Translator: Nox

Chapter 12

"It's about upholding chivalry. Knowing honor, being frugal, respecting the weak, and revering martial arts, just like Lady Teresa von Fran Almary."

Alice's eyes sparkled with admiration as she spoke Teresa's name. And Eki was startled by the unexpected mention of that name. It was the name of the Giosa Owner she had killed.

She retorted more brazenly to avoid showing her surprise.

"There's no rule that chivalry shouldn't be adorned."

"It's so obvious that no one even mentions it."

"So, why is it so obvious?"

"It's extravagant vanity!"

"It's not like I took out a loan to buy these clothes, so it's not extravagant. These are all things I used to wear. Wouldn't it be more extravagant to deliberately buy knightly clothes?"

"Is there any need to buy more? You can just wear the Cadet uniform."

"So, you're saying that because I'm displeasing to Miss Winterbell, I should only wear the Cadet uniform even though I have perfectly good clothes?"

Eki's words were almost sophistry, but Alice was at a loss for words. It seemed difficult for her to explain because she kept being refuted on something that was so obvious to her that it didn't even need to be said.

Alice's tightly pressed lips trembled as if she was frustrated. After hesitating, she finally brought up a more practical reason.

"...Y-You can't possibly wield a sword properly in such uncomfortable attire!"

"I'm not uncomfortable, though?"

In truth, she was uncomfortable. Having been born and raised as a noble, she was used to it, but there was no way she wouldn't be uncomfortable with the long, flowing skirts, the puffed-up petticoats, and the tightly laced corset. If she didn't have the skill to not be restricted by her attire, she might have considered other options.

Of course, Alice didn't believe Eki's words.

"That's ridiculous...!"

"Miss Winterbell knows my entrance exam scores, right? If you don't believe me, how about we spar in this state?"

Alice gritted her teeth and glared at Eki.

"Are you implying that you're so good that you can handle someone like me even in a dress?"

"Oh, I wouldn't be so rude as to think that. I'm just confident that I can beat Miss Winterbell."

[Aren't you basically saying the same thing?]

The Demon Sword chattered in her mind. Eki thought with a smile. I know, so shut up, you damn Demon Sword.

Even she thought she was being obnoxious, so Alice's explosion was inevitable. With a face flushed red with humiliation, Alice took out a glove from her chest and threw it.

"I formally challenge you to a duel, Cadet Ekinesia Roaz. If I win, you will apologize for the insult and never wear such extravagant clothes again."

"I accept, Alice Winterbell. If I win, you will no longer interfere with me."

"Very well. Set the time and place. Who will be the witness?"

It was customary for the challenged party to set the time and place, and to have a witness agreed upon by both sides. Alice, who looked like she was about to draw her sword at any moment, was as rigid as her image suggested, adhering to the rules of the duel.

Even before her regression, Eki had never even pretended to be a knight. So, this formal duel itself was a first for her. When she was gathering Giosas, she lived on the borderline between law and crime.

'Mercenaries usually threw a punch at the same time as issuing a duel. The back alley kids just stabbed you when you turned around. Knight aspirants are different, after all.'

She felt a sense of novelty and replied.

"At the training grounds behind the dormitory at sunset today. As for the witness... I don't really know anyone in Ajenka, so please recommend someone, Miss Winterbell."

"I am in the same situation, so I will ask the Cadet Representative. Do you agree?"

"Sure."

"Understood. Then."

Alice shot her a contemptuous look, turned sharply, and walked out. Eki quietly watched her leave, then reached for the bag she had left open.

"I stirred things up because I thought it would be better to have a fight beforehand to make things easier... I don't know how they'll react after the duel."

[Huh? You're not going to kill her? It's a duel, a legally sanctioned opportunity to kill! Hey, it's been too long since I've seen blood. Let's kill her, huh? Huh? If she's alive, she'll keep bothering you!]

"Just shut up, will you?"

Eki ignored the Demon Sword's words and continued to unpack.

She finally stopped unpacking when it was almost the end of lunchtime. And that wasn't because she was finished, but because she was hungry. When she was gathering Giosas, skipping meals was commonplace, but she had no intention of doing that now.

Room and board are basically provided to Military Cadets. Meals could be taken at the communal dining hall in the main building of the Military Academy. Most of the Cadets were nobles, so the menu was varied and of good quality.

Throughout the entire walk from the dormitory to the main building's communal dining hall, Eki was met with piercing gazes. She didn't pay much attention to those gazes. It was to be expected.

Among the Cadets in sweat-soaked training uniforms, or the basic dark blue Cadet uniforms, or even those who wore something different but neat and easy to move in, Ekinesia stood out.

Today, she was wearing a light dress with a pale sky-blue lining and a semi-transparent cloth overlay. The fresh flower-decorated hat was more for shielding her from the sunlight, and she had put on makeup.

The hat had a slight veil, which covered her face to some extent. Even though the places where the Giosa Owners stayed and the Military Academy were far apart, she was still nervous as it was her first day entering their vicinity, so she deliberately wore a hat.

Still, among the noble young ladies, it was just ordinary outing attire. But this was the Ajenka Military Academy, a place where there were quite a few female Cadets, yet not a single Cadet wore a skirt. It was inevitable that she would attract attention.

But being constantly watched even while eating was quite annoying. The Cadets glanced at her from a distance and whispered. She occasionally heard the word "crazy." They lowered their voices as much as they could to avoid being heard, but Eki heard everything.

'I sowed the seeds, I guess.'

She sighed inwardly and ate her stew. No one sat around her. Based on becoming a Master at the age of twenty-three, she would have to spend three years like this.

It wasn't a very pleasant thought. She had erased her past and started over, but she didn't want to live like an ascetic again.

'...Should I shorten it by about a year? Becoming a Master at twenty-two is understandable, right?'

It was then that a brown-haired man suddenly appeared.

"Are you Ekinesia Roaz? I found you easily because you look exactly as I heard."

The man smiled affably. He looked to be in his late twenties, and he wore an armband with blue embroidery on a black background. It was the symbol of the Cadet Representative, who represented the 150 Military Cadets.

Alice must have mentioned the story of the duel. Did he come because of the duel? By the way, I've seen that face somewhere before. Who was it? Eki hid her sullen expression and replied.

"...Yes, I'm Ekinesia Roaz."

"I'm Ian Pelletro. I'm a third-year, and I'm the Cadet Representative."

"Nice to meet you, Senior."

Eki put down her spoon and bowed her head, and Ian waved his hand.

"What, just relax. Sorry to interrupt your meal."

"It's okay. What's the matter?"

Contrary to her expectation that he would talk about the duel, Ian didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked her up and down with an appraising gaze. When Eki frowned without realizing it, he raised his hand as if he had made a mistake.

"Ah, sorry. I was just curious. Have you decided on a club yet?"

"...Club?"

"Hmm, I guess you didn't know. I thought so."

Compared to most Cadets who prepared for the Military Academy for years, Eki didn't know much about the Military Academy. When he saw that she had no idea, Ian readily explained.

"Most Cadets know about clubs in advance, but sometimes there are kids like you who don't know. You know that there are no separate classes or exams at the Military Academy, right?"

"Yes."

"There are no exams, but there are rankings. You can challenge someone personally to change the ranking at any time as long as you formally apply for a duel, and every three months, all the Cadets have a ranking match to re-rank."

"Yes, I know that."

Rankings were the core of the Military Academy, so Eki knew about it.

Cadets take turns serving as Squires for formal knights or Associate Knights who don't have Squires. These temporary Squires were determined by the ranking within the Military Academy, unless the knights specifically designated someone.

Even though it was called serving, it was different from maids or servants. They managed weapons, armor, and horses, helped with sparring and training, and assisted in combat. If they were lucky, they could get advice on swordsmanship or spar with the knight in the process.

Most aspiring knights became knights by gaining experience and skill through this Squire life. Some knights treated their Squires as mere errand boys, but more knights treated them as juniors to be taught.

Therefore, competition among Cadets over who would assist whom was bound to be fierce. Since they couldn't just fight each other every time, the ranking among Cadets was created. Naturally, the Cadets risked their lives in the ranking competition.

"Everyone is working hard to prepare for the ranking match. But it's not easy to improve your skills alone, right? You need an opponent to spar with."

"Yes, that's right."

"So, Cadets gather together to train together, and sometimes several of them find a teacher to learn swordsmanship from. The Cadet gatherings that formed in that way solidified into clubs. Usually, they decide which club to join before entering the school."

"...Is that mandatory?"

Eki asked with a troubled expression. Joining a group was not a good choice for her in her current situation. There was nothing to gain, and since it was a group activity, the hassle would increase.

Besides, she was planning to avoid maintaining an excessively high ranking in the ranking match. The higher the ranking, the higher the probability of encountering Giosa Owners. She didn't want to encounter those who might have memories of her from before her regression if possible.

Ian shook his head.

"It's not mandatory to belong to a club. You'll lose out in many ways, though. It's hard to get close to other Cadets without a club. It's easy to fall behind if you don't even have a senior to ask for advice in a Military Academy without classes or instructors. Why don't you at least hear about what clubs there are?"

"Thank you, but I'm fine."

When Eki said firmly, Ian's expression became strange. He rubbed his mouth with his hand propped on his chin, then lowered his voice slightly.

"Usually, clubs are fiercely competing to recruit freshmen, especially in the case of someone like you who is at the top of their class. But this year, it seems like that competition will be even fiercer. So much so that I'm worried as the Representative that the conflict will intensify."

Isn't the competition less fierce because the top freshman is a strange girl who flutters around in a dress? Before Eki, who had become suspicious, could ask further, Ian continued.

"There's a reason for that. That's also why I came to find you on purpose."

"What reason is that?"

"Anyway, are you really not going to join any club? At least if you join any club, the other clubs won't bother you. If you don't join anywhere, all the clubs might come after you."

She thought about it for a moment, but the conclusion was the same. She had no intention of participating in group activities. She said firmly.

"I'm not going to join anywhere."

"...Well, if that's what you think, there's nothing I can do. If the clubs' recruitment competition gets too excessive, come find me anytime. I'll mediate as the Representative."