I closed my eyes for a moment and then opened them. Nevertheless, the scenery in front of me remained the same.

I looked at Frost with eyes that were calmer than ever before... and then offered him an apology.

"I'm sorry."

"...."

Frost, ignoring the sparring match and everything else, turned his back and stood there blankly, looking at the disaster that had occurred in his garden.

I spoke to his unresponsive back.

"I know we agreed not to use internal energy—no, mana. But in the middle of clashing swords, a realization came to me, and before I knew it..."

"...."

A long sword scar stretched diagonally across the garden behind Frost. It was a smooth and sharp scar, as if a giant had swung a sharp sword. If it were just that, it would be one thing. But it didn't stop there; dazzlingly beautiful ice flowers bloomed from the wound carved into the ground, freezing the surrounding area.

And it was still in progress.

Krrrrk.

The flowers made of ice grew rapidly, feeding on the moonlight. The various flowers that had been blooming in the garden all became nutrients for the ice flowers, their vitality drained as they froze solid.

In short, a giant ice flower was swallowing Frost's garden. I guessed that Frost had hastily raised his mana to block my Full Moon, and that's when the disaster occurred. It seems the compatibility between ice and the Full Moon is quite good. Even though I had withdrawn my power, it stuck to it and grew so well.

I awkwardly chose my words.

"Well... it's cool and nice. It's also beautiful."

"...."

"Flowers made of ice. How wonderful is that? It can't even be compared to snow flowers. Now it finally looks like Frost's garden. Haha..."

"...."

"It was a bit boring with just flowers. You need an ice sculpture to make it look cool."

Frost was silent. He just stood there blankly. Now that I looked, his shoulder was torn. One of his suspender straps was cut, and the area around it was stained red.

"...."

I felt awkward for no reason and babbled nonsense at his back.

"Well, it's growing in height too. At this rate, it'll reach the sky, won't it? Haha..."

As I was talking, the strength in my legs gave out, and I collapsed to the ground.

"Whoops."

It was because more than half of my internal energy had disappeared in that one sword strike. My whole body lost strength, and I felt a little dizzy.

"Devil!"

When I looked towards the sound, as expected, Linda was running towards me. I was in a state where it was difficult to control my body right after kindling the Full Moon.

I held out my palm and warned her with a serious expression.

"Stop."

Linda, who had heard my warning as if it were dog poop, ran over and body-slammed me.

"Devil!"

Thwack!

"Ugh."

Linda pinned me down and then asked how I was.

"Devil, are you okay?"

"...No."

As I was sprawled out, pinned down by Linda... Walpole, Ashley, and Fluffy approached.

"Sir, are you alright?"

I pointed at Linda, who was biting my ear, and said.

"...Get her off me."

"Ah, yes."

Why is this little mutt biting my ear while asking if I'm okay?

Walpole came over and lifted Linda up as if he were picking her up, and only then did I take Sir Ashley's hand and get up.

Fluffy came over and asked, "Are you alright?"

I answered bluntly, "Do I look alright?"

Fluffy, who had looked me over, retorted, "You seem to be fine. I don't know about that over there."

Following Fluffy's gaze to the deep blue ice flowers that were continuously growing, my heart felt heavy.

As I staggered slightly, Ashley quickly supported me.

Supported by Ashley, I muttered.

"Shit. What the hell is that..."

The Heavenly Demon chuckled lowly and said.

[The two of you have created a new ultimate skill.]

"Master. Why does that keep growing? What's the principle?"

[It seems the moonlight of the Full Moon you kindled has spread on the ground, and his ice flower has been planted on top of it.]

"...My moonlight became fertilizer?"

No wonder it was so dazzlingly beautiful. It had absorbed the moonlight of the Full Moon and was showing off such an elegant form.

[You could say that. The amount of internal energy that went into it was not small, so it will probably grow for a while longer.]

"Crazy... then what is that flower?"

[It seems it was his own secret technique. He hastily brought it out to block your moonlight. It seems he didn't expect this situation either.]

Frost's secret technique is a beautiful ice flower? At first glance, it seemed very out of place with his blunt personality, but come to think of it, he was the owner of this garden full of blooming flowers. He even managed it himself. Thinking about it that way, it wasn't that strange.

So, those giant ice flowers were a joint creation of me and Frost. But it was also hard to say it was Frost's fault. Because it was I who had broken the promise and suddenly used internal energy. Frost had no choice but to use mana to block it.

"...."

Frost was still standing there in a daze, looking at the garden being swallowed by the ice flowers. The shock seemed to be quite great.

I looked at his back and then cautiously called out.

"Um, Sir Serkov."

"...."

"My master said that this is a joint creation of you and me. Let's consider it a commemoration of our blades shining at the same moment. Haha..."

Only then did Frost turn around.

"Until when."

"Huh?"

"Until when did he say it would grow?"

"Uh... he said the amount of internal energy—no, mana—that went into it was large, so it will grow for a while longer."

"...."

Frost closed his eyes tightly.

"Hoo..."

A white breath, tinged with cold, escaped with a sigh and scattered into the air. ...So he sighs too. It was the first time I had seen it.

"This is troublesome."

I thought he would be angry, but his tone was surprisingly calm. His expression was as blank as before, but his gaze looked quite pitiful. ...Is it just my imagination?

I guessed that his anger had subsided and cautiously asked.

"Um, Sir Serkov."

"What is it."

"About the sword. Can I hold it?"

Frost's gaze became as cold as a storm carrying a blizzard.

"Do you think you can?"

"Ah, if not, then never mind. Haha..."

My guess was wrong. He was angry.

"...."

Frost glared at me. My mouth went dry. Because Frost was now holding a wooden sword that had frozen solid. It was more of a sharp, honed ice sword than a wooden sword. If I wasn't careful, we could all freeze to death here.

Frost stared at me silently for a long time, then uttered a single phrase that seemed to have been sharply honed. It was a single phrase that seemed to have been barely pulled out from within.

"...Why."

My heart flinched at the killing intent that flew from Frost like an arrow. This guy was the type to not just scatter his killing intent, but to designate a single target and strike it down like a harpoon. But even though they weren't directly hit by the killing intent, the guys nearby, who had sensed its aftermath, flinched and their bodies stiffened.

"Ugh..."

Linda trembled and hid behind me.

Sir Walpole muttered in a slightly trembling voice.

"I-is he going to kill us?"

Sir Fluffy quickly whispered to me.

"Do something!"

Sir Ashley, who would normally have calmly held her sword and fought back, also urgently gave her opinion.

"Don't you think he'll accept it if Lord Ashuban sincerely apologizes?"

I accepted that opinion and tried to make a lame excuse.

"Um, Sir Serkov. I didn't know it would be like this."

I was sincere. Sometimes, like an unannounced spring rain, like a thief who doesn't care about the weather, realization is a guy that comes striding in.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen."

Frost's eyes softened slightly.

"But come to think of it, you also have some responsibility..."

Seeing his gaze turn scarily cold again, I corrected myself.

"...No, you don't. Haha, not at all. It's all my fault. It was my sole crime. I'm sorry."

I had said I was sorry twice in an instant. Was I a man who was so good at apologizing? In the face of the cold death that was rushing in, I was no different.

"...."

Frost sighed deeply once more, then looked at me.

"Well then. Will you do me a favor?"

The atmosphere was such that if I didn't grant his request, he would kill me on the spot.

"First, tell me what it is."

"I know His Majesty asked you for something."

"That's right."

The old king had asked me to become the Black Prince's knight. A free knight, not a subordinate knight.

"Knowing His Majesty's personality, it wouldn't have been an unreasonable request. Will you grant that request?"

Since I was already considering it positively, I quickly nodded.

"I will."

It was definitely not because I was trying to avoid a crisis. It was because my heart was moved by the old king's sincere request. Really.

"His Majesty doesn't have much time left. If possible, I ask that you do it as soon as possible."

I looked at him with a serious gaze.

"I will do it as soon as I return."

Only then did Frost slowly nod his head as if satisfied. The knights at his side let out a sigh of relief. Fluffy patted my shoulder as if to say I had done well.

I suddenly asked the Knight of Frost, who was letting his sword hang low, something I was curious about.

"Sir Serkov."

"What is it."

"Since the former king has stepped down from the throne, shouldn't you go to the Black Prince now?"

As far as I knew, the Royal Knights, such as Rutie of the Swift Sword, the Silent Victor, and Van Dyke of the Iron Spear, had all become members of the Black Prince's newly established Royal Knight Order. Why was Frost spending his time so leisurely here alone?

The Knight of Frost answered in a quiet tone.

"He is the one who gave me, a worthless person, a chance. I will protect His Majesty's end."

He declared in a solemn tone.

"This is my chivalry. And it is the least courtesy I can show to the lord I have served my whole life."

I looked at the Knight of Frost, who said he would watch over his lord's last moments. He was a knight. A knight as cold and hard as ice, but just as upright. A noble and high-spirited knight.

The deep blue ice flower that had grown dazzlingly behind him seemed to represent his loyalty. That's right. This was the Blake Kingdom, a true nation of knights.

I nodded my head with respect to the Knight of Frost, an honorable knight who lived his life as himself.

"I see."

Frost looked at me.

"Do you have any more business?"

I shook my head.

"If not, then leave. I have to clean up."

"...."

And so, the Knight of Frost, who was fumbling to put on the gloves he had taken off, was already returning to being a cold gardener.

Since Frost had turned his back on us, we had no choice but to say our goodbyes to his back and head to the carriage.

Although we left in a carriage as if running away, it made me think a lot. I was lost in thought, looking out the window... and then I fell asleep. It was because I was very tired from pouring out a lot of internal energy.

***

As promised with Frost, I delivered the news to the Black Prince as soon as I returned. Then this cunning fellow, making it impossible for me to back out, immediately scheduled the knight investiture ceremony for three days later. ...This annoying bastard. Was he always this quick with his work? The preparations for the teleportation magic circle were sluggish, but he was incredibly fast with things like this.

Is he not busy these days?

Until then, I spent my days training hard. I had unexpectedly reached the realm of the Full Moon, but it was a bit lacking to say I had conquered it. If I could just conquer the realm of the Full Moon, I would finally be able to master the Night Sky Star Moon Art... and then I could finally learn a new martial art from the Heavenly Demon.

Thinking about it that way, I had no choice but to immerse myself in training. The Heavenly Demon had definitely said that the Night Sky Star Moon Art was a martial art suitable for beginners, which he had created out of boredom while watching the night sky. Then what would the new martial art be? How cool and beautiful would it be? What great principle of nature had he captured and created? How had he recreated it as a martial art with his unique perspective and genius sense?

Just thinking about it made my heart pound.

[...]

And so, as I was fiercely immersed in training, the day before the knight investiture ceremony arrived.

"Ashuban."

I received a visit from the thieving cat who had slipped in through the crack in the window like moonlight.

"Will you come with me?"

I was in the middle of energy circulation, so I asked back in a drowsy voice.

"Where?"

Shushruta answered.

"To the old man."

(End of Chapter)