TSBTTDI – 10

When Devon’s voice rang through the training yard to announce a break, the knights leaned against the wall and gulped down water.

As I tipped back a bottle to quench the rising thirst, I felt gazes collecting on me.

‘Well, it’s gotta look funny seeing a beast holding a water bottle with both hands.’

At this point, I decided to enjoy the stares.

Most of the knights weren’t looking at me with fear or terror, but with curiosity, suspicion, and—if anything—competitive fire toward the unknown.

Honestly, they were too monstrous in build and skill, each and every one of them, to be afraid of me.

I shook my head, recalling the solid torsos of the knights who’d been stripping off their shirts without a care.

‘What are they even thinking!’

“You were incredible today, too.”

I almost thought I’d been caught having lewd thoughts. Cold sweat pricked my back as my eyes darted around, only to see Norman.

“Me?”

“Of course. The Knights of Berenice’s ultimate weapon, Dame Nadan.”

Norman teased me and then eased into place at my side.

Norman Kraus was always the first to come over and talk to me. When everyone was minding their own business, he was the one who filled me in on this and that.

Like a max-level gym rat rescuing a wandering newbie.

Noticing my canteen was bone-dry, Norman handed me a fresh bottle he’d been carrying.

“Just now, you moved so fast everyone just stared, slack-jawed.”

I tilted my head, wondering if those looks were really as positive as Norman claimed.

Especially these last few days, the way some stares felt like they could drill right through my face made it hard to take him at face value.

Norman, having traced where my narrowed gaze was headed, let out a hearty laugh.

“Oh, George Teller.”

At the end of his line of sight stood a knight with blazing red hair—George Teller.

Does he think I wouldn’t notice?

Those reddish-brown eyes kept sneaking peeks at me whenever there was the slightest opening. Definitely weird.

‘Well, I’d be mortified too.’

Getting sent flying with one hit in front of everyone? That’s knightly disgrace material.

“He must resent me a lot, right?”

As I spoke in a gloomy voice, Norman’s eyes widened.

“No way. He’s reflecting on himself. He attacked Dame Nadan without confirming the facts. You could say he’s looking for a chance to make peace right now.”

My brow creased at the unexpected answer.

‘That smoldering glare is for… an apology?’

I was ready to let him take a swing at me, and I’d take it like a champ.

Seeing my disgruntled face, Norman went on gently, as if to say he understood everything.

“He went at you with such ferocity that your response makes sense. To be honest… I mentioned this briefly before, but George lost his parents to a demonic beast. He hates demonic beasts more than anyone.”

Viscount and Viscountess Teller, they governed a small village in Berenice. Without warning, a demonic beast attacked the village, and the Tellers fought to protect their people.

He didn’t want to, but George Teller obeyed his father’s command, grabbed his only little sister, and fled.

Norman lifted his eyes to the wide-open sky. As if staring at a place so far away it could never be reached.

“In the end, when George came back, what greeted him were the unrecognizable corpses of his parents and the villagers.”

At the time, Valentin had just received the ducal title and was touring Berenice; he killed the demonic beast that had raided the village and stabilized the situation.

Burning with the desire for revenge against demonic beasts, George Teller begged Valentin to let him become a knight of the ducal house.

To become stronger.

“George was already a knight, but unfortunately, he didn’t catch His Grace’s eyes. So he started over as an apprentice knight. And after gritting his teeth through two years of training, was only recently officially admitted into the Knights of Berenice.”

With a fond look like an uncle watching a cute nephew, Norman glanced toward where George stood.

“Anyway, since His Grace said that Dame Nadan isn’t a demonic beast, he doesn’t know what to do with himself now.”

I was at a loss for words.

I completely understood why he had jumped in headfirst as soon as he saw me.

If anything, shouldn’t I be the one feeling more sorry for body-slamming George after he’d clawed his way up here? Does everyone really think I’m not a demonic beast but a puppy?

I clicked my tongue again at the order’s loyalty. What a damn cult…

As I turned my head in disbelief, George Teller hastily averted his eyes and started talking to a passing knight.

His moves were so stiff the other knight teased him, asking if he was a wooden puppet.

‘It’d be nice if we got a chance to talk it out someday.’

I still wasn’t convinced that was the reason he was staring at me so intensely.

While I was watching George’s reddening ears with idle curiosity, a sound suddenly came from the entrance.

Something being dragged.

“No way, today again?”

I drooped my eyebrows and turned toward the entrance to see a big cart piled with ore.

At the same time, the knights who’d been doing their own tasks gathered around me.

‘Because that ore is for measuring my strength!’

Somehow there was always a ridiculous amount of ore. They brought in all sorts of grades several times a day.

They all just crumbled. Are these really supposed to be tough ores?

“What are you trying to pull this time?”

I looked up at the tall silhouette strolling over. The instant he stepped into the training yard, Valentin’s green eyes found me and narrowed.

‘That pointless capitalist smile.’

He tossed back perfunctory replies to the knights’ greetings and beckoned me over.

“Any incidents today?”

“I was very well-behaved.”

Without thinking, my posture slanted.

Sure, I’d smashed spots around the training ground and sent a few knights flying, but that was unavoidable.

‘It’s not like I can change how strong I am.’

I soothed myself, insisting I’d been trying to hold back, and glanced at the ores arrayed beside Valentin.

A bunch of differently colored rocks had been laid out on the ground.

“What do we have today?”

“The green ore is Duten, the purple is Darvim, the red is Nichetra. They were all brought from across the sea.”

As Valentin recited the names of the ore, the knights who had gathered around me in a circle showed an interested reaction.

“The Kingdom of Amicia on the Lisban Continent built its city gate out of Nichetra. That’s why it earned the nickname ‘the impregnable eastern gate.’”

“There’s even a running joke that even if the walls collapse, the gate will be just fine.”

Norman, next to me, chimed in.

You brought such amazing ore all the way from across the ocean? Seriously?

I gave Valentin a weary look, but he didn’t care. Instead, he pointed to the green ore first, like he wanted them smashed in order.

‘So today’s highlight is the Nichetra.’

With a reluctant face, I looked down at the three ores lined up in front of me.

Breaking ore wasn’t actually hard. You just braced for the pain and slammed down with everything you had.

What I didn’t like was showing off brute strength in front of so many people.

‘As if everyone isn’t already sending me meaningful glances!’

Even now they were laser-focused, trying to confirm just how terrifying I was.

I rolled my wrists, thinking it over.

‘Maybe I’ll go easy. I probably don’t have to pulverize the Nichetra.’

No sooner had that half-assed thought about an endless ore-smashing show crossed my mind than Valentin scratched lightly under my chin and called my name.

“Nadan.”

What was it about that touch? All my senses tunneled into my throat and my eyes drifted shut on their own.

‘I wish he would scratch the right side more.’

Before I even moved, Valentin spookily found the spot I wanted.

So nice and pleasant.

The world went so quiet that the only sound was my black fur rustling against Valentin’s fingers, but I didn’t even notice.

When Valentin finally stopped, I glared up at him in irritation.

Why did he stop? Just a little more…

“Ahem.”

Norman kept clearing his throat. Only then did I realize that I was flirting with Valentin in the middle of the training ground.

My face flushed hotly.

‘What will everyone think!’

While I was hunting for a hole to crawl into, Valentin produced a round tin from who knows where.

A tin case with a picture of a dog wearing a backpack and standing on two feet on the lid. It was painted in pastel tones, that can only be–!

‘Reynolds Bakery’s special cookies!’

My mouth watered. My breath became rough, and I inhaled all the scent in the air.

The sweet and savory scent of butter.

My tail stood to attention.

Watching my reaction, Valentin chuckled and popped the lid.

He didn’t forget to speak firmly, in case I pounced.

“Wait.”

Do I have to?

If the human in front of me weren’t Valentin, I would have lunged. Those cookies looked divine enough to knock me senseless.

Just looking at them, I could almost taste the fluffy crumb and Reynolds’ signature butter flavor on my tongue. It was, without a doubt, the best dessert of my life.

A taste beyond comparison.

‘My life is divided into before and after eating a Reynolds Cookie.’

“If you break all the ore, I’ll give you the whole tin.”

An irresistible offer dropped right into my very excited ears.

The whole tin?

When I eyed him skeptically, Valentin shrugged. He gave me a ‘believe me or not’ gesture, and I nodded my head vigorously.

‘Good things are good, right?’

I didn’t waste a second and smashed the ore in order.

Bang! Bang!

It was definitely tougher than yesterday.

‘Still, everything shatters with just one swing.’

For the Nichetra, the star of the eastern gate, I planted my feet extra firm and brought both hands down.

With a noise ripping through the air, red shards flew everywhere.

Done then?

“……”

Ignoring the silence around me, I proudly held out my palm.

‘Hand over the cookies.’

But instead of passing me the cookies, Valentin just gave me a sly smile.

Why’s he making that face again? I don’t like this.

That smile was downright indecent.

When I cocked my head meaningfully, telling him to hurry the heck up, he finally parted his lips.

“There’s still one more.”

No sooner had Valentin finished speaking than the sound of a cart being pulled was heard.

While everyone’s eyes were on the entrance, my eyes were the only ones bulging.

‘What is that?’