Dawn Knight Order (1)

Gregory spent a long time throwing pebbles at the riverside, watching the water ripple outward. Vasili found himself growing curious about Gregory.

Gregory, who seemed more mature than his years, as if he had already worn a mantle of office before. What kind of mindset drove him to live so earnestly?

"So, what do you want to do from now on? I suddenly find myself curious."

Radian also wore a quietly inquisitive expression. Gregory looked uncomfortable at the abrupt question.

"For me... surviving safely with true companions. That's all I want."

"That's rather simple and straightforward. You don't have ambitions to become a Swordmaster, or anything like that?"

Swordmaster. The ultimate height and peak of swordsmanship.

Gregory had already reached that state once before, so he didn't wish for it now.

He wanted to take revenge on the king of the Blandi Kingdom—who had used and discarded him—and on Meren, who had betrayed him, and then live happily with true companions.

If he allowed himself a bit more greed, he hoped to marry a beautiful woman and live farming in Vatinochan.

But he also knew it was something he couldn't say out loud. There was no hand better than using the memories of his previous life, after all.

Gregory answered indirectly.

"At the moment, I don't have such ambitions. Even if war breaks out with the Blandi Kingdom, my goal is to overcome it together with my companions."

"So that's why you work so hard... What does a 'true companion' mean to you?"

Gregory hesitated at Vasili's question. The claim that he'd never had true companions was a lie. He just didn't want to recall the grief of losing those comrades who'd been brutally slaughtered before his very eyes in his previous life.

Without answering, Gregory stood up. And then he said something completely off-topic.

"Ahem, I must be going now, as I have grand plans to prepare for in the future."

Vasili showed his disappointment at not getting an answer.

"Leaving already, are you?"

"Yes. The situation in the Blandi Kingdom is still unstable, after all."

"I see. Well, let's see each other again soon."

Realizing he had no time to spare, Gregory hurried toward the Dawn Knight Order.

***

Meanwhile, the Dawn Knight Order had decided to visit their newly built headquarters. Ever since Gregory had been given solo missions, they hadn't slacked off on their training.

When they arrived at the site chosen as their base, what greeted them was an impregnable fortress, surrounded by thick, gray stone walls.

A banner displaying the insignia of the Dawn Knight Order hung from the wall, symbolizing not just an ordinary castle, but the unity and history of the order.

All the Dawn Knight Order wore expressions of satisfaction.

Alessandro, brimming with joy, explored the surroundings with his eyes blazing.

"Whoa! Are we really going to stay here?"

Before long, Adrian pointed at something with his hand, unable to contain his excitement.

"Check that out, look! Isn't that a training ground?"

The training ground was equipped for knights to hone their martial and combat skills.

They could practice swordsmanship, archery, horsemanship, and even conduct mock battles in the sand arena that closely resembled real combat.

Adrian was elated at the thought of being able to train in such a high-class facility from now on.

Walter was busy trying to calm everyone down.

"Come now, settle down. The main course hasn't even arrived yet."

At a glance, it seemed he was calming his companions, but his excitement was plain to see on his face as well. The knights headed to their quarters to unpack.

Alessandro, who wandered around touching everything as if to inspect every corner, was soon dragged off to the lodging by Elisabeth.

When Walter opened the door to the quarters, it seemed to shine with a glow.

There were simple but sturdy beds lined up, and small wooden chests for personal belongings. The walls were adorned with spoils recovered from battle or personal talismans.

Adrian and Alessandro exchanged glances, jaws dropping wide open at the same time.

"Wow..."

Thanks to Hemingway's support, the Dawn Knight Order had gained many new recruits, and now their prestige had risen to the point that they couldn't be ignored even in comparison to other orders.

Walter looked at them with fond satisfaction.

"When you finish unpacking, come down."

"Yes, sir!"

***

After quickly getting ready, Walter waited for the Dawn Knight Order in the central hall. Servicemen managed by the knights themselves had also been assigned, and training began immediately.

Outside, under the leadership of Kylas, the soldiers started their drills.

The shouts of the soldiers soon filled the area.

Meanwhile, Adrian, Ernest, Elisabeth, Brea, and Alessandro gathered in the central hall at Walter's command.

Walter walked forward proudly and addressed them.

"With this newly built facility, excitement is in the air, isn't it? I hope all of you adapt and devote yourselves to training here. Take a look around the premises, check out the new features to your heart's content. Dismissed!"

The armory was stocked with a wide variety of weapons and armor, so everyone could find something suited to them.

There was also a blacksmith where various armaments could be crafted and repaired.A large cooking facility had been added for Heln, who had to prepare meals for many, and beyond that, the Dawn Knight Order were undergoing great changes.

But wandering around the vast keep, unsure of what to do first, the knights' faces reflected confusion.

As the eldest, Ernest decided to take the lead in enjoying the new facilities and help his awkward companions settle in, offering a suggestion.

"If you're not sure what to do... How about we spar with each other?"

Everyone swallowed nervously and glanced around. But with training among equals, skill would quickly improve.

Though no words were exchanged, they all nodded in agreement.

"All right. So everyone agrees? Let's go to the training ground."

Ernest, being the most skilled, was to act as referee. The first bout would be between Alessandro and Brea.

The second match was between Adrian, whose skills had improved with Gregory's help, and Elisabeth, so everyone steeled themselves to take on a new challenge.

First, Alessandro gave a sly, confident smile and goaded Brea.

"Brea, I'm definitely going to beat you and earn everyone's praise!"

Brea regarded Alessandro's bravado with an indifferent reaction.

"Who do you think is going to win? It's obvious I'll be the victor."

On the other hand, Elisabeth and Adrian were still awkward around each other and couldn't find it easy to start a conversation.

Before long, at Ernest's signal, the match began. The tension was palpable since Alessandro's strength and Brea's agility both stood out as clear advantages, making it impossible to guess who would win.

"Begin!"

After a tense standoff, Alessandro moved first. Knowing she was outmatched in strength, Brea planned to dodge his attack and counter swiftly.

Iyaaayap—!

Brea easily dodged his assault and, just as she'd expected, realized that Alessandro was just a brute who only knew how to swing with force.

"How did you dodge that? Try this one more time!"

Alessandro lunged forward headlong until Brea parried. As a result, Brea quickly adapted and spotted openings frequently.

But taking advantage of an opening, for someone like Brea who relied on speed alone, didn't make toppling Alessandro easy.

She kept succeeding in knocking him down, but Alessandro kept getting up.

"Tch... Time for a change of plans. You come at me. I'll counter!"

Brea smirked, looking down on Alessandro.

"How stupid. Is that all you've got? All brawn and no brains..."

Another one of her talents: provocation. But no matter how much she called Alessandro stupid, there was no way such a trick would work.

"You dare provoke me? All right, I won't hold back this time. Take another shot at my attack!"

Or maybe, it did work.

But this time, Alessandro's sword swung with even greater force than before.

The sudden burst of speed almost grazed Brea. She executed a swift aerial recovery.

Following up, she rapidly stepped in, aiming the tip of her sword at Alessandro's solar plexus and brow. Knowing that Alessandro would get right back up if she only landed one hit, she promptly put her strength into attacking both spots.

Puff—!

With a dull thud, Alessandro cried out with a single loud shriek and collapsed.

Aaaagh—!

With a flop, Alessandro sank to his knees, and thus the spar ended abruptly.

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