Stranger’s Handbook - Page 12/147

Chapter 11: Quiet talk – Dog Knight Al’s Shock

I am Albert.

I am a proud knight who serves one of the leaders of the Empire, the Frontier Count Razatonia.

His Excellency is a very fair person and he wouldn’t discriminate even against the likes of kemonobito.

‘If someone is superior, trivial things like race don’t really matter to me. I accept everyone.’

To put it simple, only those who are capable are accepted.

Even though there’s no discrimination against the races on the surface, in reality there’s no such thing as complete fairness.

But you can find that in the Frontier Count’s domain.

In normal circumstances, the third son of a family of countryside knights couldn’t possibly become a real knight.

Much less when you’re a kemonobito and your mother is a noble’s concubine. For people like me, becoming a knight was a dream within a dream.

But his Excellency was different.

When his Excellency inspected the solders’ training ground one day, he gave me the honor of catching his attention.

Is this person different from other nobles? Won’t he call me a countryside knight? Won’t he despise this kemonobito body my mother gave me?

While thinking of those things, I was undergoing a different and more severe training than the other soldiers.

It wasn’t only severe.

The Knights Division Commander personally trained me in combat and the Magic Division Commander trained me in magic techniques.

I wasn’t chosen in order to be bullied for being a kemonobito, it was obvious that something was expected from me!

I desperately clung on to this opportunity.

In order to meet his Excellency’s expectations………and to repay those two who trained me.

And, ultimately, for the sake of this kemonobito pride that runs through my veins.

One day, I was informed that my sister will be welcomed as maid in the Frontier Count’s household.

To be honest, I first thought that my sister was their target from the very beginning. I was a huge idiot to think something so stupid.

My sister was getting the same treatment as any other maid.

Since the Frontier Count’s household is the best place for learning good manners, with this my sister will most certainly be able to marry in good conditions.

Then, my sister and I made a vow.

We were saved by his Excellency……….We will definitely become useful to him!

That’s when……… the ‘Summoning’ took place.

The secret art of summoning went into oblivion after it had been used a very long time ago.

But his Excellency brought it back.

His Excellency, a famous and unparalleled dark attribute magic user and young lady Beatrice, who already surpassed his Excellency’s power in his youth…

The summoning was a success precisely because of those two geniuses’ collaboration.

But several strangers were summoned.

Strange! Wasn’t it supposed to be only one?

It seems that people gathered around our hero due to some incident, but I couldn’t find sings of magical power in any of them, except for one.

And this one person was overflowing with a devastating magical power that could only be compared to a monster’s.

It pains me to admit, but I was affected by this incredible magical power and I even lost the ability to speak properly.

When they were summoned, the ‘heroes’ weren’t clad in anything, they were completely naked.

I couldn’t approach them carelessly…….

I couldn’t draw near that overwhelming magical power.

Right at that moment, those idiots attacked the women.

The Knights Commander and I prepared ourselves for death and stepped into the room to dispose of those two idiots.

Since it was a good opportunity to separate the other strangers from our hero, I told them we would change rooms.

Damn it! I couldn’t even speak properly, surrounded by that magical power!

I got out of that room as fast as I could……..It was too much for me to withstand.

I entrusted the Commander with the rest and guided the other strangers to their room, since the hero was the only one who had stayed behind.

It was at that time………The Commander told me about this hero’s tremendous nature…………

After he experienced the slaying of another person right in front of his eyes for the first time, he stayed behind to ‘mark’ the room!!

Moreover, it wasn’t an ordinary marking, but rather a claiming of territory! He even rubbed ‘it’ against the floor!

How bold is that! It’s said that ‘The leader is the only one who’s allowed to mark the battlefield!’ A kemonobito like me could never do that.

And there’s more!

He even courted my sister by saying ‘You’re a cat!’ in the presence of his Excellency, the Knights Commander and mine!!

There’s no stronger form of courtship than comparing a dog kemonobito to a cat………And it was such a daring display of romance, that my lower body started to shake!!!

After that, his Excellency said to pretend that the incident never happened, but I could never forget that boldness and lady-killer attitude that would make women shed tears……..

Our hero sure is a dreadful person!