Chapter 4

Speaking of knights, it is a prestigious occupation, and as such, it naturally commands an appropriate salary.

Should a foreign threat appear, knights are the first to stand at the vanguard, striking down any foe that dares oppose the nation. The same holds true when evil emerges within our borders. Above all, their conduct is the very model of loyalty, possessing both the resolve and the grace of those who serve the crown. The Kingdom must provide a reward befitting such warriors.

That was why an idiot like me was starry-eyed, busy “counting my chickens before they hatched”.

In my neighborhood, there was a family whose great-grandfather had been a knight; that household was so wealthy they still lived in the mansion built with the money earned during his generation. They’d even used that capital to start a business and were now the primary landowners in the local area.

…Just to be clear, there’s no cliché development here where the tycoon’s daughter I was friends with at school was from that family, or that we’d actually met as children. For starters, the heir to that house is a son, and he’s about two years shy of the minimum age for the military academy.

Anyway, I digress. When I saw the amount of my first paycheck after becoming a knight, I tilted my head and went, “Huh?”

For some reason, it had one less zero than I’d imagined.

To be sure, compared to an average job, it was decent treatment—but only “decent.” I seriously doubted I could ever build a mansion at this earning pace.

I figured at the time that it was just because I was a fresh recruit who hadn’t climbed the ranks yet. Even among knights, pay fluctuates based on workload, seniority, and the number of achievements.

Just to be safe, I snuck a peek at Senior Rock’s pay stub, and his was more or less the same as mine. As you know, an alcoholic disaster of a human like him wasn’t exactly likely to have the “high-tier” salary.

So, I naively assumed my pay would simply increase at a steady rate over time.

That naivety lasted exactly until four months after I joined the order—when I happened to have a day off that overlapped with my two friends who were sprinting down the elite track, and we went out for a meal.

The two high-society types chose a high-end restaurant as our meeting spot. Had I not let a certain comment slip while looking at the menu, the truth might have stayed hidden for a while longer.

‘Sorry, this was a last-minute thing, so I could only book a relatively cheap restaurant. My apologies.’

‘Oh, it’s fine! I’m just happy the three of us are together—’

‘The most expensive course meal at this restaurant is almost exactly the same as my entire starting monthly salary.’

‘Eh?’

‘Huh?’

‘…Hm?’

I felt the warm, fluffy atmosphere surrounding my two friends vanish instantly.

‘…Um, Varna? That joke is a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?’

‘Hahaha, exactly, Varna. With a knight’s starting salary, you should be able to eat three of this place’s finest meals a day and still have plenty of change left over… Wait, are you serious?’

‘…My pay stub says 300,000 Steera a month.’

‘C-Could you have miscounted the digits?’

‘That… doesn’t seem to be the case. I’ve just confirmed it. It is indeed 300,000 Steera a month.’

‘…Wait, are you guys getting ten times that?’

‘…’

‘…’

‘…Um, by any chance, if I eat the food we ordered today, is my wallet going to explode?’

‘If I may be so bold, allow me to handle the bill today. As the host who reserved the shop, this much is only natural, right?’

‘I’ll pay for my own share! And I’ll cover half of Varna’s too… We’re friends, after all.’

‘I wonder why your kindness is gouging out my soul…!’

Between the unbearable awkwardness in the air and the palpable pity radiating from the two of them, I had no choice but to take the hand of cruel mercy extended toward me.

Yes, to their sense of wealth, this was one of the “cheaper” spots among the upper class. And despite having become a knight just like them, my financial situation was pitifully insecure.

—I found out shortly after that while the Royal Foreign Hazardous Species Countermeasures Knights held a role of vital importance and high difficulty, the budget allocated to us was overwhelmingly small. They were forced to keep wages low because if they didn’t prioritize spending on equipment, people would die.

Other knightly orders barely see real combat and just work up a nice sweat during training; I wonder what this country thinks we are… I hate the idea that the nobles probably mistake us for mountain apes or something.

That day, I lost something precious in exchange for the survival of my paycheck, and I grew to hate high-end restaurants.

To make matters worse, the food there was more delicious than anything I’d ever tasted in my life, which only made me feel more miserable.

The only thing that helps me forget those pathetic memories is the cooking of Chef Tamae, one of the “Three Great Mother Goddesses” of the Pig-Hunt Knights.

“Are you eating, Varna-boy? You’re young, so make sure you eat plenty to keep your strength up!”

“I’m eating, Tamasan. Honestly, missing out on a meal this good would be a huge loss. Also, could you please lay off the ‘boy’ thing? It’s hard to set an example for my juniors when you call me that…”

“A boy is a boy! Besides, you’re barely any older than my own daughter. You’re practically a child!”

“And yet you don’t call any of the other juniors ‘boy’…”

“Those ones don’t even qualify as boys. ‘Little girls’ and ‘brats’ fits them just fine!”

I felt a bit unsatisfied with that answer, but looking at her energetic smile reminded me so much of my own mother that my counterarguments just died in my throat. As expected of one of the Three Great Mother Goddesses. Overwhelmed by her “mom aura,” I took another spoonful of the cream stew.

The sweetness of the vegetable broth and cream matched perfectly with the earthy flavor of the mushrooms and the salty kick of the cheese, melting in my mouth. When I took a bite of the baguette—the perfect companion to cream stew—it gave a satisfying crunch, releasing a rich, savory aroma.

No exaggeration: the taste was so incredible that my fatigue and hunger simply evaporated.

“Seriously, being able to eat this food every day is the only real perk of this knightly order.”

“You bet it is! This kitchen is run by yours truly, after all!”

The surroundings erupted as the head chef struck a boastful pose.

“Hear, hear! The best cook in the Kingdom! I feel sorry for your husband—imagine not being able to eat this every day!”

“Seriously, Tamae-san, you’re a genius when it comes to food!”

“This delicious on such a low budget? That’s practically cheating. Hey, can I get seconds?”

“Coming right up!”

Chef Tamae, who was forty and had a daughter, was a culinary prodigy and a former palace chef. She worked wonders with ingredients that were often bottom-shelf quality due to our shoestring budget. Within the confines of the order, her practical influence surpassed even the Commander’s; her cooking was the only thing that could truly soothe the weary souls of the men returning from the field.

Since supply shortages were a chronic issue, the cooking squad was highly resourceful—gathering leftover vegetables from local villages, foraging for wild plants, or dragging idle knights along for fishing and hunting trips. The sheer survivability of the kitchen staff, Tamae included, was truly staggering.

If anyone ever wanted to dismantle the Pig-Hunt Knights, all they’d have to do is kidnap Chef Tamae.

…Assuming, of course, they could actually kidnap a woman who held a master’s license in the Kingdom’s Self-Defense Kick-Boxing Style and could take down a wild boar with her bare hands.

Senior Rock would probably lose to her even if he had a sword. In a way, isn’t she the strongest person in the order?

I kept that thought to myself. Cracking a joke like that was a one-way ticket to getting on her bad side, and silence is golden. Folding my unspoken words neatly away and tucking them into the back of my mind, I went back to devouring the warm meal filling my stomach.

Yep, it’s even better than Mom’s stew.

Among the members of the order, Tamae spoke to Varna more often than most.

The fact that he was close to her daughter’s age was certainly a factor, but there was a deeper reason that weighed on her mind. To her, Varna seemed somewhat… precarious.

Knight Varna—better known as “Beheader Varna.”

A sword prodigy who had mastered the twelve forms of the Kingdom’s Offensive Sword Style at the youngest age on record and graduated at the top of his class in swordsmanship at the military academy. His gaze was sharp, giving him the air of an unsheathed blade.

His nickname came from his terrifyingly efficient combat style.

Whenever he faced an Orc, he confronted it head-on and invariably took its head.

While decapitation is indeed the most reliable way to kill a high-vitality Orc, pulling it off in actual combat is extremely difficult. With their wild reflexes, Orcs are incredibly dangerous; most knights only engage them safely through ambushes or traps. Furthermore, an Orc’s skin is thick and houses sturdy bone; a clean decapitation is a theoretical ideal that rarely survives the chaos of battle.

Yet, ever since he was taught the method, Varna had displayed a god-like talent for swordsmanship, perfectly lopping off Orc heads time and time again. He did this even when his initial strike had already delivered a mortal wound.

No matter how much one must stay on guard against an Orc, his record of over fifty precise decapitations felt less like caution and more like an obsession with the act of killing.

An executioner who hunts heads like a machine—that rumor had already reached the ears of other knightly orders.

That strength only served to emphasize his coldness.

Perhaps because of his intimidating eyes, his social circle was small; by his own admission, he’d only had two friends during his school years. While the order welcomed this genius swordsman, everyone kept him at arm’s length. Varna himself didn’t seem to mind, going about his days with a stoic detachment—almost as if he preferred it that way.

Aside from the happy-go-lucky Senior Rock, only a handful of people bothered to talk to him regularly.

Furthermore, his words were often dark, and the look of disdain he leveled at corrupt nobles or the privileged was as cold as a man sizing up a target for execution.

Commander Luger seemed to have high hopes for him, but there was no guarantee that those expectations and the Commander’s selfish plans wouldn’t become a crushing burden.

Why was he so strong at such a young age?

Why did he keep everyone at a distance?

Why was he so absorbed in battle, so obsessed with hunting heads?

Why did he show such blatant hostility and murderous intent toward the corruption within the knighthood?

Speculation ran rampant.

Some said he was seeking revenge for an older sister who had been killed while serving a noble family.

Others claimed he was the descendant of a fallen clan, framed and ruined by the aristocracy.

There were even whispers that he was a member of the “Bloodline of Executioners,” a mysterious group within the Kingdom.

Of course, these were all groundless tall tales.

However, seeing him so tightly wound, as if living his life at a breakneck pace, it was hard to believe there wasn’t at least some grain of truth behind them. Tamae’s only fear was that his strained heart would eventually snap.

He actually has a pretty cute side, though…

Tamae watched Varna as he happily stuffed his face with stew.

He looked so innocent then, a far cry from his usual menacing aura. When she called him “boy,” he’d look away bashfully, unable to hide his embarrassment. If only he showed that age-appropriate side more often, perhaps he could release the dark, cold emotions tethered deep within his soul.

…As it happened, the knight in question had absolutely no dark or tragic past to speak of and possessed a fairly optimistic personality. He was completely unaware that everyone around him viewed him as a dangerous enigma.