Chester fell into deep thought. Ruite joining the Knight Order was still a shock, something almost unbelievable.
Of course, he knew Ruite’s skills were more than sufficient.
While the entrance exam was notoriously difficult and picky, it wasn’t strange for Ruite to pass if he set his mind to it.
Even so, the reason Chester didn’t find Ruite’s enlistment particularly welcome was that the work was grueling and high-risk.
Furthermore, realistically, it would be difficult to hold a wedding until Ruite had adapted to life as a knight.
But then, a single realization flashed through his mind like a lightbulb.
While there were many downsides, if he thought about it, working in the same place as Ruite meant he could see his face every single hour, didn’t it?
“Chester? What are you thinking about so hard?”
To be able to see and talk to Ruite—who was currently tilting his head and waving a hand cutely in front of him—whenever they had a spare moment, and to have their rooms right next to each other… wasn’t that just the best?
“Good grief. You’ve completely blanked out. Does the Knight Order really make you work that much?”
“No, it’s just…”
Right.
Hadn’t he intended to spend as much time as possible with Ruite to get closer before the official wedding?
Perhaps things turning out like this was actually for the better.
“Yeah. I just think this might be better.”
“What is? What’s better?”
Chester scratched the back of his neck, his earlobes turning red.
Ruite stared at his suspicious behavior before suddenly jumping in realization.
“Ah, forget it! If you’re going to say something weird again, don’t say anything at all.”
“I haven’t even said anything yet.”
“Exactly, so just don’t. And how long are you planning to stay in my room?”
“You want me to leave?”
Ruite bit his lip and let out a long sigh.
“I can’t change my clothes while you’re here.”
He had been feeling stiff wearing the formal uniform all day.
Since Vilter had told him to rest, he wanted to change into the casual indoor clothes he’d been issued.
But with Chester sitting firmly on the bed like a guardian, he couldn’t exactly start stripping.
Chester stood up awkwardly. Then, he paused as a memory surfaced.
“But you can just change.”
“What?”
“We used the same locker rooms back at the Academy.”
Ruite’s mouth hung open.
He looked like someone who had been hit over the head with a blunt object. Chester was right.
The Academy was based on communal living, so they had shared locker rooms divided only by gender.
That meant they had dressed and undressed in the same space many times.
Yet, here was Ruite, trying to kick Chester out because he was “in the way.”
He had only just realized he was doing it.
“Ruite.”
Ruite jerked his head up.
“Are you… conscious of me?”
“I-I am not!” Ruite shouted.
But even as he spat the words out, the question ‘Am I really not?’ sprouted in his mind.
“Fine then, stay if you want. I’m just going to change.”
To prove he wasn’t bothered, Ruite began unbuttoning his uniform from the top.
As the fabric parted and skin began to show, Chester’s hand suddenly shot out and gripped his wrist.
“Hey! How can you just start undressing in front of a person like that?”
“Because you’re saying weird things!”
Chester pressed a hand to his forehead. “Fine. I’m leaving. I’ll go, so change after that.”
Chester wanted to dig deeper to see if Ruite was actually conscious of him, but he feared that if a provoked Ruite actually took his clothes off here, he might lose control of himself.
Chester turned toward the door.
“Ruite, you’re going to eat after you change, right?”
“Huh? How did you know?”
“Go with me. Meet me in the first-floor lobby in ten minutes.”
“Oh, okay. Got it.”
The door closed, and silence filled the room.
Ruite stared at the spot where Chester had stood.
It felt strange—the way the other naturally suggested a plan and he naturally accepted it.
Ruite scratched his head and pulled out his casual clothes.
Finally alone, he stripped down comfortably.
“I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing.”
He had chosen this because he wanted to be a knight and wanted to work.
The side benefits were good, too.
But he wondered if he should have considered just how much he’d be entangled with Chester now that they worked in the same place.
Ruite hung his uniform neatly in the closet.
As he headed down to the lobby, he remained lost in thought.
He probably could have anticipated this before joining if he had tried.
The fact that he hadn’t… was it because he didn’t actually dislike the idea?
Ruite stopped on the stairs.
Chester was leaning against the lobby wall.
Looking around idly, he spotted Ruite and approached.
“You’re late.”
“…You said ten minutes.”
Ruite realized once again: humans are truly contradictory creatures.
“The cafeteria is this way. Dinner is served until 9:00 PM.”
“Yeah, the Vice-Captain told me.”
The two entered the cafeteria together.
Since dinner service had just begun, the hall was already filled with many knights.
The regular members saluted Chester but stole glances at Ruite.
Since he was a new face, they seemed curious.
Ruite didn’t pay much attention to the stares.
He’d expected people to look since he was new.
However, everyone was staring a bit too much.
It was becoming noticeable.
Ruite even patted his face to see if something was on it.
What Ruite didn’t know was that Chester was a celebrity here just as he had been at Whitmore, and the fact that the man who never socialized was eating with someone was a first.
“Do you know who’s next to Commander Chester?”
“I don’t recognize him. Ah, I heard a special recruit was joining the Research Department. Is that him?”
“Unbelievable. I’ve never seen the Commander eat with anyone.”
“Maybe he did something wrong? Or maybe the Commander has something on him and he’s acting as a personal lackey.”
Unaware of the gossip, Ruite was simply flustered by the sheer volume of eyes on them.
“Ruite, stand in line properly.”
“I am standing pro—”
Ruite cut himself off.
Come to think of it, this wasn’t the Academy or the outside world.
This was a Knight Order with a strict hierarchy.
Ruite’s rank was that of a regular Knight.
Because he was a Class 4 Mage and his exam results were good, he had skipped the apprentice stage.
However, Chester was a Knight Commander, a rank far above him—directly below the Captains.
‘Should I really be using informal speech with him?’
Ruite looked at Chester standing behind him. Chester cleared his throat and whispered, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I am standing properly, Commander.”
Ruite had decided to use formal speech.
He didn’t want to disrupt the discipline of the organization, and he certainly didn’t want to stand out by being disrespectful.
He thought it was the right thing to do.
He did not expect Chester to suddenly drop his tray.
A loud clatter echoed through the cafeteria. Ruite jumped, and every head in the room turned toward them.
“Hey, hey! What’s wrong with you?” Ruite whispered urgently.
“You’re the one! Why are you suddenly acting out of character?”
“It’s not out of character, it’s the correct way to act. Imagine if I used informal speech with you here.”
“Ah.”
Realizing Ruite’s intent, Chester picked up his tray.
As they moved through the line, Ruite used formal language a few more times.
Each time, Chester reacted ridiculously—biting his lip or averting his eyes as if in physical pain.
By the time they sat down, Ruite was just excited to eat, while Chester looked like he had aged ten years from the stress of being addressed formally.
“When we went to the Northern camp, they only gave us fixed portions, so I was worried. But it’s different here? Is this a headquarters perk?”
“There’s no one else at this table, so just speak normally.”
“Oh, right.”
As Chester said, no one else had sat near them yet.
“I found out after joining, but the North has a culture of not wasting food because of the mountains and cold climate. Here, our Grand Commander’s personality plays a part, too.”
“Personality?”
Ruite recalled Hale’s face.
“He loves eating. Just like someone I know.”
Since Hale ate a lot himself, he respected the autonomy of the knights when it came to portions.
“The Grand Commander is such a cool person.”
“Is your standard of ‘cool’ just eating a lot of food?”
Despite his teasing, Chester watched fondly as Ruite stuffed his face.
He hadn’t imagined he’d get to see this side of Ruite here, too.
Just as Chester reached out to brush a crumb from Ruite’s mouth, someone approached.
“Oh, Chester?”
“…Senior Varen.”
“Eating already? I was going to look for you. I reported to the Vice-Captain, and he didn’t say anything particular—”
Varen trailed off as he spotted the bright silver hair at the table.
“Hmm?”
Varen tilted his head, looking at Ruite.
Ruite swallowed his food quickly and bowed his head in greeting.
