Chapter 36: Four Awakenings

Hero Chevalier candidates are, in principle, selected through the entrance exam of the Royal Knight Academy. Many are males who have reached puberty, but some are over twenty who take the exam because they have nothing to eat. Males with high rutting frequency are rare to begin with, and on top of that the resolve to keep shaving away life on the battlefield is needed, so few can become Hero Chevaliers.

On the other hand, Holy Knight Paladin candidates undergo a certain level of screening before entering the knight academy. The blessing of Goddess Velos basically descends on any woman through sexual intercourse. But the strength of the blessing and the “ability” that manifests differ from person to person. In the kingdom and empire it is mandatory for the church to examine the blood of first menstruation and measure the strength of the blessing. On top of that, they divine the “dream” seen on the night of turning fourteen to determine the type of blessing.

Of course not every woman is examined. Orphans, vagrants, or parents in rural areas far from the capital who hate losing labor sometimes falsify their daughter’s blood. Even so, every year more than a hundred Holy Knight candidates gather at the knight academy from across the kingdom. Once they become Holy Knight candidates it proves they have obtained a strong blessing, so even if they are not chosen by a Hero Chevalier they will have no trouble finding a marriage partner. Lower nobles and rising merchant houses work hard to give their daughters prestige and find better marriage prospects.

The instant she kicked off the ground she closed the distance right in front of her. The speed was beyond human limits. Sofia barely dodged the sword tip that reached her throat. But the opponent swung the sword sideways in the same motion. She dropped her waist and escaped the horizontal sweep by a hair. At the same time she thrust at the opponent’s torso. Perfect timing for a hit. But the opponent twisted her body on her left foot as axis and dodged the sword tip. At the same time her right knee slammed into the side of Sofia’s face. She blocked with her shoulder but the overwhelming power sent her flying. She took a break-fall and rolled across the ground trying to stand. But the sword was already pointed at her.

“I-I yield…”

When she surrendered the opponent lowered her sword. Applause rang out. The other Holy Knights and Heroes watching raised voices of praise. Inside the fortress city of Valihart, in the training ground reserved exclusively for Heroes and Holy Knights, the power of the newly awakened Holy Knight Paladins was being measured. This facility adjacent to the Velos church allowed entry to no one except Hero Chevaliers and Holy Knight Paladins.

“You’re good. Any normal Holy Knight would have ended at the first horizontal sweep. But since you just awakened you can’t control the power well yet. That part you just have to get used to.”

The strongest Holy Knight Gratina Wackenheim sheathed her sword and nodded. Sofia stood up and bowed.

“Next! Elfina Rogueia! Step forward!”

The golden-haired beauty stepped out. She bowed and took a stance. Kaito watched from a little distance away. The power Elfina had manifested was both “Body Strengthening Strong” and “Magic Ability Magical.” Having both at once was extremely rare. But that came with drawbacks too. Her “Body Strengthening Strong” was not as strong as Sofia who specialized in it. Elsa had manifested “Magic Ability Magical” but still fell short. They could use both, but they could not match specialists in those fields.

“In Elfina’s case a monotonous fighting style using only the sword won’t work. She can use lightning power after all. She should combine sword and magic to fight.”

Walter Wackenheim stood beside Kaito with arms folded and murmured. It seemed Elfina was thinking the same; white light burst from her left hand. But she could not keep up with Gratina’s quick movements. Eventually a decision was reached.

Kaito shifted his gaze from Elfina and looked the other way. Elsa was doing magic practice. She had placed a straw dummy about twenty paces away and was firing flame bullets into it. She still seemed unaccustomed so she could not rapid-fire. Watching her, Kaito gave a bitter smile.

“I thought we could head straight into real combat, but it looks like time to get used to it is still needed.”

“Obviously. The three years at the knight academy are positioned for exactly that purpose. On the contrary it’s surprising they can use the power this well right after manifesting it.”

Kaito nodded at Walter’s words. He himself would probably need no more than a year. Normally the time a Holy Knight Paladin could manifest power was only a few days a month. But for Elfina and the others it was possible “every day.” In two or three months they would become among the kingdom’s top Holy Knight Paladins.

“Sasha is on my mind. Excuse me.”

Kaito bowed and left the spot.

He knocked on the room door. No answer.

“Sasha. I’m coming in…”

When he entered Sasha was lying face-down on the bed. He sat on the edge beside her. Unlike the other three, the true nature of the blessing Sasha had obtained was still unknown. Some kind of power had manifested but it was certain it was not combat-oriented.

“Don’t get so down. I heard Original Unique Ability is hard to figure out. Let’s take time and identify the blessing’s true nature.”

“Nn…”

Still face-down she gave a tiny nod. Kaito thought a moment how to comfort her.

“Elfina, Sofia, and Elsa each manifested combat-oriented blessings. On the battlefield they will probably fight on the front line as Holy Knight Paladins. But I think the way we’ve been doing it until now won’t work anymore.”

“…Because of the cannons?”

Sasha turned only her face while still face-down. Her eyes were a little swollen. Stroking her cheek Kaito continued.

“We can still win now. But eventually cannon technology will advance. It will become usable in rain, able to rapid-fire, and range and power will increase further. Cannons are strategic weapons that will completely change the shape of battlefields. If things stay like this Hero Chevaliers and Holy Knight Paladins will be spoken of in the past tense.”

He lifted the young body and sat her on his lap facing away, hugging her from behind.

“No matter how strong a power Elfina and the others have, cannon technology will eventually surpass it. But Original Unique Ability is different. I think Original Unique Ability is not so much a blessing as a part of god’s power. A power that can freely control animals is something I can’t imagine human technology ever achieving…”

“But I…”

“Yeah. Sasha’s power is still unknown. So let’s search for it together. You definitely received a blessing. It’s just harder to see than the other three. Supporting Holy Knights is a Hero’s role. I will definitely find it. So don’t worry.”

“Nn… Thanks.”

Sasha leaned her back against him. Even in her young body her face looked a little more adult. Perfect chance. He would pamper this body just like this. He brought his left index finger to her mouth and Sasha opened her small lips and started licking it with tiny flicks.

“Still… four at once…”

Walter Wackenheim gulped down wine and murmured. His beloved wife beside him nodded with a serious expression.

“I’ve strictly ordered the other Holy Knight Paladins to keep their mouths shut.”

“The Heroes side is fine. The sense of camaraderie among Hero Chevaliers is strong here. We’ve been fighting together while shortening our lifespans. Even if there’s a Hero with abnormal power no one will tattle.”

Holy Knight Gratina cracked a walnut one-handed and popped the contents into her mouth. Because the goddess’s blessing still lingered she could easily crack even hard walnuts. But that power would disappear by tomorrow. And the next time her husband would go into rut would be at least two days later. One round of sex brought down the goddess’s blessing and granted superhuman power and beauty for one day. That was how a “normal Holy Knight” and “normal Hero” were supposed to be.

But Kaito was an entirely different existence. Even the strongest Hero Walter Wackenheim could not make four women Holy Knights at the same time.

“Before I was born there was an experiment with stacking blessings. They say they administered drugs at the rut stage and had sex twice in one night. The result was the goddess’s blessing lasted about three days.”

“I’ve heard of it. It was judged dangerous because it required enormous amounts of aphrodisiacs and continuous dosing like that should be taboo, right? …Don’t tell me that boy!”

Walter denied his wife’s jumping to conclusions.

“No, he didn’t use aphrodisiacs to begin with. Kaito’s life force is beyond comparison with normal Hero Chevaliers. In that regard even I don’t come close. He’s probably the ‘strongest’ Hero in history.”

“…Dangerous.”

At his beloved wife’s uneasy words Walter nodded too. Males normally went into rut only once or twice a month. Even a Hero Chevalier with strong life force had a rut frequency of four to six, and even Walter Wackenheim called the strongest reached nine to eleven. Among them Kaito’s rut frequency was abnormal. Every day—more than thirty times a month—and he could have repeated sex on the same day.

But because he possessed life force beyond common sense there was also unease.

“Just having high rut frequency already earns jealousy from other men. Especially jealousy from royalty and nobles is troublesome. It’s dangerous even among Hero Chevaliers. Even Heroes feel fear toward beings that are too different.”

“Starting with Marquis Rogueia, that boy’s Holy Knight Paladins are all relatives of powerful figures. They’ll back him but that also makes him easy to target. He’s a commoner by birth after all…”

“Kaito is still sixteen. He’s too young mentally to hide himself in complicated human relationships and the kingdom’s power structure. In the worst case he could end up repeating Paul’s tragedy.”

The Wackenheim couple talked with serious faces.

Meanwhile Belgarad Phalanx had already taken measures as if anticipating the Wackenheim couple’s worries. When Kaito was about to depart for Marquis Rogueia’s territory Phalanx handed him several documents.

“I have already sent a messenger to Principal Shurisupu. You will eventually become Hero Chevalier and Holy Knight Paladins but you will remain academy students for another two years. So I have registered you as my direct staff officers so no one else sticks their nose in. Once you become Heroes you will receive honorary viscount status and a surname. When the time comes you will formally join my army and work for me.”

“Thank you, General Phalanx.”

Kaito respectfully accepted the documents that guaranteed their status. Phalanx looked down at Kaito with an amused expression and asked.

“You embraced my tomboy daughter. I expect you to become a Hero Chevalier worthy of that?”

“Of course. I decided it in my heart long ago. I will become a Hero no one has ever reached… a true Sacred Chevalier.”

“Nf.”

Phalanx glanced at the Hero before him and the Holy Knights behind him and nodded.

“Go. I pray for your safety on the road.”

“General, may you have good fortune in battle too!”

Kaito and the others saluted and departed for Marquis Rogueia’s territory. When Phalanx returned to the fortress his staff officers were waiting. The soldiers had already finished preparations for departure.

“Nfufufu… Then shall we go too. There is no need to let them leisurely build their fortress. Time to transform from defensive Phalanx to offensive Phalanx.”

On the eleventh of August, Tormakia year 202, the Kabachi Plains Battle was about to begin again, reversing the ten-year balance of attack and defense.