Chapter 81

“——And that’s why, this Orcus-san saved me from my crisis! A knight with true ambition is just different, isn’t he!”

“Thank goodness… I’m so relieved you came back safe, Koruka-chan! And I thank you, Orcus-sama! To me, this girl is like a daughter, and she’s a truly wonderful girl who is popular with all the customers! Everyone will be at ease now thanks to you!”

“…Eh? Ah, well, it’s only natural for a knight, so you don’t need to worry about it that much.”

“So humble. Perhaps it’s true that a real knight doesn’t boast.”

While being flattered by the good-natured tavern master and Koruka-san, I ate the bacon and cheese honey pizza I had ordered and managed to regain my composure. Then, I groaned inwardly.

(I should have just honestly told them who I was… Stupid, stupid me!)

Because I’m using someone else’s name, I don’t immediately realize it’s me when people call me Orcus. Besides, if I were to stop the fake me, it would have been more effective to spread the rumor that he is the imposter. I lament the weakness of my heart, which is as soft as the pure white food called “tofu” that Chef Tamae once made for me.

But, since I’ve already started it, it can’t be helped. For now, there are no particular inconveniences, so I’ll play the part of Orcus’s imposter for a while.

Still, what bothers me is whether the timing of the fake me appearing has any connection to the bearded geezer’s orders. Certainly, if an imposter is appearing and lowering the knight order’s reputation, we have to deal with it, but honestly, it feels more efficient to recall reserve forces stationed at headquarters or knights on leave to handle it.

If so, the fact that we’ve been stopped here might be for a different matter entirely.

“By the way, Orcus-san, how is the pizza?”

“…Eh? Yeah, it’s delicious. I’d never seen honey put on pizza before, but it’s quite good once you try it.”

“Right, right? Calypso does beekeeping near the town, so the honey is delicious! The production volume is small, so it’s not that famous, though.”

“Is that so… I’ll buy some honey as a souvenir later.”

This is the famous souvenir-selection process of the Royal Foreign Hazardous Species Countermeasures Knights.

Since we don’t travel all over the country for nothing, we have a weakness for souvenirs and local specialties. Or rather, that’s about the only joy we have—but setting that aside.

“By the way, Orcus-san, I feel like your replies have been slow for a while now; are you thinking about something?”

“…Ah, ah, that’s right! There’s something I’ve been worried about for a while!”

Koruka-san makes a slightly anxious face. Perhaps she thinks she’s offended me, but I was inwardly panicking that I’d slipped up. Considering I panic over things like this even when there’s no chance of being found out, I don’t think I’m cut out to be a liar.

But at that moment, an epiphany descended upon me.

Yes! If I’m going to call that guy an imposter, this is the only timing!

“Actually, I’m a classmate of Varna’s! The guy I ran into earlier had a rugged face that didn’t look anything like Varna, so I thought, ‘Hey, isn’t that an imposter?’”

“An imposter!? B-but he carries a sword, so he’s a knight, right!? And besides, they say that being able to walk around town without working is a privilege of the Kingdom’s most excellent knight…”

“No, no, no, there’s no such privilege. If anything, he lives a life closer to voluntary poverty, you know?”

“…Orcus-san, it sounds like you’re talking about yourself. Wait, could it be!”

(Crap, did she figure it out because I went back to my natural tone!?)

“Are you actually a friend of Varna’s, or are you covering for him because you’re being threatened by him too!!”

“That’s how you took it!? No, if I were being threatened by him, that guy earlier wouldn’t have backed down when faced with me!!”

Hah! Koruka-san’s face, having just realized the contradiction, turns red with shame. Thinking she might be surprisingly ditzy, I glance at the tavern keeper, who gives me a big thumbs-up and says with a smug face, “Isn’t she cute?” I won’t deny it, but what’s with that appeal? How do you want me to react to that?

“Anyway, I think that guy is an imposter. For one thing, his skeletal structure is different, and besides, he—yes, he hasn’t even made a move on Sedona…”

“Sedona? Who is that?”

“A classmate. The Madonna of the academy… I hate to admit it, but if he were a lustful guy, he would definitely have made a move on Sedona. But he doesn’t do things like that. That’s why I think Sedona and he are still friends. Since I can’t wedge myself into that relationship…”

“Orcus-san, by any chance, do you have feelings for Sedona-san…”

—And as a clincher, I flash a glimpse of the human relationships involving Sedona.

Koruka, who sensitively sensed that Sedona is Orcus’s unrequited love, covers her mouth. It seems she finally believes what I’m saying. The tavern master in the back, conversely, has eyes filled with further curiosity. You’ve got the temperament of a busybody, don’t you?

But, you know. Looking at it this way, pretending to be someone else might be surprisingly fun. I don’t know what the real Orcus would think, but this is how I imagine he’d think. Okay, I don’t know what it is, but I’m getting into the groove of this.

“Varna is a man Sedona acknowledged. Of course, I don’t intend to say that means everything about him is right. Someday, I’ll surpass him, too. That’s why… knowing there’s someone out there using his name without permission feels like my rival is being mocked, and I don’t like it!”

Whether the real guy would say something so romantic and hot-blooded is uncertain, but since I’m at it, it’s better to make him sound like a decent guy than to pretend to be a bad one. At the very least, when it comes to romance, he’s an honest fool with no tricks.

Okay, I can do this. Today, I am Orcus.

This “Fake Me” incident will be solved by Orcus.

“In that case, once I finish eating, it’s time to gather intelligence. You imposter… the crime of impersonating the Kingdom’s most excellent knight is a heavy one!”

“How heavy is it, in reality?”

“The Kingdom’s most excellent knight is one of the pillars of this country. In a sense, it’s an act of smearing mud on the face of the King who appointed him. The weight of that crime is comparable to treason.”

As I said it myself, I inwardly thought, “Wait a minute?”

I’ve never seen that man inside the Royal Foreign Hazardous Species Countermeasures Knights, and he didn’t know my face. In other words, it’s certain he’s not from our knight order, but it’s highly likely he hadn’t even seen the Imperial Matches or the award ceremony that every single knight in the order should have watched. Is there really a guy like that inside the knight order?

Besides, thinking about it now, the man had been confused when I brought up Yagara’s name. It’s odd not to know Chronicler Yagara, whose notoriety thunders within the knight order. That man, even if estimated to be young, is in his late twenties—an age where he would have seen Yagara at least a few times.

He doesn’t know my face, he doesn’t know Yagara’s name. Moreover, his clothes are much shabbier than those of the privileged class, and to top it off, he’s wandering around outside his duty station all by himself at a time like this.

Is there really a knight like that in this kingdom?

“That guy… could he be a commoner pretending to be a knight?”

“Eh? No way! I mean, impersonating a knight is a crime that can land you in prison for decades depending on the circumstances, right!? There’s no way someone would do something so stupid. Right, Master?”

“That’s right. If it were a child, it might be forgiven as cute play-acting, but for an adult to possess a real sword, they’d be taken away by the guards, wouldn’t they?”

Yes, as the two of them said, impersonating a knight is a monstrously heavy crime.

In this kingdom, while commoners can purchase spears, axes, knives, and bows for use in construction or hunting, the conditions for what constitutes a “sword” and who is permitted to carry one are strictly defined by law. Thus, the simple equation that carrying a sword equals being a knight holds true.

Depending on the circumstances, knights are permitted to strike down those who offend them; it is a privileged position that serves as a model for the citizens. Borrowing that authority without permission is a serious crime that cannot be settled with a “my mistake.” Neither the knights, the privileged classes, nor the Royal Palace will ever forgive a person who besmirches their honor.

However, because I travel all over the kingdom, I can say with certainty that there is a possibility that the imposter doesn’t know the law.

“Koruka-san and the others are people from the city, so they know, but this country has many ‘autonomous cities,’ so to speak, that aren’t governed by the privileged class, so there are surprisingly many places that don’t know the national laws.”

Yes, around Kliffia, the mayor is educated and trades with the Royal Capital, so they might know, but in remote areas like Isberg or islands off the main land, people live according to long-standing customs. In such lands, there are often no guards, so there is a high possibility they don’t know that their actions are a felony.

If my guess is truly correct, the charges against that man are as follows:

“A double set of ‘Insulting the Kingdom’ and ‘Impersonating a Public Official,’ plus numerous crimes like extortion. Even if we estimate as leniently as possible, beheading is unavoidable…”

“Eeeh…”

“Is that guy going to die?”

“Well, probably.”

There was no change in the fact that both of them hated the imposter, but it seems they couldn’t simply rejoice upon hearing he would die. I thought he deserved to be taught a painful lesson, but when it comes to killing someone, a human’s ethical limiter usually kicks in, thinking, “There’s no need to go that far.”

Even for me, if someone who impersonated me were to be executed, it wouldn’t feel like someone else’s problem. I’d hate for someone to die because I became famous, and I’d rather be the kind of person who forgives rather than kills.

No matter how trashy a man he is, it shouldn’t mean he can just be killed easily.

“……It can’t be helped. I’ll catch him before he gets captured by other knights or guards and make him quit the ‘knight role.’ That’ll be the solution.”

“Eh!? B-but it’s certain that man committed a crime, and if you let him go unconditionally, he might do the same thing again!?”

“I’ll make him properly pay for his crimes. But there’s no need to go out of our way to let him die, is there?”

“Taking this stance toward a criminal who used your rival’s name! A wonderful knight who hates the evil but not the person, and knows the weight of a life…!”

The two of them were moved, but I had no intention of being lenient elsewhere just because he would avoid the death penalty. No matter how you dress it up, a crime is a crime. During the interrogation and such, I plan to get a lot of help from Senior Rock and other seniors who are well-versed in the darker side of things.

I’ll refrain from boiling or roasting him, but I’ll give him a light searing instead.

It should be much easier than dying, so I’m sure he’ll cry with joy.

And so, my vacation was forced to take a sudden detour toward a busy path. It’s a path I chose myself, so it’s fine.

While Varna was making his resolution at the tavern, other members of the knight order were also beginning to realize the situation.

“Senior Varna would never do something like that, so why is everyone getting deceived!!?”

“Now, now, I know you love Varna, but don’t get so worked up! It’s only natural for people who don’t even know his face, isn’t it?”

“But! Senior is the most honorable knight in the kingdom!? That’s it, I’m bringing him directly and convincing them!”

The one with shoulders heaving in anger was Varna’s junior, Calme, and the one holding his shoulders and admonishing him was Dr. Pheles. Calme had gone out into town to accompany Pheles on her shopping trip, and in the process, he had heard the rumors of the fake Varna.

For Calme, having the Varna he respected more than anyone else insulted was unbearable, and seeing him—normally the timid one—admonished was a rare sight.

“Honestly, you really are a ‘senior-lover’… Anyway, we’re going back to the motive carriage first, okay? No matter what we do about the knight imposter, first we need to share information so the other knights don’t get confused! Send a familiar to contact the real one! After that, we can decide the means, whether we leave it to the guards or handle it ourselves!”

“But!”

“Don’t be selfish!!”

“……Yes.”

Calme held back emotions he couldn’t bear because he couldn’t deny the error before his eyes, but he was pressed by Pheles’s reprimand and retreated meekly. It was a scene like a younger brother—or rather, a younger sister—being scolded by a stern elder sister.

Usually, humans aren’t the kind to back down after being scolded just once, but Pheles’s reprimand was in a league of its own. Rumor is that when scolded by her, both angry youths and crying children alike become quiet, just like children scolded by their mothers.

And she didn’t forget to follow up afterward.

“It doesn’t feel good for anyone to be told such things, right? But charging in blindly is what children do. You’re a fine knight, so you must learn when to show restraint, okay?”

“……I understand.”

“Oh? How do you understand?”

“Starting next fiscal year, he’ll be in his second year in the knight order, and he’ll be in a position of a ‘senior.’ So he has to be the side that stops others and guides them… He understands that.”

“Then do so. It’s fine, you’ve grown quite a lot, too. Both I and Varna-kun know that well. Okay?”

Pheles smiled gently, and her white hand stroked Calme gently.

While she was fundamentally a strict person, she was a woman who could pour the same amount of kindness into others. Expectations from the heart, not flattery—unable to say anything more, Calme was moved by that feeling.

This overwhelming maternal nature, which belies her age in her early twenties, is the reason she is considered one of the Three Great Mother Goddesses of the knight order.

With that, the two returned to the motive carriage, but on the way, they stopped after noticing a group that seemed out of place in town. It was a group of about twenty men and women, exuding the atmosphere of urban rich people on a small group trip.

However, seeing that, Calme intuitively grasped their true identity.

“That’s… the knight order…”

“The knight order? For a group that is one, they don’t seem to be carrying swords.”

“I think it’s the Holy Shield Knights. Look, it’s hard to see at a glance, but the Holy Shield Knights have special hidden gauntlets inside their clothes.”

While casually entering the shadows of an alleyway so as not to be suspicious, Calme pointed his finger. When Pheles looked closely at the hand of the man who seemed to be the leader showing a map, she could indeed see something hidden inside. Pheles was a little surprised at Calme’s sharp eyes.

“You saw that well from such a small gap…”

“I have confidence in my eyes. The Holy Shield Knights are a special knight order that has an arrangement where they don’t have to wear formal dress or carry swords during investigations or searches, due to their relation to catching criminals. Their hidden gauntlets have also been improved into a shape that doesn’t stand out even under their clothes.”

“You’re well-informed. Does that mean you study the other knight orders?”

“That’s right. But why are they in this town…?”

The answer to the question was unknown, but come to think of it, the two recalled being warned by Varna before they were allowed free time: “The bearded geezer seems to be plotting something, so don’t let your guard down.” If that were the case, there might be some connection between that group and Commander Rony’s scheme.

There wasn’t much foot traffic around.

Straining their ears to listen, the voices reached their ears, faintly but clearly.

“Listen, everyone… The target is hiding in this town… investigating top-secretly…”

“……A few days ago… in town… stake our prestige… it’s fine to kill him if it comes to the worst…”

“……Pig-Hunt Knights… don’t let them make a debt…”

“Also, the Princess is… so… during free time…”

That was all they could hear. They disbanded and scattered throughout the town with light footsteps, not appearing at all like they contained dangerous words. Deciding that further eavesdropping was impossible once they had disbanded, the two passed through the back alley and headed for the motive carriage at a brisk pace.

“Is it… to catch ‘someone’ who has been hiding since a few days ago, even if it means killing them in the worst case…?”

“There are too many things I don’t understand. This might be more urgent than I thought! Oh, and one more thing.”

“Yes, what is it?”

Pheles patted Calme on the shoulder while walking, then ran past him.

“You noticed those people were the knight order just now! You’re acting like a proper knight, aren’t you♪”

“A, that was just, how should I say, Senior told me to cultivate my observational skills… it was a coincidence, ehehe… wait, hey!? Don’t leave me behind~~!!”

While being easily swung around by the prank—which other knights said “doing such childish things is the devious but cute part of the teacher”—Calme followed her as she ran faster than expected.

“……Oh, geez, you don’t have to rush so much. But it’s lucky, if they chase those two, they’ll definitely be able to meet Varna-kun!”

—Without noticing that there was a small, lovely figure chasing the two of them.