Heroes in the Moonlight

by Yuri Kitayama

  “Huh? But I...” Rio didn’t quite understand the meaning behind the title, objecting through his confusion. Based on the reactions of the hall, it didn’t seem like a normal position in the least, and the thought of having duties forced upon him was unbearable.

  “An honorary knight is a modern title presented to those who have contributed great military deeds to the kingdom, regardless of being a citizen. It is a title of a knight with no duties to the kingdom, as they are not one of my subjects to command. In other words, a knight with no master. However, you will be publicly treated as the same rank as other nobility. Is it not the perfect reward for you, who does not wish to be burdened with more bonds or responsibilities? If you disagree, we’ll have to return to the drawing board, and I’ll have to give you 10,000 pieces of my gold instead. Well, how about it?” Francois asked cheerfully.

  For the record, the royals and nobles in the room had stirred so noisily because of how special the title of an honorary knight was. First, one had to obtain the strong trust of the one who had appointive power — that is, the king or a high-ranked successor to the throne — which couldn’t be done lightly. Furthermore, Rio was yet to realize this, but an honorary knight was a modern title that had no duties to the kingdom, yet was on par with the status of a count. In an emergency, he could even command the kingdom’s knights at his own discretion.

  In other words, he was receiving power without duty. The exception among exceptions, even within nobility. That being said, those appointed with the title normally had some other position to the kingdom and fulfilled their duties there instead. However, in Rio’s case, he had no status other than that of the honorary knight, so he was truly able to receive nothing but the benefits.

  “...Yes, Your Majesty.” While Rio still didn’t have a complete grasp on the meaning of the title, he was spurred by the number of gold coins presented and the air in the room to nod.

  “Then, let’s finalize this before you change your mind. It is customary for an honorary knight to be presented with a nickname. Let’s see...” Francois hummed to himself and stared at Rio, before he immediately seemed to think of something and grinned. “All right. From now on, you may don the title of ‘The Black Knight.’ Black cannot be stained by any other color — it is most fitting for a person like you,” he said grandly. In reality, the nickname bestowed by the king was another reason why the honorary knight was envied.

  The Black... Knight? Rio’s thoughts came to a screeching halt for several seconds. Then, once he regained his composure, he turned the name over in his head once more.

  The Black Knight...

  What even was that?

  It was an embarrassing and shameful title. There was no way he wanted to be called The Black Knight, nor did he want to introduce himself as so. However —

  “I humbly accept this appointment, Your Majesty.” Rio showed no sign of his thinking as he accepted the order with the utmost formality. He lowered his head and glanced around the room casually, making eye contact with Miharu and Satsuki in the corner of the room.

  “Hehe...” Satsuki was trying to stifle her giggles, her hand pressed against her mouth. Meanwhile, Miharu was simply staring at Rio. It was unclear what she was thinking of.

  Satsuki’s enjoying herself and laughing away. Miharu... I guess hearing the name doesn’t make it click, huh? Rio guessed at what the two were thinking, a strained smile at his mouth.

  “Now, that aside, you will be permitted to name yourself with a family name from now on. You may choose one freely, but have it prepared by tonight if possible, so that it can be presented at the banquet. Although this is not a strict deadline...” Francois informed Rio.

  “A family name...?” Rio thought for several seconds, before his brow twitched. There was one family name that immediately came to mind from his current name as Haruto.

  “Based on that look on your face, you already have a candidate?” Francois sensed the change in Rio’s expression.

  “No, well...” Rio hesitated for a moment, stumbling for words.

  If I say this family name out loud, here and now, there will be no going back anymore, he thought to himself.

  But is there a need to go back at all? he also thought at the same time. There might be no need to give his Japanese name from when he was alive, but there was meaning in doing so. That was the oath he made to himself.

  ...I’ve decided already. So, I should just say it. It would completely close off any chance of running away if I said it now. No, there’s no better time than now. Miharu’s been reunited with Satsuki, and now Takahisa has appeared. There’s no reason to keep the truth from her any longer. Rio took a deep breath and prepared to sever any chance of his ability to escape this decision.

  “Well?” Francois tilted his head doubtfully.

  “There is one family name that comes to mind,” Rio uttered.

  “Oh? Let us hear it.” Francois’ eyes widened with curiosity.

  “Amakawa...” Rio said.

  “Wh...” Miharu’s body shook slightly as she took a breath. Satsuki simply blinked.

  “Amakawa, you say?” Francois said, pronouncing the unfamiliar family name awkwardly.

  Rio shot a quick glance at Miharu before resolutely stating his family name. “Yes. Haruto Amakawa. If I could go by that name in the future...”

  Afterword

  Hello, everyone. This is Yuri Kitayama. Thank you for picking up Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles, Volume 9 — Heroes in the Moonlight.

  So, we’ve finally reached the banquet arc! This volume contains the highest page count yet, and the banquet arc will reach its climax in Volume 10, so please look forward to it! Furthermore, on December 27, the first volume of the comics version of Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles goes on sale, and those who purchase both volumes (including this one) will gain access to read a novella online that is several thousand characters long, so please check out Volume 1 of the comic too (it’s a jam-packed bonus about what happens behind the main story). The comic itself will also have its own original bonuses, as well as a cute bonus comic of Professor Celia! Finally, Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles campaigns are being held everywhere, including on Twitter and in bookstores where you can find giant signboards of Professor Celia. Please go check them out!

  Yuri Kitayama

  Early December, 2017

  Bonus Short Stories

  Bathing with the Professor?!

  A few days after Miharu, Latifa, and the others had arrived at the stone house and began living together...

  It was night time, after the house had fallen silent with all its residents fast asleep.

  “Phew...”

  Rio had finished his night training and was soaking in the bath alone. In the bathroom, where sounds echoed easily, he sighed away his exhaustion from the day. Suddenly, the door to the bathroom rattled open.

  “Eh?” Rio had completely let his guard down, so he looked towards the doorway in shock. Standing there was Celia, her body hidden beneath a loosely-wrapped bath towel.

  “Huh. The light’s on...”

  Celia met Rio’s eyes with a look of surprise.

  “P-Professor...?”

  Rio was also taken aback, frozen inside the bathtub. They remained that way, their eyes locked on one another.

  “R-Rio...? Kya?!” Celia squeaked, tightening the bath towel around her body in panic.

  “S-Sorry!” Rio apologized, averting his eyes. Although her body had been hidden by the towel, he’d just witnessed his teacher in her most defenseless state, after all.

  “N-No, it’s okay! I’m the one who should be sorry. I came in without checking if it was occupied! Aha, ahaha... aah...” Celia started explaining in a fluster, but the embarrassment eventually caught up to her, turning her bright red as she struggled for words.

  “Umm... I’ll get out, then. Please get in,” Rio offered awkwardly.

  “N-No, it’s okay! I’ll get in later.” Celia said, retreating to the changing room i
n a rush.

  “You’re already naked, so putting your clothes back on now would just make you cold. I’m already warmed up enough, so,” Rio informed her, as her head peered around the changing room door.

  “N-Naked...” Reminded once again of her nakedness, Celia’s head short-circuited as she blushed harder.

  “That’s why I’ll get out now. Can you look the other way?”

  After a moment of silence, Celia turned towards Rio with determination. “...W-Wait.”

  “...Yes?”

  “S-Since it’s just the two of us, how about we chat a little?”

  “Huh? Do you mean...”

  Did she mean for them to bathe together? Rio was so taken aback, his expression went blank in shock.

  “S-Shall we bathe together? Of course, that’s only if you’re okay with it...”

  So that was what she meant. Celia made this proposition to Rio in a squeaky voice, watching his expression timidly.

  A-Am I being too bold?! B-But I couldn’t let this chance go! Miharu and Sara and everyone are all such nice, cute girls! she agonized to herself while blushing furiously.

  “I don’t... mind, but... Well, we’ll be a man and a woman naked together.” Rio was fairly baffled as he spoke.

  “I-It’s fine if you don’t stare at my body. It’d be one thing if it was some other man, but it’s you.” Celia looked away from Rio’s eyes out of embarrassment, restlessly moving about.

  “You don’t feel uncomfortable, Professor?” Rio asked while watching Celia’s face.

  “O-Of course I do! But, well, we don’t normally have time to ourselves because everyone else is around, you know? There are things I don’t want to say in front of the others, so... that’s why... I’m coming in!” Though her face was still bright red, Celia became impatient and marched into the bathroom.

  “Wait—?!” Rio looked away in a fluster.

  “D-Don’t look this way, okay? I’m going to wash myself first.” Celia used the magic artifacts in the washing area to produce water and clean her body.

  “Uh...”

  The sound of her scrubbing herself clean soon reached Rio’s ears, making him gulp. Who knew how much time passed? After a while, he heard the sound of water running, washing away the soap.

  “I-I’m getting in now.”

  Splash. Celia had entered the bath. Splash, splash. She waded through the water, making her way towards Rio.

  “I-I’m done.”

  Celia stopped roughly one meter away from Rio and sat down, their positions back-to-back.

  “...I’m a little surprised. What did you want to talk about?” Rio sighed tiredly and questioned Celia sitting behind him.

  “Huh? Ah, r-right. Talking. Umm, I was thinking about how I’ve had a bath every day since coming to this house, so it’ll be hard to return to my previous lifestyle. Ahaha.” Celia forced a smile on her face and came up with a topic on the spot.

  “I... see... So that means you intend on returning to your previous life as a noble.” Rio was a little taken aback, a subtle expression on his face.

  “Huh? A-Ah, yeah, umm, no...” Celia blinked at the unexpected turn of the conversation.

  I-I can’t say that wasn’t what I was thinking at all! B-But I did want to discuss that topic in more detail! Celia thought uncomfortably.

  “Hmm? Is someone inside the bathroom?”

  The door to the bathroom cracked open, letting the voice of a sleepy Masato waft through.

  “Y-Yeah. Masato. I was just about to get out, though.”

  “Oh, okay. The lights in the changing room were on, so...” Masato yawned. “I'm going to the toilet and heading to bed. Good night.” With a great yawn, Masato turned around and left.

  “Ahaha. Should we get out after all?” Celia said awkwardly.

  Maybe I should make a sign that says ‘Occupied’ for the changing room door, Rio thought.

  The First Princess at the Academy

  It was Year 996 of the Holy Era. Rio was still enrolled at the Royal Academy of Beltrum, and it was the day after he had emerged victorious in the mock battle against Charles Arbor.

  Christina, who was a sixth grader of the elementary division and first princess of the kingdom, was accompanied by her classmate and childhood friend Roanna on a walk around the academy after school. There were still many students remaining on the campus grounds and conversations were taking place around every corner. However, it felt like today’s chatter was particularly heated—especially that of the girls from younger grades.

  “...The lower-grade girls seem to be rather noisy today,” Christina said suddenly, seeing the restless students.

  “That’s because, well...” The answer that came from Roanna was evasive.

  Christina stopped walking. “Do you know something?”

  “Well...”

  “Speak.”

  Roanna was hesitant, but resolved herself at Christina’s urging. “I believe the results of the mock battles yesterday are a hot topic right now.”

  “The mock battles? Ah...” Christina said with a rather uncomfortable look. It wasn’t a displeased one, but there was a slight hint of a darker expression. That look soon disappeared from her face as she turned to observe the girls in lower grades nearby.

  They were talking about someone in particular; whether it was intentional or not, they were purposefully avoiding saying the name, but it was clear who the subject was based on the conversation: Rio.

  The girls were so engrossed in their conversation, they didn’t realize Christina and Roanna were nearby. Then, one female student came running up to the group of noisy girls.

  “I-I passed on the letter! Oh no, whatever shall I do, whatever shall I do?!”

  The newly arrived female student seemed to be rather excited, reporting something in a disoriented tone.

  Eavesdropping was something she frowned upon, so Christina immediately tried to leave, but the curious word she caught made her slow her steps.

  ...A letter?

  “Really?!”

  “Did you tell him you like him clearly?! Did he reply?! Please give us the details!”

  The girls grew even more excited. Based on the conversation, the one girl had probably just given someone a love letter.

  The annual mock battle with the knights was a gateway for the male students of the academy to achieve success in life. Being that he’d been the only person who’d bested a knight this year, it was inevitable that the attention would focus on Rio and flip the girls’ perception of him completely.

  That being said, reality wasn’t quite as simple as that. No matter how good his results were, his origins as an orphan meant Rio would always be seen with a bias. Now that he had demonstrated his ability, it was possible for him to become a knight, but it was clear that his future would be strongly criticized. Once the girls had a taste of that reality, their perceptions of him would no doubt flip once again.

  “...Let’s go, Roanna.” Christina sighed quietly and made to leave the scene for real this time.

  “Y-Yes, Your Highness,” Roanna nodded, but the look on her face wasn’t at ease and Christina immediately saw through it.

  “You look like you have something to say.”

  “N-No, not at all!” Roanna shook her head furiously.

  “Oh? Are you trying to hide something from me?” Christina asked with a daring smile.

  “N-No... T-Then, if I may ask, what do you think of him, Princess Christina?”

  “Him?” Christina pretended not to know who she was referring to.

  “I-I mean... about Rio.” Despite her reluctance to do so, Roanna uttered Rio’s name out loud.

  “...Nothing in particular,” Christina answered bluntly.

  “T-Then, what do you think about the fact that he is being severely undervalued? I’m sure you’ve noticed already, but his talents far exceed that of a prodigy. Would it not be a loss to this kingdom for his abilities to rot away like this?”

  Uttering Rio’s n
ame out loud seemed to have broken the usual dam on Roanna had on her words.

  Christina’s eyes widened faintly in surprise. “It’s rare to see you praise someone so much.”

  “I-I have simply accepted the facts for what they are and stated my words with the kingdom’s benefit in mind,” said Roanna. She found it a waste to have a person like Rio neglected like this. Her way of thinking was truly logical.

  “Then you should understand, no? Right now, the people of this kingdom blindly accept that the only way to gain social status is to drag down the others around them. Do you think someone like him would be treated fairly in a kingdom like that?” As Christina spoke, her tone turned somewhat self-contemptuous.

  “B-But...” Though she tried to argue, Roanna found herself at a loss for words.

  “Let’s go.” Christina had nothing more to say and left.

  Want Something

  It was Year 996 of the Holy Era.

  Located in Beltrant, the capital of the Kingdom of Beltrum, was Celia’s underground research laboratory, located under the library tower of the Royal Academy.

  “Congratulations on moving up a grade, Rio.”

  “Thank you very much, Professor.”

  Rio had reached a new school year, so they were celebrating his entrance into the sixth grade of the elementary division.

  “You’re already twelve, huh... Time sure flies,” Celia said with an emotional tone.

  “Yes. These last five years went by quickly.”

  “That much time has passed since we met...”

  “I’ve finally reached the same age as you when we first met.”

  “Which makes me seventeen... Ugh, only three more years until I’m twenty.”

  The ideal marriage age for noblewomen was from their mid-teens to twenty years old. Recalling that made Celia’s face darken slightly with a frown.

  “You’re still young, Professor,” Rio chuckled.

  “Hmph! This is no laughing matter!” Celia pouted, looking at Rio with a reproachful gaze.