52. Reconciliation

The escort unit protecting Princess Iris departed from the royal capital and safely reached Kerlland Castle, the midway checkpoint.

However, a problem arose there.

“A Cerberus is apparently blocking the canyon,” someone reported.

Cerberus was an upper-tier monster that even skilled knights struggled against. In a narrow canyon, it posed a serious threat.

If safety came first, they should take a detour. But the shortest route to their destination—the Crand border territory—ran through the canyon. Without it, they’d be forced to make a significant detour that would cause them to fall behind schedule.

“What would you have us do, Captain Ursu?”

“Taking down the Cerberus alone would be dangerous. I’d want at least two people, but then the princess’s guard would be stretched thin.”

Ursu furrowed his brow.

To be frank, even if the guard was stretched thin, they still had the strongest palace guard knight on top of the First Guard Squad’s captain and his soldiers, plus the castle’s garrison to boot. Iris wouldn’t truly be in danger.

But escort duties outside the palace required extra caution. It was difficult for a captain to say, “A bit of thinning out is fine—everything’s safe.”

Still, they couldn’t afford to fall significantly behind schedule. Princess Iris felt the same way.

So the princess, reading the room, offered a helping hand.

“If the captain remains, I’ll be fine. Why not send Reet and Larg instead? If the canyon is blocked, the common people’s activities must be suffering as well. It would be good to clear it away promptly.”

“Understood, Your Highness. Reet, Larg—defeat the Cerberus and return quickly.”

“Very well.”

†

Reet and Larg left the castle just after midday, galloping on horseback. An hour’s ride brought them to the canyon where the Cerberus supposedly dwelled.

A single-path canyon.

Since involving the horses in combat with the Cerberus would mean walking back, they tethered their mounts at the entrance before venturing further in.

Fortunately, since it was still daylight, the canyon was reasonably bright inside, and visibility wasn’t a problem. Cerberus was a large monster that, without enemies present, wasn’t the active roaming type, so there was no need to worry about surprise attacks. The two proceeded down the path calmly.

“So you turned down the king’s offer to promote you, huh?”

Until now—even before this journey began—Larg had kept quiet. But he said this.

“Yes, I did.”

“Why? Sixth Rank is a rank most knights can’t reach even by the time they retire. Plus, turning down an offer from the king himself? That’s nuts.”

Reet, hearing this, thought that yes, that was indeed true. Yet even reconsidering it now, he believed he hadn’t been wrong.

If the exam was a mission, then failing it didn’t seem right for a promotion in any way. I couldn’t justify it to myself.

“But that decision in that situation—to abandon the exam and save the village—not everyone could make that choice. The king must have judged that you possess the qualities of a knight who protects people.”

But… I think if I start reasoning like that, it all falls apart. I have to save everyone.

“Save everyone… you say?”

“My duty is to protect the princess. That’s a given. But if the common people next to us are suffering, I want to save them too. Saving everyone means doing that.”

That was Reet’s ideal. Both enemies and allies—he wanted to save every person he could. No one unhappy. That was the world Reet aimed for. He understood himself that it wasn’t simple, but precisely because of that, he had to pursue it.

“… You’re a total idiot. That’s absolutely impossible,” Larg said with a snort.

But in that same moment, Larg’s mind superimposed Reet’s image over the person he most respected.

“But you’re just as awkward about it as Captain Ursu is.”

To put it bluntly, knights tended to be people soaked in ambition for advancement. Ursu was different. Even facing superiors or high-ranking officials, if they were wrong, he spoke his mind. That’s why he held a position lower than his actual strength warranted. He was stronger than any other captain, yet only recently became one—and that was because of Ursu’s refusal to flatter.

And now this captain—the strongest palace guard knight Larg respected most—overlapped in his mind with Reet.

When I first saw Reet arrive at the palace, I wondered what kind of scheming bastard had shown up. Becoming a palace guard knight suddenly, without results to show for it—there had to be some dirty backstory. Or so I thought.

But I was wrong.

Reet would never do something like that.

“… I heard from Captain Ursu. Next year, when both of us rise to Sixth Rank, one of us will become the acting captain.”

Currently, the First Palace Guard unit had no one meeting the Fifth Rank requirement for captain. But a Sixth Rank individual could perform those duties in an acting capacity. They’d effectively become captain. And based on both their abilities, there was every reason to believe they’d reach Sixth Rank next year.

If that happened, one of them would take on those duties.

That meant one would serve under the other.

“Of course, either way, I have no complaints.”

That was my way of signaling my recognition of Reet.

“Of course. The feeling is mutual.”

For the first time, Reet felt the distance between himself and Larg, who had harbored resentment until now, finally closing. A faint, indescribable warmth settled in his chest.

†