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Chapter 6
After Adrian left for the knight order, Nina used up all the money he had given her and prepared her payment. The kitchen maids wished her well and saw her off.
The next thing she did was apply to the Black Knight Order.
It was a knight order with an unusually high death rate, so anyone who applied—no matter how unqualified—was accepted. Though, most of them would likely be carried out as corpses the next day.
In fact, joining the order even paid money. Ten small gold coins—her life’s price.
Perhaps they still had some conscience, because they tried not to accept someone so young. So Nina showed them her wrist.
The mark of a spirit contractor. Seeing the spirit sigil wrapped around her wrist like a band, they stamped her acceptance immediately.
It was called a knight order, but for six months she trained more like a soldier than a knight. Nina turned out to have quite a talent, and her instructor regretted wasting her potential.
He even offered to secretly pay to take her out of the order, but Nina politely refused.
Everyone thought she was a boy, and Nina didn’t bother correcting them.
Six months later, Nina officially joined the Black Knight Order. During that time, she heard all kinds of rumors about the Purple Forest.
A forest entirely dyed violet. The rumors went like this:
[Inside a violet forest that made one’s vision feel strange, there stands a pure white cube-shaped building. Each side is embedded with jewels, and each jewel is a spirit relic. No one knows when or by whom it was built, but the structure itself is a barrier.
According to ancient tales, when God entrusted the world to the Great Spirit and crossed the Sea of Glass, one of the Spirit Lords rebelled against the Great Spirit. The rebellion was suppressed by the other Spirit Lords, and the fallen Spirit Lord was shattered and fell to the ground.
Since then, corrupted beings called Belak began to appear on the land.
The white building is proof that this story is not merely a legend. Fragments of the fallen Spirit Lord are sealed within the barrier, and the reason the forest is violet is because it has been contaminated by the poison leaking from those fragments.]
Some laughed and scoffed, asking where this so-called purple forest even was. But Nina knew. Every word of it was true.
『To Meet Again』
Leaving aside the fact that the book’s content had nothing to do with its title, the novel she had read confirmed that the story was real.
That was why she believed in spirits in the first place and made a contract with them.
What was needed to contract with a spirit was only belief. To believe they existed, and that they would answer when called.
The problem was that believing itself was difficult. Who would leap off a cliff, believing a wind spirit would respond to their call?
Because of that, spirit users were extremely rare.
Only after her older sister and brother died did Nina realize this world was the same world as 『To Meet Again』. It was late, but she was finally able to form a contract.
“North Wind” and “Frost” were her spirits. Adrian, on the other hand, had contracted with the spirits of “Shadow and Darkness.”
Like sheep being driven by a shepherd, the new recruits of the Black Knight Order arrived at the Violet Forest.
Among the newcomers facing the purple forest, fear and unease spread. Veteran members laughed among themselves, betting on how many of the new ones would die.
Amid the restless atmosphere, the recruits lined up. When the boyish commander stepped onto the platform, the newcomers began murmuring again.
But when Nina confirmed his face, she raised her hand high.
“Master!”
At that moment, Adrian’s expression—
It was rare to break Adrian’s smiling face, but Nina was proud to say she held all the records.
This moment, among them, was one of her proudest achievements.
Why are you here?
Adrian looked at her with a stunned expression.
The deputy commander, Louis, quickly stepped in to control the situation, and Nina was immediately taken to the commander’s office.
It was the first time she had seen Adrian this angry. But Nina remained confident.
If I’m not here, who will be?
Seeing Nina smiling brightly, Adrian rubbed his face with both hands.
“So… you don’t intend to go back?”
“Yes.”
“You’re saying you’ll stay by my side?”
“Of course.”
“You’re the one who said it.”
“Yes.”
“There’s no use regretting it later.”
“I won’t have anything to regret.”
She straightened her shoulders as she spoke. Adrian looked at her with a complicated expression.
After a long moment, he sighed and finally returned to his usual self.
“Nina.”
He called her name gently, and Nina felt tears well up.
“I missed you.”
Her trembling voice spilled out, and Adrian let out a helpless laugh.
“Me too.”
From that day on, the Black Knight Order changed rapidly.
Adrian reorganized all the units. Nina ran around everywhere, trying to bring the order together.
For now, nothing major would happen, but it was better to prepare for everything that could be done.
As the kitchen ladies used to say, most people in the Black Knight Order were not exactly sane. But Nina’s sincerity reached them, and Adrian’s strategy worked as well.
The most important thing was to make it a place where people could live.
If we live in a place like this, I’d rather wish for death tomorrow.
Filthy bedding, terrible food, and a hopeless environment filled with despair. It all had to change.
Although it was called the Violet Forest, not every part of it was purple. The central area around the barrier was a dark violet close to black, and the color faded toward the edges. In truth, most of it was just a normal forest—except for the Belak that kept appearing.
Both Nina and Adrian agreed that cleanliness and order came first. Everything was washed, cleaned, rules were made, and people were made to follow them.
“Food is important.”
Nina said this while cooking warm meals.
What the duke’s house provided was low-grade rations, but the forest itself was a treasure trove of food.
Stews made from deer and rabbits were delicious and popular. Good food made people simply happy, and fullness made them more relaxed.
No dinner unless ○○ is done.
The blank was filled with many things: cleaning, running drills, laundry, training, and more. Once this rule settled in, people grumbled—but still moved for the sake of dinner.
Adrian’s rules were simple and efficient. Thanks to his efforts, over two years the Black Knight Order changed dramatically. The death rate dropped to single digits, and structure was established.
Those who had joined for money could leave once they repaid their “price.”
It was more like a mercenary system than a knight order. So most people left after paying off their debt—but a small number stayed.
It was a satisfying and happy time. Above all, being able to speak comfortably with Adrian was the best part.
She no longer needed to hide. To face him directly, to speak freely anytime—how happy that was.
Sometimes, the two of them would secretly play in the forest like children. Nina was always the one pulling him along by the hand.
She even built a secret base in a tree, but it was destroyed by Belak, which left her deeply disappointed.
Like a boy, Nina’s behavior was bold and unrestrained, and everyone naturally assumed she was a boy knight.
The people of the Black Knight Order were shocked when they later learned she was a girl—but then looked between her and Adrian and went, “Ah, that makes sense.”
Nina pouted and said, “It’s just friendship. No misunderstandings,” but everyone just kept smiling.
The knights respected Adrian, and Nina loved him.
If days like this continued forever, she might even be able to stand before the Sea of Glass and confess that she had lived a peaceful life.
But then, Gerald’s death notice arrived.
