Chapter 26: Familiar Faces from Long Ago
On their way home, Al and Seles walked side by side.
Just before passing beneath the main gate of the Imperial Castle, they crossed paths with a group of knights.
The knights halted mid-step, clearly having noticed something, and called out to the pair.
“Wait—Al-sama? Isn’t that Al-sama?!”
“No way, seriously? It’s really Al-sama!”
“It’s been ages! Do you remember us at all?!”
Al turned around, narrowing his eyes slightly as he studied their faces.
There were a few unfamiliar ones mixed in, but most of them were men he clearly recognized.
“Ah… it’s you lot. Been a few years, hasn’t it?”
“You remember us?! That makes me so happy!”
“As if I could forget you even if I tried.”
“Hahaha! You look as healthy as ever, Al-sama!”
They were Imperial Knights who, back in the day, frequently came to the Dragals Barony for expeditionary training.
Seles, careful not to interrupt their reunion, kept her thoughts to herself.
(Oh right, he did say he knew members of the Imperial Knights. Maybe he really is at least somewhat acquainted with the Imperial Knight Commander himself…)
She had muttered it before, but Rosen, the commander of the Imperial Knights, was the very knight Seles admired and aspired to become like.
“First of all, congratulations on becoming a Court Mage, Al-sama!”
“We’ve heard all about your achievements in that recent incident!”
“And the rumor about you getting engaged to a Royal Guard Knight—it’s true?! I’m jealous!”
“So this little one is the ancient dragon everyone’s been talking about? She’s adorable!”
“When are you planning to join the Imperial Knights?!”
Some showered him with congratulations. Others brought up Seles and Haku. A few even slipped in jokes without missing a beat. It was obvious they couldn’t help themselves—they had waited far too long to speak with Al again.
“Hold on, hold on. You guys really haven’t changed at all. If I remember right, you were still fresh recruits back then. Have you at least earned a promotion or two?”
“Oh, absolutely!”
“We were waiting for you to ask!”
“I made it to sergeant!”
“I’m vice-captain of a mounted platoon!”
“And I, gentlemen, am now a staff sergeant!!”
Each of them saluted proudly, grinning from ear to ear.
Al’s eyebrows lifted slightly.
“Oh? Not bad at all. Though I suppose I’m not really one to lecture… don’t rush things too much. On the battlefield, the ones desperate for glory are always the first to fall.”
“Hahaha, we know, we know!”
“We fight to protect the Empire, after all!”
“Someday, we’ll be worthy to fight at your side, Al-sama. Until then, we’ll keep training—so don’t forget us!”
With that, they bowed to him once more and headed into the castle, their expressions full of satisfaction.
“You see? You do have friends after all,” Seles said lightly.
“Friends… maybe. Or comrades who sharpened each other through hardship.”
“Hehe. You really aren’t honest with yourself, are you?”
◇◇◇
The Imperial Knights who had reunited with Al for the first time in years strolled through the castle, chatting animatedly.
Those who hadn’t known him personally were still riding the thrill of having met the famed Court Mage—but among them was one newly enlisted knight whose expression remained complicated and unsettled.
One of the veterans noticed.
“Hey. What’s with that face?”
“Well… it’s about that Court Mage we just met. I’ve got mixed feelings. We’re the same age, you know. I’m still getting ground into the dirt as a rookie in the knight order, while he’s already a Court Mage, engaged to a beautiful Royal Guard knight, and even commands that ancient dragon everyone’s been talking about. It’s not jealousy, exactly… but it’s hard not to feel a little envious. Or confused. Or both.”
They were the same age—and yet Al had already gained fame, power, and the admiration of knights everyone looked up to. Meanwhile, he himself spent every day slogging through muddy duties. It was only natural for a twinge of resentment or envy to surface.
The senior knights listened with weary expressions. Hearing a rookie’s complaints was part of the job. After all, when they themselves had been new, they’d often been saved by seniors who knew how to listen.
“He was born into nobility, became the youngest Court Mage ever… blessed with talent, luck, and money. I bet he’s never known real hardship or struggle. Feels like he’s lived his whole life in a different world from a commoner like me.”
The lines between the seniors’ brows tightened, one by one.
“And then, even though he’s never fought in a war, he talks to us about earning merit and not rushing things, like he knows it all. I almost snapped back at him. I wanted to say—don’t talk about war so casually when you’ve never even been covered in mud.”
In the next instant, one of the veterans grabbed the rookie by the collar and slammed him hard against the wall.
“Gah—! H-Hey, senior, what the hell—?!”
“Listen carefully, rookie. If you ever badmouth Al-sama again, I won’t hold back. Don’t you dare speak lightly about someone you know nothing about. Got it?”
“Uh… I—I…”
When the rookie timidly lifted his face, he found every one of the knights who’d been joking with Al glaring down at him—faces twisted into something savage, like ogres ready to tear him apart.
“Eek…”
“Tch.”
The senior released him and strode ahead, irritation plain on his face.
“…!”
The shock left the rookie unable to stand.
Then, another senior quietly extended a hand toward him.
“Come on. Get up.”
“Th-thank you.”
“Hey… you ever heard the story? Back when our expedition destination was still the Dragals territory?”
“No… I haven’t.”
“Then I’ll tell you. But afterward, you go apologize properly to those guys.”
“…Understood.”
After hearing the story, the rookie ran after the seniors and bowed his head as deeply as he could, pouring everything he had into that apology.
◇◇◇
—That afternoon.
Slightly delayed, the top two figures of the Imperial Knights passed beneath the main gate.
“…This magic feels strangely familiar.”
“Well, your magic perception is unrivaled in the Empire, Commander! Maybe a retired high-ranking officer passed through here earlier?”
“No… it’s something ‘higher’ than that. Refined, yet mixed with a hint of raw grit. An intriguing sort of magic.”
“Oh! Could it be Al-kun?”
“Al, hm… yes, perhaps. …I wouldn’t mind crossing blades with him again.”
“He’d probably hate that, though.”
“You’re as cheeky as ever for my beloved disciple.”
“Next time we spot him, should we tie him up and drag him to the training grounds?”
“An excellent idea. If we don’t, that boy won’t pick up a sword anymore.”
“He used to bow his head and beg you for a sparring match, remember? Where did that cute Al-kun from back then go…?”
“I suppose I’ll have to beat some spirit back into him from scratch. Hahaha.”
“Indeed~ fufu.”
For all their teasing, to the commander, Al might still be that impudent yet lovable boy from years past.
As the two indulged in nostalgia, a stunning woman escorted by Royal Guards approached from ahead.
From her elegant movements, her attire, and the overwhelming beauty and magic she radiated, her identity was obvious at a glance.
“Well, if it isn’t the Commander of the Imperial Knights.”
“This is an honor, Princess Liriane, First Imperial Princess.”
The princess looked up at Commander Rosen, resting a hand on her hip.
“So? When will the Imperial Knights finally join my faction?”
“As I have stated before, the Knights do not belong to any single faction. We exist as the shield of the Empire. Forgive my discourtesy.”
“…Or is it simply that you wish to avoid being dragged into the succession struggle?”
“Hahaha, Your Highness remains as sharp-tongued as ever.”
“Hmph. You’re a slippery one.”
With a scowl, the First Princess disappeared up the stairs.
The vice-commander muttered under her breath.
“With Prince Sirius awake again, she must be feeling pretty desperate.”
“Watch your tongue, Frau. We’re inside the castle.”
“Ehehe, sorry.”
(Al, a member of the Dragals Barony, stands with the First Prince’s faction. I trust you… but don’t push yourself too far.)
◇◇◇
Meanwhile, somewhere on the continent, within the headquarters of the Dragon God Cult—
“C-Crow-sama… any more would be dangerous!”
“Silence!! Bring me the next potion at once!! This is all I have now…!!”
Crow drained another magic recovery potion and flung the empty bottle aside.
No one could say how many he had consumed. More than a hundred empty vials lay scattered carelessly across the floor of his chamber.
“Haa… haa… Al Dragals. To suppress the magic of a Transcendent, it seems an equivalent amount of power is required. Even I, a Transcendent myself, must rely on potions—or the curse unravels almost immediately. Living like this, plagued by nightmares every night… it’s hell itself. …But now that Sirius’s curse has been lifted, the struggle for the imperial throne within the castle is certain to intensify.”
A thin, unsettling grin crept across Crow’s face.
“Kukuku… let us see whose endurance lasts longer, Court Mage of dreams. Can you truly survive the succession battle while your magic remains sealed…?”