Turning Chapter 1099

Chapter 1099

A tense expression appeared on the faces of those imprisoned.

"...Officially, we're not here for trying to stop fights, but for the crime of insubordination for disobeying a superior's orders."

"I don't understand. Why does that become insubordination?"

Kiolle hadn't asked with any hidden meaning; he truly didn't understand. Why would they imprison convenient guys who voluntarily tried to stop fights? Didn't that just make managing the soldiers more troublesome as a result?

However, the people didn't take it that way and were surprised.

"Th-that's right. As expected, you understand our intentions, young master."

"What do I understand? Anyway, if it's true that you came in here for trying to stop fights, quickly tell me what happened. I need to know that to resolve this and go back."

"Understood. We'll tell you!"

They looked at Kiolle with moved faces and honestly told their story.

"From the beginning, there was severe jealousy from the existing soldiers because the awakener soldiers came in receiving special treatment. Conversely, the awakeners were fed up with the bullying from the existing soldiers who were being territorial."

It was mostly the existing soldiers who picked fights first. The awakener soldiers, whose personalities were not ordinary either, immediately fought back, but the manager only punished the new awakeners.

"The manager hates awakeners. Yet he overlooks those with abilities that can be useful to him personally, while treating those without such abilities as less than human. Even that little one by your side, Young Master Kiolle, became the manager's servant at such a young age because his ability was recognized as useful."

Kiolle turned his head in surprise. The face of the young servant boy who had his head bowed low was pale.

"This kid was an awakener too?"

"That child has the ability to hear sounds well. It's convenient for the manager because he can hear and move even when the manager mutters various chores from afar. Saying he'd be perfect as a servant, he excluded him from becoming an official soldier."

"Is that true?"

The servant raised his eyes at Kiolle's question. He nodded with difficulty, a sad expression on his face.

"So, you originally applied wanting to become a soldier, but ended up as a servant?"

"To be precise... my status is that of a soldier. But I'm not allowed to participate in training."

"Huh."

"The awakeners have to follow the orders of other managers and senior soldiers like slaves, with the reason being that they should work as much as they're paid. The conflict worsened after someone died because of this."

"Someone even died?"

"Yes."

Those imprisoned were people who either knew that awakeners were no different from themselves because there were awakeners around them, or who had become friends with awakener soldiers without discrimination. They protested the discriminatory treatment together with the awakener soldiers but were dismissed with words saying it was fine since they were paid a lot.

Even after that, they tried to persuade their colleagues who were wary of awakener soldiers and to stop fights, but instead fell out of favor with the manager.

"It's true that awakeners receive more money than when we were new recruits, but that's not a reason why it's okay for them to be treated like that. Honestly, seeing how those guys suffer, I just feel sorry thinking that money is just compensation for their lives. So we gathered together to protest once more, but..."

"And that's how you ended up here?"

"Yes. That's right."

"..."

Kiolle recalled the Imperial Knights at the time when the Cavalry was first formed. They, and Kiolle, were not much different from the non-awakener soldiers here.

They felt insulted that lowly commoners dared to set foot on Imperial Knights grounds just because they had obtained an ability. It didn't matter who the Cavalry members actually were. They picked fights with and looked down on the Cavalry members who shared the training grounds, wanting to vent their frustrations and make those commoners leave.

Kiolle had been the same. He had hated even the fact that he was breathing the same air as the arrogant commoner Cavalry members.

That thought changed because of Yuder Aile. Although he still thought of him as monstrous, the current Kiolle had no intention of denying the fact that he was a person who was of tremendous help to this country.

Yuder Aile, and the Cavalry, were living much more like true knights in some sense than the knights of the Imperial Knights, despite being of commoner origin. He had realized this fact so clearly after being saved by the Cavalry during the Day of Hail in the South.

The previous Kiolle might have shown a reaction similar to the manager's when hearing such a story. But now, he had changed a lot from when he had grumbled and been scolded for disliking it when his father said he would bring in awakener soldiers.

After reaching a conclusion, Kiolle clicked his tongue.

"It's simple."

"Pardon?"

"Hey. Open the door of this prison and let these people out."

Kiolle firmly instructed the young servant boy beside him, then after thinking for a moment, continued.

"And instead, bring the manager and the guys who first bullied the new recruits who were just minding their own business here. In my view, those are the ones who should be locked up!"

The servant opened his mouth in surprise, then bowed his head with a flushed face.

"Ye-yes!"

The soldiers who had been unjustly imprisoned were released. Following Kiolle's orders, they brought the manager and the main instigators who had bullied the new awakener recruits the most severely.

"No, young master. Why am I..."

"How on earth have you been doing your job?"

Kiolle burst out angrily at the manager who had a bewildered look on his face.

"Before coming here, I heard that the atmosphere among the soldiers wasn't good, so I thought it was just that morale had dropped because the weather hasn't been good lately. But when I looked into it, the ones who should be rewarded weren't up there, but here! It's your duty to manage Diarca's soldiers well, but you haven't done even that one thing properly and made the job troublesome, yet you dare to hope for mercy?"

"Young master...? There seems to be some misunderstanding. I have performed my duties well. There were no problems while leading the existing soldiers for over a decade, so how is it my fault that things became noisy after the new recruits came in?"

The manager protested, feeling wronged.

"It's unfair for you to do this to me after listening to only one side when you don't know how many things have happened here that you're unaware of, young master! This is something that even Sir Kironne understood and sympathized with, so it's not something for Young Master Kiolle to say anything about!"

"Ha, so you're saying you're not at all to blame for this whole situation, and because my eldest brother is in charge, I should just shut up and stay out of it?"

Kiolle snorted and ran his hand through his hair. People were startled to see the angry eyes revealed under his hand.

"Insolent bastard. Do you think only my eldest brother is Diarca, and I'm not even Diarca? I'll punish you and tell father to set things straight. Let's see if you can say such things then!"

"You're going to punish me, who has been loyal to Diarca for a long time, because of mere commoner awakeners!"

"What's wrong with commoner awakeners?! They seem to recognize very well that I am a person of Diarca, with their eyes more properly set than yours!"

"Don't you know that this level of hazing and small problems exist everywhere? There's nothing good in making a big deal out of it!"

"Exists everywhere? Ha! I have never experienced such a thing even once since entering the Imperial Knights!"

"That's..."

Kiolle glared and proudly beat his chest. The manager, dumbfounded by the foolish words with a blatantly misplaced focus, closed his mouth for a moment. Kiolle thought he had won and became triumphant.

"Now lock him up and investigate further what happened here! In my view, he's the biggest problem!"

"Yes!"

"W-wait a moment, young master. I understand what you're saying. It seems there are parts where I was wrong too. I'll correct them, so please just overlook it this once..."

"No. Why should I do that?"

It was a tone like that of an extremely childish kid, but that made it even more terrifying. The manager closed his eyes tightly and knelt down.

"I-I know something. If you go on like this, Young Master Kiolle, you will be in danger. If you release me, I'll tell you what it is...!"

He couldn't finish his words. It was because Kiolle got angry and kicked him outright.

"You dare to threaten and insult me, the only knight of Diarca!"

"..."

"Lock him up quickly! The fact that he threatened me must also be reported to father!"

"Yes, young master!"

"Ah. And the reward that my eldest brother was going to give..."

Since it seems to have been prepared in advance, I should give it out since I came here. It's bothersome. Who should I give it to? Kiolle tilted his head and saw the young servant boy standing far away.

'Right. He'll do.'

"Since you bravely guided me and I seem to have resolved the matter well because of that, I'll give it to you."

"M-me, you mean?"

"Yes."

"The reward prepared by the manager seemed to be enough for about 10 people... for me to take all of that..."

"Then distribute it as you see fit! And from now on, train properly like a soldier too. It's right for everyone who wants to hold a sword to hold one!"

Kiolle declared proudly and then turned to leave. He left without even imagining the fact that after he disappeared, the young servant boy knelt down and shed tears of emotion, or that a great commotion occurred in the Diarca soldier management office.

'Up to there was good.'

Yes. Up to there was good.

After leaving the soldier management office and returning inside the Seventh Wall, Kiolle encountered an unexpected situation.