* * *
Ruite’s assigned room was on the second floor.
As he opened the door after checking the number on the key, he felt a presence nearby.
His eyes locked right with Chester’s.
Was this a prank played by fate?
Not only had they sat next to each other in the carriage by coincidence, but their rooms were also side-by-side.
Chester only glanced his way once without saying anything in particular.
He simply entered his room.
Ruite headed into his own room as well.
The clean interior caught his eye first.
Naturally, the room was minimalist, containing only the bare essentials, but that was to be expected given that this was a knights’ branch.
As Evan had instructed, Ruite changed into his training uniform and stepped back outside.
Just as he was about to head downstairs, he saw Chester standing still in front of the neighboring door.
Just as Ruite wondered why he hadn’t gone down yet—as he seemed to have changed quite quickly—their gazes met again.
Chester only began to move once he confirmed Ruite had come out.
Down on the first floor, his classmates were gathered, their faces still flushed with excitement.
Harold counted heads and led them to the cafeteria, suggesting they eat first.
‘How good will the knights’ food be?’
The corners of Ruite’s mouth danced with anticipation.
“Do you really like food that much?”
Ruite hadn’t even realized he was walking side-by-side with Chester in his joy at the prospect of filling his stomach.
Strangely, lately, whenever he snapped to his senses, he felt like Chester was right there beside him.
“Yeah. Eating something delicious makes you feel good.”
“Simpleton.”
At that, Chester let out a short laugh.
Ruite clearly saw those usually stiff, straight lips curve into an arc.
He couldn’t help but be shocked.
‘Chester laughed.’
It was an expression he had never seen before, and he couldn’t take his eyes off it.
“What? Why?”
Perhaps not realizing he had laughed himself, the way his face returned to its usual blunt expression was a bit unnatural.
Chester glanced at Ruite, who had his eyes slightly wide, and let out a pointless cough.
“So you do know how to laugh.”
“I’m human too, you know.”
“I know. But I thought you were someone who couldn’t laugh.”
What exactly was the funny element just now?
Ruite pondered it and a possibility flashed in his mind.
Narrowing his eyes, he leaned his head slightly toward Chester.
“Be honest. You knew the camp location in advance, didn’t you?”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Is it because you’re in a place you wanted to visit that you’re just bursting into laughter?”
Chester was definitely in a good mood right now.
After all, what Magic Department student wouldn’t be thrilled to set foot in a place that was like a dream?
Ruite already knew of Chester’s fervor for magic.
Furthermore, although he hadn’t heard it directly, since he was in the Magic Department, it was highly likely he aimed for the Ferwin Knights like most other students.
And to top it off, he even laughed here. It was certain.
“Are you teasing me?”
“I’m not exactly teasing. It’s just fascinating to see you laugh. Just tell me the truth. You’re happy because you’re at the Knights’ branch, right?”
“…”
Chester looked at Ruite’s profile.
His gaze then shifted down to their footsteps, which were moving in perfect sync.
“…Yeah. I feel better than I thought I would.”
“I knew it. I figured as much.”
Ruite learned a new fact today: Chester was indeed a person who knew how to laugh.
Soon after, a mouth-watering aroma wafted through the internal cafeteria of the Knights’ branch.
However, Ruite, who had just received his meal and found a suitable place to sit, wore a somewhat disappointed expression.
Come to think of it, this wasn’t the Academy.
There, the staff who served the food already knew his face and would give him extra portions without him even asking, but that wasn’t the case here.
Not only did none of the staff know he ate a lot, but he wasn’t shameless enough to ask for more food while at a camp.
He didn’t want to be a nuisance.
Most of all, perhaps because it was a military order, the knights themselves handled the serving, and they ladled out the food with terrifying precision to a standard single serving.
As Ruite ate his meal, slumped in a corner in disappointment, a shadow fell over him.
“You were so excited earlier, so why the long face again?”
As Ruite looked around aimlessly, Chester said, “I’m sitting here because there are no other seats,” and sat down across from him.
Ruite glanced at Chester’s tray just in case, and sure enough, it was a perfect single serving.
“Don’t the knights do a lot of physically demanding work?”
“Of course. Maintaining public order and subjugating monsters are all part of a knight’s duty.”
Chester looked at him as if wondering why he was asking that all of a sudden, but he dutifully played along.
“Right. Then their physical and magical consumption must be huge.”
“What exactly is it you want to say?”
Ruite’s expression became instantly grave as he looked around.
After checking the eyes of the knights standing nearby, he leaned forward slightly.
“Aren’t they giving us way too little food?”
At the completely unexpected comment, Chester, who happened to be drinking water, ended up choking and let out a series of hollow coughs.
It was loud enough that the nearby students glanced over.
Chester finally managed to calm his ticklish throat.
So it was a complaint about food in the end?
But who on earth complained about food in such a cute way?
His choking was all Ruite’s fault.
“Don’t you think it’s just that you eat a lot?”
“…”
Ruite shut his mouth tight.
He likely already knew that fact himself.
It was quite a sight to see him avoid eye contact and refuse to answer now that he was at a disadvantage.
Ruite pecked at his food listlessly.
Still, it must have tasted good, as his eyes sparkled occasionally.
After a moment of thought, Chester scooped up a handful of his own side dishes and placed them on Ruite’s tray.
“Huh? Why are you giving me yours?”
“I don’t eat as much as some people. It’s a waste to leave it and throw it away for no reason. In that case, wouldn’t it be more efficient to give it to you?”
“Uh… I guess so.”
Ruite nodded as if mesmerized by the logical explanation.
Chester went ahead and handed over his other side dishes as well.
But even if he didn’t eat much, this was only a single serving.
Did Chester have a small stomach?
Ruite tilted his head, looking at the side dishes piled high in front of him.
Well, whatever the case, Ruite hadn’t asked for them; Chester had given them voluntarily, so there was no problem.
“Thanks.”
Chester’s hand paused slightly at the simple expression of gratitude.
Bathed in the leaking sunlight, Chester’s earlobes were tinged a very faint red.
“I told you, I’m just dumping them on you.”
“Yeah, but I’m still grateful.”
With a face that had regained its energy, Ruite moved his hands busily and filled his stomach.
He looked significantly happier than he had just a moment ago.
Chester covered his mouth with his hand.
A faint smile settled on his lips.
After finishing the meal, they immediately gathered at the training ground.
Since it was the actual training ground used by the Northern knights, even the atmosphere felt different.
One thing was certain: it was on a different level compared to the practice rooms at the Academy.
For starters, the sheer size of the training ground was beyond comparison.
Whitmore was a prestigious academy with spacious and high-quality facilities, but it couldn’t even compare to this.
At the training hall, they observed the actual training of the knights.
Under Marcus’s leadership, the knights moved their bodies fervently.
Since this training wasn’t just done in the North but also at other branches and the headquarters in the capital, simply seeing it in person was an incredibly good opportunity.
The students all stood with their mouths hanging open.
To the eyes of these “chicks” who hadn’t even become mages yet, the knights’ movements, filled with powerful strength and seasoned skill, couldn’t help but look extraordinary.
Ruite also took a spot on one side, gulping down his saliva.
He had seen the Ferwin Knights a few times while walking the streets, but he didn’t know how they actually trained and fought.
Only today did he realize more poignantly why the citizens said they felt safe because of the Ferwin.
After watching the knights’ training, the students officially began to participate.
The knights took charge of the students one by one to guide them.
Everyone seemed nervous, as their movements were stiff and frozen.
However, there were a few who stood out, and one of them was Chester.
The knights who were looking after other students turned their heads and watched Chester with interest.
“What did you say your name was?”
The expression of the knight in charge of Chester was the same.
“It’s Chester.”
“Have you already decided on Lightning as your primary attribute?”
“Yes, it’s the attribute I’m most familiar with.”
“It’s a difficult attribute to handle, that’s impressive.”
Everyone began to look at Chester with awe as he received praise even from a knight currently in active service.
Of course, Chester wasn’t the only one standing out.
Several students, including the runner-up Colin Railguns and another celebrity from Class 1, Harrison, drew praise from the knights evaluating their skills.
And Commander Marcus, standing at the very front and surveying the scene, quietly observed Chester while stroking his chin.
* * *
