After the coffin dance was over, and the annoying bug was thrown out of the Training ground, I talked to Flora for a while before a maid came in to take her out for Lunch.
I reluctantly got back into training, while the rest of knights teased from the side. Since It was getting annoying hearing them, put forward artistic phrases in honor to our love, I decided to get them a pay back.
" Zenon."
I turned to face the knight who had stepped out before, while presenting me the Coffin.
" yes sir!" he straightened his posture and turned to the sky. What are you looking at? Is there some bird over my head?
I looked up but didn't find anything.
" I will be instructing the 'Knights Of Shadow Garden' today. Do you have any problem? "
He looked back at me, wide eyed.
"B-But, sir- "
" Do you have any problem?" I smiled at him sheepishly.
" B-But-"
" We are starting with you today, then" I said back with the same smile. His eyes blurred and drops of sweat appeared on his forehead. His face darkened dramatically as his cyan-white hair covered his face.
" All of You gather for Instruction from the Hero! "- The mayhem that had ensued in the Training ground stilled down completely. Their faces turned dark from fear and some started sweating thinking they would be the first one to go.
" Good, now come up to the podium one by one according to your sequence " The Smile of the Hero was heavenly when he said this, but the malice it held was aboriginal.
****For a few hours, screams echoed around the Training barracks****
" Fuuu- I got a bit late because I was taking a massive dump butttttt"
The captain of the Knights mumbled with a smiling face as he walked towards the Training ground entrance. All the while he had a satisfied expression on his face as he rubbed his tummy.
The dark plated armor that covered his entire body, his head full of golden yellow hair and the red royal cape he wore behind him, didn't go well with his satisfied and easy going personality.
But his expression took a 180 degree turn, when he arrived at the entrance. What greeted his plane of vision was a dusted and worn down training hall. All the soldiers were writhing in pain and some had even fainted with foam in their mouths.
" What happened here- Oh right!" His words trailed off as he slowly moved towards them. That's when he remembered-
" the Vice captain- Zenon! "
He called Zenon with a loud and majestic voice. Seeing the scenery before him reminded him about a similar incident that took place a few days ago. But he still chose to confirm his doubts-
" ZENON!!" He screamed in a war like cry.
"…s-Sir" From a corner around the podium he could hear a faint muffled voice. When he turned to follow where the sound came from, he found a thoroughly disfigured character. His eyes had a purple swell around and his lips were swollen from beating. With his cyan colored hair he looked more of a frog than a human
"pffftt-!"
" ..Sir" Zenon said in a muffled voice, as he tried to move his body up to sit down.
" Oh Sorry" the captain replied with a smile.
"Who did this to you ?" He relied with a relaxed smile. He knew who did it now but he still chose to hear it from the victim. In a way, he was a playful.
" The Hero"
***
"Achooo-!"
I sneezed while moving out of the washroom. After a good workout you should bathe with cold water, to increase the production of testosterone and lose the excessive fat stored in the body. Okay, that much is enough. If I speak anymore this would become a muscle building journal.
I walked to my wardrobe naked and brought out a fresh set of clothes. A grey full sleeve t shirt along with jet black skintight trousers. Surprisingly the clothings are relatable to the modern society. Like the Pants, I wore were made from the skin of a shadow leopard.
Then I wore a tooth necklace, quite similar to black panther in [Marvel] and a pair of leather slippers.
On my left ring finger was a jet black ring with a blood red stone. I gently carassed it. It was a proof of our engagement. Flora chose to wear it in the form of a Pendant
After combing my hair a bit, I shaped them to those k-pop hairstyles. Done! I looked perfect .
I flexed my muscles a bit while a maid arrived to my doorstep with a tray of Food.
I took the food in, while the maid served the food on my table.
While eating my food, my mind went back to what had happened back in the Royal hearing.
" Sir Vale, shall act as a scout and lead the hero and the reinforcements safely to the Dukedom of Asmond"
I kept eating in a steady pace while thinking back. In the story, Vale was an avenger. After the fall of the empire, or The Asmond dukedom specifically, he went around hunting Demon god worshippers across the continent. For me who was abandoned by his classmates and to-be comrades in arms it was a great opportunity. Since vale could go toe to toe against the protagonist within a span of 2 more years, I can recruit him to me party early and nuture him. He would certainly be a strong addition. But before that-
" You will depart for Asmond with the Hero and his party in a span of 4 days "- That's what the minister said in the decree. A Royal decree is an judgement passed by the Royal family after it has been approved and supported by a majority of the Council of Ministers.
-I will have to solve the problem in the Northern Border. To be honest, I had mixed feelings about it. As an otaku from my past life, I was brimming with excitement at the thought of a fantasy war.But I was getting cold feet too. After all I didn't have any experience in warfare, much less a war fought by magic and swords. The possibilities of getting killed by a stray arrow was much more than my possibility in surviving, but the excitement had already seeped into my bones.
'Even so, I should consult with a war veteran like Gerhard-'
Knock-!
My monologue was cut off by a knock
Again, I didn't feel any presence, approaching my room door. Was I really fit to be a hero, dillydallying all day in my own world?
I can just bet on my luck that I wont get killed too early in war. As I rambled in my mind, in self-depreciation, I got on my feet and slowly walked to the door, relaxed.
Tak-! Tnuuu-!
Behind the sound of the wooden door opening, I could make out a tall and majestic figure. He was clad in a menacing black armor that was thinly embroidered in red along the margins. A red stone was attacked to his chest, while the shoulder plate painted in the picture of a Full moon getting cut by a dark katana. His face was sharp and chiseled with a few freckles that became a symbol of his years of experience. His eyes were brown and his golden yellow hair was neatly pulled back, looking like a lion's mane.
Over all he looked sharp and imposing, yet instead of getting intimidated by his majestic outlook, a smile took over my face. His cape fluttered in the wind. I waited for it stop and-
" Sir Gerhard, please come in "
Yes. It was him. He was the son of the Devil.(Figuratively) that I was speaking of.