Vol 1 Chapter 42 – Master and Disciple【Vol 1: The Beastkin Hero Arc】

I was dreaming a nostalgic dream that looked back on my upbringing, the cursed memories from before I met him.

My father was apparently the cousin of the Beast King, Leon, but he was famous in a bad way. He was a great sinner who plotted to usurp the throne. He wanted to exclude other races and create a beast-kin supremacist nation, leading a coup d’état alongside the beast-kin who sympathized with his ideology.

However, he was easily defeated and captured by Beast King Leon, who was at the height of his power.

His remaining wife—my mother—was convinced she would be executed, so she fled the Beast Kingdom with me as a baby. I found out later that Leon believed the family bore no guilt and had his subordinates search for us to protect us. As a result, my mother mistakenly thought we were being hunted and crossed over to the Holy Empire, the leading nation of the Human Alliance.

By the time I was old enough to understand what was going on, I was living in a filthy slum without my mother by my side. She probably died like a dog somewhere. Caught by slave traders who had heard rumors of an orphaned lion beast-kin, I was sold off to a mad magical scholar.

He was a man whose lifeless, glass-bead-like eyes left a strong impression. After that, he took a scalpel to my entire body in a process that was scary, agonizing, and incredibly painful.

Those days came to an abrupt end when I was rescued by a knight in black, becoming his disciple from that day forward. He was kind and taught me all sorts of things.

Back then I had become completely incapable of trusting anyone’s goodwill, and at the same time I was envious of other people’s happiness. Whenever I walked through the town with him, I saw so much happiness.

A human child begging his parents for sweets at a street stall was a casual sight that made murderous intent boil up inside me because I couldn’t live like that. So I tripped the kid and took the sweets. He didn’t say a word to me. Instead, he immediately bowed his head to the child’s parents and paid them for the damages.

Next, I saw a noble’s daughter buying a massive amount of clothes at a tailor in the noble district, and I tore up the favorite dress she had just bought right in front of her. Her crying and screaming got on my nerves.

When I cried nobody ever came to help me, but when she cried all her escort knights ganged up to beat me. But with a single word from him as he rushed over, the knights stopped in their tracks. His eyes widened at the compensation amount before freezing for a moment, then he smiled and whispered something to the girl. Strangely enough, she blushed and easily forgave me.

A few days later, he took me to a high-class restaurant saying he was going to teach me some manners. Ignoring him as he started explaining etiquette, I spotted a fat noble brat in the restaurant leaving a ton of food on his plate.

Even though there are so many people in this world who can’t even eat.

So I tried to force-feed him. As I pinned the fat kid’s face to the table, one of the customers looked at me raging and spoke.

“The family of that great sinner should be wiped out entirely.”

All the customers stood up, glaring at me with eyes full of disgust and contempt.

“…The daughter of a criminal is a criminal in the end. There’s no way she can live a decent life.”

“Go back to your country, you stinking beast-kin. Though I doubt you’ll have a place to belong even if you do.”

They curled their lips, pointed their fingers, and mocked me. Everyone hated me. Well, I hated all of you too.

I didn’t need to be loved by anyone. I didn’t need to be acknowledged. I was perfectly fine on my own because I couldn’t trust anyone anymore.

“…Allen-sama. Why don’t you hurry up and send this great sinner’s daughter back to the Beast Kingdom if she’s going to keep acting like this?”

“Keeping her by your side will only be a detriment to you, the next World Knight.”

“You’ll feel refreshed too. What do you say? Shall we go to the Beast Kingdom together to watch her hang, just like her criminal father?”

Stopping his meal, he stared intently at me. Reflected in his beautiful amethyst eyes was a lion-kin child completely consumed by suspicion.

You hated me deep down too, didn’t you? You despised me. I knew it. I knew your true colors.

“…Do not insult my disciple.”

…Eh?

“She was separated from her parents before she could even understand what was happening, forced to live in the slums not knowing if she’d survive to see tomorrow. Then she was caught by slavers, sold off, confined by a madman, and left with a body covered in scars. It must be painful. It must be agonizing. She must be unbearably lonely.”

He spoke quietly, yet with an intense heat.

“…The daughter of a criminal? No. She is the disciple of Allen Norsh, the leading candidate for the next World Knight. And as her master, I will not forgive anyone who makes a fool of her.”

Allen opened his eyes wide, and with just that it felt as though the temperature had plummeted several degrees. I saw an illusion of the Grim Reaper and finally understood. He must have been unleashing his bloodlust.

With just that alone, almost every customer besides the waiters rolled their eyes back and fainted, with some even wetting themselves. The only one who managed to avoid passing out was a noble in military uniform who yelled while trembling.

“…W-What in the world are you doing… I-I’ll have you know I’m reporting this to His Majesty! If His Majesty makes a move, the votes of many nations will slip away. You’ll never become a World Knight for the rest of your life now!”

“That’s exactly what I want. Someone who can’t even protect a single disciple has no right to become a great hero like a World Knight.”

Allen replied without hesitation.

Even the kings of each country pay their respects to the World Knights. They hold no political power, but they are the singular existence that gathers the love, respect, and faith of the people.

The knight in black chose me over that position everyone admired. I didn’t understand what it meant.

I didn’t understand, but I just clung to him and cried out loud against his chest. I cried because I learned what love was and the joy of being acknowledged, apologizing over and over again.

Ever since then, he has done nothing but help me. I’m sorry for being such a useless disciple.

Startled by the sensation of tears trailing down her cheeks, Leonhardt opened her eyes and abruptly woke from the dream. She immediately realized she was lying on a bed, and reflected in her vision was a familiar black.

It was nostalgic. A deeply nostalgic, beloved color.

She vigorously reached out a trembling hand toward the handsome, black-haired young man who was sitting in a chair set up by the bed, completely absorbed in a book.

“…You were asleep for three whole days. You had me worried, Leonhardt.”

Muttering with lowered brows, her master grasped Leonhardt’s outstretched hand and gave a wry smile. Leonhardt’s eyes widened at the warmth of that hand.

“…You’re alive…”

“…Yeah.”

“This isn’t a dream… It’s reality… right…?”

“That’s right.”

Leonhardt hid her eyes behind her bangs and looked down.

“Thank goodness… Thank goodness…! Don’t you ever leave me behind again! Stay by my side forever and ever!”

“…Leonhardt.”

“Because I haven’t been able to repay you for a single thing! I’ve only ever received things from you, Allen…!”

“…Leonhardt. I’ve received plenty of things from you, too. I think of you like a little sister.”

Saying that, Allen gave a soft smile. Diving into his chest just like she had back then, Leonhardt wailed like a child.

Ahh, he’s alive. He’s really alive. More than anything else, that made her so incredibly happy.

＊　　　＊　　　＊

In a guest room within the Beast King’s castle, Allen embraced his disciple, who had finally regained consciousness. This was happening right in the middle of their postwar negotiations with the Empire.

He combed his fingers through the blonde hair of the beautiful, sanpaku-eyed girl resting in his arms, gently stroking her lion beast-ears.

She was expressing her gratitude to him, but honestly, Allen felt a pang of guilt. As a squire to his own master who served as a World Knight, Allen had seen firsthand just how busy and exhausting the role was.

The idea that justice prevails is a lie because the strong are simply the ones who win. Sometimes, the bad guys are the stronger ones. But a World Knight can never lose since they carry the expectations of the people entirely on their shoulders.

That was why Allen had never wanted to become a World Knight. After the tragedy of Dornbelt, Allen’s popularity skyrocketed overnight.

Up until then he had merely been one of the candidates, but suddenly he found himself as the leading prospect for the next World Knight. So he declined Leon’s offer and took the wild, unruly Leonhardt as his disciple.

Thanks to that, everyone told him he’d never become a World Knight, but that was exactly what he wanted. He just absolutely didn’t want the job.

As expected, Leonhardt caused a scene at that high-class restaurant, and he had taken it for granted that this would completely eliminate his chances of being nominated.

But from that point on, Leonhardt’s behavior rapidly improved, and she began to grow into an ideal knight who helped the weak and thwarted evil.

Because he had managed to rehabilitate such an incredibly rebellious girl, Allen’s stock only rose higher. As a result, he was appointed as a World Knight.

Huh? he thought, but since his disciple was celebrating with a huge smile as if it were her own achievement, he gradually stopped caring.

For Allen, who had no family, Leonhardt had become someone who was practically family to him. That, at least, was his unfeigned, honest truth.

“Leonhardt. I’m sorry to do this right after you woke up, but we’re going out for a bit.”

Sniffle…

Sniffing and blowing her nose, Leonhardt gazed up at Allen with eyes that were swollen bright red.

“…No. I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying with you forever, Allen…”

Placing his hand on the head of his disciple, who was nuzzling her cheek against him affectionately, he spoke.

“We’re going to settle things. To make sure this tragedy is never repeated, we’re heading to Shedim.”