kscans

Chapter 49 - Chapter 7. Part One, The Summons

"Claudia-dono..."

I was at a loss for words, looking at my classmate who appeared no different than usual. No, it wasn’t that we were on speaking terms to begin with. It was because a small mourning badge was pinned to her chest.

The other day, the decimated Second Knight Order had returned. An order of knights has many members of noble birth. The officer class is filled with the heads of noble houses. Many students at the academy had relatives who were killed in action. After all, the order numbered five hundred regular knights. Of course, the exact number of casualties hasn't been made public, but the atmosphere at the academy told me the damage was considerable.

It might be at a level where the organization can no longer be maintained.

"Clau, you truly do not need to push yourself so hard at a time like this."

Alfina showed her concern for Claudia, who was acting bravely despite her brother being killed in action and her father being gravely injured.

"You are still recovering, Your Highness. I cannot leave your side at a time like this."

I won’t flatter myself by saying I could have predicted this. The kingdom only has records of dragon attacks as old legends. However, according to the information Fulsy obtained, a faint reaction from a magic vein had appeared on Tuvil Mountain. Since the Second Knight Order was dealing with a monster flood, it was only natural for them to focus on the magic vein’s reaction.

Magic veins erupt from the upper parts of mountain ranges, so one could predict that the concentration near the summit would be quite high. In the first place, a high-ranking monster like a dragon could not possibly linger without a magic vein.

For my part, I felt that despite having predicted a continental-scale fluctuation in the magic veins, we had still acted too late.

The calamity had already occurred. Due to the dragon that had settled on Tuvil Mountain, Kurtheite was now isolated. We knew of at least three surrounding villages that had been destroyed. Not only the dispatched knight order, but merchant caravans traveling to and from Kurtheite had also suffered losses. It seemed the dragon would spot anything moving from the summit and attack it.

A circular, no-man's-land had formed around Tuvil Mountain.

In the end, all we could do was slightly delay the salt transport and improve the food situation in the villages around Kurtheite. Let us pray that the villagers who fled to Kurtheite have at least some small surplus of food.

According to the Grand Duchess, the fact that we had advised her beforehand that Kurtheite was the land of the prophecy has prevented Alfina from being blamed. That was a relief, but the problem was that if things continued like this, the famine would become a reality.

Indeed, Alfina’s face was terribly grim. It likely wasn't just because of the tragedy that had befallen her aide. In this situation, how should I act. Or should I not act at all.

"So, Riccardo-kun..."

Alfina looked at me, finding it difficult to speak. In her graceful hand, she clutched a single envelope. It was a plain one, the kind merchants might use to correspond with each other. But I could see a rose crest engraved on the wax seal.

"Prince Craig, the commander of the Third Knight Order, wishes to speak with you, Riccardo-kun. To be honest, he has asked many times before. He said he wanted to talk with the one who recommended him for the subjugation. My aunt and I had been putting him off."

"His Highness the Third Prince, you say..."

Surely this isn't some kind of payback for forcing the monster subjugation on him. Come to think of it, I also pushed the Imperial Prince on him during the Shoken Festival. Getting dragged into factional disputes between princes would be unbearable. It was a danger that couldn't even compare to assisting the Fourth Princess.

Alfina and the Grand Duchess had been blocking him, but the situation likely no longer allowed for it. Now that the Second Knight Order had been defeated, the only force capable of dealing with the monster, aside from the First Knight Order which could not leave the Royal Capital, was the Third Knight Order. Indeed, expectations for the Third Knight Order and Prince Craig, who had quelled the previous monster flood, must be high.

"Um, Riccardo-kun. I can refuse for you..."

...Looking closely, I saw that Alfina’s fingers were gripping the letter so tightly they might crush it.

"I understand. However, I don’t believe I can be of any help..."

I hurriedly reached out my hand. But I had no idea what they wanted from me. After all, my military knowledge was zero. Coming from one of the most peace-addled nations in the world, I was hopelessly lacking in that kind of aptitude.

But that was precisely why information was necessary. No matter how much I wished for it to disappear, the dragon wasn't just going to vanish. Without information on it, we couldn't possibly deal with it. The problem is when obtaining the information itself is dangerous, or when the very act of obtaining information invites danger.

"...I understand. Thank you very much. And, I have one more request..."

Alfina glanced beside her. There stood our fellow classmate, the female knight, with a grimly determined look on her face.

"I know I am in no position to ask this, but I wish for you to allow me to accompany you to the meeting with the Third Prince."

Claudia bowed her head to me. Whoa, whoa, it’s one thing for the princess, but it’s not right for a count's daughter to bow to a commoner. Wait, what?

She must have thought I was about to refuse, seeing me frozen there. Claudia bowed her head even lower.

"I am completely ignorant about the knight order. It would be a great help to have someone lecture me on the way to the garrison."

When I said that, Claudia’s head shot up.

"That would be a great help."

"I am glad for you, Clau. ...Um, Riccardo-kun. Do you not require a lecture on Prince Craig? I have had little interaction with him, being in the cathedral, but I do know a little of his character..."

"Yes, please, I would greatly appreciate it."

I replied to Alfina, who was appealing to me with a mysterious intensity. He was an eccentric, after all, one who would go out of his way to become commander of the smallest, the Third Knight Order, and even personally lead the charge in subjugating monsters in the frontier. I wanted all the information I could get.

◇◇

"This really is an encampment."

I sighed at the sight, which was exactly as Claudia had described.

A small fortress located just across the river from the Royal Capital. The garrison of the Third Knight Order had a much more rugged atmosphere than I had expected. Incidentally, it seems that for an army to cross this river without permission is considered an act of rebellion. I can only hope the Third Prince isn't fond of rolling the dice.

The carriage stopped, and I stepped out onto grounds about twice the size of a high school field. Tents were lined up around its perimeter. If not for the knights in armor who were training, it would have looked like a sports festival was about to be held. Even to my untrained eyes, I could tell the members of the knight order were on edge.

Moving through the middle of soldiers in combat mode was beyond terrifying.

"Let’s go, Vinder."

"U-Understood, Claudia-dono."

Walking side by side with Claudia felt strange, but I was truly glad she was with me.

At the very back stood a particularly large pavilion, with a flag bearing the Third Knight Order’s crest, a mountain cat, flying above it. Two knights guarded the entrance. After I handed them the letter of introduction, we went inside.

"Your Highness Prince Craig, it is a pleasure to..."

I was about to bow my head toward the back of the tent when I noticed the seat there was empty. A man in a knight's uniform strode toward me. I thought I was about to be frisked, but instead, he clapped me on the shoulder.

"We finally meet. Riccardo Vinder."

His sharp face, with his hair cropped short, was tanned by the sun. Despite his medium build, he gave off an incredibly lean impression. His knight's uniform also looked ordinary. It wasn't gaudily decorated with medals. Well, the rose crest engraved on his chest was intimidating enough on its own.

Still, if he’s a prince, I wish he would dress in a way that makes him a little easier to identify. I’m the type to accidentally forget things like formal speech.

"Your Highness. On this occasion..."

"This is a war camp. There is no need for complicated greetings."

It seems he’s the type who doesn't let people finish their sentences. I can’t bet my life on those words alone, but he was exactly as the character profile Alfina gave me described. I was embarrassed that I’d suspected it was an exaggeration.

Of the two men who appeared to be his adjutants flanking him, the slender one brought over a chair. It was more of a camp stool than a chair. I realized they were using items that were easy to transport for military campaigns. The prince also sat on an identical one.

Incidentally, the stares from the two knights were terrifying. They were probably thinking, what is this commoner doing face to face with our commander.

"Understood. Then, regarding the purpose of my visit today. I cannot imagine how a petty merchant such as myself could be of service to Your Highness, the hero who saved the country from the monster flood..."

"Hahaha, that’s a rather amusing joke. You two, this man is the one who sent me to subjugate the monster flood. This time as well, he was the one who correctly identified Kurtheite as the place where the calamity would strike."

I had tried to flatter him, but he cut me off before I could even get started, and then gave me a hell of an introduction.

"You are too kind. It was thanks to the devoted efforts of the Oracle Princess and the decision of Her Grace the Grand Duchess. And with the cooperation of the many companies run by my seniors at the academy, my own contribution is something that would have to be counted from the back."

"I see. In that case, I would like to borrow that abnormal wisdom the Grand Duchess Bertold speaks of."

He finally let me finish my sentence, but he completely ignored my words.

"First, an explanation of our situation. You have heard about the defeat of the Second Knight Order, correct?"

"Only the rumors circulating in the city and..."

I glanced behind me. It was clearly strange for Claudia to be standing behind me, but compared to facing the prince, it didn’t feel so strange. What a strange situation.

"To be honest, it was a rash military expedition. They were likely impatient, having had their achievements stolen by us during the last monster flood. However, even if they had been better prepared, the outcome of defeat would not have changed. The enemy is that powerful. And that’s putting aside Count Adele’s judgment."

The prince looked at Claudia. Claudia’s brother had died in this campaign, and her father had suffered grave injuries, including broken bones in his arm and ribs. Normally, he should be praised for fighting bravely in a national crisis, but it seemed that was not the case.

"Please wait, Your Highness. My father is naturally responsible for failing to stop the hasty expedition and for the defeat against the monster. However, my father never once behaved in a cowardly manner."

Claudia said. Her father was being blamed for having directly caused the defeat. While the knights fought bravely on the front lines, the count, who was managing the laborers in the rear, was said to have been the first to flee.

The story was that he had caused what is known as a collapse from the rear.