Chubby Knights

By the time we arrived at the location pointed out by the bird, the scene was already quite chaotic. Dozens of villagers had gathered, and among them, several knights could be seen. However, judging from their appearance, it was obvious they were nothing like Galliant—in both demeanor and stature.

To be honest, those knights looked far from gallant. Their builds were rather stocky and disheveled, reminding me of certain security institutions from my previous world. Ahem—I suppose there’s no need to go into further detail here.

Some of them even looked drunk. They were holding glass bottles—perhaps wine—laughing loudly and staggering about as they walked.

As we stepped closer to the crowd, a man suddenly broke free from the center, panicking and trying to escape. He looked terrified—his face pale, breathing ragged, and his steps frantic. He stumbled as he ran, tripping here and there, but still tried to flee as quickly as possible.

Yet Galliant, calm atop his horse, made no move to chase him. He simply raised one arm.

In an instant, I saw something that made my eyes widen—a crescent of black shadow slowly curled from under the horse, spread quickly, passed through roots and tree branches, and then wrapped around the body of the man who had been running away.

The shadow dragged him back—forcefully pulling him until he lay sprawled right in front of us.

There was no doubt about it... this was Magic!

But my amazement quickly faded, replaced by a pang of pity as I saw the man’s condition. He was trembling, visibly terrified, his lips struggling to form words of plea or justification.

"You don't seem to be from here. What are you doing here?" Galliant asked firmly.

“I-I-I... Forgive me, Sir... I was just—”

Before he could explain, one of the chubby knights suddenly cut in with a loud, gruff voice, “Enough! No need for excuses! Let’s just beat him to death already!”

“Yeah, kill him!” another overweight knight shouted, patting the glass bottle in his hand.

“Please, someone explain to me. What exactly is going on here?” Galliant’s commanding voice cut through the noisy jeers.

A middle-aged man, seemingly a villager, stepped closer. He lowered his head before speaking, “Forgive my impudence... but this man was just caught trying to steal—only a piece of bread and a small sack of wheat.”

Upon hearing that, Galliant suddenly placed his hand on my shoulder.

“This man—what do you think should be done with him? I’d like to hear your decision, Young Master.”

Whoa, are you seriously giving that kind of judgment to a three-year-old?

I fell silent. It was true that he was a thief, and stealing is still a crime. But as far as I know, there are generally two types of thieves: those who steal out of greed, and those who steal out of desperation. If he’s the first kind, the greedy type—I wouldn’t mind letting the crowd have their way with him.

But...

Judging by his ragged appearance and the restless look in his eyes, he seemed like someone with no other choice. And considering all he stole was a piece of bread and a small sack of wheat... maybe he was just starving? Or worse—maybe there was a wife and child at home, waiting for him, hungry since yesterday.

“J-Just... let him have the bread and the wheat. It’s okay, I’ll pay for them later,” I finally said, a bit unsure, since I wasn’t certain if this decision aligned with the laws or customs of this country.

But... my heart wouldn’t let him be beaten over a piece of bread.

Galliant gave a small nod. “You heard him. You’re allowed to take the bread and wheat you stole. But listen carefully—find a job after this, and don’t come back here again!”

“Th-thank you, Sir... for your kindness... I-I swear I won’t steal again...” the man said with a choked voice. Then he bowed deeply, pressing his forehead to the ground before me and Galliant.

Not everyone, however, was pleased with that decision. One of the bulky knights grumbled with a sneer, “Tch... What’s with this naive little brat? Trying to play hero, meddling in grown-up business.” He then walked away from the crowd.

“Oi, thief! Don’t forget to lick the little prince’s feet while you’re at it, hahaha...” another fat knight shouted from a distance, still laughing as he took another swig from his wine bottle.

Uwwaaahhh… That sounded way too accurate.

“All right. What are you all still standing around for? Disperse now! The matter’s settled!” Galliant shouted loudly.

“Y-Yes, Sir...” replied one of the villagers standing closest. Not long after, the crowd began to thin out. One by one, they started to leave. Meanwhile, the thief slowly made his way home, holding a piece of bread and a small sack of wheat tightly in his arms.

...

The sun had begun its descent toward the west. The once-blazing light had now turned into something soft and golden. Galliant and I walked back home, letting the evening breeze brush against our faces. It had indeed been a tiring day, yet my mind remained unsettled.

There was something that kept spinning in my head ever since that scene in the middle of the crowd. I still couldn’t quite understand—how could Galliant leave such an important decision entirely in my hands like that? Wasn’t that his responsibility as a knight? Or... was he secretly trying to teach me something? I had to ask. I had to...

“A—”

But before I could even get the words out, Galliant spoke first.

“Young Master, about what that knight said earlier... don’t let it bother you too much, all right?” he said in a tone far gentler than usual.

“Oh, no... that's not it,” I replied quickly, shaking my head slightly. “I was actually thinking about something else. I mean... why is there even a knight who’s—well, how do I put this... overweight?”

To my surprise, Galliant laughed. “Those were knights from another kingdom, employed here in this country, Young Master.”

“Hm... how did that happen?”

“In this land,” Galliant replied as he continued leading his horse, “there aren’t many people who aspire to become knights. One of the reasons is that the education and training required to become one are quite expensive. And for those who don’t particularly excel during training—those who graduate with a low rank—the pay isn’t very promising. That’s why most people prefer to become farmers or merchants instead.”

“If I may guess... would that overweight knight be one of those with a ‘low rank’?”

Once again, Galliant laughed. “You could say that. But... I must ask you, Young Master, please never say something like that in front of them. The reason they’re employed in this country is because of certain binding regulations and negotiations between kingdoms.”

“So does that mean knights like you earn more than they do?”

“Not really. In this land, it seems King Cassian—your father—pays all knights equally, unless there’s a special assignment. I sometimes get paid more because I take on additional jobs outside my knightly duties, like escorting merchants, and so on.”

Feeling that the conversation about the overweight knights had run its course, I decided to return to the question that had been stuck in my mind since earlier.

“Then, about that thief... why did you ask me to make the decision?”

Galliant fell silent for a moment.

“Honestly, I was simply following my instincts, Young Master,” he said in a flat tone. His gaze remained fixed straight ahead, not once turning to look at me.

“In that case... what if I had decided to punish him? Or even ordered you to kill him, like those overweight knights were shouting?”

“To be honest, I was actually expecting that answer from you, Young Master—”

Hey...

“But even if you had chosen that path, I still would’ve let the thief go,” he continued.

Thank goodness... it seems Galliant isn’t the type to blindly follow orders. At the very least, he still holds a strong moral compass as a knight.

But then, Galliant suddenly brought his horse to a halt. He turned to me for the first time since the conversation began.

“Even so... I’m curious,” he said softly, “How did you come to have such mature reasoning, Young Master?”

Gulp.

I didn’t answer right away—my throat felt a little dry. But before the silence grew too awkward, Galliant spoke again.

“But on the other hand, I feel glad. Seeing you grasp the state of this kingdom faster than I expected... it makes me truly grateful.” He gave a small smile before continuing, “You’ve grown into a wise prince, just as the people have long believed in their tales.”

“T-Thank you... I’ll do my best to become a good prince—one that everyone can admire.”

Honestly, I had no idea what else to say...

“Well, perhaps after this... you might start feeling a little lonely, Young Master. Because everyone at the palace will become busy—focused on leading this kingdom toward a brighter future.”

“Does that include you too, Galliant?”

“Yes, I’ll have fewer moments like this to spare. That’s why I want you to start thinking things through before acting. I won’t always be able to stay by your side.”

I gave him a small smile.

This is the perfect moment.

“In that case... could you teach me magic? Like the one you used earlier... while you still have some free time left.”

Galliant laughed again. “Unfortunately, I can’t, Young Master. Not because I don’t want to teach you... but the magic I used earlier is considered advanced-level. It takes quite a bit of time to learn.”

“Hm... then, could you at least teach me the basics?”

“Even learning the basics takes time. But there’s no need to worry, Young Master. Once you enter the noble academy at the age of six, the instructors there will begin teaching you.”

“B-But I really want to start learning now...” I said, almost pleading.

“Tell you what. I still have an introductory book on magic that I received when I studied at the Knight Academy. If you’re able to read it, I’ll give it to you.”

“Y-Yes! I can read it! I already know how to read fluently!” I answered quickly, almost cutting him off.

But Galliant turned to me again with a slightly puzzled look. “Forgive me if this question is inappropriate, Young Master... but isn’t it true that most three-year-olds can only read picture books? Who taught you how to read?”

And once again... that silence returned, quietly filling the space between us just like before.