Trumpets blared in grandiose fanfare as rows of knights in dazzling armor lined up like a scene out of a storybook.
A lion then dramatically entered, pacing along a red carpet laid out between them before roaring into the heavens—
Nothing remotely like that happened. Sorry about that! That was all just in my imagination.
—
At the estate—or more precisely, the palace—we were informed that someone had arrived. I sort of figured something like this might happen.
But instead of some extravagant announcement, all I saw was a single knight respectfully delivering a message.
And there was Father, promptly answering the knight with an appropriate response.
“Hmm.”
Father first reviewed the letter before summarizing its contents right there in front of the family.
“The Second Princess requests your presence, Kael.”
“The Second Princess… wants me?”
“For now, anyway.”
“For now…?” I said, raising an eyebrow. Got it.
From the tone, I could already guess what was going on. They probably chose the Second Princess to reach out because her invitation was the safest option—least imposing. No one as rude as to drag someone back home right after they’ve just arrived.
But if the Second Princess herself was asking me to return so quickly, there was one obvious reason—
“The truth is, a higher-ranking official wants to see me but prefers to keep it discreet,” I silently concluded.
Normally, refusing such requests is already out of the question—but if this were truly the case, it would be absolutely mandatory that I go.
I thought about leaving immediately, but evidently, the sender had shown a bit of consideration by including a note saying, “Take your time.”
Of course, “take your time” in their terms probably meant leaving the day after receiving the message. Still, I appreciated the slight courtesy.
“Looks like we’ll have to start traveling early tomorrow morning, Kael.”
“Alexei, your mother can call you back when she wants.”
“Yes, Father, Mother. Thank you.”
Right now, I had one person I needed to appease who wasn’t too thrilled about the current situation.
—
What was the point of coming home only to be called back so soon?
Still, while my parents clearly understood, my younger sister, Kaya, was another story.
“Are you kidding me?! Kael just got home yesterday!” Kaya exclaimed, sitting on a bench in the garden and launching into a tirade.
At least she wasn’t clinging to my leg this time like she did when she was younger. Progress!
“I know. I know it’s sudden, but there must be some pressing issue,” I reasoned.
“No, Dad said rest came first! Right now Kael’s supposed to be resting at home!”
“After visiting the palace, he can rest again. Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?”
Kaya glanced at me sideways before shaking her head stubbornly.
“That’s not it. I’ve got this bad feeling, Kael.”
“Hmm?”
To be honest, I shared her sentiment. This didn’t feel like something that would wrap up quickly.
When I left to come home, I exchanged pleasantries with a few nobles. There’s no way the palace didn’t already know about my return. They can estimate my arrival by doing some simple calculations. Considering they explicitly sent someone, it was clearly an urgent matter.
“I’m a little nervous, Kael.”
“Why’s that?”
“That you were specifically requested to come to the palace, and not Father. They even called for someone who doesn’t even have an official title.”
“Maybe they want to reward you with something grand,” I suggested.
“Maybe they want to assign you with something grand,” Kaya corrected me.
“…”
You know, moments like these remind me how sharp my little sister can be. It would be so much easier if I could just feed her some made-up story to calm her down…
But I have a feeling doing that regularly might not be in the cards for me in this lifetime.
“Kaya.”
“Hmm?”
“I really need to start getting ready. Don’t want to be late for a royal summons.”
“Five more minutes,” she begged, clinging to me.
Here she was, refusing to let go, and if anyone saw this, they’d probably think we were an overly affectionate couple. Awkward rumors could spread around here, jeopardizing her future marriage prospects!
“Actually, I had planned to keep this a secret from you…”
“Huh? Kaya, what was that?”
Embarrassingly, Kaya began mumbling something so low I had to ask her to repeat herself.
“I… I beat them all.”
“You beat everyone?”
“Everyone in the family’s knighthood.”
“Huh?”
“Me versus them in 1-on-1 practice duels. Except for the Master Commander, I beat everyone.”
—
For a second, I thought I misheard her. Kaya beating people?
“You’re telling me you bested all our family’s knights—even the Deputy Commander?”
“Mhm.”
—
Without hesitation, she nodded. It was clear she wasn’t lying. And wow, that shocked me. I was stunned speechless.
Ever since she was small, Kaya trained hard to protect me. Sure, while I’ve always been less talented with physical activities, Kaya excelled. People used to cheer her on during her spear training back in the day.
But she’s only fifteen years old. A girl still in her teens. She hasn’t even participated in wars or even reached adulthood yet. And now she’s claiming to have beaten our house’s soldiers—and even the Deputy Commander?
“Are you serious? You beat them?”
“Yeah.”
“And… wait—”
“Come on, Kael. You don’t really think our family knights would just ‘let’ me win, do you?”
—
True. The knights who once fought alongside father aren’t the type to take it easy on her just because she’s the master’s daughter. If anything, they’d push her to the limit and offer constructive criticism. That’s far more likely.
“This is insane…”
“That’s all you have to say?” Kaya gave me a pointed look. Yeah, this wasn’t something you just brush off lightly. A fifteen-year-old girl taking down fully trained knights—it wasn’t everyday news.
“Our Kaya is a genius. A genius.”
“Hehe.”
I ruffled her hair a little, and instantly, she softened like a puppy. Or rather, like one of those affectionate kittens that follows you around all the time.
Of course, that’s not what I meant by treating her like a pet. She’s family, after all. And family… well, family is something precious that just needs to be there for each other.
In my previous life, I wasn’t lucky enough to have that—but not this time. This life is different. I can make changes. And if I wanted to protect her, then becoming the best strategist or whatever it takes isn’t a problem.
—
“Alright, let’s head inside, Kaya. We’ve got an early start tomorrow.”
“You go on ahead. I’ll stay out here a little longer.”
With a bright smile, Kaya gave me a light shove. I paused for a moment, considering arguing, but quickly nodded.
She’s fifteen, not five. Telling her to sleep early is just nagging at this age. She’ll manage fine. Sure, she’s old enough to know better—but it’s also her job now to act her age.
Though the night air was brisk, I reminded her to come in soon before heading indoors.
—
Kaya watched as her brother’s figure disappeared into the estate before tilting her gaze to the night sky.
“Hah…”
A strange discomfort settled in her chest. The weight of telling a lie—even to Kael—bothered her deeply. Especially to Kael, the person she loved most in this world. It just didn’t feel right.
It’s not that she didn’t want to be honest—it’s more that she couldn’t. Not yet.
Defeating the knights—true. Beating the Deputy Commander—also true. Everything she had told Kael so far was technically accurate. But she hadn’t told him everything. And she definitely hadn’t corrected certain assumptions.
“Empire’s best spear…”
She repeated the words Kael had said earlier under her breath.
—
<>
“A-ah, Miss Kaya! When exactly did you become this powerful?”
After besting the Deputy Commander, Kaya requested a private duel with the Commander himself.
The match ended in the Commander’s favor, but for him, it was practically a loss.
After all, how often does one face an opponent both younger and junior, only to find themselves evenly matched? And to make things harder for her, she insisted on fighting with a spear instead of her true weapon.
“Outstanding. Simply outstanding! To have reached this level at fifteen—it defies belief!”
“That wasn’t a mere exhibition, Commander. I did my best.”
“But Miss, why insist on using the spear when clearly your true specialty lies elsewhere?”
“Because if I hadn’t chosen the spear, I would have lost.”
“Your true strength lies in swordsmanship, doesn’t it?”
<>
—
Yes. Kaya Klauwitz, the one who fights with a spear in front of her brother, is hiding a secret: her true strength isn’t with the spear at all—it’s with the sword. A skill so potent it could rival anyone.
Few know this truth. In fact, there are only two people in all of Duke Berterie’s realm who are aware: the Commander of Knights who dueled with her, and Duke Berterie himself.
And the reason she hides this talent?
“Because Kael, even if he’s not as physically strong as others, is still pretty talented with a sword. And I want that to remain special for him.”
The Klauwitz family had always been a line of warriors, possessing incredible physical prowess. In contrast, Kael possessed only average physical skills—not weak by any means, but nothing extraordinary either.
Swordplay, however, was one area where Kael shone. It was something he quietly took pride in. And knowing this, Kaya didn’t want to intrude on that pride.
So she picked up the spear instead. It was more than enough to guard her brother’s side.
“Swords or spears—it doesn’t matter to me. Anything for Kael.”
Under the light of the full moon, Kaya smiled faintly, content with her decision.
—
“Everything is ready, young master!”
“Good. How are you holding up, Alexei? Leaving so soon after arriving must be tough.”
“I’m fine! Besides, the palace? My heart could explode from excitement!” Alexei chuckled.
Tell me about it. Mine too, though not in a good way. Just days after returning home, I’m back on the road—this time headed straight for the palace.
