ODGD 28

Chapter 28

Knock knock.

Meteor lightly knocked on Crescent’s door.

But if she was still unconscious, wouldn’t she not respond at all?

After a moment of hesitation, Meteor turned the doorknob. But the door wouldn’t open—it seemed to be locked from the inside.

He jiggled the knob a few more times until a voice came from within.

“Who is it?”

“!”

It was Crescent’s voice, loud and clear.

Had she finally come to her senses?

But Crescent had run forty-two laps around the first training field. How she’d even managed that wasn’t the issue right now.

She might have just barely woken up, but there was no way she was in any decent condition.

She probably couldn’t even eat properly.

If she returned to the estate without having recovered, his mother would be heartbroken.

And of course, she’d blame him for not properly taking care of the girl she doted on like a younger sister.

Just imagining that gave him a headache. Meteor replied,

“It’s me. Meteor.”

“Meteor?”

With Crescent’s voice, the door creaked open.

Should he take her to the infirmary right away? Or maybe it’d be better to go directly to one of the premium clinics outside the Great Temple?

Could she even walk?

After running forty-two laps, there was no way her legs were functional.

Meteor tried to recall if there was a place in the temple where he could borrow a wheelchair.

Just then, Crescent came into view.

“What brings you here? I was just about to head out.”

“…?”

Meteor blinked in confusion.

Crescent looked perfectly normal—hair tied up high, dressed in her training uniform.

He peeked into the room and saw the bed neatly made, the air inside fresh as if it had been aired out.

Everything looked… fine.

He was slightly dazed.

“Are you okay? I heard you collapsed yesterday and hadn’t woken up since.”

“Huh? Who said that? Did someone stop by?”

Crescent tilted her head in confusion, then suddenly seemed to remember something.

“Oh right, I did oversleep today. I even skipped breakfast. I guess the first training wore me out more than I thought.”

“Well… more than just the first training—you ran forty-two laps yesterday. Is that true?”

“Oh, that?”

That? That’s it?

Was Lucas wrong?

It didn’t seem like it, but Crescent’s reaction was far too casual. For Meteor, forty-two laps around the training field was like a taste of hell.

And she just went, “Oh, that?”

Crescent continued nonchalantly.

“Yeah, I did. I was so tired I passed out before evening and ended up sleeping in.”

She smiled bashfully as she spoke.

Meteor was speechless.

Shouldn’t she be bedridden or at least pale-faced after that hellish ordeal?

“…Wow. You look way too normal for someone who just ran forty-two laps. I was worried Mother might be upset if you were sick, so I came to check on you…”

“Thanks, but I’m totally fine.”

Crescent stretched out her arms and spun around once. Even in that simple motion, it was clear her leg muscles and sense of balance were fully intact.

“And Madam Marchioness gave me a bunch of potions. I think they worked really well.”

She smiled brightly.

Was she really okay?

Did this even make sense?

He couldn’t believe it.

…Well. Either way, it was good that she wasn’t sick.

It was strange, sure, but since it wasn’t his problem anymore, it was a relief.

Still, he found he couldn’t bring himself to ask how she’d managed to run forty-two laps.

Just like when he visited Lady Aldred’s mansion, he felt there was something unusual about this girl.

Maybe it was because she was the first female Holy Knight to appear in 150 years—she was certainly not ordinary.

Five months had already passed since Crescent began her Holy Knight training at the Great Temple.

The incident with the training laps had made life at the temple slightly easier. Some trainee knights still teased her, but others seemed to admire her.

Becoming a Holy Knight and immediately outperforming the existing trainees and winning the running event had earned her some serious clout.

As always, she cracked open her dormitory door and peeked left and right.

She had to check if anyone was waiting with snacks or flowers again.

Fortunately, no one was there.

Ugh, so annoying. Can’t they just let me focus on training?!

The bullies were bad, but those who pestered her out of admiration weren’t much better.

Just as she stepped out with a sigh of relief and shut the door—

“Crescent!”

“Lady Crescent!”

“!”

Voices called her from the end of the hallway. She turned quickly and walked in the opposite direction, pretending not to hear.

But they ran up and blocked her path before she could escape.

“Lady Crescent! Where are you going?”

“Oh, hey.”

“Are you training again during your break?”

“Yeah. Just going to loosen up a bit.”

She smiled awkwardly and kept walking, but of course, they followed.

They were fellow knights-in-training, but the way they looked at her, you’d think she was some kind of saint.

Most children born with divine power came from noble families, and if their parents found out they were chasing Crescent around like this, they probably wouldn’t be pleased.

“Lady Crescent, you’re amazing as always. Let us help you!”

“No thanks. I prefer to train alone.”

“Then can we at least stand nearby and watch over you?”

“…What?”

She stared at them, dumbfounded. Their eyes sparkled with little hearts.

Shaking her head in disbelief, she turned to go down the stairs—when she saw someone looking up at her from the landing below.

It was Adrian, two years her senior. He had neatly styled black hair, a handsome face, and held one hand behind his back.

Not only was Adrian a second-tier Holy Power user—a Sapphire—but also well-known outside the temple for his good looks.

He brought his hand forward, revealing a large bouquet of flowers.

“!”

No way.

Crescent instinctively took a step back.

“Hey, Crescent Dallas.”

“Yes?”

“Here. I thought it’d look nice in your room.”

“I don’t really like flowers.”

“Really? Then what should I get you next…”

Adrian fell into serious contemplation. Not wanting any “next,” she quickly cut him off.

“You don’t have to get me anything!”

“No. I can’t do that for someone I want to marry.”

“?”

What? Marry?

“Crescent, you know as well as I do that families of Holy Knights are expected to have lots of children. The more people with divine power, the more strength we have to protect the world. You’re the first Holy Knight in 150 years, and I’m second-tier. If we married, our children would be the strongest ever.”

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

She muttered under her breath and clutched her head.

That was it—she’d had enough!

She gave them the firmest look and voice she could manage.

“I didn’t come here to find a fiancé. I’m here to train. If you keep doing this, you’re just getting in my way.”

“Crescent…!”

“But! I’ll always welcome anyone who wants to train with me. So ditch the flowers and come with a sword instead. And if you keep bothering me like this, I won’t even train with you!”

“A-Alright.”

Adrian quickly hid the flowers behind his back again. The others fell silent and nodded meekly.

Ignoring them, Crescent spun on her heel and marched down the stairs.

She wondered if she’d been too harsh on people who were just trying to be nice—but she really didn’t want to be distracted from her training.

“Hyah! Yah!”

Once again, she headed to the sword training hall and racked up a ton of levels. With the former Pope Silvester himself giving her pointers, what better teacher could she ask for?

She was so excited for the first group training camp coming up in a few days, she barely had time to feel tired.