Chapter 28: Greeting Rounds in the Capital

The capital also gets hot in July. The Royal Knight Academy entered its roughly five-week summer break. The instructors each took their own time off. Kaito planned to visit the homes of the four girls who would become his Holy Knight Paladins and greet their parents. Normally the greetings would happen after the second-year completion ceremony when the Holy Knights were officially confirmed. But because Kaito intended to take all four at once, he judged that early groundwork was necessary.

“Five weeks away from the capital. I really wanted to greet Claire too, but…”

“Please don’t worry, enjoy yourself. So tonight…”

“Yeah. Gotta give you a full month’s worth.”

Ever since he stole her from her ex-husband, Kaito had been tasting Claire Jilfied’s ripe body about once a week. Thanks to the goddess’s blessing, Claire had grown even more beautiful than before. She looked no older than her early twenties, and her figure had not sagged at all.

(Miss Lilia was the same. Those two years she just got prettier day by day. Compared to how little the brothel customers changed, Holy Knight Paladins seem to enjoy the “beauty” part of the goddess’s blessing far more…)

Her folds wrapped him tightly and writhed like a living creature. While he moved back and forth inside, he kneaded her plump jiggling breasts. The huge tits that overflowed his palms sank endlessly soft under his fingers, their purupuru springiness stirring his beastly lust. He bit into the soft flesh, savoring the bounce while slamming his hips without restraint, devouring her meat.

“Haaah… Yes, Master. Devour me more! Like a baby unconsciously, like a beast greedily, like masturbation mindlessly! Use me and devour pleasure from meee!”

Kaito had intended exactly that from the start. He pounded his surging beast lust into her without mercy. Simply using the body in front of him to relieve his own sexual desire. No whispered words of love, no consideration for his partner. No one shows restraint toward food placed on the table. The proper etiquette toward a meal is to devour every last scrap. He poured his desire deep inside. But he was not satisfied at all.

“Still not enough. I want to eat more and more of you.”

He whispered it into her ear and started moving again.

“Well well, Lord Kaito. Welcome.”

Marco Bolfes, head clerk of the Grupp Trading Company, greeted the five with a beaming smile. Using summer break to visit the homes of his future Holy Knight Paladins and greet their parents. First stop was Sasha’s home, the Grupp Trading Company. During last year’s march training he owed Marco a huge debt. He had written a polite thank-you letter at New Year, but this time he wanted to thank the company head—Sasha’s father—in person.

“Lord Bolfes, thank you again for everything back then. I offer my deepest gratitude.”

When Kaito bowed politely, Marco waved his hand with a wry smile.

“That was business. Our company made a profit too, and we gained a connection to the knight academy. There is no need for thanks. Just let us continue good dealings in the future—that is plenty. Now, the head and vice-head are waiting. Please come inside…”

The Grupp Company main store was a large three-story stone building. The first floor displayed pictures of famous specialties from all directions and sample goods. There were negotiation rooms for merchants and reception rooms for nobles. The second floor housed clerks handling orders from everywhere, and the third floor contained the head’s office.

“Company Head Grupp, it’s Bolfes. I have brought Lady Sasha and her friends.”

He knocked and opened the door to the head’s office. Seated behind the large desk at the back was a middle-aged man with romance-gray hair. Tall, solidly built. His beard around the mouth matched his hair color, neatly trimmed, and he wore crisp clothes with no unnecessary decoration. He embodied the word “dashing.” Standing beside him was a silver-haired woman a head taller than Sasha. She flashed a grin and beckoned with an outrageously casual wave.

“Sasha-chan! You came~ Come in, come in~”

“Papa, Mama. I’m home…”

When Kaito and the others entered, the man stood up too. Taller than Kaito. A full two heads taller than his wife.

(I see, Sasha takes after her mother…)

Even while thinking that, Kaito stood straight before the parents and gave a polite greeting.

“It is an honor to meet you. I am Kaito, first-year Hero Chevalier candidate at the Royal Knight Academy. I am in a relationship with your daughter.”

The man gave one nod and introduced himself in a low baritone.

“I am Leonard Grupp, head of the Grupp Trading Company. This is my wife Litalia Grupp. Thank you for coming. You are welcome here.”

“Nishishi~ Call me ‘Lita-rin’~”

Beside the calm adult man stood an insanely light-hearted, child-like woman. The tremendous gap left Kaito and the other three momentarily stunned. But they could not stay speechless. Kaito prompted the three girls to introduce themselves.

“First-year Holy Knight Paladin candidate, Elfina Rogueia.”

“Likewise, Sofia Volfort.”

“Elsa Phalanx. Nice to meet you.”

The Rogueia marquis family with considerable influence even among nobles, the Volfort family that instructs swordsmanship for the Kingdom’s knight order, and the northern guardian Phalanx family stood in line. Any commoner would have shrunk. But Sasha’s parents showed not the slightest sign of it. They were led to a reception room adjacent to the office. A secretary-like woman brought tea. Kaito first expressed thanks for borrowing the Grupp Company’s power during last year’s march training.

“If my daughter is in trouble, helping her is only natural as a parent. Moreover, if there is profit in it, ignoring that would go against the way of commerce. Please don’t worry…”

“That’s right~ If Sasha-chan is in trouble, I’d do anything!”

Kaito was not foolish enough to take those words at face value.

(If you make my daughter cry, you make the Grupp Company your enemy—that’s what she wants to say. A kind of warning…)

“The Hero Chevalier I aim to become is one whose Holy Knight Paladins think, even after rebirth, ‘I want to be this man’s Holy Knight again.’ I may not be able to give them luxury. There may be painful times. But I will never make them unhappy.”

The father nodded silently. The mother, still smiling, asked her daughter.

“Sasha-chan. How is it? Is the academy fun?”

“Mm… super fun. Being beside Kaito is never boring. Right now, I’m really happy.”

“Good, then it’s fine. When I first heard four at once I thought it was crazy, but if it’s the man Sasha-chan chose, there’s no mistake. Seems like you get along with the other three too. But Kaito, there’s just one thing I want to ask?”

“What is it?”

Mother Litalia spoke lightly, but at some point her eyes had changed. Kaito unconsciously straightened his posture.

“Taking four Holy Knight Paladins at once means doing the work of four Hero Chevaliers, right? That’s not as easy as it sounds. Specifically, how exactly do you plan to do four people’s worth of work?”

A perfectly natural question. A Hero Chevalier is not a servant to his Holy Knight Paladins, but he is the one who supports their lives. Supporting four at the same time would be a heavy burden.

“What I’m thinking is division of labor in the Hero Chevalier role. Among a hero’s battlefield duties, there are things only a hero can do and things anyone can do. For example, procuring food and preparing meals. Setting up tents and making beds. Maintaining swords and armor… these can be done without being a hero. I plan to hire people and delegate those tasks.”

“But then you’ll need money, right? How are you going to manage?”

“Usually several Holy Knights and heroes are assigned to one battlefield. I’ll take on the work of the other heroes too and receive payment for it. For instance, the effort of procuring food and preparing meals barely changes whether it’s for five or ten. I want to prove the effectiveness of task sharing and eventually establish an organization that centrally manages Holy Knights and heroes.”

Litalia’s eyes sparkled. Her expression had shifted from mother to merchant.

“Interesting idea. But I think it’ll be difficult. I hear a Holy Knight Paladin’s power makes even allies afraid, not just enemies. If an organization that binds Holy Knights is created, it would become the Kingdom’s greatest armed force. You’d need extremely careful groundwork…”

“I intend to take time. To gain understanding from the military and nobles I’ll need concrete achievements. Not winning two or three small skirmishes—something bigger. In other words, capturing Grantberg Fortress… that will probably be the condition.”

“You’re aiming high.”

Litalia cackled as she said it. The father stayed silent. Kaito found it strange. Ever since they arrived the mother had been the talkative one, the father mostly quiet. It almost felt like the mother was the real head.

The meeting with Sasha’s parents ended mostly successfully despite a few exchanges. Sasha stayed behind at the main store. The family would eat out together in private. Sofia left midway too. Tomorrow they would visit the Volfort residence, so she needed to prepare.

“Still, her mom sure loves to talk. Feels like we’d get along.”

Kaito nodded silently at Elsa’s words.

“Kaito, is something bothering you? About Sasha’s parents?”

Asked by Elfina, Kaito turned to her.

“The Grupp Company head is the father Leonard, vice-head is the mother Litalia. I had assumed a merchant-type father like Lord Marco, but it’s completely different. Actually the mother feels more like the merchant…”

“Now that you mention it, yes. Lord Leonard barely spoke, and Lady Litalia did almost all the talking. Maybe Sasha being quiet and sparing with words comes from her father?”

“No, perhaps…”

(The one who ‘manages’ the Grupp Company is the father, and the one who ‘leads’ is the mother. Maybe the couple divides the huge organization—management duties versus finding new markets and business seeds, like a merchant role. If you compare commerce to war, it’s defense and offense split between them…)

Elfina peeked at his face, so he stopped thinking there. Later, the “organization” called the Grupp Company would greatly influence Kaito’s plans. Historians of later generations would all agree that one reason the outstanding Hero Chevalier Kaito did not end as merely one hero was his encounter with the Grupp Company.

“We’re the only ones going back to the academy now—Elfina and Elsa. How about it? Want to grab a meal in the capital too?”

The two beauties smiled and nodded.

Meanwhile, in a room at the Velos Great Theocracy Papal Office, men were holding a discussion. The information came from a church in the Holy Felcis Kingdom’s capital.

“Hmm. So that man called ‘Kaito’ became a Hero Chevalier and manifested the goddess’s luck. The goddess’s blessings do not necessarily conflict. The report says he had the luck to find hard-to-spot flowers early. But that luck led to the misfortune of encountering a fierce beast. Thinking that way, his blessing may not be all that strong.”

“Indeed… the presence of Holy Knight Paladins was unexpected, but as a result that Kaito lost his own Holy Knight. As long as the Hero Chevalier lives there is a chance he gains new ones, but it doesn’t seem worth our vigilance.”

The woman who made the report silently listened to the men’s discussion. Her job had been to investigate and report Hero Kaito’s movements during the march training—nothing more.

“From this report he does seem to have some talent. He will probably distinguish himself as a Hero Chevalier someday. But not enough for us to move. Further investigation is unnecessary. Rather, since the last battle, interesting movements have begun inside the Kingdom. Shouldn’t we discuss those?”

The men nodded. Once the topic changed, the woman bowed and left the room. Back in her own room she looked at the single sheet of paper she held.

(The man called Kaito possesses extremely strong vitality, with heat cycles almost daily. He is currently trying to obtain four Holy Knights at once and may become an existence that breaks from the conventional image of a Hero Chevalier…)

“If you stand out too much, I won’t be able to protect you anymore, you know? Kaito…”

The woman with round glasses sighed and fed the paper to the candle flame.

Sturdy men stood lined on both sides. Each had sharp eyes and a sword at his waist. Kaito and the three girls walked between them.

“W-wait, what is this…”

Elsa grumbled under her breath. It did not feel like a welcome at all. The atmosphere was tense, as if they were marching into enemy territory for a duel. At the end of the men stood two men and one beauty. The middle-aged man who seemed to be Sofia’s father was rock-solid and looked every inch a master of martial arts. Beside him a slender man with a carefree air smiled softly.

“It is an honor to meet you. I am Kaito, first-year Hero Chevalier candidate at the Royal Knight Academy. I am in a relationship with your daughter, Lady Sofia.”

“I am Ralph Volfort, head of the Volfort family. Thank you for coming.”

“I am Leon Volfort. I’ve heard about you from Sofia.”

After the mutual greetings while facing each other, Kaito narrowed his eyes slightly and turned serious.

“Now then, Lord Volfort, there is something I wish to ask.”

“Oh? Asking questions right after greetings. Very well. Ask anything.”

“Having armed men line up on both sides and making us walk between them—what exactly is the intention? It hardly seems like proper etiquette toward guests.”

“Etiquette is the code of conduct people follow to maintain order. You are trying to take four Holy Knights at once, including my daughter. Are you not destroying the order that Holy Knights and heroes come in pairs? To such a person, etiquette is unnecessary.”

A direct denial right from the start. Sofia, standing beside her brother, panicked.

“F-Father. Father also agreed…”

“Silence! This is a conversation between men.”

Scolded by her father, Sofia could only stay quiet. Since he said “between men,” the three girls behind could only stay quiet too. Kaito answered with a cool face yet arrogantly.

“I am not bound by such worthless order. Holy Knights and heroes come in pairs… who decided that? That is not order. It is the resentment of incompetents who cannot even satisfy a single Holy Knight. Certainly, if it comes to swords you are far stronger than me. But when it comes to the ‘other sword’ every man is born with, I am far stronger.”

He pointed at his own lower body.

“Pffft…”

Leon Volfort, standing beside, burst out laughing. Even the stern-faced father shook his shoulders. Eventually they could no longer hold it and both roared with laughter.

“Hahahahaha! No no, that is certainly true. With that sword… I cannot even reach your feet. I concede this one point.”

Bang bang on the shoulder. Kaito had heard the father was strict, but apparently he also had a bold side. After laughing their fill, father Ralph Volfort turned serious again.

“But that alone is not enough to hand over a Volfort daughter. The head of the Volfort family must be stronger. Any child Sofia bears will be raised as a candidate to inherit the Volfort family. I must test the seed—you.”

(…This guy is a muscle-brain too, huh.)

Kaito was inwardly exasperated, but this was a rite of passage to obtain Sofia. He could only nod.

They were led to the stone-paved training ground inside the Volfort residence. Sofia and the others stood on Kaito’s side, Leon and the disciples on the father’s side, each retreating to the wall. Only the two men remained in the center.

“I heard from my daughter, but you truly have no talent for the sword. But that is trivial. A sword stroke carries the form of the one who swings it. The best way to understand each other is to cross blades.”

He had heard the exact same words from the daughter. Like father, like daughter. They each took wooden practice swords and faced each other a few steps apart. The call of “begin” rang out. But Ralph kept his sword arm dangling loosely at his side. Kaito, on the other hand, gripped the hilt firmly with both hands, face tense.

(Hmm, he has trained. But still immature. At this rate he’ll die young. Shall I play with him a little…)

Seeing Kaito’s stance, Ralph thought that. The moment he moved to act, Kaito’s gaze suddenly flicked behind him. Tension vanished from his face and posture.

“Ah, look…”

“Hm?”

Ralph instinctively turned. In that instant he realized he had been tricked. He leaped back a step. The wooden sword grazed the side of his neck by a hair. The disciples had no idea what happened. Only Ralph, Leon, and Sofia understood what Kaito had done.

“Shit… that was my only chance.”

“…Well done.”

A smile rose at the corner of Ralph’s mouth.

“Hii… hii…”

Sofia’s brother Leon Volfort clutched his stomach laughing. He had made the Kingdom’s greatest swordsman step back one pace. That alone was more than enough to pass. When the other disciples asked, he explained.

“Simply put, he deliberately shifted his gaze to make it look like something happened behind. I haven’t seen such a perfect ‘void’ in a long time. Maybe I’ll try it myself next time.”

“B-but isn’t that a feint?”

“No no, technique is exactly that. Create a void to draw the opponent’s mind, make a gap, then strike. Denying the void is the same as denying technique. What he showed was splendid ‘swordsmanship.’ I see, so he’s good at that kind of thing.”

Leon stroked his chin and nodded, looking amused.

“Seriously, that man never changes…”

Sofia shook her head. But a smile floated on her lips. No matter the means, her man had made her father step back. A beginner who had held a sword for only about three years had made the Kingdom’s top master retreat. It was close to a miracle.

“But failing to finish with that is painful. Kaito has no chance of winning anymore…”

“Yeah. It’s impossible now. But Kaito hasn’t surrendered. Look, even while getting hit he’s still trying to strike back somehow.”

Even in practice with Sofia, Kaito never gave up. If he could become even slightly stronger he greedily sought it. The same held here. While being struck in the gut the father roared.

“Don’t swing wildly! When the opponent is stronger than you, first commit fully to defense. People can live with arms or legs cut off, but a thrust to the throat ends it!”

Even though the practice swords had dulled edges and rounded tips, each hit reverberated to the bone. Less than ten minutes had passed, yet in that time Kaito had been “killed” countless times. Eventually Ralph signaled to stop. Looking down at Kaito who collapsed limply, he nodded.

“An unusual sword… but not a twisted one. A sword filled with strong will. With this I can entrust my daughter. Sofia, treat his wounds.”

Leon, who had taken the practice sword, spoke happily to his father.

“Still, making Father step back… I saw something good today.”

“Sofia chose a talentless man. Somewhere in my heart I had that complacency. He struck there. Certainly he has no sword talent. But he possesses ‘another talent’ that more than compensates. His future is worth watching.”

Watching the man being supported on his daughter’s shoulder, the master swordsman Ralph Volfort laughed.