honor, needless to say.

Gerda murmured pensively, “The Academy...”

“That’s right. Have you heard of Academy City before? It’s a place that cultivates Talented children and helps them develop their abilities.”

The knight captain also noted that attendance normally cost tuition, but because Krena was a Sword Lord, the feudal lord would be paying on her behalf.

“Can I become a knight if I go to school?!”

“Wha—?! Shush, Dogora! Don’t interrupt them!”

It was Dogora, the Ax User child, who had suddenly cut into the conversation, his eyes dazzling. He had a rather stocky build and a bumpkin face.

“Hm? Who is this child?” the knight captain asked.

“I’m sorry, m’lord!” Dogora’s father replied. “This is my son, Dogora. He is an Ax User by Talent and has always dreamed of becoming a knight.”

Although he was apologizing, he was still promoting his son as best he could. Of course, the only reason why he got himself at this table was to directly appeal to the captain of the knights.

“An Ax User, you say? Our order is currently most in want of Spear Users, but we still value Ax Users. If he manages to score highly on the Academy’s entrance exam, we shall support part of the cost of his tuition.”

Hmm, spears over axes. And he’s willing to provide financial aid.

Allen was surprised to hear that this world had a system similar to scholarships. However, it was easy to imagine that this likely came with the caveat that Dogora would be bound in service to the feudal lord after his graduation, at least until he could pay off the loan.

Dogora was just glad that he got a positive answer. He clenched a fist and shouted, “Awesome!”

The knight captain smiled and nodded, then said, “This will be a ways off still, but in order to ensure that Krena does not fail the entrance exam, I will make arrangements to send a tutor to this village. Make sure to study properly. And Dogora, if you are aiming to become a knight, then you should study together with Krena.”

“Thanks!”

Oh, so just having a Talent doesn’t guarantee enrollment.

The knight captain clarified that the tutor’s top priority would still be to help Krena pass, and that Dogora would be allowed to join the lessons only if doing so did not negatively affect Krena’s studies.

Dogora’s father kept knuckling his son’s head as if trying to drill into him to speak more respectfully. Still, he looked extremely happy while talking with the knight captain about the possibility of his son entering government service.

“Will you be studying too, Allen?” Krena asked all of a sudden.

“Hm?”

“What?! Black Hair is Talentless! Why does he get to study?! Weaklings can’t become knights!”

“Allen is super strong too! He always plays knight with me!”

“No way! I heard he has no Talent and his stats are super low! Like poop!”

“Nuh-uh! Allen is super, duper strong! And he knows everything!”

Krena, stop pouring oil on the fire!

The more Dogora bad-mouthed Allen, the more Krena puffed her cheeks in anger. Their exchange quickly turned into a shouting match, drawing the attention of the adults nearby. Then everyone’s gaze turned toward Allen, who had been simply eating and doing his best to maintain a low profile.

“Speaking of which, who is this black-haired child?” the knight captain asked. Although he did think the black hair and eyes a strange characteristic, he had not broached the subject earlier as he could not imagine him being more important than a Sword Lord.

“M’lord, he is my child,” Rodin responded with a bow. This was the first time he had joined in the conversation, despite it having been some time since the feast had started.

When the knight captain asked who he was, Gerda introduced him, saying, “This is my friend Rodin, m’lord.”

The knight looked up to the side as if attempting to recall something, then started. “Are you perhaps Rodin the Boar Hunter?”

Oh? He knows of my father? More importantly, my father has an alias?!

The knight captain’s attention shifted from the black-haired child to his father.

“Ah, yes, m’lord. That’s me.”

The knight captain’s attitude switched in an instant. “Oh! Please accept my sincere apologies. Why did you not name yourself earlier? Here I was, about to leave without knowing that I had shared a table with the champion of the village!”

“Um, you know of me, m’lord?”

“Of course I do! His Lordship has also praised you before. Increasing the food supply is one of the most pressing challenges facing this fiefdom. He was rejoicing at how a steady supply of great boar meat had suddenly appeared after this village was established and the fields were expanded.”

Every year, processed meat would make its way from the frontier village to the feudal lord’s city. The knight happily shared how the arrival of this meat had become so significant to the city that it was now said to be the herald of winter.

A single great boar yielded more than a tonne of edible meat. The frontier village alone could not consume even half of the meat that came from the hunts, and therefore would send a large portion to the feudal lord’s city. The several tonnes of meat had become a precious winter provision for the city as well.

“And when we looked into it, we discovered that the hunting effort was led by two men by the names of Rodin and Gerda. Absolutely remarkable! And these are not words from me. Take them as praise from His Lordship himself.”

Although it did not seem as if the knight captain would be directly rewarding Rodin, he did commend him in a loud voice that echoed throughout the room. The rest of the villagers had heard it clearly.

“Th-Thank you, m’lord.” Rodin appeared overcome with emotion, as though he felt like his years of effort had finally been acknowledged. Allen found himself feeling as proud as if he was the one being praised instead.

After that, the feast ended without anything else of note happening, and everyone turned homeward. Allen was cradling four molmo within his clothes. His step was a bit lighter than when he left, bouncing with the burning desire to tell Theresia about how Rodin had been praised in front of everyone.