Chapter 58 – What Happened
Alicia appeared unexpectedly.
Her openly revealing her interest in me stirred up the atmosphere in her banquet hall once more.
Of course, there was no way to openly criticize the actions of the princess of the empire, so the few remaining nobles were just whispering among themselves.
Their conversation was clear to my keen hearing.
“Surely, the princess has visited the Black Lion Knights in the past. She didn’t give a clear reason.”
“I don’t feel much of a distance between the two of them. Maybe they already knew each other. If so, I wonder what their relationship would be exactly.”
“Compared to his achievements, the leader of the Knights of the Black Lion strangely refrained from external activities. During the war, even those with majors far below him were treated as heroes with a smile. The princess was interested in him. Reveal…”
If I had to add it, the reason Alicia visited the Knights of the Black Lion on her own was just to pervert in front of me.
The reason I don’t like going out is because I don’t really enjoy meeting strangers.
No matter how much you get used to it, it’s never pleasant to be feared and shunned because of her formidable appearance.
The reason Alicia and I seem close is because we actually have a secret relationship that has already gone the extra mile.
“Then, was he already a member of the imperial family from the beginning? Looking at its unusual level of strength, we cannot rule out the possibility that it is a secret weapon that was deliberately cultivated by the imperial family.”
“There have been different opinions about why the military department appointed a person of that size as a knight commander.
“Perhaps, the general’s intentions, which have been silent for a while…”
No, it really isn’t.
Aside from the few occasions when I had an audience with His Majesty the Emperor at public events, I had no personal contact with anyone from the imperial family other than Alicia.
Why did you become the knight commander? It was just following the post-war personnel order of the unified command.
Aren’t knights definitely equivalent to soldiers? Soldiers must follow orders.
It was very burdensome to see the nobles, who had a direct influence on the rumors circulating in the social world, talking among themselves and building up misunderstandings.
That alone already makes my head throb…
“The courage of the Knights of the Black Lion also left a deep impression on me.”
“Wow, congratulations!”
“Do not kneel. Each of you are great warriors who protect the empire. Excessive manners make my heart heavy.”
“Ah… Her Highness the Princess…!”
“Fufu, let’s look forward to your performance in the future.”
Because of Alicia, who approached her subordinates who were playing well and began showering her with compliments, I couldn’t even eat her food properly and had no choice but to follow her.
At that time.
“Kyaa…?!”
“Princess!”
Alicia, who had been walking well, suddenly stumbled on her foot, and she seemed to fall into my arms.
No. To be precise, she was trying to hug him.
It would be a big deal if she fell and got hurt, so the moment she hurriedly tried to lift her body up from the eyes of others.
— Whiing!
With a gust of wind blowing from somewhere, a person no one expected appeared in this place.
My teacher and general of the empire.
Arien de Lauriel Alfheim.
‘Why is Master here?’
… Before there was time to question, Master immediately supported Alicia with a swift movement invisible to her eyes and said,
“Hmm?
“Huh, heheh?!”
—Turn up!
“Baby, what did you just say? Aha, you meant to call me Lien sister! You heard me wrong, huh?”
“Uh, uh! It hurts… It hurts…!”
The first thing Master did was storming into the banquet hall wearing a shirt and tights.
It was her closing Alicia’s mouth and tugging at her wheaten white cheeks.
Master was probably the only person who could treat Alicia, the princess of the Empire, like that in front of so many people.
“That, that elf… Can’t it…?”
“Oh, I guess that’s right?”
All of my men, who were enjoying a banquet with the nobles who were uninvited here, looked blank as if they were dreaming.
What made it so…
For most people of the empire, the existence of the general is more like a guardian deity in a legend.
Besides, everyone has a kind of fantasy about the mysterious and beautiful high elves who have the strongest military force in the empire and have lived for nearly a thousand years.
However, when such a general appeared, the first thing he did was harass the princess who was still.
Perhaps to them, it would seem absurd and almost surreal.
That’s why, even when Master lightly approached me and started groping my body here and there, no one could say anything.
—Tuk-tuk
‘Ah, the ass is a bit.’
Instead, people’s dazed expressions gradually began to be colored with astonishment.
“Hmm, no one was hurt. I’m sure that bastard’s powers are clear. But just in case, open your mouth.”
“Ah…”
“Yes, yes, good.”
I felt like I was going to die of shame.
“Disciple, congratulations on winning.
“…Thank you.”
Still, no matter what, I felt proud when I heard the praise directly from Master.
I’m not good at giving compliments. Is winning the Knights Competition a satisfactory achievement even from Master’s picky point of view?
In the midst of that, I was a little happy.
“But, just one thing. That ignorant technique. I’m sure he told me not to use leisure time.”
“Oh no, that’s…”
Master began to show subtle displeasure.
Damn it, it seems that it was a problem that I modified and used the non-temporal skill at will. Anyway, I hope you won’t hit me here.
“Well, it’s done. It’s a bit too much to scold here. The reason I came all the way here is other than congratulations, so let’s talk about that later.”
“Another reason… You mean?”
Fortunately, we are slightly relieved by Master’s quick calming of anger. Isn’t that Master pointing at someone with a chin gesture?
“That child.”
It was Vice-Captain Agnes who attracted the attention of the Empire’s general.
Is it bad luck or good luck? Maybe it’s both
“Me-you mean me?!”
“Yes. You, blue-haired girl. You should come over here.”
“Ancient!”
For the vice-captain, he was a completely advanced person he had never seen before. It wasn’t even an ordinary senior.
A legendary figure at the top of the military hierarchy called me.
Perhaps because of that, the vice-captain was very nervous and hesitantly approached the master.
A loud salute resounding.
“Glory to the Imperial Family! To His Majesty the Emperor…”
“Ah, that’s all right. You’ve got a fighting spirit and mentality that are rare these days. I like it.”
“Go, thank you!”
“Yes, yes. It seems to be useful if you have enough talent for a human being, so you should devote yourself more diligently. This student has a good subordinate.”
If such an expression came out of Master’s mouth, it was a truly colossal compliment.
Even so, after the game was over, I was a little surprised to see that the vice-captain’s momentum had improved to that of a knight commander, but her potential was greater than I thought.
“Well, I’m going to go now. Disciple, come and visit the headquarters from time to time.”
“Haha. I see.”
On the other hand, as soon as Master’s business was over, he seemed to be leaving without any regrets.
I replied that the unified headquarters was not a playground, and that Master would most likely be absent if I went to visit him, but I would understand for now.
There were so many experiences where I got angry when I added useless words.
— Whiing!
After Master left, a more violent reaction than when Alicia appeared earlier began to erupt.
“Did you just see it? The Guardian of the Empire appears. It’s the first time I’ve seen the real thing.”
“No, more than that… Didn’t the rumor that Sir Wolfgang was designated as the general’s heir turn out to be false?
“The general’s behavior seems incomprehensible from the criminal’s point of view, but I’ve heard that the Jangsaengjok’s unique mentality lies behind it.”
“What does it mean to show off your closeness to Her Highness and to express your interest in the vice-captain of the Black Lion Knights?”
Alicia alone is too much for her to handle, but she suddenly even has her master appear.
She didn’t want to hear any more because she was afraid of what the news would spread in the future.
“Your Highness, the princess. Shall we immediately seal the banquet hall and obtain a vow of silence from those gathered here?”
“It’s okay. That’s all. It’s enough just to keep quiet. In the first place, the general is someone that even Obama can’t help.”
Something bloody was going on between her Alicia and her attendants who were escorting her.
“Dae, meeting the general. I don’t know if this is a dream or real life.”
“I wondered where the commander’s power came from. I never thought he was the general’s disciple.”
“At this rate, aren’t we only holding on to the captain’s ankles…”
“Don’t be so weak. I’d rather train harder. Until I don’t become someone to the captain.”
“Yes. It must be so.”
Even his men began to ignite some unusual enthusiasm among themselves.
The banquet to celebrate the victory of the Knights War has long since turned into something completely different from its original purpose of congratulating the winner and relieving battle fatigue.
— Growl…
In the meantime, only mournful screams echoed from my hungry stomach, regardless of the chaotic atmosphere.
* * *
After winning the championship, the daily life of the Black Lion Knights changed noticeably.
—Chang, Cheng!
A clear sword that wakes you up in the morning.
It was the sound of clashing swords among the subordinates who had arrived earlier than the scheduled time.
She looks very good at improving, but I’m worried that everyone will run into a wall because of that. It was an area I couldn’t do anything about, so I just hope it goes well.
And, finally, a new administrator was appointed. It’s also incredibly reliable.
“It is an honor to serve you, Sir Wolfgang. I have heard of your reputation. This magistrate is called Vias of the Sitwell family.”
“Nice to meet you, Sir Vias. I look forward to seeing you in the future.”
A woman with a very strict look, with her brown hair tied back and wearing glasses.
She is a former official from the Ministry of Finance. If so, her abilities would be beyond doubt.
‘This is very emotional.’
For the past few months, without an administrator, the temporarily hired clerks and the vice-captain’s bizarrely excellent paperwork skills had kept them afloat.
It is because the execution of the sentence of the old magistrate, whom I put behind bars as soon as I took office, was so slow.
He, who was from an aristocratic background in his own way, could not accept the disposition and appealed, but it is said that the existing status and authority are maintained until the trial is over and the criminal is branded.
Therefore, on paper, our knights still had an administrator, so they were pushed out of the priority of personnel assignment.
“First of all, I have news to tell you. It is a winning prize given to the individual leader of the knights, and it grants first-class access to the relic storage directly under the imperial family.”
“Ooh.”
Repository of the imperial relics.
It is practically a treasure trove filled with treasures that cannot be easily obtained even with money.
It’s not the highest grade, Express, but it’s still a great reward for the winner of the Knights Competition.
In the first place, the limited express was an authority granted only to the royal family.
“Hmm. And… Vice-captain Agnes has submitted an emergency leave notice.”
“What?”
While I was thinking that, I suddenly heard a statement that I could never ignore.
“What is the reason?”
“You didn’t go into details, but you said you had a personal problem.”
According to the personal records that the guild leader can check, the vice-captain has never been late or absent from work since he was appointed.
Of course, other than what was written on those documents, the woman I knew was a woman who always had her integrity stemming from thorough self-management and a sense of responsibility stronger than anyone else.
However, to think that she submitted an emergency leave notice that is equivalent to absenteeism without leave.
It seemed that this was not usually serious.
I guess I should visit her house sometime.
