12 – promise in the past

Inside the carriage heading to Hall 2 where the lecture is held.

-Titling!

I was checking the rewards of the main quest I completed yesterday.

[Main Quest]

Title: Let’s Get Power!

[Quest Completed]

[Check Rewards]

I thought the reward was roughly covered with the sword of grief I got yesterday, but there seems to be something else.

The reward was definitely [?????].

I was wondering what it was, let’s check it out?

-Titling!

When I clicked on the [Check Reward] window, a mechanical sound sounded and a new window popped up.

Unlike the existing blue windows, it was a window with an orange glow.

At the top of the orange window was written:

“shop…?”

The ‘status window’ used by Alan, the main character of the novel [The Hero Beloved by Everyone], had two abilities.

One is ‘information confirmation’ that shows the ability or status of the object you are looking at.

Second, there was a ‘shop’ where you could purchase various skills and items.

Somehow, no matter how carefully I looked at the status window, I couldn’t find the store.

It was a feature added as a main quest reward.

Come to think of it, it seems that Ellen also started using the shop system around the second half of Volume 1.

“This really sucked Alan’s teeth…”

Buy ‘Sword Mastery’ and raise the stats of Kyeongmin…

Later, he even made good impressions on the heroines with ‘Cooking Mastery’ and ‘Instrument Mastery’.

……

…Looking at it like this, Alan really lived a life of eating raw.

I scrolled through the store and looked at the items.

Then, one skill caught my eye.

[Sword Mastery (SS)]

SS grade.

SSS grade is the highest grade that can be purchased in the shop system that does not sell.

[150000 points.]

It was a filthy expensive price, whether it was worth the grade.

The points I received after completing the main quest yesterday were 3 points…

……

…how did old Allen buy this?

Ah, the Goddess of Joy blessed her and gave her a bunch of points as well.

I ate real raw.

I grumbled inwardly and turned my eyes back to the window.

[Sword Mastery (SS)]

Shall I just collect like crazy and buy one?

If I master SS rank, wouldn’t it be stronger than my kendo?

If I had this skill in my previous life… I wonder if I would have been able to win the final and take first place…

I thought about that for a moment, then shook my head.

Let’s not think like this.

You shouldn’t get something without effort.

It’s like denying the whole life I’ve lived.

I squeezed my throbbing chest.

I don’t know about the others, but this one…

Yeah… I don’t know about anything else, but let’s not touch the sword.

Let’s not erase my hellish times, the scars of my efforts.

Because this… is the only thing left of my unfortunate past life.

Because it’s what I got by putting my life into it.

I thought so and scrolled down the store.

.

.

.

Meanwhile at that time.

Near Hall 2 of Reynolds Academy.

A girl who appeared to be in her late teens was walking down the street at a brisk pace.

A movement that exudes grace.

Golden hair that seemed to melt in the sun that swayed every time I walked.

Blue eyes that contain soft light.

An atmosphere of strange charisma.

A slender, beautiful face in a cat’s coat.

With a look that anyone could say was beautiful, she was walking while looking straight ahead.

There was a hint of annoyance mixed in with those steps.

And, another girl following that girl.

It was a girl with short brown hair and a youthful appearance that looked to be in her mid-teens.

said the little girl, chasing after the blonde girl with a gun gait.

“Princess! Let’s go together!!”

“Come soon, Alice.”

The first princess of the empire, Lucy von Rietro.

That was the identity of the blonde girl.

“Why are you in such a hurry…!”

The brown-haired girl following her is Alice.

Lucy was the maid of the imperial family.

Rusa stood still when Alice asked why she was leaving so quickly.

and then shouted

“That bastard is back!”

“Is that child?”

Alice tilted her head at Lucy’s incomprehensible words.

Alice pounded her chest in frustration.

“That idiot! Shame on the Lisit family!!”

“Ah~ Prince Raiden?”

Alice clapped her hands as if she remembered it just then.

“A person who suddenly disappeared has reappeared, and the academy is buzzing these days. But why is he?”

“Why?!

Lucy groaned and sighed.

The Lisit family is said to be the closest aide to the imperial family.

A loyal and trustworthy subject whom the imperial family can trust and lean on in an emergency.

The status of such a trustworthy servant has been greatly shaken in the past two years.

It was because the eldest son of the Lisit family, who was a strong candidate for the head of the family, was making a mess.

The rumors of him circulating in the world were really staggering.

It is said that abusive language is standard for the mansion’s workers, and even violence is inflicted.

He said he even had a hobby of collecting s*x slaves, so he said that.

Of course, more than 90% of the rumors about Raiden circulating in the world were exaggerated.

Because Raiden himself did not actively deny such rumors, they were spread as if they were true.

Lucy had burning flames in her eyes.

“To the subject who shamelessly ran away after losing to a freshman, shamelessly coming back! I’ll show him a lesson today!!”

“What are you going to do?”

At Alice’s question, Lucy grinned.

“Today in Dalian class, I will challenge him to a duel.”

“A duel?! Not a sparring?!”

“Huh, we’re expelling him from the academy today.”

“Isn’t that too much…”

“Heung! That idiot is still cheap!”

Lucy sighed and took another step.

She walked irritably, recalling her memories of Raiden.

The memory of Raiden, her close friend.

.

.

.

Her first memory of him was when she was seven years old, when Duke Stener visited the Imperial Court.

The Duke, who always showed his face alone, was with two children for some reason that day.

A little chubby little boy.

And one girl who is small and cute.

The two children came up to her and leaned down.

“Meet the Little Sun of the Empire.”

The first to greet was a boy who seemed to be her older brother.

He bowed his head gracefully and practiced manners.

Lucy was slightly taken aback by him.

It was hard to believe that he was his own age, and his manners were precise and gentle.

As the boy bowed, the girl behind him also bowed hesitantly.

“Meet the Little Sun of the Empire…!!”

My voice came out too loud, probably because I was nervous.

Perhaps realizing that, the girl’s face began to blush.

When the boy finished the ceremony and gave the girl a light pat on the back, the girl quickly hid herself behind him.

It was quite cute to see him shaking while holding the hem of his clothes.

As Lucy stared at her, the boy smiled embarrassedly.

“I’m sorry. My sister is very shy…”

He bowed to apologize on behalf of his brother.

Even though he had to apologize on behalf of his brother, he did not lose his soft smile.

After the apology was over, he said he was sorry for making a mistake and even stroked the crying girl’s head.

A boy who is kind to his sister.

That was Lucy’s first impression of Raiden.

.

.

.

After that meeting, the three children met regularly.

As is usually the case with children of that age, the three of them quickly began to become friends.

Ariel Lisitt was a cute kid.

Due to her timid nature of bursting into tears on occasion, even at Lucy’s weak pranks, she cried and was embraced by her brother.

Whenever that happened, Raiden kindly comforted her.

Leiden Lissit was a strange child.

He was always kind and gentle, and he cared dearly for his sister.

His always smiling face was his trademark.

Raiden’s personality had a great influence on Lucy.

Lucy felt something when she saw Raiden smiling and accepting her trivial emotions and annoyances.

Inspired by that, Lucy naturally began to change her actions.

She learned to act altruistically from her lack of consideration,

From a stubborn and mobster, she learned how to defeat herself.

And those changed behaviors brought good results to her.

The ladies-in-waiting who took care of her gave her even more love,

I was able to become close with my younger sister, whom I had a bad relationship with.

She felt deep gratitude to Raiden for changing her.

The two grew closer and became best friends.

Years passed and by the time they were 10 years old…

“Raiden, Raiden, Raiden!!”

The Lisit family visited the imperial family as usual.

Lucy rides towards Raiden! screamed and ran

She was looking at him with bright eyes.

“Why are you like that, princess?”

“Raiden! Raiden is the Lysit family, right?”

“Absolutely.”

“Is the Lisit family the closest to protecting the imperial family?”

Raiden replied with a slight smile.

“You know well, and you’re asking.”

“Yes! Yes! Yes!”

Lucy said, waving her arms like a child discovering something interesting.

“Yes, Raiden!”

“Yes, Princess.”

“Be my ‘it’!”

“Is that it?”

Raiden tilted his head at Lucy’s words.

Lucy nodded and began to explain it.

“You know what we saw at the Imperial Palace yesterday!”

“Ummm…”

“That… just someone is kneeling in front of my father, and my father is saying something while putting the back of a sword on that person’s shoulder and head…”

Laydan clapped his hands as if he had just remembered it.

“Ah, you mean the knight appointment ceremony!”

“That’s right! A knight!”

Lucy confidently put her hand on her waist and said.

“Raiden, be my knight!”

“Yes? All of a sudden?”

“Knights are so cool! It’s in the book I read last time…”

Apparently, he had read a fairy tale about the heroic story of a knight.

“If it looks that cool, wouldn’t it be better for the princess to do it herself?”

“That’s not allowed!”

“Why?”

“I’m a princess. Rather than becoming a knight, I should be someone who has loyal knights as subordinates!”

Raiden nodded as if he understood.

Then he said with a slightly embarrassing smile.

“But… why did you make me a knight…?

“You don’t have to have that.”

Lucy shook her head.

“My father said that a knight and his master are the best of friends even though they have a superior relationship.”

she said with a wide smile.

“Raiden just needs to be there as a knight, as my best friend.”

Raiden looked at Lucy, who smiled brightly, for a moment, then smiled as if he couldn’t stop it.

“Being a close friend… I think it would be nice.”

“really?!”

“sure.”

Raiden looked at Lucy and quietly got down on one knee.

Then he said

“I, Raiden Lisit, swear to become a knight of the Empire’s second princess, Lucy von Rietro.”

“mmmm.”

Lucy, who was in front of me, touched Raiden’s head and shoulder with a teaspoon once and said.

“You always remain my friend, my knight.”

It was Lucy who was putting a lot of effort into her voice, as if she was trying to imitate her father’s dignified tone that she had seen yesterday.

Raiden replied with a smile.

“I will obey your command, my lord.”

It was a knight’s promise shared by 10-year-olds who knew nothing.

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.

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Lucy stomped her feet and stepped forward.

In her mind was a damn knight who had broken her promise to her.

She trembled, remembering Raiden’s cold voice.

-A promise? Oh, you mean that childhood prank. I hope you remember that. It’s been a long time since I completely forgot all about it.

A sarcastic attitude, a voice full of ridicule.

It belonged to Raiden, who had changed.

– far away

Lucy gnashed her teeth.

“I’m going to teach that son of a bitch today!”

It was Lucy who was shouting like that.