Ch.6262. Lion King Parade

Her auburn hair, slightly wavy and reaching her shoulders, sparkled as sunlight filtered through the window. Her large, clear black eyes shone as if she had discovered something amusing, and a refreshing smile graced her lips.

Standing tall at over 170 centimeters with noticeable slender limbs, she wore a formal uniform reminiscent of what knights of old might have worn.

Gilbert swallowed a sigh that escaped without his awareness as he recalled her name.

Camilla Alacer Tristitia.

She was the noble daughter of House Tristitia, one of the three count families supporting the Empire.

House Tristitia was a renowned elite knight family that had traditionally valued strict discipline. They had produced many knights known throughout the continent, and every Count Tristitia in history had served as the captain of the Imperial Knights.

The current Count Tristitia was no exception. He too was fulfilling the duties of captain of the Imperial Knights, the Golden Lion Knights, and was well-regarded within the Empire as a prominent figure who had broken the record for being the youngest to hold the title.

Perhaps due to Count Tristitia’s influence?

An unprecedented event occurred where the count’s three sons—the eldest, second, and third—all joined the Golden Lion Knights, the Empire’s representative order. This was rare even in the Empire’s long history, but it seemed no great obstacle for the men of House Tristitia.

And the person standing before Gilbert now, Camilla Alacer Tristitia, had grown up watching these formidable individuals. Having held a sword before a doll since childhood and always following her brothers, she hadn’t yet distinguished herself, but she was the most talented person in House Tristitia when it came to Tactical Combat.

The consensus among users in the Tactical Combat community was that she possessed talent comparable to Seraphina’s. It was so widely acknowledged that recruiting Camilla after Seraphina was considered fundamental to standard gameplay.

She had particularly great merit because, as the precious daughter of House Tristitia, she could receive support from the count’s family. Considering that her father was the captain of the Imperial Knights and her brothers were members of the order, no further explanation was needed.

Moreover, since House Tristitia was a loyal imperial faction noble family, they could naturally receive support from the imperial family as well, providing a two-for-one advantage.

Even Gilbert, when playing Tactical Combat, would always strive to recruit Camilla as a companion if he couldn’t recruit Seraphina.

Yet the reason Gilbert sighed upon seeing her was simple. Though it wasn’t apparent in the game, Camilla, having grown up with many brothers, had quite a tomboy streak. More accurately, she was mischievous.

Perhaps because she was the youngest of the count’s family and monopolized all the affection, she had a very self-centered way of thinking and often acted based on what she found amusing. In the game, she was a character with bouncy charm, but facing her in reality made her seem bothersome and tiresome.

At first, Gilbert had been secretly pleased to meet Camilla while preparing for the commemorative event, but now he found even encountering her exhausting due to her continued antics. She had caused him trouble several times with unexpected pranks.

Of course, she had no malice and didn’t engage in dangerous behavior, but she was not a good match for Gilbert, whose nerves were on edge as he prepared for the academy attack incident.

If he had met her after successfully preventing the academy attack, it might have been different, but at this complicated moment, it was difficult to quietly endure her antics. That’s why he had recently tried to avoid meeting her, but this time it seemed impossible.

“Camilla.”

“Hmm-hoo-hoo! You finally came!”

She’s unnecessarily cheerful.

Gilbert was at a loss for words looking at Camilla, who was full of joy. She seemed intent on having him try on the outfit that she had just had a maid prepare. The costume for the Lion King, the highlight of the parade, was completed last due to her influence.

It should have been finished earlier, but her insistence on perfecting the details of the costume had been actively accommodated, delaying it until the day before. Now, with time constraints, he had to wear the completed costume for rehearsal, but he was somehow reluctant.

The reason was purely intuitive—a feeling that Camilla was up to something again.

“What is it this time?”

“Why that expression? As if I’m going to do something again!”

“Am I wrong?”

“No, you’re right!”

Her blatant declaration that she was planning something was typical Camilla.

Should I call this brightness or foolishness?

Gilbert’s reaction was more intense than usual, perhaps due to his frayed nerves.

But then he sighed and shook his head. After all, Camilla was just a twenty-year-old freshman student.

In this medieval-like world, twenty was considered quite mature, but to Gilbert, who had a South Korean sensibility, she was still just a youngster.

Thinking of her as barely out of high school, it seemed a bit much to get upset over her somewhat immature behavior. Considering Gilbert’s original age, it was like having a much younger, mischievous sister.

She might even be young enough to be his niece.

With that thought, Gilbert decided to let Camilla’s behavior slide.

“Lady Camilla. I’ve brought the costume.”

“Ooh! Perfect timing, Celline!”

Somehow Celline was already standing beside Camilla, holding the neatly folded costume in both hands.

Camilla proudly explained that they had searched through all the formal dress styles from the Lion King’s era to find the most similar design for production.

Indeed, the costume was crafted with a black base to give it an antique feel.

Hadn’t she mentioned using the finest ceremonial fabric specially imported from the Cottonpoly domain, famous for its cotton, for this parade? On top of that, it was made by a talented designer from Novatis, who was rumored to be leading the Empire’s fashion trends these days.

Chattering and boasting, Camilla unfolded a red cloak that was folded alongside the knight’s formal uniform. According to her, the cloak was the part they had put the most effort into.

Since the symbol of the Lion King was the red cloak embroidered with a golden lion, it was clear they had paid special attention to it. The craftsmanship that went into every stitch was evident.

“What do you think? Isn’t it cool?”

“Not bad.”

Even to Gilbert, it was quite a stylish knight’s ceremonial uniform. While he wasn’t particularly into fashion, even he would have been reluctant to wear something clown-like.

“Hmm-hoo-hoo! That’s a pretty good reaction for you, Gilbert! Now hurry up and try it on!”

“Right now?”

“We need to see if anything needs altering!”

That was logical. Considering that the parade was tomorrow, today was the only day left for alterations.

Though his complicated thoughts made him reluctant, it was something that had to be done, so he took the costume without complaint and changed into it.

Wearing the black knight’s uniform, leather belt, and leather shoes, he finally draped the red cloak over his shoulders and came out. The product made by a skilled designer was indeed different. The way it fit his body felt quite good.

“Hmm-hoo-hoo! I knew it would suit you well!”

Camilla was the first to spot Gilbert and clapped her hands with sparkling eyes. Perhaps because of her, all eyes turned to Gilbert as he emerged in his new attire.

– He really looks like the Lion King…

– He definitely looks authentic.

Murmurs could be heard from all around. Indeed, Gilbert with the red cloak looked exactly like the Lion King straight out of a history book.

His appearance contributed greatly to this assessment. Despite his rock-bottom reputation, Gilbert’s original appearance was that of a handsome man, though of a different type than Ian.

If Ian was a handsome man with fine, soft features, Gilbert was the opposite. He had strong lines and a masculine, muscular handsomeness. The female students looked surprised anew at his tall stature and robust build.

“What do you think, Celline? I don’t see anything that needs fixing, do you?”

“Indeed, Lady Camilla, it seems perfect as you said.”

“I knew you’d agree with me, Celline!”

Camilla, delighted for some reason, examined Gilbert from all angles and nodded repeatedly in satisfaction. It was almost like a fan admiring a cosplayer.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself.”

“Of course! As someone who respects the Lion King, I take pride in having recreated such a perfect Lion King!”

With her hands on her hips and chest thrust forward proudly, she looked like a childish little lady.

Gilbert took a fresh look at Camilla as she tossed her auburn hair. Until now, his nerves had been too on edge to notice, but her attitude toward him was distinctly different from how others treated him.

Since Gilbert had opened his eyes in this world, he had always received unfavorable glances due to the original Gilbert’s reputation. The bad reviews were so prevalent that even people meeting him for the first time kept their distance.

But Camilla had treated him without reservation from the beginning. Was it because of her characteristically bright and sociable personality?

Gilbert was curious about that.

“Camilla. I have something to ask you.”

“Oh! Gilbert has something to ask me! How unusual!”

“It’s nothing special. I’m just curious about your attitude when dealing with me.”

“Hmm… You mean why I don’t seem to have any preconceptions?”

He nodded as she tilted her head from side to side. That was the core question he wanted to ask.

“I don’t really know either! I just thought Gilbert was a good person. Regardless of what others say, that’s how the Gilbert I’ve seen has been!”

“The rumors are true.”

“I don’t understand complicated things! That’s just how I see it.”

As she smiled saying she disliked difficult things, Gilbert felt like he had asked a foolish question.

Should he call her pure-hearted or simple-minded?

But Gilbert found her demeanor appealing. He knew well that such traits were quintessentially Camilla.

Moreover, it was somewhat comforting to know that at least one person had seen him for who he was from the beginning. Even in reality, becoming a game character was not without stress.

This feeling intensified whenever he felt the influence of the original Gilbert. It was almost like losing his sense of self.

But seeing Camilla’s harmless smile made him think his worries were unnecessary.

And for Gilbert, that was enough.