First Encounter
When I arrived at the training grounds, a knight was already waiting for me.
Something about her felt unnaturally stiff, and her expression looked tense...
G-greetings!
Pleased to make your acquaintance, Journey Captain!
A-acquaintance?
I am the Grand Master of the Knights of the Duchy of Monastir...
Charlotte, you know?
...You know?
I-I meant to say, Charlotte, at your service!
Are you my Journey Captain?
...Sir?
...
Aaaaah—! Not "sir"!
I practiced this so many times last night...! adding "sir" to everything?!
Should I have used formal speech instead? Or something more dignified would be better?
Did I sound too stiff? Would you prefer if I addressed you as "you"? "Mister"? "Man"?
Ugh... Uuuuugh...!
I apologize! I really wanted to make a strong first impression as the Grand Master of the Monastir Knights...
But once again, I failed...
I failed to sound like a dignified Grand Master!
...Okay, let's take a deep breath...
I am Charlotte, Grand Master of the Knights of the Duchy of Monastir, and I've been invited to this Journey, you know... as a Journey member...
...Ngh.
I mean! I am Charlotte, at your service!
I humbly ask for your guidance throughout this Journey.
As someone representing the Monastir Knights, I wanted to present myself with honor...
But it seems I let my nerves get ahead of me.
Don't worry, you made quite an impression.
R-really? Whew, awesome!
I-I mean! I'm relieved!
It hasn't been long since I was promoted from a regular knight to Grand Master...
So I'm still struggling to break out of my old speaking habits.
And ever since the promotion, I've been attending formal events and meetings with high-ranking officials...
And still learning how to carry myself properly in those settings.
Ugh... How did I even end up as a Grand Master in the first place...?
You don't need to worry about speech during Journey training.
R-really? B-but...
Uh... I wanted to sound composed, like a true Grand Master...
Training works best when you're most relaxed.
That's true! I completely agree!
Then, if I may be so bold... I'll speak comfortably while training with you during the Journey.
...
I, Charlotte, Grand Master of the Monastir Knights!
Together with you, Captain, until the very end of this Journey!
I'll give it everything I've got!
Phew! Now I can finally relax, ahaha!
I look forward to working with you on this Journey, Captain! Thank you!
After chatting a bit about the upcoming training schedule, my first meeting with Charlotte came to a close.