Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The Nobleman

Several months had passed since Iris had happily become a Holy Knight. Shu, who had once been a country monster, had also grown accustomed to the bustling city of Ildana and had acquired some human common sense.

For example, the passage of time.

Previously, they had relied on whether the sun had risen or set to gauge the time, but now they used a human-style calendar. However, they were aware that the human calendar was not particularly accurate. It was not a calculated calendar like a solar or lunar calendar but rather a calendar created based on general seasonal sense and the rough position of the sun, relying on empirical knowledge.

Although it was fairly accurate, there seemed to be slight discrepancies.

To correct this, they would add an extra month every few years.

They had also learned to read and write.

Shu was a spiritual-type monster and could understand human language through the application of telepathy. However, they couldn't comprehend writing, so they made sure to learn that as well. Of course, they had only learned the characters used in the vicinity of the Kingdom of Ramza. If they were to go to another country, they would have to relearn the characters.

Furthermore, the writing system in the Kingdom of Ramza was not perfect.

Today as well, Shu was practicing while reading a book.

"...Iris, how do you read this?"

"This is 'Driftwood.' The protagonist, who tried to climb up from the river, unfortunately collided with a piece of driftwood and was carried away."

"This novel suddenly threw in a gag, huh?"

And it was Iris who had been assisting Shu in learning to read and write.

Despite being busy as a Holy Knight, it seemed that Iris had surprisingly frequent days off. Shu kept track of Iris's days off and would come out of the Eldera Forest every time.

That's why it was particularly important for them to know the calendar.

In this way, every time they had a day off, the two would meet in Ildana and hold study sessions at a nearby cafe terrace.

At that moment, Iris complained as usual.

"Lately, my fellow trainees seem to have become more at ease, and they keep approaching me. It's fine if they want to court me, but I wish they would stop going to extremes on missions just to make a good impression. Thanks to them, I've become better at light magic."

"Light magic, was it healing or barrier magic? If you're just getting better at magic, it should be fine."

"But I still can't help but feel conscious of their gaze and attitude. After all, all the other trainee Holy Knights are men, except for me."

The Holy Knight isn't exclusively male. There are also women among the Magic Knights, and there are many talented female Magic Knights. It's all determined by their innate talents, so gender differences don't matter. In fact, there is absolutely no discrimination between men and women as a global norm.

Even as women, it is known that the strong are strong and the wise are wise.

However, this year happened to have more men by chance.

Among the five, Iris was the only woman.

"In the beginning, the rookies will continue their missions together as a group. It becomes annoying when you're approached every single day."

"That must be tough... How is this pronounced?"

"Oh, that's pronounced 'Enkan.' The protagonist seems to be swayed by it... Being a woman myself, I do want to get married someday. But I also have the right to choose..."

"What? Are there even forceful people?"

"Yes. There's someone named Yumir, and he's a bit creepy."

"What do you mean?"

"Every time we meet, he says things like, 'Have you made up your mind to be my partner?' or 'Follow the future S-rank Holy Knight,' or 'Your happiness lies with me.' And when we part ways, he persistently sees me off and even invites himself to meals or tea..."

"Well, that's just a normal appeal, isn't it?"

It's clearly an act of harassment.

It's a blatant case of sexual harassment.

"But the fact is, he's an excellent A-rank Magic Knight... Sigh..."

"Is it difficult to punish him because Yumir is excellent?"

"The Kingdom of Ramza always lacks Magic Knights."

Despite being a prosperous land, the Kingdom of Ramza is a small country. Furthermore, it is a vassal state of the Holy Grinia. Magic Knights, which are directly linked to national power, are scarce, and being an A-rank Magic Knight naturally entitles special treatment.

"And besides Yumir being particularly terrible, the other three also subtly try to appeal to me. It's really annoying."

"Why not consult with your superior?"

"Strong Magic Knights have the obligation to pass on their blood to the next generation, so it's difficult."

"Are you saying that powerful Magic Knights should stick together and leave descendants?"

"In short, yes."

There seems to be such a trend precisely because there are few powerful mage knights in the country. While mage knights serve the church beyond national borders, they primarily wield their power for the sake of their affiliated countries. Unless there is an occurrence of the church as a whole battling incredibly strong demons, mage knights do not engage in activities that transcend nations.

In other words, the power of the mage knights is also the power of the nation.

To ensure the presence of powerful mage knights in the next generation, women are expected to marry early.

However, this does not concern Iris, who possesses the immortal mage armor. From her perspective, she can maintain her prime youthfulness indefinitely, so there is no meaning in rushing into marriage. It is a fearsome ability that could potentially make her an enemy of women worldwide.

"I want to marry the person I love. I don't want anything repulsive like that, thank you very much."

"I see. Well, if you ever face any difficulties, I'll lend you some help. It's my way of thanking you for teaching me how to read."

"In that case, I want you to teach me that magic."

"I've already told you that it's not something you can use."

It seemed that Iris hadn't given up on the "Dividing Line of the Void Slasher" technique. Shu sighed and glanced down at the novel in his hands. This exchange had already occurred numerous times, and he knew it was best to just let it slide and ignore it.

"It's fine if you teach me, isn't it?"

"I said I don't mind if you steal it. If you want it, try to reproduce it yourself."

"But you said you would help me when I'm in trouble."

"That's a different matter. Oh, how do you pronounce this?"

"It's called 'Undersea City.' It's a coined word combining 'undersea' and 'city'."

"Oh, really? Thanks for telling me."

"In that case, I want you to teach me magic too."

Iris protested with puffed cheeks.

However, even so, Shu refused to teach her the "Dividing Line of the Void Slasher." After all, it had no meaning to teach her something she couldn't use. In other words, if Iris wanted to become capable of using it, she needed to find her own approach and develop her own method.

Shu's refusal had that meaning as well.

It wasn't just out of spite or withholding information.

Even so, Shu had developed some affection for Iris.

Furthermore, one could say that Shu was enjoying this exchange to some extent.

(Conversing with someone is precious. With monsters, such conversations are difficult.)

Basically, telepathic conversations in the monster village are mostly just reports. They dutifully inform each other about things like the birth of several goblin imps, the discovery of a large amount of nuts somewhere, or the existence of evolved individuals.

However, there were almost no human-like conversations like the ones Shu and Iris were having.

Thanks to his knowledge as a former human, Shu found these kinds of conversations enjoyable.

But someone appeared to disturb Shu's small pleasure.

"Oh, Iris, isn't it? What a coincidence."

"...Yumiru, is that you?"

The person who approached and spoke beside the table where Shu and Iris were sitting was a young man with the appearance of a nearly grown-up boy. He was dressed in aristocratic attire, indicating that he was a high-ranking individual.

And when Iris called him Yumiru, Shu was able to discern his true identity.

(Is he the rumored Holy Knight? Rumors are just rumors...)

Even if he was a noble, the second son and below needed to establish their independence since they couldn't inherit the family. At that time, those with talent might aspire to become magic knights, and Yumiru was one of them.

"By the way, Iris, would you like to have a meal with me? It's about lunchtime."

"I'm fine. I have plans to spend time with Shu-san."

"Shu? Are you referring to this poor-looking man? Iris, you're a woman too valuable for such a rock. You should be with a man like me, who can be considered a gem."

Iris showed a stern expression at his arrogant and overly confident remarks. It was not amusing to have Shu, whom she considered her master, belittled.

On the other hand, Shu wasn't too bothered by it.

"Shu-san is not that kind of person. He is my magic mentor."

"A man like him doing magic? Stop joking, Iris. Even I can't find that believable. That you can teach a genius like you, who can master the Seventh Stairway, is simply unbelievable."

"It's true."

"Hmm..."

Perhaps it was because Iris responded with an earnest expression that Yumiru became interested in Shu.

"Hey, I'm late with my greetings. I'm Yumiru Ballard. The fourth son of the Ballard Viscount's family and a future S-rank Holy Knight. Remember it, commoner."

"I see. I'm Shu Arklight, a magician."

Unlike the Magic Knights, the Magicians have a strong scholarly aspect. They are researchers of magical principles and hold a profession that can be pursued regardless of being a Magic Knight or a non-Magic Knight.

As they are often knowledgeable individuals, they are referred to as "Magicians" rather than "Magic Knights."

Of course, Yumir understood the meaning behind claiming the title of a Magician.

"I see. You're not just an ordinary person, it seems. By the way, what kind of research are you conducting?"

"Currently... it's about material transmutation."

"Ah, the one where you turn soil into gold, right?"

"I'm not attempting that specifically, but in a general sense, yes."

Upon hearing that, Iris looked surprised. While she was aware that Shu presented himself as a Magician publicly, this was the first time she learned about his research. Material transmutation was a field of magic attributed to the Earth element that had been studied since ancient times, yet it was known for its lack of progress.

Due to its excessively high difficulty, it had become a minor field, so Iris was slightly astonished to discover that Shu was challenging it.

"Shu-san, you've been researching something like that?"

"Didn't I mention it?"

"I haven't heard about it."

Shu was researching material transmutation because it was necessary for a certain magic. It was a grand magic that far surpassed the "Spatial Divider Line," and he was constructing it with the expectation that it might be used when humans became enemies.

He had already estimated its power and the composition of the spell, so conducting experiments would lead to a certain degree of completion.

Of course, he had no intention of even mentioning it to Iris.

Asking back in a teasing manner was also deliberate on his part.

Surprisingly, Yumir seemed to have taken an interest in Shu.

"You're researching quite a meaningful field, aren't you? Do your best, commoner."

With those words, he departed.

His departure was unexpectedly smooth. Iris was wide-eyed in astonishment. Normally, he was more persistent and bothersome, so she was surprised to see him leaving so easily today.

However, Shu was aware.

He realized that Yumir's interest was not driven by benevolence but rather a conglomeration of jealousy and malice, a dark and murky emotion.