Book Release Bonus Short Story – “How Justin and Elina Met”
Once the entrance ceremony—an annual tradition of the Knights Order—had concluded, the unit assignments were announced, and the new recruits went around introducing themselves to their commanding officers.
I—Elina Bellows—had mixed feelings.
Because my father held the position of Vice-Commander of the Knights Order, the way others in the Order treated me was noticeably different from how they treated ordinary recruits.
"How's your training going? Not too harsh, I hope?"
—The overly considerate senior.
"Hey, how about grabbing a meal later?"
—The overly flirtatious senior.
"Tch… Just getting special treatment 'cause she’s riding daddy’s coattails."
—The senior whispering behind my back.
I’d already encountered all sorts of people even before the entrance ceremony.
Every single one of them looked at me through the filter of “Vice-Commander’s daughter.”
Well, it was no secret within the Order that Father doted on me, so I figured this kind of treatment was inevitable…
But it was just so blatant—the emotional stress was overwhelming.
Still, if I asked for special consideration because of it, who knows what kinds of rumors would start then?
And so came the moment I’d been dreading most: the announcement of unit assignments.
The person I’d be serving under directly was a man named Justin Foyle, a talented knight who’d earned the title of Holy Knight at a young age.
I was curious about what kind of person he was—but I figured he’d be the same as everyone else I’d met so far.
A flatterer.
A social climber.
A bully in disguise.
The answer was—
“I’m Justin Foyle. Nice to meet you.”
None of the above.
“Ah… I-I’m Elina Bellows.”
He was far more refreshing than I’d imagined—gentle in demeanor, and didn’t fit any of the categories I’d mentally prepared for.
It threw me off at first.
But as I completed mission after mission with Senior Justin, I came to see that he was a truly sincere person, without pretense or guile.
With each passing day, his presence grew larger in my mind.
—That’s why, when I heard he had been accused of embezzling operational funds, I simply couldn’t believe it.
I was convinced it had to be some kind of mistake.
Of course, I didn’t have any proof.
But I’d been under his care since the day I joined the Order, and I knew exactly what kind of person he was.
Before I realized it, I was running.
My destination: my father’s—the Vice-Commander’s—office.
I couldn’t afford to worry about appearances anymore.
“Excuse me, Father.”
Before I knew it, I had thrown open the doors and burst into the office.
What do you think about this chapter?
