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No raw comparison due to file problems… explanation below.

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“Brave!? Mavis-sama the Brave? The Mavis House’s third daughter?”

As Leticia was still unfamiliar with the Knight School, she lived in the female dorm used exclusively by those of high nobility. As for Wynn, Leticia confessed to him that she was the “Brave”.

“Un, That’s me? Leticia van Mavis.”

“So it’s true? …I didn’t know…”

Wynn looked closely at Leticia, who was walking beside him.^[1]
Who would’ve thought that the rumored Brave was his close friend.

“From the first time we met, I thought she was a noble, but I never heard her full name. I didn’t care who she was, or where she was from. However, that the Brave’s name was Mavis… I did hear.”

Wynn would frequently hear about the Brave’s journey from the merchants and adventurers who stayed at the “Wataridori Pavilion”^[2] while he worked at the inn.
The view of children of the town playing the “Mavis the Brave” game, swinging around wooden swords, was commonly seen.
Aside from the merchants and adventurers that traveled to the city, bards and minstrels performed stories of the Brave’s feats to the public.

In order to save the prince of a certain country who was turned to stone, she subdued the demon who cursed him, and lifted the curse.

In another country, she defeated a priest who sacrificed a person every night in order to revive an evil god, and rescued the captured people.

Furthermore, she retrieved a rare herb from an unexplored ancient forest in order to cure an unknown illness spreading through a city.
When it turned out that the the cause of the illness was a dragon living in a nearby cave who emitted miasma, she subjugated the dragon.
As for the purification —

When it spread that the Brave was the empire’s Mavis Ducal House’s hidden third daughter, the empire’s citizens felt a patriotic pride in being the Brave’s home country.
The Empire itself widely publicized the actions of the Mavis House’s third daughter.
Wynn, who had read tales of heroic knights since childhood was also excited about the tales of the Brave who wandered the earth.
Now that he had grown, he knew that the knights that appeared in those epic tales didn’t exist in reality.
However, the existence of the “Brave” taught him that those storybook knights were not merely a dream.
Although the Brave’s feats were impossible for Wynn, if only he at least had a tenth of the strength, he would protect those who were suffering, as a knight.^[3]
That was something he aspired to be.^[4]

The Mavis House’s third daughter that he aspired to be, he didn’t think she would be his friend Leti.

He looked at Leticia, who was beside him.

As in the past, his friend walked beside him.
Two years younger than him, her height did not even reach his shoulder, she had a delicate figure. ^[5]
Fighting the Demon Lord, the subordinate demons, and the monsters, it was more severe than the stories.

‘I will try my hardest, so that I can return as soon as possible!’

The promises exchanged four years ago– He thought that those words wouldn’t come true.
Nevertheless, she had now returned, and was walking beside him, as she had promised.

“You’ve tried your best, haven’t you, Leti.”

At the words that escaped from Wynn’s lips, Leticia’s feet stopped for a moment, causing her to hurriedly catch up after falling behind.

“Un!”

She showed a delighted, sparkling smile.

Four years ago, Leticia was unable to reveal that she was from the Mavis House.

She feared that Wynn would distance himself from her if he knew that she was a noble.
Generally, in an Imperial Knight Order, individuals did not use family names.
Officially, they use Knight Order rankings in order to prevent  nobles from flaunting their influence in the court. ^[6]
The knight school adopted this practice. For example, Wynn Byrd would formally be called “Knight Cadet Wynn”, and not “Knight Cadet Byrd”, and Locke would not be called “Knight Cadet Marine”, but rather “Knight Cadet Locke”.

Even if she were a lady of nobility, Wynn wouldn’t have to call her by her family name.
However, Leticia was more famous than she would have wanted. ^[7]

She was known as the “Divine Sword Princess”, “One Closest to God”, and “Leticia van Mavis, the Brave”.

As the third daughter of the Empire’s Mavis Ducal House.

Leticia snuck a glance at Wynn beside her. ^[8]
Four years ago, they were approximately the same height.
Now, Leticia’s head did not even reach Wynn’s shoulders, and his young-ish body was growing into a strong build, and supple muscles.^[9]

That morning, when they crossed swords, Wynn was several times stronger than she remembered four years ago.
The source of Leticia’s art, which earned her the name “Divine Sword Princess”, was most definitely Wynn.
It was the swordsmanship that fascinated her when she escaped to the town for the first time and met him.
Compared to that time, being more skillful with his sword techniques, he would have excelled if requirements were met, which the chances were probably were very few of at this school.^[10]

Throughout her journey, she fought many enemies.
Many times, she had near death experiences, feeling despair.

However, in the end, Leticia would not give up and continued to fight.
Even with her magic power empty, and her companions injured, with only her spirit and sword unbroken, she would tear apart myriads of demons.
The swordsmanship that Leticia learned from Wynn was her greatest tool.

Therefore…

“You’ve tried your best, haven’t you, Leti.”

“Un!”

At Wynn’s words, Leticia, from the bottom of her heart, felt delighted and relieved.^[11]
Rather than being known as “The Brave”, or as “The daughter of a noble”, her relation ship with Wynn as the pupil of her “Master” would not change from now on.
For this reason, she couldn’t help but marvel.

How was Wynn unable to become an apprentice knight?
While standing beside him, Leticia looked up to Wynn.
In order to find out, she asked him.

“Ne, what do we learn in Knight School?”

“If we were to talk about the lessons, then there are two types of of classes, theory and practice. Practical combat classes include swordsmanship, spearmanship, or another martial art. Scout arts, stealth arts, survival arts are taught in the field. Magical combat classes are split into three types. Theory classes include tactics and military history, and of course, history and heraldry. Finally, there is Linguistics.”^[12]

“Onii-chan, What classes do you take?”

“Well, for combat classes, martial arts and swordsmanship is required, but I also take the knife arts class. I also study history.”^[13]

“Fuun, so it’s like that.”

“What will you take, Leti?”

“I am too late to join a combat class, so I am focusing on studying the theory classes. Ah, but I plan on enrolling in the magic classes.”

“So you’re focusing on the theory classes.”

“But Leti’s strength is moving your body, and not using your brain though.”

“After all, I left when I was ten, didn’t I? I couldn’t study during the journey.”

Leticia became sullen, hitting Wynn’s head with a ‘pon pon’ sound.

“Ah, Wynn. Leticia-sama.”

“What is it, Locke?”

He suddenly called out from behind them.
Locke had been walking behind them for sometime now.
Since they seemed strange from the side, Locke walked behind them while looking around restlessly.

“What is it? Is your stomach sore?”

“No it isn’t!”

Seeing his friend with a pale face, Wynn called out to him in worry, but received a denial in a suppressed shout.

“You two, with this much attention on you, don’t be so calm!”

Looking around them, before they had noticed, Wynn and Leticia (and Locke…) were being stared at by the students headed to class.

“O, Oi. That, Isn’t that Leticia-sama?”

“Un. I saw her yesterday at the entrance ceremony, but, I didn’t see her this close!”

“But, who are the two boys beside Leticia-sama? Did we see them at the evening party?”

“Well, the boy beside her, I know. Isn’t he Wynn Byrd? I’m sure, that he’s the one that failed the selection test three times in a row.”

“For real? Such a guy exists? I could easily become a knight if I asked my father.”

“Me too, me too!” ^[14]

“I know, right? The examination is but a formality, since you can just pay to pass it.” ^[15]

“That guy, the commoner? There is no way that he can afford to pay.”

“Haa!? Such a person aiming to be a knight? I think not!”

“Hahaha!”

“Wynn felt as if somebody had poured cold water on his back.”
Though he said nothing, Locke noticed it.
However, he acted like he didn’t care.
He suddenly started chewing on his lower lip.

He had shown strength so far.
He understood his social status clearly. ^[16]
The people who attended here were either nobles, knights or children of rich people.
Locke was no exception.
If Locke had lived a life fitting his status, Wynn would have never gotten to know him.

Besides…

As they said, to become an apprentice knight, one needs money.

To be precise, connections and money.

“Wynn, don’t mind their words, okay?”

Locke patted him on the shoulder.

“Why is that beggar walking with Leticia-sama? There is a limit to not knowing one’s social status.”

Their words pierced his chest.

‘She’s Lady Leticia van Mavis, the Brave.’

Without having changed since four years ago, they met.

In those days, I didn’t know.
In those days, she wasn’t the Brave yet.

She was just a lost child. Now, I know who she really is.
To Wynn, she was a person who lived in a completely different world.
It felt like the Leticia who was once close to him suddenly became a distant figure.

“Onii-chan?”

Leticia looked at him with a worried face.

By all accounts, commoners like Wynn shouldn’t exchange words with her.
Only an innocent child could call her “Leti” so familiarly.
But now, he wasn’t a child anymore.

“Sorry, Leti… Leticia…-sama, Locke. I’ll go on ahead.”

Turning away, without seeing the two’s faces, Wynn started running.
Leticia and Locke were left behind, motionlessly looking at his back.

---

Translator notes
1.Need to figure out grammar for shimau back
2.wataridori=Migratory Birdback
3.How do the long dashes differ in Japanese and English? (勇者のような活躍はウィンには無理であろうが、その十分の一でもいい――力なき者を守れる騎士となろう。)back
4.憧れと共に強く思ったものだ。back
5.seems to be a description of now…back
6.wording. 建前上、騎士団の中ではその位階を優先させるため、宮廷内での序列を持ち出さないようにするためだ。 back
7しかし、自分から望んだわけではないにしろ、彼女は有名になりすぎてしまった。back
8.subject? レティシアは横を歩いているウィンの顔をちらりと盗み見る back
9. parts of the sentence… しかし今ではレティシアの頭はウィンの肩までしかなく、彼の体つきもまた少年っぽさが抜けしなやかな筋肉のついた、たくましい体付きになりつつある。 back
10.what? あの頃よりも一際冴え渡らせたその剣技は、条件さえ満たせば・・・・・・・・彼を上回るものは恐らくこの学校においても少ないだろう。back
11.lazy me. ぽつりと漏れたウィンのその言葉に、レティシアは心の底から喜びを覚え、そして安堵したのだ。 back
12.apparently, heraldry studies ceremonial etiquette and ceremonies and stuff. This was long…授業は大まかに言えば、実技と座学の二種かな。実技は剣術や体術、槍術なんかの実技戦闘術学科。斥候術や隠密術、野外生存術などの野戦学科。それと魔法戦闘学科の三種に分かれてる。座学は戦術や戦史はもちろん歴史や紋章学、後は言語学とか幅広いよ back
13.まあ、戦闘術学科では剣術と体術は必須だから、あとはナイフ術などの近接戦闘。学科は歴史関係を勉強してるかな。back
14.help… him too me too? おれもおれもback
15.The backbiting section was hard to understand… Especially since it’s also not enjoyable to translate…だよな？　試験なんて形式として受けるだけなんだから、金で買っちまえばいいのに The whole section around that line could use tlc…back
16.身分違いなのは、自分が一番よくわかっている。back

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<–Chapter 8

Chapter 10–>

Translation Assistant occasionally loses control of the Ctrl+key functions, so sometimes save shortcut fails me, and I lose the translation… I had copied it elsewhere, but when I tried to salvage it, the lines didn’t match up. Any kind souls wanting to edit will have to go to the original raw site. Such an unfortunate event for a chapter that has 16 footnotes…

This story seems to be told in a loopy fashion:

1. Start
2. Jump forward
3. Flashback go further
4. Repeat 2 and 3.

Thanks to:

• Seinvolf, for minor grammar errors…