My Ex-Girlfriend Was Appointed as a Knight Commander

Chapter 5

My Ex-Girlfriend Was Appointed as a Knight Commander. - Chapter 5

It was the same as telling him to give up on being a knight. Anyone other than the current Maxim would have gotten very angry upon hearing such words. However, the Maxim who heard those words didn’t even bat an eyelid.

Maxim had already expected Christine to say something like that in the first place. And he knew well why she said those words.

“I knew you would say that.”

“...Then that means your answer is already decided.”

Christine grumbled. Maxim just grinned. She looked at his smile and slightly contorted her lips.

“Vice Commander, you know... overdoing it in your current condition...”

“Yeah. I know.”

“Then why...!”

Christine slightly raised her voice as if frustrated. Maxim only let out a hearty laugh at her attitude.

“I won’t die, you know? I’ll just be sick for a few days.”

“Sick, my foot...”

Christine shook her head as if she couldn’t agree with Maxim’s words. Her long blonde hair swayed like waves. She took a moment to compose herself. It seemed like she was choosing her words, unable to speak easily. While she was hesitating, he took the lead.

“It’s okay. I said I won’t overdo it.”

“You say that, but you’ll overdo it anyway. How can you not overdo it in a test held by the knight order?”

Maxim smiled as if troubled. Christine didn’t like his attitude.

“So that’s why you’ve been swinging your sword since morning. I wondered what was going on.”

“I won’t cause you any trouble.”

“That’s not the important part.”

Christine clenched her fists. It looked like she wanted to punch Maxim’s grinning face.

“I’ll pass without overdoing it. You don’t think I’m capable of that much?”

“Capable or not, you’ll stagger even if you use just a little bit of strength.”

Maxim raised one corner of his mouth and lifted his arm as if to show off his biceps. Christine held her head at the oncoming headache.

“I won’t stagger. I’ve recovered quite a bit.”

“...That’s all thanks to my help. Are you going to make my efforts go to waste?”

As Christine spoke with a sigh, Maxim’s expression changed a little. He must have felt sorry for her, and she felt even more frustrated by his quickly changing emotions.

“Don’t make that face. It makes me soft-hearted.”

Maxim quickly hid his expression upon hearing Christine’s words.

That guy shouldn’t gamble, Christine thought to herself.

“You won’t have to help me if I don’t give you a reason to.”

“...That’s the best conclusion, though.”

As if asking, “How about that?” Maxim shrugged his shoulders. Even if he pretended to be fine, he was someone who would have to risk his life if he used his strength.

“Even if you pass without overdoing it, you’ll have to use your strength anyway when you go to the frontline.”

Christine was practically whining at this point. Maxim felt both sorry and grateful for her worrying about him.

“In the first place, it was a decision I had to make at some point to remain a knight. I was just turning a blind eye to the problem until now.”

“There are other ways. You can go into instructing with your skills, Vice Commander...”

“Go back to the academy? I can’t do that. Even if I die, I want to die fighting on the frontline as a knight.”

Maxim waved his hand while boasting. It was meant to be a joke, but Christine’s reaction differed from what he expected.

“I... I had no idea. When you said, ‘They’ll take the useful ones,’ I thought your treatment, Vice Commander, was already confirmed.”

Christine looked at Maxim with a somewhat pained expression.

“Why do you keep doing this to yourself....”

Maxim felt truly sorry.

“Sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing to me? In the end, you’ll be at a loss if you continue.”

Christine was about to turn and leave but suddenly stopped and returned to Maxim.

“...One last thing.”

“What?”

“Why are you going this far...?”

Upon hearing that question, Maxim raised his head and gazed into the distance. It was as if he wanted to find something invisible in his sight.

“Everyone has something they can’t give up on.”

It wasn’t that he had no anxiety about the scar. If it weren’t for Maxim’s swordsmanship relying less on Aura Blade, the curse would devour his body every time he fought.

‘The goal is not to unleash an Aura Blade.’

It wouldn’t look strange. In the first place, Maxim rarely used Aura Blade unless it was an important moment. He clenched and unclenched his hand repeatedly to compose himself.

Maxim arrived at the training ground exactly on time. The vice commander did not exist in this place right now. There was no sharply refined spirit. His atmosphere was very quiet. Quiet but very deep, like the sea before a storm hit.

“You’re here, Vice Commander.”

Christine had already arrived at the training ground. Maxim nodded, accepting her greeting, and looked around. Including him and Christine, there were seven people. The remaining twenty or so had given up on even taking the test.

Theodora was standing on the podium of the training ground. Her obsidian-colored eyes, resembling today’s sky, lingered on Maxim momentarily. Maxim didn’t avoid her gaze. He thought he saw a very small ripple in those eyes.

Behind Theodora stood four knights. Maxim could feel a completely different air from the soldiers she had brought with her when she visited the knight order last time. They were probably real elite knights. It was clear that they were the replacement personnel to be assigned to the Raven Knight Order.

“Looks like everyone is here.”

This time, Theodora spoke without using mana. Her voice was loud enough for everyone to hear since such a small group had gathered.

“Then, let’s begin the selection test.”

As Theodora spoke, the four knights stepped forward simultaneously. Although four of them stepped, only one footstep was heard.

Thud!

The knights stood majestically in front of Theodora. Once the knights finished lining up, Theodora began to speak again.

“They are the knights assigned to the newly reformed Raven Knight Order.”

At this point, everyone seemed to have figured out what the test would entail.

“If you can endure for 15 minutes or more against these knights, you pass.”

“Don’t mess around!”

There seemed to be a loser with a will mixed in. But this knight order no longer tolerated losers.

Shing.

“Commander. Your order.”

Before anyone knew it, two blades were placed under the chin of the knight who had cursed. Looking at the member with disdain, the two elite knights awaited Theodora’s response.

“Please lower your swords for now.”

The knights lowered their swords. Theodora declared in a cold voice to the member who was profusely sweating.

“You are disqualified. Please leave.”

The targeted member, unable to withstand the spirit exuded by the knights, ran away and descended the hill of the headquarters. Following him, another member declared his surrender and went down. Five members remained. Theodora looked at the training ground as if asking if anyone else would give up, but no one else left.

“If there’s no one else giving up, please prepare for the match.”

At Theodora’s words, a tense atmosphere enveloped the training ground. It was a tension that could never be felt in the Raven Knight Order until now. The members and knights faced each other.

Maxim assessed the strength of the knights he was facing. Two were male knights, and two were female. From what Maxim felt, one of the female knights was a mage. She would probably be Christine’s opponent. Maxim glanced sideways to confirm where Christine was standing. As expected, she was looking at her would-be opponent indifferently.

‘There’s no need to worry.’

“Christine Watson, step forward.”

Breaking the silence, Theodora ordered Christine. She stepped forward according to command.

“Lione Becker, step forward.”

The female knight Maxim had guessed to be a mage stepped forward. Centered around the two mages, a huge flow of mana began to swirl. The knights and members quickly stepped back to create space for the match. Theodora, who confirmed that they had all retreated, spoke in the same indifferent tone.

“If you’re ready, please begin.”

At the same time as those words were uttered, the two casted magic collided in midair, dyeing the training ground with light.@@@@