Disguising Myself as a Man to Become a Knight!

After That, They

Sheila was walking briskly through the crowded streets of the downtown area.

Her rose-colored hair was casually tied up in a bun and she had a gallant profile. What attracted the eye more than anything else was the dazzling pure white uniform she wore on her slender physique.

It was a well-known story that the first female knight in the Kingdom of Steitz was born recently.

Dressed in the Order of the Imperial Knights uniform, Sheila couldn’t help but stand out. Even though she didn’t have time to change, she regretted it just a little.

‘Even if I’m in plain clothes, I still look flashy around here….’

She wasn’t sensitive enough to be bothered by the stares, but if a man suddenly fell down when he looked back at her, or if a woman let go of her lover and admired her, it was hard not to be bothered.

Sheila hurriedly entered the pub where they were meeting.

The pub frequented by her friends seemed to be very prosperous. The not-so-spacious pub was filled with the sound of happy laughter.

As soon as she entered, a delicious smell tickled her nose, and Sheila suddenly remembered how hungry she was.

“Oh, it’s Sheila. Come here!”

As she was looking for a familiar face at the doorway, she was approached from the back.

He had short, sand-colored hair and hazel eyes that seemed mischievous at first glance, yet possessed a shrewdness and intelligence. It was Zechs Gallant, a friend of hers during their academy days.

“I knew you’d come in the Imperial Knights uniform. But don’t worry. The place is frequented by the Patrol Corps, and the nobles of the Imperial Knights sometimes show up here, so the customers have a certain tolerance for it.”

“And I chose a seat that wouldn’t draw attention.”

As Cody Aswan, another friend of hers, said, the seats were tucked away in the back of the restaurant, keeping a good distance from the other customers.

It had been a while since she had seen his gentle smile, so Sheila naturally relaxed her shoulders.

“Zechs, Cody, long time no see. Sorry I’m late.”

On her way to the table, she called out to the waitress who was just passing by.

A young girl wearing a simple apron and a triangular bandana jumped up with a bright red face as soon as she recognized Sheila.

“Um, you’re Sheila-sama, right? I’ve been rooting for you for a long time! It’s an honor to meet you!”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, too. But it’s after hours now, and I’m afraid I’m going to annoy my friends, you know?”

Sheila put her index finger to her mouth, and the girl nodded repeatedly, her eyes glistening.

“Yes, I’ll never mention a thing about you here! Congratulations on your ordination! Please continue to do your best!”

“Thank you. May I order something? I’d like some ale and your recommended meat dish.”

“We’ve got some nice red meat today, so we’re serving a steak with garlic, salt, and pepper!”

“It sounds delicious. Okay, I’ll have a big bowl of that.”

With a smile and a wave of her hand, Sheila took her place at the table.

Zechs, who had been watching the exchange sullenly, slowly opened his mouth.

“Such an amiable response as soon as you enter the place, huh?”

“Since I was officially knighted, I’ve been attracting attention wherever I go. That’s why my seniors are always so strict with me.”

Her eyes were completely fixed.

Looking down at the table, it looked like they had been drinking and eating a lot. It was almost finished.

“Damn…! I thought she was pretty cute! You’re stealing all the good ones!”

Zechs, who had emptied his mug of ale in one gulp, ranted like a sore loser.

Sheila sighed in dismay as she tossed the nuts from the table into her mouth.

It had been about a month since they last saw each other, but during that time, she had heard that Zechs had broken up with his girlfriend. It was understandable that he was upset, but she didn’t want him to take it out on her.

“I was just thanking her, okay?”

“You were so suave that even a playboy pale in comparison to you. Please teach me the secret to getting all the girls to come on to me.”

“Zechs gets dumped for saying things like that. You should learn your lesson a little bit.”

They had become much more robust since joining the Patrol Corps that it would be strange if they weren’t popular.

“I think it’s all about integrity. I mean, Cody politely refuses to accept a gift because he has a fiancée, doesn’t he?”

“No, I’m not that known. Compared to Sheila, who is popular with both men and women in the royal capital.”

Although the person in question was embarrassed and modest, his popularity was tremendous, as there was a line of women who wouldn’t give up even if he refused them.

His calm yet dependable demeanor was what attracted women to him.

“I haven’t received any gifts recently….”

“See, you’re really greedy.”

“Fair point…”

Finally dropping, Zechs looked up wildly when he heard the footsteps of the approaching waitress.

“Damn it, I want another ale!”

“Oh, me too, please. Sheila, let’s have a toast.”

“Sure. Can I eat the leftovers around here while we wait? I skipped lunch today.”

Sheila reached for the intestines that were left on the plate. If eaten together with mustard, the tangy spiciness and juices overflowing from the meat filled her hungry stomach.

“It’s because Sheila got to work a little late. When we first joined the Patrol Corps, we were exhausted every day.”

Cody then moved his plate of pasta closer to her. As one would expect from someone who had known Sheila for so long, he was well aware of her appetite.

“Come to think of it, I’ve never had a drink with you before. I thought in Denan Village you had to only be fifteen years old to be an adult.”

“I’ve always thought that herbal tea tasted better than the liquor made in the village. Zechs has been an adult for less than half a year, and yet he’s settled in well at the pub.”

“I’ve only been coming and going for a while.”

While they were talking, the ale was brought to them.

After thanking the waitress, they each raised their glasses.

“Well, it’s nice to be recognized as a knight, isn’t it?”

“Congratulations, Sheila.”

“Thank you.”

Sheila and her friends laughed and clinked their glasses.

After graduating from the Steitz Academy, it took six months for Sheila to be knighted. Originally, she was supposed to be appointed when she graduated, but because she revealed that she was a woman while still in school, it was difficult for her to be recognized.

There were quite a few women who were working as secretaries without being knighted, so she didn’t regret taking action to influence the law.

From there, however, things got chaotic.

While her classmates were starting to work, she was being dragged to advisory bodies, noble councils, and the like. Sheila, who was better at physical exercise, was forced to suffer mentally.

It was only a month ago that she was finally accepted as a member of the Order of the Imperial Knights.

Cody and the others were already accustomed to working in the Patrol Corps, so Sheila couldn’t help but feel impatient.

“I envy you two. I had to face the possibility of being kicked out anytime because I’m low-ranking, a woman, and a commoner. They only give me measly chores to do.”

When Sheila complained, Zechs patted her on the back.

“It pisses me off, too, but you’ve always been able to overcome adversity like that.”

“You’ll just have to work hard to get them to acknowledge you. I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

“You’re right….”

Once the two of them had encouraged her, Sheila couldn’t continue to complain.

There was no time to be depressed in the first place. Shaila chugged her glass.

“Well, it’s just easier not to be bullied as badly as when I was at the academy. I have Jornwerner-sensei and Leidyrune-senpai looking after me.”

“Leidyrune-sama’s connections with the upper echelons of the Faril Divine Kingdom are so well known, that even the most important members of the nobility won’t go out of their way to make a big scene.”

“But Jornwerner-sensei also became quite overprotective. He’s like another Clauschezade-sensei.”

As Sheila kept her mouth shut at the strange analogy, Cody laughed beside her.

“Sheila originally had a lot of overprotective allies, didn’t she? His Royal Highness Felix, the younger brother of the former King, was at the top of that list. It was thanks to him and His Royal Highness Wilfrecht that you were able to get knighted, wasn’t it?”

“Everyone is really nice to me.”

“I don’t think it’s just because they’re nice….”

Zechs smiled wickedly.

“However, His Highness Wilfrecht, he’s changed a lot. In the past, he used to be so fragile, but now he’s a beautiful royal prince who is famous in neighboring countries, right?”

Wilfrecht, who was aptly described as “flowery,” had undergone a drastic change after a period of halted growth.

While maintaining his beautiful appearance and inner beauty, he now possessed a dignified strength, suppleness, and masculinity. These days, it was said that his marriage proposals kept pouring in.

“Don’t you think it’s a waste?”

“What?”

“The engagement. You’re breaking up really easily, aren’t you?”

The fact that he kept his voice low meant that he probably hadn’t forgotten that it was something that should be kept secret.

In the first place, Sheila’s engagement, which was entwined with various speculations, wasn’t announced publicly. Because of the problems that arose under the surface when the current His Majesty ascended to the throne, it was a time-limited engagement that also served as Wilfrecht’s protection.

“It was a temporary engagement to begin with. Don’t tarnish His Highness’ honor.”

“But he’s royalty and he looks like that, so maybe he’s already a little wobbly?”

Even if it was a joke, it was of poor quality.

Sheila and Cody’s eyes grew cold as Zechs continued to laugh.

“Zechs, that’s just the way it is.”

“I guess you were dumped by your dream woman because you judge people based on their gender and appearance?”

“Keugh….!”

Zechs hung his head in shame at his friends’ harsh words. It seemed he still hadn’t recovered from his broken heart.

“I understand that Zechs, who is used to thinking about profit, cares about titles and careers. But I think it’s good to be honest in your work and maintain a sincere attitude with the people you care about. Sometimes it’s part of the duty to work hard for nothing, isn’t it?”

Cody’s eyes lit up as if he was impressed by Sheila’s unusual admonition.

“You’ve really grown up, Sheila.”

Sheila shyly scratched her head and smiled, happy to be praised by the man who had helped her troublesome self since she joined the school.

“I had just left the village at that time, so I didn’t understand the subtlety of the human heart at all.”

“But you’re not quite there yet. The other day, Seiryuu kept going on about you endlessly while being depressed.”

Sheila blinked at Zechs’ comment.

“I’m sure I met Seiryuu, but he didn’t seem to be saying anything…. Eh? Do you mean….?”

Her cheeks flushed with heat.

Maybe it was because she was still unaccustomed to drinking, or perhaps she was getting drunk.

“…. I didn’t realize it. I always thought that he was just thinking about it casually…”

When Sheila revealed her honest feelings, her friends looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.

“I think it was quite obvious, if you ask me.”

“Eh?”

“I’ve never seen him smile except when he’s with Sheila.”

“E-Eh?”

Cody changed the subject for Sheila, who was flustered.

“By the way, did Clauschezade-sama say something about today’s gathering?”

“Huh? He told me to go and enjoy myself.”

While Sheila tilted her head, Zechs seemed to know what he meant.

“No way. Cody, you can’t possibly think he’d be jealous of us….”

Cody smiled and pointed out the window as Zechs snorted with his chin resting on his hand.

Standing with his arms crossed, there was a man who looked out of place in the downtown area. He had silverish-white hair, peacock-colored eyes, and an ironclad expressionless face, just like a doll.

As soon as Zechs recognized the figure, he reflexively straightened his posture.

“Eh, Clausche?”

It was Sheila who rushed to her feet. She quickly walked out of the pub and went to him.

By the time she returned after exchanging a few words, her cheeks were dyed in the same rosy color as her hair.

“He had something to do nearby, so he came to pick me up on the way. He said he didn’t want me to be in danger on my way home. I’m sorry, I know I just got here….”

“Don’t worry about it. We’re here today to celebrate Sheila, so you don’t need to pay. We can save the steaks for the next time we come back here.”

“Thank you, I’ll make it up to you.”

Sheila laughed happily and ran to Clauschezade’s side.

Zechs sighed in dismay.

“…. I don’t know what kind of danger the first female knight in the history of the Kingdom of Steitz, who is treated as a hero by the people of the capital, would fall into when it’s still evening.”

“I’m not sure about me, but Zechs just broke up with his own girlfriend, so maybe that’s why.”

“So, he’s keeping me in check? Seriously, doesn’t he notice her deep feelings for him?”

Looking out the window, he could see the two people’s backs receding into the crowd.

The distance between them hadn’t changed since their days at the academy.

That meant they had been special to each other for a long time.

“Seeing those two makes me want to meet Lulu for some reason.”

“Cody, you’re not going to be a fool in love, are you? Ah~ I want some love, too.”

“That’s how life is, Zechs.”

Zechs and Cody laughed at each other and ordered more ale to drink.