A Failed Knight Who Went to the Academy To Get Married

017 A Fugitive’s Ballad for the Righteous

The magical tome ‘Hwaran’ made a decision the moment it was born.

‘I will definitely be of help to my master!’

It was rare for an ordinary book to become a magical tome on its own,

and even rarer for such a tome to possess self-awareness,

and unheard of for it to swear allegiance to its master.

But it was moved to do so by the sheer grandeur of its master’s destiny.

However, there was one fundamental problem for Hwaran in aiding its master.

‘That foolish master, he abandoned me and fled!’

Incredibly, the master had discarded Hwaran in the forest the moment it came into being and ran away.

After waiting for days, Hwaran’s patience reached its limit,

and it decided to send a telepathic message to its master directly.

‘Master! Master! Can you hear my voice?!’

For some reason, the noise was too intense to make contact.

It seemed there was a malfunction in his magical circuit.

So, for nearly a month, he called out desperately for his master every day,

Until his heart nearly broke and he almost gave up completely.

By sheer luck, or perhaps it was fate,

A group of hunters appeared in the forest just before he lost all hope.

Hwaran sent telepathy to them with all his might.

“Hey! Can someone pick me up?”

Then, one of the hunters sensed his presence and approached Hwaran.

“Oh, what’s this? A grimoire discarded in such a place!”

The hunter picked up the book and flipped through it.

Hwaran shouted with all his strength.

“Please! Find my master for me!”

But the hunter, seemingly not hearing, said to his companion,

“This could fetch a few hundred gold if sold to a noble, right?”

“Hey! Now’s not the time for that!”

No matter how loudly she shouted, her voice didn’t reach.

It seemed impossible to converse unless one was particularly perceptive.

“This is thrilling! Looks like we won’t have to worry about food and shelter for a while!”

“Just wait a moment!”

“Let’s throw a party with drinks tonight!”

“Listen to me!”

“Let’s go sell this right away!”

“Would someone please just listen to my voice!”

***

“Eek!”

Traine jolted awake with a scream, sitting up abruptly.

At that, all the female students around looked at Traine in unison.

Traine glanced around at them and muttered,

“Who’s Hwaran?”

The female students turned their attention back and each made a remark.

“You seem to be half asleep.”

“She always screams in her sleep when she dozes off.”

“Leave her be. She must be feeling the pressure.”

Trine turned her head to look out the window.

All she could see was the bright blue sky.

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she muttered again.

“And I was on my way to the Romer Empire, wasn’t I?”

The airship heading to the Romer Empire.

Thanks to Princess Shia, the group had the luxury of occupying the first-class section.

Otherwise, her sleep-talking just now would have earned her the scornful looks of other passengers.

Elford, the butler sitting next to her, said to Trine,

“Why don’t you rest a bit more? It’s still half a day before we arrive.”

“No, I’m fully awake now.”

She was certain that in her dream, someone named Hwaran was calling out to Trine, but…

I had barely woken up when I forgot the name altogether.

‘Recently, I seem to have had similar dreams often… Maybe it’s because I’m really tired.’

As Trine still gazed out the window at the sky with a dazed look,

Princess Shia approached Trine and asked,

“Are you awake? Would you like to join me for a stroll on the deck to clear your head?”

“No, thank you. I have a fear of heights.”

“Then all the more reason to get used to the sky. If you marry me, you’ll often have to attend parties on board.”

“That’s one more reason not to marry you, Princess.”

“Haha, it seems you’re still not fully awake.”

Princess Shia whispered into Trine’s ear,

“If you keep this up, I might just reveal our little secret.”

At that, Trine glared at Princess Shia with all his might.

Princess Shia laughed cheerfully once,

then grabbed Trine’s arm and forcibly pulled him to his feet.

“Enough talk, just come with me.”

Train tried to resist, but

his strength had not fully recovered yet, weaker than Princess Shia’s.

In the end, Train was forcibly dragged out onto the deck by Princess Shia’s hand.

“Just a minute! Let go! I really have acrophobia!”

Princess Shia stopped right in front of the deck’s railing,

and said to Train, who had been keeping his head down all along.

“Lord Train, would you please look up for a moment?”

Under that stern gaze, Train reluctantly and carefully raised his head.

And then, he was utterly captivated by the landscape unfolding before his eyes.

“What is this… It’s incredible?”

The sky, a vast expanse of blue.

A majestic flock of giant pterosaurs gliding alongside the airship.

It was a spectacle he was seeing for the first time in this world.

“Are you feeling a bit better now?”

“…Yes.”

Princess Shia leaned against the railing and said,

“Don’t you feel utterly insignificant when you look at the sky from such a high place?”

“That’s rather romantic for a princess,” came the reply.

“My curse… Whether I die from the curse, a terminal illness, or an accident, death is all the same—it becomes quite laughable.”

Princess Shia’s casual jest left Train unable to muster a laugh.

A young life, just 14 years old, with less than a year remaining.

Surrounded by countless conspiracies and deceptions.

The reason she became so calculating and cunning at such a young age,

It surely wasn’t by her own choice.

As Train’s face grew troubled, Princess Shia said with a mischievous smile,

“If I’m going to die anyway, wouldn’t it be happier to jump from here than to suffer from vain hope?”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Princess Shia stuck out her tongue, then suddenly leaped over the railing.

Train cried out in panic,

“Princess!”

But soon, Princess Shia was bounced back onto the railing by an invisible barrier.

“Hehe, just kidding. Did you not know that this airship is protected by a shield?”

“Seriously, stop doing that!”

“Before I met Lord Traein, I really thought about suicide.”

Princess Shia gazed at Traein and smiled faintly.

“You’re the only one who taught me what true hope is.”

“That’s quite an honor.”

“After the curse is lifted, I’ve thought of so many things I want to do.”

“Is that so.”

“Attend the academy with Lord Traein, enjoy tea parties together.”

“It doesn’t matter what you do, but please leave me out of it.”

“Besides, if I could marry Lord Traein after graduation, I would be supremely happy.”

At those words, Traein almost burst into anger but managed to hold back.

“You know that’s not possible.”

“Hehehe, I know. A dream is just a dream, after all.”

Princess Shia approached Train and said,

“Please, I ask of you. I won’t be greedy for anything else, just help me to keep dreaming.”

After a long pause, Train finally answered slowly,

“Alright. I promise to be on your side unconditionally until the curse is lifted.”

“Thank you.”

“But after that, you must promise never to harbor any foolish feelings towards me.”

“I know. It’s not me who makes you shine, Train, but someone else.”

“If you know that, then it’s settled.”

Princess Shia laughed cheerfully.

And then, she pushed Train right over the railing.

Train flailed about and eventually fell over the railing.

“Whoa!”

A bit of a rough prank.

But Princess Shia had just jumped down herself to show it was safe.

And so…

Train never dreamed he would actually fall from the airship.

“Ah?! Lord Train!”

Princess Shia exclaimed in panic, peering over the railing.

But Train’s figure was already out of sight.

***

Atop the Pterosaur.

A burly man with a headscarf and a boy with cat ears stared intently at Train and asked,

“Who are you, exactly?”

Train paused for a moment before replying,

“Just an ordinary traveler.”

A little earlier.

The burly man and the cat-eared boy were attempting to sneak onto the airship.

Having temporarily disabled the airship’s shield while aboard the Pterosaur,

they were surprised when some strange fellow fell from the airship right after.

They couldn’t just leave him there, so they rescued him, but…

The cat-eared boy asked the burly man.

“What should we do?”

“Just put him back on the airship.”

“It doesn’t matter if he’s a commoner, but if he’s a noble, it becomes troublesome. Isn’t it better to just drop him off?”

Train answered in a fluster.

“No! I am definitely not a noble!”

Then the cat-eared boy muttered suspiciously.

“Seeing how vehemently you deny it, makes you even more suspicious, doesn’t it?”

“Let’s just let it slide. If we kill someone here for no reason, it’ll only give us a headache later.”

“Fine. But if you try any funny business, you’re dead, got it?”

“Phew… Thank you.”

The cat-eared boy drove the pterosaur stealthily towards the rear of the airship.

As the two jumped onto the back deck first, Train followed suit.

“Shall we show off our skills?”

As the cat-eared boy touched the closed cargo hold shutter and chanted a spell, the shutter opened by itself.

Afterward, the three of them entered the cargo hold, and the shutter closed immediately.

The cat boy stretched and declared,

“Great! Infiltration success.”

“Keep it down. What if we get caught?”

“There’s no one in the cargo hold, so it’s fine.”

Trembling slightly, Train asked from beside them,

“Excuse me, why did you two sneak onto the airship?”

The cat boy puffed up with pride and announced,

“We are the infamous ‘Sky Pirates’!”

At the somewhat childish name, Train couldn’t help but let out a snicker,

which led the cat boy to grab Train by the collar.

“Think it’s funny? Want me to throw you out?”

Seeing him on his tiptoes despite his small stature,

Train almost burst into laughter again.

Beside them, the bulky one grumbled.

“I told you ‘Sky Pirates’ is such a childish name.”

“Quiet! It’s way better than ‘Black Wing’!”

“Anyway, Mr. Uninvited Guest, our only goal is to steal a single treasure, so if you stay quiet, we’ll let you go after it’s done.”

“What treasure is it?”

“It’s a magical tome called ‘Hwalan.'”

…Hwalan?

Train furrowed his brows at the name that seemed familiar.

“Why are you trying to steal that tome?”

The cat boy spoke up confidently.

“That book was stolen by a noble from its original owner. We’ve been commissioned to return it.”

The bulky one interjected.

“Is it really okay to talk about it so freely?”

“What does it matter? We’re honorable thieves, so we have no reason to hide.”

With that, the two thieves left Train alone and started rummaging through the cargo.

Train had no choice but to sit quietly on the floor and mutter to himself.

“How did it ever come to this?”

A myriad of thoughts flooded my mind.

If I just stay put, there shouldn’t be any major issues…

But with Train gone, people will soon swarm here looking for him…

And where have I heard the name ‘Hwaran’ before…

While I was lost in thought, the two thieves were engrossed in searching for the magic tome.

“Not this one. Nor this. This is a dud too.”

“Could it be this book? No, this is just a novel.”

It was incredibly frustrating.

At this rate, we won’t find it even if half a day passes.

Unable to bear it any longer, Train spoke up.

“Shall I help you?”

Without even glancing at Train, the two replied.

“We’d appreciate that!”

“The cover probably looks like an ordinary fairy tale book.”

Why are these two so defenseless?

Train stood up from his seat.

In fact, he had been sensing something troubling from one of the carriers for a while now.

When Train opened the carrier, there indeed was a grimoire inside.

…For some reason, it was a cover that felt incredibly familiar.

But whether it had been rolled in the mud or not,

the letters on the cover were smeared, making it unreadable.

Suddenly, he felt an urge to read the contents.

But since it was a crime to casually peek into someone else’s grimoire,

Train eventually resigned himself and shouted to the two thieves.

“I found it!”

The cat boy who received the grimoire slapped Train’s back and exclaimed,

“That’s the spirit! I’ll acknowledge you as an honorary member of our Sky Pirates!”

“Are you two getting off now?”

“No. The wyvern we rode in on must have already left, right?”

“What are you going to do?”

“Just stay hidden until we arrive. You hang out with us until then.”

Truly, they were thieves of the most frustratingly lax kind.

The cat boy pulled a black eye patch from his back pocket and handed it to Train.

“It’s an eye patch enchanted with perception-inhibiting magic. No one will recognize you while you’re wearing it.”

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“We’re already wanted, so it doesn’t matter for us, but it would be troublesome in many ways if you got caught with us, wouldn’t it?”

“Ah… Thank you.”

Train reluctantly put on the eye patch.

Even with his eyes covered, his vision was clear, as if he were wearing glasses.

“This is quite a nice item.”

Then the cat boy slapped Train’s back again and said,

“You’ve got an eye for quality, huh? I made that.”

“Oh! Really?”

“And now that I think about it, I haven’t introduced myself yet? I’m Cat.”

“I am Muscle.”

“Are both pseudonyms?”

“Of course. And from now on, I’ll call you Veil with a pseudonym too.”

Just then, suddenly, a door inside the cargo hold swung open.

“Found you!”

It was Lizbeth and Barbara.

As Train sighed in relief,

Cat suddenly pulled out a dagger and charged at the two schoolgirls.

“Strike first to win!”

Muscle also joined Cat, gripping a hand axe.

Eventually, Lizbeth and Barbara also drew their weapons, leading to a standoff.

Seeing the situation turn dire, Train pulled out ‘The Bremen Town Musicians’ and exclaimed,

“Everyone, hold on! Fighting here isn’t good, right?”

The magic book was only meant for emergencies.

The schoolgirls would surely back down once they knew Train was safe.

But that was a grave misconception on Train’s part.

Lisbeth stared intently at Train’s grimoire and asked in a low voice.

“Where did you get that grimoire?”

“What? Where did I get it from…”

Train had forgotten that he was currently wearing a perception-inhibiting blindfold.

Therefore, Lisbeth, not recognizing Train, exclaimed.

“You scoundrel! What have you done to Train!”

A female student rushed at him, brandishing a greatsword.

“Wait, just a minute!”

Only then did Train attempt to remove his blindfold.

But for some reason, the blindfold wouldn’t come off.

“Just wait! Let me take this off first-“

“Such despicable tricks won’t work!”

Lisbeth swung her sword without giving Train a chance to finish his sentence.

Perhaps she instinctively felt that she couldn’t afford to give Train an opening.

In the end, Train had no choice but to struggle and squirm, trying to remove the blindfold while on the run.

Meanwhile, Cat and Muscle faced off against Barbara, who was armed with a crossbow, and shouted,

“Ugh! More are coming from behind!”

“It’s not good to fight like this!”

The situation quickly turned into a complete melee as other female students and airship crew members joined the fray.

Metallic sounds clashed and cargo flew wildly everywhere.

“Damn it! It’s Plan B!”

Cat threw something shaped like a can onto the floor.

Then, white smoke spewed out, filling the cargo hold.

Seizing the moment, Muscle forcefully punched the button to open the cargo hold door.

“Jump out!”

Cat and Muscle leaped out together with vigor.

Train, too, fell out while trying to dodge Lizbeth’s sword strike.

As the three of them plummeted from the airship,

Cat exclaimed,

“V, you fool! You should’ve stayed!”

“It’s because of the blindfold!”

Muscle shouted.

“Quick, deploy the parachute!”

Cat pulled out a small can from his pocket and popped it open.

Then, a massive parachute unfolded.

Muscle caught Train in mid-air and clung onto Cat’s back.

But with three of them hanging on, the speed hardly decreased.

Cat yelled out.

“This can only carry two people!”

Muscle shouted back.

“Just hang on! There’s a lake below, we’ll be fine!”

Train screamed.

“aaah!”

In the end, the three fools barely managed to land in the middle of the lake, saving their lives.