"Sister Kuro also said something similar..." Maria scratched her head. She had originally wanted to sit down right there, but Zofia kicked her directly on the backside.
"No sitting! If you sit down now, all your previous efforts will be wasted. You need to let your body adapt to this fatigue. You can try to alleviate it with Stone source art, but you absolutely cannot sit down. Stand up straight." Zofia was always strict when teaching, but this was the path Maria herself had chosen, so she could only grit her teeth and stand up. As the warm light of Stone source art spread, her originally sore limbs finally began to ease, and her expression slowly relaxed.
"Speaking of which, what exactly is Kuro's background?" Speaking of Kuro, Zofia was actually very curious. Kuro had been by Noah's side for two years, but to this day, she had never seen Kuro's face beneath the mask, nor did she know the bodyguard's true capabilities. When Margaret was still around, she seemed to have sparred with Kuro. Although Zofia didn't know the final outcome, at least after that, Margaret no longer worried about Noah's safety.
"I don't know either..." Maria shook her head. "If I had to say, when I trained with you, Sister, although I felt a gap, I felt that with effort, I could catch up... But when sparring with Sister Kuro, it was like facing a great mountain. All my attacks seemed meaningless, as if even if she didn't dodge, it wouldn't make a difference."
"...Are you subtly saying I'm weaker than her?"
"No! Really no!" Maria shivered and quickly shook her head. "I just feel that Sister Kuro's strength is more mysterious, a bit unfathomable."
"Hmph—I wouldn't expect you to think that." Zofia frowned. "While I have no issues with Kuro, she always maintains the habit of wearing a mask. Could it be that there's something wrong with her face?"
"Maybe it's just because she's too beautiful under the mask! So she wears a mask, you never know! I've heard of similar novel settings!"
"You should read fewer fantasy novels!"
Zofia playfully tapped Maria's head. However, there was indeed something strange about Kuro. Besides Noah, none of them seemed to know Kuro's origin or appearance; they only knew that her strength was unfathomable.
It wasn't that she suspected Kuro had any ill intentions. Zofia just felt that they were already so familiar; surely it wouldn't be a problem to tell them? However, Noah must have her own considerations, so she shouldn't overthink it... Unlike her foolish niece, Noah had been smart since childhood and was a reliable and trustworthy person.
In most situations, she just needed to trust her judgment; overthinking wouldn't accomplish anything. She should have a good grasp of things herself.
"Rest for ten minutes, then continue!"
"...Eh!!!"
Before long, the sound of weapons clashing once again echoed in the garden training ground.
Meanwhile, while Maria was suffering, Noah officially changed into the exclusive uniform of a Commercial Federation spokesperson.
Noah was a rare female spokesperson, and her clothes were predominantly silver-white, with the Kielanlet family crest embroidered on the small cape of her left shoulder.
It was a purple cross shield surrounded by four irises, representing the Kielerete Family motto.
Purity, tenacity, dedication, sacrifice.
The Kielerete Family was once a glorious knightly noble family, perhaps slightly inferior to the Nearl family, but it was also a family with considerable historical weight.
When Cyril Nearl made seven charges in and out of the Ursus army formation, the ancestors of the Kielerete Family participated and achieved great feats.
Noah Guillerette, born into a knightly family, was also highly anticipated at first.
However, compared to Margaret Nearl's sharp brilliance, Noah appeared somewhat dim—and after a certain accident, she even lost her sight and became disabled, completely losing the ability to compete with Margaret in the path of knighthood.
From then on, Noah, who was once a highly anticipated rising star knight, was quickly forgotten.
This was only natural, as that era was named Margaret Nearl.
Especially at the moment Margaret became the unprecedented youngest Knight Arena champion, earning the title of Shining Knight, all of Kazimierz dimmed.
She was the fated Knight, the pride of Kazimierz, the exalted one who carried the name of Nearl.
If it weren't for the Commercial Federation's actions afterward, which forced the Shining Knight to leave Kazimierz not long after winning the championship... perhaps, perhaps Kazimierz would have already changed its appearance by now.
It was precisely because Noah was Margaret's friend that she could understand Margaret's ideals, the meaning of her championship, and why she had to leave Kazimierz.
Of course—and most importantly.
How she would return.
Noah adjusted her clothes.
Although she couldn't see the clothes on her, she could smell the faint scent of blood on them.
Kazimierz's chivalry had long been devoured by capital, like a lighthouse in a raging sea, long unmaintained and on the verge of collapse.
Margaret tried to make the lighthouse shine again but was forced to leave.
She was even slandered as an Infected...
No... calling it slander isn't quite accurate...
Noah [looked] at her wrist.
Although she couldn't see, she could clearly feel its presence—the black crystal clusters piercing through her skin.
The true Infected was not Margaret.
It was her—
When the Commercial Federation accused Margaret of illegally participating as an Infected, the evidence they used was from an accidental kidnapping case.
There was evidence that the kidnappers were a group of Infected, carrying a large number of untreated weapons contaminated with Stone source art dust.
At that time, Margaret did not have the power she has now, nor the ability to resist those Infected with Oripathy.
The Commercial Federation produced a medical report of Margaret, whose origin was unknown, declaring Margaret an Infected, and her participation in the Knight Arena this time was an illegal act.
Thus, they stripped her of her crown, defiled her glory, and expelled her from the Kazimierz she loved.
Nearl was expelled, the true Knight left the land of Knights.
Just hearing it sounds like enough black humor.
At that time, Noah, or rather the entire Kielanlet, did not raise any objections, or rather, remained silent.
But Noah knew the truth—
That medical report was not Margaret's, but hers.
Someone did become an Infected in that kidnapping case, but it wasn't Margaret, it was her—
It was her—Noah Guillerette.
It was she who defiled Margaret's glory.