Takahiro
Yushiro had done nothing for the past two days, merely keeping to himself. Now, with the town finally visible in the distance, we could reach it within a few hours. The journey had been long, and the sight of civilization ahead was a welcome one.
"Say, Takahiro, I was wondering," Naiz said, breaking the silence.
"Yeah?"
"How old are you? You look about fifteen or sixteen."
"I'm actually turning sixteen this year. Why?"
"You're sixteen? That's nice. Are you going to get engaged on your birthday?"
"Huh? Engaged? At my age? Isn't that a bit too young for that?" I asked, baffled by the question.
Naiz frowned slightly, tilting his head. "What do you mean? Don't most people get engaged at sixteen?"
We both stared at each other, confusion settling between us.
"Takahiro, aren't you from a noble house?" he asked, eyes narrowing slightly.
I looked at him, puzzled. "No, I'm not a noble."
Naiz's brows furrowed in genuine surprise. "But your hair and eyes…" He shook his head, dismissing whatever thought he had. "Well, you see, here in the Empire, most kids are married or engaged by sixteen. Nobles, on the other hand, are engaged when they're far younger."
"That's…" I trailed off, unsure of how to respond.
"Well, back in the Outskirts, in our village, we don't get engaged like that," I explained. "We marry from twenty-one upwards."
Naiz blinked in surprise. "That's quite free. Isn't that nice?"
"Yeah, I guess so. I was surprised when I realized that you guys are engaged at such a young age," I admitted.
Naiz sighed, a small smile forming. "You know, when we got engaged, we didn't even like each other. Over the years, I fell in love with her. We would meet only rarely, but those moments felt so special. When I turned fifteen, my family told me to join the Knight Order. I failed the first time, but now this is my second attempt. If I pass this exam, I'll be able to spend time with her as a bonus." He chuckled softly, his eyes filled with quiet determination.
As we conversed, I noticed Kenji and Yushiro subtly shifting into battle stances. My body reacted instinctively, muscles tensing as I mirrored their movements. Naiz also readied himself, his hand drifting toward his weapon.
Then, Kenji roared, "SHOW YOURSELVES, YOU BASTARDS!"
A chorus of battle cries erupted from the surrounding bushes.
Figures emerged, brandishing swords and spears. Yushiro remained in the back, assuming a defensive position, his expression unreadable. Kenji, however, surged forward with an exhilarated roar, his black blade gleaming in the sunlight as he struck one of the attackers with the flat of his sword.
I followed behind him, my grip tightening on my weapon as we clashed with our ambushers. Gareth and his team remained on standby, watching for potential flanking maneuvers.
Two sword-wielding assailants charged at me, their strikes wild and unrefined. I sidestepped the first swing with ease, exploiting their lack of technique. My blade found the shoulder of one attacker, forcing a sharp cry from his lips as he stumbled backward.
He recovered quickly, retaliating with a desperate strike. I met his blade with mine, sparks flashing as steel clashed. The second attacker lunged at me, and I channeled Hashi, accelerating my movement. In an instant, I delivered a powerful upward slash. Our swords connected, and the force of my strike sent him staggering back.
I adjusted my stance, blade poised for a decisive blow to his stomach. But I hesitated, unwilling to end his life so easily.
The hesitation cost me.
The attacker seized the moment, his boot slamming into my chest. Pain erupted through my ribs as I was knocked to the ground. My vision blurred for a split second, and by the time I refocused, his sword was raised high, ready to cleave me in two.
Then, with a sickening thud, a projectile embedded itself in the attacker's eye. He let out an agonized scream, dropping his weapon as he clutched at his face. His body crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
I turned my head slightly, finding Yushiro standing behind the fallen man. A small frown of annoyance was etched onto his face.
"That was annoying, Blondie," Yushiro said coldly, his piercing violet eyes locking onto mine.