The Knight Commander of the Second Male Lead [Novel] Chapter 40

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 40

Chapter Title: Kiril's Magic

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After getting her back smacked daily by Kiril during treatments, it turned out no one in the Ebony Knight Order had the prowess to defeat her.

"Maybe only the Young Master?"

Nina tilted her head as she thought of Adrian.

"Ah, I miss him."

She longed for those rose-colored eyes shrouded in deep shadows.

The sound of delicate fingers turning pages one by one, the sharp nib of the pen scratching across paper, the hand that stroked just firmly enough to feel good.

"To be like this after just one day. It's a sickness, a sickness."

Nina let out a deep sigh and looked at Jin. He was still pacing anxiously inside the greenhouse.

"Jin, standing there won't help anything."

Jin strode over to Nina and asked,

"Did you know Kiril is from the Isle of Sages?"

"If you didn't know, how would I?"

"You're different. But Kiril from the Isle of Sages? She's total elite, right? So why's she playing doctor in the Ebony Knight Order?"

"Because she can dissect people whenever she wants?"

Jin made a sour face at Nina's words and muttered, "Can't argue with that."

Nina laughed.

"I thought Kiril was impressive, but she's even more amazing than I realized."

To think they'd nearly lost such talent in a single explosion.

At that moment, a flash of light erupted from the back of the greenhouse.

"!!"

Nina and Jin dashed inside simultaneously. They moved in perfect sync, blocking off the areas in front of and beside Kiril the moment they spotted her.

"Whoa."

Nina blinked in surprise.

A glass celestial model—though she wasn't sure where it had come from—was spinning in midair.

"Is that magic?"

She couldn't tell if it was the magic itself or a medium for it. But Randell was nowhere in sight.

Nina chanted as she drew her sword, and with a light pop!, something bounced off her protective barrier.

It was far too light to call an attack.

"Stop playing around."

Randell revealed himself at Kiril's words.

"Why is he shirtless???"

Nina stared at Randell in bewilderment.

Without his glasses, Randell was strikingly handsome, and Jin stammered in confusion, "That was him earlier?"

Randell glared at them with an expression full of irritation.

Kiril picked up a stick and said,

"Enough playing in my greenhouse. I'll apologize for striking first."

Randell gave Kiril a cold look, then turned to Nina.

Their eyes met, and Nina said,

"Any further attacks will be considered hostile action."

Nina held her sword at a slant. Whether it was Randell or anyone else, fighting Kiril and damaging the territory changed everything.

Randell stared at Nina before pulling his glasses from his sleeve and putting them on.

"My apologies."

As he shook out his sleeve with the apology, the glass celestial sphere dissolved into motes of light and slipped back inside.

Even after Randell's apology, Nina didn't lower her sword.

"What exactly is going on here?"

Nina asked, and Kiril patted her shoulder lightly.

"Sorry. This one's on me—I provoked him. I tossed a little spell his way, and he flared up... Tsk tsk, young people these days have no patience."

"Kiril..."

"This old lady will work hard to make up for it."

With a heavy sigh, Nina sheathed her sword.

Jin lowered his but didn't fully sheathe it.

"Are both of you unharmed?"

Randell replied to Nina's question, "I'm fine," and Kiril shook her head, "Not a scratch."

"If that's the case, then it's really okay to leave just the two of you here."

After getting confirmation from Kiril and Randell, Nina dragged the stiff-faced Jin out of the greenhouse.

Randell waved to the departing Nina. "I'll visit soon."

Jin followed behind the briskly walking Nina and said,

"You sure it's okay leaving just those two? That guy's totally nuts."

"If Kiril says it's fine, then it is. Would Kiril claim it's fine if it wasn't?"

"You never know."

Jin ran a hand through his hair.

"Anyway, Kiril uses magic too..."

Nina shook her head, lost in confusion.

"Isn't magic only used by a tiny elite few?"

"From what I know, only the Sages can."

Jin and Nina exchanged glances and shrugged.

"She'll explain eventually."

"Yeah."

Nina pressed her forehead and murmured, "All my morning sleepiness is gone," as she looked up at the sky.

The sun had already risen brightly, and the sounds of people bustling inside the castle reached her ears.

"Let's go get some breakfast."

Nina's days flew by in a blur.

She drilled the new knight recruits every morning, handled paperwork as the Duke's proxy all day, and night fell again.

As she sorted documents in the captain's office, a knock sounded at the door. Nina looked up. "Come in."

The one who entered was Raja, a new Ebony Knight Order recruit.

His light purple hair stood out, making him easy to recognize. Following him was...

"Another newbie. Kell, right?"

His light pink hair made him memorable too.

If they cut three from the top in order, it would be Raja, Kell, and one more.

That made three.

"These are the only ones among the newbies with potential to become elites."

Raja had a two-block cut and sharp, slanted eyes that gave him a delinquent vibe, while Kell had droopy eyes and a puppy-like face, making a striking contrast.

The two greeted her in turn, stating their names. Nina returned the greeting and asked,

"What brings you both here?"

They'd barged in full of bravado, but standing before the captain, Raja clamped his mouth shut.

Kell glanced at him cautiously and stepped forward.

Amid the dark furniture of the captain's office, his silver-white hair shone like moonlight.

Like a frost fairy or the queen of the arctic.

"Scary."

That was Kell's honest thought. And admiration too.

No knight didn't admire the strong—especially if she was the captain of their own order.

Somehow feeling like they'd come for something trivial, Kell swallowed hard. He was known for being sociable, but the captain was intimidating.

"You did come here to say something, right?"

At Nina's prodding, Kell spoke up.

"We were hoping to switch rooms."

"Rooms?"

Seeing the captain lean back casually in her chair, Kell's throat tightened. He glanced at Raja, who had been all fired up shouting, "Yeah! Let's switch rooms right now!" just moments ago, but now he was frozen stiff. Kell blurted out,

"I'm fine, but Raja says he's really uncomfortable and wants to switch."

"What? Hey! When did I say that?!"

Raja's voice shot up in panic.

"You definitely said it."

Kell brazenly raised his voice.

Nina rested her chin on her hand and asked,

"So, is Kell telling the truth or not?"

"W-Well, I mean..."

Nina smirked at Raja's stammering.

"Coming to the captain's office over something like that. You've got energy to spare. Guess training hasn't been enough."

The two new recruits paled at her words.

"We'll solve your little problem by increasing tomorrow's training load. Then rooms won't be an issue."

They'd be too exhausted to care.

I drilled them without even giving the sun a break.

And they handled it all on their own.

Good enough? She waved them off dismissively, and they bowed like they'd seen a ghost before hurrying out.

The moment the door closed, bickering erupted—"This is all your fault!"—and Nina chuckled.

"Since we picked ones who already have skill..."

Their improvement would come quickly, but what they really needed was real combat experience.

She'd have to take them to the Violet Forest.

Thinking of the Violet Forest brought her thoughts back to Adrian.

"It's already the third day."

Has he found it by now?