--It was about 40 years ago.

　A child named Viciedo was one of those ubiquitous orphans who had no way to earn their daily bread.

　One man, ten flies.

　A man, ten flies.

　He couldn't steal from anyone with his strength, he couldn't use his wits, he couldn't steal well.

　I was six or seven years old, struggling to survive with such incompetence.

　What was the reason why he was prepared to die in the wild and yet continued to live?

　Starvation was painful and unfulfilling.
　In retrospect, he thinks that he was not even at the stage where he could think of such a lofty reason to live in the first place.

　To live, to live.
　That was all.


　That's why I was so angry that day.
　Failed to steal, surrounded by five or six adults. They didn't have much time in their lives, they were short-tempered and always on edge. What awaited them was the obvious lynching.

　They kicked him viciously as he struggled to hold a piece of dirty, moldy bread.

　It was then that Gilbert, a young boy, intervened.

　All he could do was to go around comforting the people of the city. A noble idea that he had aspired to as a child.
　In a way, he could afford to do so, because politics and warfare had been handled by other princes and kings.

　The prince, born late, was probably looking for something he could do in the tense situation of war, which is a different kind of situation from now.

　When the prince and his bodyguards appeared, the men spat and ran away.
　The authority of the royal family is alive and well, but the people of the slums have no respect for the royal family. Of course, they don't do anything for them. They probably think that mafia bosses are better than them.

　They may or may not know that.
　Viciedo paid the hand that was held out to him.

"Let go of ....... What the hell is wrong with you?
You're hungry, aren't you?

　I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.
　You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few things to do.

"Besides, ...... I have this.

　He nibbled on the bread he had won.
　It was still good enough.

"What, with all that dust on ......
"You guys don't get it.
"...... then.

　He lowered his eyebrows softly and said.

'I'll trade you half.

　What makes you say that?
　The prince offered the half loaf to Viciedo, who opened his eyes in surprise.
　It's not balanced. I know.
　But the thought of giving the prince this moldy bread made Viciedo conflicted.
　There is a dark joy. The boy in front of him who must be feeling good compared to his unredeemed self. It's fun to feed him moldy bread.
　But at the same time - I was so miserable.
　He wouldn't accept the charity offered to him, and only reluctantly accepted it when conceded.

　It was as if I was being danced around by the boy in front of me.

"......, what is your occupation?"
"Haha. I'm ashamed to say that I'm a healer, even though I'm royalty.
d*mn. I knew it. It's not like you're trying to seduce me.

　And with that, Viciedo ate up the moldy bread.

"Hmm.

　He looked triumphant.
　Gilbert laughs, a little annoyed.
　And then he said.

'But it would have been taken if I hadn't come.
I'm not sure what to say.　I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you. ...... You don't know that!
I don't know, ...... you'd have been beaten to a pulp.
"Shut up!

　But it is true that you can't even hear yourself when you are told that.
　I'm sure that if it weren't for the intervention of the boy in front of me, I might have been able to get away with just taking the bread.

"......?
"What?
"I'll pay you back at ......!
Oh, yeah? How'd you do that?　What do you do for a living?"

　Gilbert never knew what Viciedo did for a living.
　Gilbert didn't know what Viciedo did for a living, he just wanted to know how he could repay him.

"I...

　"What would happen if I told him I was unemployed?
　In the depths of Viciedo's mind, another conflict arose.
　Or is it pride? He felt that if he said "unemployed" here and now, it would be the end.



　Maybe that's why I was so different, so vulnerable. 　She's six. She has no choice. No matter what they find out.

"Knight." Come on!　You'll get your debt paid soon!
Huh!　I see!　Well then...

　Gilbert laughed and said something to the man behind him.
　Visiedo didn't really know what was happening to him at this moment.

'Come to the castle. I'll be expecting you.


　He hadn't expected to be carried home in a carriage.



　I've trained. Trained. Trained.

　"He's a knight, but his skills have not improved much.
　But I suppose it happens.

　"Profession" is a signpost that shows which of your natural talents you're most suited for. If that is the case, then this is still a talent in his mind.

　In other words, there are many people with that level of talent.
　In fact, that's normal. If you are slightly better than others, you are still good. There are even "fighting swordsmen" who are inferior in every way and whose only skill is the sword.

　It's just that some "managers" are so broken that they can even make themselves perfect as products when it comes to running a business.

　After all, that's the kind of person Viciedo would be seen as.

　That was very frustrating.

　It was too pathetic for Gilbert to visit him from time to time.
　So he continued to train day in and day out.

　--and managed to get through many wars.

　Viciedo finally got his chance to be Gilbert's confidant.
　He clenched his fists, but he didn't know it.

　What he didn't know was that there was a ritual that required him to have a "priest" with him when he stood in an important role - an aide to protect the royal family's perimeter - to prevent misrepresentations like his.

　When he learned this, his blood ran cold.

　But...

"No... Chief Priest. He's a knight."

　The ultimate priest would be able to tell the occupation of a person just by looking at him.
　There's no one in this country who's that good.

　Maybe that's why Gilbert was able to convince the chief priest to do so.

　Viciedo is a "knight".

　It was then that the foundation of his knighthood became unshakable.




"Didn't you say so to me?




　Gilbert, smiling softly, may have already seen through the obviousness of Viciedo's mind.
　He remembered their encounter ten years ago, and reached out to him as he walked as a knight.

　It must have been then. That's when Viciedo swore his allegiance to Gilbert.

　Before he knew it, his debt to Pan had grown considerably.
　Food, shelter, a decent human life. And most of all, a place in the castle.
　All of that, now. It's all given to me by the young man in front of me.

"...... Yes.

　I owe him this. I'm sure one day.

　As your knight.












　--outside the arena spectacula. West.

"That's why I've kept my occupation a secret until now."
"......, I see. I see.
"......

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　Kontse and Estok.

　The difference is simple.
　Length. That's it.

　The armored Viciedo seemed to have the advantage in this fight, and he was not wrong. Because of its shape, the stabbing sword is not suitable for cleaving or slashing.
　It will break easily if you are not good with it. That is why it is incompatible with armor.

　He looked at Viciedo and shook his head, wondering if he had taken that into account.

　It's not me.

　I guess it's just a simple matter of spirit or willpower.

　Viciedo had seen the fight in Spectacula.
　One on one in this situation. Only Futa doesn't know that challenging Futa is now considered an honor for a warrior.

　He mimics his own trajectory.


　The audience simply thinks it's cowardly, but sometimes a warrior dreams about it.

　He wonders if his sword will be one of those that form the "strongest."

　--Foremost among them is the heavy sword at his hip.

　Viciedo is a knight. A knight of the king.
　I'm sure you've heard of it. I guess that's why he thought so honestly.

I can't believe I'm doing this!
"......!

　It's not that I'm not a good person, but I'm a good person.

　Lilac stroked her lips softly.

　Why hadn't he noticed that Viciedo was unemployed?

　I can think of several reasons.
　One was that he was the king's knight. That would qualify him as a member of the king's entourage. Then he'd have gone through the ritual. "The option of questioning his occupation would disappear from his mind.
　The other reason is that Viciedo never did anything wrong as a "knight". His manners, his grace. He was as good as a knight. In fact, I mistakenly thought that was why he had risen so high as a commoner.

　But I'm sure the first thing is...
　Lilac was basically avoiding Viciedo.

"...... I didn't realize there was a sample so close to me.

　I was doing some research on the "unemployed" when Huta visited. I had no idea there was another one so close by.
　I felt like sighing, wondering what the father and son were doing together.

"Well, it doesn't matter.

　I shook my head.
　That Viciedo was unemployed. But he could still act like a knight. That's a big factor.
　But the king's knight revealed that he was "unemployed" in order to be a knight. It's a bit of a hassle if you think about what that means.

　To be honest, I would have been fine with him dying here.
　In fact, unusually for Lilac, I was hoping she would die.

　It's not that Lilac usually wants to kill people. Conrad Eastwood, for example, is a typical example.
　He is useful as a clown, easy to eliminate because he is breaking the law, and when he is done, he simply ends the house so that he will not be disturbed later.

　Therefore, it is surprisingly rare for them to want to kill.

　If he had died when I came to the west, I would have been lucky to get rid of him.

　Why? --Lilac was at a bit of a loss to answer that question. She concludes that it's because she's afraid that they'll see through her.

　However, being unemployed is a different story.
　In the future, when we build a world where we are not bound by "occupation". The fact that the king's knights, not just the champions, were like that was of no small significance.

　It is possible to kill him later, but the fact that he was unemployed makes it seem like he was useless.

　He stroked his lips softly, wondering what to do.

　--Viciedo was going to die in this fight.


If this is how it's going to be, you should have just kept your mouth shut.

　Thinking about the unexpected, Lilac looked at the young man who held her confectioner's knife.
　This is what happens when he says things like, "Are you unemployed?

　Or rather, the list goes on and on.
　I wondered why he kept coming up with things that were not in his schedule.
　The same goes for the oath under the stars.
　The way he forced Corona to stay.
　He did something so annoying at the fighting tournament he didn't even notice his disguise.

　And yet.


"I love all of you, Lilac M. Fangini.


"I love you.

　"I love you," he muttered to himself, his lips pursed.

　Say that word again in front of me, he sniffs.
　I also thought it would be a good idea to break into that stage right now and say it over the magic loudspeaker.

　I want to see my sister's face so badly right now. I guess it's called sisterly love.

　--Kontse left it to him.

　I'm not going to intervene now and tell you to kill or not to kill. It's gone.
　That's why it was a statement.

　When I said I wanted you to use it now, I only meant it.


"I've climbed this far saying I'm a knight. How could you do that to a girl who couldn't even hide her profession?
"I know! ...... I know!　I know I'm weak!　But "unemployed" is not only worthless, it's harmless. It's not like the princess. The weight and value of it!
"...... That's true, that's true. I never thought I had any value. I never thought I was worthy. Lilac found me and I can finally be proud of myself. I'm the same as you. --But!



　A sword clashes with a sword.

Why don't you think that Lilac-sama doesn't have the same feelings that you had when you hid your profession as quickly as you could!
"I did, but at that time, ...... Your Highness...


　Her eyes. Her eyes. I'm not sure.
　You will find a lot of things that you can do to make your life easier.
　I was horrified because I could see it.
　There was a part of me that feared from the bottom of my heart what she was going to do when she took me away.

　Even if I didn't know what I was doing.
　The memory of that moment, of realizing the dark box I had opened, was vivid.

　But for Lilac, it was a distant memory from her childhood.
　The feeling of being able to get out and... and... And what was it?




"Of course I was lonely. Are you stupid?





　Huta said, flicking the armored knight Viciedo away with his sword.

　Lilac looked up and opened her eyes once more.

　Because...
　It's not even Lilac herself.

　The eyes are slightly moistened.

".......

　Lilac wasn't the only one who was surprised.
　It was not only Lilac who was surprised, but also Viciedo who was knocked to the ground.
　He was trying to get up, but the sword hadn't even been thrust at him.

　The reason why he couldn't move his body as if he had been stitched up was because he had received such a shock. It's not the fact that I was knocked to the ground.

　It's simpler than that--it's like I've been hit from an unexpected direction again.

I don't know much about Miss Lilac's past. I don't know much about Miss Lilac's past, but I do know that you were very careful and that you took her out. If you ask me about both, you'll be told. I can tell you that Lilac-sama made him do it.
"......

　Lilac nodded, knowing exactly what I meant.
　Why do you have such a good understanding of these things?
　It's simply because I know Lilac M. Fangini.

But you know what? But that's because you've been coming to ...... see Mr. Lilac every day. A girl no more than ten years old, locked up in a dark place like that.
"...... That's ...... right. I thought it was for the king, for the king who cares about ...... his daughter.
Yeah. I'm sure you're right. I know. I'd do it too. Even .......


　But...


"Still, you're the only one for Lilac at that moment."


　Why does this guy look like he's about to cry?
　Lilac thought to herself as if it were someone else.

　Was he lonely?


No parents. All alone. I don't know what that feels like. But I know one girl who thought it was so painful, so hard, she almost started crying.

　From the earth to the sky. Or trapped in the sky.
　That's the only difference.

"Hey, Mr. Viciedo.

　And.
　And maybe that's the only difference between these two men.


It's good to be taken advantage of!
"What?


　It is because of this that this man is now... That's why this man is standing closest to the princess.

That's all I could do. No one would look at me. You can't just start off as an innocent friend in an environment like that!　I know what I'm talking about!　"I know what I'm talking about! I know what I'm talking about!
"Yeah. Yeah, I know.

　I'm not sure what to say.

　Futa and Viciedo. "I'm not sure what kind of predicament I've been in just because I'm unemployed.
　What kind of hardships have you endured by living that way?
　How they disguised their way of life and realized how different the world is.

　That's why I know.
　It doesn't mean the fear I had at the time was wrong.

　It's-- it's about putting yourself in her shoes. It was about whether or not I could see her as a human being.



"...... is over, Mr. Viciedo.

　Gently, Kontse.

"Oh, ...... is over.

　It was thrust at Viciedo's throat. 　

"I've hurt ...... His Majesty's daughter. I have hurt His Majesty's daughter more than she deserves.

　The words of repentance pierced the princess's heart helplessly.