I have a very exciting announcement for you today!

　At morning HR.
　You all know the Order of the Kingsguard and the Order of the Phosphorus, right?

You all know about the Knights of the Kingsguard and the Knights of the Orthodox Rite, don't you?

　The students all shook their heads.
　There is no one in the Kingdom of Terraria who doesn't know about them, let alone someone from another country.

　The Knights of the Kingsguard is a knightly order that guards the royal family of the Kingdom of Terraria.
　Its headquarters is here, in the royal capital of Maikoura.

　On the other hand, the Knights of Orthophosphorus is an order of knights that the Dukes of Telgande hold that emphasizes strength, and of course its headquarters is in the Dukes of Telgande.

　Both of them were famous as the knight order that supported the heroes during the War of Heroes and Demons.

I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but I think it's a good idea. And the place chosen for the exercise is here, at the Builders Academy!

　After Ms. Sylphias announced this, the classroom went silent for a moment.
　But soon, those who understood the teacher's words, one by one, began to shout out their excitement.
　In no time at all, the classroom was filled with shouts of "Oh! or "Wow! or "I'm impressed! and other words of joy.

　So this is the "big event" that Chris was talking about.
　He said that it would involve the school, but it didn't involve the school, it was almost a party to it.

The exercise is scheduled to take place in ten days. The purpose of this exercise is to let the students of the Builders' Academy know about the knights. So you can take the day off from class and observe as you please.

"No, sir!　I'm not sure what to do, but I'd like to know what you think.

Yes. Yes, there will be time for that.

　The girl who asked the question clenched her fists in joy.
　During the Great War, knights were often celebrated like heroes as part of the propaganda. Partly because of this, the Knights have many fans.

　In fact, the Knights of the Kingsguard and the Knights of the Right Phosphorus contributed greatly to the defeat of the Demon King.
　I've seen them in action many times on the battlefield, and I remember that each and every member of the Order was one of the most talented.

　Many knights lost their lives in the Great War.
　Perhaps the reason for holding joint training at the academy was to secure the next generation of knights while they still could.

　Although only half a year has passed since the end of the Great War, it is not too early to start.
　After all, now that the Demon Lord has been defeated, the next occupation that will be in the spotlight is that of an adventurer who will deal with the Demon Lord's legacy. The number of young people who want to become knights is sure to continue decreasing for a while. The joint exercises are a countermeasure to that, an advertising campaign for knights.

"Are the Knights of Orthodoxy the only ones visiting King's Landing?

　At that time, Elysia raised her hand and asked the question.

In addition to the Orthodox Knights, Roberto Tergande, the second son of the Duke of Tergande, will also be visiting. He will be observing the exercises that day, so perhaps you will be able to talk to him as well.

　The students of the Heroic Department made a difficult "hmmm" face at Professor Sylphia's explanation.
　There are a lot of noblemen's children and daughters who belong to the hero department. I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but I'm sure you've heard of it. You may be thinking that you should take this opportunity to establish a relationship with .......

In order to carry out this joint exercise, we have decided to elect a committee member from each class. Most of the difficult things will be done by the upperclassmen, so the work of the freshmen will be mostly chores. ...... If you are chosen as a member of the committee, you will be able to see the exercises of the Order more closely. Now, who's up for it?

　The classmates looked at each other.
　They want to raise their hands, but they're not sure if they can do it.
　After all, this is the first big event of the school year. There are many classmates who have yet to grasp the characteristics of the class.

I'll do it.

　It was Elysia who said this with a dignified voice.
　Her candidacy brought a hubbub to the classroom.

　There was an air of confidence in the classroom.
　There was such an atmosphere in the classroom. It was well known that she had beaten the school's teacher in the entrance exam. Furthermore, even though she was in the heroic class, she was well-liked by the students of the normal class because of her friendly attitude towards them.

So, I'll ask Elysia-san. There will be a committee meeting during the lunch break, so please come to the first meeting room on the third floor of the school building when the time comes.

"Okay.

　Elysia replied in a clear voice.
　But then, I realized.

　Elysia's eyes were dyed with a simmering hatred.



　.



　Elysia's condition changed completely.
　It was so obvious.

　Basically, Elysia had a strong impression of being an honor student.
　She has never missed a day of school, and is always in her seat five minutes before class begins. She is the type of person who is not afraid to speak up in class when necessary.

　And yet, she suddenly took a day off from school.
　But she did attend the executive committee meeting for the joint exercise.

　For some reason. Elysia started skipping classes and attending only the committee meetings.
　There are days when she does attend class, but unlike before, she doesn't seem to be concentrating. She doesn't speak at all, and her mind is distracted. Even when a teacher who was unable to see what was going on named her, she would say, "I wasn't listening to you," without apology.

　Five days had passed since Elysia's behavior changed, and I noticed that she was moving systematically.
　She always attended the practical classes and the special lectures of the hero department. It was as if she was trying to abandon classroom learning and efficiently train her actual combat skills.

　Eventually, everyone could sense that something was wrong with Elysia.
　She hasn't been talking to anyone lately. She refuses to talk to anyone.



　When her classmates noticed something wrong, they expressed their concern, but she just said "I'm fine.
　While she was at the school, she was thinking about something by herself.

　She looks like she's on edge.
　It's not normal.

　With a devilish look in her eyes, she's planning something.
　But no one knows what it is. Of course, I have no way of knowing.

　When the joint exercise was only three days away, Elysia called out to me for the first time in a long time.

"Hey, Twight. Will you be my training partner?

　The question made me raise an eyebrow. 　

...... I thought we finished that conversation days ago.

It's just for three days. Just for three days, until the Order's joint exercises take place. Would that be okay?

　I let out a sigh at Elysia's words.

"As I said before, impatience is--

I need to be strong.

　Elysia said firmly.

"We're running out of time. We can't afford to be hasty anymore. I need your help.

　There was a fearful pressure in Elicia's words.
　She may have barely controlled her tone of voice. But her true intention must be not to negotiate, but to give orders. She is now somehow swallowing the line, "Shut up and cooperate.

"Calm down.

"I can't calm down.

"Then at least explain what's going on.

　Then Elysia showed some thought.

I can't explain.

　I let out a sigh in response.

I'm sorry, but I have no taste for stepping on visible landmines.

　Elysia's anger flared for a moment as she replied.
　She almost pulled her sword from its sheath at her waist. But she almost stopped her.

If I were to fight you here at ......, I'd probably get beaten back.

　She was planning to use force to fight me.
　She stopped him, took her hand off the scabbard, and left me.

"Twight, are you okay?

　Gran, who had been anxiously watching me for a while now, called out to me.

Yeah, I'm fine.

I'm fine." "I wonder what's wrong with Elysia ....... I'm not sure what's wrong with her, but she's been acting weird lately.

I'm wondering the same thing.

　Mize came close and agreed with Gran's statement.

　Originally, Elysia had a tendency to be impatient with strength.
　But lately she's been showing a particular tendency.

　At this point in time, it must have something to do with the Order's joint exercises.
　And I'm also curious about the conversation you had after the duel about the pros and cons of revenge.

　--Let's see what we can find out.

　I left the classroom, thinking of a woman in my mind.
　Fortunately, she said, "If you need anything, you can always count on me.

　I took out a piece of "correspondence" from my pocket and contacted my former boss.