“Yes. Aindra-sama will be visiting.”
“Aindra? …Ah! But which Aindra are you referring to? The blue one, right? Not the crimson?”
“Yes. Blue Rose.”
The relief on Gazef’s face was obvious at a glance.
“Right… That’s what it was. If a friend is visiting…”
Gazef must have guessed that the reason Climb was not invited for breakfast was because a friend was coming. In truth, Climb was the one who turned down her offer. Even if he was in a position where such a thing was allowed, to refuse the royal family, even Gazef would furrow his brows at the news. That was why Climb remained silent on the matter and left it to the man’s imagination.
Even Aindra herself, who was acquainted with Climb through Renner, requested that he join them. She would not share the adverse reaction of the other nobles even if Climb were to join their meal.
This was his consideration for his master who had very few female friends. A princess had almost no opportunity to engage in lady talk and Climb felt that his absence would be for the best.
“Thank you for your guidance today, Gazef-sama.”
“Not at all, pay it no mind. I enjoyed myself as well.”
“… If it isn’t too much trouble, could I ask you to oversee my training next time as well?”
Gazef paused briefly— before Climb could apologize, he spoke.
“I see no problem with it if we keep it to when others are absent.”
Climb didn’t open his mouth, he clearly understood the reason for the man’s hesitation. He then forced his creaking body to stand in order to show his sincerity.
“Thank you very much!”
Gazef slowly waved his hand and turned.
“I will leave the cleanup to you. It will be troubling if I miss the meal. …Ah, right. That vertical slash wasn’t bad, but you should keep your next move in mind. Think of what will happen next if your opponent blocks or avoids your attack.”
“Yes!”
Part 4
Having parted ways with Gazef, Climb wiped his sweat with a wet towel and headed for a place that was completely different from the main hall.
The room he was currently in was as wide as the hall he was in before. It was filled with many people engaging in conversation. A delicious aroma was mixed in with the warm atmosphere, rousing people’s appetites.
It was the mess hall.
Climb walked through the bustle of noises and stood behind a line of people. Like the person before him, he grabbed one of the dishes that were piled high. On his tray, he placed a wooden plate, a wooden soup bowl, and a wooden cup.
He was served his meal in an orderly fashion.
A large steamed potato, barley bread, white stew with small bits of meat and vegetables, cabbage pickled in vinegar, and a single sausage. From Climb’s point of view, it was quite a luxurious meal.
As the food made its way onto his tray, Climb smelled a sumptuous aroma and felt it stimulate his stomach. He proceeded to look around the mess hall.
The loud soldiers ate their meals while engaging in superficial conversations like their next day off, today’s food, families, and their trivial duties.
Climb found an empty seat and made his way there through the bustle of noise.
He sat on a space in a wide bench. Soldiers were seated on either side of him, talking merrily amongst their friends. They barely gave Climb a disinterested glance before turning away to resume their talks.
The only silence to be found was near Climb.
An outsider looking in would think the atmosphere was strange.
Despite the merry chatter in the surroundings, not a single person attempted to strike a conversation with Climb. Of course, people would not normally go out of their way to speak to strangers. But they were fellow soldiers who would, at times, trust one another with their lives. Indeed, such a response was quite bizarre.
It was as if the person named Climb did not even exist.
Climb himself made no effort to speak to others, the reason being that he clearly understood his own position.
The ones who guarded the castle were not mere soldiers. A ‘soldier’ of the Kingdom referred to the militia armed by nobles who owned territory. It included the enlisted men whose wages were paid by the governor and those who served as city guard. What they all had in common was that they were made up of common folk.
However, there were many problems with allowing just anyone the job of protecting the palace, the center of important news and information, and placing them so near the royal family.
That was why a recommendation from a noble was required in order for someone to become a guard in the palace. If a guard caused trouble, the noble from whom he received his recommendation from would be held responsible. As such, only those with a clean background and a sound body and mind were given a recommendation.
However, this caused factions to form.
Depending on which faction the sponsoring noble belonged to, that soldier ended up being roped into that group as well. A soldier who refused would not even receive a recommendation in the first place. It was fair to say that there were no exceptions whatsoever to this rule.
It may seem like it would be filled with flaws, but on the contrary, being embroiled into a power struggle meant that soldiers trained their skills diligently. Although their strength fell short of the Empire’s knights, the soldiers who guarded the palace still boasted considerable skill.
Climb’s strength was several levels above them, but that was also one of the reasons why the nobles were against him. They could not stand the fact that he was stronger than the soldiers they had recommended themselves.
Of course, there could also be an instance where nobles who sponsored soldiers did not belong to any faction. However, with the current power struggle of the Kingdom between the royalty faction and the nobility faction, there was only a single noble who could come and go between them like a bat.
And among the soldiers, there was only one man who did not enlist on the recommendation of the nobles.
That person was Climb.
Normally, someone of Climb’s background would not be able to serve Renner by her side.
Protecting the royal family, a duty of such grave importance did not come to a person of low birth. It was common knowledge that only those of noble rank could protect royalty.
Regardless, there were exceptions to this case, like the Kingdom’s elite warriors, as well as its strongest soldier, Gazef Stronoff. And if Princess Renner strongly wished it, there were few who could openly oppose her. Even if members of the royal family could speak against her, just who would interfere when she had the King’s approval?
Climb being granted his own private quarters could be called a result of a very complicated circumstance. A simple soldier would not even dream of his own room and would have to spend his daily life in the larger area. Although Renner ordered it, another reason Climb was given his own room was to isolate him. Not belonging to either faction made him a troublesome existence.
Considering Climb’s circumstances, it was obvious that he belonged to the royalty faction. But that was a gathering of nobles who pledged their fealty to the King. From their point of view, Climb, with his unclear background, was an eyesore.
As a result, the royalty faction saw Climb as troublesome to recruit, but if left alone will work for their side of his own volition. The nobility faction saw merit in pulling him to their side, but at the same time, recognized its dangers.
Even if they are called a faction, it did not mean that the many nobles who make up the groups are of one mind. No matter what, a faction was a gathering in order to further a goal or way of thinking. If the royalty faction had a person who did not welcome Climb — a commoner of an unknown background who was the closest to a princess so beautiful that she was called golden — then it was safe to say that the nobility faction would have someone who wanted to bring him over to their side.