Ruite’s Adam’s apple bobbed as Vilter’s gaze fixed on him.
‘What is it? Did I mess something up? Was I meddling? Surely they won’t arrest me for this?’
While Ruite was busy imagining himself being bound and dragged away by the knights, Chester introduced him to Vilter as a friend from the Academy.
“May I ask why you took such a measure?” Vilter asked.
“Because of the poison.”
Ruite scratched his head, but his answer was immediate.
Vilter’s eyes flickered with genuine interest, gesturing for him to continue.
Ruite explained that while Chester was contacting headquarters, he had been examining the carcass and noticed the peculiar holes near the tail.
To test a hunch, he had picked up a fresh leaf and held it close; the moment it neared the opening, it withered and crumbled into dust.
There was only one explanation: the beast was a venomous type.
Now that it was dead, the toxins stored in its body were slowly leaking out.
To prevent the surrounding forest from being contaminated, Ruite had found a sturdy branch, infused it with mana, and plugged the hole.
It was a temporary fix, but it would stop the leakage for the time being.
“When did you even do that?” Chester asked, tilting his head. He was hearing this for the first time.
Ruite replied casually, “While you were making the call.”
After hearing the explanation, Vilter rubbed his chin, falling into deep thought.
His expression was unreadable, making Ruite tense up again.
“Did I… do something I wasn’t supposed to do?”
Chester also looked at the silent Vilter, wondering the same.
“Not at all. On the contrary, I’m a bit surprised by how appropriate the measure was.”
“Pardon?”
“As you said, this beast carries a small amount of poison in its body. They don’t usually use it while alive, but upon death, they have a trait of scattering it everywhere. It’s likely an instinct to take whoever killed them down with them.”
Vilter was smiling, but his words were chilling.
In other words, if Ruite hadn’t acted, Chester or Ruite could have been infected by the beast’s final spiteful act.
“It’s impressive that you noticed. You have great insight and sharp instincts. And infusing the branch with mana—you did that on purpose, right?”
“Ah, yes.”
Ruite swallowed hard, feeling bewildered by the sudden praise.
He had only done it just in case.
“Your name was Ruite, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Have you taken the Mana User certification exam?”
“Yes, though I’m only Class 4…”
“How would you like to join the Knight Order?”
Ruite’s eyes went wide. Chester’s reaction was identical.
“Specifically, the Research Department that I lead,” Vilter added with a bright smile, pointing to himself.
Ruite instinctively looked at Chester for help, but Chester looked just as blindsided.
“The Research Department is always short-handed. It’s not a position where you sit out of combat; you need the skills of a mana user, but you also need fundamental knowledge and insight regarding beasts. The workload is double, so few people volunteer. But it’s a team we absolutely cannot do without. And standing here, I just felt it.”
“F-felt what?”
With a warm smile, Vilter suddenly grabbed both of Ruite’s hands.
“That you are the perfect talent for the Research Department.”
“I just stuck a stick in a hole…”
“That’s exactly the point!”
Was sticking a stick in a hole really that monumental?
Ruite stared at the man whose eyes were practically sparkling, unsure how to react.
Chester, who had been staring at Vilter’s hands firmly gripping Ruite’s, stepped in.
“Vice-Captain Vilter.”
Chester physically pried Vilter’s hands off Ruite.
“It is not currently the official recruitment period for the Order.”
The Knight Order officially recruited twice a year.
Chester himself had entered through one of those windows after passing the rigorous exams.
“And no matter your rank, Vice-Captain, you cannot simply bring people in on a whim.”
“Commander Chester, I am well aware of that. The Ferwin Knight Order is a place where neither power nor status can get you in if you lack the skill.”
The prestige of the Ferwin Knights was so high that every year, children of noble families tried to buy or influence their way in.
They had never succeeded.
Potential and ability were the only currencies that mattered—a principle that had built the Order’s legendary reputation.
“I may have spoken boldly, but if you truly wish to join, you must pass the exams and go through the proper procedures. And as Chester said, it isn’t recruitment season.”
“Then it’s impossible anyway, isn’t it?” Ruite asked.
“However, a Vice-Captain has the authority to request a Special Recruitment.”
Vilter clapped his hands.
Chester muttered under his breath, “Ah, the Special Recruitment,” as if he’d forgotten that loophole.
“What is that?”
Ruite whispered, leaning close to Chester’s ear.
Chester flinched slightly at the proximity.
“It’s a system to recruit members outside the official window. It’s a prerogative of the Vice-Captains.”
“If I ask the Grand Commander, I can get you an entrance exam. But that’s all I can do. Being a ‘Special’ recruit doesn’t make the exam or the process any easier. You’ll have to take the same tests and meet the same requirements as everyone else.”
In short, Vilter was offering Ruite a door, not a seat.
Whether Ruite could walk through it—and whether he even wanted to—was entirely up to him.
“What do you think? Are you interested?”
Ruite hesitated.
He had been thinking seriously about his future lately.
Born into a noble family in this world, he could live a comfortable life without ever lifting a finger.
But even if a life of leisure—and his beloved bed—was guaranteed, he didn’t want to live like a jobless vagrant forever.
He knew he’d have to face his future eventually, but until now, the “breakup problem” with Chester had been the only fire he was trying to put out.
And yet, a thought occurred to him: ‘Am I clinging too hard to the idea of a breakup? Am I letting it define my whole life?’
“Vice-Captain! We’re wrapping up here!”
“Right, coming!”
Vilter turned back to Ruite.
“I got a bit excited and threw a lot at you, so take your time to think it over. If you decide to take me up on it, come to the headquarters.”
Vilter pulled a small object from his coat and handed it to Ruite.
It was a communication crystal, similar to the one Chester had used.
“It’s a contact crystal. If you come to the headquarters and inject your mana into it, mine will react. I’ll come out to get you.”
With a final pat on Ruite’s shoulder, Vilter told him not to feel pressured and to think it over at his leisure.
“I should get moving. Chester, your vacation ends today, right? Since things turned out this way, why don’t you head back to the base with me?”
“No. I will return tomorrow as scheduled.”
“Fair enough. Thanks for working even on your day off.”
With a final wave, Vilter departed.
The other knights followed, and Ruite began to descend the mountain with Chester.
“Refuse it.”
“Huh?”
“That.” Chester pointed to the crystal in Ruite’s hand.
“Why?”
“What do you mean ‘why’? It’s a job dealing with beasts. Do you know how many dangerous moments there are? Even in the Research Department, you aren’t safe from combat.”
Ruite felt a pang of curiosity.
‘How does Chester see me?’
Since he was a Class 2 Mage, did he see a Class 4 like Ruite as a powerless ant crawling on the road?
“It feels weird saying this about myself, but I don’t think I’m that weak. Regardless of how I look to you, Chester, my primary attribute is combat-focused.”
“That’s not what I meant…”
The words ‘I’m just worried you’ll get hurt’ got stuck in Chester’s throat.
He stared at Ruite, who was turning the crystal over in his hands.
Looking at Ruite’s clean profile, Chester instinctively reached out to stroke his face, but Ruite spoke again, causing him to pull back.
“And I was already planning to think about what I want to do. I’m happy with my life now, but I didn’t want to spend it being ‘nothing’ just because I have a family name to lean on.”
The sun was setting, casting a flickering red glow across their faces.
“What’s wrong with being ‘nothing’?”
Chester muttered.
“I’m going to provide for you for the rest of your life anyway.”
