I puffed out my cheeks and crossed my arms across my chest. "Either way, I don't want it. I do not mind helping out Adel or Lance when they need it, but they can keep the crown. I want nothing to do with it."
"Oh? So you are willing to help either or, huh?" David's lips curled up into a wide grin. I think he might be misunderstanding something, but I can not put my finger on what he was misunderstanding. I could be wrong, but my senses towards these kinds of things are pretty good… I think… maybe…
"I'm back!" Adel yelled out. I turned to see her running over with her face red and sweat forming on her brow. It made me wonder just how fast she had to move to work up such a sweat.
"Eh? What's this? Were you afraid I would say a bunch of embarrassing things about you? Like how you used to shout: I'm marrying brother Lance when I grow up!" David said in a teasing tone.
"Uncle!" Adel yelled out, her cheeks puffed out and her fist balling up. I am sure if he said one more thing, he was going to get punched again.
"Alright. Since we are all ready, let's go make our statements and then come back. I am supposed to be under house arrest after all." I said, trying to stop anything from happening before it happened.
"Okay, let's do that then." With that, we were led back out into the carriage and taken to the white knights' barracks, where we had our statements taken. Adel recounted her 'horrifying experience' of being tormented by Count Freedman. Count Freedman kept yelling: "She's lying!" But no one would think the girl full of snot and tears was lying, especially when it was the kingdom's most favored princess. As he was dragged out of the room, I could have sworn I saw a few knights getting in some sneaky pop shots at him.
Even though we had finished here, I was not about to let this visit just be all about making a statement either. "Sir David, can I look around?"
"Hmmm? You want to look at this stinky place?" David asked. He seemed to be confused as to why a girl my age would want to look around a knight's barracks.
"Faith is an aspiring knight. She wants to work her way up through the ranks and command her own troops." Adel answered for me. I sometimes feel Adel knows all my secrets.
"Ahh! Then look away. Take this pass here. It will let you see the ends and outs of the entire facility." David handed me a wooden token with magic imbued in it. I guess it was sort of a pass to walk around restricted areas, or at least some of them anyway.
I thanked David and walked out of the office, and made my way over to the training area that I spotted earlier. I wanted to see just how the knights here trained. What surprised me was the number of female knights that were actually running around. They ran around in high ponytails that bobbed up and down. Their swords clanged against the rest of their armor. The male knights paid them no mind either, which was far from what I was expecting. I figured there would be some jeering from the male knights, but they all took things very seriously. But now that I think about it, Sei was also a knight.
When I got to the training ground, the scent of blood and sweat filled my nose. I walked in to see knights in different areas all battling one another honing their kills. I was very surprised at how violent they were. There were even a few covered in blood. But as I looked around, I saw quite a few mages nearby healing some of the other knights. It seemed they were not afraid of dying when battling since they had people to heal them close by.
While it may seem like a bunch of barbarians trying to kill each other, I noticed they never aimed for vitals. But even if they were not aiming for them, that did not mean they could not. So this training was indeed very good as it hardened people against taking damage as well as honed their senses when fighting. I highly doubt you could find this training anywhere else outside facilities like this.
But…. "I want to try…." I said, pursing my lips. I really wanted to test myself against knights who were battling it out with everything they had.
"You want to fight them?" Adel asked. I nodded my head as I clenched my fist. This was, after all, one of my goals, to become a full pledged knight. While I was a provisional knight now, I still wanted to become a full fledged knight in the future, and my highest goal was magic knight. Adel grabbed my arm and pulled me off towards a group of knights not far from us. "Sir Tomas, can my friend here join for a round?"
"Hmmm? Oh, if it isn't little Adel! Long time no see!" A man with a curly mustache called out excitedly. He looked around his mid thirties and was handsome in his own right but that mustache…. First of all, how do you even get it to curl like that? It was like two loops, and then it came to sharp points aiming at his eyes. And why? Why would you even grow a mustache like that!? I mean, it ruined his good looks and made him look like a weirdo. If I saw him on the street, I would definitely call the police on him! That is just how much it made him look like some pervert. What's more, is that he even reached up and stroked it! He pulled on it, and it sprang back in place!
I couldn't take it. I had to avert my eyes. I might just end up laughing too hard and end up causing him to be angry at me. "Captain, you're making the little lady over there break down. I keep telling you that your mustache looks foolish." One of the knights next to him teased. But at least I now know I was not the only one who thought this way!
