Hajin turned toward the unfamiliar voice and saw a tall man approaching through the parted crowd, his broad frame covered by black-and-silver plate polished beneath the noon sun.
The Royal Knight Order's captain crest had been stamped into his left pauldron.
His weathered face carried the cold, professional expression Hajin remembered from the palace.
Civilians and academy students stepped aside without being told as he approached.
"Knight Captain, what brings you all the way out here?" Didi asked.
Her playful amusement vanished as she straightened into the posture expected of a princess.
The captain stopped several feet away, scanned the group, then offered Didi a short bow.
"Your Highness, forgive the interruption," the Knight Captain said.
His eyes passed over Hajin without pausing or showing any recognition.
"I was heading to speak with the Guildmaster about an ongoing matter when I noticed you," he continued.
"An ongoing matter?" Didi asked, tilting her head.
