Chapter 94.3 - The Second Year at the Academy - The Noble Knight of Integrity (3)
"Anniiiiikiiiiii!!"
An unexpected shout and an approaching presence.
I immediately activated [High-speed Movement] and dodged the two who were jumping at me.
"What, did aniki disappear!?"
"There's no way he'd disappear. Don't push an injured person too hard."
As I stood behind them, Ishmira and Corpus were also surprised.
Don't push him too hard.
Right now, I'm barely holding it together.
Even though the bleeding has stopped, it could easily reopen.
"I'm surprised. You can still move that fast?"
"Well, yeah."
Ismira was impressed.
Next to her, Corpus was also surprised but raised an eyebrow.
"But earlier, you didn't seem as fast… "
"Of course not. I can escape easily, but when it comes to winning–
What's wrong, Ishmira?"
Ishmira had a meaningful smile.
Why is she smiling?
"Does that mean… you trust us?"
It was Zeret who answered the question.
I see. Well, she's not wrong.
"You're a bit late. We saw that with the goblins—"
"Aniki disappeared!"
"That's enough! What, did aniki disappear!?"
I dodged the two who were rushing towards me, crying and sniffling, using [High-speed Movement] once again.
I really wish they'd stop.
Ah, the wound reopened.
I took out a healing potion and applied it to the wound.
I'm glad I had a blood clotting agent ready.
The bleeding was quite severe.
While I was treating myself, Corpus kept Zerett and Barden restrained.
I finished treating the wound while glancing at the two floundering figures out of the corner of my eye, and then I accepted the blue cape and backpack that Ishmira offered.
"By the way, which one did you know?"
"The knight. Klaus Schmell is famous, after all."
"Naturally, you can tell the woman's true identity too, right?"
Ishmira nodded without saying a word.
She must have been really surprised. Encountering those guys in the forest.
I put on the cape and slung the backpack over my shoulder.
Now that the commotion has died down, there's still work to do.
"I have something to tell you guys."
As soon as I called out to them, the two pushed Corpus aside and flew over to me.
It would have been easy to get rid of Corpus under normal circumstances.
I held back because I was in the middle of treating myself. That's all.
People often act on instinct without thinking about minor things.
These 2 are a bit too impulsive.
The cause of the dispute is partly our fault, too.
"Why did this situation happen?"
"I… "
"Don't interrupt, Ismira."
Ishmira fell silent and hung her head.
Zeret and Barden were confused by her appearance and my cold gaze.
What should I say?
It's a challenge to make them understand.
First, let's try to be honest.
"Your determination to protect your comrades and your decisiveness to act is admirable. Your argument is also correct. The rules of adventurers are there to avoid disputes. However, some opponents don't play by the rules. What we encountered today is an example of that. Those guys don't follow the rules of adventurers; they bend the law. It's all about their judgment and desires. No matter what we say to them, it's just noise."
It was clear that I was using the rules of adventurers as a shield to argue for Ismira's protection.
There's no use apologizing to Luchena.
That's not important.
Probably, this has happened before. I see.
"Ishmira, did you suggest using Selene as a base?"
Sighing, Ishmira nodded.
So it wasn't the first time, huh?
They had clashed with a noble, a big merchant, or some other powerful figure in the past.
That's why she moved her base to Selene.
The council members here are all commoners, and even the likes of Yarz Alastar and Lisria are just powerful wizards. It's an ideal environment for "Eternal Bounty."
I looked back at the two and continued.
"The way you live is your strength, and you can be proud of it. However, you need to develop the ability to judge opponents who don't follow the rules. If you can't do that, you and your comrades will eventually be killed. Use your instincts to identify them. When you sense the same scent or presence as that girl earlier, leave it to Ismira or Corpus. You guys should only act when there's no other choice. When you get permission, go all out."
Whether my enthusiasm got through or not, Zeret and Barden nodded vigorously.
"Leave it to me, big bro! We'll hold back until we get permission, right!?"
"I get it! We'll hold back until we get permission, right!?"
Yeah, that's correct, but it's a bit strange.
Ismira, as if she could see through my unease, spoke up.
"It'll be fine."
"Well, yeah, I emphasized the part about going all out, but was that last part unnecessary?"
"Patience is also part of getting permission. I'm a bit embarrassed to hear those words from these two, but I'm really moved."
"You're really going through a lot, aren't you… "
As I sympathized with her, Ismira stood up and bowed her head.
"Thank you so much today."
"That was like a natural disaster. If we don't help each other out…"
"Nobles are like that too, in many ways. There are people like you and those like Lushena."
Saying that, Ismira smiled.
Suddenly, I envisioned the Eternal Harvest swaggering through the streets of Riedwald.
Is that a future that could happen someday?
Maybe it's more suitable for us than Selene.
I'll be there in two years.
Anyway, for now, let's go back to Selene.
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