Eris’ life changed after she was knighted.

After being admitted to the Imperial Academy thanks to her mother’s influence and connections, Eris thought she would be destined to an endless litany of embarrassment and disappointment just like she had been as a squire. Talentless and weak, Eris was incapable of wearing heavy armor or wielding a greatsword, her frail build despite being a knight making her the laughingstock of her knight order.

Despite her protests to live a more muted existence in her home duchy of Avimorne, her mother—Marchioness Grail—simply wouldn’t allow Eris to fade into mediocrity, condemning her daughter to what would have been four years of shame at the Imperial Academy without ever heeding Eris’ pleas.

Unbeknownst to her, it was at the very doorstep of the place she dreaded most that her life began to change. As she contemplated her future while preparing to take the first step toward her doom, Lady Scarlet had suddenly burst into her life like a falling star, shining with a luminosity so great that it surpassed even the sun. The noblewoman had rekindled the hope she’d lost and more.

Upon their meeting at the gates of the Imperial Academy, Eris had vowed to change herself and become a great knight worthy of standing by Lady Scarlet’s side. At the time, she knew not what drove her to make such a bold proclamation before the star of high society, but she clung onto it obsessively throughout her time at the Imperial Academy, particularly during her first month.

“Training again?” Belita leaned over the marble railing overlooking the Imperial Academy’s spacious training grounds. The moon dangled above like a steel-wrought eye polished to perfection, the silver light that it reflected cascading gently onto the world below.

Eris stopped mid-swing, dropping her stance as she stared up at Belita. The countless beads of sweat on her body refracted the moonlight falling from above, giving her skin an almost ethereal glow. “...What are you doing here in the middle of the night, Belita?”

Belita vaulted over the railing, landing solidly on the ground before Eris. Although the balcony she’d leapt from was located on the academy’s third story, it was nothing more than a short drop for a knight, especially one of her stature. Belita’s long brown curls hung elegantly below her toned shoulders, her muscled legs and well-built figure distinctly apparent despite her uniform.

“That’s what I should be asking you.” Belita’s eyebrow formed a perfect arch as she regarded Eris, watching as the blonde-haired knight immediately began submerging herself in her training regimen once again. “You’ve got your first match tomorrow and you’ve been working yourself to death ever since we met. Shouldn’t you be resting?”

“Why do you care?” Eris clicked her tongue in frustration. If anything, I’m not getting enough training in...

It had only been two weeks since she’d started attending the Imperial Academy and she hadn’t had much time to train between classes and schoolwork. As knights of the Imperial Academy, graduates were expected to serve the imperial family in some regard for at least a year, making the knight’s curriculum there much more homework-intensive compared to the knight’s curriculum at Avalyne Academy thanks to the inclusion of etiquette and clerical classes.

“Because I’m your roommate and your friend,” Belita rolled her eyes. She was more than used to Eris’ attitude by now. Upon first meeting her, Belita thought Eris would be meek and shy as befitting of her tiny stature, but the blonde-haired knight had been the complete opposite. Boisterous, ambitious, and driven, Eris had been an unexpected but veritable tempest of activity who was obsessed with training and nothing more.

Sometimes, Eris’ intensity was so great that Belita couldn’t help but wonder if there was something else motivating the smaller knight other than her self-proclaimed ambition to become a great knight as soon as possible. At times, Eris could seem almost desperate to Belita, as if she were trying to convince herself that she had to work harder and harder even if her body was about to give in. In fact, Belita had already found Eris passed out in the training grounds once, leading to her current routine of checking on the blonde knight’s nightly practice sessions.

“Then surely you understand why I must push myself so.” Eris replied, not even deigning to look at Belita as she continued her merciless assault on the training dummy standing before her.

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Although her daggers couldn’t inflict wounds as deep as those of a sword, she had prioritized precision over power, targeting vital and vulnerable spots that would allow her to gain the upper edge in a bout even without the crushing strength of a greatsword or the versatility of a longsword. This, combined with the evasive fighting style she had devised with the help of Belita and Knight-Captain Verdia, a senior knight stationed at the Imperial Academy, formed the foundation of her path to greatness.

“Eris...” Belita murmured, the light in her eyes dimming ever so slightly as she watched Eris strike the training dummy in a complex sequence of rapid cuts and thrusts. “You’ve already improved so much over the course of two weeks... It honestly doesn’t even feel real. I don’t think many knights in our year could even match you anymore.”

“And it’s still not enough.” Eris spoke through gritted teeth, resisting the pain that slowly spread through her body. Her muscles screamed at her to stop and her heartbeat struggled with the intensity of her regimen, but still she pressed on. She had been training for the past six hours, only ever stopping for a couple seconds intermittently to drink water. “I need to be stronger. So strong that no one can ever have a chance of defeating me.”

Belita frowned. “...Why? Is this about your past as a squire?”

As her roommate and someone who helped Eris polish her fighting style, Belita was privy to a bit of Eris’ past. Though she didn’t know much of it, she knew enough. That is, Belita knew that Eris wasn’t exactly treated well in her order as a squire and had constantly fallen behind in drills, training, and even physical conditioning. This had led to Eris being bullied incessantly, and her small stature certainly didn’t help either. Originally, Belita had thought this to be the cause behind Eris’ obsession over training, but...

“Of course not.” Eris froze, allowing her arms to finally drop to her sides as Belita spoke those words. She turned to the brown-haired knight, her emerald eyes locking on to Belita’s. “Didn’t I tell you not to bring that shit up again?”

“Look, Eris. I’m just—”

“I told you because I trusted you, not because I wanted to be pitied. My training and my history are two separate things. I’m not stupid enough to get stuck in the past, Belita.”

“I didn’t say you were stupid!” Belita crossed her arms, beginning to get frustrated. “Look at you! You’re forcing yourself to stand, yet you continue to train! You’ll be in no condition to fight tomorrow morning and this is your debut!”

Eris sighed. It seemed she would have no choice but to rest for the night at Belita’s insistence. At times, Eris was grateful for her friend’s worry and care despite the standoffish attitude she knew she could exhibit when it came to training, but right now, all she wanted to do was practice.

“Relax, Belita. There’ll be three matches before mine, and it’s just my luck that two of ‘em are Lady Scarlet’s... Meaning she’ll be watching. I can’t screw up in front of her. I just can’t.”

Belita pursed her lips, regarding Eris silently. Just what is up with her and her strange obsession with Lady Scarlet? I mean... I respect the woman, but... Shouldn’t Eris be more attentive to her own Lord now? People will question her loyalty.

It was then that a very alarming thought occurred to Belita. She hadn’t considered it beforehand as it was usually a given among knights, but knowing Eris, it was probably better to ask just for confirmation.

“Hey, Eris...”

“Hm?”

“Lord Jovak... You’ve sworn your oath to him already, right?”

Eris shook her head, genuine confusion in her eyes. “No? Why would I? It’s not like I plan on serving him after graduation or even during our time here at the academy. It’s just for this match.”

Ah, shit. I knew it. Belita sighed. If this is just a one-off, then it’s fine, but...

“I see.” Belita spoke with a casual tone, attempting to keep the nervous edge out of her voice. It seemed that the more she asked, the worse it was going to get. “What about your next match? Have you found a Lord you favor more than Lord Jovak?”

Again, Eris shook her head. “No, I was planning on asking another Lord to stand in for me. I don’t think I’ll swear my oath until—”

“Eris.” Belita said firmly. “This is the Imperial Academy, not Avalyne Academy or any of the duchy academies. The imperial princess attends this school.”

“So what?” Eris tilted her head, clearly puzzled.

“So traditions are observed much closer here, and you know it is improper of a knight to ‘jump’ between nobles so often. You will be seen as nothing more than an errant for hire.”

“That doesn’t matter.” Eris smiled, blushing slightly as she recalled her promise with Lady Scarlet. “As long as I can show Lady Scarlet how much I’ve grown, I’m sure one day I’ll become her knight. That was the promise between us.”

Belita stared at her friend, unable to comprehend just what exactly Eris was even thinking. Ladies and dames... Can’t become pairs... Right?

“...You’re insane, Eris.”

In response, Eris merely giggled.