The Red Knight Seeks No Reward

Chapter 2

Judith had never had contact with magic in her life, so she was in disbelief now that she was experiencing something that so clearly defied earthly limits. “What… happened?” she wondered aloud. The room around her was unfamiliar. She blinked up at the ceiling.

Am I in hell? I should be dead. Judith had never really believed in an afterlife, but now that she was experiencing it firsthand, she was left speechless. Does hell provide bedrooms and cheap cotton pillows? she wondered.

“This is strangely cozy.” This was past the point of humor. Life had been a living hell, but lo and behold, actual hell turned out to be a comfy place fit for taking naps. She ran a hand over her aching head and was startled by the strands of hair that caught between her fingers.

This is strange. Too strange. She always kept her hair bobbed and stylishly neat. Since hair was valuable, she sold hers as soon as it grew very long. But her hair was quite long now.

“This can’t be…” Her hair had been short for years. Just yesterday, my hair tickled my neck… What’s going on? She was puzzled by the long, wavy hair in her hands. It didn’t even occur to her that she had gone back in time. For a while, she stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection in confusion. The last time I had my hair this long was years ago…

As she was studying her unfamiliar hairstyle, she heard a knock and then a voice. “Judith, are you still sleeping? I’m coming in!” The knocking stopped, and a woman stepped into her room.

Judith felt the hairs on her body stand on end. She knew those intelligent purple eyes, that black hair, and that modest and timid impression—though Judith knew that her temperament was quite the opposite of how she seemed.

“Violet?” Judith realized she was not in hell the moment her friend, dressed in her gray uniform, opened the door. Violet can’t be in hell. Right?

“Hurry up, let’s go get breakfast.” Violet tossed a stack of letters and newspapers onto the desk, then opened Judith’s closet like she was used to it. Hanging in the closet was a gray uniform exactly like the one she herself was wearing.

That uniform! It was the outfit issued to imperial knights before they were officially initiated into an order. As Violet flung a uniform onto the bed, Judith stared at her in disbelief. “Violet, why are you here?”

“Huh? I came to wake you up.”

“No, I mean, what are you doing in hell?”

“What? Why would I be in hell!? Are you still asleep?” The girl laughed loudly and slapped Judith on the back. “Come on, let’s go get breakfast! I won’t be able to digest anything until I see you destroy Cloreaux Pelto.”

Judith gaped at her.

“Calipa is waiting,” she continued. “You should change and come join us, got it?” She cupped Judith’s cheek in her hand. It was the warm, friendly touch of a person Judith had missed so dearly. Violet playfully squeezed her cheek and walked out of the room.

Judith couldn’t recall how long she simply stood there. “Calipa is waiting?” It was the name of someone who shouldn’t be here, and even if she was, couldn’t possibly be waiting for her.

Judith turned her head in disbelief. There was a date printed on the newspaper her friend had tossed on the desk. “Anno Imperium 410…” No matter how long she stared at the date with her bloodshot eyes, it didn’t change. It was six years before her death.

***

The sound of clinking silverware filled the cafeteria. Judith absentmindedly shoveled pumpkin salad into her mouth.

“Raymon, have you decided? You’re going to join the Order of Red Knights, right?”

“No, I think the Order of White Knights might be better.”

“No way.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a bad idea.”

“Even you think so, Calipa?!” Raymon said.

People who Judith thought were dead were sitting before her, alive and well. She was sharing a table with the friend who would one day regard her as a nemesis. The friend who had committed suicide was still alive. And of course, she herself was still breathing. She couldn’t believe any of this.

“Judith, what do you think?”

At Violet’s question, Judith put her fork down with a loud clatter. Though she had only done so because she couldn’t think of anything to say, her friends interpreted it as they wished.

“She thinks you should stop with the nonsense, Raymon!”

“What? Why?! Louis, do you agree?”

“I don’t think life at the temple would suit you. You should just face the truth.”

Amid her boisterous friends, Judith finished her meal as quietly as a mouse. Half remained uneaten because she felt like she was going to throw up. Although she could hardly believe it, now she could see clearly what had happened.

I’ve somehow gone back in time… It was September of anno Imperium 410, six years before she was killed by Jeromell.

Could a passing mage have resurrected me? That couldn’t be the case. Such magic was impossible, and Judith wasn’t acquainted with any mages. Then how? Why? She could remember the sensation of her bones being severed. It was the worst thing she had ever felt in her entire life.

This can’t be real, she thought. I can’t be alive. Jeromell would have never left her breathing. But she felt everything around her so vividly. The sun was warm, and the utensils felt light in her hand. She could taste just fine as well. The salad was fresh, with a sweet and salty dressing. Indeed, she was alive.

Leaving Judith to her confused thoughts, her friends chattered among themselves.

“Have you decided, Calipa? You must have the most options out of all of us.”

“I’ve decided to join the Order of Black Knights.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Don’t you think the black knights seem a bit menacing? Have you considered other options?”

Calipa sounded resolute. “I’ve already made up my mind.”

“The black knights…” Raymon trailed off in a strange way. “What about you, Judith?”

Judith couldn’t take it anymore and stood abruptly. The sudden sound of her chair scraping against the floor drew everyone’s attention.

“Judith?” Calipa was the first to realize that something was wrong.

Judith remembered joining the black knights with Calipa. They had gotten along well even until the end. She turned away from Calipa’s scrutiny. “I’m sorry. I need to leave.”

“Huh? Where are you going? You’re supposed to meet Sir Pelto today,” Violet said. She sounded beside herself, but no matter how taken aback she was, there was no one here who could be more panicked than Judith.

Judith left her friends behind, not stopping until she reached a deserted walkway along the palace garden. She had felt the presence of someone following her quietly as she walked.

“Calipa…” Judith spoke the name of the friend she had missed dearly.

Calipa had always worn a black dress that suited her, with her long, wavy platinum-blond hair hidden behind a black veil. She was an enigma. She was peering at Judith in concern. “Are you all right?”

Judith didn’t know how to respond at first. She must have been visibly shaken enough to worry Calipa. She wiped her brow and shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

“Right. You don’t seem fine.”

Judith was genuinely grateful that Calipa had been considerate enough not to ask what was wrong or try to pry an answer out of her. How would I even explain this? she wondered. She wasn’t necessarily inarticulate, but she couldn’t find the right words. She had died, and when she’d woken up from her death, she had traveled six years back in time. Does that even make sense?

Judith felt her friend’s veiled eyes on her. It’s really Calipa… Her good friend had remained unchanged.

Calipa quietly waited while Judith sorted through her confusion. After a long pause, Judith turned to her. “Can I ask you something, Calipa? What day is it today? Year 410, September…”

“Fifteenth.”

“How long do we have left until we must decide which order to join?”

“Two days.”

It was just as she suspected. Judith had been unsure what was happening since Violet had urged her to go to breakfast in her gray suit, but now things were clear. She didn’t know why, but she was certain that she had died and come six years back in time. That meant she hadn’t yet chosen the order she would join.

Which also means… Judith took a deep breath. “What would you say… I’m known for?” Her voice quivered a bit.

Calipa was speechless for a second, but a calm answer followed. “You’re the youngest aether master in history, a genius knight who’s received offers to join all three imperial orders.”

“And…?”

“You’re a money-hungry rogue b*tch,” Calipa stated bluntly.

Judith’s face fell. The insult had meant nothing to her as a black knight, but now shame crumpled her expression.

“Rogue b*tch.” People used to call me that all the time to insult me. It sounds odd to hear it again like this… She hadn’t even batted an eye before, but now it stung deeply.

All that was left was to acknowledge that Judith the black knight was dead. It was like some sort of karmic justice. As a black knight, Judith had prioritized missions that would earn her money. She would take on any job if it paid well. Other knights loathed her for it and spat at her, saying that she was too materialistic to be worthy of reciting the knight’s oath. But she hardly cared and spat back at those who disparaged her. Even up until just a few hours ago, Judith had considered her choice to be the correct one.

“Quite a worthy death. Wouldn’t you agree?”

But… If I had truly made the best choice, why did I have to meet such a humiliating end? Jeromell’s contemptuous eyes were vividly engraved in her mind. Her captain had thrown money at her like she was a beggar.

For a moment, she felt as dizzy as when she had been at death’s door. She wanted to cry. She felt immensely pathetic, angry, and regretful.

I made the wrong choice… I was wrong. She could think of as many excuses for her actions as there were stars in the Milky Way. But there was no one to hear them, nor anyone to blame. They had been her choices, and she was at fault. She gritted her teeth, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over at any moment. Luckily, I haven’t joined the order yet.

Panic was evident in Judith’s eyes. Calipa grabbed her arm and said, “You don’t have to care about what others say.”

Judith blinked at her.

“No matter what they say to you, everyone has a different path to follow.” Calipa knew that Judith could seem cold-blooded and unbending, but she was a person with feelings too. In Calipa’s eyes, it was obvious that her friend would feel hurt by what others said about her. She tightened her grip around Judith’s arm. “Don’t pay it any mind if they call you money-hungry. I am on your side, Judith.”

“No, no…” Judith shook her head weakly. Calipa. Oh, gentle Calipa. It seemed she’d misinterpreted Judith’s thoughts. She lamented again.

Calipa Impenor was the daughter of Duke Impenor, and Judith was lucky to even be speaking with someone of such high stock. A tragedy had befallen House Impenor, which drove Calipa to become a knight. Both her parents had been murdered, and she’d witnessed her younger sister slain before her very eyes. She then swore to wear only mourning clothes and a veil for the remainder of her life.

Along with her family tragedy, the young Lady Impenor had embraced her talent for the sword and joined the Order of Black Knights. Captain Jeromell had promised he would help her seek revenge, but she’d met a tragic end.

“I am on your side, Judith.”

Calipa… Why did you have to kill yourself? Judith swallowed the words she couldn’t bring herself to say out loud. For reasons unknown, her friend had committed suicide a few years after being recruited by Jeromell. She had not left a single letter to Judith or anyone else.

You said you valued your revenge more than your life… Calipa had never laughed at Judith for living for money. They had each placed different values on the scale to weigh against their lives—for Judith, it was money, and for Calipa, it was revenge for her family’s deaths. They were good friends who couldn’t care less about what people thought of them, and Calipa was the only one Judith could call a friend in the cold-hearted world of the Order of Black Knights.

But things will be different from now on, Judith thought. She recalled the gold coins that were scattered over her as payment for the life she’d lived—a life no better than a dog’s. She would never forget the black aether that had ripped through her organs. She had to fix what had gone wrong. She didn’t exactly know how to go about it, but she didn’t want to experience such a pathetic death again.

Judith clenched her fists. “Calipa, I’m not going to join the black knights.”