After parting ways with Commander Savis, I attended regular training with Fabian.
It had been a while since my last training, but I was worried about what Commander Savis had called me for and couldn't concentrate. Yet my poetry teacher praised me, saying, "You're finally able to write sensible poetry." Even Fabian said, "Fia's poetry is better when it's half-vague." There were many things that I didn't agree with.
During chess training, Captain Desmond appeared after a long absence.
Today is really the day I'll meet a lot of different people. I wonder what's going on?
Captain Desmond kept glancing at me as he played chess, but his usual light-hearted banter was lacking. He started mumbling something incomprehensible, then suddenly asked me about Zavilia.
"Fia, well... it seems you have a familiar." (Desmond)
"Yes, I have, but..." (Fia)
As I spoke, I suddenly remembered that I had practiced flirting.
Originally, this was a plan given to me by Captain Cyril, who was worried about me being seconded to the Fourth Monster Knight Order. The idea was that things born from the imagination surpass reality, so if I maintained a flirtatious attitude and made the other knights imagine a stronger familiar than it actually was, I would not be treated roughly in the Fourth Monster Knight Order, where the hierarchical relationships between knights were determined by the strength of their familiars. However, this was difficult to put into practice, and when it was tried on Vice Captain Gideon of the Fourth Monster Knight Order, the exact opposite occurred. In other words, the strongest monster, the Black Dragon, was perceived as the weakest monster—
I realized that this wasn't good, so I practiced flirting with Commander and Captain Cyril. And the results of that training were—
I glanced at Captain Desmond and realized that now was the time to test my results.
"Well, how can I put it, my familiar is a monster unlike any other... He's black-ish, dragon-ish, king-ish..." (Fia)
That's right, if you want to make people imagine something stronger than it actually is, then you should imagine not a black dragon, but the Black Dragon King that Zavilia aspires to be. Although I don't know the difference.
"Fi, Fia! Stop it! I didn't want to ask about the type of your familiar! Actually, just shut up! If you continue like this, my life is in danger!" (Desmond)
"Huh?" (Fia)
"I know it!! I know full well that your familiar is the strongest and most terrible monster!!" (Desmont)
Captain Desmond yelled loudly and held out his arms as if to protect himself, and seemed genuinely afraid of my familiar. I wondered if this was the result of all the training I had done on flirtatious behavior!?
"And it's done...!! My flirtatious attitude is complete!!" (Fia)
I rose to my feet, put my hands on the chess table, and was overcome with emotion.
On the other hand, Captain Desmond was trembling more than he could handle.
"Y-yes, I'm going home now. B-but, Fia, please confirm this. I-I'm not forcing you to reveal familiar's true identity, am I? I'm not putting any pressure on you whatsoever, am I?" (Desmont)
I thought he was talking to me, but Captain Desmond was looking up at the sky above him as he spoke. Although I wondered what he's doing, I agreed for the time being.
"Yes, that's right." (Fia)
Captain Desmond let out a big sigh of relief and began speaking towards the sky.
"You heard it right! I have not put any pressure on the Fia whatsoever!!" (Desmont)
I tilted my head in confusion at the clearly suspicious behavior of Captain Desmond.
...What should I do? I thought it was just Captain Quentin, but now even Captain Desmond has started behaving strangely. The captain, a fine and capable knight, is starting to act strange one after another. What's going on?
I was worried about the abnormal behavior that was spreading to the knight captains one after another—but since he was a captain from another corps, I decided to turn a blind eye and not let him affect me that much.
...It's a bit presumptuous for a mere knight to be worried about his Captain, isn't it?
As evening approached, Commander Savis had some free time, so he and Captain Cyril visited the Commander's room.
The Commander's office was in a separate building, but that building, the "Black Shield Wing," was surrounded by the buildings of each legion.
Because the First Knights' building was next door, I had many opportunities to see the exterior walls of the Black Shield Building, and I had always wondered, "That building is obviously luxurious, I wonder what it's like inside."
I entered the entrance feeling excited, but when I looked up, I gasped and jumped back. Seeing me shocked and speechless, Captain Cyril smiled as if understanding and said, "Ah."
"This is the first time Fia has seen this portrait, isn't she? It is of the legendary great saint, you know." (Cyril)
...I-I know. It's a face I've seen so many times in my previous life that it makes me sick of it.
Once I passed through the entrance to the Black Shield Building, I found myself in a spacious atrium spanning three floors. The vast space both vertically and horizontally overwhelms visitors, but what was most surprising was the large portrait displayed at the front of the atrium. It depicted a girl wearing a black dress, with flowing knee-length red hair and a single crimson rose around her wrist.
...Wow, that's combat gear.
In my previous life, when I went into battle I always wore a black dress and a rose around my wrist. This painting accurately depicted that, but—the girl in it looked too sharp, and somehow it felt really embarrassing.
I unconsciously took a step, then two steps back, and my back hit the front door. Captain Cyril looked at me curiously and tilted his head.
"What's the matter, Fia? Is the portrait of the Great Saint so impressive that it overwhelms you?" (Cyril)
"Umm, well, how should I put it, huh? This is the building reserved for the Commander of the Knights, the pinnacle of the Knights, right? So, I was thinking that, although it would be fine for the Great Saint to have a portrait of a famous knight on display, wouldn't it be better?" (Fia)
Although I was a little flustered, I asked the first question that came to mind.
"Ahh..." Captain Cyril said, looking up at the portrait.
"Your opinion is very reasonable, but this portrait has been hanging in this building for 300 years, you know." (Cyril)
"So, from 300 years ago... Well, it's true that once you hang a portrait, it's difficult to know when to replace it, right?" (Fia)
In my previous life, I sealed the Demon King, but I died young, so I didn't have much time to be a great saint. Therefore, I thought that the great saints who appeared after my death and lived longer may have had greater lifetime achievements. If they really want to hang a portrait of the great saint, maybe it would be fine to replace it with a portrait of one of these women—
As if reading my thoughts, Captain Cyril continued speaking.
"It's not that it's difficult to know when to replace it, but rather that it cannot be replaced. The first Commander of the Black Dragon Knights gave the order to have this portrait hang here forever." (Cyril)
"……………………" (Fia)
The Black Dragon Knights didn't exist when I was alive, so of course I didn't know the first Commander.
Why was the first Commander of the Black Dragon Knights so fixated on the great saint from 300 years ago...?
"Is he, perhaps... a fan of mine?" (Fia)
The past was glorified. Losing one's life in exchange for sealing away the Demon King would make a beautiful story in the hands of such a great bard.
"Oh, no, wait. That reminds me, history has been rewritten..." (Fia)
……That's right.
The great saint was supposed to be united with the hero who had sealed away the Demon King with her. Thus, the descendants of the Great Saint would have founded the royal family.
...Hmm, but what does that mean?
The Nav royal family had existed since long before I was born in my previous life, and since it was still the Nav royal family, its lineage had not been interrupted. During the time of the Great Saint, was there something that called for a breath of fresh air, like the birth of a new royal family? Was this why they revamped the national flag and knights to impress upon the new royal family?
"Hmmm" (Fia)
As I was left groaning in confusion, Captain Cyril called out to me in a worried voice.
"Fia, are you okay? You've been leaking your thoughts out loud for a while now." (Cyril)
"Huh? Ah, sorry. I'm fine." (Fia)
I quickly tried to cover it up and gave a smile.
"If you feel unwell, please let me know, okay?" (Cyril)
Captain Cyril still sounded a little worried as he continued speaking, but I told him I was fine, and we headed to the commander's room together.