“–The Imperial Capital is really amazing!　I never thought I’d see something like that floating in the night sky.”

Cadet Sven’s voice echoed through the training grounds early that morning.

“I saw it pretty clearly from the inn I was staying at. Did you also want to see it, Lucius?”

“Yes, I wanted to see it, but I was so busy at the time that I didn’t have time.”

“Fufufu. Right, right? You should thank me Fritz. You were able to enjoy such a view because I invited you to a study session!”

Rishe listened to Sven’s excitement with a smile, still dressed as a man.

Today was the final special training day for the cadets. And accordingly, it was also the last day of the early morning training for Rishe and the others, so they finished the cleaning carefully.

The sky was clear, and it looked like it was going to be pretty hot today.

Even though it was such a wonderful morning, Fritz looked disturbed.

“Fritz mistook it as a shooting star at first and started making a wish. Hey, Fritz?”

“E–huh?! Ye-ah!”

“…”

Fritz looked up hurriedly, as if he was still in a daze.

Sven looked at him, then patted him on the shoulder as if he guessed something.

“Lucius, Fritz, both of you lend me that wooden sword. I’ll take care of it.”

“What? It’s okay, Sven. We’ll take it with us.”

“No!… Fritz, you owe me for this!”

“!”

Fritz rolled his eyes, but eventually bowed apologetically to Sven.

The three of them were alone on the training grounds before the training began. Rishe watched Sven’s back and spoke to Fritz standing next to her.

“You’re kind of nervous with Sven.”

“Ah-…Yeah, kind of.”

She felt Fritz tension as he looked down.

“…Lu, we were summoned by His Excellency Rovine yesterday.”

“!”

It was a no-brainer for Rishe to interpret what those words meant.

“So, you’ve decided to become a knight?”

“…Yeah. He told me to go back to my hometown to get ready, and then return to the capital again. From there, I’ll officially become an apprentice knight of Garkain.”

“Congratulations, Fritz!”

She couldn’t be any happier to hear the good news.

All of the cadets were outstanding in their own way. Among them, Fritz and Sven were by far the best.

“I knew for sure that you’d be chosen, but it was nice to hear it again. Have you written to your parents? Right, you’d rather inform them face to face! Congratulations!”

“…I met His Excellency Rovine before I came here.”

“!”

Rishe’s eyes widened, and Fritz squeezed out a terribly pained expression.

“Lucius Alcott won’t join the Order. His Excellency Rovine said you declined to do so.”

“…”

Rovine didn’t want to expose Rishe’s disguise.

After the incident with Michel last night, she wrote to Rovine.

She apologized for hiding her true identity and for disrupting an important training session.

She was certain that Rovine was busy, but he replied immediately. They were supposed to meet each other again at the night party tonight to see off Koyor’s party.

In his letter, he also included this sentence:

“If you can spare the time, please join us as a knight cadet until the last day of training.”

After last night’s incident, I wasn’t sure how much I could trust His Excellency Rovine… but he sure tried to protect my days as a cadet for Lucius Alcott.

Despite that, Rishe apologized to her dear friend.

“I’m sorry, Fritz.”

She looked Fritz in the eye and told him without looking away.

“The truth is, I’m telling a very big lie.”

“…Lie?”

“Thanks to that lie, I was able to come here and train with everyone. But it’s still a lie, so I can’t be a knight now.”

She chose that path in her sixth life. It was entirely different this seventh time.

“I’ve been lying to you, too. I’m really, really sorry…”

When she apologized, Fritz’s eyes flickered somehow.

“Lu, I’m sorry too.”

“Oh, no, why are you apologizing?”

“It’s…”

When she asked, Fritz hesitated slightly.

Then, as if he had made up his mind, he turned his head and uttered, “…Actually, I’ve been aware of the lie you’ve been telling for a while now.”

“Huh?”

Rishe’s eyes rounded at this unforeseen confirmation.

“I’ve always thought it was strange that Lu is so petite and ridiculously delicate!”

“Fritz…”

“You have a high pitch voice and thin hair, so you’re…!”

No way, he even noticed that I’m a woman…