7th Time Loop WN Vol. 5 Fan Translation

165

"Sven seems lively as ever, it's good to see. You've gotten a bit tougher since we last met, haven't you?"

"Hmph, of course. ...Since then, even without you or Fritz around, I've continued with morning drills without fail..."

Though muttered in a low voice, his dedication was evident even without hearing his words.

"I really wanted to see Fritz too."

Since the end of their special training period, Rishe had never seen her friend again, and the thought brought a lonely smile to her face.

Despite blending into the trainee knights, Rishe had struggled due to her lack of physical strength, but Fritz had always been bright and supportive. They had become close while she was disguised as a boy, and she missed her friend, even though they had parted ways under false pretenses. Despite the guilt of deceiving him, she longed to see his cheerful face again.

"I believe Fritz is accompanying Lord Rovaine back to his estate in Siutena, right?"

"Since he's originally from Siutena. When he reported his acceptance as a knight, his lord suggested he return to his hometown with him to receive praise there as well."

(He's still devoted to nurturing the next generation.)

Lord Rovaine, who served as an instructor during their time as trainee knights, was the Margrave of the northern border of Galkhain.

Rishe had heard that Lord Rovaine had lost his own child in a past war. Perhaps because of this, he had shown great care and guidance to Rishe and the other trainee knights.

(Lord Rovaine is the one who will eventually be executed for trying to stop His Highness Arnold's future. -- The reason for that tragedy is still unknown...)

Rishe had wanted to see Lord Rovaine too. But she had heard that he would return to the capital for their wedding ceremony.

(For now, I just have to...)

As she tidied up after training, Rishe glanced around discreetly. The training grounds were crowded with many knights. The knights of the Galkhain Order were divided into squads, each operating under the command of their respective squad leaders. As a result, there was little interaction between squads during regular training hours.

Apart from joint missions, the only times knights from different squads could interact were inside the barracks and during morning drills. Prince Arnold and his royal guard were elsewhere, as they had separate duties from the other knights.

However, Rishe's focus was on Gutheil, who was among the knights finishing training. Gutheil wiped the sweat from his brow and glanced at the wooden swords scattered on the ground. He walked over, picked one up, and began dusting it off with his hand.

(Training ground cleanup is usually done by new recruits. Yet, Gutheil naturally joins in to help the newcomers.)

Amidst many knights who paid no attention to the cluttered training ground, Gutheil's behavior stood out conspicuously.

(And he's truly earnest. Even during training, he throws himself into it with sincerity... I need to tell Sylvia about this as soon as possible.)

That's why there were things that concerned her.

"Hey Sven. Who's that big knight with the chestnut hair who's helping us with cleanup?"

"Gutheil?"

"So that's his name. He seems like such a good person, but why do people around him treat him so coldly?"