Arendt hesitated for a moment about how to react, but decided to stick to the concept of a bumbling noble brat.

He nodded and bowed his head dryly.

“Yes, well… you should continue on your way. I was just taking a short walk.”

“Don’t you think that I came here on purpose to see you?”

But despite that attitude, Khan just smiled broadly.

Arendt’s eyebrows naturally furrowed as he became slightly annoyed by this situation.

“What did you say? I’m just a trainee knight. Why do you have to go out of your way to look for me?”

“You are just a trainee knight… your humility is unbecoming. The entire imperial palace knows your arrogance.”

Khan tilted his head, rubbing his chin.

“You’re right, and I have a question. I don’t think anyone has any business with me.”

Tsk, Arendt clicked his tongue internally and stood awkwardly with his legs crossed. It was because he intuitively felt that it would not be easy to get free from this person.

Khan smiled again on his handsome face.

“Why, don’t you know how famous you are in this castle? It’s not strange that people come here just to see your face.”

“So, what are your thoughts after seeing my face?” Arendt blurted out in a nonchalant tone.

Then Khan slightly raised the corners of his lips.

“As is well known, you are arrogant and ill-mannered. What a waste of that beautiful face.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“Did that sound like a compliment?”

Khan asked back in an absurd tone. Arendt looked at him with eyes that said, “What else did it sound like?”

Khan, who had been blankly staring at his opponent, soon burst into laughter.

“This is really amazing. I heard he was a wild bastard, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. He seems to enjoy making people angry by making a fuss rather than being outright violent.”

“Oh…”

This time Arendt blinked his wide eyes.

Khan asked back, “Am I right?”

“Maybe you’re right. No, you said it exactly. You have quite the insight.”

“…”

Khan’s gaze turned to Arendt, who responded with an indifferent expression, and a sense of bewilderment filled him again, but Arendt’s admiration was only half sincere.

‘Even those who see my face every day don’t notice.’

No one would have guessed that the contents inside had changed… in fact, within the Knights, he only had a proper conversation with Arthur, Richt, and Laius.

“… Anyway, I’ve heard quite a few other stories about you, so I’m curious.”

“You must not have a lot to do, since you came here in person just for that.”

“Even though you don’t know who I am, you can’t just let a single word slip by. Is it a habit?”

“So, first of all, let’s keep in mind basic manners. I don’t want to get into trouble later.”

Arendt shrugged his shoulders as was his custom.

Khan chuckled at his natural, innocent appearance.

“Trouble… if I am in a position to cause trouble to you as you said, don’t you think that your attitude was already bad?”

“What can I do? Arendt von Eckhart was born like this, and you were just as grumpy as I was.”

Arendt nodded in response to the laughter.

“The name Khan seems like something you just made up, and no matter how I look at it, it doesn’t sound like your real name.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Do you think I’m a fool? If you say, ‘I am a noble person,’ and blurt out your name without even mentioning your surname, who would believe you?”

Throughout the conversation, Khan treated the imperial knights with the attitude of looking at subordinates.

Moreover, unlike his plain attire, the long sword hanging from his waist was obviously not an ordinary object. Taking all of that into consideration, there was only one answer that could be drawn.

Arendt let out a short sigh.

“Isn’t it a bit odd for someone in a position where he can put others in an awkward position by not revealing who he is to deliberately treat his subordinates this way?”

“It sounds like you’re criticizing me.”

“There’s nothing I can do. As you know, I have many enemies, so I have no choice but to be sensitive about even trivial matters.”

“You’re so sensitive… to my ears, it sounds like you’re telling me not to pick a fight unnecessarily.”

“I didn’t say anything like that.”

“That means I wasn’t wrong.”

His eyes, staring at Arendt, sparkled with even more interest than before. It was a situation that could have been unpleasant, but instead, Khan smiled pleasantly.

“If you’re going for a walk, would you like to walk with me for a bit?”

“Is this an order?”

“What if it’s not? Are you going to refuse?”

“If it’s not an order.”

“Then let’s call it an order. Come here for a moment. It won’t be a bad thing for you either.”

Without waiting for Arendt’s answer, Khan began to walk briskly.

Arendt glanced at the back of the man called ‘Khan’, then shrugged and started following him.

Khan glanced at the knight following behind him. He was just over twenty years old, and his face still had the youthful look of a boy.

But in contrast, the golden eyes that slightly drooped were completely indifferent and without any hint of emotion. It felt even more intense because he barely changed his expressions and remained indifferent the whole time.

So summarized in a word.

‘Cold,’ Khan concluded as follows.

Arendt noticed his gaze and blurted out, “What else are you thinking of when you called people over?”

“I think that the knight’s temper is unusual.”

Khan, who answered frankly, slightly raised the corners of his lips.

“Do you know the name Khan?”

“Isn’t that a name you made up on the spot?”

“Not really. It’s just a nickname my close friends call me. It’s also the name of the most famous knight in this empire.”

Khan continued speaking in a flat tone.

Arendt’s eyebrows arched slightly.

“A famous knight?”

“If you’re a knight of the Imperial Order, you should know. He’s the founder of this empire, the first owner of the Holy Sword. You wouldn’t have slept through the entire Academy class, right?”

“… Are you referring to the first emperor, Khan?”

Arendt chimed in with a shrug.

Khan nodded slightly.

“That’s right. When the world was engulfed in war and darkness was about to completely engulf the world, he was a hero who took up the sword after receiving a revelation from the God of Light, Luce. People often mention his story when teaching young aspiring knights. He was said to be a knight from a fallen nation.”

It was a common story.

The world was struck by disaster and turmoil. An evil group ruled the continent and humans were on the verge of complete destruction. At that time, a knight from a ruined nation appeared like a comet and brandished the holy sword to save the world.

That person was none other than ‘Hero Khan’.

After the war, he reestablished his country on the site of his former homeland.

The flag of the Caerleon Empire was planted in the land swept by death, and humans quickly built a civilization again centered around the empire.

To Arendt, it was just a myth, but in this empire, it was history.

The Caerleon Empire worshiped the God of Light, Luce, who appears in this myth, as its chief god. The holy sword that was said to have been bestowed by the god at the time was also kept in strict custody by the highest priests belonging to the imperial family.

When the oracle passed, it would go to Laius.

Khan continued speaking.

“He deserves to be admired. He saved the world and rescued humans from the brink of destruction.”

“Yes… what.”

Arendt answered sheepishly.

“It is said that Hero Khan wanted to remain a knight loyal to God rather than the Emperor until the end. Even after becoming Emperor, he spent the rest of his life traveling the continent with the Holy Sword, striving to stabilize the world.”

Khan turned around and faced the knight.

“His spirit that moved God, his chivalry that saved all people… What do you think, knight?”

“Are you asking for my opinion now?”

When Arendt asked that question, Khan nodded slightly.

“Yes, even though you are still a trainee, you are still a knight.”

“Of course it’s a great thing. Saving the world, establishing a country… well, it’s said that he worked hard for humanity until the end.”

“Yes, in that sense, the knights of this empire are bound to be excellent. They are born with the upright spirit of a knight more than anyone else.”

“Well.”

A sudden voice popped out.

Kahn stopped walking without realizing it and looked back. Naturally, Arendt also stopped in place.

“An uptight mind… is good. But do you know what happens in the end?”

“What happens?”

“It breaks. With a snap.”

It was a tone that contained no emotion at all. It sounded light, as if it were a passing remark, but it also seemed to have some substance.

Arendt added as Khan just blinked blankly.

“An upright spirit and chivalry are all good. Then you break your neck and die. If you die in search of justice and a just cause, who will say anything? It’s an honorable death, so at least one more flower will be placed on the coffin.”

Arendt, who was very angry, put his hands deep in his pockets.

“Heroic epics are always great, but when you apply them to reality, it’s a bit tricky. Most people aren’t heroes. And… oral traditions and records are supposed to leave out the unnecessary or unimpressive parts, right?”

“…”

“Would a hero be a hero from the start? He is called a hero because he somehow survived.”

Khan stared at the young knight before him with an expression that was difficult to describe in words.

“Can you explain it to me more clearly?”

“It means that if you want to live long, you have to know how to do dirty and deadly things. Hero Khan would have done the same, and if he had refused to do it, the people around him would have done the same. That’s why he came to be called a hero.”

Khan remained silent for a long time, as if lost in thought. Arendt also remained silent without saying anything more.

After a moment, Khan’s lips curled upward.

“If it’s realistic, then it’s really realistic, but I don’t think it’s something a knight would say out loud.”

“I’m not a chivalrous man, and if you wanted to talk about chivalry, you should at least not come to me.”

Arendt paused for a moment and then added briefly.

“Isn’t it? His Highness Crown Prince Cantares Al Caerleon.”

“…Uh?”

A deep silence flowed in the garden where only the two were present.

Khan froze with his face still stuck on a smile.

Whew.

A pleasant breeze blew from somewhere and tousled the hair of the two people. The branches of the garden trees, dyed in bright blue, rustled, and it was the only sound that lingered in the quiet garden.

Arendt slightly curved the corners of his lips into a smile. Then he blurted out the words as if confirming his decision.

“I guess you wanted to see the cocky apprentice knight get flustered later. It’s a shame you lost your chance.”

“…Can I just get it once?”

Khan, no, Cantares couldn’t stop the sincerity that suddenly spilled out of his mouth.