After leaving the explanation and surveillance of Sakura to Garnett, I was taken by Sir Justin to the inn's tavern (bar).

　Because of the high cost of the inn's facilities, the interior and clientele have a relaxed atmosphere, unlike the popular bars in town.

　I sat down at the far end of the counter and ordered a drink, and then Sir Justin immediately cut to the chase.

'Mark, you have a very strong interest in the East,' said Sir Justin. From the moment he applied to join the club, he was a studious and hard-working boy.
Could it be that the reason you wanted to become a knight is also the Eastern Continent?
''At the interview, you said that it was because you wanted to make things easier for your parents back home. The reason why he chose to work for the Purple Jia (us) is because of his interest in the Eastern Continent.
...... It's an earful.

　I can't help but chuckle as I feel like I'm being shown a model of life by my younger brother, who is a year older than me.

　If it were someone else, I would honestly praise him for being so admirable, but this time it's completely my own affair, and fifteen years worth of guilt comes back to haunt me.

"There's no end to the number of times I can go on and on about how boring I am, so I think I'll shelve it for today.
'Again, your modesty. But again, as I recall, Mark, you weren't actively trying to talk about your oldest brother.

　The liquor we ordered was poured into a small glass and quietly brought in front of us.

　After taking a sip of it, which was high in alcohol content, I tried to move the topic on from self-mutilation.

'...... By the way, you seemed quite excited just to meet an Eastern person. Wouldn't it be unusual for the Purple Jiaoja Order to meet an Eastern person face to face?
'Actually, not so much. Because eastern trade is generally done by ships from the west (here) to the east (there), and the people over there rarely tread the soil of the Westland.

　The tingling pungency of strong alcohol (alcohol) lingers in the throat.

　There is a reason why the glass is so small.
　Unlike ordinary liquor, it's not something you can gulp down like water.

　Perhaps Sylvia, Erica, and maybe even Garnett would find it difficult to hold this kind of liquor in their mouths.

''Besides, we have made it a condition for the selection of personnel to be sent to the Eastern Continent only if they have a certain amount of work experience and ability. Rarely are first-year knights selected.
''Oh ...... so you didn't want to take time for anything other than your day job. You wanted to be able to go to the Eastern Continent as soon as possible so that you could go to .......

　Once you know what's going on, even if you disregard the feud with me, it seems only natural to thoroughly refuse to be transferred.

　If I was about to be forced to do something completely different from an adventurer when I was a fledgling, I would have rebelled as much as I was allowed to.

'Then you wouldn't have been forced to choose that guy, would you?　You could have made other candidates, and since dispatch is not compulsory in the first place, it would have been fine not to send them out of the purple jusen.
...... for three main reasons.

　Sir Justin took a sip of his drink down his throat and then began to talk about the reasons why he dared to select Mark as his candidate in turn.

''One is because it's for the benefit of the White Wolf Knights. He has been gifted with the [Deciphering Thoughts] skill, so he can read what kind of emotions the person who created the item or text was feeling.
...... That guy has those skills.
It's a good idea to have a copy of the person you're reproducing, but it's not very good enough for you to be able to read the person's residual thoughts. Even so, I'm sure it will be of great use to you.

　That skill certainly seems to be useful.
　Considering the nature of the mission, it should often involve handling a large amount of materials and examining items found in the basement.

　But still, I didn't expect that guy to have acquired a skill related to memory.
　It's an indescribable feeling, even if it's a coincidence.

''The second reason is because I was thinking of him.

　Sir Justin looked down at the half-reduced surface of the liquor and smiled as he continued to speak.

'As I'm sure you know, it's easier to grow in any skill by gaining a small number of responsive and stimulating experiences than by gaining a large number of simple experiences.
'Experience earning is quality over quantity, as they say in ...... adventurer circles.
...... This relates to a third reason: "We thought it would be difficult to give him a wealth of experience in his skills with the teaching and training opportunities we could give him.

　After pouring down the other half of his drink in one go, Sir Justin explained his final reasoning in a self-mocking tone.

'Thirdly, I'm ashamed to say that I didn't choose to send anyone ...... for the sake of the Order.
And would you say ......?
''Our Purple Jade Order is one of the smallest organizations among the existing twelve knights. The eastern trade has a much smaller cargo volume compared to the domestic trade routes.

　Therefore, the knights as a guarding force didn't have to be large, either.

　It's a good thing to know that most of the goods imported from the east are luxury goods and furnishings, and it's a pleasure to have them, but there's no problem without them.

　If trade with the East were to cease right now, the one thing I would immediately find problematic is that we would not be able to import tea leaves for tea.

　The rich would bemoan the difficulty of obtaining silk (silk) and craft goods, but it is hard to imagine that life outside of the handlers would be shaken.

The vigilance of the military threats in the East has recently been shaken by the emergence of powerful competing hands. Including the fact that the empire of the largest state in the East is restricting trade, we felt a sense of urgency that the significance of the Knights' existence was diminishing.
So we couldn't ignore this case in order to strengthen the Knights' presence: ......

　Sir Justin nodded silently.
　It's a far more grave affirmative response than any words can pile up.

'...... By the way, what do you mean by competitors?'
The Count of the Frontier.

　Just by hearing that title, I was able to guess the approximate circumstances.

''The frontier count at the eastern end of the continent was, until very recently, a 'real frontier count' that was adjacent to a state that was not beholden to the kingdom. However, that nation, thanks to the exploits of the Golden Fang Knights, has finally decided to come under His Majesty's control. ...... The official annexation will come a little later.

　A real frontier count - the same special nobility as Theodore's family, the Beaufort family.

　However, the basis for their specialness relies solely on the location of their territory bordering the territory of another country.

''For the time being, they will be able to continue to receive special treatment in recognition of their achievements, but as for their military power, it won't be the same as before. The only people who can have a large private army outside of the royal palace are the highest rank of nobility, the Duke and the 'real frontier earl'.
I see. ...... They want to maintain their military strength under the guise of keeping an eye on the Eastern Continent and the Knights of the East as their cause. ...... It seems that your biggest business adversaries have suddenly entered the scene It's a big deal.

　Sir Justin laughed with a small voice, perhaps amused by the metaphorical expression of a business enemy.

''As you may have guessed. It's a small knight's club, and we have limited resources for training. Mark, I'm sorry to use your brother ...... as a convenience for your brother, but ......
'A knight would have had no choice. He's only exercising it because he was given a veto, and if it was an order, he would have obeyed it honestly.

　I drank my drink down, too, and mocked myself as much as Sir Justin did.

'After all, he's so much better than I am,'