《A Monarchs Rise to Knighthood》


 Chapter 1

    All my life I¡¯d been a little stronger and faster, but I always practised restraint. I choked it up to genetics but I didn¡¯t remember enough about my parents to confirm that. So I¡¯ve always kept a low profile, never showing off or sticking my nose where it didn¡¯t belong. Until the day I couldn¡¯t ignore someone else¡¯s call for help.


    My eyes were locked with the woman before me, long enough that I could have studied the breathtaking glimmer of purple in her iris. If it were under different circumstances that is¡­


    ¡°Half the police force wants you arrested. I suggest you start making sense, kid.¡± She said bluntly, her sultry voice harshened.


    ¡°I told you already, I¡¯m not sure what happened.¡± My mind scrambled as I searched for ideas. Suddenly my eyes widened, ¡°Just ask the girl who was there, I was trying to help her from being assaulted!¡± My voice turned desperate but from the look in the woman''s eyes, I could tell it was for naught.


    She held the file in her hands and flipped to the page behind it, one brow raised as she read the report. ¡°The girl¡­the one you said was being harassed and you stepped in to help?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that one.¡± I nodded along.


    ¡°Right, we did check in with her and that claim was indeed true. The assailant was even apprehended after all the commotion.¡±


    I rose from my seat, ¡°So then?!¡±


    ¡°This arrest is another matter completely. Not only were you caught in a disturbance, but you openly used your knight abilities without any certification for it.¡± Her tone turned fierce again as she tossed the file onto the table between us.


    I reeled back with fright and lowered my gaze, my mind still searching for some way out of that situation. But there was nothing.


    ¡°I¡¯ve looked over your profile for quite a bit and couldn¡¯t find any link to a school or even that you awakened as a knight. Why is that?¡± Her gaze pierced mine as if she were staring through me.


    I couldn¡¯t lift my chin to meet her line of sight, the pressure she exuded from a glare alone was too intense.¡°Well, it¡¯s not so easy to explain¡­¡± I answered truthfully.


    ¡°As you know, knights are forbidden from using their abilities outside schools when they¡¯re still minors. Those abilities can break our society if left unchecked, so I¡¯m sure you understand why you¡¯re in so much trouble then.¡± She leaned closer.


    The corners of my mouth creased, ¡°I didn¡¯t know I had any abilities until today. It all sort of just¡­happened. But, if I had a chance to do it all over again, I still would have stepped in to help her.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell if that satisfied her or not, she was impossible to read. The tall woman with midnight black hair and violet eyes was dressed in a woman''s suit, her skirt just barely over the knees and a revealing top that showed the plush curves of her bust. At first, it was hard to concentrate around her but when the looming threat of jail was an option, I quickly focused.


    ¡°I see¡± She rubbed her chin as if deep in thought. ¡°How much do you know about knights?¡±


    ¡°We learn about them in school a bit, so as much as anyone else, I''d say.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll only learn about the basics in those public schools.¡± She planted her thigh over the desk and leaned in front of me, one hand on the document between us and the other resting on the table. ¡°I think I might just have an option that gets you out of all this.¡± She grinned mischievously.


    A way out sounds too good to be true. Can I trust this person? She¡¯s part of the police but¡­ something feels off about all this, I wonder if I shouldn¡¯t try somehow¨C My mind went blank as the woman''s already busty attire revealed more depths from her chest as she leaned closer to me. The faint cherry smell from her lips brushed against my ear as she whispered, ¡°How about I take care of you instead?¡±


    ¡°Okay~¡± I responded out of instinct.


    Without skipping a beat, she stood away from the desk and settled into a casual demeanour. ¡°Great, then I¡¯ll inform the officers in blue that you¡¯re coming with me.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Wait, what are you talking about?¡± I asked nervously. ¡°Aren¡¯t you¨C¡±


    ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t introduce myself just yet, have I?¡± She cleared her throat and pulled out a badge from her blazer, ¡°I¡¯m Officer Silver, part of the Knights Division of Special Forces and from this day on, you¡¯ll be under my surveillance at Kishi Academy for studying knights.¡±


    Wait, she¡¯s not just a regular policeman, then why did she¨C No, I can¡¯t focus on that right now. Am I seriously going to be watched by this crazy chick from now on? A school for knights, when was this decided?! This woman¡­she totally tricked me!


    ¡°Hold on, you can¡¯t just¨C¡±


    ¡°Just so that we¡¯re on the same page here, you don¡¯t get much of a choice in the matter. Unless you prefer the whole going to prison option better?¡± She shot me a bloodthirsty glance that stopped the words from leaving my mouth. Before leaving the room she left me with a glance over her shoulder, ¡°You''re a knight now, better make peace with it. That is if you want to move forward.¡± With that blunt comment, she left the room.


    I sat there in silence staring at my hand and a glower expression plagued my face.


    ¡°A knight¡­ I guess I¡¯ll have to get used to hearing that from now on.¡±


    *


    Nobody knows exactly when the first one showed up but the world has never been the same since. The power knights possess is something straight out of a fairy tale, casting magical spells and summoning full bodies of armour, their powers are seemingly limitless. The only way humanity could cope was by structuring our lives around them. In a way, they¡¯re the apex of humanity. Both good and bad.


    I adjusted my blazer with a few scratches and loosened the tie under my unbuttoned collar. ¡°New school, same uncomfortable uniforms,¡± I uttered as I approached the entrance''s staircase.


    I didn¡¯t care much for my old school but I guess I can¡¯t compare this to anything I¡¯ve done before. I wonder if I¡¯ll make it through the day.


    I forced a smile.


    Still, everyone looks pretty normal. I wouldn¡¯t have guessed they¡¯re knights from just looking at them. But I know that¡¯s not the case.


    I scanned over the wave of students all around my age walking to the front doors of the school. There were a lot of first years, all wearing ID badges like mine to signal they were new. The rest must have been second and third years given how comfortable they all looked, most of which didn¡¯t even bother gathering towards the school. It felt like they were watching us as if something amazing was supposed to happen.


    My gaze shifted from person to person and landed on a head of hazel hair tied loosely into a messy bun. She looked nervous, her eyes darted around just as lost as mine did.


    It¡¯s her¡­ the girl I saved yesterday! Should I say hello, yeah, I should go introduce myself or something? Before I realised it, I had already moved towards her and turned into something of a full sprint. Closer and closer, I got nearly in front of her when a terrifying thought crossed my mind. Wait, what am I gonna say¡­ What if that moment was too scary for her and she wants nothing to do with me after everything that happened?


    I stood in place, deep in thought. As I was absorbed in my inner struggle, I noticed a shift in everyone around me, like prey once a predator arrived.


    ¡°Move it.¡± An icy tone announced.


    I spun on my back heel towards the frustrated woman behind me and before I had a chance to react, I was surrounded by three others with equally angry expressions.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you see everyone else moving aside, get out of the princess''s way!¡±


    ¡°Are you deaf or something, first year?¡±


    Two women stood in front of me, the princess they referred to was probably the pompous-looking girl at the back of the group with snow-white hair. She didn¡¯t bother looking at me, her attention lay past me. Did I mean that little to them?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it easier to go around?¡± I asked back.


    ¡°You little¡­ don¡¯t you see who¡¯s standing there? How dare you be so insolent in her majesty''s presence!¡± One of the lackeys exploded with rage.


    I took a closer look, my eyes examined the ID badge on her navy blazer and my lips read out the name above her picture. ¡°Astrid Steinber?¡± I asked with a confused tone.


    The atmosphere changed, almost as if I had committed some grave sin. It must have been the last straw because that caught the attention of the man in the group, the biggest guy I¡¯d ever seen. He towered over me, eyes fixed on his prey.


    ¡°You dare say her name without permission?¡± The corner of his eye twitched.


    Why are they acting so weird, is she some kind of royalty or something? Maybe I should have just moved after all¡­ this is becoming more trouble than it''s worth.


    ¡°Sorry guys, I didn¡¯t realise she was a big deal.¡± I retreated back a few steps. After turning away I waved them a nervous greeting and started walking, ¡°I¡¯ll just leave then, no point making this an issue, right?¡±


    ¡°Hold it!¡±


    I stopped in my tracks and nervously turned back, only to see the large guy right behind me and his muscular hand on my shoulder. It nearly devoured my entire shoulder in his palm, I had never felt so much smaller than another person in my life.


    ¡°Not only did you show no respect but you¡¯re trying to run away from it too? This can¡¯t go unpunished, not in my presence.¡±

 Chapter 2

    At this point, the brute in front of me had no awareness of the people around us, not the handful of educators approaching or the gathered seniors who shouted and screamed in delight. His eyes burned a bloodthirsty glare as he raised a fist at me.


    ¡°This is what I¡¯m talking about!¡±


    ¡°I love the first-years man, they never disappoint!¡±


    Is this what all those people were waiting around for, did they know a fight would break out? This has gotten a bit out of hand, maybe I should wrap this up.


    I sharpened my stare, ¡°If you don¡¯t stand down, I¡¯ll have to hit you back.¡±


    The giant of a man stepped closer in silent fury, the rage only built in his eyes. Clearly, there was nothing I could say that would stop him. He charged into a full sprint and drove another punch my way but this one didn¡¯t come close to me. I tucked under his arm and weaved through his attack like a snake.


    Dodge, weave and step out of the line of attack. I wouldn''t go as far as to say that I was a fighter but I''d gotten into enough arguments at my old school to know how to defend myself. Barely, but with my body moving better than ever, it felt kind of easy. I could clearly see his movements and stepped accordingly. His frustrated glower spread across his face into a murderous expression as I effortlessly dodged around him.


    I thought he seemed a little excited but I guess it was for nothing, he¡¯s barely able to keep up with me. Too bad for him, my body¡¯s always been a little faster than most. But today...I feel so much lighter on my feet!


    Heavy breaths escaped his mouth as the relentless flurry of punches finally stopped. He glanced over his shoulder at the white-haired princess and his entire demeanour shifted into nervous shaking. The woman he revered more than life itself barely looked at him, she seemed more interested in my side of the fight if anything.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ making me look like a fool¡­ in front of the princess? So that''s your aim.¡± He muttered.


    ¡°Wait, are you blaming me for this?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ Screw holding back, I¡¯ll just fuckin¡¯ kill you.¡±


    A light glint of red resonated from his arms as metal appeared around them in a flash of lights. Both his hands and forearms were suddenly wrapped up in a dark red metal, decorated with spikes and black rings. His fingers flexed towards me as if signalling that he''d use them to crush me in his palms.


    ¡°This is my weapon, Skull Crusher. With this, I''ll redeem myself to the princess. So make it easier on yourself and hold still!¡± He charged ahead without a second to reply.


    I pulled away but he moved a lot quicker than before, by the time I turned, he had already closed the gap.


    He¡¯s using his magical weapon against me?! He¡¯s going all out, I¡¯ve gotta avoid that at all cost. I shifted my weight to the side when a flutter of faint green hair caught my eye. A person had thrown themselves between us. Shit, there¡¯s no time to get her out of there¨C


    An immense burst of pressure landed against my open palm as I thrust my hand towards his gauntlet. The impact shook me to my core, to the point where I nearly threw up but somehow, I remained standing. With my free hand, I grabbed the woman and held her to my chest so she wouldn¡¯t be caught in the blast. The ground around us shook slightly as dust rose and pebbles danced between my feet.


    Once the cloud around us settled, the cacophony of screams and cheers dulled to silence.


    It¡¯s a good thing I made it in time, she nearly got her head blown off. Damn¡­ looks like my shirts ripped a bit. I tried my best to not stand out on the first day but I guess that ship sailed long ago.


    ¡°You saw that, right..?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he stopped that other kid''s weapon with just his hand. It must have been a weak attack, right? Everyone knows a first-year can''t control their strength very well.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Yeah¡­that must be it!¡±


    The students grew rowdy again as one by one they whispered amongst themselves. Not that I heard much of it, I was too busy with the two people in front of me.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why¡¯d you jump in the middle of that?¡± I lowered my gaze to speak to her but she already had her eyes locked on me, almost like in a trance. ¡°Uhm¡­are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Thanks to you I am! Sorry to be so reckless but I can''t stand to see classmates fighting one another.¡± She pulled away from me and dusted herself off. Her buttoned white shirt was covered with marks but after a few taps, returned to its pristine appearance. It was only then that I noticed she wasn¡¯t dressed like the other girls, not even the seniors wore a skirt like that or such a formal blouse. ¡°I¡¯m glad to have such rowdy students but I hope in the future you¡¯ll restrain yourselves a bit more, okay?¡± She winked.


    ¡°Students?!¡±


    The mysterious woman flicked loose strands of her emerald hair that just barely touched her shoulder, all the while she displayed a bright smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, my name is Iris Amanae and I¡¯m a teacher here at Kishi Academy. But you kids can call me, Ms. Iris!¡± She said quite proudly. Her attention shifted to the brute, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re already aware but it¡¯s a violation of the rules to draw your magical weapons on school grounds without proper clearance to do so." Feeling satisfied with his reaction, she looked up to one of the school''s many balconies where the seniors were watching, ¡±You all should know better than to egg them on like that!" She pouted.


    "Sorry teach''!" The seniors grinned.


    The brute stood up, there was a slight stagger in his step but he managed nonetheless, ¡°Tch! I don¡¯t have time for this.¡± He scoffed and walked off but stopped in his tracks once the group he was originally, left without him. His hands quivered as the princess stared past him as if he never existed. ¡°Princess¡­?¡± He dropped to his knees defeated.


    "The princess doesn''t have time for weaklings." One of the girls muttered before leaving as well.


    So that¡¯s the woman he was fighting for? I hardly see the appeal¡­ I feel kind of bad now, should I say something?


    ¡°Uhm, you¡¯re the boy from before, aren¡¯t you?¡± A feathery voice asked.


    I turned around to the soft head of hazel hair and blue eyes that peered towards me. Her hopeful expression was only amplified by her creased expression. ¡°The boy who saved me before, that was you, right? The officer I spoke to didn''t give me your name so I''m not sure but I couldn''t forget your face.¡±


    A weight lifted from my body as she went on to talk with a cheerful grin.


    What was I worried about? I¡¯m glad to see she¡¯s alright, I was honestly pretty worried that she¡¯d never want to see me after what happened. I focused on her face a bit more. Suddenly she became red in the face and her mouth hung open, almost as if she had lost the words before they could leave her mouth. She doesn¡¯t seem traumatised by it but she¡¯s acting a little weird. Is she embarrassed that I suddenly brought it up?


    ¡°I-I uh¡­¡± She muttered softly. She shook her head from side to side and seemed to regain her composure again. ¡°I¡¯m really glad to see we¡¯re in the same school, although, I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised after what happened. You were incredible!¡± Her eyes brimmed with an intense amazement that suddenly threw me off my guard. "I''m surprised you have the energy to be getting into fights again after the other day." She looked at me, still amazed.


    ¡°No way, I wasn''t picking fights with anyone! He started with me and well, it just sort of turned out that way. Also, I''m not all that tough either, I never knew I had knight abilities before that moment after all.¡± I scratched my cheek and forced a smile.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?!¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°So you jumped in there against another knight without having any powers just to save someone you didn''t know?¡± Doubt hid in her words.


    ¡°Well, I guess¡­I mean, it seemed like the right thing to do. I¡¯m sure if I didn¡¯t, someone else would have.¡± I averted my eyes, too embarrassed by her intense stare.


    She seemed pleased with that answer, her face turned a deeper shade of red and pink and smiled softly. ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    This girl¡­I guess she¡¯s one of those goofball types. Still, I had no idea she was a knight to begin with. She never showed any signs of abilities in the incident before. Maybe she was just hiding her abilities? It''s not really my place to find out, I''ve only just met this person.


    I opened my mouth to ask but was interrupted by a sudden wave from our teacher, Miss Iris. She cupped her hands over her mouth as she addressed the entire courtyard of people gathered, ¡°I think we¡¯ve had enough time outside for now, everybody head into the hall, please!¡±


    Everyone followed her commands reluctantly, surprisingly the seniors were the first to move. They seemed to respect her a great deal, not that I could tell why. Well she seemed nice enough so I decided to follow along.


    ¡°Should we go ahead, it looks pretty important?¡± The girl poked at my arm. "What''s your name by the way?"


    ¡°I¡¯m Shin, and yours?¡± I held out a hand nervously and she took it without hesitation.


    ¡°I¡¯m Sarin Onishi, I hope we can be good friends!¡± She grabbed my arm and dragged me towards the hall entrance.