I am Savis Nerve, the Supreme Commander of the Nerve Kingdom's Black Dragon Knights.
Ten years ago, I ascended to the position of Supreme Commander at the young age of 17. Normally, this would be impossible, but my status as the king's younger brother forced me into the seat of Supreme Commander.
The chair of the Supreme Commander is heavy.
As the leader of the knights, I am responsible for the lives of all the knights. If my orders are wrong, knights who could have survived will die. I must not be arrogant enough to think I can save everyone.
I must remain calm and cold. No matter how intense the battle, a part of my mind must remain cool, assessing the "minimum pain" and giving orders. My job is to keep my comrades alive. However, I wonder if those who are left behind as part of the "minimum pain" understand this...
I must not hesitate. I must not waver. I cannot apologize.
I must suppress my fear and anxiety, maintain a composed expression, and lead from the front, inspiring the knights. That is my duty.
◇◇◇
The new knight induction ceremony was on a beautiful sunny day.
Strangely, there has been a consistent pattern between the induction day and the weather. In years when the induction day is sunny, excellent new knights join.
I entered the induction ceremony venue with a sense of anticipation.
Looking out from the podium at the new knights, they all gazed at me with sparkling eyes.
This is always the case at induction ceremonies. Young people full of dreams and hopes join, holding up the ideals of knighthood.
—Keep that spirit. If you do, you will become a fine knight.
After finishing my speech, I looked at the new knights again. Among the excited and enthusiastic group, one person was calmly observing me.
—Who is that?
Unaffected by the atmosphere, calmly observing and analyzing the situation. This person... is a natural leader.
After stepping down from the podium, I called over the officer in charge of the exams.
"There is only one new female knight with red hair. She is Fia of the Rude family and has been assigned to the First Knight Regiment."
"Is the new female knight of the First Knight Regiment the one...?"
"Yes."
I see.
The First Knight Regiment, responsible for royal protection, will soon need a young female knight. This must be the reason for her placement.
However, it's interesting that she has the eyes of a leader.
"Designate her as my opponent for the demonstration match. I will face her."
"………………………………………………………………Huh?"
The officer in charge of the exams opened his mouth in shock and remained frozen for about ten seconds.
I've known him for a long time, but I've never seen him make such a face.
Though I didn't show it on my face, I found it interesting and watched him. He then hurriedly continued.
"Sir, I apologize for expressing disagreement, but she is a new knight! She cannot possibly match the Supreme Commander, who boasts the highest skills in our regiment! She won't even be able to exchange a single blow! Besides, I have never heard of the Supreme Commander personally facing an opponent!"
"Well, that's true. I've never participated in a demonstration match at an induction ceremony. However, the purpose this time is to face a female knight who will likely become the guard for 'her.' If I personally test the strength of the knight who will guard 'her,' the church should be convinced."
"……I see! I apologize for my shallow remarks, as I failed to understand the depth of your thoughts, Sir!"
Yeah, you wouldn't understand. I just thought of it on the spot.
Actually, I just wanted to face a knight with the eyes of a leader.
—A position where you need a reason to convince everyone every time you act is not one I want to be in.
◇◇◇
When I faced Fia Rude, my first thought was, "She's small."
Compared to other female knights in the regiment, she is clearly smaller and thinner.
—Yet, why do I feel a pressure like facing a commander?
I don't think my senses are dull. There must be something more than just her appearance.
"Unworthy Fia Rude! I will borrow the chest of the Supreme Commander!!"
She declared in a high-pitched, girlish voice and charged at me.
However, about five meters away, her speed suddenly increased. She drew her sword at an unprecedented speed and swung it down on my left side.
When I blocked her sword, I was surprised by its weight. What is this sword?
Instantly, my whole body tensed.
Fia stepped back and attacked again. My left side. Left, left, left, and again left.
The final blow was particularly heavy, and I instinctively used more force to deflect her sword.
—Who is this girl?
No—... Is it the sword that's strange?
When I examined her sword, I realized it was an extraordinary weapon.
It was a magic sword with multiple enchantments.
Enchanted weapons are rare, and currently, they cannot be crafted. Most existing enchanted weapons have only one effect. This sword, however, has two stacked enchantments: increased speed and increased attack power. Additionally, to hide its enchanted nature, it has a spell to suppress its glow.
The problem is the content of the effects...
When tested against the commander of the First Knight Regiment, Cyril, it was... a national treasure level.
The exact details need to be confirmed by the Third Magic Knight Regiment, but the speed and attack power are likely over +300. It should be comparable to the highest-level weapons from 300 years ago, the "Golden Age."
When I asked about its origin, she said she received it from her father, Deputy Commander Dolf. It's a suspicious story, but Dolf himself confirms it. Questioning it here would not yield good results.
I changed my mindset and asked another question.
"Why did you only attack my left side during the mock battle?"
Knights are generally aggressive. No matter who the opponent is, they will use the best method to win. If the opponent is me, they would attack from the right side, where my vision is poor. Or, they would attack from both sides. Fia's focus on the left side was unnatural.
"Chivalry. I did not think it was right to attack the side where the Supreme Commander, who declared he would not attack, has poor vision."
Fia answered with a suspiciously serious face.
A person with the eyes of a leader seems to have a strong character.
To boldly lie to me like this...
The only regret is that her mouth was twitching, as if she was about to laugh at her own words.
When I pressed further, Fia admitted, as if giving up, that she targeted my left side because she knew I had an injured left foot.
...Indeed, my left ankle never fully healed from an old injury. If struck on the left side, I can't brace myself as well. Targeting the left side was the best strategy.
However, an injury becomes a weakness if known, so it is kept confidential.
The injury itself is over ten years old and is officially considered healed. Only the commander and deputy commander know about the old injury in my left foot.
Therefore, when the commander and deputy commander heard Fia's statement, they stood up in anger, probably thinking the information had leaked.
However, that was only until they heard Fia's explanation.
She explained in detail how she observed and deduced my injury.
...Interesting.
The person with the eyes of a leader seems to have a keen eye for many other things as well.
This concludes this section.
Thank you for reading.
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