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In the empire, noble families with vast territories inevitably kept private soldiers. These soldiers primarily maintained order within their territories and suppressed rebellions, their strength directly proportional to that of their family.

Among them, the Steel Lion Order, also known as ‘Aslan,’ the private soldiers of the Ruelberta family, stood out as a unique group. They boasted the largest force among the empire’s private soldier groups. Although their numbers were fewer than the Imperial Army, their influence was far greater.

Especially in the small nations adjacent to the Meikhael Empire, Aslan’s status was highly esteemed. Unlike the peaceful empire, the small nations scattered along the borders had long suffered from constant attacks by monstrous beasts, never experiencing a quiet day. These nations continuously sought help from the empire, but the empire turned a blind eye.

This was partly due to the empire’s isolationist policy, maintaining minimal foreign interactions, but largely because many citizens opposed sending troops. The prolonged peace had fostered a war-averse atmosphere within the Meikhael Empire. No one wanted unnecessary sacrifices for other nations.

In such circumstances, it was unexpectedly the Ruelberta family that extended a helping hand to these small nations. The Ruelberta family dispatched their private soldiers, Aslan, to foreign lands to assist in exterminating the monstrous beasts. Thanks to this, the Ruelberta family and Aslan enjoyed high esteem abroad and maintained friendly exchanges.

And I thought it was about time they appeared before me.

I greeted them in front of the mansion. The Aslan knights, riding horses, dismounted upon seeing me.

They all wore black military coats and iron lion masks. Approaching with dignified steps, they removed their masks and bowed to me. The leader, a large man, placed his fist on his chest and shouted.

“Wylie Vives, commander of Aslan. By the order of the head of the house, we have returned after exterminating monstrous beasts in Oriol!”

His voice was booming. I calmly commended their hard work.

“You’ve worked hard, traveling so far.”

“Not at all! We are the empire’s strongest Steel Lion Order! Hard work is nothing to us!”

“…What were the casualties?”

“Reporting. A few injured, but all have returned alive!”

“I see… Have the injured treated by my personal healers.”

“We are deeply grateful!”

Wylie Vives, the Aslan commander bowing to me, was exactly as described in the original. A man fitting the nickname ‘Beast,’ with dark skin, a mane-like curly hair, and a sparse beard.

His wild appearance exuded the dignity befitting a leader of the Aslan knights.

Under Wylie’s leadership, Aslan achieved remarkable feats, often compared to the imperial family’s formidable Imperial Guard. Unlike the Imperial Army, Aslan grew significantly through extensive practical experience. Now, no group in the country could rival Aslan except the Imperial Army. I spoke to the loyal knight commander, Wylie.

“Seeing there are casualties, the opponents must have been formidable.”

“Ah…”

Wylie scratched his head at my words.

“Not exactly. We encountered a swarm of wyverns as expected… but it happened to be in the territory of wild griffins, leading to an ambush. Hmm… It was my mistake.”

“No, it wasn’t…”

As Wylie was about to bow his head, an unexpected voice chimed in.

“It’s not the commander’s fault. It’s my fault for not conducting proper reconnaissance beforehand.”

Recognizing the voice, my first feeling was joy. Or perhaps, now that I’m Tristan, I should feel fear.

The woman, hidden behind the burly Wylie, stepped forward. A woman with a dignified posture, her eye covered by an eyepatch, I murmured her name.

“Helga…”

“The mistake in this mission is entirely my responsibility as the deputy commander.”

Helga, holding the position of Aslan’s deputy commander, bowed her head. I shook my head, having no intention of blaming anyone.

“Enough. I didn’t ask to punish anyone. It’s enough that everyone returned alive.”

“…I apologize.”

Helga bowed deeply. Her flawless posture was befitting of Aslan’s deputy commander. Wylie, trying to lighten the mood, spoke up.

“By the way, my lord… It seems you’ve lost a lot of weight since I last saw you?”

“…There have been some things.”

Having narrowly escaped death and engaging in near-limit exercise daily, it was inevitable to lose weight. Wylie, unaware of the circumstances, laughed heartily.

“Haha! Isn’t that a good thing! Soon, my lord might return to his former self!”

“…Flattery isn’t necessary. You’ve worked hard, so go rest now.”

“Yes, sir!”

Wylie retreated neatly. He was a man quick on the uptake. Seemingly making unnecessary remarks, yet never dragging the conversation. From my perspective, he was one of the easiest and most comfortable people to deal with.

“Then we shall take our leave! We will return after finishing our preparations!”

“Hmm.”

Wylie saluted me and mounted his horse with the Aslan knights. Their appearance was a majestic display of the formidable Steel Lion Order, Aslan.

As their figures disappeared on horseback, I spoke.

“…Why aren’t you leaving?”

Helga Wolfbert, Aslan’s deputy commander, had remained by my side while the others left. It was strange that no one objected to her staying. Helga opened her mouth.

“Huh? I don’t understand what you mean. I just finished my duties as deputy commander and returned to my main job…”

“…Main job?”

“Yes. Deputy commander is just a side job. My main duty is being your bodyguard knight, isn’t it? Hehehe.”

Helga’s expression seemed joyful as she spoke. She was Helga Wolfbert, the loyal subordinate of the villain Tristan in the game. The only character who stood by Tristan from beginning to end, a character who would never betray. Yet, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy around her.

“You… How long do you plan to call yourself my bodyguard knight?”

“Call myself? It’s not presumptuous. In this world, only I am qualified to protect you, my lord.”

Helga’s words held no deceit. She was a character who couldn’t lie to Tristan. This trait highlighted her self-righteousness.

“Have you forgotten? On that young day, didn’t you promise a girl… no, a young lady, to become a knight?”

“I don’t remember at all.”

“Hehe. It’s okay if you don’t remember. Now that you’ve heard it, it’s as if you remember, my lord.”

“……”

Helga smiled shyly like a bride.

She was the youngest daughter of the renowned noble family Wolfbert. A noble lady. Such a lady had abandoned all her status to become Tristan’s bodyguard knight. She was no ordinary person. Tristan must have felt uncomfortable with Helga’s blind devotion.

Although a villain siding with Tristan, I didn’t dislike her. In the original, Helga protected Tristan until her last moment. I admired her loyalty. Her sunflower-like devotion, believing and following Tristan until death, was endearing.

But Helga’s blind love was perilous. There were endings where Tristan caused Helga’s death. And her strong possessiveness could lead to a tragic conclusion for me.

Perhaps anticipating such a destructive ending, the original Tristan often sent Helga away on missions to keep her at a distance. However, I plan to use her thoroughly.

Depending on how I use her, Helga could become the best character. I spoke to Helga.

“…I never accepted you as my bodyguard knight. I only made you an Aslan knight based on your skills.”

“It saddens me to hear that. I ran all this way to see you again, my lord. Please don’t withhold your praise from this girl. Hehe…”

Helga shyly covered her face and laughed. It was a beautiful smile befitting a girl her age. While she was stern as the deputy commander, her attitude changed when claiming to be the bodyguard knight. But…

“…What are you doing now?”

Helga was sniffing around me. It was a ridiculous situation, but Helga’s expression was serious.

“A bit… I smell something dangerous…”

“Ah, surely… I’ve been exercising and sweating, so that might be it.”

Though slightly embarrassed, I didn’t show it and spoke.

“It’s probably from exercising. Step back.”

“No… It’s not that kind of smell. This is… not a fragrant smell… Could it be… my lord, do you have a female… I mean, a woman close to you?”

Helga’s uncovered eye looked up at me. Her eyes, like abysses with no light, seemed to devour me.

It was a dangerous signal. I furrowed my brow, wondering how to respond.

Just then… I spotted two figures walking from the distant dojo. And Helga, noticing them as well, stiffened.

“Hoh…?”

It was the worst timing.

 

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