Chapter 6
6
After Adrian left for the Knights, Nina scraped together the money Adrian had given her to pay off her debt.
The kitchen maids wished her well and sent Nina off.
Next, she volunteered for the Jet-Black Knights.
The Knights had so many casualties that they accepted anyone who volunteered, even the riffraff.
Though they might be carried out as corpses the next day.
Joining the Knights actually paid money.
Ten small gold coins were the price on her life. Still, they had a conscience and tried not to accept her because she was so young, so Nina showed them her wrist.
The symbol of a Spirit Contractor.
Seeing the Spirit Crest wrapped around her wrist like a band, they stamped her application with approval.
It was called the Knights, but for six months, she received training more suited for soldiers than knights. Nina had quite a talent, and the instructor lamented Nina's talent.
He secretly offered to pay to get her out, but Nina politely refused.
Everyone thought she was a boy, and Nina didn't bother to correct them.
Six months later, Nina joined the Jet-Black Knights. In the meantime, she heard all sorts of rumors about the Violet Forest.
A forest where everything was violet.
The rumors about the forest went something like this:
[In the violet forest that makes your eyes feel strange, there is a pure white hexahedron building.
Each face is embedded with a jewel, and each jewel is a Spirit Relic.
No one knows who built this building or when, but it is a Barrier in itself.
According to old tales, when God entrusted the world to the Great Spirit and crossed the Glass Sea, one of the Spirit Lords rebelled against the Great Spirit.
The rebellion was suppressed by the other Spirit Lords, and the Corrupted Spirit Lord was shattered and fell to the ground.
After that, Bellac, a corrupted life form, appeared on the ground.
The white building was a Barrier that proved this story was not just a legend.
A fragment of the Corrupted Spirit Lord is inside the Barrier, and the reason this forest is stained purple is because it is contaminated by the miasma flowing from the Corrupted Spirit Lord.]
Some scoffed, asking where this Violet Forest was, but Nina knew.
That all of that was true.
『To Meet Again』
Putting aside the fact that the title of the book had nothing to do with its contents, according to the book she had read, that content was true.
That was why she believed in the existence of Spirits and contracted with them.
All that was needed to contract with a Spirit was belief.
Believing in their existence and believing that they would lend their power.
The problem was that believing was difficult.
Who would jump off a cliff believing that they would contract with a wind Spirit and that its existence would answer their call?
Thanks to that, Spiritualists were very rare.
Only after her sister and brother died did Nina realize that this was the same world as 『To Meet Again』, and although it was late, she was able to contract with Spirits.
'North Wind' and 'Frost' were her Spirits. Adrian had contracted with the Spirits of 'Shadow and Darkness.'
Like sheep being herded by a shepherd, the new Jet-Black Knights arrived at the Violet Forest.
Fear and commotion spread among the new recruits as they faced the violet forest.
The existing members chuckled, betting on how many of them would die.
Amid the chaos, the new recruits lined up.
When the Young Master appeared on the platform, the recruits buzzed again.
But Nina, confirming the Young Master's face, raised her hand.
"Young Master!"
The look on Adrian's face at that moment.
It was difficult to break Adrian's smiling face, but Nina was quite proud that she had all the records of doing so.
This moment was one of the best.
'Why are you here?'
Adrian stared at Nina with such a dumbfounded expression.
Vice-Captain Louis, who was standing next to him, barely managed to salvage the situation, and Nina was immediately dragged to the Captain's office.
It was the first time she had seen Adrian so angry. But Nina was confident. If I'm not here, who will be?
Seeing Nina grinning, Adrian ran his hands over his face.
"So, you're not going back, are you?"
"No."
"You're saying you'll stay by my side?"
"Of course."
"You said that."
"Yes."
"There's no use in regretting it."
"There's nothing to regret."
When she said that with her shoulders straight, Adrian looked at Nina with a complicated expression.
After a long time, he sighed and finally returned to his usual self.
"Nina."
He called her affectionately, and Nina burst into tears.
"I missed you."
A trembling voice came out, and Adrian said, "Me too," with a hollow laugh.
From then on, the Jet-Black Knights changed rapidly.
Adrian reorganized all the formations. Nina scurried around, trying to unite the Knights.
Nothing much would happen for the time being, but it was good to do everything they could.
Well, as the kitchen sisters said, most of the Jet-Black Knights were out of their minds.
Still, Nina's sincerity got through to them, and Adrian's strategy also worked.
The most important thing was to make it a place where people could live.
'If I lived in a place like this, I'd just want to die tomorrow.'
Dirty bedding and terrible food.
A place and people that seemed to have no hope.
That had to be changed.
Although it was called the Violet Forest, not all parts of the forest were violet.
The center, where the Barrier was located, was a violet color close to black, and it faded towards the edges, so most of it was actually an ordinary forest.
Except that Bellac came out a lot.
First of all, Nina and Adrian agreed that cleanliness and order were important.
Wash and wipe everything clean, make rules, and make them keep them.
"Delicious food is important."
Nina said, making warm meals.
All the duchy gave was low-grade supplies, but the forest was a treasure trove of food.
The stew made with deer and rabbits was delicious and popular.
Delicious food simply made people happy, and fullness made people feel relaxed.
No dinner without doing OO.
As this rule took hold, people grumbled but moved for a delicious dinner.
The rules Adrian set were reasonable and concise.
Thanks to Adrian's efforts, the Jet-Black Knights grew remarkably in two years.
The mortality rate dropped to single digits, and the system was established.
Those who volunteered like Nina after paying their debt could leave the Knights after paying off their debt. It was an employment method that was closer to a mercenary than a knight. So most of them left the Knights as soon as they paid off their debt, but a very small number stayed.
It was a very satisfying and happy time.
Above all, it was good to be able to talk to Adrian comfortably.
Now she didn't have to hide.
How happy it was to be able to talk face to face, comfortably, always.
Often, the two of them would secretly play in the forest like other children their age. Of course, it was Nina who took his hand and led him out.
Nina even built a secret base on a tree, but was very disappointed when it was destroyed by Bellac.
Like a boy, Nina was unreserved in her words and actions, and everyone naturally thought of her as a boy knight.
The Jet-Black Knights were shocked to learn that Nina was a girl, and then looked back and forth between the two of them with a 'Ah, that's why' look on their faces.
Nina pouted and replied, 'It's friendship. No misunderstandings allowed,' but everyone just chuckled.
The Knights respected Adrian and loved Nina.
If these days continued, she could confess in front of the Glass Sea that it was a peaceful life.
It was at that time that Gerald's obituary arrived.
