“...”

“They’re completely defeated…”

I had retreated from the dean’s office and returned to my dorm room.

Normally, I would still be in class—specifically participating in the joint training scheduled for today—but it was canceled for various reasons, leaving the day open. Since I had been training nonstop lately, I decided to take a small break—or rather, I was reviewing the mock battle between Weiss and Stud just now when the two of them arrived.

“A-Are they okay?”

“Who knows? Judging from how drained they look, I’d say they got quite the scolding after I left.”

The two individuals in question were special instructors for today’s training, part of the "Seven Peerless Swords," and despite not having done much work today, they looked completely worn out.

Seeing this, Weiss expressed concern—but—

“If we leave them alone, they’ll probably snap out of it. I guess.”

“That’s no way to treat the ‘Seven Peerless Swords’...”

Concern wasn’t necessary. Their strength earned them the title of the nation’s mightiest. Their resilience was unparalleled, and they would recover before you knew it.

“You really are amazing, Clay.”

“What’s this about?”

As I was sighing at the sight of Glass and Gilflare murmuring apologies like delirious patients, Weiss suddenly praised me. Tilting my head in confusion, he continued.

“I mean, you went toe-to-toe with Glass, the ‘Frozen Demon Emperor,’ and you’re treating these two like this…”

“I couldn’t do this with the other members of the ‘Seven Peerless Swords,’ but I’ve known these two for a long time…”

Thinking back, I’d known Gilflare since I was eight, and the cyclops woman over there took an interest in me when I was ten. We’d trained together off and on since then, and naturally, we built a relationship where we could banter like this.

—I never imagined it would come to this…

As I reflected, one of the dazed individuals snapped back to reality—it was Gilflare, the more sensible of the two.

“Ah! My apologies, I’ve finally regained my composure…”

“What kind of lecture did you get after I left?”

“Don’t ask… I’ve just erased it from my memory…”

“Ah, got it.”

Realizing I’d stepped on a landmine, I shifted my gaze to Glass, who was still out of it.

“How long are you going to stay like that? Snap out of it and give me the information you promised.”

“...Huh!? You’re going to marry me!?”

“I never said that.”

Why is she so casually trying to steal her sister’s fiancé?

—As a sister… no, as a person, she’s failing miserably.

So why were these two still in our room instead of returning immediately to the knight order? The reason was simple. I had yet to receive the information about the “Shadow Dragon” that Glass had promised during our battle.

The two of them, understanding the importance of this, had come all the way here to fulfill their promise. While brushing off Glass’s attempts to cling to me, I turned to Gilflare, who was usually the voice of reason.

“So, what’s the information about the ‘Shadow Dragon’?”

“Um… Is it alright for the hero to hear this as well?”

As she was about to get to the point, Gilflare paused to ask.

“If it’s an issue, I can step out for a bit.”

“No, that’s unnecessary. Weiss is a trusted friend. I don’t mind him hearing this.”

Stopping Weiss, who was about to leave to give us privacy, I urged Gilflare to continue. She widened her eyes slightly in surprise before speaking.

“Understood. This must remain confidential… but about two weeks ago, a subordinate of the ‘Shadow Dragon’ was confirmed in the Empire’s territory.”

“!!”

Gilflare’s words made me catch my breath.

The Empire’s territory—commonly referred to as the “Shade-End Empire,” a neighboring allied nation bordering the northeast of the Chronostaria Kingdom. It seemed the “Shadow Dragon” had made an appearance there.

—After six and a half years of no activity, the dragon has shown itself now…

No matter how much I investigated, I found no information about the “Shadow Dragon” or any other dragons. There had never been a rumor of a dragon sighting. Their elusiveness made accidental encounters nearly impossible. Truly deserving of the title “natural disaster”—it’s infuriating.

“What’s the damage to the Empire? What happened to the subordinate?”

“Please calm down… Though I understand it’s difficult, take a deep breath. Fortunately, the damage was minimal, and the subordinate has already been dealt with.”

Following Gilflare’s advice, I took a deep breath. Even so, I couldn’t calm down.

“Who defeated the subordinate?”

“The Empire’s ‘Five Heavenly Swords,’ Tylus Arnel, barely managed to secure victory.”

“I see…”

Hearing that, my bloodlust finally subsided. The “Five Heavenly Swords” of the Empire are equivalent in rank to this nation’s “Seven Peerless Swords.” I’d heard of them in name, at least.

—The Empire’s “Five Heavenly Swords” won by a narrow margin.

—If that’s the case, then with my current strength…

Perhaps the subordinate this time carried more magical energy than the one I encountered previously. Even if it’s just a subordinate, underestimating them is not an option.

“Bring it on…”

“The Empire is currently investigating the site of the appearance.”

Ideally, I’d head to the site immediately to investigate traces of the subordinate, but as a noble from another country, that would be difficult to arrange.

—This is classified information. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t even know about it.

It’s a state secret—knowledge only accessible to the “Seven Peerless Swords.” I owe this information to Gilflare and Glass’s goodwill. Though I brush off Glass’s attempts to cling to me, I deeply appreciate their trust. It’s significant to finally have a lead on dragons after six and a half years of silence. Information about dragons is never too much.

“That’s all the information we have. I wish we could provide more details…”

“No, this is more than enough. Thank you.”

Seeing Gilflare’s somber expression, I shook my head.

“If we learn anything new, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.”

“I’d greatly appreciate that, but… are you sure? If you’re caught, it might end up like today…”

“Don’t worry. Right now, I’m not speaking as a knight of the nation but as a friend having a casual conversation. There’s no problem at all.”

“Exactly! You don’t have to worry about a thing, Clay~”

Grateful for their words, I bowed deeply in thanks once again.

“Truly, thank you so much.”

“It’s nothing. That’s what friends are for.”

Smiling warmly, the knight stood up.

“We’ve delivered the information, so we should get going.”

“Ehh, let’s relax here a bit longer~”

“No. If we don’t leave soon, things will get even worse for us.”

“Ugh… Fine, I’ll pass on that, then…”

Seeing their expressions pale again, I could guess the situation. Their battle wasn’t over yet.

“Until next time.”

“Yes. Next time, let’s have a match, Gilflare.”

“Sure. Show me how much stronger you’ve become, Clay.”

“I will.”

After a firm handshake, the two knights left the academy in a hurry.

And so, the first-year joint training came to an end.