10 years ago, on that manless barge.
William Orville's stroking the face that had been punched.
The one that punched him was Knight Leader.
In the middle of these two silent men, not knowing what to do, was the third princess of England, marked with the seal of inaptness. And because of that seal, there wasn't any problems even after she left the castle for so long.
"That was for tricking me and going off on your own."
Knight Leader cracked his knuckles and showed William a look that he wouldn't show to the social world as he walked to him.
"It's not over yet, I still haven't given you one for leaving England. So let me confirm this. I'm not mistaken, am I right? Are you really planning to leave England?"
"Yes, I want to get out."
The moment William made the response, Knight Leader's fist again sunk deep into William's face, sending him flying backwards. The intense sound of flesh clashing caused the third princess to be so scared that she let out a small whimper and covered her face with both hands.
However, the one who had been hit, William, didn't look bothered by it.
"...You, are you drunk?"
"If I were really drunk, I would have smashed you with a wine bottle."
Knight Leader put down the backpack he was carrying and rummaged through it, looking for something.
"Here's a good bottle of whiskey from Scotland, there's no drop of caramel inside, it's a classic that's brewed from the colour of the whiskey barrel. Well, looks like I'll just ignore it. You're going off today, so let me beat you to death before that."
"So what on earth were you angry about in the first place?"
William asked. At this moment, Knight Leader stopped what he was doing.
After a while, he said.
"You really can't shake off the habit of being a mercenary."
"Don't you know what it means by being unable to climb further? Seems like you don't."
"I spent so much effort and finally managed to get you to join us as a Knight…yet you wasted that good intention. Are you planning to be like some great artist, to only get recognised several hundred years after your death? Do you really want such a life? Your actions aren't any different from those kinds of people."
"I don't really know anything about art, and I know nothing about those artists' lifestyles."
"…So what's your goal? Since you rejected my offer so adamantly, you must have some sort of reason."
"Nothing really special."
William Orville answered with a cold tone.
"I said it before, a Knight and a mercenary are different. Though the Knights in this country have great authority, there are still problems that they can't solve. It's the same for me as a mercenary. Though I have freedom, it's really hard for me to get the trust of other people or organisations."
"…You."
"No matter which side it is, there are flaws everywhere. After today's turmoil, you should understand. The larger an organisation, the more things it can't control, so there's a need for someone to observe from outside an organisation, and this person can't be a special existence. Society's like a machine made of many gears, everyone continues to affect each other, rotating in reverse. This fact can't be forgotten."
William was right. Knowing his character, Knight Leader remained silent. Seeing his old friend like this, William smiled.
"So why would the Royal Family be so willing to use such a forceful method to increase their territory? I'm mindful of the reason behind this. England's a country made up of the Royal Family, the Knights of England and the Anglican Church. The Royal Family is very easily influenced by the Anglican Church, so please consider it some more."
Hearing these words, the leader of the Anglican Church appeared in Knight Leader's mind.
The Archbishop, Laura Stuart.
The one woman standing on the pinnacle, both Knight Leader and the Archbishop were standing at the same position. However, she continued to make Knight Leader uncomfortable. She was that kind of a woman.
William continued,
"The problem's not just within England. The Roman Catholic Church, the Russian Orthodox Church, and Academy City, their actions are getting unpredictable. The entire world's stupidly moving along, and in this situation, this thing called an 'organisation' will go out of control easily."
"So you won't consider being a member of the Knights of England and be a firm foundation for this country? Have you even thought of it?"
"Do you think that this can solve all the problems? Today's case is the best example. I'll choose to protect this country from the outside, so you'll protect it from the inside. With this, our choices will be a lot wider. Even if one side goes out of control, the other side can stop him."
"Looks like it's pointless to continue talking like this."
Knight Leader looked lonely as he said. As if he wanted to chase this loneliness away, he passed the bottle of Scottish whiskey to William.
"This is a farewell gift. Lord Chamberlain said this is his prized work this year."
"…Such a high-class. Isn't it a pity for me to drink it alone?"
"Then find some companions on the way and share this with them."
Seeing Knight Leader look like he was squabbling, William could only sigh. No matter where they went, these two people's status as a Knight and a mercenary wouldn't change. William thought it was really amazing that they could be that close for so long.
"Oh yes, I should have a heraldry that's being made by a craftsman outside London. Help me cancel the order. If it remains, the obsession will remain as well."
These were the final parting words that the mercenary said.
No special action or ritual; if Knight Leader looked like an aristocrat that had territory, William looked like an unrestrained mercenary.
After the mercenary left, Knight Leader muttered to himself.
"…How could you leave it behind."
The third princess stared at Knight Leader's face, but it seemed that Knight Leader himself didn't realize that he let out a voice.
"…How could you throw it away like that, you scoundrel."