Chapter 11
Troublesome Vice-Captain Berl
North of the Imperial Palace, an old building with large arched windows.
This four-story building housed the administrative offices of the royal guard, said to be the busiest in the Imperial Palace.
Just as the nobles were beginning to arrive with their various petitions, someone paced anxiously at the entrance of the building.
They would dart behind the building whenever someone approached, only to reappear and repeat their restless movements.
Dark circles hung beneath their eyes, and their brown hair was only half-combed, betraying their worries.
Though slightly different from usual, the identity of this suspicious figure was unmistakable: Berl Altrout, the vice-captain of the Black Knights.
He was the third son of the Altrout family, known for their integrity and diligence. Unlike his family, who mostly held administrative positions, he was the only one to become a knight.
This made him an oddity in his family, but his genes couldn't be ignored. He was recognized for his exceptional diligence and skill within the royal guard, leading to his promotion to vice-captain.
But today, that proud and diligent Berl Altrout was nowhere to be found.
The administrators of the Black Knights bowed their heads in greeting as Berl arrived for work.
Berl, however, indifferently ignored them, half-raising his hand before settling into his desk without a glance.
A member of the royal guard, concerned, approached him and asked,
"Um... Vice-Captain, is something the matter?"
Berl had been with the royal guard for seven years.
He, who had never been late, had been arriving exactly five minutes late for the past few days.
"Am I required to explain my tardiness to you?"
"Ah, no."
The member of the royal guard, taken aback by Berl's uncharacteristic coldness, nervously submitted their paperwork for approval.
Berl watched them leave with a bitter expression.
"Do you know why the Vice-Captain has been acting like this lately?"
"No idea. Is there trouble at home?"
"Oh dear, he should take some time off then."
"He'd never. Where else would you find someone as diligent as the Vice-Captain?"
Berl's face darkened as he glared at those whispering about him.
'Yes. It seems they've finally realized I'm an incredibly irresponsible person. Heh heh...'
Indeed.
Berl was rebelling.
He prided himself on his loyalty and respected the captain more than anyone else. He believed he was the closest to the captain.
For five years, Berl had steadfastly waited for his captain, no matter the provocations.
But what came back to such a loyal subordinate was the news that the captain had gone on childcare leave without a word, let alone informing him, his only contact for five years, about the pregnancy.
He was deeply angered by this shocking news and, in his darkening, decided to rebel in the most extreme way he could imagine.
'Yes. They must be suffering. They will suffer. I didn't even bother to fix my hair today. It's only a matter of time before this behavior reaches the captain's ears. Of course, she will regret it greatly. And only then will she feel my absence. Heh heh...'
Watching Berl chuckle to himself in his darkened state, the members of the royal guard who served him made a decision.
"To think he's going through so much and still manages to look so neat. Amazing."
"Right? And he even styled his hair down recently, making him look much younger."
"Well, with the captain away, let's do our best to support him!"
"Yes! Let's do our best!"
Berl felt even more satisfaction as he watched them whisper again.
'Yes, today I'm a whole five minutes late, this lazy me, this fallen me!! This devilish vice-captain! Members of the royal guard, hurry and report me to the captain!!!'
The vice-captain was lost in his righteous rebellious fantasy.
Just then.
A strange document on his desk caught Berl's eye as he wallowed in his darkening.
It was a list of replies to the missives sent by the Black Knights.
"...Ed, we sent out two missives this month. Why are there three replies?"
At Berl's question, a member of the royal guard quickly stood up and answered.
"The chief commander's aide gave it to me as soon as I arrived at work a few days ago, and I sent it to the captain. It was something they urgently requested, and we only received the reply today. Honestly, it's always so difficult to get a reply from the captain. Haha... Vice-Captain?"
The more the member of the royal guard spoke with a bright smile, the paler Berl's face became.
'...The captain has an invitation to the general assembly...!'
Berl always attended the meetings in place of the captain, who loathed them.
And now, because he was only five minutes late, it had already been sent to the captain!
Moreover, at a time when she was already the subject of much gossip due to her childcare leave!
'Oh, no! Captain...!!'
He shot up from his seat, looking gaunt, and began to sprint towards the meeting hall like a cheetah on the plains.
*
It was something she had to do anyway.
She arrived at the main conference hall on time.
Entering through the open door, she saw four ornate chairs arranged around a semi-circular table facing a chalkboard that covered an entire wall.
These were the chairs for the captains of the Black, White, Red, and Yellow Knights.
Two men, exuding a heavy aura, occupied the center chairs.
Bengert, the captain of the Red Knights, was a large man like a red bear, adorned with extravagant epaulettes, and Ashan, the captain of the Yellow Knights, had exotic, tanned skin.
They were about ten years older than Lucia and, like her, had contributed greatly to the founding of the empire.
"Oh, who do we have here? Aren't you a remarkable person?"
"Long time no see, Captain Lucia."
They greeted Lucia with a glance, but their attitude wasn't particularly welcoming despite the long interval.
"It's been a while."
Lucia greeted them and walked past them to sit at the end seat next to Ashan, the captain of the Yellow Knights.
Then, she stared at the empty seat farthest from where she sat.
The occupant of that seat, Leon, had not yet arrived.
Threats, uncomfortable gifts.
Lucia had been subjected to inexplicable schemes by him as soon as she regressed, so she was already tired of wondering what might happen at this uncomfortable meeting.
"I heard you're on childcare leave. Is that true? It's hard to believe."
Bengert, the captain of the Red Knights, sneered in a manner unbefitting his size in the quiet conference hall.
When Lucia didn't respond to his question, which wasn't really a question,
"Ahem! A Sword Master after having a child in five years! How can a woman who's had a child... Amazing. Surely, you didn't deceive His Majesty, did you? Haha."
It was clearly an intentional provocation.
But it was quite difficult to provoke her, who possessed the mental age of 92.
Lucia, wanting to avoid a lengthy exchange, offered a minimal response, raising the corner of her lips slightly as she looked at him.
"...Hey, Captain! What's that smile? Are you looking down on me right now?!"
Lucia had intended to let it pass quietly, but as always, her dry smile seemed to have only fueled his anger.
If the Black Knights were like stealthy and cold wolves, the Red Knights, conversely, were a group with tempers like boiling lava.
Perhaps it was only natural that the members of the royal guard always fought like dogs and cats.
"Enough. It's unsightly for captains to bicker. Ah, Captain Lucia, we were just discussing that matter. A military disciplinary committee might be convened before your return."
The captain of the Yellow Knights, who had been watching their exchange, spoke quietly.
It was quite a hostile remark for someone trying to change the subject.
The Yellow Knights were a secretive group that served by the Emperor's side.
It was natural that they were closer to the Emperor than many other knights, but he couldn't view her favorably either, as the Emperor always sought out Lucia in the most dangerous moments.
'...Discipline, huh. Annoying.'
Since the Emperor had already approved her leave, there would certainly be no significant discipline.
It was merely a small celebration for the conservative nobles who wanted to say their piece.
Lucia recalled their changed attitude when she declared her early retirement and went into the mountains.
The nobles, sensitive to hierarchy, had always disliked her, who was trusted by the Emperor like the current captains, but in the end, it was they who clung to her, fearing the weakening of their forces.
She was tired of getting entangled with such foolish people again, but thinking of Nia, it was advantageous to be in a position where she could quickly gather information.
As she was about to let it pass, the captain of the Red Knights sneered again.
"Discipline, huh. I wonder if it will even be properly convened? His Majesty even granted childcare leave to someone who gave birth after being sent for training. By the way, the training must have been quite long. The infamous Black Captain is having an affair."
It was blatant harassment, regardless of gender.
Lucia's eyebrows twitched at his excessive remark.
Just then.
"That kind of thing is not something you should say."
A smooth, clear, and resolute tone in a mid-to-low voice.
The owner of that voice, who entered the conference hall with calm steps, was Leon Luwins, the captain of the White Wizard Division.
As always, Leon, with his flawless smile, immediately picked up his chair and placed it next to Lucia's.
It was a well-known fact that Leon had been watching her for a long time, but he, who was always respectful, had never openly taken her side like this in a public setting.
The captain of the Yellow Knights, flustered by his directness, stood up and moved his chair, and the captain of the Red Knights reluctantly stood up as well, saying awkwardly,
"Wh-what? Why are you sitting there of all places? No, more than that, Captain Leon! Are you trying to lecture me, a fellow captain? What is the meaning of this!"
"Yes, that's right. I'm teaching you something you failed to learn at the appropriate time."
Bengert, the captain of the Red Knights, was shocked by his gentle sarcasm, which he had never heard before.
Despite his pale reaction, Leon comfortably sat down in the chair he had placed next to Lucia, as if nothing had happened.
Then, with his usual saintly angelic face, he beamed with a satisfied smile.
