episode_0026
by fnovelpiaNorthern Capital.
Known as the most tranquil and quiet place in the Empire.
Especially around the building where Veil works, it is the most peaceful area in the north.
However…
Rumors of strange wailing sounds coming from there have been persistent lately.
Like beasts crying out.
Whenever people passed by that sound, they would be startled.
―――――.
And now.
A huge carriage heading towards the center of the rumors.
Many imperial citizens were surprised and knelt as they saw the carriage.
They kept their heads down until the carriage passed.
A splendid carriage with all its edges adorned in gold.
Inside, three princesses sat, grim-faced, resting their chins on their hands.
“Secretary.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The secretary sitting across nodded.
In response, the princess asked him with a displeased expression, “Taurang and Biju keep emptying the knights during lunchtime, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
The secretary answered dully.
“And every time they return, they are covered in dirt?”
“Yes, they were covered in dust.”
Lydia took out a lemon candy from the carriage table.
With pink lips, she muttered, “My actions as their mistress now, seem natural, don’t they?”
“Yes… indeed?”
The secretary mechanically replied, then smirked.
He gazed at Lydia pretending to be annoyed.
Sending an investigation team would have sufficed, but seeing the princess come out personally was a bit excessive. However, the secretary decided to understand her reasoning.
For the princess to meet someone outside, she needed a pretext.
And now, that pretext had been fulfilled through the two Eastern knights.
Soon, the carriage began to slow down.
And when it came to a complete stop.
The secretary alighted from the carriage first.
With his eagle-like eyes, he quietly surveyed the surroundings.
Contrary to the rumors, Veil’s office building was very quiet.
It was so serene that even the chirping of birds could be heard.
“What, have we arrived already?”
Lydia rose to get off.
But at that moment.
“Aghhh!!”
A man’s scream echoed from behind the building.
Hearing the scream, the secretary hurriedly tried to close the carriage door that Lydia was about to open.
“Increase your ki while focusing! It’s about maximizing efficiency with minimal mana!”
A familiar voice from afar.
Upon hearing that voice, Lydia pushed the door that the secretary was blocking and opened it.
“Where is that sound coming from?”
“It seems to be from behind the building.”
Lydia got off the carriage.
Thanks to the sunlight, her attire was clearly visible.
Unlike the formal ceremonies and parties, her dress was much lighter.
It well represented her carefree demeanor.
“Your Highness, winter hasn’t completely gone yet. Aren’t you feeling cold?”
“That’s why I brought you here, now quickly activate the heating spell.”
Her slightly short dress revealed her thigh, but the hem extended to cover her calves gently.
Confidently, Lydia crossed her arms.
“Understood…”
The secretary kneeled and politely cast the spell on her.
With her arms still crossed, the princess walked behind the building.
She gazed at the distant garden.
“Is that the workshop Veil mentioned…?”
Slowly, she approached the garden.
Curious about what her knights were up to with her, the Third Princess.
As she drew closer, the clear image of her knights became apparent.
Sharp fangs protruded.
“What… is this?”
Muscles so tough they could deflect any arrow.
Sturdy legs that wouldn’t falter in any adversity.
The perfect bodies of the knights she invested in were covered in dust.
And they held a grandiose but comical hoe from the East.
Lydia was captivated by the sight of her knights transformed into farmers wearing straw hats.
“Alright! Senior, the hoe tastes amazing today, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, we’ll soon have everything sprouting up!”
Satisfied farmers.
They wiped the sweat off their foreheads, sporting proud expressions.
However, those expressions quickly faded away.
The moment they raised their heads.
“Princess Hwa, Your Highness?!”
As Lydia locked eyes with them.
“What in the world are you all doing here?”
The youngest princess’s crimson eyes pierced through the two knights as if to see through them.
Startled, the two knights hastily hid the hoe and bowed their heads.
“W-We were… uh…”
Stammered the junior, Vijoo.
The experienced Tau stepped in, coming up with a plausible explanation.
“We were… uh, training! Yes, we were in the middle of training!”
Clearly not farming.
Training, they said.
Lydia raised an eyebrow skeptically, arms folded.
“Hmm… and this is what you call training?”
“Yes!”
Tau frantically glanced around before responding.
Then he spotted me hiding behind the building.
He earnestly asked for my help.
“Are you asking them to believe me? After feeding them elixirs and giving them training…!”
Lydia attempted to scold them with a serious expression.
At that moment, I calmly emerged from the building and approached the princess.
“Oh, Princess Lydia, isn’t it?”
A wide smile.
But Lydia regarded that smile with a sinister look.
“Yes, Veil. What exactly is going on here?”
I glanced briefly at the two knights.
They, much larger than the princess, tensed up as she approached.
‘The master-servant relationship seems quite severe.’
“We were teaching the two seniors ‘Mana Manipulation.’”
“Mana Manipulation?”
“Yes, it’s training to habituate mana usage in daily life and become proficient in handling it!”
I explained to her clearly, like a seasoned instructor.
However, Lydia continued to furrow her brow.
“Does that even make sense? Training with something like farming…”
In response to her pessimistic attitude, I pointed to the chief secretary who followed the princess.
“If you don’t believe us, ask the chief secretary.”
All eyes turned towards him following my gesture.
“…,”
The chief secretary adjusted his monocle.
Then he keenly observed the mana flowing from the knights practicing in the garden.
“Oh…?”
Soon, a spark of interest lit up the man’s mustache.
Removing his monocle and wiping it with silk, he casually remarked.
“I do feel a calm flow of mana throughout their bodies.”
Known for his honesty and taciturn nature, the chief secretary’s words surprised Lydia.
“Really? That’s quite remarkable. It wasn’t easy to harness mana through any kind of training.”
Agreeing with Lydia, the two knights breathed a sigh of relief.
Subsequently, they quickly requested permission from the princess.
“Yes. Since the training has been successful, we will now return to our duties as knights.”
The knights dropped their hoes and hurriedly tried to stand up.
However, Lydia shook her head decisively.
“No, it’s better this way. Continue training here from now on.”
Lydia narrowed her eyes gradually.
Then, with a mischievous grin akin to a little devil, she spoke to me.
“Veil, would it be alright if I entrust the training of these kids to you?”
“Please do. I will make them the best in the empire.”
I agreed, looking down at the Eastern knights.
With a devilish smile similar to Lydia’s.
‘Of course, I mean the best farmers in the empire.’
I won’t stop their training altogether.
After all, I’ve taught them how to use mana appropriately while hoeing.
Not just consuming it recklessly.
Providing fair compensation for their labor.
Isn’t that what being a knight is about!
However, Tau and Vijoo, unaware of my true intentions.
Their faces paled as they looked up at me.
“Your… Your Highness. We believe we’ve learned enough already.”
“Yes, we’re good to go back now!”
The two knights howled like beasts.
In response, I grinned and patted their shoulders.
Then, I firmly pressed the tattoos of a chicken and a cow on each of them.
“No, seniors. What you still need to learn is ‘the heap.’”
My passionate demeanor.
Satisfied with my appearance, Lydia approached me gracefully.
“Taking care of senior knights from different affiliations, I find that quite pleasing.”
She then chuckled and patted my shoulder.
However, the uncomfortable deputy commander firmly advised the princess,
“Your Highness, such encouragement is excessive for a mere defense knight.”
“Well, so what? There are no sneaky foxes around here right now, are there?”
Foxes?
Referring to Leia and Irina.
As I pondered deeply, Lydia shifted the topic.
“It’s quite chilly in here. Something feels off.”
Lydia said, touching her arms lightly.
The deputy commander smirked at her gesture.
Surely, he had cast a warming spell on the princess.
“Do you dare leave the princess in a place like this?”
With a strange smile, Lydia asked me.
‘Look at this.’
Entering the office, is that her intention?
That won’t do.
No matter how royal she is, once humans get used to a place, they tend to return.
If she steps into my office, who knows when she’ll visit again.
“Then allow me to escort you to a warm carriage.”
After saying that, I tried to politely guide her with a touch.
In response, Lydia gently held my hand and smiled slyly.
“No, since I’m already here, I’d like to rest a bit.”
A relentless workshop without a single retreat.
Lydia, leading the way decisively, began walking towards the office.
“After a long carriage ride, I feel a bit queasy.”
The princess walking ahead with burdens in tow.
The red ruby jewel dangling from her earlobe glistened.
Her skirt trailing behind like a tail.
‘Sigh…’
Dealing with a young princess is no easy task.
In the end, I accompanied her to the office.
“Quickly open it. I’m curious if the ‘gift’ I gave you is in good condition.”
In response, I turned the doorknob.
As the door opened, the leopard skin laid on the floor greeted the princess.
Seeing the gift neatly arranged as intended, the princess’s lips curled up.
However, she soon stiffened her expression.
Because a torn mark on one corner of the skin caught her eye.
On the other hand, the sword given by Irina was well displayed on the wall.
Seeing only her gift damaged, she pursed her lips.
“Why is this happening, Your Highness?”
I asked, and Lydia looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“You…,” she said, pointing at Irina’s sword with her finger.
“Irina’s sword is displayed so nicely, while the one I gave is all messed up?”
The youngest princess’s wounded pride.
Her red earring danced as she spoke.
I stared blankly at Lydia’s reaction.
‘That wasn’t my doing…’
I wanted to mention Rupert, but missed the timing.
Moreover, Lydia’s treatment of the leather was quite decent.
It was being used appropriately.
Ironically, the sword given by Irina had turned into a market fruit knife.
Unaware of this, Lydia stood confidently with her arms crossed, showing no signs of backing down.
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