Valet


 * This term is alternatively translated as page (Yen Press).

A Valet (き), also known as a Valet Trainee (き), is one of the top twelve novice trainee freshmen at the Sword Mastery Academy in North Centoria. These trainees are chosen by one of the second year Elite Swordsmen-in-Training to attend to the needs of their mentors as well as to receive guidance from them. Valets are not the only ones who can compete for the position of an Elite Swordsman-in-Training during the Advancement Examination, thus a valet does not necessarily become an Elite Swordsman in their second year.

Selection
Valets are selected by the Elite Swordsmen through a system where the twelve students who became the new Elite Swordsmen are given the right to choose one of the twelve top freshmen to serve as their valet. The order in which the choices are made depends on the rank of the Elites: the higher the rank of the Elite, the more priority they have in choosing their valet.

Being a valet is usually considered as an honourable duty within the Academy, thus valets are usually the targets of jealousy from their peers. However, some of the higher-ranked nobles intentionally lower their rank to avoid being valets, as they are too prideful to listen to the orders of a mentor.

Daily Life
Like other novice trainees, valets have lessons and practical training until 15:00. However, while regular novice trainees are tasked with cleaning the dorm, repairing equipment, or caring for the Sacred Flowers in the garden after lessons conclude for the day, valets instead proceed to the Elite Swordsmen dormitory, where they have to clean the rooms of their mentors and assist their mentors personally, including serving as their sparring opponents. As such, valets gain additional training and advice on how to improve their swordsmanship styles from their mentors, while their mentors themselves have a chance to practice their styles.

Usually, a valet is very nervous in the presence of their mentor during the first two months of the school year, as there are only twelve Elite Swordsmen in the Academy, which results in the novice trainees feeling more scared of the elites than the instructors themselves. Additionally, some valets may be assigned to inconsiderate Elites, who deliberately litter, cause disturbances, or have a tendency to disappear from the dormitory without notifying their valets, causing them trouble every day. However, a valet can only be dismissed from their position with the consent of both the Elite Swordsman-in-Training and the instructor-in-charge. In such cases, another valet can be chosen from the novice trainees to replace the dismissed one.

Uniform and Dormitory
Like all students at the Sword Master Academy who are not Elite Swordsmen-in-Training, Valets receive a dark grey-colored uniform. Male students wear a long jacket and pants while female students wear a cropped jacket and skirt. All jackets have a collar and cuffs, which are usually folded back, revealing the inner white part of the jacket. Jackets also have white edges along the collar and down along the buttons, though this is usually covered by a white, tie-looking flap that extends over the buttons. On this tie-like design, two sword insignia can be seen, one directly below the neck, and another farther to the bottom.

Like regular novice trainees, valets live in the old-looking, two-story novice trainee dormitory, where they have to share a room with about ten other students, who may be either other valets or regular novice trainees. Strict rules have to be followed within the dormitory, thus, like other first years, valets must return to the dormitory by 17:00.

Trivia

 * A design resembling the insignia of the Knights of the Blood could be found near the top and bottom of the tie-looking flap.