World : Black clover
Crossover : No
Link : https://m.fanfiction.net/s/13349133/1/Knight-In-Silver-Armour
My opinion : Although the SI is stereotypical (meaning silent mysterious etc) but still the story is quite enjoyable. I mean instead of thinking of it as a SI, you can also take it as Nozel taking care of Noelle in place of brooding in his mother's death.
Words : 36k+
Chapters : 7
Summary : My name is Noelle, but this story isn't about me! It is about my awesome big brother! I am speaking on his behalf since he doesn't like to talk. Like at all! But he is my knight in silver armour! And he is the BEST. BIG. BROTHER. EVER! (Reincarnated OC as Nozel Silva)
Chapter 1 : The Silva House
"There you are again."
Acier Silva said with a huff that is a mixture of exasperation and fondness. She walked up to her eldest child and gently shepherd him away from the family's personal training ground where he is training himself ragged.
"You need to take a break and act more like a child, Nozel. Go and play with your siblings!"
"They are boring and irritating." Nozel said in a bland voice that lacks any form of emotion. "All they do is to prance around showing off our status as royals. What a disgrace. They never liked me anyway. The feeling's mutual."
"Nozel." Acier said worriedly and is deciding on whether she should reprimand her eldest. "This is not the way to talk about your siblings."
Nozel simply gave a shrug that made her release a resigned sigh.
Out of all her three children, Nozel is the one that she doesn't need to worry about the most but yet also the one that she will fuss over more. He is too mature and smart for his age, almost to the point that he seems like an adult in a child's body waiting for his body to grow and catch up to his mind. He is very reserved individual, preferring silence and isolation over any human contact. Things that other children his age do bores him, so he ended up passing the time on his hands by training relentlessly in his magic and physical capabilities, saying that magic fascinates him more than anything else. Acier wouldn't have need to worry about him so much if he acted more like a child his age should rather than a mini adult.
Her husband, on the other hand, do not share the same views as her. When Nozel first exhibits such "genius" behaviours, he is merely happy that his eldest son is a prodigy, saying that he is the one that will lead the Silva house to greater heights. But lately, Nozel has been acting against her husband's wishes with his differing view of nobles and royalty, openly stating how much he despises those that abuse their status as one. Little did her husband know that Nozel have no desire to be the future Head of the house whatsoever, Nozel had confided that much to her. She is the only one in the family in which Nozel will willingly talk to.
It pains her heart that her child does not feel like he is a part of their family. Even as his mother, she doesn't know why he felt this way. What did she and her husband do wrong in raising him? Why does he have trouble viewing them as his family? Sure, Nebra and Solid are also infected with the so very prevalent 'nobles-are-always-better-than-commoner' foolish mindset among nobles and royalty, but surely that isn't enough for Nozel to dislike them to this extent?
"Mother, will you show me more of your spells?"
"Only if you promise me to stop training so hard. You need to learn how to relax and socialise. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that you are preparing for war." Acier pinched Nozel's nose playfully as she said those words, prompting him to scowl at the action but made no moves to stop her. This made Acier's heart a little lighter, at least he really views her as his mother from how he allows her to fuss over him. She couldn't say the same for Nozel and her husband. The way they interact with each other is more like a master-servant relationship than of father and son.
She will have words with her husband later about the proper way to treat their children, but right now she just wants to spend some time with her eldest.
"Better to be a warrior in a garden in times of peace than to be a gardener on a battlefield in times of war." Nozel grumbled out as he let himself get pushed around by her into his bedroom.
"Wow! My little Nozel had grown to be a wise little old man! He even has quotes of wisdom of his own! You will make such a good Magic Knight!"
"Why will I want to be a Magic Knight?" Nozel scoffed as Acier planted him onto a chair and began to comb his messy hair for him. "It's a thankless job. Why will I risk my life to save people that I barely knew about?"
"It's not something that I can teach you." Acier admitted. "It's something that you have to experience for yourself, what it means to be a Magic Knight. You can deny all you want, but I know that you have the strongest desire to serve the country as a Magic Knight out of all your siblings. Out of the three of you, you have the strongest desire to help bring about a better change for our people. I am your mother, Nozel. I know what you truly feel. I know that you have a desire to help others. Deep down, you are a kind person."
"You mean we all have to become Magic Knights because we are the Silva house. Generations of us are Magic Knights since our ancestor's time and so going by that logic, we all have to be Magic Knights as well." Nozel answered sarcastically, purposely making his voice drier than usual.
"To even have these negative thoughts means that you are more than ready to be a Magic Knight." Acier can't help but say with a smile. "You will be a splendid Magic Knight, I'm sure of it."
"Don't get your hopes up, Mother. The higher the expectation, the bigger the disappointment. Father is already very disappointed in me and it will only get worse."
"No matter what, he is your father and you his son, Nozel." Acier can't help but let her frown show on her face. "No matter what he does or say, that will never change."
The look on her son's face told her that he does not think the same way. Oh well, he will understand in time when he is older.
"Look! Look how handsome you are after I styled your hair for you!" Acier purposely gushed out exaggeratedly to lift the otherwise dreary mood. "Women will be throwing themselves at you the moment you become an adult!"
"Mother, with all due respect." Nozel visibly took a deep breath to calm his nerves before continuing. "This hairstyle is… undesirable."
And by that, he meant the braid that Acier had purposely styled to hang between his eyes and down to the tip of his nose. She knows this looks a little ridiculous, but Nozel needs something to help him stand out!
"But it's so unique! My little boy will now be remembered by everyone that met him!"
"I'm undoing it the moment you step out of this room."
"Nozel!"
Even after much assurance on Nozel's part that he will not style his hair in such a 'stupid manner' (in his own words, not hers), Acier can't help but let joy fill her heart when Nozel continues to use the same hairstyle from the next day onwards, and the day after that, and the day after the next, and for as long as she can remember, Nozel will continue to style his hair in this manner.
All because she, his mother, had styled it for him and asked him to keep that hairstyle.
"Ah, you will be having your Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony next year!" Acier said contently. Where did all the time go? One moment Nozel is just a baby and in the blink of an eye, he is old enough to attend the Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony. Before she knows it, Nebra and Solid will be the same too.
They all grow up so fast.
"Your mother is looking forward to what kind of magic you will get!"
"Definitely something that has a connection with the steel quality of your magic." Nozel said without missing a beat and Acier really wants to stand on her feet right now to purposely coo at her eldest in an exaggerated manner, just to publicly embarrass him for the fun of it. She is his mother! To embarrass him is part of the job description!
Alas, the fact that she is pregnant with her fourth child and unable to even see her toes made that impossible. She can barely waddle as it is.
"Well, Nebra and Solid both took after your father's Water Magic and I have a feeling this one is the same as well." Acier said with a gentle smile on her face as one of her hands unconsciously rest on her bloated tummy. "Like you said, you are the only one who can inherit the steel quality of my magic. Use it to protect your siblings, ok?"
Nozel's expression is as unreadable as ever, but Acier is sure that she just caught a glimpse of sadness in his eyes. Why?
"Nozel?"
"I… I will, mother." Nozel managed a response as his gaze trailed down to her stomach. "I'm not too sure about Nebra and Solid since I cannot stand both their presence as they cannot stand mine, but I will try my best to ensure the safety of my unborn sibling. I promise."
"You need to learn how to get along with people, Nozel." Acier chided good-naturedly. "I know you and Fuegoleon are good friends, but you also need friends other than him."
"I guess Mereoleona counts too, no matter how noisy and crazy she is."
"And you need to get along with your father."
"His old rigid way of thinking is simply foolish." Nozel scoffed. "Why will I want to follow in his footsteps of self-destruction?"
"Nozel-"
"Being a royal isn't everything, mother." Nozel argued back. "With how us ruling class have been treating the commoners, I am surprised that they haven't staged a coup yet. At this rate, the Kingdom's downfall is just a matter of time. I am not risking my life to defend such a corrupt country with equally corrupt leaders heading it."
"Nozel, that is your father that you are insulting right there." Acier reprimanded sternly. Why did every conversation with Nozel regarding his father or politics ended up like this? "You need to watch your mouth."
"… I'm sorry, mother."
"And your apology is accepted." Acier let her smile reappear as she gestured for Nozel to give her a helping hand to aid her in her endeavour to stand up from her chair. Her eldest did so immediately.
"Do you want a younger sister or brother?"
"Sister." Nozel answered immediately. "Just one Solid is enough to drive me up the wall. I don't need another one, and especially not one with the same insufferable attitude as him."
"And you are sure this one won't?" Acier teased playfully. Trying to get a reaction out of her eldest is a fun thing to do in itself.
"I know that she will be different. If need be, I will personally see to it that she doesn't end up the same as Nebra or Solid."
"You sound so confident that your newest sibling will be a sister."
"Call it instinct."
Acier let out a laugh which managed to get a smile out of Nozel. She knows Nozel likes to see her smile and hear her laughter in this cold unforgiving mansion. Being born into a royal house is not all sunshine and rainbows like everyone think it is. Being a noble has its own set of responsibilities and downsides too. Even more so for royals like them, who are charged with ruling the Clover Kingdom and ensuring the Kingdom's safety.
"You… will you be alright, mother?" Acier was a little alarmed when she caught the very carefully concealed worry in Nozel's voice. "This pregnancy wouldn't have any complications, right? The process of childbirth, I mean."
"This is not the first time I have undergone it." Acier pulled on Nozel's ear as he let her have her way. "Have a little faith in your mother. I'm not going to just up and die like that. Besides, your father had found several respectable mages who are proficient in Healing magic to lend their aid if need be. Your sibling and I will be fine."
Nozel remained silent, but Acier knows that he is still worried for her.
"I promise, Nozel. Remember how I told you a Captain doesn't go back on their words? I am a Captain, you know? I will live till I become a grandmother and see you have cute little kids of your own."
Nozel smiled, so she counted that as a win. Acier is sure that Nozel will be a very good older brother to her youngest. He already is.
"I will hold you up to it, mother."
"B-Big brother?"
"Noelle."
Noelle watched as her oldest brother walked towards her and sat down on the ground beside her. Only he knows where to go to find her whenever she is feeling down. Only he knows to head for the family's garden to find her whereas the rest of the house's servants will search frantically within the huge mansion for her. If they actually bothered to spend their energy to look for a defect like her, that is.
"Don't take their words to heart. The whole lot of them are idiots, there's no point in reasoning with them."
Noelle giggled as Nozel gave her a comforting pet on her back.
"Thank you, big brother."
"No problem, that's what a big brother does anyway."
The both of them sat in silence as they watched their mother's grave. Her tomb is made up of the finest steel, a tribute to the magic she wielded. The elegant sculptures and engravings on it spoke volumes on the craftsmanship needed to even build something as beautiful as her tomb. Their father had wanted to build the most fitting resting place for their mother. She deserves only the best.
She had killed her mother. Her mother had died giving birth to her. For as long as she can remember that was what she was told and constantly reminded about. Their mother's death was almost five years ago. However, nobody had told her in detail about her mother. It is an unspoken taboo in their family to speak about her. Her other two siblings blame her for her death and her father simply walked away when she so much as asked. The fact that she is a defect as a mage, a stain on her family, isn't helping matters too.
That leaves Nozel as the only person to ask about her mother. Their mother. The last time she asked him, he had gone silent for a while before saying that "you look a lot like her" and excused himself.
From what a long-time servant of her house had once told her in private, her oldest brother was very close to their mother before her death. Their mother also favoured him the most out of her siblings whereas it was, and still is, the opposite for their father. Their mother's death had hit Nozel hard. The first reaction Nozel had upon learning the news of their mother's death was not outright grief or disbelief. According to the servant who was there to witness the scene, Nozel had only spoke one sentence before cooping himself up in his room for days until he was forced to come out to attend his mother's funeral. According to that servant, this was the only thing that Nozel had said upon learning their mother's death.
'You broke your promise, mother.'
Despite that, she needs to know. She wants to know. She deserves to know about her mother just like her siblings. Nozel wouldn't be too angry if she asked him about their mother, right? He had always been there for her. He is different from their father and her other siblings.
"W-What was mother like?"
As expected, that question took Nozel off guard as he looked at her in surprise. It made Noelle curl up into herself. She had just screwed up, didn't she?
When Nozel raised his hand, she closed her eyes in fear. She knew that posture. It is the same one her father and her other two older siblings took before they gave her a beating for being a defect followed by demeaning insults. The beatings were always worse when Nozel isn't around to help defend her.
She opened her eyes in surprise when the hand merely ruffled the hair on the top of her head fondly.
"You look a lot like her."
"R-Really?" Noelle whispered out as she timidly raised her head to meet Nozel's gaze.
"Yes. You are a spitting image of our mother, it is why no one in the family looks at you in the eye. Seeing you brings back memories that we are not yet ready to cope with. I'm sorry, Noelle. I haven't been much of a good older brother, am I?"
"That's not true!" Noelle exclaimed out before she can think. "You are always there for me! You don't see me as a defect!"
"You are not a defect." Nozel corrected her sternly. "Our father and siblings are simply blind to your potential. You can be so much more, Noelle. I have no doubts that you will be one of the strongest Magic Knights our house and the Kingdom will ever birth. Never doubt yourself."
"But I cannot control my magic…"
"Because you are blessed with an immense amount of magic power. The larger the power, the harder it is to control. That is why I believe that you will grow to be extremely strong in the future when you finally learn how to master and refine your magic. You are too kind, Noelle, just like our mother. Your hesitance to hurt others made it a lot harder for you to control your magic. You do need to be more confident in your abilities though. Mother had confidence in spades."
Noelle leaned in against her brother as he spoke, who shifted his body to block out the cold night breeze blowing at her in the garden. He caught her attention when he flicked the braid of hair hanging in between his eyes with a finger.
"I never told you why I styled my hair in this stupid manner, did I? Our mother's the culprit."
Noelle raised her head in curiosity. Now that is something she wants to hear.
"Well, I kept it this way because she enjoys seeing me style my hair in this manner for reasons unknown. End of story."
"Big brother! That's not how you tell stories!"
And as she continues to whine and act like the child that she is, Noelle cannot help but smile again as her mood lifted. This is her eldest brother, the one who had never failed to protect and keep an eye out for her when her entire family had casted her aside. He was the one that personally took care of her even when she was an infant, even going so far as to personally changing her diapers from what the servants had told her. He did not have to do that. He is from a royal family, and the eldest son too. The servants could have done the unpleasant job.
She is also the reason why he hasn't enlisted into the Magic Knights yet even if Noelle knows that he can easily beat most Knights without difficulty. He will be the most awesomest Magic Knight and she knows that she is right. Her brother is just that strong. The only reason why Nozel didn't enlist as a Magic Knights even after close to five long years is because he knows that being a Magic Knight is a full-time job. He wouldn't be around at home much to protect her from her other siblings and their father. He acts as if he isn't keen on being one, saying that he has close to no hope for the state of the country thanks to the arrogant behaviour of their fellow members of the ruling class. She knows better. Whatever actions he took are always because of her. To him, her well-being always comes first.
However, Nozel's reason for not being a Magic Knight infuriates their father, who doesn't like his authority to be challenged, undermined, or worse, insulted. It had soured their father-son relationship even further and her other two siblings had scorned Nozel as well. It isn't just him not acting like a Silva, but also his views on how nobles and royals should act and carry themselves. Nozel openly told their father that how he treats his subjects and commoners will one day bring ruin to the Kingdom and to their house. He had told their father and their siblings that given the way most of their Kingdom's nobles are acting right now, the Kingdom's downfall is all but certain. It is just a matter of time.
Their father and Nozel had fought after that. It was the biggest battle fought in their grounds as far as anyone could remember. Nozel had put up a good fight and he had made their father work for it, but he had ultimately lost.
But he was so close. He was so close to winning that battle. Had their father not pulled out an extremely strong magical artefact to secure his win, the outcome of that battle might have been different.
Nozel had totally lost favour with their father after that battle. Their father had never talked to him after that big fight and Nozel had never approached him unless necessary. Nozel still goes on missions as a member of the Silva house when the need arises, but otherwise he will spend his free time training, exploring newly emerged dungeons, or simply walking around the city in the Royal Capital doing his own thing. Their father had lost all hope in Nozel to the extent that he did not bug Nozel to enlist into the Magic Knights anymore.
Where Noelle is a defect, Nozel is an outcast. And Nozel's status in their family had worsened all because of her.
It is all her fault.
But that's all the more reason to do her best in training her magic, to show the world that her eldest brother is right and the rest of them are wrong. If not for herself, then at least for him. She will be five years old this year, she still has time. She will be the best sister for her eldest brother, because despite how he thinks otherwise, he had always been the best brother she can ask for. Whereas other princesses have their knight in shining armour, she has a knight in silver armour in the form of her eldest brother. His Mercury Magic is just so pretty.
To her, her eldest brother will always be her true family.