Chapter 78: Poar (14)

“Simply put, it means that even if you can’t join the Kingdom Knights, you can at least become a knight for another family.”

After finishing our passionate bathing session, we changed clothes and gathered in Alice’s room. Alice, who also seemed to have given much thought to Lorena’s future, continued her explanation to us in a serious tone. At that moment, she was wearing a thin one-piece dress like someone going on a spring outing, and every time she moved, the silhouette of her pretty legs flashed into view, making one quite excited.

“A knight for another family?”

Alice didn’t seem to care how revealing her dress was, and Lorena looked very interested in the knowledge Alice was sharing. Alice said,

“Of course, even though Uncle Jack was framed, on paper, he was demoted for taking bribes. Because of this, most families won’t hire you as a knight. They won’t even give you a chance to test. Unless it’s a family that knows your character or the inside story of the frame-up.”

Lorena looked up, her face full of disappointment. Alice and I had heard a few facts from Jack before bringing this up with Lorena. The reason Lorena hadn’t received any offers despite her talent wasn’t just because Jack was a knight who took bribes. It was because he was demoted as an example after trying to touch upon the wrongdoings of the Hero’s party, making associating with Jack’s family an enormous burden. A woman with talent, but essentially a ticking time bomb that didn’t need to be used. Unknowingly, Lorena had been placed on a watchlist and quietly ended up rolling into this ranch.

“S-so, I can’t do it?”

Lorena’s face was etched with disappointment. Both Alice and I found Lorena’s ever-changing expressions adorable, so we shook our heads with a smile. Alice said,

“Of course, that’s only if Lorena, Jack’s daughter, wants to become a knight for another family. For example, the government doesn’t pay much attention if some country bumpkin girl from the sticks wants to become a knight. Knights for noble families usually come from locals who are somewhat well-known or strong.”

Lorena didn’t seem to fully grasp Alice’s words. She tilted her head, pondered for a moment, and then asked cautiously,

“W-what does that mean?”

Alice scratched her head, glanced out the window, and then looked back at Lorena.

“You. You want to become a knight, right?”

“Y-yeah.”

Lorena nodded. Alice said,

“I’m Alice of the Flancia family. My mother, Flancia Isabel, is married now and lives separately from the main family, running her own household. Therefore, my mother and I have grounds to employ one or two knights to escort us separately?”

Knights of noble families are very strict and elite professionals. However, this only applied to the ‘main family’. In cases where children were disowned by the family or households that had branched off due to their sheer size, they sometimes formed and operated their own knight order separate from the main family. Alice intended to make Lorena a knight of our family in this manner. The mansion where Alice and Isabel lived was in a remote area requiring knights, and requesting knight dispatch from the main family would be inconvenient for everyone involved.

Alice looked Lorena up and down and said,

“So… if you’re okay with it, I’d like to recommend you as a knight for our household. What do you think?”

Lorena seemed surprised, even though she might have anticipated Alice’s words. A sense of emptiness and bewilderment washed over her, realizing the possibility of becoming a knight had opened up so easily. Lorena stiffened and asked,

“A k-knight? J-just like that, so suddenly?”

Alice said,

“Of course, you can’t be hired as a knight right away. You still need to prove your skills and any experience you have. If you want, first, you’ll have to come with me to Ithaca and temporarily serve as my bodyguard.”

“Bodyguard? Ah, I know what that is. When nobles visit, they stand beside them in armor… Oh, that’s a knight.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. It was because Lorena, who had been excitedly trying to explain, suddenly turned glum upon realizing that what she was describing was, in fact, a knight. Seeing me laugh, Lorena playfully punched my arm and pouted,

“E-Evan, don’t laugh! I-I know what a bodyguard is! They’re someone who protects you, right! With a scowling face! I saw them a few times when I lived in Ithaca! Big guys with tattoos and scowls walking next to smaller people.”

“…That is what a bodyguard is, though, right?”

Alice and I both recalled that image. It seemed Lorena had encountered loan sharks or criminals roaming Ithaca back then. Alice steered the conversation back on track before it went too far astray.

“Anyway, you’ll work as my bodyguard. With that experience, we’ll forge some fake documents to submit to the Flancia family. Then, we’ll just report something like, ‘We used a girl from Poar as a bodyguard, but she had a good personality and decent skills, so we decided to hire her as a knight for our household.’ And if they say, ‘Understood!’, then it’s settled.”

“B-but isn’t that a lie?”

Lorena said, looking at Alice. Her anxious face also held concern for Alice. Alice nodded at Lorena’s question and said,

“It is a lie, but you can’t become a knight without it. It’s not about skill; it’s because the country is corrupt.”

All sorts of dirty dealings happening in the country inevitably seeped into Poar as well. But Lorena still hesitated. The thought of not being able to become a knight briefly etched desperation onto her face, but that emotion quickly faded.

“I see…”

Lorena lowered her head again, her face turning somber. She must have been lost in complex thoughts. The guilt of making Alice lie, and the helplessness of knowing this was the only way to become a knight. And yet, the desire to stay with Alice and me.

“Don’t you want revenge?”

I whispered to Lorena. Lorena turned her head upon hearing my voice and looked at me. I was smiling, and Alice was leaning against the desk beside me. We kept our eyes on Lorena and said,

“Think about it. If you can’t become a knight, you won’t be able to change anything in the end. You know how Uncle Jack suffered under that ridiculous false accusation.”

“B-but… still, if I lie…”

Lorena was hesitating. Her conscience was scrambling internally, trying to find counterarguments to our words. Alice said,

“Lorena. You need power to make changes. If you have nothing, you can do nothing. Lorena, my goal is to change this corrupt world. To get revenge on those Flancia family bastards who abandoned my mother, to let my mother and father live happily, and to make the world a better place.”

Lorena was slightly swayed by the word ‘revenge’. No matter how much she acted like a gentle lamb, anger existed within her heart. It’s natural for uncontrollable rage to lie beneath the surface of efforts to stay within bounds. Lorena’s lips repeated the word ‘revenge,’ and our words echoed in her mind.

“Lorena. I want you to participate in this revenge plot with me. You feel that things are wrong too, don’t you? Isn’t it ridiculous that the whole world points fingers at your dad, while the ones who should be pointed at are living well in the capital?”

“They say history repeats itself. A righteous person digs into the Hero’s past, and the Hero eliminates that person-this will happen countless times. Just like you, someone is probably losing their dreams and crying. How long must we stand by and watch this vicious cycle?”

“Lorena. We need you.”

“Lorena. Let’s get revenge together.”

The words we spoke simultaneously seemed to create ripples in Lorena’s heart. She looked at us with wide eyes. It felt like her heartbeat was audible, and her flushed face and ragged breathing hinted at her answer.

I said,

“You’ll reclaim your father’s honor, Alice will devour the Flancia family, and I will restore love and justice to the world.”

“And then we’ll all live happily ever after. We’ll go on picnics together, learn horseback riding.”

Alice really seemed eager to learn horseback riding. I chuckled once more at the personal desire Alice threw in, then said to Lorena,

“Let’s get revenge, Lorena.”

Lorena raised her hand. With a hand extended long, as if depicting a twig, she lightly tapped my finger, and then our palms met.

“Okay.”

Lorena’s face was ablaze with a sense of justice and fervor. Both Alice and I nodded at her enthusiastic demeanor.