To The Battlefield (7)

“Knights of Mort.”

The murmuring knights stopped chatting and stood straight.

I looked up at Victor. Dressed in a shirt, he appeared unusually disheveled. Just as he had for the past several days.

His gaze moved over the knights and briefly brushed past me. I tightly closed my eyes.

“─Let us dispense with the embarrassing speeches.”

His weary voice sounded above me.

“You all know the operation plan. We will travel together as far as our first destination, Norvant, then divide into the western and eastern forces and subjugate the monsters along our respective routes. If anyone remains behind because of injury or to provide support, make certain to report it.”

“Understood!”

“There should be nothing difficult about it. We are merely carrying out the usual subjugations at a busier pace. Conduct yourselves as knights wherever you go, help the people of the territory if they ask for aid, and be careful…….”

The emotionless voice suddenly stopped.

I opened my eyes. Then I met Victor’s gaze as he looked at me.

Before I could react, my husband said,

“……Please be careful. Return without getting hurt.”

He soon disappeared into the shadows of the terrace.

I remained rooted to the spot until every trace of his shadow vanished. It felt as though my chest were burning.

The other knights glanced at me with puzzled expressions. I barely managed to look away. Raul scratched the back of his head and said,

“……Well then, shall we go?”

“I polished your saddle, my lady!”

Mary quickly tugged on my arm. Concealing my gloomy expression, I followed behind her.

In Amari, hunting monsters had been nothing but suffering. It was something that had to be done and occasionally earned us money, but there was no way I could enjoy swinging a sword all day without eating properly. Wandering around in worn-out winter clothes without even being able to light a fire froze both body and mind. So many people were injured that we could not even leave the village without a healer.

But the subjugation force here seemed far more organized. The travel routes were detailed, and they said there was rarely any need to camp because they rested at the castles of minor lords along the way. At least, that was how it had been until now.

“Whenever we departed for a subjugation, Kaltz would talk endlessly about which castle had the best cook.”

Leonard said as he rode at the head of the group.

“That man’s memory is exceptional only for such things. He would even pester His Highness that we absolutely had to stop at castles with good food.”

“How is the place we are visiting today? Is the food decent?”

“I am not a ruffian who goes around memorizing such things.”

Leonard replied as though insulted. Raul laughed heartily. I joined him with a small laugh and looked at the scenery spread around us.

Mort in late summer was dazzlingly beautiful. The fields rarely traveled by people were filled with armfuls of late-blooming chrysanthemums, and clear ponds glittered brilliantly in the sunlight. Only birdsong, hoofbeats, and casual conversation mingled peacefully with the landscape. Even the weather was pleasant, making it feel as though we had truly gone out on a picnic.

Mary rode beside me with an excited expression. Surprisingly, she seemed to have ridden often and maintained a very stable posture. She brought her horse closer to mine and said,

“It has been such a long time since I last went outside Mort Castle!”

“Really? Do you not go home on your days off?”

“No. I rest at the castle even on holidays. I read books and ask the kitchen maids to bake the sugar sweets you like.”

Mary said it as though it were nothing.

She stayed at the castle even on her days off?

I hesitated for a moment before asking again.

“Is it because your leave is too short? Shall I give you more days off?”

It was something I had not thought about before. The maids came from the households of minor lords or knights throughout Mort, so if their homes were far away, it might be difficult to make the journey in a single day. Mort was several times larger than Amari, after all.

But Mary shook her head brightly.

“No, my lady. I like being at the castle. The holidays I already have are more than enough.”

Even so.

I looked at the seventeen-year-old girl with concern.

There was nothing I could do if that was what she wanted, but……. Would she not wish to return home occasionally? No matter how comfortable it was, the castle was still Mary’s workplace.

“─And so, we should reach our first destination by this evening.”

Leonard’s voice broke through my thoughts. Despite the dazzling weather, his tone remained utterly blunt. He explained as stiffly as a block of stone.

“The territory is called Norvant, and its lord is Ulrich Norvant. He is the seventh-generation descendant of House Norvant and holds the title of viscount. He has two sons and one daughter, and he worries greatly because none of the three performs particularly well in their studies. He rarely leaves the territory, but since some of his relatives work at Mort Castle, he remains fairly well informed. His territory is wealthy and collects considerable taxes, but his finances are not particularly sound due to his hobby of collecting expensive crystals. His specialty is playing the violin, and his favorite food is bread pudding─.”

“How in the world do you know all that?”

Raul asked with his mouth hanging open. I felt exactly the same way.

Wondering whether everyone who had lived in Mort for a long time was like this, I looked at Mary, but she too was staring at Leonard with wide eyes.

The knight, who had poured out social gossip that only elderly noblewomen might know, spoke calmly.

“I am the second son of House Odo, one of Mort’s oldest vassal families. There are virtually no houses that do not associate with ours. That is why I grew up hearing stories about Mort’s nobles like lullabies.”

“I see. So that was it.”

Raul grinned. His rough face looked even more terrifying when he smiled. I tilted my head.

“What do you mean?”

“To be honest, I was genuinely curious why Kaltz was not made acting commander. Leonard may be the vice commander, but this bastard does not particularly enjoy ordering people around.”

Leonard frowned. But he did not deny it.

Raul stroked his chin and continued.

“Leonard can handle paperwork too, so I wondered why His Highness deliberately left Kaltz behind. It seems this was the reason. From now on, you will have to meet the lords throughout Mort, will you not, my lady?”

I looked toward Leonard. The blond knight answered honestly.

“I was ordered to assist Your Highness so that you would not be placed in an awkward position even before vassals you had never met.”

Without realizing it, I tightened my grip on the reins.

Meeting the vassals. The nightmare of the social season suddenly returned to me.

That place where I had ultimately failed to mingle properly with the nobles. Had that not been the time when I felt more strongly than ever that I was not noble enough?

But here, I could never be only a knight. As Victor had said, I was the mistress of this territory.

“His Highness is not on good terms with most of the vassals. Most of the people he executed were vassals, after all.”

Leonard said evenly.

If they feared or disliked Victor, it was obvious that they would not respond well to me either. Just as the maids had when I first arrived in Mort.

Leonard spoke frankly.

“I cannot tell you not to worry, but I will still do my best.”

I had no choice but to nod.

The wildflowers that had looked beautiful even with hordes of monsters waiting ahead suddenly did not seem quite so lovely anymore.

Without any particular incident, we arrived in Norvant that evening as planned.

Located half a day from Mort Castle, Norvant was a prosperous territory, just as I had heard. Neatly maintained fields lay everywhere, and the streets bustled with activity.

When the knights appeared, people lined both sides of the road, applauding and cheering. No matter how I looked at it, the place seemed entirely peaceful.

“There appear to be almost no monsters here.”

“That is right. It is close to Mort Castle, after all.”

I spoke with Raul as we headed toward the inner castle where the lord resided.

Surprisingly, the lord of Norvant had come all the way to the castle gates to wait for us. He nearly ran toward me.

“I greet Her Highness Amarion Mort, mistress of the Black Lion’s land.”

A plump man in his thirties bent at the waist with difficulty.

He looked so uncomfortable that I quickly dismounted and helped him straighten. I started to lift the hem of my skirt in greeting, then realized I was wearing trousers and awkwardly bent my knees instead.

“Thank you for welcoming us, Viscount Norvant.”

“Oh, not at all, Your Highness! Please make yourself comfortable during your stay!”

The viscount smiled broadly while sweating profusely. He was so courteous that it was almost bewildering.

Feeling dazed, I headed inside the castle.

The interior was decorated almost like the Imperial Palace. The lavish ornaments, curtains covered in absurdly intricate embroidery, and enormous crystal statues all shone to an unbelievable degree.

Mary whispered beside me.

“My lady, look at this marble floor. They must have polished it for three days and nights.”

Why had they gone this far? We had not come for a banquet. We were literally only stopping briefly.

The lord’s family greeted me while I stood there in confusion. They had dressed themselves as elaborately as though receiving an envoy from the Imperial Palace.

“We greet Your Highness.”

The viscountess, wearing a voluminous dress, bent deeply at the waist. The small children did the same.

I had no idea how I was supposed to respond.

They were treating me as the Grand Duchess, but my current clothing and position were no different from those of an ordinary knight. Yet if I knelt and kissed the viscountess’s hand, she looked as though she might faint.

In the end, I gestured in the air as though holding a skirt and offered a greeting appropriate for noblewomen.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Viscountess. Your castle is truly beautiful.”