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Chapter 24 – Ride Your Steed, Knightley (4)
Chapter 24 – Ride Your Steed, Knightley (4)
Chapter 24 – Ride Your Steed, Knightley (4)
[Translator – Peptobismol]
Chapter 24 – Ride Your Steed, Knightley (4)
“Alright, given the occasion, it’s on me today. Combat Department, gather at the dessert cafe!”
“Yay, awesome!”
With my declaration, the professors and junior instructors from the Combat Department eagerly rushed to the dessert cafe.
“Professor! Professor Dian! Wait a moment!”
I turned around at the urgent call from behind but couldn’t see who it was.
“Come on! Brogg wants mango cake!”
Orc Professor Brogg, the Unarmed Combat Professor, was eagerly pushing me forward.
Whoever it was, if it’s important, they’ll find me later.
We settled at the outdoor tables, and the younger professors went inside to order desserts.
“What? You guys eat desserts too?”
“We’re here because the Head Professor called for everyone.”
Arms crossed, Comprehensive Combat Professor Morton responded curtly. Armed Combat Professor Geneb didn’t even bother to reply.
“Have you guys ever eaten anything like this before?”
“Never. Desserts aren’t something long-range patrol units usually have. Maybe regular infantry girls would know.”
“Really? You’ve never tried desserts? What about you?”
I looked at Genen, who also shook his head slightly.
How could they have never had desserts?
Okay, not having tried it is one thing, but what does the long-range patrol have to do with it?
These guys are complete macho types. Just like American tough guys.
In America, men have to prove at every moment that they are not gay, right?
[PR/N: Bro just cooked all of america lmao]
“Now that you’re academy professors, you should try these things.”
Neither of them responded.
“Head Professor! What would you like to drink?”
“Ah, I’ll look at the menu and choose myself!”
Hearing the call from inside, I got up and went into the cafe.
While looking at the menu and ordering additional drinks and desserts, Psychological Warfare Professor Felimia tapped my shoulder.
“But Head Professor, aren’t you going to invite the headmaster?”
“The headmaster? I’m sure she’s fine on her own.”
“I mean, strictly speaking, the headmaster is also part of our Combat Department, isn’t she?”
Oh, right. Kirrin is also a professor for Assassination and Abduction courses.
Looking around, I saw the headmaster standing off to the side, her ears drooping as she glanced over at us.
“Headmaster!”
When I raised my hand, Kirrin’s ears perked up.
“Come join us!”
“Oh, no. I’m fine, you all enjoy yourselves.”
“Come on! You’re also a professor in the Combat Department!”
“No, really. I just came to check out the place. I’ll be leaving soon.”
“Felimia, bring the headmaster over.”
As Kirrin waved her hands in panic, I directed Felimia to fetch her.
“No, really, I’m fine! You’ll feel uncomfortable with me around!”
As she was being dragged over by Felimia, Kirrin’s protests made me laugh.
That only applies to scary or overly authoritative bosses, headmaster.
“Come this way, headmaster!”
With a warm welcome from Professor Lina, Kirrin finally took a seat, completing the gathering of the entire Combat Department.
Looking at them all together, they seemed less like academy professors and more like a shadowy organization.
Let’s review the lineup.
Comprehensive Combat Professor Morton, with a thick neck and muscular build that defies his middle age, a stern face adorned with a long, braided white beard.
Armed Combat Professor Geneb, with cold eyes, a tightly shut mouth, and scars all over his exposed arms and face.
Unarmed Combat Professor Brogg, a towering green Orc with protruding tusks, over 2 meters tall.
Dwarf Combat Equipment Professor Kazadar, with thick arms and a brutal hammer tucked into his belt.
Survival Professor Waver, a hunter decorated with medals for killing a hundred demon soldiers.
Magic Response Professor Orendi, who, despite a youthful appearance and a face full of freckles, wields incredible magical power.
Infiltration Professor Lina, whose kind and gentle demeanor hides a past shrouded in mystery as a former special forces operative.
Psychological Warfare Professor Felimia, known for interrogating captured high-ranking demon executives.
Combat Riding Professor Anna, an always gloomy type with dark hair… She’s an enigma.
And finally, Headmaster Kirrin, a Dark Elf notorious for assassination.
On this bright spring day, these characters at an outdoor dessert cafe table seemed completely out of place.
Around us, the tables were filled with instructors from the Combat Department, all with colorful pasts.
If this were an ‘unintentional dark overlord’ scenario, it wouldn’t be impossible to lead these folks and conquer the world.
When the desserts arrived, I first offered some to Kirrin. Even if she is a bit of a clumsy headmaster, she’s still the highest-ranking person here.
Taking a bite of the strawberry cream cake, Kirrin’s ears fluttered, and her ruby eyes widened.
“Isn’t this really delicious…?!”
Soon, Kirrin was stuffing her cheeks full of cake.
“The headmaster looks just like a puppy right now.”
Lina whispered to me, giggling.
The other professors were satisfied with their desserts, and even the macho Morton and Geneb seemed to enjoy them secretly.
# # # # #
On my way home that day, I bought a few desserts for Olysia.
Naturally, Olysia was delighted. These desserts are like cheat codes for girls her age.
“It’s nice not having to go into the city by carriage anymore.”
Olysia said, munching on a cream cake.
“Even though it’s a carriage for your personal use, it felt burdensome to keep asking the driver for non-academy errands.”
“Just use it. The academy provided it for personal errands too.”
“Still, if I use it too much, I might get on someone’s bad side later.”
Olysia always worries about me getting fired from the academy. If I get fired, we’d have to return to the remote dockside town of Brunswell.
“Oh, and by the way, did you place a stone next to the wall?”
“A stone?”
“There was a flat, unfamiliar stone right next to the wall, so I thought you might have brought it for some work.”
“Nope. Why would I do any work? Everything here is in perfect condition.”
“Hmm, then what could it be…”
Olysia lowered her voice while chewing her cake.
“Could it be… a thief?”
“A thief?”
“Maybe they placed the stone to climb up and scout the inside.”
“What are you talking about, Olysia? This is the Special Mission Academy. No thief could break in here. Unless it’s a demon commando unit.”
“Maybe…”
“Ahhh!”
Just then, a scream echoed from outside.
“A thief!”
Before I could grasp the situation, Olysia jumped up, grabbed a frying pan from the kitchen, and rushed outside.
“Geez, really.”
I followed her outside, thinking I might need to bring her back in.
“Hey, Olysia. Don’t be so dramatic. Do you really think there’d be a thief here? It’s probably just a cat in heat… Oh….”
“Ah… Hello, Professor…”
Seeing Knightley crouched by the wall, I was momentarily speechless.
# # # # #
[Translator – Peptobismol]
“So, you came all the way here to complain about personal training? Sneaking out of the dormitory?”
“Yes.”
Knightley replied coldly, sipping the warm tea Olysia had brought. Her earlier flustered state was gone.
“You’re the class president. Is this appropriate behavior? And for such a trivial matter, you could have just come during the day…”
“How could I, when you’re never in your office!?”
Knightley raised her voice abruptly.
“Every time I go to find you, you’re never there! You’re always at the construction site or joking around with students! And if not that, you’re just hanging out with the Combat Department people!”
“Sir Dian! Is that true?!”
Olysia, shocked by Knightley’s torrent of accusations, asked urgently.
“Are you really not working and just playing around all the time?”
“No, it’s not like that. Hey, Knightley, if someone hears you, they’ll really think that’s true.”
“Sir Dian, what if you get fired? I don’t want to go back to Brunswell!”
“I won’t get fired, you brat. Now, go get ready for bed.”
I pushed Olysia towards the bathroom and then sat back down with Knightley.
“So, the gist is, you want me to start your personal training sessions again. Right?”
“That’s right. It’s a legitimate contract. You know verbal agreements are binding, right?”
“Of course.”
“So, follow through with the contract. You haven’t had a single session since the night infiltration class.”
That’s true. There have been so many things happening that I couldn’t focus on it.
Initially, Knightley demanded it, but I also wanted to teach someone like her and agreed to keep Kirrin as the headmaster.
As Knightley said, it’s a mutual agreement, and I should fulfill it sincerely.
“Actually, it works out well. I have something to do, and you can join as part of your training.”
Knightley’s icy expression briefly brightened.
“When?”
“Tomorrow, I’m leaving right away. So go back to your dorm and get some sleep.”
“Where are we going? What’s the plan?”
“You’ll find out when we get there. Is that good enough?”
“Fine.”
Knightley managed her expression as she stood up.
“Then, good night.”
“Good night.”
After Knightley left, I shook my head and sipped my tea.
Even though she’s a top student and a Duke’s daughter, she really had to sneak out to a professor’s house at night. Kids these days.
“Oh? Did she leave?”
Olysia emerged from the bathroom and asked.
“Yeah, she did. Now go to bed. Early to bed, early to rise.”
“Sir Dian, are you sure what she said isn’t true?”
Still worried, Olysia asked again.
“Of course, it isn’t. Don’t worry. If I get fired, I’ll leave all my assets to you.”
“Really?! Wait, I’ll get a pen and paper…!”
Olysia, thinking of writing a contract, rushed around, but the door creaked open suddenly.
“Professor.”
Turning around, I saw Knightley standing there with her cloak on.
“What are you doing? Why are you back? Do you still have something to say?”
“Well, I don’t think I can return to the dormitory.”
“What? Why?”
“It’s past midnight, and the security spell is active. I can’t get through it.”
Our academy has security spells cast by Professor Orendi on major facilities to prevent night-time intrusions.
Was it activated at midnight?
Breaking through Orendi’s security spell isn’t difficult for a skilled mage, but this isn’t a situation for that.
I can’t just break the security spell to sneak a student back into the dormitory.
“Then just sleep here and go back early in the morning.”
“Ehh?! Sir Dian!”
Olysia shouted louder than Knightley.
“You can’t do that! If anyone finds out, it’s over!”
“No one will find out if we keep it to ourselves. Your bed is big enough for both of you. You can share.”
“No. I’ll sleep on the sofa. That’ll be more comfortable.”
Knightley firmly rejected and pointed to the sofa I was sitting on.
Though she didn’t say it directly, sharing a bed with a maid is unacceptable for a noble lady.
“Alright, if that’s what you prefer. Olysia, get her some blankets.”
“Argh… Alright.”
Olysia brought some bedding, and Knightley began to set up on the sofa.
“Good night, everyone.”
“Good night.”
Olysia went to her room on the first floor, Knightley lay down on the sofa, and I went upstairs.
In bed, I resumed reading my novel until I drifted off to sleep.
# # # # #
In the middle of the night.
Knightley quietly opened her eyes and turned her head.
No light seeped from Olysia’s room, indicating she was already asleep.
Knightley rose from the sofa and crept to the window, peeking outside.
Fortunately, there was no sign of Priestess Maya’s head peeking over the wall.
Satisfied, Knightley headed for the stairs leading to the second floor.
Unable to sleep due to the anticipation of tomorrow’s personal training, she decided to visit Professor Dian’s room.
If he was awake, she could talk to him about various things.
What jobs he had done in the past, how he became friends with her father, what brought him to the academy, and so on.
Dian was always busy, so opportunities for one-on-one conversations were rare.
She hadn’t even been able to schedule a proper meeting yet. If she let tonight slip by, who knows what would happen tomorrow?
“Where are you going?”
Just as she set foot on the first stair, a voice startled her.
Knightley almost screamed but covered her mouth and looked up.
Halfway up the stairs, wrapped in a blanket, Olysia was looking down at her with half-open eyes.
When did she get there without a sound…? And why is she there?!
“I, um…”
Caught off guard, Knightley stammered, struggling to find an excuse.
“I need to use the bathroom…”
“Next to the kitchen.”
“Right…”
Damn it… This girl is always in the way…
Knightley bit her lip and headed to the bathroom.
Once inside, she had to endure the humiliation of making “shh” sounds with her mouth to fool Olysia since she didn’t actually need to go.
# # # # #
Hearing Knightley making fake peeing sounds in the bathroom, Olysia clicked her tongue.
Nobles are ridiculous. Who pretends to pee by making sounds with their mouth?
When Knightley finished her awkward act and came out, Olysia pointed to the living room.
“The sofa is over there.”
“Right… I was going there anyway….”
Watching Knightley hesitate and finally lie down on the sofa, Olysia shook her head.
I knew it. I sensed it the first time I saw her.
An obsessive student coming all the way from the dormitory to see Sir Dian.
There’s been talk about Sir Dian becoming quite popular lately, and it must be because of that.
As expected, she tried to sneak into Sir Dian’s bedroom.
It’s good I was on guard.
If anything improper happened between that crazy noble girl and Sir Dian, he’d be kicked out of the academy, and I’d have to return to Brunswell.
I won’t let that happen.
As long as Dian is a professor here, no one will get close to him!
[Note: See pinned comment for Chapter 24 illustration.]
[Translator – Peptobismol]