Published: January 4, 2026
“Mm, that should do it.”
Back at the mansion, I sat in the living room with my upper body bare, tending to my own wounds.
I removed the cloth that the maid had applied and then used the ring linked to Leviathan to form armor tightly around the injured area.
It was a strange material—not quite metal—that perfectly pressed against the wound to stop the bleeding.
After that, I turned my attention to the girl I had brought back with me.
She was curled up small, as if frightened—not just like a child scolded by their parents, but terrified of something even worse.
“For now, tell me your name.”
“Ah... I-I'm sorry.”
The girl panicked and immediately dropped into a deep bow before introducing herself.
“Sh-Shirley Grans.”
“Shirley, huh? That armor looks pretty fine. Is it your own?”
“This has been passed down from my ancestors... um.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“I was wondering... what kind of punishment I might face...”
“Punishment?”
“Well, the crime of accidentally injuring Prince Your Highness...”
Shirley knelt fully, hands and knees on the floor, lifting her face up.
Her expression was filled with intense fear.
I thought I had already told her not to worry about that.
“That crime doesn’t exist.”
“Huh? But according to imperial law...”
“No, I mean there’s no crime for accidentally injuring someone.”
“What do you mean by that...?”
Shirley tilted her head in confusion.
“Stand up, Shirley.”
“Y-yes!”
“Try thrusting at me again.”
“Eh? But...”
“A knight must obey orders.”
“—! Yes, ma’am!”
Shirley stood up, drew her longsword, and took a stance.
Her expression changed completely—the fear was almost gone, replaced by a dignified seriousness.
With a sharp, spirited shout, she lunged.
It was a thrust as strong as any I’d seen during the knight selection.
I stopped it.
The shield Leviathan created stopped the blow.
“That much... huh?”
Shirley immediately noticed the difference.
The shield that she had easily pierced during the selection didn’t move at all this time, and she was surprised.
“It doesn’t budge, right?”
“Yes, whether I push or pull! This is... amazing.”
The tip of the sword seemed to stick to the shield as if glued, refusing to move despite her efforts, and Shirley was stunned.
“If I’m serious about defending, that attack won’t get through. So there’s no such thing as ‘accidentally.’ I made it happen.”
“W-why?”
Shirley looked even more perplexed.
“A knight’s fundamental duty is to obey orders. If you can’t obey orders faithfully, you’re at best a slave. No matter the schemes, if you hesitate or hold back during the fight because you’re watching my expression, you’re useless.”
“Y-yes!”
“If you want a slave, you gather slaves by their method. This time, you’re being chosen as a knight. That’s what this is.”
“So... even without regard for your own safety?”
“I also wanted to see how a person would react after injuring me. Even a second time, if it’s my order, I want a serious attack. You passed.”
“...Y-yes.”
Shirley nodded solemnly.
Her eyes went wide, mouth slightly open.
Then she looked at me with eyes full of admiration.
“So, you’ve passed. Just to confirm, you’re here for the knight selection intending to become my knight, right?”
“Y-yes!”
Shirley quickly corrected her posture, knelt on one knee, and bowed her head.
It was an imitation of formal etiquette—well, actually from a stage play.
True noble etiquette isn’t known to commoners, so what’s usually passed down are the flashy versions from plays or drama.
Shirley gave me a knight’s bow as if acting in a play.
“Shirley Grans. I pledge my lifelong, unwavering loyalty to Prince Your Highness.”
That wasn’t an official phrase either, but the sentiment came through.
More than anything.
――――――――――――
Name: Noah Alarate
Prince Wise
Gender: Male
Level: 1/∞
HP: F+F Fire: F
MP: F Water: e plus s
Strength: F+E Wind: F
Endurance: F+F Earth: F
Intelligence: F+F Light: F