Takahiro
Kenji and Yushiro were at it again—cat and dog, tearing around the base like wild animals. I could hear Kenji yelling something from upstairs. I threw a mental fist in the air, silently cheering. Finally, he's disciplining that smug little brat.
"Sir Takahiro, are you hungry?" Miss Annette asked kindly, appearing out of nowhere like a ghost in slippers.
"Uh… yes, please," I said, startled.
She nodded and disappeared into the kitchen through a door behind the bar.
That's when it happened.
"HEY, BRATS! WHAT TIME DO YOU THINK IT IS?!" came a thunderous roar from upstairs.
Miss Stone.
A moment later, Kenji and Yushiro trudged down the stairs, heads down. Miss Stone followed closely behind, arms folded like she was guarding a fortress. She had freckled cheeks, thick arms, and blonde hair tied up in twin pigtails. Instead of a uniform, she wore a light blue nightdress—but the fury on her face made her look like a beast fresh out of the wild.
Kenji and Yushiro folded their legs beneath them and knelt on the floor like two schoolboys about to be lectured by a dragon.
"Don't make noise at night! Are you idiots?! You're knights now! Get some sleep!" she barked. "And rest up. Tomorrow, you're getting a special mission!"
With that, she turned on her heel and stomped back upstairs.
The boys stayed frozen for a few seconds before Kenji calmly punched Yushiro in the head. They got up and joined me at the table. Yushiro rubbed his scalp where Kenji hit him. I smirked. Yushiro glared back at me—expression unreadable.
"What did she mean by 'special mission'?" Kenji asked.
"I don't know. We should ask Miss Annette," I replied.
Right on cue, Miss Annette returned with three bowls for each of us, placing them neatly in front of us.
Three each? Did she expect Kenji and Yushiro to be seated the moment the food was ready?
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Yushiro frowning slightly. I wasn't sure why, so I ignored it.
Before she could leave, I asked, "Miss Annette, do you know anything about the special mission tomorrow?"
She paused, polite but firm. "Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to say anything about that."
"Ah. Okay. Thanks."
She bowed and quietly left—probably heading off to rest.
I looked back at Yushiro. He was eating, but his expression was still off. It wasn't the food—it was good. A thick stew, packed with chopped vegetables and bits of meat. But Yushiro didn't seem to be enjoying any of it.
As I chewed, I noticed Kenji sneak more vegetables into Yushiro's bowl. Yushiro didn't react—just kept eating like nothing happened.
"Kenji, eat your vegetables," I said flatly.
He froze, a carrot halfway to Yushiro's bowl. Then, defeated, he popped it into his own mouth with a grimace.
Yushiro continued eating silently. No excitement, no nerves, no anything. Just... distant. Kenji, on the other hand, started scarfing his food down like he was trying to outrun tomorrow.
When we finished, we headed upstairs, changed out of our uniforms, and crashed into bed.
Kenji was thrilled about the next day.
Which meant... he'd oversleep.
I woke before dawn, grabbed my katana, and slipped out while Kenji drooled all over his pillow. Yushiro? Gone.
Outside, I made my way to the training field beside the base. The early mist clung to the ground like smoke. I drew my blade and began my drills.
Be like nature... Let nature guide you...
I moved through my sword forms slowly, adjusting my footwork, channeling my hashi as best I could. Flow like wind. Strike like water. But keeping hashi balanced with movement was... hard.
Too hard.
I kept going until the sun peeked over the horizon. My breathing was heavy. Sweat dripped from my brow.
Still can't get it right.
I walked back toward the base, only to find Miss Annette standing at the door, waiting for me, a folded towel in her hands.
I blinked. "Thank you."
She gave a slight bow and returned inside to start breakfast. I wiped the sweat from my face and climbed the stairs, swinging the towel around my neck.
When I got to the room, I frowned. Kenji's bed was empty—and unmade. Yushiro sat calmly on his top bunk, flipping through a book.
"When did you get back?" I asked.
No answer.
"Yushiro, where's Kenji?" I said, placing my katana against the wall.
"He went to train."
"Where?"
"Emerald Forest."
I groaned.
Two hours later, Kenji returned.
Bruised. Battered. Mud-streaked. His black Division Knight uniform was torn in places, his crimson hair a mess. The Emerald Forest wasn't a joke—it was packed with beasts that could tear you in half. And this idiot went alone.
By then, I'd already cleaned the room. After yelling at him for his stupidity, we hit the bath, changed, and headed downstairs for breakfast.
Waiting for us was Team 8—our seniors. Miss Stone stood at the front with her usual fire-in-the-eyes expression.
"Alright, listen up!" she barked. "This mission is a collaboration escort mission."
My ears perked up.
"You'll be escorting a carriage from 2nd Division territory to 6th Division territory. You'll be working alongside the Knight Order."
I tilted my head. "Knight Order?"
Miss Stone gave me a puzzled look, then smirked as if realizing something.
"The Knight Order is the second line of defense for the Empire—against external threats. But within the Empire, they're the first line of defense. They're not as strong as us, but they're formally trained, highly disciplined. Honestly, most of their rookies could crush ours."
She grinned.
"Anyway, this is your first interdivision mission. It's not a Division 4 job—it's straight from headquarters. So give it everything you've got. Mission should take two weeks, maybe more."
Her grin stretched wider.
"Have fun. Break bones. Don't die. Rookies!"
My eyes widened.