A squire, or rookie knight, is simply a knight in training.
Most of them are the offspring of active knights, and they serve under another knight to learn martial arts, etiquette, and the principles of knighthood.
After a few years of apprenticeship, they can be recognized as qualified and proudly call themselves full-fledged knights.
Merida was the third daughter of a noble family in the Flandre earldom, but by a strange twist of fate, she came to serve under Sandall.
Merida was petite even for a woman, and she had no talent for martial arts, but the wandering knight taught her patiently and kindly without ever treating her unfairly.
However, Merida was not just a squire.
She had to control the actions of Sandall, a knight who was renowned for his bravery even in the north, and use them for the espionage activities of the earl Flandre.
Of course, she had not received any training as a spy like Karel. Her main role was to collect information by using her position and education as a noble.
Some might call it a dirty job, but during her travels with the righteous wandering knight, she had also saved many oppressed people more than once or twice.
Merida was quite fond of her place and role that were given to her.
“Does it mean that humans and dark elves are the same to Margils-sama…?”
Merida said while carefully observing the beautiful woman Claura who brought the cup to her mouth with perfect manners, without being rude.
Merida herself also had above-average looks and grace as a noble lady. But she could not deny that she was somewhat worn out after spending more than a year in the training life under the wandering knight.
“Yes, I suppose so… When one has such power, there might not be much difference between them.”
“Well…”
Merida paid more attention to the expression of frowning her well-shaped eyebrows than to Claura’s words.
She knew that Claura was the only one who could voice her opinion directly to Margils, the lord of the castle. She needed to know what she thought of him for this mission.
If Claura had even a slight hint of rebellion against Margils… she should be able to use it.
“It must be hard for you, Lady Claura, to serve such a great person.”
“…Thank you for your concern.”
“But no…”
Merida felt her “hardship” in the subtle “pause” before her reply.
…She felt a little sympathy for her on that point.
“But since it’s Margils-sama we’re talking about, he must be rewarding you well for your hard work, right?”
“…”
To Merida’s question, Claura muttered after a few seconds of silence.
“Twenty gold coins.”
“What?”
“That’s my monthly salary as a magic advisor.”
“…I see…”
Claura explained in a very flat voice. She seemed to have no light in her eyes.
Twenty gold coins was enough for a family to live for a month, and it seemed like a decent amount of money for an individual. But that was only at the level of commoners.
A magician was a rare technical profession, and also had a “status” equivalent to nobles or knights. If a lord or a knight order wanted to hire one, it would not be strange to pay twice as much. Of course, living expenses and necessary costs were separate.
“Well, in my case, I’m also learning from him as a trainee, so that’s the amount that’s offset by that”
“I, I see…”
Merida nodded with a subtle expression. Even taking into account what she had just heard, it was still a delicate amount.
She could not detect any dissatisfaction from Claura’s voice or expression, but then why would she bring up such a topic in the first place?
A normal noble would dismiss the talk of salary as a vulgar topic. Could it be that she was unhappy with the treatment?
“Um… but isn’t it a great honor to fight against the Shadow Demons under someone like Margils-sama?”
Why am I following up? Merida wondered inwardly as she said that.
“Honor? …Oh, yes, I suppose so.”
This time, Claura seemed a little surprised.
“He doesn’t care about honor at all, does he? …I’ll have to teach him properly about the lord’s honor from now on.”
For some reason, Claura cracked her knuckles (which was also a sign of motivation in this world of Sedia) and said that.
“…Is that so? You are trusted by Margils-sama, Lady Claura.”
“If that’s how it looks… I’m glad.”
Claura smiled sweetly.
As Merida left with a slight tilt of her head, Mora and Leiha came in.
Mora had brought tea and sweets on a tray, so they decided to have a tea party again.
“…I don’t think there will be any problem with the spy named Karel who was in the main tower.”
“Good job.”
Claura nodded naturally to Leiha’s report.
On the other hand, Mora made a “heh” face for the first time in a while.
“He was trying to sneak around Gio’s room, right? Why don’t you just kick him out?”
“That would be inappropriate. We want to build a friendly relationship with Lord Sandall… and by extension, the earl Flandre.”
“That’s true, but…”
“Miss. I gave him enough warning. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“Hmm, if you two say so… Ah. Or rather, was it okay for me to listen to such an important conversation?”
Mora, who had been sulking with her hands on her hips, suddenly shrank and muttered.
Claura blinked her eyes for a moment at that.
“It’s fine, Mora. This is a talk among family… members”
She said, kindly.
Next, Claura reported on the situation of the meeting with Merida earlier.
“……You can leave the knight attendant named Merida alone for now.”
“Understood.”
“I don’t get it.”
The replies of Leiha and Mora to Claura’s summary were opposite.
“……To begin with, she seemed to be probing the relationship between me and Margils, didn’t she?”
“R-relationship? How lewd…”
“Not that kind of relationship, okay?”
Claura sighed and explained to Mora the hidden meaning of that meeting.
In other words, she came to check if there was anyone in the mysterious castle of the great mage who would cooperate with the betrayal work when the time came.
“That’s outrageous! Claura-san would never betray Gio-san! How rude!”
“Miss. That means they are wary of our master.”
No matter how clever she was for her age, and how experienced she was as a daughter of a merchant, it was a world that Mora, who was still a normal girl, could not understand.
“Of course, you said you would never betray Gio-san, right?”
“No? Rather, I hinted that there might be such a possibility.”
“Why!?”
“M-miss!”
Mora, who turned red and confronted Claura, was calmed down by Leiha.
“If I say that, they will come to me first when someone from outside tries to sabotage the castle later, right?”
“……Eh…… Um, so you mean you’re a decoy…?”
“You could say that. And also, because that makes them feel more comfortable.”
“Eh?”
Mora, who was held by Leiha’s shoulder, widened her eyes.
“Our master’s power is incomparable, and his way of thinking is very different from normal humans. That is, fear for the rulers of the world.”
“So, I told them that there is someone who thinks normally on his side, and can even complain to him directly.”
“……Ah…… I see……”
Claura and the others did not know that Margils came from another world. They believed or “respected” his explanation that he was a foreigner from a distant continent called “Jiiteias”.
Moreover, they knew that his ethics and values were very different from those of the general people of Sedia. And how much fear that fact would stir up in the people who based their daily lives on the “king’s law”… especially the ruling class…
Mora exhaled and bowed her head slightly.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think…”
“You’re fine the way you are.”
Claura nodded with a cool face.
But in fact, there was another meaning to her response to Merida.
It was a countermeasure for the inside of Jiiteias Castle. If someone who had a rebellious intention against Margils was born in the castle in the future, they would contact Claura first as the representative of the opposition.
To find and monitor the traitors, all you have to do is prepare a traitor’s leader for them.
Leiha understood that without saying, and decided that it was too stimulating to tell Mora that much and kept quiet.
“But I want to be more useful to Gio-san too… Oh! Can I help you find the spy?”
Mora was certainly a normal girl.
But she was the one who decided to follow an abnormal existence like a great mage before anyone else.
“If we let you do that, we’ll get scolded by him.”
“Our master’s punishment… Ah… Th-that’s right. That’s our duty.”
Claura shrugged her shoulders and Leiha blushed for some reason, but Mora still looked apologetic.
“Are you okay, Mora?”
Claura put her hands on Mora’s shoulders, looked into her eyes and whispered.
“When I said you were my family earlier, I meant someone who wants to support him regardless of profit or loss. For that, I use my position and knowledge, and Leiha uses her skills, because that’s the most effective. …Mora, what are you good at?”
“……”
Mora looked down at the floor and thought, then looked straight at Claura.
“I’m good at cleaning and laundry, cooking, sewing, talking to strangers, helping my father. And everything that makes Gio-san happy!”
“That’s right. Then… do your best at that.”
“Yes!”
“That’s a good answer.”
As she looked at Mora’s spirited reply, Claura thought.
She hoped that Mora’s honesty would be the wedge that kept Margils in this land.
Even if she herself was just a nagging collaborator until the end.
Thanks for the chapters. REALLY LOVED THIS SERIES. Hope you can continue to translate it until the end 😊