Ch.4141. The Insane Imperial Knights

The comfort of the imperial carriage was the epitome of luxury, and with all the curtains drawn, I could barely tell we were moving.

They say it’s because of magical modifications to the carriage’s structure, but I don’t really understand the details—I just know it feels nice.

“Can you hear what they’re doing inside?”

“No, sir.”

If only I didn’t have to hear those voices from outside.

Considering how soundproof the carriage is, I suspect those comments were meant for us to hear.

They’re basically warning us that they’re outside, so we should behave ourselves and not try anything foolish.

But here’s the thing… I don’t think I’m the one who would be trying anything foolish.

“Hehehe, Ludion. This is the first time we’ve been alone together, isn’t it?”

“Hehehe”? Why are you laughing like that, Celia?

It’s true that we’ve been spending time together lately, but we’ve always been in open spaces around the academy. This is indeed the first time we’ve been alone in such a confined space.

Maybe that’s why Celia’s laughter suddenly seemed somewhat… lecherous.

“Don’t worry. I won’t do anything.”

The fact that she said it like she was doing me a favor didn’t reassure me at all.

“Ah! Of course, if Ludion wants to make the first move, you’re more than welcome to.”

“What exactly do you think I’m going to do?”

“Oh. Well, um… Wait, are you really going to do something?”

Why does she sound so hopeful?

Of course, I have absolutely no intention of doing anything. With people outside watching us like hawks, who knows what would happen if we got caught?

“That’s a shame.”

“You don’t look particularly disappointed.”

“Well… I knew you’d be like that, Ludion.”

I don’t know where she gets such confidence from. She really doesn’t know how to be careful around men…

I was about to say something, but then I remembered the original character who had no male friends—or any friends at all—so I decided against it.

Right. I’ll just be careful enough for both of us.

As I was cautiously passing the time, the carriage came to a stop.

Curious about where we had arrived after such a long journey, I slightly opened the curtain and saw what looked like a busy commercial district.

Since the carriage was so large and ornate, it would attract too much attention if we went all the way in, so Celia must have requested to be dropped off nearby.

It wasn’t far anyway, so it didn’t matter. With that thought, I stepped out of the carriage, only to find that all the guards who had been surrounding the carriage were now surrounding Celia.

It was obvious they all intended to follow us, so Celia had to speak up again.

“If everyone follows us, who’s going to guard the carriage? Just one or two of you need to come!”

“Then I’ll go!”

“No, I’ll go, ma’am!”

“What are these fools saying? Obviously, I should be the one to go!”

Good grief… with so many people, just deciding who should follow is becoming a challenge.

After a long argument, they finally heard Celia telling them to hurry up and decide. They drew lots to select two guards, but the captain of the guard who was eliminated early actually started crying. Why cry over something like this? I really don’t understand.

“The rest of you will undergo special training until Her Highness returns from her business.”

“Wipe your tears before giving orders, Captain. And taking out your frustration on us just because you weren’t selected is really petty.”

“That’s right! We’re victims too, so why should we receive special training? The two who were selected should be the ones training!”

“…When you put it that way, you have a point.”

They’re so childish. Is this really the imperial guard? It makes my heart feel small…

Anyway, we ended up strolling through the commercial district with two guards in tow.

No matter how much Celia tried to cover her face, having those guards following us so conspicuously made us stand out, but Celia seemed unfazed, as if she were used to this level of attention.

After that, everything proceeded smoothly.

Clothes shopping? Celia spent about 40 minutes selecting and trying on 15 different outfits before completing her purchase.

I bought one carefully selected outfit with my own money, but after a moment’s hesitation, Celia purchased all the remaining outfits with her personal funds.

“It’s a gift.”

Then she handed everything over to me.

If this was the plan all along, why did she make me try on the same clothes over and over again?

“Her Highness bought clothes for this guy. I’ve memorized the amount to report accurately to the captain.”

“Yes, understood.”

Seeing the guards’ reaction, I realized that taking all this back to the palace might cause problems, so I decided to leave the clothes at the store.

I could pick them up on the way back.

Afterward, we finished with some simple grooming. Though I say “grooming,” I declined accessories, so we compromised with just light makeup… which felt quite unfamiliar.

“Does this look right? It seems a bit off.”

Honestly, I do look handsome, but having something so deliberately done makes it feel awkward rather than good.

“…Ludion. Can I take back what I said earlier? I want to confess to you right now.”

“Thanks for the joke.”

“It’s not a joke…”

Well… at least Celia seems to like it.

Since I’m clueless about these things, I’ll have to trust Celia’s judgment.

It’s really fortunate that the guards didn’t follow us in here.

If they had heard what she just said, there might have been bloodshed on the spot.

Afterward, we went to a restaurant recommended by Alkine for an early lunch, then had drinks at a café that Celia praised as beautiful.

Throughout all this, the guards followed us, giving disapproving looks. Honestly, by this point, I’d gotten used to it and didn’t mind.

Still, I wish she wouldn’t grab the straw I was drinking from and put it directly in her mouth.

“Report to the captain immediately and request permission for summary judgment.”

“I’ll go right away.”

I really didn’t need to know that human eyes could look that murderous.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I did that without thinking.”

That’s what she said, but judging by her playful expression, it was clearly deliberate.

She must find it amusing to see me worrying about the guards’ reactions.

But if she’s going to do it, she should at least own up to it. Why is she blushing like that after doing it herself?

This has been happening a lot lately. She makes advances and then gets embarrassed.

It seems like she wants to boldly close the distance between us, but her follow-through is always awkward.

With that thought, I went back to drinking my beverage, but Celia suddenly became extremely flustered.

“T-that’s the one I just drank from…”

No, you’re the one who took what I was drinking.

Which part of this is making you embarrassed? I really couldn’t understand.

“Do we need the captain’s permission separately?”

“I don’t think so. Let’s proceed with summary judgment immediately. Draw your sword.”

Why are they acting like that again?

Hey, wait, why are you actually drawing it? Calm down, please.

Thanks to Celia’s impulsive action, there was quite a commotion as soon as we returned to the carriage, but I managed to defuse the situation by feigning ignorance.

When we finally arrived at the imperial palace, numerous people were waiting to greet Celia.

“Her Highness the Princess has arrived!!”

As soon as the carriage stopped, the captain of the guard shouted loudly, and many people immediately approached the carriage, ready to attend to Celia’s needs.

Watching the scene through the window, I glanced at Celia and saw her heaving a deep sigh.

“They always do this whenever I go somewhere. What’s the need for all this fuss?”

Celia stopped mid-sentence and suddenly started looking around, tilting her head in confusion.

I couldn’t help but smile, guessing what she was thinking.

Normally, Celia’s parents—the Emperor and Empress—would be among those people, but they weren’t there, which made her wonder.

They always came out when she returned home, but they probably chose not to appear because they knew I was coming.

Thinking about how much they must be concerned about me makes my spine tingle a bit… but at this point, worrying about it wouldn’t make any difference.

“Let’s get out then.”

After looking around a few more times without finding her parents, Celia said this.

So we got out together… but as soon as we did, the people waiting nearby surrounded Celia and whisked her away.

The others followed them, leaving me standing alone.

…No, not alone.

The guards who had been escorting the carriage were still with me.

The captain of the guard, who had somehow made his way to my side, placed his hand on my shoulder with a friendly smile.

“Ludion, was it? Come with me for a moment.”

Oh boy… so this was the plan from the beginning.

Since there didn’t seem to be any way to escape, I decided to follow the guards obediently.

The place they took me to was the Imperial Knights’ Order.

Why the Knights’ Order? Because the guard is part of the Knights’ Order.

The term “guard” is just used to distinguish between different roles, big and small, but there isn’t much of a significant difference.

The Guard, Defense Corps, Royal Guard, Imperial Guard—all these can be lumped together under the single umbrella of the Knights’ Order.

Of course, there must be more detailed and complex systems among them, but from my perspective as someone who only knew them through games, I couldn’t really tell the difference.

Anyway, the gazes directed at me when I was brought there were intimidating.

Moreover, as if they had been informed in advance, dozens of people were lined up, creating a scene that could only be described as majestic.

“So this is the rumored guy…”

“Her Highness praised him so much, I’m curious about his skills.”

“Damn, receiving attention from the Princess! I’m jealous!”

“Hey, hey, he can hear us. Keep it down.”

The content of their chatter once again made my heart feel small.

Realizing that I could hear what they were saying, the captain of the guard quickly cleared his throat to redirect my attention to him.

Then he spoke seriously.

“We are the Imperial Knights’ Order, protectors of the Princess and the Imperial Family.”

Shouldn’t protecting the Imperial Family come first?

These guys are really out of their minds.