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Chapter 15: Sigrid Ankertna
Morris squinted at the sight of a stranger standing in the stable.
“Hey, that horse has an owner.”
Sigrid, who opened the door of the stable that had Echo in it, turned her head at Morris’ words, and said, “I know. I’m the owner.”
“Sigrid?”
Morris stared blankly at Sigrid in surprise. She wore a glossy white shirt, a vest with silver buttons that stuck to the body, leather pants that looked luxurious, long boots that up to the knees, as well as a blue cape connected by a silver chain….
“….Si..grid?” Morris called out again to confirm doubly that it was Sigrid in front of him.
“Why?” Sigrid was puzzled and asked Morris back.
Morris was amazed at Sigrid’s nonchalance. Why? Because she was Sigrid Ankertna, a person who often wore clothes that often made people mistake her as a footman, but now here she was wearing clothes that clearly showed that she was a knight.
“Clothes, new ones.”
“Oh yeah. I got new ones.”
Sigrid’s cheek turned red at Morris’ words. She looked at herself and asked. “It’s fine, isn’t it?”
“Uh – yeah, it’s very good. I mean, you won’t be misunderstood if you were dressed like that.”
“It’s weird.”
“What’s weird?”
“Dressing like this…changes the way people treat me.”
Sigrid tilted her head as if she had had a marvelous experience. Everyone politely sidestepped themselves and said, “Sir Knight,” opened the door, and gave her the hospitality appropriate to her position. They were experiences she hadn’t received before when she only wore the shabby shirt and pants.
Morris shrugged his shoulders.
“Of course it’s different.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. no one could see through someone’s true nature at a glance. So, of course it’s obvious people have no choice to judge others by their appearance. You also use the marks on the clothes when you distinguish between the knights.”
“It’s true.”
Morris felt really strange when he saw Sigrid nodding her head.
“Why are you so yielding?”
“Huh?”
“Usually, you would say that judging people by their appearance is not the right way of a knight.”
“Because it is you.”
“…What?”
“Because you are Morris, you won’t say anything that will harm me.” Sigrid said while looking straight at him.
Morris opened his mouth, not knowing how to take her words.
Sigrid still remembered his offer to break out of prison. She remembered Morris crying when he saw her ruined by torture.  She remembered him getting angry because she refused his offer to escape even in that situation, saying that it wasn’t right. So, Morris wouldn’t recommend or say strange things or trouble her.
When Morris didn’t answer, Sigrid was puzzled and then asked.
“Are you going to harm me?”
“No, that’s not it, but…”
“Right?”
Sigrid laughed. Morris rubbed his fine black hair. He couldn’t understand Sigrid.
“Ah!” Sigrid then said. “Oh, would you like to come over to my house?”
“Why?”
“Well… tea in the garden… do you want to drink tea?”
Sigrid brought up what she wanted to do strugglingly. She always wanted to do it, but it was one of the things she didn’t do because it seemed to show a feminine appearance. Garden teatime.
“What garden do you have in your house?’
“I moved.”
Morris thought there was nothing more that could surprise him, but no. He couldn’t even speak for a moment.
Sigrid then continued.
“I moved to District 14 of Zone 2. I barely managed to get my house in order…. But please come once if you can. Oh, should I officially send an invitation for this?’
Morris looked at Sigrid with a stupid face. Doubts have sprang up in his mind. ‘Is this really Sigrid?’ Because, some wizard might have changed their appearance to infiltrate the Knights.
Morris smiled as he thought he had to discuss it with other knights.
“No, a verbal invitation is enough. When would you like to?’
“Well, when is it convenient for you?’
“So how about this weekend?”
“Yes, see you then.”
“Okay.”
Morris watched Sigrid greet her horse, Echo, and pulled on Echo’s reins. Animals were sensitive to someone different than their master, so Echo might show gestures to reject her. However, Echo was happy to meet her and came out of the stable following Sigrid’s hand, then Sigrid lightly climbed on the saddle.
“Then Morris, see you later.”
“Alright.”
With her light blue cape flying behind her, Sigrid disappeared from his sight.
“Horse thief?”
Morris looked back at the voice he heard behind him. There stood Kaul, the youngest member of the Second Knights.
“No, it’s Sigrid.”
“Sir Ankertna?! That knight just now?” Kaul’s eyes widened with surprise.
Morris said, rubbing the back of his neck, “Yes.”
“But why is she wearing such clothes?”
Morris laughed at that half-in-dazed voice.
“I dont know.”
“Where’s the money coming from?”
“Well, from the beginning she earns a lot of money. How long do you think it’s been since she became a knight?”
“No, but I thought she was very poor. Living in Zone 3, and I actually thought she wore those sort of footman’s clothes because she didn’t have money. Did she pay all her debts?”
“She’s not the kind of person who lived that kind of life because she’s poor.”
“Then?” Kaul wondered. “Why would you live like that unless you were poor?”
“She lives like that because she thinks it’s right.”
“… Why is that right?”
“A knight must be frugal.”
“What a strange person.” Now, even only into six months at the Knight Order, Kaul could be thinking of Sigrid as a poor, hard-working woman.
“Yes, it’s strange.”
Morris said the same thing, but what he said had a different meaning from Kaul. A person’s way of thinking or behavior did not change so easily. It was not going to change suddenly in a day. Feeling increasingly suspicious, Morris took his steps and headed to the Knights.