110. Senior Holy Knight and Sunny Land [1] – part 1

Next day.

I woke up a little later than usual.

Looking at the clock, it’s 7.30 in the morning.

There is still time until the start of the first period, but… I have to hurry up and get ready.

「Fuwaa…」

I stretched greatly and got out of bed.

(Hmm… My body still feels a little heavy…)

It seems that the exhaustion of crossing swords with more than a hundred swordsmen cannot be recovered with a single night’s sleep.

(Let’s wash the face and change clothes.)

And as I leave the bedroom,

「Ah. Good morning, Allen!」

Ria, who seemed more pleasant than usual, greeted me with a cheerful smile.

I felt a little refreshed seeing her in a good mood.

「Good morning, Ria. Is that… winter uniform?」

Taking a quick look at her, she was dressed in a different uniform than usual.

(Speaking of… It is about time to change the seasonal clothes.)

Today was October 1st. The day we shift from summer uniform to winter uniform.

「Y-Yes! What do you think…?」

She spun around on the spot and tilted her head, with slight nervousness showing on her face.

A short white dress which emphasizes her figure . And a warm black jacket on top of it. The chic outfit was well matched with Ria’s beautiful blond hair.

「Aa, it looks great.」

「T-Thank you… Well, let’s see how Allen looks in winter uniform, okay?」

「Sure.」

After that, I completed my morning preparations quickly and was urged by Ria to change into my winter uniform.

「How is it?」

Honestly speaking… The winter uniform for men was basically not much different from the summer uniform.

The top is a jacket with a black accent on white fabric. The bottom is simple pants with the same color scheme as the jacket.

When I asked for Ria’s impression,

「It looks good! You look cool!」Ria said, with a smile blooming on her face.

「Ahaha, thank you.」

I didn’t think it was going to be that big of a change, but… If she says so, then I’m sure it looks good.

After we showed off each other’s winter uniform,

「Well then, let’s go now.」

「Yes!」

We decided to head to Thousand Blade Academy together.

When I opened the door, cool air that reminded me of the coming of autumn kissed my cheeks.

「It’s a little chilly… Are you cold?」

「I’m alright, thank you. The late summer heat is over and it’s going to be autumn soon.」

Looking around, the leaves of the lush trees were already a little yellowish.

As we walked slowly, feeling the end of summer and the arrival of autumn, we arrived at Thousand Blade Academy that gave me a rush of nostalgia.

「Oh, it has become beautiful again!」

「Yeah, it feels good.」

The exterior walls that became darkened because of that guy’s darkness, were now pure white and beautiful. The gymnasium which was blown up by the explosion was completely restored. And the inside of the academy building was also beautiful.

The hallways without a single bit of debri.

Window glass without a speck of dust.

Just looking at it feels good.

Walking through the hallways which have become beautiful, we arrived at the classroom of Year 1 Class A.

I put my hand on the side-opening door and exhaled loudly.

「…Feeling a little nervous?」

「Y-Yes… It’s been two weeks since I met everyone.」

「Fuu… I’m gonna open it.」

「O-Okay…!」

When I opened the door vigorously,

「-Oh, it’s been a while, Allen!」

「Good morning! How are you?」

「Hey, both of you! Tell us about your adventures in White Lily Academy!」

Everyone in the class rushed up to us simultaneously.

Immediately following that,

「…Morning, Allen, Ria…… and everyone.」

Rose, who was sleepy faced as usual, entered the classroom. With this, everyone of Year 1 Class A was safely gathered again. Then, we had a good time talking about each other’s transfer life until the morning homeroom started.

A little while later, the morning chime rang and the classroom door opened vigorously.

「Good morning, everyone!」

It was Leia-sensei, who was brimming with energy as usual.

She took a good look at all of us and nodded with satisfaction.

「Fufu, everyone seems to have gotten stronger in this small period of time! It’s morning homeroom, but… there is no special message! So, let’s start the first period right away!」

「「「Yes!」」」

Thus, we returned to the daily life of Thousand Blade Academy.

■

After that, peaceful days flew by.

In the morning, we usually had soul dress class.

During lunch break, we had regular meetings with the student council.

In the afternoon, we had strength training and lectures.

After classes were over, we conducted the activity of the practice-swing club in the corner of the schoolyard.

I devoted all my time to swordsmanship. A very fulfilling routine.

About one month passed by. And on a particular day in November, I, Ria, and Rose, were summoned to the director’s office while having lunch during the regular meetings.

I opened the black-lacquered door which gave off a sense of intimidation. Inside, there was the figure of sensei, who had just finished reading Weekly Shounen Yaiba.

「Ah, you’re here. I’m sorry to call you all of a sudden.」

She picked up three sheets of paper from her work desk and distributed it to the three of us.

(Is this… a resume?)

As I was tilting my head in confusion,

「Nothing much… I am just thinking of recommending you three to the『Special Trainee』program of the Senior Holy Knight.」

「「「Special trainee? 」」」

The three of us repeated the exact same word.

「Aa, it’s no wonder you don’t know. After all, this is a new system that was newly established this year.」

Sensei began to explain.

「To put it simply, this is a system in which the Holy Knights Association absorbs the high achievers of the Five Academy. As you know, the recent international situation has become more unstable than ever. So, the Holy Knights Association has established a system to secure better human resources – that is the『Special Trainee System』.」

She drank a glass of water and continued explaining.

「Participants in this system will be assigned to several branches on weekends when the academy is closed. So you will undergo the same training as a Senior Holy Knight to raise the standards of your swordsmanship and cultivate a better understanding of Holy Knights.」

「I see…」

We students can hone our swordsmanship by training with Senior Holy Knights.

Whereas, the Holy Knights Association is attempting to absorb promising students.

It’s certainly a good deal with benefits for both the students and the Holy Knights Association.

「It’s going to be a little hard since your weekdays will have to be sacrificed. Of course, this is not compulsory, but it’s a beneficial offer for you. I want you to consider this with a positive outlook.」sensei said, bringing the explanation to an end.

At the same time, I shook my head quietly.

「I’m very grateful, but… I am sorry. Unlike Ria and Rose, I haven’t manifested my soul dress yet. So I can’t accept this offer.」

To become a Senior Holy Knight, there is a condition called『soul dress must have been manifested』.

This is a documented rule, and so far, it is said that there has been only one exception.

When I politely refused sensei’s proposal,

(Haa… What a waste…)

I sighed loudly in my heart.

The chance of reaching out to the dream-like position of Senior Holy Knight… I’ve let it slip away.

(『Soul dress』, huh …)

Just when will I attain it?

Man… I hate my lack of talent…

(Haa…)

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