Side Story: The Pavera Heavy Knight's Perspective (1)

Our Lord Sora had gone off to pay his respects to our new superior — this newly instituted "Margrave," the one set even above our own lord — and had only just returned.

The three most capable members of the Pavera Knight Order, myself among them, had been summoned to the lord's manor.

As for what business he had with us (the three known respectively as Pavera's heavy knight, light knight, and witch; I'm the heavy knight), well…

"Hah? What's this all about, Lord Sora?"

"Aye. Like I told you, it seems Kehma-dono is going to give us a show of his martial might. And so it's been settled that we of Pavera will put forward three of our proudest knights."

Our new superior would be demonstrating his power, and we were to bring him opponents to fight… so the story went.

"That much I'd heard, but three of us against just the one of him, what's the meaning of that?"

"Yeah, yeah. Ain't he lookin' down on us somethin' rotten? Eh, witch?"

"The light knight's got it right. He reckons he can beat the three of us all on his own… the nerve of him, lookin' down on us like that!"

The two of them let their anger show plainly.

Only natural. Or rather, it was doubtful I was hiding my own anger all that well either.

We three are among Pavera's finest knights, warriors strong enough to count as real military force even in war. Professionals of battle, all three of us strong enough to cut down a hundred-odd good-for-nothing militia apiece without breaking a sweat.

"Aye. Tsuia's putting forward two as well, so it's five against one."

"Hah? He means to take on all five by himself?"

Ahh, no good. This is no good. I'm about to snap. If this is meant as provocation, it's a perfect score.

I took a deep breath, struggling to keep my composure.

Tsuia would surely send fighters on par with us. And that made it five against one.

"Don't tell me… you want us to throw the match?"

"No. You may come at him in full earnest. Those were his very words."

"That's not just the baseless sense of invincibility so common to young noble brats — or is it?"

"Hahahaha. No worries on that score; no need to hold back. … Come to think of it, have you never heard the name Kehma-dono, Kehma Golen?"

Kehma Golen? The name rang a bell somehow.

I see. If even I had heard the name, then his confidence must rest on something real.

Now then, what was it he was famous for again…?

"Eh, ah, THE Kehma Golen? You serious, m'lord?"

"…Ahh, well, if it's him, then… yeah, that figures."

"Hm? Is he that formidable?"

At the name, the two besides me had suddenly lost their bluster.

"Honestly. For all your skill, your weak spot is how out of touch you are with the news."

"M-my apologies, Lord Sora."

"He was the talk of the town for a while there, remember? 'The Dragon Tamer.'"

…! That's it, I knew the name rang a bell. The Dragon Tamer!

Hm. Dragon… Tamer… which means… he summons dragons?! In which case, the thing we'd be fighting is some dragon-type monster.

"If it's a wyvern, I think even we could bring it down… but would it really be all right for us to kill it?"

"The one Kehma-dono was famous for having at his command was a genuine, honest-to-goodness dragon. A Flame Dragon, if I recall."

"…A Flame Dragon."

"Rest easy. Since Kehma-dono means to show off his own personal strength, it seems he'll be kind enough not to use a dragon this time."

I felt a little relieved. Against a summoned Flame Dragon, even five of us would stand little chance.

However.

"So then, he fights all five of us, myself included, single-handed. Hmm. The question is who goes first…."

"No, it makes no difference how many come at once, so all five at the same time, five against one."

"Lord Sora. Surely that's underestimating us a touch too far?"

"Bah, it's nothing. Kehma-dono told us, 'Anyone weaker than the hero Wataru isn't worth counting.' Go at it however you please, as though taking your lesson from a better."

"…Oho. Is that so. Then I suppose there'd be no harm in my taking him down all by myself? Right, you two?"

"Hold on there, heavy knight. He's a fella who commands dragons, yeah? Course he's gonna be plain strong, stands to reason."

"Right, right. Means he's at least stronger than a dragon, don't it. Hey, hey, shouldn't we throw in another ten guys?"

The moment they heard "Dragon Tamer," these two had gone all weak-kneed. Well, I couldn't really blame them.

I mean… it's a dragon, after all….

And so, the day arrived.

When we made for Draco Village, on this (the Pavera) side of the tunnel, we found Harvey-san waiting for us, a senior who'd looked after me back in my rookie days.

Come to think of it, he was serving as the young master's escort these days, wasn't he.

"Oh. So you lot made it."

"Harvey-san. It's been too long."

"Heh, do your very best out there today!"

With that, he gave each of us a hearty slap-slap on the back. Mm, that got me fired up.

Same old Harvey-san. As we walked, I tried asking him about our opponent.

"Harvey-san. They're saying it's five against one, but is this Margrave fella really that strong?"

"Strong? Oh, he's strong, I tell ya. Why, I got flopped around like a caught fish by the Margrave's own maid. Couldn't lift a finger against her."

"Flopped around? A maid??"

"Like, grabbing you by the ankles and finishing you off like a fish, y'know? That 'Black Guard Dog' name's no empty boast. Well, that little lass'd probably give you lot a decent run for your money. I'm genuinely lookin' forward to watchin' her grow, I tell ya."

What's that? Tell me more… wait, a little dog-beastkin girl? Did that to Harvey-san, in his full suit of armor?

Was she a user of enhancement magic, perhaps? Not someone to let my guard down against. But still…

"…The one we're actually fightin' today is the Margrave himself, though, yeah? What about him?"

"Ahh… I've never gone at him directly myself, so I can't say for sure, but word is he's the single finest adventurer in all of Golen. Which means he's a cut above that little lass. Go in cocky just 'cause you've got the numbers, and you'll end up unable to do a damn thing."

I'd had no intention of letting my guard down to begin with, but this was news that forced me to steel myself all the more.

"And by the by, his head's leagues above yours, the lot of you. You boys, can you even do division?"

"…Well, we ain't exactly the studyin' type, us."

"True enough. Most things get solved by hittin' 'em anyway… well, that's 'cause the lord throws himself into that sorta thing for us, is the thing."

"Would you mind not lumpin' me in with them? I can at least do division, thank you very much!"

"Oh-ho, that's the Pavera army's witch for you! Hahaha!"

With banter like that, we made it into Golen without a nerve to show for it… but when we came out the far end of the tunnel, there was a town.

It seemed we wouldn't be going there today, but I'd had no idea a town like this stood so close to Pavera….

"That town there was built in a single month by the fella called Kehma Golen."

"In a month? Now that's gotta be laid on thick, surely."

"Hahaha, it's only what I heard myself, mind. Word is he had the Empire's Four Heavenly Kings at his beck and call."

Th-the Four Heavenly Kings themselves?! Surely that's just a wild rumor…

Wait, for real? I-is he even sane?!

"No good. I'm starting to get nervous. How about you two?"

"…If he can just throw up a town like that, well, no wonder he got made some big-shot Margrave…"

"But bein' able to build a town's a different thing from bein' strong, yeah… oh. Right, he's the Dragon Tamer. Haha, strongest there is, ain't he?"

Mm, this might be hopeless. For now, perhaps we ought to link up with the Tsuia lot quickly and work out some kind of strategy.

I'd probably end up the leader… after all, they're two, and we're three.