After a hearty breakfast, I headed to the Knightâs training ground. Diana, who was trying to follow me as usual, was left to another maid.
It was difficult to keep the child from wanting to follow me, but Diana pouted and nodded when she came back and read the princessâ fairy tale book and I promised to let her touch my hair as much as she wanted before bed.
Looking into the eyes of a tearful child, I felt weak, but I couldnât help it.
âIâm going to take care of the little guinea pigs myself.â
Itâs something that will sort itself out over time, but I wanted Jack to be comfortable as soon as possible, even for just a day.
Even though Jack is close to his original position, seeing him suffer like that somehow made me feel a strange sense of responsibility for bringing him into the Dukeâs Castle.
And when I arrived at the place, I realized that I had timed it very well.
âYou bastard! Why are you touching our wooden swords!â
âLord Valerie said that youâre different from us whoâll become knights even with the same sect!â
âThatâs right. Who would take something like you as a disciple? Oh, I donât know if itâs Taze who used to roll as a mercenary.â
âHaha! Whatâs with those eyes! Are you saying you want to fight with us now?â
Five or six children were circling Jack. There were also other groups of children from afar, but they only looked at them and didnât seem to want to stop them.
I had a rough idea of what the situation was like in the Knights.
The children surrounding Jack seemed to eat well and were taller, just slightly taller, and had a good physique.
Although he didnât eat properly and was skinny, in my eyes, Jack was still the strongest in the orphanage, and here he was a pitiful boy.
âJack!â
Seeing the oldest of them push Jack to the floor, I sprinted away. Jack, sprawling on the floor, noticed me and gave me a look of dismay.
âWhy are you here again?â Jack asked.
âI came here because of this!â Lia immediately answered.
âHuh, what else is this? There was another beggar, right?â
I could feel the children around us scouring me up and down.
âA group of cowards harassing one person? Do you still think you deserve to be called honorable knights?â
It was me who had a war of nerves with Jade and my other colleagues in the guild. This much doesnât even make me blink.
The faces of the children, who were chatting unpleasantly, hardened when they heard me speak ridiculously with sarcastic remarks and squinting at them.
After all, they are the sons of nobles, and I am a commoner, so thereâs a difference in status, but so what?
âAnd what? Taze? Sir Sedian was knighted by the Duke himself and received his title and surname. Are you ignoring the Dukeâs order now?â Lia refuted.
As if in disbelief, they covered their mouths with their hands as their eyes widened, and the childrenâs eyes shook violently.
âHuh, weâre not like thatâŚ!â
âHe was from a commoner. He was a mercenary who killed any villager for money!â
âSo what? Is there any way to prevent commoners and mercenaries from becoming knights?â
The children shut their mouths at my words.
Of course, thereâs no such law. Itâs just that itâs not common.
Unlike aristocrats, who started swordsmanship from a young age and could learn in-depth whenever they wanted, commoners who were busy living day by day were not given a chance from the beginning.
However, itâs ridiculous that the title of knight itself is a relic of the aristocracy.
âHmph! If you dream of becoming a knight, you have to be human. Well, at least you guys canât keep up with Jack.â
It was when I clenched my fists and smashed the little minds of these punks.
âHey, what are you doing nowâŚ?â
Allen, bewildered, walked towards us.
I quickly hid my fist behind my back. I didnât pretend to be nice on purpose, but I thought it would be better to look like a docile child to stay by Dianaâs side.
âThat bastard. Whatâs so great about him? Theyâre not worth a fist? Can you take responsibility for those words?â
Allen was on the verge to get Jack and the other servants to join him at any moment.
I panicked and quickly raised my fist again and said, âI mean itâs less than a fist away from you, not Jack?â
ââŚâ
Whooshâ
Allen, who was angry, and the children, who were at their peak, were silent for a moment.
After a while, Allen asked, confused, ââŚWhat?â
When I followed his gaze and saw my fist so small that it bounced off
âHmmâŚâ
He thought I was bluffing for some reason, so I came up with a good idea while making a fuss.