Volume 1 Chapter 30 Night Knight
"You might remember that you met him at a social gathering 3 years ago. He has really liked you since then, and actually, we've been getting letters and dinner invitations quite often."
Is that one of those from her family? Orkide, Cosmos's brother, throws a single envelope.
The envelope flies sharply through the air, and Cosmos flinches, covering her face.
I grab it instead.
Orkide looks at it with a hint of dissatisfaction but doesn't scold me, just encourages, "Go ahead and open it."
I hand the envelope to Cosmos, and she cautiously opens it.
She didn't intend to peek, but she catches a glimpse out of the corner of her eye.
A chilling array of love letters that could make anyone shudder.
"Yikes!"
Cosmos instinctively throws the letter away.
Seeing this, Orkide smiles with amusement and continues, slightly exasperated.
"From what I've heard, Lord Poncé Lourde is quite the pedophile. It seems he's taken quite a liking to Cosmos, who can't be said to be particularly well-developed. You can tell just by looking at that letter."
"..."
From the contents of the letter, it's clear that Lord Poncé is indeed very passionate about Cosmos.
"The Lourde family, which succeeded the Marquis Liche family, was just a minor noble family without any notable achievements back then, but they've been gaining power recently. Now they own vast territories and armies near the border. It's well-known that they've made significant contributions to the kingdom's expansion by clearing out untamed monster areas with their strong military."
"So, what does that mean...?"
"It's simple. We definitely want to establish a connection with the Lourde family. Of course, this isn't just my father's wish. It's the consensus of the Etoile family. You understand what that means without me saying more."
Cosmos grits her teeth and spits out,
"...You want me to wag my tail for that pervert, right? In the end, I'm just a tool for political maneuvering."
"We've prepared a suitable position for a useless girl like you once again. You should be grateful, really."
In short, it's about marrying into a family that likes Cosmos and successfully getting integrated.
Given the obsessive love he has for Cosmos, it shouldn't be too hard to win her over if he plays nice.
If all goes well, it could greatly expand the Etoile family.
"I've heard that Lord Poncé still has some immature aspects and isn't very bright. There are even bad rumors about him among the people, and his relatives are worried about him being the successor."
"I see. So, Father and Elder Brother want to send me in to take control of the Lourde family, huh? It's typical of my family to want to bring me back the moment they see any value in using me as a tool."
"We've given you the chance to return to the Count Noir family. I think it's definitely a happier choice than living as a dirty, rootless adventurer."
As someone who has lived as that dirty adventurer, it's really awkward to listen to this conversation.
Anyway, I decide to keep my mouth shut, but then Orkide finally speaks frankly.
"Please lend your strength for the prosperity of our family, my sister Cosmos."
"Absolutely not. I'm not going back to that house. There's no way I'd return to parents who would kick out their own daughter just based on job class superiority."
I can't help but think that's a perfectly reasonable opinion.
No one would want to go back to parents who kicked them out for such an unreasonable reason.
Plus, knowing that if she went back, she'd be forced into marriage right away, there's no way she could just nod along here.
From what I've heard, the lord, this Poncé, seems to be quite a piece of work.
"Don't be selfish, Cosmos. Strategic marriages are something every noble daughter should accept. Even if that partner has a twisted affection for you and is a fat pig of a man, you must obey what Father said."
Faced with increasingly unacceptable facts, Cosmos's expression tightens.
In contrast, Orkide seems to grow more excited, a smile spreading across her pale cheeks.
"Ah, I'm really looking forward to it. My beloved little sister is getting married and contributing to the prosperity of our family. As your brother, I'm so proud. More than anything..."
With a creepy grin distorting the smile on his face, Orkide let out a laugh.
"I can't help but laugh thinking about you being pregnant with that ugly pig's seed."
"..."
I could feel the unmistakable malice coming from Orkide.
It wasn't just a playful spirit; it was born from clear hatred.
Even from the sidelines, it was intuitive.
Orkide harbored an unfathomable hatred for Cosmos.
His purpose was...
"After hearing that, I can't nod along any longer. You just 'want to see me suffer', don't you, elder brother?"
"Don't get me wrong. Of course, my first priority is for the Etoile family. The fact that you suffer is just a side effect; it's not my main focus. If you continue to refuse, I'll bring you home by force."
The smile vanished from Orkide's face, and he clearly entered a combat stance.
Cosmos trembled in fear, her shoulders shaking.
Feeling the atmosphere grow heavier, I finally spoke up.
"Um, can we take this sibling fight somewhere else?"
"Hm?"
My voice echoed in the dim alley.
Orkide turned his displeased gaze toward me.
"I'd appreciate it if a mere civilian like you wouldn't interrupt our conversation. More importantly, I've been curious──who exactly are you? What is your relationship with Cosmos?"
"What relationship? I'm Cosmos's... um..."
I struggled to find a good answer and ended up hesitating.
I felt like I had been asked a similar question before.
Back then, I had also stumbled over my words like this...
For now, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"I'm Cosmos's master."
"Master? Hmph, you certainly don't look like someone who could be a master. I don't think you seem strong enough for that."
...What the hell.
Don't judge someone by their appearance.
I thought about saying that, but it would make it seem like I was admitting I looked weak, so I held back.
If we're talking about appearances, the young man in front of me looked much stronger and more put together.
"Well, whatever. Anyway, it's better for a commoner like you not to stick your nose in this. I don't know how close you are with Cosmos, but if you're going to get in the way, I won't hold back."
"Uh, I never said I was going to get in the way or anything."
This guy is the type who doesn't listen to others.
I don't want to interfere with their conversation.
I thought I was interrupting at a good point, and I've been quietly watching from the side the whole time.
"Um, what I'm saying is that starting a fight in a neighborhood like this would just cause trouble for a lot of people, so it's better to stop..."
Fortunately, it's late, so there's no one around, but if someone shows up and gets involved, it wouldn't be funny.
It would be a problem if something in the town gets broken.
I thought I'd suggest that, but Orkide didn't seem to listen at all.
"[Black Knight Armor]."
As Orkide chants that, his whole body gets enveloped in a black mist.
Moments later, when the mist clears, Orkide is suddenly clad in black armor.
He even has a longsword at his waist, and as he draws it, Orkide laughs.
"Haha, surprised, huh? This is the power of the job class granted to noble bloodlines. It's something a commoner like you rarely gets to see..."
"With 'Equip Magic' that allows you to instantly don weapons and armor generated by magic──[Black Knight Armor]. It's a 'power that can only be used at night', and the job class name is 'Night Knight.' It has multiple powers that can only be used at night, making it a job class specialized for nighttime combat."
"Wha──!?"
Seeing Orkide proudly show off his magic, I decided to spoil the surprise first.
Suddenly, the confident smile that had been on Orkide's face vanished.
"You, you must have already heard about my ability from Cosmos. Well, so what? Even if you know about my ability, you can't stop me."
Not that I heard anything from Cosmos, though.
I'm seeing Orkide's Divine Revelation perfectly in my view.
Thanks to the effect of the Trainer's 'Divine Eye' skill.
So, all of his moves are already clear to me.
I can even tell what he's going to do next, like it's right in front of me.
"[Summon]──[Handover: Black Horse]."
Just as I expected, Orkide used Summon magic.
In an instant, a helmeted "Black Horse" appeared next to Orkide, and he jumped onto its back.
Summon magic shapes a monster using one's own magic and commands it to fight.
Just like the equipment magic, it seems this power can only be used at night.
It's definitely an ability that shines at night, just like the job class name 'Night Knight.'
I wasn't planning to fight, but as I was troubled by that thought, someone suddenly pulled on my back.
When I turned around, Cosmos was trembling, holding onto the hem of my clothes, looking scared.
"W-What should I do, Roezé..."
"..."
It felt like it was the first time someone called my name.
If I leave her like this, Cosmos will be taken back home by Orkide.
If I resist carelessly, he might use that as an excuse to hurt Cosmos more than necessary right here.
Given the hatred he carries, that seems more likely.
I just need to find a way to help Cosmos escape, but if I take her away, would that count as kidnapping?.
"I have no intention of discussing this."
"Discuss? I'm just trying to take my selfish little sister back home."
It seems he's not willing to listen.
Realizing that again, I couldn't help but let out a sigh.
...I guess there's no helping it.
"Hey, Cosmos."
"...W-What?"
Suddenly, I turned to Cosmos, bent down to match her eye level, and slowly brought my face closer to whisper so Orkide couldn't hear.
...Right after that.
"What the──!?"
I took off running, and Cosmos jumped onto my back.
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