Side Story 48. [After Story] The Knights
Imperial Year 682.
Thirty years after the final battle against the monsters.
Everblack Empire. Imperial Capital, New Terra.
The Imperial Palace.
“Commander.”
At the sound of his name, Lucas turned around to see his adjutant, Rupert, hurrying toward him with quick steps.
“Sir Rupert.”
“Did you hear the news?”
“What news?”“The list of new recruits for this year. It’s been posted. Haven’t you seen it yet?”
“…I’ve been avoiding it on purpose.”
Lucas let out a quiet sigh.
“I had a feeling I wouldn’t like one of the names on it…”
“You should still check.”
“I was just about to go look. Want to come along?”
“Yes, let’s go.”
Rupert followed behind Lucas as he led the way.
As the two knights walked down the palace corridors, their capes fluttering behind them, they drew admiring glances from those around them.
The newly established Glory Knights.
A personal guard unit reorganized after Ash ascended to the throne. The sword and shield of the Emperor.
Its commander was Lucas.
Originally, the vice commander had been an older knight, but after his recent retirement, Lucas appointed the one he trusted most among the new generation—Rupert.
Little was known about Rupert, other than that he was from the frontier. But his reputation was strong. He never skipped a day of training, was thorough and adaptable in his duties, and had an exceptional knack for leadership. A textbook ace officer.
However, his perpetually half-lidded eyes made it hard to tell if they were open or closed, and many said it was difficult to read him. Lucas, however, didn’t care in the slightest about his subordinates’ appearances.
“When I chose you, I had high hopes for the future of our order.”
Lucas sighed.
Rupert smiled gently.
“It still looks bright, doesn’t it?”
“Not after seeing the list of new applicants.”
“They all looked quite capable to me.”
“Capable? Just seeing that person’s name on the application made my blood boil. That’s why I didn’t even participate in the screening.”
“You stepped out for fairness’ sake. Ah, there it is—the list.”
Annex of the Imperial Palace.
When they reached the ‘Hall of Glory,’ where the Glory Knights operated, a notice was posted on the wall. The names of this year’s accepted recruits were written clearly.
Lucas squeezed his eyes shut and swallowed dryly. Then he slowly opened them and looked at the list.
[Accepted: 1 Candidate]
Emerald Cross
“Ha…”
Lucas covered his face with one hand.
“He really… actually made it in… that brat…”
Regardless of Lucas’s anguish, people nearby had already begun clapping and offering congratulations.
Rupert, chuckling behind a raised hand, joined in with a light round of applause.
“He is your son, after all.”
“That’s exactly why it’s a problem.”
“You deliberately excluded yourself from the judging panel. The committee even brought in external advisors to ensure strict and fair evaluations. Sir Emerald Cross scored highly in every category and was the only applicant this year to meet the standard…”
Lucas knew better than anyone that it had been a fair process. He was the one who had warned them to disqualify anyone who had even the slightest flaw.
And yet, his own son had made it through every stage and ended up here…
“I’ve faced all the nightmares this world could throw at me. But raising a kid feels harder…”
“You’ve raised him well.”
“That’s because you haven’t had to deal with him. That brat—”
At that moment.
“Father—!”
A cheerful voice echoed through the Hall of Glory.
Startled, Lucas turned to see a young man with blond hair and green eyes running in with a beaming smile.
“I passed—!”
Emerald Cross, twenty-five years old and the spitting image of his mother in her youth, charged toward his father, arms open.
Lucas smoothly stepped aside to dodge him.
Emerald rolled across the floor, then bounced right back to his feet with ease. He looked around at the other knights and grinned.
“Oh! Seniors! I’m Emerald, the new recruit! I look forward to working with you all—!”
Emerald dashed around like a corgi, bowing to each senior knight one by one.
It was hard to tell whether he was being overly polite or just a little dense. Rupert watched him with a smile, but Lucas growled.
“Just so we’re clear, that brat is not to be assigned to any protection duties, even after his probation.”
“Pardon? Why not?”
“…Haa.”
The Glory Knights were the Emperor’s personal guard.
Which meant—
“That punk’s got a thing for Her Highness the Princess.”
They were also responsible for protecting the Empress and the Princess.
And Emerald? He had clawed his way to this position with a singular obsession—to become Princess Stella’s knight.
“That guy got into the Glory Knights purely out of impure motives toward the Princess. Let him near her, and who knows what he’ll pull.”
“If he managed to pass the Glory Knights just to get close to the Princess… that’s some impressive determination. Not to mention, twenty-five years old—he’s the youngest recruit in the new Glory Knights. The talent’s real.”
“Talent, sure. The problem is his common sense. He’s not fully cooked.”
“You’re being too harsh.”
“I have to be. We guard the Imperial Family. That demands strict standards—and even stricter ones for my own son.”
Emerald, having finished greeting everyone, came running over, panting. Lucas rubbed his forehead with his hand.
“Can I go home early today?”
“If you stack all the unused vacation days, you’ve got well over a few hundred. Please, go home.”
“Thanks. I’ll leave it to you.”
Emerald stopped in front of Rupert and gave him a salute.
“Hello, sir! Ah, since you’re standing next to my dad, you must be Sir Rupert, right? I’ve heard so much about—urk!”
“Come with me, you brat.”
Lucas grabbed Emerald by the ear and began dragging him away. Even as he screamed, Emerald managed to finish his bow toward Rupert, who waved with a suppressed chuckle.
As they walked down the corridor, Lucas growled.
“I told you! Even if by some miracle you passed! Don’t go around broadcasting that you’re my son! But what do you do the second you pass? Parade it around town?!”
“Well, we have the same last name and look alike, so it’s not like people wouldn’t figure it out. I just thought I’d own it on the first day—aaagh!”
“Start acting your age, for the love of the Goddess! You’re part of the Emperor’s personal guard now!”
“I’m only twenty-five! Still in my prime cuteness! Be more doting, Father!”
“Cuteness, my ass! When I was your age—!”
“And what was Mom like at my age?!”
“At your age, your mother was… unbelievably adorable—wait, no, that’s not the point!”
He knew he sounded like an old boomer, but Lucas couldn’t help it.
“Your mom and I saved the world at your age, you little punk! And what are you doing with your life?!”
“I’m saving my world too!”
“What?”
“My world is none other than Princess Stella!”
“Aaargh, you’re gonna drive me insane!”
Too many people were watching. And for some reason, they were all grinning.
I’ll deal with him at home… Lucas thought, and lowered his voice.
“What about Sapphire?”
“She’s planted herself firmly in the Ivory Tower. Says she’s studying for domain succession, but I’m pretty sure it’s all just an excuse to flirt with Sir Sid. She’s planning to drag him back to Crossroad with her.”
“What did Sid ever do to deserve this…”
“Hey, Sir Sid started it! Remember when we were kids? He used to flirt with us all the time!”
“That wasn’t flirting. That was taming… you wild little beasts…”
After chatting like that as they exited the palace, they boarded a carriage bound for their estate.
Once they were finally alone, Lucas raised his hand.
Then—
“…Well done.”
He placed his large hand on Emerald’s head and thoroughly ruffled his hair.
Emerald, who’d braced for a slap, blinked in surprise.
“Huh?! What?! Are you actually praising me, Father?!”
“You did well. I know better than anyone how hard our trials are.”
Lucas removed his hand and let out a sigh.
“But keep this in mind, Emerald. From now on, I won’t treat you as my son. I’ll treat you as a knight under my command.”
There was a distinct shift in the atmosphere around Lucas.
Emerald realized instantly—this was no longer his father in front of him, but the Commander of the Glory Knights.
Emerald swallowed hard.
A dangerous smile crept onto Lucas’s face.
“Go ahead and cry ‘I’m doomed.’ You’d be right.”
Even though he had passed the exam and officially become a member of the Glory Knights—
That only meant he’d met the minimum requirements. It didn’t mean he was immediately battle-ready.
There was still the process of raising him to a level that was actually useful through the order’s internal training.
And the one tasked with making Emerald useful was none other than Lucas’s adjutant—Rupert.
Originally, Lucas had planned to train his son himself, but after nearly killing him on the first day, Rupert had stepped in and insisted on taking over.
“Huff… Huff…”
Of course, that didn’t mean Rupert went easy on him.
If Lucas’s training left Emerald half-dead, Rupert’s left him a third-dead.
But Emerald didn’t care whether he was half-dead or third-dead. He never gave up and kept pushing forward.
‘His talent really is incredible.’
Rupert and Emerald were sparring.
Emerald usually bounced around like a Welsh corgi, but once he held a sword, he turned into a wild boar. His relentless charges were brimming with brutal talent.
His style resembled his father’s, but with a bit more flair—likely a reflection of the talent he inherited from his mother, one of the heroes of the Monster War.
However—
“Not yet.”
Rupert smoothly deflected Emerald’s strike and swept his leg out from under him.
“Whaaa?!”
Emerald toppled forward, and before he could recover, the tip of Rupert’s sword was at his neck.
“That’s it for today.”
“Thank youuu…”
Emerald sprawled flat on the ground, tongue out and panting. But not once did he complain.
“Sir Emerald.”
Rupert handed him a bottle of water, then suddenly asked,
“Is there a reason you became a knight? A goal you want to achieve?”
Emerald’s eyes sparkled as he shouted,
“My one and only goal! I want to protect Her Highness, the Princess!”
“Aha…”
“The first time I saw her, I felt something… like fate pulling me in. Since then, I’ve always wanted to follow in her footsteps!”
Emerald grinned brightly.
“I know. Everyone laughs when I say that. They say she’s a star in the sky. That someone like me could never reach her… But it doesn’t matter, even if it’s a dream I can’t reach.”
“Why not?”
“Isn’t it amazing just to have a dream worth risking your life for?”
“…And anyway, I’m getting closer one step at a time! I might not be standing beside the star yet, but now that I’m in the Glory Knights… I’d say I’ve at least made it into the observatory, wouldn’t you?”
Rupert looked briefly surprised.
Then he let out a soft chuckle.
“You’re right. Maybe being a knight… means carrying those kinds of dreams and moments within you.”
The moment you meet someone you want to model yourself after.
And the dream you chase, even if it seems impossible.
Every knight who left their name in history carried such dreams and such moments.
“I don’t know what kind of knight you’ll become, Sir Emerald. But I’ll do my best to train you, so you’ll at least be one worthy of your place.”
“Thank you, Sir Rupert…!”
Emerald grabbed Rupert’s hand and wobbled to his feet.
He downed the rest of his water in one gulp, wiped the sweat from his chin, then asked,
“Sir Rupert, can I ask you something too?”
“Ask anything.”
“When was your moment like that? And what’s your dream?”
Rupert casually raised his index finger to his lips.
“That’s a secret.”
“Aw, come on! That’s not fair!”
“It’s a silly story… but it’s my treasure.”
Rupert smiled faintly.
“So I’m not telling anyone.”
The next morning.
Glory Knights’ dormitory.
Rupert had been up since dawn, getting ready for work, when he happened to notice the old sword hanging inside his wardrobe.
“…”
He slowly took it out and drew it.
A bit short for his grown-up frame now, but well-maintained and still in good condition.
—You said you wanted to be a knight, right? Train hard with this.
Decades ago.
When he’d received this sword as a gift.
—What kind of knight do you want to become?
—Hmm… I guess a righteous knight who stands on the side of the weak?
When he’d said that and looked up, a blond knight smiled in his memory.
—And you, Sir Knight? What kind of knight do you want to be?
—Me? I’m…
Lucas, the knight, had hesitated for a moment.
Then he smiled and shrugged his shoulders.
—I guess I’ll aim to be the coolest knight in the world.
That was thirty years ago.
On a snowy day in the slums of Crossroad.
That had happened.
The commander probably wouldn’t remember it now. The sword he gave to that boy. The dream he planted.
And now, years later—
That boy had followed that far-off dream like a guiding star, and made it all the way here.
“A righteous knight who stands with the weak, huh…”
After sheathing the sword and hanging it back in the wardrobe, Rupert scratched his head awkwardly.
“I still have a long way to go.”
And because the road was long, it was worth walking.
“Well then.”
Dressed sharply and back in his usual neat appearance, Rupert opened the door of his dorm—and stepped into the morning sunlight.
“Time to go grind the rookie again.”
To guide the steps of a young junior—
Just like someone once did for him.
–TL Notes–
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