Ch.346Departing from the North

The news that Jahan had come to find me…?

Hersella’s voice trembled slightly. Was it really that unexpected?

Well, Champion Jahan was a mid-boss character in Hersella’s episode. He was probably one of her closest confidants, so her reaction was natural enough.

I should meet with him first…

Should I head east through the capital then?

Now that Leopold, who’s become emperor, has sent a personal letter summoning me, I should prioritize that.

‘Why would he come all this way…? Any guesses?’

[Why wouldn’t I know? You’ve become an undeniable traitor after slaughtering the White Banner Corps, so my Guard Cavalry must have been persecuted as subordinates of a traitor. He’s either come to learn the truth… or he’s betrayed the Aishan and wants to return to my command.]

Her tone carried a hint of reproach.

Well, I should be understanding. It’s true that I hadn’t given much thought to what would happen to Hersella’s personal warriors.

So what should I do…

If he’s come to ask about the truth, I can simply declare that the Aishan are now my enemies. But if he’s come to become my subordinate?

…Should I accept him?

I tapped the half-burned cigarette ash while continuing to contemplate.

Weighing the benefits and drawbacks of accepting him.

…It’s not particularly appealing, but after thinking it through, I’ll probably have to accept him.

If I turn away Jahan after he came of his own accord, Hersella would throw a fit.

I’m not sure if a Ka’har Champion can adapt to imperial culture…

But you know, like they say “there are no bad dogs in this world,” there’s no rule that says all barbarians must be bad.

With sufficient “correction,” I should be able to make him adapt somehow.

—-

After deciding to head to Landenburg via the capital, I informed everyone.

Demian and Millia decided to accompany me to the capital.

They mentioned looking for a place to live together and visiting Remnant Academy.

Actually, now that they’ve unexpectedly reached Master level, it would be rather odd to remain affiliated with the Academy.

The Academy is ultimately an institution for training Knight-level forces.

There wasn’t much left for Master-level experts to learn there.

In the original game, the Academy was just a space for character collection and early development.

They could continue attending if they wanted, but it wouldn’t be a particularly attractive option for them.

They were no longer Academy students but had skills sufficient to lead any decent knightly order.

Perhaps thanks to my rigorous training, their growth rate was incredibly fast.

Pain that doesn’t kill Demian only makes him stronger. The old saying is absolutely right.

“If you’re leaving the Academy, how about joining my knightly order? It would be much better than becoming an Imperial Knight or serving some lord you barely know.”

I seized the opportunity to make a recruitment offer.

If some random person snatched up Demian and Millia after I’d trained them so well, I’d have no choice but to start a territory war with tears in my eyes.

I’ve built up enough connections and my wealth is starting to accumulate… it’s time to reap what I’ve sown.

While recruiting Frider, a duke’s daughter, or Lacy, who’s risen to the position of Archbishop, might be difficult, I intended to bring everyone else under my command. I can’t let my efforts go to waste.

“Haschal, by your knightly order, do you mean the Rose Cross Knights? Don’t they only accept female knights?”

Demian tilted his head.

Indeed, as he said, it would be impossible to admit Demian to the Rose Cross Knights.

I could force it if I really wanted to… but seeing Millia’s strange gleam in her eyes at the mention of “female knights only,” I could roughly guess what would happen if I tried.

“I never said the Rose Cross Knights. I’m thinking of creating a separate personal military group. A small elite force.”

You could call it a preliminary hero party.

Not a knightly order for facing numerous enemies, but an organization for defeating a small number of powerful foes.

It was a necessary knightly order when thinking about future events.

There would be limits to fighting with hastily gathered personnel as I’ve been doing.

“Hmm… I’m not sure, what do you think, Millia?”

“Sounds good, doesn’t it? It means fighting alongside Haschal just like now. I’m in favor. Haschal has helped us a lot so far.”

That’s right, Millia! I’m glad I raised you well!

With Millia responding positively, the hesitant Demian had no choice but to agree.

Even for someone supposedly without emotions, he couldn’t resist the pressure from his lover who had kept him close for three days and nights.

They say marriage is the grave of life, and that saying exists for a reason.

Though they’re not married yet.

—-

Once I recruit Lena and Ophelia, I’ll have completed the draft version of my hero party.

All that remains is finding additional recruits and deciding on a name for the knightly order.

A name, what would be good?

[A small elite warrior group… so that was your plan? Not bad.]

‘You know, like the Ten Swords of Landenburg. A combat unit composed of Masters. I’m not sure if I can gather as many as ten, though.’

Most existing Masters already serve their own lords, so I’d need to discover new ones or train them myself, which isn’t an easy task.

[That depends on your effort, doesn’t it? Work hard. If you succeed, I’ll specially bestow an excellent name.]

‘…A name?’

I was just pondering a name for the knightly order…

[Let me see… Hmm… Yes, I’ve thought of a good name!]

Hersella, who had been muttering to herself, exclaimed in a brighter voice.

…A good name.

Why did I not feel the slightest bit of anticipation? How curious.

[The Celestial Demon Blood Sword Corps! Let’s go with the Celestial Demon Blood Sword Corps! Doesn’t it sound powerful just hearing it?]

Are you insane?

The corps of evil gods with blood-soaked swords?

What madman would use such a name for a knightly order?

‘…The Knights of Radiance or the Median Knights would be better.’

[Tsk. Despite growing stronger, your naming sense remains pathetically inadequate. Though Median Knights is somewhat better.]

What nonsense. Ask a hundred people on the street.

Which is better for a knightly order: Celestial Demon Blood Sword Corps or Knights of Radiance?

If even one person votes for Celestial Demon Blood Sword Corps, I’ll quit smoking.

—-

Unlike the two who decided to follow me, Frider planned to remain at Faelrun Castle for the time being.

She said she would supervise the basic design and interior decoration of my mansion.

It was a remarkably unassuring statement.

When I visit after the mansion is completed, will I find a werebeast dissection laboratory straight out of hell?

I’d like to believe that wouldn’t happen, but considering Frider’s usual tastes, I couldn’t be certain.

“We’ll be heading back to the capital then, so take care. Don’t do anything too strange.”

“Strange? I don’t know what you mean.”

I mean things like those werebeast claws you decorated your cloak with.

I wondered why she was collecting fingernails and toenails, but she drilled holes in each one, threaded them with silver thread to make a giant necklace, and hung it around her cloak.

It suited her surprisingly well, so I didn’t say anything.

After saying goodbye to Frider, I headed toward the southern gate of Faelrun Castle.

When I first arrived at the castle, there were only four of us—myself, Leonore, Florence, and Rain—but the returning party was a large procession with two carriages and thirty-five cavalry.

The entire Rose Cross Knights who had been in the north were accompanying us on the return journey.

My ultimatum that they should quit the knightly order if they couldn’t accept me as their master seemed to have worked, as they now bowed their heads respectfully whenever they saw me.

Though I couldn’t be sure about their true feelings.

“The Hero of the North is departing!”

“Long live the Winter Slayer!” “Blessings to the Were Eater!”

As the carriage passed through the gate, the surrounding soldiers and northerners returning to their homeland erupted in cheers.

Winter Slayer. A nickname that had somehow stuck to me.

People in this world really do love giving nicknames.

Winter Slayer because I killed Rurik, the Winter Wolf, king of the werebeasts.

Still, it was the nickname I liked best among all those I’d acquired.

Knight of Radiance was too embarrassing, and Were Eater or Red Empress were a bit unsettling.

I wasn’t the only one with a nickname.

Leonore had previously been called the Rose Princess, and now that she had relinquished her princess status, she gained the title of Rose Knight.

It seemed a bit provincial, but she was satisfied with it, so it didn’t matter.

Demian and Millia also earned their first nicknames, thanks to their achievements in this war and reaching the Master level.

“Wingless” Demian and “Imela’s Arrow” Millia.

I wasn’t the only one who found Demian’s obsession with jumping attacks strange.

Others must have found it peculiar how he leaped up and down without wings.

As for Millia, her obsessive affection displayed in the middle of the battlefield must have caught people’s attention.

She wasn’t even a devotee of the Church of Imela, goddess of love and children, yet she earned the nickname Imela’s Arrow.

Both nicknames were half-joking, but they were decent for first nicknames.

My first nicknames were “Ka’har’s Whore” and “Were Eater,” so theirs were better.

—-

And so, with people’s cheers behind us, we left Faelrun Castle.

A frozen corpse hanging above the gate saw us off.

…Frozen corpse?

Ah, I’d forgotten.

There was a soldier who had been hung on the gate after I joked about causing Demian’s untimely death.

I can’t believe no one took him down…!

Was everyone too busy to notice?

…I offered my deep condolences to the soldier who had frozen to death.