I, Reincarnate as the Leader of the Villainous Knight Order - Chapter 142: Apprentice SIDE

Chapter 142: Apprentice SIDE

“Whoa… so cool!!”

Emil, who had the demeanor of a small animal, gazed at the door where Justin had exited. His eyes were sparkling with admiration.

“Yeah, and he even discreetly used magic to clean up after realizing that Oscar had an accident. He seems a lot kinder than what we’d heard back at the Second Order.”

“Stop talking about my accident! If you were in the same situation, you’d end up just like me!”

Louis, with his usual gentle smile, casually opened up Oscar’s emotional wounds. It caused Oscar to yell, his face turning bright red. In truth, the apprentices had heard terrifying stories about Justin. He was described as someone who wouldn’t even listen to children’s voices.

“Let’s go, Knight Commander Vandière is waiting. Don’t dawdle.”

Eric urged the four to move along. He was a Second Knight Order member who had escorted the apprentices this far.  His expression clearly indicated that angering Knight Commander Vandière was not an option. When Eric exited the room, the four apprentices hurried after him toward the door.

“I don’t think he’s that cool though… ‘Get in the habit of thinking before you act and make the best decision’… It’s Oscar who’s at fault.”

Mumbling his complaints, Leon left the room last. His displeasure was clear on his face. When he stepped outside, he found Justin crouching in front of Emil, reaching out a hand toward him. In a flash, Leon slid in between them, shielding Emil behind his back.

“What are you trying to do?!”

Leon knew firsthand the terrifying aura Justin had shown earlier, and standing in his way was so frightening his legs shook. Yet, the thought of protecting his friend was the only thing keeping him standing as he glared at Justin. However, contrary to Leon’s expectations, Justin merely looked surprised for a moment before breaking into a laugh.

“Haha, what did you think I was going to do? I don’t eat kids, you know? Move aside…Heal.”

With just a light touch to Leon’s temple, his shaky legs gave way, and he stumbled away from in front of Emil. As Leon turned to look back, the sight that greeted him was Justin using healing magic on Emil’s swollen cheek.

“Wow, it doesn’t hurt anymore!”

“This isn’t serious enough to drain much of your stamina, but try to take it easy for the rest of the day. Healing magic tends to leave you feeling a bit sluggish afterward.”

“Yes! Thank you so much!”

Emil’s eyes gleamed with even more admiration than before. Seeing his friend completely enthralled by Justin, Leon felt uneasy and quickly glanced at his other friend, Louis. While Louis didn’t seem completely bewitched, Leon could sense that his heart was beginning to open up to Justin.

The only one glaring at Justin, like Leon, was Oscar. He had always been doted on by the Second Knight Order. Though Oscar came from a knight family, as the third son, he hadn’t received any of the two family recommendations spot available. So he had ended up in the Third Knight Order.

In other words, his two elder brothers were in the Second Knight Order, as was their father. It was the reason why Oscar had been taken under their wing. However, with the recent relocation, it was as if he had lost his protectors. This insecurity likely led to him behaving more aggressively than usual to assert his dominance.

“The layout of this floor is the same as the one above. You can reach the other side of the barracks by passing through the first floor, but I wouldn’t recommend going there. That’s where the dwarves and that dragon you just saw live… though that dragon was in a human form. Since the dwarves built this place, if there’s any problem, you can ask them to fix it. But first, make sure to report to the officials at the old barracks.”

Eric and the apprentices recalled the sight of the beautiful woman and the small dragon transforming into a boy that they had seen earlier.

“A dragon…!”

Leon was the first to react. He had always loved dragons, having begged the sisters at the orphanage countless times to tell him stories featuring them.

“The little dragon that transformed into a boy is named Jest. He’s about the same age as you all, ten years old. So try to get along with him. But be careful — if you mess with him, it could cost you your life. Before I made a familiar contract with Jest, he nearly killed me, too.”

Justin smirked. But that smile alone was enough to send chills down the spines of the five apprentices.

“Uh, um, when you said you were nearly killed…”

“Oh, looks like the other apprentices have already finished their orientation and started eating. Let’s wrap up our tour quickly and join them.”

Emil mustered up the courage to ask a question, but Justin cut him off. Indeed, the delicious smell of food had been wafting up the stairs for a while, teasing their noses. The five of them hurried to follow Justin as he began moving.

They were shown around the facilities, such as the toilets and baths. But it wasn’t the four apprentices who exclaimed the loudest in astonishment. It was their guide, Eric.

“Even if this place is newly built, you wouldn’t see facilities like this unless you were in a noble’s mansion! The showers aren’t the standard kind but come with hoses!? And… could it be… this toilet has enchantments for heating and purification!?”

Eric had completely forgotten to maintain his composure in front of Justin and was openly gushing in amazement. The Second Knight Order’s barracks had been deteriorating just like the old dorms of the Third Knight Order before its renovation. Coming from their perspective, this new facility was nothing short of paradise for Eric.

Finally, they sat down to eat together in the dining hall. By the end of it, Eric had declared that he would stay at the new barracks until the apprentices got used to the place. Naturally, this proposal was promptly rejected by Justin. However, Eric left with a serious expression, insisting they should let him know if they ever needed a permanent caretaker.