“If luck keeps following me, I might become a Dragon Knight too. You never know how things will turn out.”
“You’ve been insolent this entire time! Do you have any idea who this person is? Show some respect and speak properly!”
“He only told me his name. Give me a proper explanation of who he is.”
“Why you impertinent—”
“Leave it. No need to get worked up over someone I won’t have to see after today.”
“As gracious as ever, Hirsе! This squire can only admire your boundless generosity.”
“Is it not the duty of nobility to show mercy to lesser creatures?”
Right in front of him, the two carried on their little comedy routine between themselves. Kale was genuinely baffled — what was the point of going out of your way to find someone you didn’t even know just to provoke them? Compared to someone from a distinguished noble family, Kale was certainly a lesser creature by any measure, but hearing it said to his face was an entirely different matter.
“You talk well, for a Young Lord. Just like you said, if we’re not going to see each other again after today anyway, I don’t need to bother with formalities either. If all three of us end up becoming Dragon Knights, we’ll be classmates — so treating each other casually is fine either way. We’re all in the same position here, so let’s not be so stiff about it.”
It felt like watching little siblings bicker over who was right, so Kale returned the volley at the same level. What he said struck Hirsе’s nerves with surprising precision. This scrawny runt who stood a full head shorter and had pitifully little magic power had no idea of his own place. Irritated by the very possibility of sharing a class with someone so lowly who couldn’t even objectively assess himself, Hirsе jabbed two fingers repeatedly at Kale’s forehead.
“A creature that can’t even pass something as simple as a magic measurement test, charging headfirst like a goat that just rams into things. Do you actually think the kingdom’s Dragon Knight Order is that foolish? Knowing your own limits is also a skill. Someone like you would be wiser to save the application fee and buy yourself more bread instead.”
“There’s no need to insult everyone else too. What’s wrong with having hope?”
“Don’t call it hope when it’s just greed — wanting wealth and power the easy way without any talent or ability to back it up.”
Hirsе thrust his face right up to Kale’s and needled him. The words were harsh, but Hirsе wasn’t entirely wrong. It was true that Kale had wanted to become a Dragon Knight and earn good money easily without real talent or ability — so this time, Kale had no comeback.
“Hmph. Let’s go, Lien. I’ve said enough — he should’ve gotten the message by now.”
“Yes, Hirsе.”
“I’m not giving up!”
Whatever Kale shouted after them, they left without looking back. Of all people, Hirsе had gone out of his way to pick on the one with the least magic power — and that stung.
“Must be nice being so impressive. If you felt sorry for me you could at least give me money.”
As unpleasant as his attitude was, the fact that Hirsе was handsome, openly known to have enormous magic power, and came from noble blood meant he was undeniably more capable than Kale by every measure. No matter what anyone said, Kale had nowhere left to retreat — so he tried his best not to let Hirsе’s words take root in his heart.
Not wanting the sour feeling to keep circling in his mind, Kale stood on his tiptoes to distract himself, scanning the area where the magic measurement test was still being conducted. There were only a handful of people left now, but that gleaming golden hair was nowhere in sight.
Already done?
Getting caught up in that petty confrontation had meant missing his friend’s big moment — Kale clicked his tongue, feeling genuinely sorry. Scratching his cheek absentmindedly, he looked around nearby for where his friend might be, when his stomach — which had been empty for far too long — staged a loud protest that had nothing to do with the situation at hand.
“Ugh!”
A thunderous rumble came from his unsuspecting belly. Mortified, Kale clutched his stomach and looked around. Maybe it was because Hirsе had brought up bread — suddenly he was famished.
Enduring brief hunger was nothing, but the unfamiliar scenery around him was tickling his curiosity. Just to be sure, Kale took stock of his surroundings. The Dragon Knight Order garrison was bordered to the west by the Black Lands and hemmed in at the back by a gorge and mountains. This outer area of the garrison, where those who had passed the first test were waiting, was poorly maintained, and wild trees had grown up on their own. One of those trees happened to catch Kale’s eye.
Nobody’s touched something this good! Today really has been lucky all day long.
A mulberry tree heavy with ripe berries in full bloom for the season beckoned to him. Kale had been a troublemaker who used to sneak out of the orphanage behind the director’s back to gather things just like this, and he was quite knowledgeable in that department. Still, this was Dragon Knight Order grounds, and the entrance exam was still underway — so he restrained himself and only broke off the lowest branch within reach.
He’d worried about being stopped, but the exam supervisors were busy murmuring among themselves about something that had nothing to do with him — probably preparations for the next stage. His objective of obtaining something to nibble on accomplished, Kale turned to head back — and someone stepped right into his path.
“Yikes! Sorry, I—huh?”
Mulberries stain badly, so he yanked his arm away in a panic and ended up slamming his nose hard into the other person’s torso. Fortunately the mulberries themselves were undamaged. There was that near-disaster to contend with, but the real reason Kale’s heart jolted was something else entirely. His golden friend was standing there — somehow having spotted Kale off in the corner doing his own thing and come to find him.
“You’re finally here! I was worried when I couldn’t see you. I’m glad nothing happened. You saw me nearly get eliminated earlier, right? It would’ve been a real shame if we’d both come this far and I’d been knocked out right there.”
The worry that had been sitting in his chest melted away. Kale patted the golden friend’s shoulder in praise for not giving up. The friend seemed pleased to be reunited with Kale too — they smiled with their eyes gently creasing. Knowing his friend had passed the first test as well put Kale in good spirits. Having someone to lean on during hard times was a happy thing, no matter the circumstance.
“Two tests left now! From here on it’s a real test of ability, so I’m a little worried about what’s ahead. I’m not great with my head and my stamina isn’t great either. But I’ve put in the effort, so I believe I’ll do better than last year!”
Kale laughed heartily, looking forward to this year’s results — having steadily built up strength by carrying heavy loads during his inn work and climbing stairs without rest to make up for his lacking endurance.
Perhaps doubting Kale’s claim, the golden friend stared at him again. With his blazing hair as his pride, Kale always walked around laughing with boundless energy, making him look full of spirit. Maybe that first impression carried over — whenever he said his stamina was weaker than other people’s, everyone seemed skeptical. Wondering if this friend was the same, Kale rolled up his sleeve and showed off his skinny arm.
“Honestly. I think I’m just the type that doesn’t build muscle easily. No matter how hard I try, it doesn’t come easy. Running is something I can manage at least. But what about you — will you be alright? Your walking is so slow.”
The golden friend just smiled. Their attitude was as if such a trivial concern had absolutely nothing to do with them. Walking that slowly and not worrying about it at all — how was that possible? Kale puzzled over it, then suddenly remembered that from this point forward the exam split into two tracks, and let out an exclamation.
“Wait — I get it now. You chose the magic track, didn’t you?”
The golden friend didn’t answer, but Kale was convinced it was right. The golden friend certainly had a distinctive air about them — they gave off a feeling of being enormously skilled in magic.
“Wow, that’s amazing! I’ve never once successfully used magic myself. I always find people who are good at it so fascinating. Back at the orphanage, the director would gather the kids with magic power and hire a special teacher for us — but I was the only one who couldn’t get the hang of it. The other kids could do it fine. No matter how much they explained it, I didn’t understand a thing. I felt so bad for the director I thought I’d die of embarrassment.”
Kale grumbled that if he was going to be born with magic power, he wished he could at least use it to conjure bread out of thin air. But whatever he said, his golden friend’s gaze had been fixed from the start on something in Kale’s hand. Kale, who’d been rambling on to himself, suddenly noticed.
With a vague sense of suspicion, he shifted the mulberry branch he was holding to his other side. The golden eyes quietly followed — like a cat asking to play. It seemed to be the first time his friend, who had looked listless and bored throughout, had shown any real interest in anything, and Kale found himself intrigued in turn.
“This thing?”
The golden friend didn’t nod, but their gaze remained fixed on the mulberry branch Kale was swaying. Kale wondered if his friend hadn’t eaten and that’s why they seemed so low on energy.
“It’s a secret — they were so ripe and nobody had touched them, so I quietly picked them off that tree over there. Mulberries are incredibly sweet and delicious this time of year. The only trouble is the juice — if the fruit gets crushed it stains cloth easily, so it’s a bit of a nuisance. Dead giveaway that you’ve been sneaking them.”
Kale pinched a single berry off with his fingertips, popped it in his mouth, and chewed — then stuck out his now purple-stained tongue as if to say see. The plump fruit was just as sweet as he’d imagined. While Kale was chewing away, the golden friend leaned their head forward. They seemed to be sniffing the smell of the mulberries in Kale’s hand. Thrilled at the idea of being able to do something for his friend, Kale offered without hesitation.
“Do you want some too? Here, take it.”
Kale held out the branch heavy with mulberries. The golden friend, who had been showing that curious interest, slowly lifted a drooping arm. As if they truly wanted it, they bent their elbow joint at a sluggish tortoise-pace and extended long fingers.
As though performing some extraordinarily difficult task, the friend just barely managed to curl their index finger and thumb and pinch the thin branch. Kale released his hold on it. The golden friend then slowly drew the branch toward themselves and examined it with close attention.
Is the slowness just their nature?
It wasn’t just the walking — every movement was unhurried. It seemed like a different kind of sluggishness from Kale’s weak stamina. If even accepting something handed to them was this slow, Kale thought, going with the magic track made sense. Whatever you’re best at — that’s the way to go.
“They say sweets help your brain work better. Eat that and power through the rest of the exam!”
Kale’s own belly was still protesting, so he tried to take back a few berries from the branch — but the timing was off, and the trumpet signaling the start of the next exam rang out. The supervisors who had been huddled in careful discussion dispersed and blew their whistles to gather the scattered applicants.
“Time to move — huh?”
In the brief moment Kale had glanced away, the mulberry branch that had been in his golden friend’s hand had vanished without a trace. He’d figured that with movements that slow, eating would take an age too — but apparently not everything about them was slow after all.
