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Chapter 5
“…Hmm, thankfully it seems the match ended without anyone getting hurt.”
Simon clapped his hands.
“I called the healer for nothing. Shall we just say Perinem forfeited?”
Perinem reluctantly nodded.
Simon then turned his gaze to Kata.
“Katarenia Donovan.”
“Yes?”
“This is… worth studying. Are you absolutely sure you haven’t had a second awakening?”
“Yes, I can only coat objects with sword aura.”
Simon raised an eyebrow.
“And you’ve never made a contract with a demon?”
“Huh? Of course not.”
Kata looked genuinely puzzled, so he laughed and patted her on the back.
“Haha, I’m joking. If you were a contracted user borrowing demon power, both your eyes and aura would be pitch black. I just find it strange that a first-awakener can use sword aura at that level.”
Meanwhile, Lea was staring at Kata in a daze.
“…That’s impossible.”
This time, Perinem agreed silently. Frowning, he brushed dust off his uniform. His neck still ached.
A small bird perched on the wall chirped before flying away.
Dawn was breaking.
“Today’s lunch is turnip stew. They’re also serving herb-roasted chicken.”
“……”
“For snacks, apple fritters with raisins.”
“……”
“Perinem, do you like raisins?”
“Why would I know. Get lost.”
On the way back to the dormitory, Perinem felt his stomach churn from Kata’s constant chatter as if they were close friends.
Even when he clearly showed irritation, she didn’t seem to understand—it was infuriating.
“I like raisins! My younger brother Teryon hates them though. He says the texture is gross and they look all wrinkly—”
“Shut up. I don’t care.”
“Then tell me about you?”
“I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Next time, should we just spar quietly?”
Perinem stopped, ready to curse her out.
Kata stopped as well, smiling.
“I said this before, but you really are talented. A little effort would go a long way for you.”
Damn it.
When he met her emerald eyes, for some reason, the words died in his throat.
“…You said you barely participated in social events, right?”
“Yeah. I didn’t have close noble friends either.”
“Figures. That explains your lack of social awareness.”
“Haha.”
“……”
After the seal broke, Count Donovan rarely appeared in noble society.
Kata herself also avoided it entirely, likely due to the harsh gazes she would have faced.
If she had entered high society, it would’ve been interesting to see what happened.
Perinem smirked coldly.
She probably wouldn’t even understand subtle insults, just smiling foolishly while being manipulated by sharper tongues.
Imagining her being excluded by other noble girls oddly pleased him.
Meanwhile, Kata kept enthusiastically talking about desserts—raisins, chocolate, and who knows what else.
Her face was turned toward him the whole time.
“….”
She really had no sense of social cues.
Even after being ignored and mocked, she might still somehow end up included in groups.
Even after being insulted, she would probably forget it the next day and listen earnestly to others bragging.
And eventually, maybe a few would warm up to her and she’d become part of a circle…
“….”
The more he imagined it, the more irritated he became. Perinem’s refined face twisted.
The walk back to the dorm suddenly felt unbearably long.
Several days passed after the duel.
Among the knights, rumors slowly began spreading that Kata had won the duel.
However, her reputation didn’t change much.
“That idiot? She must’ve cheated.”
“Probably just luck.”
“If she won but stays quiet, she must feel guilty about something.”
Prejudice was truly frightening.
People believed what they saw on the first day more than an actual victory they hadn’t witnessed.
And despite the rumors, Kata’s routine remained unchanged.
She still attended dawn training, ate with the indifferent Luna, and greeted Xenon every time despite his colder attitude.
Then one evening as the sun set—
The trainees were sparring in pairs inside the indoor training hall.
“UOOOOOAAAH!”
Kata turned her head.
Monia, the second-ranked recruit, was showing exceptional skill. Her red braided hair swayed dramatically with every powerful strike.
“HAAAAA! HYAAAH! YAAAH!”
The problem was… she was rather loud.
When her overwhelming attack made her opponent, Luna, drop her sword, the instructor stormed over.
“Luna Arden! Didn’t I say it clearly? First-awakeners like you must never drop your sword—”
“You want to spar?”
Kata turned.
It was Xenon.
Among the sweat-drenched knights, he alone looked clean and dry.
Adjusting his grip, he tilted his head.
“No vomiting this time.”
Kata gave an awkward smile.
“Okay.”
At her flat reply, his thick brows twitched. Instead of taking a stance, he stared at her.
“Xenon?”
After a moment of silence, he spoke.
“…Your first training was the worst I’ve ever seen.”
Kata, slightly offended, protested.
“Why are you bringing that up all of a sudden…”
“If you were confident about your duel with the prince, you should’ve fought in the afternoon when more people were watching. That was your chance to fix your first impression.”
His voice carried a strange irritation.
“And if you won, you should’ve at least bragged about it.”
“……”
“If you stay silent, how is anyone supposed to recognize your skill?”
The sound of clashing steel and shouting faded into the distance.
“Or are you keeping quiet because you don’t want to embarrass the prince?”
“No, I—”
“Of course, you’re exactly the type of person who would do that.”
Only then did Kata realize it wasn’t a compliment.
“Who do you think you are to worry about others?”
“……”
“I told you. Know your place.”
Their eyes met.
Xenon turned away and walked off.
Kata stood there, dazed, watching his back.
The next day at lunch, Kata stopped by a nearby training ground.
It was quiet—only two rookies were sparring.
One, much larger than the other, was completely dominating.
“Why aren’t you counterattacking? Try hitting back!”
The smaller one, Peter, was being repeatedly struck on the shoulder with a wooden sword, clearly intimidated.
Was this a proper sparring match?
Kata paused while choosing a sword from the rack, watching carefully. It looked more like one-sided violence.
“Guh!”
Peter dropped his sword, clutching his side as he gasped. The larger boy kicked him down while laughing.
“Hurt, Peter?”
“N-no…”
“That’s how it should be. Proper sparring is supposed to be like this. Get up.”
As he grabbed Peter by the arm to lift him, fear flickered in Peter’s eyes.
“I-I give up. I lost, Zelus.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. A knight should keep fighting until the last moment. You can go to the infirmary afterward.”
Forcing the sword back into his hands, Zelus made him raise his stance again.
Then—
The match stopped.
Zelus frowned and turned his head.
“…Katarenia Donovan?”
