episode_0005

“How do you feel about the princesses?”

Valderian looked at them with a serious gaze.

And, he clumsily defended me.

“I believe Sir Vale’s actions are justified.”

The way he sought my pardon, having only met as enemies until now.

His peculiar behavior was unexpectedly gentle.

“I acknowledge that it was as aggressive as Richard’s, but Vale had clear reasons for it.”

The previously quiet Imperial strategist.

Princess Leia humbly replied.

“Do your sisters agree?”

She, who I thought would defend Richard, put down her pen and readily assented.

Then, she raised her head and asked the other princesses as well.

“About that child’s actions.”

Irina found Leia’s defense of Vale sudden and irritating.

However, she reluctantly agreed for now.

“The weight of his punch was different; naturally, it was justified.”

“There’s no rule against using fists in a fight.”

Lydia also seemed to enjoy the fiery admonition, vigorously nodding her head.

“I actually found it quite exciting and fun.”

Valderian breathed a sigh of relief at the merciful princesses’ hearts.

And boldly declared in front of all the knights,

“The duel is over, the winner is Vale Mikhail!”

Cheers from the comrades.

Applause from the princesses and the royal guard filled the Star Palace.

The sound was so loud that the palace trembled.

“…”

Unfamiliar cheers and applause.

I scratched my temple, still unaccustomed to such treatment.

But, the unbelievable was only just beginning.

As the duel ended and the formal appointment ceremony began.

Encountering something I had never experienced before.

“Vale, step forward as the chosen one.”

Chosen.

To achieve here what I never dreamed of before.

It felt like being rewarded for the hardships of a past life.

—

Dumbfounded, I approached the table where the princesses sat.

Maintaining a poker face, I awaited their reactions.

“…”

Yet, the princesses did not say a word to me.

They simply stared at me blankly.

“Introduce yourself.”

Irina, seated in the middle, whispered quietly.

Only then did I bow and greet them.

“I am Vale Mikhail.”

My demeanor seemed endearing, as the silver-haired princess smiled slightly.

“I am a second candidate knight of the Sandor Order, with no family name.”

Finally, the princesses began to react to me.

First to speak was the third princess, Lydia.

“Does having no family name mean anything?”

“Yes, I am an orphan with no name given by my parents.”

Upon hearing that, Lydia coughed softly.

“Well, growing up rough seems to have made you strong.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

As I accepted it gracefully, Lydia’s expression brightened again.

She stood up, placing her hand on her hip.

“Well, regardless of your background, you must surely know my name, right?”

Even standing, she appeared about two heads shorter than me.

Despite her small stature, pride overflowed from Lydia’s crimson eyes.

“Yes, you are Princess Lydia who governs the Eastern Capital.”

“Then you must be familiar with the prestige of my Eastern Order of Knights, right?”

Indeed.

Most Eastern knights are notably tall, having grown up on a diet that includes challenging physical labor.

Moreover, they are known for their brute strength.

It is said that even the royal knights do not pick fights in the Eastern Capital.

“I am well aware.”

The third princess draped the red silk on her arm over her shoulder gently.

Then, she stepped outside the table and examined me as if inspecting a product.

With each step she took, it felt as if cheerful oriental music played.

“Well, you may be much smaller than our knights, but your skills were not bad.”

Even though I stand at 180 cm tall, hearing that I have a small build was a first in my life.

Moreover, hearing it from a girl much shorter than me left me feeling strangely peculiar.

“Are you considering a position?”

“Not yet.”

At the mention of not having decided yet, the youngest princess’s mouth curled up.

She narrowed her eyes and approached me leisurely.

And then, abruptly…

“Do you have any concerns?”

She said, holding the formal knight insignia on her uniform.

“Come under my command.”

A straightforward command.

“Someone like you, a commoner, with no proper background, who do you think will care for you?”

I knew well about the youngest princess’s strong personality.

However, hearing such words in front of everyone made me quite flustered.

“If you come under my command, at least it won’t be boring.”

Lydia casually swung the insignia she held.

“The knights who work under me never retire until they die.”

She nonchalantly let go of the insignia as if it were a passing breeze.

“Do you understand?”

Then, covering my ear with her palm, she whispered so that only I could hear.

“I find joy to the extent that I never even think about resting. Everything in the East belongs to me.”

I have no interest in pleasures.

But the territory I would receive in the East.

That alone intrigued me.

As a mere rank-and-file knight, owning land is almost an impossible task.

If I acquire the territory, perhaps I could move the orphanage that raised me to the Eastern capital.

Currently, it has always been on the dangerous frontier, constantly struggling to survive.

However.

For a knight who has experienced the day of humiliation, it would be hard to accept it willingly.

Just like me, she couldn’t escape her fate.

“And when you mention my name in the Eastern capital….”

Lydia paused briefly in her response.

Curious about her final words, I met her gaze again.

At that moment.

“I can turn a blind eye even if you kill someone I don’t like.”

Lydia’s red eyes smiled devilishly.

Leaving that smile behind, she gracefully returned to the table.

“…”

Thanks to her, I could barely breathe a sigh of relief.

A murder license coming from the princess’s lips.

That’s why when I became the 2nd princess’s knight, I warned my subordinates not to visit the East.

I calmly looked back at the table, wondering who would be next.

Irina, momentarily lost in thought while looking at documents.

Thanks to her distraction, I suddenly locked eyes with the 1st princess, Leia.

Her mature and cold gaze pierced through me.

“Irina seems unprepared, so I’ll go first.”

A soldier-like tone.

However, among the princesses, her eyes were known to be the most exceptional.

Leia Andalucia rose from her seat.

Up close, she was much taller than Lydia.

With her radiant golden hair and the white uniform clinging perfectly to her body.

Just looking at her made it seem like elegant classical music was playing in the surroundings.

To be chosen by such a woman.

Even though their peers watching from afar hadn’t been chosen themselves, they swallowed their envy deeply.

“Did Lydia give you a murder license?”

I didn’t immediately respond to the 1st princess’s question.

Certainly, Lydia whispered something quietly; how did she know?

“Don’t be surprised. There is no information in the Empire that I am unaware of.”

She smiled like a caring older sister.

Just like the sisters who took care of me during my time at the orphanage, she was feminine and mature.

Perhaps, this noble restraint shown on her face would become a chariot that crosses over.

“Lydia seems not to know much about you yet because she’s still young. What you need is not wealth or power.”

Leia spoke as if she already knew my heart.

“A figure who gets angry and fights for their comrades. What you desire is precisely…”

Leia received a medal from the royal knights.

And confidently placed it on her table.

“Honor, right?”

I know that medal well.

A platinum-bordered golden cross.

The second most powerful and prestigious order after the Imperial Prince’s Royal Knights.

The medal of the ‘Knights of Radiance.’

“Do you know how many Swordmasters we have in our Empire?”

“Six.”

I raised my head slightly as I answered meticulously, and Lea lifted the military cap she was wearing.

“How many do you think are from the Gwangmyeong Knights?”

“I believe there are about three.”

Lea stood up from her chair.

Then, she gently swept her radiant hair behind her ear.

“You seem to know a lot; it looks like you’re quite interested in court affairs.”

The princess slightly bowed her body and looked up at me sharply.

Thanks to that, her sensual figure became even more pronounced.

“I believe courageous individuals should occupy such high positions.”

Lea slowly approached me.

Her elegant fingers soon touched my collar.

Eventually, she smoothed out the wrinkled part for me.

“If you become my knight, you could be that person.”

She came so close that I could feel her breath.

Her blue eyes looking up at me.

They seemed to penetrate through me, sparkling as if trying to see everything.

“For a commoner to lead, it would surely not go unnoticed by the empire’s people, don’t you think?”

Indeed.

She had read all of my weaknesses.

Being a commoner and the desire to overcome it.

However, I did not immediately accept her proposal.

Instead, I responded firmly.

“I do not possess the necessary abilities yet.”

Lea did not easily back down.

Instead, she seemed to view my indifferent attitude as the humility of a knight and chuckled.

“You’re just not fully prepared yet.”

Her long finger traced softly down my chest.

The finger soon stopped at the pocket of my uniform.

There, the princess placed a platinum cross.

In a tone different from her usual one, she whispered.

“Such trivial concerns as mana and background can be easily resolved once you join me.”

A relaxed smile from someone who has everything.

I silently gazed at that smile.

‘Mana…’

Of course, once under her, it could easily be solved with the elixirs provided.

And even personal tutoring from senior members of the Gwangmyeong Knights.

Numerous benefits would follow.

“…”

Yet, even with those benefits, a wry smile involuntarily crossed my face.

‘After all, I have learned something far more valuable on the battlefield.’

“I cannot accept such items at this time.”

“I am not forcing you; it is simply a small gift from me.”

Lea left while leaving me in doubt, slowly returning to her seat, gracefully avoiding her skirt.

“Just remember this. I will do my best for the growth of my subordinates.”

Upon hearing her words, my peers began to stare at me.

Nobles.

Even some commoners.

All were glaring at me with jealous eyes.

Becoming Lea’s knight meant challenging the empire’s highest authority.

Being a member of the Gwangmyeong Knights meant holding a high position.

However, their endings were mostly unfavorable.

Frontier knights could survive if they managed themselves well, but losers in political power struggles were usually executed.

I, too, was one of those victims in a past life.

“I will consider it.”

Exhaustion washed over me.

Feeling weary, I moved to the center of the table.

And there…

The last princess, Irina, was seated.

As she looked up at my darkened complexion.

Soon, our gazes met.

Irina’s face.

‘If it were five years ago, she would be the same age as me, 21.’

The innocence of a young girl still lingered on her face.

Lydia, whom I met a little while ago, was a cheeky imp.

Lea exuded the grace of a queen.

However, Irina…

“Hello, Vale.”

Hello.

It wasn’t a greeting a princess would give to a knight.

Yet somehow, her greeting felt familiar and warm, like childhood friends.

As if we had known each other for ages.