Chapter 13
“Ughhh!!”
Balron charged at me, wooden sword raised high like he was a mighty warrior.
After talking with Burgor, I could definitely see that their movements had changed.
What I used to think was just pathetic recklessness… now looked like they were just untrained.
-Thump!
I swung my wooden two-handed sword above my head, deflecting Balron’s attack.
He stumbled back, losing his balance, exposing a perfect opening for a counterattack.
“…”
But instead of attacking Balron, I noticed Burgor watching me intently.
He was keeping a close eye on my choice.
…I was at a loss. I was still clumsy when it came to making peace with others.
Balron, having fallen, struggled to his feet.
“…You bastard.”
He seethed, muttering curses and looking around as if signaling someone.
“Die!!”
“Here we go again!!”
“Ughhh!!!”
At the same time, three enemies charged at me.
Balron, Willas, and Martin.
I took a deep breath to calm my surprised heart.
My father always said that the calmer you are, the better you can see the attacks coming.
From the way they rushed at me, I had to face them in the order of Martin, Willas, then Balron.
“Huff!”
I put my weight behind the swing of my two-handed sword.
A familiar stance that I must have practiced hundreds of times.
Stepping back, I blocked their attacks one by one.
Martin seemed to get desperate and quickened his pace to breach the line.
I swung my sword hard at him.
“Whoa!”
-Bang!
Martin awkwardly lifted his sword, pushed back by the force of impact.
Seeing me out of position, Willas charged in.
It was too late to counter with my sword.
As I tried to regain my stance, I tilted my head to avoid Willas’ attack coming straight for my face.
-Whoosh!
Willas’ wooden sword grazed my ear.
If it had hit, I was sure their faces would have had huge grins.
Just imagining that made me feel cold all over.
Balron also pounced.
Just like before, he raised his wooden sword above his head, swinging it down toward me like he was chopping wood.
If he had an axe, I would have been way more scared.
I pivoted on my left foot to dodge his strike and used that momentum.
My wooden sword, drawing a wide arc, struck quickly at Martin’s neck, just a half-beat faster.
“Gah!!”
With a dying gasp, Martin lost hold of his sword.
As my attack missed, I leaped onto the wooden sword that was stuck in the ground beside Balron and kneed him square in the face.
-Thwack!
The satisfying impact confirmed I landed a solid hit.
Balron’s head snapped back, blood spraying from his nose.
Balron dropped his sword and fell backward.
I kicked the wooden sword on the ground toward the charging Willas.
-Thwap!
Willas clumsily blocked the flying sword, but couldn’t stop my incoming strike.
My sword thrust deep into Willas’ belly, pulling out just as quickly.
“Cough!!”
Willas also collapsed to the ground.
Martin crouched, clutching his shoulder, Balron was bleeding profusely, and Willas gasped, clutching his stomach as if he couldn’t breathe.
The fight that escalated in the blink of an eye finally caught the attention of those watching nearby.
“Hah… hah…”
I turned to Burgor.
He shook his head, forehead in hand.
His expression made me click my tongue.
Seeing them come at me like that, I shouldn’t just take hits.
“…”
But it seemed Burgor’s words shook me more than I realized.
Thinking about them as just the sons of bakers, fishermen, or farmers made this victory feel much less sweet.
Imagining that these guys might be my comrades on the battlefield later made it all the more awkward.
Eventually, I approached Balron.
“W-what’s going on?”
He winced, raising his arms, a natural reaction from the beating he’d taken.
“…you should get used to axes.”
“…what?”
As I walked toward the coughing Willas, he rolled his eyes to look at me.
“…Gah…ack…”
Last was Martin.
“…you’re just…ugh, forget it.”
Suddenly, my desire to give advice vanished.
I didn’t even know why I was doing this.
What’s with these guys who pick fights and love to tease me? What’s good about that?
I put my two-handed sword back in the wooden box at the training ground’s center.
Then I walked away.
The observation unit didn’t bother to stop me.
****
The leader of the 1st Knight Order, Baelor, sat in the knight hall.
Along with him were five of his sub-officers from the 1st Knight Order.
Tod spoke up. He was the one with the strongest voice after Baelor in the 1st Knight Order.
“Commander, shouldn’t we decide soon?”
“…”
“How many times do I have to say that Lady Vivian is out of the question?”
If such talks had leaked out while Duke Rondore was alive, the entire 1st Knight Order would have faced execution.
But now was different.
Because Vivian Rondore was the one leading them.
A person with no leadership, charisma, or strength couldn’t lead the 1st Knight Order.
In fact, even the other 2nd and 3rd Knight Orders were beginning to harbor doubts about Vivian.
If they were in such a situation, who could possibly stop the 1st Knight Order?
So even now, conversations like this could occur freely.
“We’re not talking about betraying Rondore. Rather, this is a choice that shows our loyalty to Rondore. We need to quickly find a new lord. One who can lead Rondore.”
“Who?”
Baelor asked, twirling a gold coin between his fingers.
Tod answered as if the name was already obvious.
“Robert Rondore.”
Robert Rondore was the younger brother of Duke Rondore.
He was Vivian Rondore’s uncle.
He was the lord of Nerumport, a port city west of Roktana.
He was one of the men who had left the Rondore family the moment Lois Rondore was born.
“If we keep dragging this out, Rondore will collapse entirely. We need someone strong and decisive. Are we really going to wait and see how long it takes for Vivian to grow up?”
Another sub-officer cautioned Tod.
“Tod, watch your words. We’re all thinking along similar lines. There’s no need to be so harsh. Who knows who might overhear.”
“What’s the problem if someone hears?”
Tod shot back.
“We’re holding back on someone who could swallow the family whole, aren’t we?”
-Tod.”
Baelor opened his mouth slowly.
“…Enough.”
“…Commander.”
Baelor also did not harbor fondness for Vivian.
Even in the execution chamber, without a single stamp of approval, there were over twenty death row inmates being fed and housed.
Just the thought of feeding and housing such vermin twisted Baelor’s insides.
There were many faults to holding your lordship over Vivian, one of which was her lack of will to kill.
How could someone without such will do anything else?
I understood her youth. That’s why I was willing to wait.
But it didn’t mean I had to keep being understanding.
Rondore needed a leader, not to have all of Rondore become Vivian’s babysitters.
According to Baelor’s informants, those who were loyal to Rondore were beginning to waver one by one.
Factions were torn and split, with many seeking their own survival.
The vassals that had sworn loyalty were increasingly mingling with other families.
No need to look too far.
The situation within the 1st Knight Order was similar.
Tod had been fervently arguing that someone other than Vivian should lead Rondore.
But still, Vivian was the daughter of Duke Rondore.
Could anyone calling themselves a knight betray the lord’s daughter?
“…”
That thought gripped Baelor tightly.
It was not that Tod’s words hadn’t reached his ears.
…Perhaps it was true that doing nothing might be a betrayal of Rondore.
-Thud.
Baelor lightly slapped the table and stood up.
For now, he needed to plan the next sortie with Burgor from the Punishment Unit.
He didn’t want to extend this complicated discussion any longer.
Baelor concluded the meeting and moved to meet Burgor.
****
Due to my conflicted feelings at the training ground, I climbed a tree to take a break.
Being up there, I wouldn’t have to worry about anyone looking for me or talking behind my back.
The soft breeze brushed against me, and the leaves provided a nice shade.
It was the perfect spot to relax.
Besides, just watching people walk around gave me a light amusement.
I felt good to have such a peaceful time.
…Also, staying here meant I could sometimes catch a glimpse of Vivian.
And sure enough, I spotted a red-haired girl walking in the distance.
Vivian Rondore.
She was strolling around the castle with two guards.
Today, she didn’t seem to be looking for me in particular.
She wasn’t turning her head left and right like she was searching for something.
“…She’s really annoyingly pretty.”
I muttered to myself again.
No matter how many times I saw her, her expressions felt fresh and hard to get used to.
The pitiful atmosphere surrounding her surely added to it.
She always gave me this uneasy feeling, like she needed someone with her.
Even now, seeing her walk around with just two guards just felt too pathetic.
Even the treasurer, intelligence officers, or head servants all had more than three people with them.
Yet, here she was, the head of the Rondore family and the lord of Roktana, with just two guards.
That surely showed where she stood here.
-Thud, thud, thud.
Suddenly, I heard the clattering of armor approaching from the opposite side of Vivian.
A group of knights came imposing toward us.
I recognized who he was.
The knight who had brought me from my hometown all the way to Roktana.
The knight who warned me to witness the anger of Roktana.
It was Baelor, commander of the 1st Knight Order, as I would later find out.
I looked back at Vivian.
She stiffened, grabbing the hem of her dress, gulping nervously.
I could see from a distance that she was tense.
“…What on earth is she doing?”
I muttered as I watched her nervously glance at her own knights.
It must be Vivian alone who gets scared seeing her own knight squad.
In the end, that was how Vivian was.
She showed a fierce attitude toward me, yet… it stemmed from such a deep-seated hatred.
Realistically speaking, she was just a timid, tearful, well-bred noble lady.
“L-Lord Baelor. H-hi-”
-Swish.
Baelor ignored Vivian’s feeble greeting and kept walking.
His rudeness made me freeze in disbelief.
No, maybe I was stunned watching Vivian be disregarded entirely.
The knights following him did the same.
No one saluted Vivian.
They totaly disregarded their lady.
Nearby, the guards and maids watching also sensed the tension.
Vivian’s face, at the center of it all, grew increasingly red.
-Thud.
Then Baelor, having passed by Vivian, suddenly halted in his tracks.
He turned to face her, while the knights flanking him parted to allow his gaze to reach Vivian.
Baelor took a moment to catch his breath before speaking to Vivian.
“Can you not stutter for once?”
“…Ah… th-that…”
“How long are you going to go on like this?”
Seeing this unfold, I was baffled.
“Is he insane?”
This was not how a knight should address their lady.
Such behavior was inconceivable in our family.
We could take everything away and strip him of his knighthood, no problem at all.
“…”
Yet Vivian bowed her head in shame.
Baelor watched her for a while, letting out a shallow sigh as he shook his head.
Then he simply walked away again.
Vivian stood there frozen in place, staring blankly.
I watched her for a moment.
Frustration welled up inside me.
“…D-Don’t follow me.”
-Tap, tap!
Vivian said this to her guards and then ran off somewhere.
The guards exchanged glances, unsure of what to do.
Just as I thought she’d run off to cry somewhere again, I was already climbing down the tree after her.
Before I even realized what I was doing, my body was following her.
Once more, I took another step into the life of Vivian.
