episode_0024

“Then, we shall take our leave now.”

I rose from the royal seat with the elegant Miyawho I hadn’t noticed before.

Bowing respectfully to the two princesses.

A perfect Give and Take.

Having received appropriate compensation, I knew I would not be entangled with them again.

With that in mind, I descended the banquet hall with my senior.

“Very well, Veil. Be careful as you enter.”

Irina replied in a stern tone in front of the guests.

On the other hand, Lydia didn’t acknowledge me at all.

She just looked at me disdainfully after receiving vague compensation and rejecting my proposal.

“She’s harsh.”

Pretending not to notice her, I quickly caught a carriage.

Leaving behind the splendid banquet hall, I headed back to the North.

To my quiet and cozy office.

The two princesses watched me silently from the first-floor entrance until the carriage disappeared completely.

“…”

Afterward, Irina smiled.

And she gazed at Lydia with a cold expression.

“You…”

In front of the escort knight, she had seemed cheerful like a young girl.

But as he vanished, she glared at her sister with sharp, wolf-like eyes.

“A visit to the knights, what ulterior motive do you have?”

However, even under her sister’s gaze, Lydia did not flinch.

Instead, she looked down on her arrogantly, her red eyes flashing like a little demon.

“Just as it sounds. I wanted to show the welfare of our knights to a commoner recruit.”

The third princess proudly stated, placing her hand on her chest.

“We already have plenty of knights, so why covet a commoner knight?”

Irina approached Lydia closely.

And she leaned down so intensely that shadows fell over her.

“Just- how should I put it? I dislike seeing commoners sticking together.”

Smirking with pointed fangs, the third princess chuckled.

Crossing her arms alone, she subtly added,

“It’s disgusting, trying to evoke sympathy by knowing he’s an orphan.”

At her youngest sister’s sharp analysis, Irina furrowed her eyebrows.

“Sympathy… Why do you find your intentions so negative?”

“Because your intentions are obvious? Since you can’t beat me with power, you resort to emotional appeals.”

Lydia shrugged.

And instead, she stood even closer to her sister.

“It doesn’t matter how much you investigate him. Ambitious knights ultimately choose superior masters.”

A proud demeanor.

Seeing this, Irina sneered at her sister.

“Ambition…? Do you really think Veil is an ambitious knight, even after hearing about the vegetable garden?”

“You’re clueless… You still don’t know?”

Soon, the princess’s red eyes glinted provocatively.

And she chuckled slyly, saying,

“That garden isn’t just a simple vegetable farm.”

“What…?”

Lydia turned her head to look at the mana trees planted on either side of the palace.

And she muttered dumbfoundedly,

“He plans to cultivate mana herbs in that garden.”

Mana herbs.

Inherently magical plants containing mana.

“He probably intends to extract them to make elixirs.”

At her words, Irina stroked her chin with her hand.

Indeed.

There was no reason to avoid the shortcut path.

Nevertheless, instead of an alliance with the royal family, he chose Sunstones.

It might be a high-level concealment technique to grow without the help of the nobility.

“Intentionally going to a frontier knight order to make sacred elixirs. And secretly growing stronger to prove himself at national events like the official stone statue contest.”

When the youngest princess presented such plausible reasoning, Irina fell into contemplation.

“No…!”

She had thought of finding a way to bring him back under her wing!

If he became famous in that manner, he wouldn’t even glance back at her.

He would immediately join the Crown Prince or another princess.

“I should have stopped him from fighting Richard…”

Irina regretted not stopping Veil during the appointment ceremony.

She knew he was strong even in the past.

But she never expected him to awaken faster through a fight with Richard…

If he knew that he would become a Sword Master in the future, he would distance himself even more.

Eventually, overwhelmed by recurring melancholic thoughts, she lowered her head with a sorrowful expression.

“Even now, you seem to be a high-level sword expert. If you drink the elixir as well, it will be no joke-.”

In response to her words, Lydia subtly remarked as if stabbing her with a dagger.

“Since you were capable of destroying the stage to that extent.”

Destroy the stage…?

Irina raised her head at her words.

And she stared piercingly at the composed Lydia.

“You… knew it was Vale’s doing?”

“My knight knows me well. Bautsu is not yet at the level to use such tremendous skills.”

The ensuing silence hung heavy in the air.

Soon, the two of them retreated from each other at a distance.

“Gives me chills. Knowing that, you pretended to be nonchalant in front of the nobles?”

“He did it because the Prime Minister praised him.”

They were amazed that they were both hiding Vale’s true abilities.

“….”

The banquet hall fell silent without the guests.

The two princesses began to hold back their words as if sensing each other’s thoughts.

Thanks to them, the Eastern Palace was filled only with the sound of repairing the broken stage.

Lydia soon turned to see Bautsu returning.

And before leaving, she quietly said to Irina,

“Struggle as much as you want. In the end, he will serve a superior master among us.”

Irina did not respond to her question at all.

She just cynically turned her head.

Irina was left alone at the entrance to the banquet hall.

Soon, Allen, who had been beaten up, walked over to her.

“Allen… thank you for your hard work. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Contrary to his arrogance before, he appeared calm.

He then bowed deeply in front of her.

“Why are you so dejected when you fought well…?”

Irina was taken aback by his behavior, so different from usual.

“I apologize.”

A famous drunkard of a viscount.

For the first time, he apologized to someone.

“In fact, I have been neglecting Your Highness’s actions.”

Seeing Allen’s serious demeanor for the first time, Irina also became serious.

“I thought creating a knight order was just a boast.”

The drunkard raised his head.

He looked up at the princess with a serious gaze.

“So I planned to build my career reasonably and come out. But I didn’t expect you to be so sincere….”

A determined look in his eyes.

Enthralled by that look, Irina awaited his next words.

Finally, Allen confidently declared with an ambitious voice,

“I will leave the knight order.”

“What?”

Irina thought she misheard.

“W-what…? Did I hear wrong?”

When the princess asked, the knight shook his head.

He firmly nailed it to her with a serious expression.

“You heard correctly. I’m quitting.”

From his expression alone, he seemed like the empire’s hero who would immediately enter the imperial training grounds.

However, he decisively stated that he would reject being a knight.

“I have no intention of being Your Highness’s face.”

He shook his head with a skeptical expression.

“I have no intention of burying myself in a fledgling knight order either.”

Taken aback by his firm words, Irina was speechless.

After the sparring, Allen, who had lost not only his beliefs but also his perseverance, stood before her.

With a blank expression, Irina clenched her fists.

‘Vale… What on earth did you do to him!’

The princess also glanced towards Bautsu with a troubled expression.

Lydia and the Eastern knights in the distance.

Their reactions were not much different from Allen’s.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness… for making such a big mistake at the important banquet….”

“No, it’s fine. You fought until the end according to my orders, so I’ll praise you.”

There was a noticeable height difference of three heads.

Smiling, Lydia promised him a reward.

“Rest well when you go back today. We need to prepare for the upcoming sparring match.”

The Third Princess was about to leave the banquet hall leisurely.

However, she couldn’t help but stop abruptly.

“I apologize, Your Highness….”

Because Bautsu uttered unexpected words.

“I won’t participate in the match.”

“What?”

The eyes of the knights’ juniors standing nearby sparkled.

Batshu, who had always been more upright than anyone else.

Because he was completely exhausted.

“Se, senior. What do you mean all of a sudden?”

“Yes, if the senior doesn’t go, then who will represent our Eastern Knights?”

The sloppy male knights.

They tried to persuade Batshu earnestly.

However, Batshu seemed to have made up his mind as he firmly shook his head.

“I’m still lacking a lot. If I go to the match like this, it will only disgrace the honor of the Eastern Knights.”

He muttered to himself while clutching his thigh.

“I will train my body completely to not fall for any tricks and return.”

The juniors bit their lips at the humble appearance of their senior.

They couldn’t quite understand his determination to become stronger here.

“…”

However, Lydia was different.

Knowing that the skills displayed on stage were just the tip of the iceberg, she now understood Batshu’s shock.

“Well, if that’s your decision, then there’s nothing we can do.”

In the end, the youngest princess sighed deeply.

And with a wry smile, she comforted Batshu.

“Postpone the match, continue training alone for a while, and then make a comeback.”

After barely greeting with his staggering body, Batshu headed towards his quarters.

Lydia watched him in that state and let out a deep sigh.

“Sigh… that Veil guy.”

‘Veil…?’

The muscular knights with grim expressions.

They silently watched the departing figure of the small princess.

And when she disappeared shortly after.

They looked at each other with serious expressions.

“Who exactly is this Veil person they’re talking about?”

“The defense knight who intervened earlier.”

At the mention of the defense knight, the junior furrowed his eyebrows.

“Wasn’t he pushed aside by Senior Batshu?”

“What did he do to Senior during that push?”

The two pondered deeply.

Soon, senior Tau, with tattoos on his arms, flashed his eyes.

“Did you see Senior Batshu earlier?”

“He really strained his legs.”

“Yeah, that guy Veil. He definitely used all sorts of tricks to overpower Senior.”

Tau breathed heavily.

And he began to deduce with a sharp gaze.

“Tricks, you say?”

“Yeah, you saw it a while ago too. His sturdy legs were shaking uncontrollably.”

The knight imagined Veil, who looked like a parasite, with an evil smile.

But the scene of such a scoundrel kneeling before Batshu just didn’t seem to fit.

“It seems like he might have used paralysis poison.”

Agreeing with the senior, the junior’s eyes lit up.

Thanks to that, the rooster tattoo on his shoulder wriggled.

“Indeed, considering the symptoms, it’s suspicious.”

Even the younger one agreed, and Tau took a deep breath.

Then he looked north towards the building of the infirmary.

“Tell the secretary tomorrow.”

The gruff knight’s nostrils flared.

“We’ll personally deliver the Sunstone he’s supposed to receive.”

He was ready to charge at the healer immediately.

“I have to go check it out myself.”