Ch.66. Punishment

The Imperial Prosecution Office specifically recommended disciplinary action against me yesterday evening.

Officially, they borrowed the name of a young prosecutor, but obviously Ember’s father seemed to be behind it.

‘He’s such a respectable gentleman… He probably couldn’t resist his daughter’s pressure.’

It was extremely unusual for a prosecutor to request disciplinary action against a member of the Royal Order, which was directly under the Emperor’s command. Honestly, it was also quite presumptuous.

But if I was the target, that was a different story. I was already marked.

“Erick. May I have a word?”

As soon as I arrived at work, Lufus Waynelight, the captain of the Royal Order, summoned me.

Late fifties. At an age when ordinary knights would be weakened by aging, Captain Waynelight looked at least 15 years younger than his actual age.

The reason was simple. He was one of only three Masters in the entire continent.

He had overcome the constraints of time to a limited extent and was a superhuman who could cut down hundreds of soldiers like water if he so desired.

To me, Captain Waynelight was an absolute figure. I felt honored just to exchange words with him. For those who lived by the sword, he was a figure who could only be revered.

I assumed a proper posture. For now, yes, for now, I was still a member of the Order.

“Don’t stand there like that. Sit down.”

Even as I obediently followed his instructions, my heart felt heavy. I hoped this gentleman wouldn’t bring up the Cordana issue.

How nice it would be if he just pointed out my conduct. But ominous premonitions are rarely wrong.

“Erick.”

“Yes.”

“Because of you, or more precisely, because of the Cordana you possess, the atmosphere in the Order is in shambles. I tried not to intervene if possible, but it has already crossed the critical point… As the head of the Order, I have a duty to restore discipline.”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

Please don’t do this.

However, Lord Waynelight immediately frowned, betraying my expectations.

“…Are you asking because you don’t know? The Empire’s finest knights are neglecting their training just to check Cordana prices. The younger members are wasting time gossiping about Cordana they don’t even own.”

“That’s not my fault. Just tell me what you want to say.”

“It’s time for you to make a decision. Consider this a final notice.”

“……”

There was a momentary silent confrontation as Waynelight glared at me with a stern expression.

I was still at the Expert level, though aiming for the highest rank. Meanwhile, Captain Waynelight was the pinnacle of knighthood, revered by every knight in the Empire. I thought it might take about ten years before I could match him.

There was an insurmountable gap between us, but somehow I didn’t feel any pressure at all.

That was because right now, he wasn’t wearing the face of the exalted Master respected by all knights, but the face of an ‘administrator.’

It was somewhat fortunate that unlike the regular members who openly displayed their greed, he seemed to have little interest in the Cordana itself. Perhaps because he came from a wealthy noble family and had made his name with the sword, he appeared to have no material desires.

‘That’s probably why he considers me someone causing unnecessary discord. He must think I should just share it generously instead of stubbornly holding onto it.’

It was unreasonable to expect a gentleman born with genius talent in a wealthy family to understand the feelings of a knight from a commoner background.

“Erick, I understand why you’re obsessed with Cordana. People tend to become petty when it comes to money. But it’s hard to see your selection as Saintess Gwon Heejin’s companion, or your acquisition of large amounts of Cordana issued by the Hero, as the result of effort. Isn’t that right?”

“…Captain.”

“Besides, it’s not like all the members are asking you to give up everything… I’ve gathered opinions, and they’re willing to compromise with 30%. If you give up 30% of your Cordana, I’ll take responsibility for restoring the Order’s atmosphere to normal.”

“Captain. Do you know how much that 30% would be worth at market price? It’s more than what I could earn serving in the Order for two hundred years.”

“So you insist on keeping it all for yourself?”

“Yes. I’m sorry, but that’s right. No matter what you say, 30% is not acceptable.”

At these words, Captain Waynelight stared into space with a dejected expression.

“…I didn’t know you were so unreasonable. I misjudged you.”

Soon after, he dismissed me with a wave of his hand, as if shooing away a fly. He was no longer treating me as a member.

And that afternoon, disciplinary action against me was announced.

[Disciplinary Decision Notice]

[Royal Order knight Erick is hereby discharged for violation of dignity maintenance (excessive search of civilian homes).]

A concise notice posted throughout the garrison.

Looking at the content, it seemed I was accused of excessively searching a rural village while tracking deserters last year, intimidating residents. Ember’s father probably found a petition submitted by the village headman in some office cabinet.

Honestly, this was barely worth calling an accusation.

At that time, I was tracking a group of more than twenty deserters. Not just ordinary deserters, but a unit of deserters commanded by an officer. If they had turned to banditry, rural territories wouldn’t have been able to handle them.

‘Besides, excessive search? I didn’t damage any furniture or steal any supplies.’

It was strange that a disciplinary committee would even be convened for such a minor issue. If discipline were enforced this strictly, there wouldn’t be a single innocent knight in the Empire.

Moreover, the punishment itself was excessively severe. Discharge?

It wasn’t unprecedented for members of the Royal Order to be forcibly discharged.

However, those who had received discharge orders in the past were all extreme cases.

Those who killed prisoners of war for fun, raped female knights, or committed insubordination during operations. And the insubordination I’m talking about wasn’t just grabbing someone by the collar.

Of course, just because the Order issued a discharge order didn’t mean it was immediately finalized. If I filed an objection within a week, I could have the opportunity to defend myself. After all, it wouldn’t make sense to recklessly discipline a valuable resource like a Royal Order knight.

‘They probably hope I’ll surrender within that week.’

It was also funny that they expected me to want to remain in the Order after all this.

Of course, being dishonorably expelled from the Royal Order would end my life as a knight. No noble would be bold enough to pick up a knight who had been personally branded and discarded by the captain of the Royal Order, whom no one except the Emperor could treat carelessly.

But I felt no anxiety.

‘Good. This is much better than receiving an ambiguous punishment like probation or demotion.’

Now it was time to use my wits to protect myself. I quickly left the barracks. On my way out, I encountered someone.

“Erick? I told you not to intimidate innocent civilians.”

It was Selin. Katie, the junior member standing next to her, was anxiously glancing back and forth between Selin and me.

I ignored Selin and looked at Katie. She was a female knight who looked like a baby bear.

“Katie, I’m neither a knight nor anything now, just a commoner, so you can treat me casually.”

“…Senior.”

“Don’t feel burdened. This happened because I behaved poorly. The person who requested my disciplinary action this time is actually my fiancée’s father. How carelessly must I have acted to be stabbed in the back by my fiancée’s father?”

As I muttered nonchalantly, Katie became flustered, while Selin tilted her head before smirking.

“You’re quick to accept it, Erick? Seems like you know you did wrong.”

Regardless of what Selin was saying, I continued speaking while looking only at Katie. Seeing Katie’s wavering eyes, it seemed not everyone in the Order was growling to kill me. This was an important hint for me.

“Oh, if the seniors tell you to sprinkle horse dung in my locker, just do it. Don’t refuse or you might be disliked too. I’m leaving in a few days anyway, so what’s there to fear about such injustice?”

“Senior, please stop.”

“Relax. Unlike me, you’re a noble.”

“…Hey, Erick.”

Selin growled, realizing she was being ignored, but I cleanly disregarded her and turned away.

I treated other members I encountered in a similar manner.

One senior member, seeing me like this, sneered as if he understood. It was ‘Ramsey,’ a knight with seaweed-like hair.

“Erick, don’t try too hard to act brave.”

“Did you just say ‘act’?”

“Yes. I’ve been a member for 10 years, and this is the first time I’ve seen a discharge order. How hurt you must be. I understand, Erick.”

He patted my shoulder, trying to comfort me. He probably thought I was forcing myself to appear composed to hide my emotional wounds.

Discharge was indeed a humiliating punishment.

For a member who took pride in being part of the Royal Order for life, it wouldn’t be strange to contemplate extreme measures, or to seclude oneself in tears, lamenting the stain on the family honor.

But this was an emotion one could only feel if they had affection and pride for the Order. Fortunately, I had no such misguided feelings.

“Thank you for the comfort, Baron. If we have a chance to meet in the future, I’ll show proper respect.”

“…What.”

“I’m sorry. You don’t have succession rights to the title, do you? Still, nobility is nobility.”

Though I was just lightly taunting him, he looked at me like he wanted to kill me, muttering, “This son of a bitch…” I felt sorry for the children of the Empire who dreamed of becoming Royal Order knights and were diligently swinging their swords.

Anyway, given the situation, I also needed to prepare for life after discharge. To do that, I first needed to quickly dispose of the 108 Cordana.

– I’ve only reached the solar plexus. I should sell when it reaches the crown.

My friend Bingo said Cordana was still far from its peak, mentioning the crown, but it seemed difficult to wait that long.

‘I need to sell quickly and convert to cash. Diversifying assets would make them easier to protect.’

And that timing came sooner than expected.

Two days later, news broke through the Imperial newspaper that the Hero had defeated another of the Tetrad’s armies.

With this massive positive news, Cordana skyrocketed to 380 million. At this rate, it had reached not just the solar plexus but the nipple level.

The nipple level was good enough to sell.