Special Chapter 4: The Maiden Knight's Troubles
The maiden knight’s name was Anjerite. She was sixteen, almost seventeen, and incredibly cute.
But right now, she seemed burdened with worries. Frowning deeply, she walked gloomily down the streets of the Village of Egramote.
Passing adventurers left her alone. These seasoned veterans knew better than to provoke a lioness on the verge of rage.
Anjerite stopped before the village’s only tavern. She looked up at the sign hanging above the entrance.
“Night Night Tavern…” she murmured softly, then stepped inside.
After greeting familiar drinking buddies, she headed straight to the counter. She plopped onto the innermost stool, propped her chin on one hand, and sighed heavily.
“Ugh, so annoying…”
“Yo yo yo, my little princess! What’s wrong? Why so frowny? Did someone glue your eyebrows shut?” The tavern owner joked while wiping a glass.
Unusually, Anjerite didn’t snap back. She just sighed again.
“Ugh, so annoying…”
“What’s up? Wanna vent?” He set down the glass, poured a mug of barley beer, and slid it to her. Leaning close with a smile, he whispered, “Is it… about Rogied?~~~”
“W-w-what nonsense! Of course not!”
“Yo yo yo, little princess, I know you too well. I can tell your mood just by how you sit.”
“Gross.” Anjerite rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed.
She changed the subject. “When did your tavern get a name? That sign’s new.”
“Put it up while you were fighting the gods.”
“Why ‘Night Night Tavern’?”
“The author worried readers’d forget to send him red envelopes. So he hung his name up as a reminder—be generous, be obedient.”
“…” Anjerite gulped the barley beer, then let out a loud, satisfied “Ahhh!” “Boss, your barley beer’s got that special kick! I love it most!”
“What a pity it’s not me you love most, but my beer,” he teased.
Anjerite pouted. “My heart’s taken. Don’t bother, boss. Your looks, build, strength, age—none fit my standards… Sorry, you’re a good man.”
The boss chuckled helplessly. “Alright, enough jokes. Seriously—after you woke up, what happened with Rogied?”
Woke up.
Anjerite was back. Truly back. No longer a fake, but the real her—with all of Anjerite’s genuine memories.
For some unknown reason, she’d [awakened]. She only recalled kneeling alone before the Sanctuary in Egramote, praying desperately to something.
At the boss’s question, Anjerite buried her face on the table.
He knew this was her instinct when blushing and shy.
Something had definitely happened with Rogied.
“Boss… I’m so frustrated…”
“Why?”
“The female lead!”
Three unfamiliar words hung in the air. The boss frowned.
“Female lead? What’s that?”
“The author set me as the female lead! I’m supposed to be the star!!! But look now—why’s ViniVini more popular than me?! Why does Qiana get more scenes?! And Reiji, Saphia, Lulutia, Oladef… fine, whatever. But Yubis?! Why?! How did a Soul Weapon suddenly become Rogied’s chosen companion?! Damn it!!! I’m the female lead!!!”
Bang!
She slammed the table, splashing barley beer everywhere.
The boss quickly wiped it clean.
“So… what am I to Rogied, really…” Her voice trailed off, eyes lost.
But beneath the confusion, he sensed something fierce.
He smiled. “What is Rogied to you?”
“… An idiot. That big, dumb idiot who always worries me…”
“Just that?”
“Just that. It has to be.”
“Really?” The boss smirked, eyes narrowing.
Anjerite blushed, hid her face on the table.
Then.
She raised a hand.
“I surrender.”
“Spit it out. What is he to you?~~~”
“He’s…” She covered her burning face. “… My lover. I like him. I love him…”
“And do you think he likes you?”
“He does.”
“Why?”
“What ‘why’? He better like me! Or I’ll cut off his little chicken!”
“Nonsense! In the Year of the Rooster, we say ‘Happy Rooster Year’ for luck, not crude stuff.”
“Happy Rooster Year?”
“Yeah. Good girl.”
He refilled her mug. “So—you like him, he likes you. Just be together. Simple.”
“But he has other women…”
“Is that your real worry?” His gaze turned knowing.
Anjerite sighed heavily. “Yeah, I mind it. Rogied’s amazing—lots of girls like him. But I won’t give up. Quitting’s not my style.”
She drained the mug, wiped her mouth.
Red-faced, she looked him dead in the eye. “Actually, my real trouble is…”
The boss froze. His glass slipped, shattering unnoticed.
After ten stunned seconds, he slammed his palms on the table.
“Why didn’t you agree to him?!”
“If I agreed… it’d seem like I like him too much! He has to love me more. Only then…”
“So you ran here?”
“… Yeah. What’s wrong with that?”
“You silly girl! You’re killing me! Was he the first to ask?”
“Um… I think so. He said I was first.”
“Then go agree now! I’ll take you!”
“No! Let go! I don’t wanna see him, I…”
“Excuse me—is Anjerite here?”
A young man entered. Cute, androgynous features, unmistakably male.
Anjerite shrank behind the boss, trembling.
Slowly, she peeked out. Her face burned crimson, eyes full of委屈.
“W-who told you to blurt that out? I wasn’t ready—I ran…”
“… My fault?” The young man smiled.
Anjerite pouted. “If not yours, whose?”
“Alright, alright. I’m not mad, Anjer.”
He stepped forward; the boss moved aside.
The young man pulled the crimson-faced knight into a tight hug.
“Decided yet?”
“Sort of…”
“What ‘sort of’?”
“Mostly decided… but not quite.”
He stroked her hair.
“Then let me help you decide.”
He swept her into a princess carry. Cheers erupted from the tavern crowd.
He carried her to the Adventurers’ Guild door—their first meeting spot—and set her down.
“Here. You said I blocked your path and challenged me to rock-paper-scissors. Remember?”
“Um…” She nodded.
“Good. Let’s play again. You lose, you listen to me. I lose, I listen to you. Deal?”
“Okay.”
Later:
“No fair!” “Okay, okay~”
Later:
“No fair, no fair!!!” “Alright, alright~~”
Later:
“No! No fair at all~~~~~”
“Alright, alright. I’ll listen. I’ll listen.”
Later:
“No! This round doesn’t count~!~~”
“Next round?~”
Spoiled whines met doting sighs.
After countless rounds, Anjerite finally won—her rock crushed his scissors.
She jumped like a child.
“Ahem… My demand.”
“Go on.”
“Um…” She fidgeted.
He sighed, pulling her close.
“Can’t think of one?”
“… Can’t.”
“Then how about after we marry? Okay?” His voice softened.
Anjerite tucked her head in.
Seconds stretched like hours.
She nodded.
“Okay…”
“But you’ll love me forever…”
“Spoil me forever…”
“More than ViniVini…”
“Love me more than Qiana…”
“More than…”
Reasonable or not, the demands poured out.
But none of it mattered now.
What mattered was this:
From start to now—barely half a year—it felt like lifetimes of partings and reunions.
They were never parting again.
“Go home?”
“… Okay. Let’s go home.”
