Chapter 82: The Captain of the Escort Corps

The deputy commander of the escort squad generally follows the same schedule as the commander.

And the commander always stays close to the Northern Grand Duke.

Today, as part of their duty, Elaine and I stood by Grace’s side for protection.

“So, the deputy commander of the escort squad… Who should I choose?”

Grace was deep in thought, still contemplating yesterday’s assessment.

At this rate, there wouldn’t be a good time to bring up Rigrid.

“You haven’t decided yet?”
“Aren’t you in the same position?”
“…….”
“Heh, that just shows how fierce the competition is.”

Grace chuckled and continued.

“First of all, Sir Ki is unfortunately out of the running. Among the three, he’s the most popular with the soldiers and had the best results in the combat evaluation. But the deputy commander’s role is to support the commander from behind, and that doesn’t suit his personality. Sir Ki is better suited for remaining in the third squad and leading charges.”

“I think the same.”

“So, the real decision lies between Sir Loron and Sir Vendum. Both of them are highly skilled and excellent in administrative duties. Sir Loron has even filled in for you in your absence, while Sir Vendum has supported the fourth squad leader for a long time. Either of them would fulfill the deputy commander role well.”

Hearing this, I realized that this was indeed a difficult decision.

Elaine seemed to be struggling with the same dilemma as Grace.

Then a thought crossed my mind.

Who had become the deputy commander in the novel?

In Brave Road, Elaine was mentioned as the escort squad commander, but there was never any mention of a deputy commander.

‘That’s strange.’

Since Elaine was an extra character in the original story, it made sense that the deputy commander wasn’t given much attention.

But at the very least, shouldn’t their name have been mentioned?

Or perhaps—

‘Was there no deputy commander in the original story?’

That was a real possibility.

In the original storyline, Elaine suffered severe injuries during the battle against the Silver Sabertooth, which significantly weakened her combat abilities.

As a result, she didn’t actively participate in battles afterward and focused more on administrative work.
So, it was possible that there had never been a need for a deputy commander in the first place.

But in this version of events, Elaine was completely uninjured.

And with the altered course of events, strong enemies like Row were invading the North, meaning she would have to engage in more battles.

Not to mention, my presence meant she wanted to spend personal time with me—something that differed from the novel.

Thus, unlike in the original story, a support role for administrative duties had now become necessary.

At first glance, it seemed like I was just taking up Elaine’s time.

But I could see it clearly.

The version of Elaine in the novel, who was forced to focus on administrative tasks due to her injuries—how dark must her expression have been?

Dedicating all her time to work was likely a result of her own self-reproach.

Elaine wasn’t as indifferent and cold-hearted as she seemed on the surface.
She loved delicious food, wanted to stay close to those she cared about, and felt reassured when holding hands—so much so that she would quickly fall asleep.

Just imagining how she must have felt in the novel made my chest tighten.

It was just speculation, but if that were true, then the deputy commander position was something that only existed because of my presence in this world.

Was this another butterfly effect?

How fascinating.

“You must have someone you’re leaning towards as well, right?”
“I do.”
“Oh? Me too. Let’s say it at the same time. Who knows, we might have the same choice.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll go first. I choose Sir Vendum.”

Nice! As expected of His Highness.

He truly understood my thoughts.

With His Highness making the decision, that was the end of it.

“Since he was one of the founding members of the escort squad, he knows our unit inside and out. Plus, I still remember how he yielded the squad leader position to Sir Weasel last time. Given his age, I think he’s aiming for this position as his final career milestone, so I’d like to give him the opportunity.”

Since the two candidates were equally qualified, they had to be evaluated from other angles.

From what I had heard, Vendum had originally been transferred from the main knights to the escort squad on Captain Arthur’s recommendation.

Since he had worked alongside Grace from the very beginning, he was practically one of his most trusted subordinates.
And Loron was still young—he had plenty of chances ahead.

This wasn’t something I had any right to intervene in, so I just listened in silence.

But internally, I was in full agreement with Grace.

“What about you?”
“I choose Sir Loron.”
“?”

Wait, excuse me?

What did I just hear?

The name that came out of Elaine’s mouth was the opposite of Grace’s choice.

“Sir Loron has been effectively acting as the deputy commander in my absence, and the members already recognize him as such. While both performed excellently, Sir Vendum’s influence was mostly limited to his own squad, whereas Sir Loron has experience overseeing the entire unit. That makes him a more certain choice in my opinion.”
“Hmm.”

I was momentarily taken aback, but what Elaine said made sense.

‘Well…’

Loron was definitely a capable man.

If he became the deputy commander, the escort squad would benefit greatly.

And given his ambition, he would only work harder as he climbed the ranks.

Actually, the reason I was against Loron was jealousy, so actively supporting Grace felt a bit embarrassing.

Still, hearing Elaine recommend Loron made me feel slightly dejected.

She probably didn’t realize what she was saying.

You know that feeling when you get sulky for no reason?

I had a feeling I’d be the one seeking physical affection today.

Grace, who had been exchanging opinions with Elaine, fell silent in thought.

“That’s a good perspective. It was helpful.”

Although it didn’t lead to an immediate decision, it must have provided some clarity, as Grace’s expression brightened. Seeing that, Elaine spoke up again.

“Your Grace, I also have something to report regarding the replenishment of the guard division’s personnel.”
“Ah, recruitment… That was something we needed to address. We haven’t taken in new members for months since Luke, and after the last battle at the Snowflake Tower, we also need to replace those injured.”

Since we had faced one of the Seven Heroes, the battle against Rowe had not only produced knights like me but had also left some with injuries.

Fortunately, none of them had life-threatening wounds, but since the assassin had severed tendons and muscles, some could no longer return to their former prowess even after treatment.

Because of that, Grace had given them options—those who wished to remain in the military were reassigned, while those who chose to retire were granted lifelong support to ensure they had no financial struggles.

“Alright, who is it?”
“The second son of the Deep Snow family, Rigrid Deep Snow.”
“Hm?”

Grace blinked, as if wondering if she had misheard.

“The one recommending him is Sir Luke, who is right here.”

As Elaine turned the arrow toward me, Grace’s gaze naturally followed.

“I should hear more about this.”

I then told Grace about my archery match with Rigrid at the Deep Snow estate.

Of course, I also included what Rigrid had told me at the party.

Grace, seemingly intrigued, listened attentively.

“This is quite the unexpected story. I’ve known Rigrid since he was young, and I always thought he lacked talent with the sword… But to think he’s skilled with a bow.”

“Since he has no record of military achievements, he would need to be judged more strictly than usual. However, if what Sir Luke says is true, I believe it’s worth evaluating him.”

“Hmm.”

Grace pondered for a moment.

“We’ve never recruited an archer into the guard division before… But considering the battles ahead, it might be necessary. Introducing a new element to the division could be refreshing. And even if he doesn’t join the guard division, we can’t let that talent go to waste, so we should find another way to utilize him.”

Nice.

Grace, like Elaine, seemed to have a positive impression of the idea.

On top of that, she had even taken the initiative to promise that he would be supported in some capacity, even if he didn’t make it into the guard division.

The division not only assessed skills but also placed great emphasis on character. However, I wasn’t too worried about that.

Rigrid may have had a scheming side, but outwardly, he was an exemplary and respectable nobleman.

Grace, who had a sharp intuition, might have sensed the same sinister undertones that Dorgon had mentioned before.
But since I had already set him on a better path during our last encounter, that side of him should have mostly disappeared by now.

“Heh, if a new recruit joins, that means Sir Luke will officially become a senior member, huh?”

I had already lost the aura of a rookie, since I was now a knight with a higher rank and was addressed with respect by the regular members.
Still, the thought of having juniors under me felt new.

Even if I wanted to make a resolve to be a good senior, I probably wouldn’t interact with them much, given my role as the captain’s adjutant.

The deliberation over who should be the vice-captain of the guard division didn’t drag on for too long.

That afternoon, after final discussions with Elaine, Grace gathered the guard members and made the official announcement.

The one chosen as vice-captain was…

Second Unit Captain, Loron Tebar.

“Hm.”

It wasn’t the result I had been hoping for, but after hearing Grace and Elaine’s discussion, I couldn’t argue with it.

If Grace had approached the decision emotionally, Elaine had done so logically, and honestly, I found Elaine’s reasoning more convincing.

Despite being appointed vice-captain, Loron maintained his usual blank expression.

He respectfully thanked Grace but showed no sign of excitement, making it hard for me to even feel jealous.

On the other hand, Third Unit Captain Gi looked extremely disappointed.

His unit members, however, seemed happy that he was staying.

Honestly, it seemed like they should just stick together forever.

Grace also made another announcement.

Fourth Sub-Captain Bendam would be promoted to First Unit Captain.

This was to relieve Elaine from the burden of managing both the guard division and the First Unit while also properly recognizing Bendam, one of the founding members.

Although there was no official ranking between the four units in the division, the number “1” had always carried symbolic weight as the leading position.

It was the reason why Elaine had originally led the First Unit herself.

Bendam, though he wasn’t chosen as vice-captain, still seemed happy about being promoted to First Unit Captain.

His fellow First Unit members, including Sub-Captain Anduril, also welcomed the decision.

After all, Bendam’s reputation for reliability was well known throughout the guard division.

The deputy commander’s inauguration ceremony ended successfully, and even though I felt a bit bitter, I still had work to do. I was running an errand for Elaine when—

“Sir Luke, may I have a moment?”
“?”

I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

Turning my head, I saw that it was, as expected, Weasel, the captain of the 4th unit.

Ah, right. The 4th unit was on night guard duty today.

I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty toward her.

She had gone out of her way to provide me with information out of consideration, yet I hadn’t been able to do anything.

But it wasn’t like I was in a position to change anything in the first place.

“It ended up like this.”
“I’m not here to blame you, so don’t worry. This wasn’t something you could have changed anyway.”

Weasel seemed to understand my situation as well, letting out a bitter expression.

“Instead, I’ll make sure the commander’s eyes don’t stray elsewhere.”
“If you only make her look at you, what are you going to do? You should be making sure she looks at Her Excellency.”
“You know that’s not what I meant. Couldn’t you just go along with it this once?”
“I know, but the way you said it just now rubbed me the wrong way. Have you always been this cheesy?”
“The commander likes this kind of thing, though…”
“!”

I felt like I had just been force-fed a red pill of knowledge I didn’t want.

Weasel’s eyes widened in surprise.

I really shouldn’t be finding this amusing.

“Sigh, talking to you always throws me off track. But still, I like that attitude. Keep that determination and—”
“Shh, Captain. Hold on a moment.”
“?”

Weasel looked puzzled as I interrupted her, but I simply gestured for her to be quiet.

Her eyes followed the direction I was pointing at.

There, standing—

“Captain Lee?”

It was Loron, who was supposed to be in the dormitory after finishing work.

He wasn’t in his armor but in casual attire instead.

Like Elaine and me, officers of the guard weren’t allowed to stay out overnight, but evening outings were permitted to some extent.

Still, Loron, the former captain of the 2nd unit and now the newly appointed deputy commander, had no reason to be near the Winter Palace at this hour.

Something about this felt suspicious.

Weasel and I exchanged glances and nodded before hiding ourselves to observe him.

“Oh my, have you been waiting long?”
“?”

A beautiful woman suddenly appeared and approached Loron, speaking to him.
But what was truly shocking—

“No, my lady.”
“?!”

Loron, who always maintained a cold and emotionless mask,
was now smiling gently.

He even kissed the back of her hand,
ever so romantically.

“Did something good happen today?”
“Actually, I was just promoted to deputy commander.”
“Oh my, really? Congratulations!”
“That’s why I wanted to spend this evening with you. Shall we go?”

The woman, blushing shyly, took his arm,
and Loron, matching his stride to her smaller steps, walked off somewhere with her.

“……”
“……”

As the couple disappeared in the distance, I turned to Weasel.

“Captain.”
“……”
“……”
“Now that I think about it, perhaps the reason Sir Loron often looked at the commander was because he saw her as a mentor and wanted to learn from her. They do have similar personalities, after all.”
“……No.”

Weasel denied it in a trembling voice.

“I can’t believe Captain Lee is this kind of libertine. So he really does separate work and personal life, huh? Meeting another woman in secret behind the scenes… How could he…?”
“Captain, please calm down. Anyone can see that they’ve been together for a long time. I would know since I’m currently in a relationship myself. And Loron is a noble; of course he’d have at least one fiancée.”
“Ugh…”
“Come on, Captain. Isn’t this a good thing? Turns out you were just misunderstanding the situation the whole time.”

Feeling genuinely relieved, I grinned and teased Weasel.

Her face turned red from the embarrassment of realizing she had completely misread the situation.

Then, she bolted away.

I was sure that deep down, she wanted to scream into her pillow in frustration.

But since she had night guard duty today, she couldn’t afford to do that.

Watching her sulk as she carried out her duties made it impossible for me to hold back my laughter.

Suddenly, memories from my past life surfaced.

Back in school or at work, whenever a man and a woman chatted alone, the surrounding women would always make a big deal about them possibly having a romantic connection.

If I recalled correctly, their success rate wasn’t that high.

The real couples always dated in secret.

Humming a little tune, I made my way toward Elaine.

Today, my own romantic life remained as peaceful as ever.