By Zephyria 
The mask concealed his face, but I could easily see his eyes crinkling. As expected, the knight’s expression subtly shifted for a moment. However, like a knight serving the King, he quickly regained his emotionless composure.
Watching his face, which naturally avoided my gaze and stared straight ahead, I couldn’t hide my joy. While fidgeting with my hands behind my back, wondering how to start a conversation, an opportunity arose.
“You may leave for a while.”
It seemed they had something confidential to discuss. The King also told his two guards to wait outside. With slight bows, they all quietly exited the room.
“…….”
Me, Tarik, and the King’s two knights. A total of four people stood motionless in front of the door. Earlier, when we were facing each other, I could freely admire his face, but now, standing in a line, I couldn’t even see him. It wasn’t like he was right next to me either; Tarik and the other knight were between us.
After a few seconds of contemplation, I slightly bent forward, turned my head, and looked at the knight with green eyes. At that, Tarik, who was right next to me, looked at me with a flustered expression.
“Please switch places with me.”
Tarik was even more bewildered by my words than before. He moved his lips as if to say something for a long time, but eventually, he silently switched places with me.
I stared at the knight next to me for a while as well. He seemed a bit older than the green-eyed knight. Just by looking at his face, he seemed serious and dignified, making it difficult to even start a conversation.
The knight, who had been ignoring my gaze and looking straight ahead, finally rolled his eyes and looked at me. I quickly opened my mouth.
“Please switch places with me.”
“…….”
The middle-aged knight stared at me with a dumbfounded expression and then looked at Tarik without a word. It was as if he was silently pressuring Tarik, who seemed to be of higher rank, to manage his subordinates properly.
But unfortunately, I was the superior here.
Tarik, with a brazen expression, pretended not to see and didn’t even turn his head this way.
Eventually, unable to bear it any longer, the middle-aged knight spoke to me.
“This is the Royal Palace.”
“In the Royal Palace, can’t one even decide where to stand?”
“…….”
He stared at me with an expression that seemed to say he had a lot to say. It felt like he wouldn’t have let it slide if I were his subordinate. But unfortunately, I wasn’t his subordinate.
Since he didn’t seem to have any intention of switching places, I had no choice but to move. Perhaps because it was too quiet, my footsteps echoed particularly loudly in the hallway.
Standing right next to the green-eyed knight, I looked ahead and asked.
“What is your name?”
“…….”
“I am Theodore.”
“…….”
He was ignoring me as if I were invisible. He didn’t even look at me, let alone answer, and showed no reaction whatsoever.
“Sir.”
I called out again, but it was the same. I was so taken aback by being so blatantly ignored that I was at a loss for words. I turned my head to the side with a dumbfounded look.
The middle-aged knight was looking straight ahead with several veins bulging on his forehead, and Tarik seemed to have turned pale for some reason. In any case, no one was looking at me.
I wanted to complain about the embarrassment of being ignored, but it was as if they were afraid that if they made eye contact, I would talk to them, so they desperately avoided my gaze.
Unable to help it, I stood straight and opened my mouth.
“I went to eat a sandwich after arriving in Calderia. It was a place that sold things like vegetables, ham, and meat sandwiched between bread. Have you ever had one?”
“…….”
“One with sausage was 15 silver, and one with chicken was 12 silver. I bought two for 27 silver. What do you think?”
In the silent space, not even a breath could be heard except for my voice. Since it didn’t seem like he would answer no matter how long I waited, I just rambled on to myself.
“Since I obviously looked like a foreigner, I think they deliberately charged me more. When I ate a similar bread in another place, it only cost 8 silver. Most other stores were also within 10 silver. Was I scammed?”
“…….”
“Was I?”
The knight, who had been silent all along, finally looked at me. He asked with a frustrated look.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“Do not engage in idle chatter during duty.”
“What does it matter since no one else is here anyway?”
The knight scoffed at my words. Then, he said in a sarcastic tone.
“That may be acceptable in Actan, but it is not tolerated in Calderia.”
“…….”
I was much more surprised than when I was ignored earlier. I was just trying to have a conversation, but suddenly he was bringing up the country and picking a fight?
It was ridiculous to even compare such things, but if ranking by discipline, Calderia would be no match for Actan. I had simultaneously disgraced the country and the knight just by trying to strike up a conversation.
“When is your break time?”
Forced to back down, the knight didn’t even answer this.
“I cannot tell you.”
“What about your day off?”
“I cannot tell you.”
“At least your name.”
As I continued to talk, cracks began to appear in his expression. He could no longer hide his annoyance and his face was contorted.
“Do not subtly shorten your words.”
“Then answer properly.”
I kicked the floor with my foot, acting cocky. The knight had now turned his body slightly towards me.
“I am a knight guarding His Majesty the King.”
So what? Since he was suddenly boasting about his position, I boasted the same.
“I am a knight guarding His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Judging by your behavior, you certainly do not seem like it.”
“Does that mean there is a problem with His Majesty the Emperor’s judgment?”
“Do not jump to conclusions!”
As the knight’s voice rose, the middle-aged knight, unable to watch any longer, opened his mouth in a stern voice.
“Sir Harold.”
“I apologize.”
After receiving a quiet warning, he straightened his body with a stiff face and looked ahead. I very slowly circled around him, scanning him up and down.
“Oh, Harold…….”
“…….”
“Is Harold your surname? What is your given name?”
“…….”
“Harold, Harold, Harrald, Harralder…….”
I muttered to myself, but my tongue twisted because it was a difficult name to pronounce. He frowned again and glared at me. Seeing the red veins in his eyes, it seemed he was truly furious.
Watching him, I clicked my tongue inwardly. Getting worked up over something so trivial… His mental state was already ruined. A knight’s lifeblood was composure.
Look at Tarik. Even in this situation, he had only turned slightly pale and remained unmoved, still staring straight ahead like a statue.
“Sir Harralder, will you be participating in the wooden sword sparring at the banquet?”
“It is Harold, not Harralder. And I will not be participating.”
As a guard knight, I had a feeling he wouldn’t, but it was a shame. However, I couldn’t give up like this.
“I heard that knights in Calderia have traditionally fostered camaraderie through wooden sword sparring. Sir Harold, are you usually not interested in camaraderie activities?”
“Not Harrald… Ha.”
“I would like to engage in camaraderie activities with Sir Harold. What do you think? If I win, please tell me the fair price of a sandwich. If you win, I will buy you a ham sandwich.”
Harold’s expression turned cold at the mention of sparring.
“Do I look that easy to you?”
He probably thought I was looking down on him.
“Who would want to engage in camaraderie activities with someone who is easy?”
“Then why do you keep bothering me?”
I couldn’t tell him honestly that I liked him, so I made something up. Harold’s face contorted as if he had heard a string of curses. He took a deep breath filled with anger and said to me.
“I do not need a sandwich. If I win, formally apologize for insulting me.”
“Understood. As a sign of apology, I will kneel and lick your feet.”
“Cough…….”
At that moment, Tarik coughed lightly.
“There is no need for that much.”
His voice was full of contempt. I snickered, amused by his quick temper.
“Oh, you suddenly switched to informal speech. Anyway, waiting until the banquet is too long, how about doing it tonight? Is there a procedure to go through for sparring?”
“Knights are free to do it anytime, anywhere. But before that, let me give you one word of caution. Even with wooden swords, there is a chance of injury during sparring.”
“Huh, then what happens if we get hurt? What about treatment?”
“…….”
Perhaps because of the strange sound that suddenly came out of my mouth, Harold’s expression twisted. He clenched his teeth as if holding back his anger and then opened his mouth.
“There is a physician on standby at the barracks.”
“So, I don’t have to worry about dying?”
“It is sparring, not a duel. If you are afraid, back down. I will not hold you responsible.”
I was a bit concerned that there was only a physician and not a Wizard, but it was better than nothing. I glanced at the middle-aged knight and asked.
“Would you like to participate as well?”
“I am not interested.”
“Sir Tarik?”
“……I am also fine.”
I smiled brightly and said to Harold.
“Since there is no one to interfere, it looks like it will just be the two of us.”
“…….”
Watching his face turn red, I just grinned.