A Story of a Male Knight (Not a Female Knight) in a Chastity-Reversed World ~The Girls Are So Afraid of Being Disliked That a “Kukkoro” Scene Never Happens~ - 7

Chapter 7: The Fateful Day

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In the mansion’s garden, on the vibrant green grass. I stood facing my mother, feeling tense.

“Well then, Ray. Let me see the results of your month of training.”

It had been a month since I started training. I had finally reached the day where Mother would evaluate me. I was nervous. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that my fate would be decided today. But I was confident that she would acknowledge me. Over the past month, I had given my all without a single day of slacking.

In running, I had increased my distance; in strength and core power training, I had upped the intensity. I had also devoted myself wholeheartedly to swordsmanship. There was no room for laziness. No space for regret. My very best was everything I had now, and if this wasn’t good enough, then so be it.

“First, show me the results of your physical training.”

“Then, Mother, I’d like you to see my stamina first.”

“Yes, I know you’ve been running every day. Let’s see… How about you run 1.5 kilometers? If you can’t finish, I’m afraid you’ll have to give up.”

“Understood. Is there a target time?”

“A target time? No need.  For a boy to run 1.5 kilometers… Considering your age, that distance is quite tough already. Honestly, even 50 meters might be enough.”

Hearing Mother’s words, Elsa-san, who was watching nearby, gave her a pointed look.

“Um, Madam, aren’t you being absurdly lenient? You know Ray runs that distance daily, right? Actually, you just can’t wait to give him a passing mark, can you?”

Mother averted her eyes from Elsa-san.

“I-I wouldn’t say that, but perhaps I am being a bit soft. Then let’s set it at 1.5 kilometers in 10 minutes. It’s not especially fast, but it’s a time that would have been impossible for the old Ray, who barely exercised.”

Ten minutes… Yeah, I thought I could do it.

“Got it. Could you give the starting call?”

“Yes, let’s start right away. Ready… GO!”

At her signal, I started running. Without rushing, I kept my pace steady, just as I always did.

“Eh-ro, eh-ro.”

“Elsa. You don’t need to run.”

“Wha-!? I-I just did it out of habit!”

“Have you been sticking right behind Ray every day, showering yourself in his sweat? And staring at his nape with that gaze? Also, your pronunciation of ‘ho’ is strange.”

“M-Madam, it was just a joke!”

Ignoring their exchange, I focused on my pace and kept running. My legs felt heavy. My breathing was ragged. But I absolutely refused to slow down. As I neared the end, I picked up the pace just a bit and pushed through to the finish.

“Six minutes!?”

After walking a bit to cool down, I collapsed from exhaustion. When I looked up at Mother’s face, I saw that she was frozen in shock. It seemed I had made a good time. I let out a relieved breath.

“Heh, what do you think, Madam?”

“Let’s leave Elsa’s smugness aside. Ray, that was incredible. From almost no exercise to this time in just one month… Just how much effort did you put in your training…?”

At Mother’s muttered words, Elsa-san’s face lit up with pride, and she handed me a towel.

“Thank you, Elsa-san.”

“Not at all. Please, let me take it for laundry.”

“Wait a second, Elsa. I’ve never seen Ray’s towels among the laundry.”

“W-Well, if another servant saw them, it would spark a bloody battle, so I handle them privately…”

“I see…”

As my breathing steadied, I interrupted their conversation.

“Mother, how was my stamina?”

“Yes. Without a doubt, you pass. You must have worked very hard, Ray.”

“Yeah. My desire to become a knight is real.”

I almost let my guard down with a little chuckle, but the test wasn’t over yet.

“What’s next?”

“Let’s see… You’ve also been doing power training and core training, as well as strength training. Could you show me each one?”

Just like with the running, Mother gave me tasks, and I tackled each of them. Apparently, I had surpassed expectations in every area, and Mother alternated between joy and astonishment. As for Elsa-san…

“Hehe~ How about Ray-sama’s power training? In ladder drills, his footwork is impeccable. In jumping exercises, his height is flawless, same with everything else. I checked his form from a low angle to ensure every detail could be captured by my eyes. Ray-sama underwent the most efficient training possible, so this result is only natural!”

Elsa-san said with pride.

“For his core, I supported Ray-sama with my hands until he reached his limit, trembling adorably! Aren’t you surprised by his strength?”

Elsa-san’s eyes were shining as she said so.

“Ray-sama’s body has been thoroughly trained, every part of it. When his shirt rides up, you can catch glimpses of his abs, and sometimes his armpits… Guhuhu… In any case, he has transformed into a beautiful specimen!”

She boasted smugly.

“Amazing, truly amazing. Ray, for you to achieve this in just one month, you must have worked incredibly hard. I’m proud of you, Ray.”

Mother wiped her tears as she praised me.

“Did you understand how serious I am?”

“Yes. That’s exactly why I won’t spoil you. As the heir of the Kukkoro family, I will judge you strictly.”

“Bring it on.”

“Thank you, Ray. Then finally, show me your swordsmanship. A knight’s life depends on the sword. If your skill is poor, all your other efforts will be wasted.”

Facing Mother’s serious gaze, I swallowed hard. I took the practice sword Elsa-san handed me and stood opposite Mother, who also had a practice sword in hand.

“Try striking me for three minutes. I will judge you thoroughly.”

I took a deep breath and focused my mind. Over the past month, I had learned about Mother too. She was the head of a noble house tasked with protecting the Mikado and the capital. I had heard she was even more skilled than Elsa-san.

Honestly, I feared I wouldn’t stand a chance against her, but… If I gave it my all, I was confident I could put up a decent fight!

With determination, I faced her, gripping and positioning the sword exactly as Elsa-san had taught me.

“Good grip, good stance. No unnecessary force, and always aiming for vital points. That’s a passing start.”

“Of course! I taught him how to grip by holding his hands from behind, adjusted his posture by touching his body from behind, and repeated it until he mastered it!”

“Now, come. We start now!”

I quickly closed the distance and struck—but my sword was easily blocked by Mother.

“Good decision. With your height, that’s your only option. Your footwork is sharp too.”

“He’s being praised! The footwork I taught him just to see him close in on me is being praised! Go, Ray-sama, go~!”

“I’m not done yet!”

“Your sword’s trajectory is good. Your form is beautiful. Proof of dedicated practice.”

“He’s being praised! The form I had him practice just so I could watch his gallant profile is being praised! Go, Ray-sama, go~!”

“Most impressive is your sense of timing. Mixing in feints, there were moments even I nearly got hit.”

“He’s being praised! The timing he honed with me during touch training is being praised! Go, Ray-sama, go~!”

“That’s three minutes. And right to the last fraction of a second, you never gave up. That resolve is the most essential trait for a knight. However…”

Mother lowered her sword, and reluctantly, I lowered mine as well. I must have looked frustrated since I hadn’t landed a single hit…

I had tried so hard for a month, yet none of it worked…

“Ray.”

“Yes…”

“You pass.”

“Huh!?”

I had braced myself for rejection, so I was stunned.

“I judged not as your loving mother, but as the Kukkoro heir’s examiner. You are more than qualified.”

“So… You’ll let me become a knight?”

As I murmured that, Elsa-san squealed with joy and jumped into a hug.

“We did it! You did it, Ray-sama!! Oh, hick… All that effort you put in paid off… Uuuu, Ray-sama!”

“Yeah… We did it, Elsa-san! Thank you for training with me!”

We shared our joy, but Mother cut in sharply.

“Don’t celebrate yet, Ray. There’s one last condition.”

“Condition? What is it?”

“Yes. You must manifest a unique magic. That’s the condition.”

“Unique magic?”

“That’s right. I will pour magic power into you now. If the magical circuit that you’ve honed for the past month activates, there’s a chance that you’ve manifested unique magic. 

“Um, so that’s… Magic only I can use?”

“Yes, exactly.”

W-what, that sounds amazing. I want it so badly.

“Hold out your hand, Ray.”

I stepped away from Elsa-san and timidly offered my hand to Mother.

“Don’t be nervous. I was going to insist it must be combat-oriented unique magic, but watching you today changed my mind. I believe in you.”

She smiled gently and enveloped my hand. Something warm flowed from her hands into me, spreading through my entire body.

“Unless it’s something truly bizarre, I will support your wish to become a knight.”

My hand began to sting like it was burning, and when Mother let go, a glowing crest appeared on the back of my hand.

“Heh, as expected of you, Ray. The crest appeared. That means you’ve manifested unique magic.”

“R-really!?”

“Yes. Look ahead, Ray. That’s your unique magic… Huh?”

From the crest, glowing letters began to form in the air, and I read them with wide eyes:

『Unique Magic–Disruption of Foregone Conclusions: The Ultimate Destruction Magic. After being ‘kukkoro-ed,’ rewinds time to a random point. Usable five times in a lifetime. “There’s no way he’s actually getting kukkoro-ed, right?” A magic that shatters the foregone conclusion of kukkoro. 』

…What the heck was this?

As I stood bewildered, the light faded, leaving only the crest glowing faintly on my hand. I looked to Mother for answers, but she was standing there, mouth agape.

“A r-really weird one has appeared…”

“Mother? What does this mean…?”

“Uh, Ray… I-I don’t know. I really don’t. But there’s one thing I can say for certain.”

“O-okay?”

“Elsa, you’re fired.”

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