Chapter 27: Eye Contact (Part 1)
“…The Power of Order, while it varies from person to person, can still be improved with practice. Even if your natural affinity doesn’t quite measure up to some of those legendary warriors—like the famous ones from Ethanbel that you all know: Baron Quirafette, Miss Lucia, Knight Hossler, Mr. Rect… Our talents may not be on par with theirs, but if we master the precise control and application of the Power of Order through diligent training, we might still hold our own against them after a few years…”
In the classroom of the stone house, bathed in golden-orange twilight, Teacher Melville stood at the front of the stone steps, solemnly explaining the basic theories and knowledge related to the Power of Order to the students below.
Of course, the mandatory class at the Royal Academy was packed to the brim. Even though this was the largest classroom in the academy, latecomers found themselves without seats, and had to stand around the room, two circles deep. At this moment, everyone was focused, occasionally bowing their heads to jot down key points in their leather notebooks with feather quills.
In the back row, Sarah, Daisy, and I sat together, all of us tilting our little heads attentively. Even though I actually knew a lot of what Teacher Melville was saying, I wouldn’t let impatience creep in.
Today was May 15th, the last day before the first rest day of the month.
During my time back at school lately, whenever I found some spare time—especially at night—I would immerse myself in the library with a healthy stock of peas, reading a lot about divine miracles.
The pace of the theology class was just too slow for me. I could understand it, of course, since the content was tailored for regular students— spanning six whole years. For girls like Sarah, Sophia, and Daisy, and other students, these six years were a leisurely stroll through the bountiful cityscape of the Royal City, soaking in its rich history while casually acquiring knowledge, steadily solidifying their growth in this magnificent blue city and experiencing a colorful life.
But not for me.
For most people, whether it be Order, miracles, or the Abyss, all they need to do is to know and understand these concepts.
But I had to face them directly.
Especially after that recent incident, I felt an increasing sense of urgency. Sometimes, as I lay in bed at night and shut my eyes, the figure of Cardinal Nero standing at the peak of heaven still appeared in my mind. I would even dream of the silver-haired, crimson-eyed little girl. Those thoughts pierced my heart like thorny vines rooted deep inside me, constantly aching, impossible to forget.
I didn’t know when I would next encounter such an enemy.
Maybe it would be tomorrow.
Sarah found my diligence hard to believe and would occasionally ask, “Peilo, are you trying to outshine us and become a top student?” Judging by her expression, the girl seemed to have guessed some part of it.
Sometimes she joined me at the library, but she couldn’t sit still and often failed to focus for even half an hour before she began talking to me, throwing questions like “Isn’t being a Pope Knight tough?” “Do you have a secret mission here?” “Have you ever killed a bad guy?” “Are you close with Her Majesty the Queen?” “Do you know Mr. Carlos?” “How old is Mr. Carlos this year?” “Is he handsome? Has he come to the Royal City?” Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz, like a curious little fly. Even if I feigned disinterest and didn’t want to engage with her, Sarah was always cheerful and undeterred.
In any case, compared to the first few days, she had become much more lively.
That was worth celebrating.
Since that life sciences class, I had researched some materials on dragons, realizing that traditional dragons like red dragons, white dragons, black dragons, etc., could be considered cannon fodder among the great dragons—though even those wouldn’t be easy for an average wielder of Order to deal with. Killing them probably required a hero like Carlos.
As for the great dragons whose names have been recorded in human history, like Nidhogg, Aji Takahaka, and Fafnir—they were unimaginably powerful beings, but their numbers seemed exceedingly rare, at least among those with recorded accounts. As for their true strength, just reading the fragmented descriptions in the data left me unable to fathom it.
“…It’s getting late. We’ll stop here for today. After the rest day, our next class will be held at the training grounds, where you will witness the pinnacle standard of the Power of Order in the Order Royal City—a city steeped in a thousand years of history.”
With a cheer from the eager students, Teacher Melville’s class wrapped up.
As dusk descended, stepping out of the teaching building meant being met by the setting sun. The three girls from room 1504 maneuvered through the throngs of people down the path back to the dormitory, quickly tidying up their belongings and having a simple dinner. I asked the cafeteria lady for a big bag of peas, snugly storing it in my little satchel. Wearing my sun hat, I headed out with Sarah and Daisy. I hailed a war chariot, and the three of us hopped into the carriage, where Sarah fidgeted anxiously, rubbing her arms.
“Oh no, I’m a bit nervous…”
“Nervous about what?”
I asked her, tossing a pea high into the air and catching it in my mouth, crunch!
“I’ve never been to the rich district before… Do you think we’ll be looked down upon dressed like this?”
“Who has the time to care about you?”
I tossed another pea, crunch!
“Aren’t there a lot of rules among the nobility? Peilo, what if we run into Sophia’s parents? Should we bow first? Do we call them uncle and aunt, or what?”
“Whatever feels good to you.”
I missed catching the third pea, which hit my nose and rolled under the seat. Pouting, I hesitated for a moment… Nope, not worth retrieving it.
“Sarah, the more you think, the more nervous you’re going to get. Just relax…”
Upright Daisy couldn’t help but chime in, and Sarah frowned at her response.
“But what if I mess up and it gets awkward? I only know the knight’s salute… Wouldn’t doing that be weird?”
“…Very weird.”
“See!”
The girl looked worried, her doll-like face scrunched up.
A few days ago, Sarah was concerned that Sophia hadn’t returned and might be in trouble, so she bugged Teacher Melville non-stop until she got Sophia’s address. After we three got together to discuss it, we decided to visit her today—to both check up on her and express our concern.
But when it came time to go, Sarah started to chicken out, nervously fretting and fussing over what-ifs all the way there, her mouth firing off a string of questions that caused me to fumble the peas a few times. But when we arrived, we found a slightly old-fashioned building bustling with activity, numerous servants hauling tables, chairs, and furniture to a carriage in front, with a neatly dressed butler managing the chaos. Upon asking a few questions, we learned they were in the process of moving.
“Jiaslin’s Family is relocating to Wyseck Street near the palace. The owner isn’t here right now… So, are you friends of Miss Sophia from the Academy?”
“Um… is she not here either?”
Despite the steady butler, Sarah still seemed a bit on edge. The butler noticed this and smiled warmly, “Miss is here. Please wait a moment; I’ll go notify her.”
He turned and went inside, and shortly after, Sophia appeared in a long dress.
“Y-You guys came?” She seemed a bit surprised.
She apparently had been busy with something earlier; her forehead was slick with sweat, and her hands were wet as if she had just washed them. After her initial shock, Sophia invited us into her home—but the interior of the small building was practically empty, with hardly a place to sit and talk. We meandered a bit, casually chatting about various topics.
Sophia informed us that her family had received a reward from Her Majesty the Queen and planned to move to the south side of the palace. Her father had been very busy these days; although the Royal City had calmed down, many follow-up tasks were actually more cumbersome. She was running around all day with her father and hadn’t had time to come back to the Academy, apologizing for that with a faint smile.
“I’m fine. Once things settle down a bit, I’ll be back. Don’t worry~”
That smile was subtle and tranquil, devoid of the usual haughtiness, making her look more pleasing.
It felt like she had matured a lot.
Yet, it was funny—whenever my gaze met Sophia’s, her face would slightly redden, and her eyes would dart away. She probably wanted to say something to me but felt awkward with Sarah and Daisy around. After chatting for a bit, she seized the opportunity when they went to the restroom and pulled me aside.
“P-Peilo…”
Now that it was just the two of us, she suddenly grew tense, her head lowered, hands fiddling with her skirt as her words became jumbled—I’d never seen Sophia this unsure before.
“Um… I’ve heard a lot from Her Majesty the Queen… She called me in last month. I was hurt then, and the Queen even sent someone to check on me… You’re, you’re Pope Knight Silvya, I know that now… And about what I saw… those heretics… I won’t tell anyone, I signed a confidentiality agreement… You can rest assured; Her Majesty has warned me about it… Silvya—
I gently placed my finger against her soft lips, interrupting her. She blinked, shocked and confused, as I cupped her face.
“Just call me, Peilo.”
“Uh… Okay?”
“Just Peilo will do.”
Seeing the smart girl quickly catch on, she paused for a moment, her shoulders relaxed and a bright smile bloomed.
“Sure.”
“Finish up and come back quickly.”
“Okay.”
She still couldn’t quite meet my eyes.
Before long, Sarah and Daisy returned, and we chatted about this and that. As the outdoor light dimmed and night fell, Sophia mentioned that she had to go attend an evening banquet with her father and asked if we wanted to join her. She could sneak us into the venue. Hearing this, Sarah perked up a bit but thought better of it, shaking her head.
“No thanks, we’re not used to that kind of place… We plan to stroll around the streets tonight. It’s the Festival of Five Stars, and it’ll be lively outside.”
I, however, was tempted to go.
Dinner had left me unsatisfied, and I was sure there would be plenty of desserts at the banquet… yet there were also lots of delicious treats in the streets. I had been saving my appetite for tonight’s food adventure, and regardless, the street snacks were surely more varied than the banquet’s offerings.
So, after weighing things up, I decided to stick with Sarah and Daisy instead.
Soon, we bid farewell to Sophia and made our way through the residential district toward the bustling marketplace.
