In life, everyone inevitably faces moments when their heart becomes complicated due to irresistible forces beyond their control.
This is no exception even for a Grand Mage who has glimpsed fragments of ultimate truth, or a seasoned warrior capable of manifesting their mental imagery into physical force. As long as one is a human treading upon this earth, perhaps no one is free from such troublesome worries—except, perhaps, for His Imperial Majesty. A being who has already halfway transcended humanity, whose every gesture and word carries a transcendental will capable of interfering with the very laws of the world.
'If His Majesty discovers my relationship with the Princess, I'll surely be executed in some horrific way.'
The mere thought of the Emperor's golden eyes burning with wrath as he utters the Word of Power, "Thou shalt be torn asunder," makes a chill run down my spine.
Regardless... every ordinary human lives with at least one unsolvable dilemma tucked away in their heart. It is a story so cliché and common it applies to every citizen of the Empire. Consequently, the solutions are just as varied. Among them, the most effective method is said to be immersing oneself completely in the task at hand.
—Knock, knock.
The sound of a cautious knock on the office door early in the morning. Thus, another day begins. By working as faithfully as possible, perhaps the worries lingering just out of reach will eventually fade from mind.
"Loyalty! Good morning, Commander."
"Right. Good morning."
Seeing the face of my Vice-Commander, who had come for the regular report, the gloom that had threatened to settle over me lifted instantly. Her slightly upturned eyes, like a cat's, and her overall sharp features give off an air of stubbornness, but she is one of the most deeply loyal subordinates I have ever commanded.
I couldn't help but subconsciously compare her to a certain someone—the one who possesses a soft, innocent-looking face yet commits utterly perverted and unpredictable acts.
And then there is that heavy presence of her chest. While the absolute size might be similar to the Princess's, the Vice-Commander's daintier frame makes their presence stand out even more. Moreover, her usually frizzy sky-blue ponytail seems particularly lustrous today. Has something good happened? And what is this strangely sweet scent?
"Um... Commander?"
"Hmm? Oh, apologies. You look better than usual today, so I got distracted. I thought I caught a sweet fragrance from somewhere."
"Wh-what?! To suddenly say something like that... I-I just tried a popular hair soap based on Decade Leader Rachel's advice. I-If you like it, I shall continue to use it..."
The Vice-Commander stood before me, her face flushed deep red.
'Oh no, a slip of the tongue.'
Having blurted it out without thinking, it sounded practically like harassment. If I treat a loyal and capable subordinate with personal ulterior motives, how would I be any different from my pathetic predecessor? A sense of self-loathing for acting on impulse welled up within me.
Lusting after a beautiful woman just because she is nearby is clearly improper. Perhaps it's because I've experienced too many provocative things lately without a proper outlet for my needs. The atmosphere would get awkward, but it was better to apologize first. These things must be addressed clearly.
"To think it would be this effective... Decade Leader Rachel. I shall surely repay this debt..."
Look at how embarrassed she is. She was even muttering to herself, likely feeling a great deal of shame from the sudden flirtation. I offered her a sincere apology.
"I am sorry."
"Pardon? For what?"
She looked bewildered. Was she finding it hard to express her discomfort because I am her superior? Harassment from a superior is especially wicked because subordinates cannot easily show their rejection. Having recently suffered through some "strict" treatment from someone else, I was about to do the same thing to my Vice-Commander.
This was not the behavior of a decent human being, nor of a leader who should be an example to others. If my master had seen this, he would have given me a harsh scolding.
"I inadvertently harassed you. It was conduct unbecoming of a superior officer. I apologize once more, sincerely. I am sorry."
"Oh, hmph. I am fine. Isn't it only natural for a man to be that way? Rather, I was so flattered I didn't know what to do with myself."
She says that, but she must be feeling the shame. Her face was still burning red.
"Thank you. You are truly considerate, Vice-Commander. I shall be exceptionally careful with my conduct moving forward."
"No, while I can't say the same for other useless men, if it's you, Commander, it is truly fine..."
Even though she was the victim, she even offered platitudes to keep my mood from souring.
'To do such a thing to such an excellent subordinate.'
Deeply reflecting on my sin once again, I finally brought up the original topic of business.
"Any orders from above or unusual matters I should know about?"
"Both exist. Which would you like me to report first?"
I expected neither, but both? Actually, it was for the best. If work piled up, there would be no room for idle thoughts or desires.
"Let's hear the unusual matters first. That sounds more ominous for some reason."
"As you suspect, it is quite important. A request for deployment has come from House Bartok, which falls under our operational sector."
"Really? What's the situation?"
"It seems the population of dangerous monsters like trolls and owlbears has recently increased to a level their local forces cannot handle. The tone of the request was quite urgent."
From the sound of it, the situation was serious. House Bartok, located near the capital, holds significant influence despite their rank. If they couldn't handle it, I would need to send at least a full Century.
"Of the five Centuries under the Black Lion Knights, which unit has gone the longest without a deployment?"
"For a large-scale deployment of a full Century, the 2nd Century has rested the longest."
"Then send the 2nd Century. Instruct them to maintain the reporting chain thoroughly."
"Yes, sir!"
To think a mass outbreak of monsters would occur so soon after the war ended. Peace is only truly maintained when the Knights don't have to act. If rumors start spreading in a territory that interacts frequently with the capital, the news will spread across the entire metropolitan area in an instant. Therefore, this had to be handled urgently before it affected public sentiment.
"Propagate the details to the other Century Leaders as well. Make sure the entire force of the Black Lion Knights, not just the 2nd Century, maintains a state of readiness starting today."
"Understood. Shall I restrict leave and have everyone remain within the garrison?"
"No, there's no need to go that far yet. We'll consider that once the end date for the lead unit's operation draws near."
The fact that such a harsh measure as restricting leave was mentioned so casually by the Vice-Commander showed just how much the previous Commander must have tormented them. Even if something unusual occurred, there was no need to unnecessarily damage the morale of the subordinates. Treating knights—who are high-level assets, not conscripts—harshly would only breed disloyalty. This isn't wartime; maintaining a moderate level of tension would suffice.
"And the orders from above? Is it the Joint Command, the Imperial Administration, or the Imperial Household?"
"It is the Imperial Household. The Imperial Guard is dispatching a small force to us. The stated purpose is 'training.'"
"Training... What exactly do the elite of the elite expect to learn from a regular Knight Order?"
The idea of them coming to the Black Lion Knights to learn was baffling enough, but for the Imperial Guard—where even the lowest rank possesses the skill of a commander—to request training was logically difficult to grasp, even if it was an Imperial order.
"Was a specific reason mentioned?"
"Yes. That is... Ahem, I shall read the contents of the notice exactly as written."
What could it possibly say that made her clear her throat and hesitate like that?
"'While the forces of the Imperial Guard are exceptionally excellent, there is great concern that their edge may have dulled from guarding the heart of the Empire in the safest of places for so long.'"
"The blade of the Imperial Household dulling just because it stayed in the scabbard too long? An absurd statement."
I muttered this in disbelief, but the Vice-Commander's recitation continued regardless.
"'Therefore, we are dispatching a portion of our troops to serve under Wolfgang von Schwarz, the war hero who achieved great feats in subjugating the puppet government in the North, in the hopes that they may receive his invaluable real-world combat experience.'"
"Wait, what—"
What kind of embarrassing nonsense did I just hear?
Technically, there was nothing factually incorrect, but the praise was far too excessive. It's not as if I won the war alone. In fact, there are three other knights of my rank who achieved even greater feats than I did. They are all still active. Considering the achievements of those who died honorably, I should never receive such over-the-top treatment.
"It is truly amazing, Commander Wolfgang. For the haughty Imperial Guard to request learning with such humility. As expected of you."
"Stop, please stop..."
I had to desperately look away from the Vice-Commander, whose eyes had begun to sparkle as she stared at me. I felt like my composure was going to crumble. I knew she wasn't trying to tease me, but hearing such blatant praise from someone right in front of me was a bit too much.
...For some reason, I've been feeling embarrassed far too often lately. I wasn't sure if I should be wary of how "soft" I had become or if I should accept it as a positive change. But this is no longer a battlefield; surely there is no need to keep my nerves on edge at all times. I tentatively allowed myself that thought.
After sending out the Vice-Commander, who seemed ready to keep prattling on if left alone, I continued with my duties until the afternoon. Normally, this would be the time to swing my sword to keep my skills from rusting, but with two major tasks assigned, the paperwork I had to handle personally was piling up.
To secure training time, I could just sleep a little less. Besides, having a lot of work was actually better as it left no room for idle thoughts. Even the memory of the Princess's soft, small white hand and the image of her secret, unclothed valley—which had been haunting my mind for days—didn't surface during these moments.
It was a relief. Just as I was burying myself in my work—
—Thud, thud!
"Hah, hah... Loyalty! Commander! It's an emergency!"
"What is it?"
A squire who looked as if he had run all the way here found me.
"First, catch your breath. If you want to be a fine knight, you shouldn't show such a disheveled state before your superior."
"Eek...! My-my apologies!"
It was a bit of an eyesore, but there was no need to be harsh with a young squire. I could simply hold the person he serves responsible later.
"The dispatched force from the Imperial Guard has just arrived at the guardhouse!"
"Already? Understood."
Indeed, that was a reason to run. After dismissing the squire, I quickly checked the state of my armor. Fortunately, there were no visible flaws.
What kind of dispatched force arrives less than a day after the notice was sent? I swallowed my frustration. But since they were already here, I had to go out and meet them.
The force that arrived at the Black Lion Knights was quite modest, as the documents had suggested. Only about the size of a single squad. Then again, they could just disseminate their experience once they returned, so there was no need to send a large number of troops. It wouldn't do to compromise the Imperial Guard's combat strength due to a manpower gap.
"Glory to the Imperial Household! Eternal loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor!"
Even if they were from the Imperial Guard, my rank was far higher, so I returned the salute to the commander of the unit, who had saluted me loudly.
"Glory to the Imperial Household! Eternal loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor!"
However, that female knight... she looks somewhat familiar.
"It is an honor to meet you, Black Lion Commander. I am Elizabeth of House Tyler."
"Glad to meet you, Sir Elizabeth. I am Wolfgang of House Schwarz."
Given their background, I had to personally lead the dispatched troops and show them around the base. It would be unthinkable to treat the Imperial Guard with neglect.
Yet, the face of that squad leader kept catching my eye. She was reasonably pretty, but she had a generally plain appearance and a very common name. Why did I feel such a strange sense of déjà vu?
—Glare!
Furthermore, no matter where she came from, what was with that rude gaze?
Feeling an undeniable sense of displeasure, I called her aside after finishing the tour to give her a piece of my mind.
"Sir Elizabeth. No matter if you are from the Imperial Guard, that attitude is—"
"My apologies. I thought you didn't recognize me at all. I had no intention of offending you. Please forgive my rudeness. Perhaps you would remember if I said 'Liz'?"
'Ah!'
Now I remembered.
The female knight who had looked at me with eyes full of suspicion and hatred while carrying the Princess on her back that night. Her impression was so different now that I had almost failed to recognize her.
Since she wouldn't have challenged a superior unless she was crazy, she must have intentionally provoked me to create an opportunity to talk alone and jog my memory. In that case, was this female knight the contact person sent by the Princess to reach me?
"It seems you finally remember. While the purpose of this dispatch is indeed 'training' so as not to draw suspicion, the Princess has also given me a personal mission. Here, this is a message from Her Highness."
As I thought. I hurriedly unfolded the note the knight handed to me.
[Why on earth haven't you contacted me first? From now on, write me a letter every three days without fail. I liked the 'performance' well enough, but don't think I've forgiven you for everything yet.]