Side Story: Khamsin’s Treasure

SINCE BIRTH, KHAMSIN HAD NO MEMORIES OF HIS father’s love. His mother wasn’t around, and whenever he asked his father about her, his answer came as a fist to the face. He never found out what had happened to her.

These should have been sad, painful memories, but because Khamsin didn’t know what a functional family looked like, he didn’t truly understand how unfortunate his situation was. Somewhere in his heart, he believed his father loved him.

But one day, their poverty hit a breaking point, and Khamsin’s father opted to sell him into slavery. That was when his heart finally shattered to pieces. No matter how much he sobbed or apologized, his father did not change his mind.

Thus, Khamsin was enslaved.

Yet, as fate would have it, the person who purchased him was a high-class noble child who just happened to pass by. The boy’s name was Van Nei Fertio, and he was two years younger than Khamsin—but the world he lived in was entirely different.

Khamsin, who had been wondering about his future, was surprised to find that his life changed for the better. Instead of being unfairly beaten, he received a place to live and brand-new clothes. Instead of struggling to find food, he was allowed to eat all kinds of delicious things and drink fresh, clear water.

Perhaps most importantly, everyone was so kind to little Khamsin. His maid instructor and butler-in-training could be strict, but they treated him seriously, mussed up his hair, and complimented him when he accomplished feats he’d never managed before. The young Khamsin was incapable of putting his gratitude into words, but the warm tears never stopped flowing.

Having settled in and come out of his shell a little, Khamsin developed a powerful fascination with the boy named Van. He was Khamsin’s master.

Needless to say, he desired to learn more about him, but that wasn’t all.

Before Van acquired him, Khamsin had feared the nobility. This fear didn’t stem from anything he’d heard, but rather an impression he got from watching the people around him. As he attended to Van, however, his prejudice dissipated completely.

“Khamsin, could you grab that book for me?”

“O-of course!”

“Thanks.” Van flashed him a carefree smile.

This noble had openly offered his gratitude to a slave. Khamsin bowed his head as a strange sensation overtook him. He was happy, not to mention proud when Van complimented him. He was also a little embarrassed. He craved even more praise.

Khamsin continued to serve Van as his heart thrummed with these complex emotions.

Eventually, he caught the maids and butlers gossiping about Van. According to them, the boy was a child prodigy. By asking a single question or learning one piece of information, he could go on to comprehend so much more.

Additionally, he was able to lock blades with soldiers-in-training several years older. He wasn’t the oldest child in his family line, yet there was a strong possibility he would become heir to the marquisate. Hearing things like that made Khamsin feel as thrilled as though they were talking about him. They spoke of the master who’d purchased him as a future hero.

Mustering every bit of his courage, Khamsin asked Van, “Is there anything I can do for you, my lord?”

With a smile and a nod, Van replied, “Yes, actually. Get strong so you can protect me. Become the strongest knight of them all.”

Khamsin felt as though a fire had been lit in his chest. Van might not have answered the question seriously, but for Khamsin, he now had a new goal in life to aspire to.

“Leave it to me! I’ll become even stronger than Sir Dee!”

He put words to his excitement and sense of duty, swearing right then and

there to live up to Van’s expectations. Khamsin had already been receiving special training from Dee to serve as Van’s stand-in, and it was exhausting work. But that day, his mentality changed in a big way. He participated in his training more proactively than ever before, and whenever he had free time, he practiced with a stick.

It wasn’t long before Dee noticed this change. He trained the boy even harder in the hopes that he could excel—and excel he did.

When Van’s magical aptitude came to light and he was kicked out of his house, Khamsin’s feelings never wavered. He would be the most powerful knight of all, serving his heroic master. His objective—his hope for the future— remained intact.

So when Van gifted him his first sword, Khamsin trembled with more joy than he’d ever felt in his life.

When he was alone, he couldn’t help but cradle the sword, grinning from ear to ear.

“Heh… Heh heh heh…”

Khamsin stood outside Van’s carriage, gripping the wooden sword and giggling to himself. Dee’s underlings, Arb and Lowe, watched on with unsettled expressions.

Van’s training time had been reduced, so he’d plateaued, ​although he was still about as good as your average knight. Khamsin, on the other hand, could fight on equal footing with Arb and Lowe. Though Khamsin hadn’t noticed this himself, he was one step ahead of Van when it came to swordplay and swordplay alone. The pair of knights feared that they would be surpassed by a child, so they secretly started their own training regimen. Everyone involved was amicable on the surface, but they all felt a strong rivalry.

“What is this?! All you did was run and swing your swords a little, and you can’t move?!”

“Come on, Deputy Commander. A little? Really?!”

“We ran all morning…in full armor…”

Arb and Lowe were both out of breath, trying to talk back to a very angry Dee. Khamsin wiped his sweaty, dirt-covered face with his sleeve and stood up, sword in hand.

“I-I can still move! Sir Dee, let’s continue!”

“Oooh, wonderful, Khamsin! Let’s move on to sparring! Is there anyone who can face him?!” Dee asked happily as he looked around.

Arb and Lowe were still on the ground. They glanced at each other and stood up, still panting.

“I-I’ll do it…”

“No, I will…”

Dee’s brows shot up, and then he beamed with a nod. “I see you’re motivated for once! Then let us hold a round robin tournament! First up is Khamsin and Lowe!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Understood!”

The pair responded with vigor and wobbled their way toward each other. Despite running nonstop and swinging their swords around, the pair fought a nail-biting match that left the knights around them holding their collective breath.

Watching from afar, Van laughed dryly. “Ha ha ha ha… Must be rough to spend the whole day training. I could never handle that kind of hellish work. Plus, Khamsin’s a whole head shorter than everyone else. It’s crazy what he can do…” He grimaced.

Unfortunately for Van, Esparda came over to tutor him when he noticed that the boy had free time on his hands. For him, that was a different kind of hell entirely.

Though Khamsin was constantly training, he did have time to himself.

After receiving the wooden sword, he had subsequently been given iron and mithril ones, and he treasured them all. He coveted them so much that he refused to use them outside of combat.

Khamsin laid out his swords in his bedroom, sat down, and carefully maintained each one. This was when he was at his most relaxed. “Heh heh heh heh…”

As he did every single night, Khamsin laughed to himself all alone in his room.