kscans

Chapter 41 - The Silver Badge and the Hidden Truth

Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, he walked down the red carpet and bowed his head to the King.

"Raise your head, Leonhard." The King's voice was heavy, low, and full of pressure. As he lifted his gaze, he noticed the King's face had an air similar to Darius's.

"I hereby appoint you the new captain of the Tree Sea Defense Force."

"Yes, Your Majesty! I humbly accept this appointment."

He could feel gazes of amusement and gazes of displeasure, but in the end, they had placed him, a man indebted to the King's faction, as captain. At the same time, the Chancellor's faction was making moves to purge commoner knights from the First Knight Order.

Even though he had no interest in any of it, and he didn't even know if Darius was a trustworthy person, he was caught in the middle.

Next, an attendant who had been waiting beside the throne brought a small brown box before the King. Inside it was a shining silver badge bearing the same mark he had just seen on the document left by Mireille's master.

He accepted it gratefully.

This confirms it. Mireille's master is a member of the Tree Sea Defense Force.


The appointment ceremony ended, and he swallowed a deep sigh. Immediately, that voice echoed from behind him.

"Well now, Sir Leonhard. My sincerest congratulations on your appointment as captain."

He turned to find Julius standing there. As of today, he was his superior officer. Leonhard bowed his head and exchanged greetings.

Julius continued speaking, a nasty smile on his face, his voice loud enough for those nearby to hear.

"As expected of someone with your looks. The rumors say you have a great deal of support from the ladies of the court. ...Perhaps you even had a little help from Her Majesty the Queen?"

His smile deepened, and this time he whispered in Leonhard's ear.

"You'd do well to remember this. Those whispered to have 'received favor' at court also become targets for elimination... you see."

As he watched Julius walk away, Leonhard clenched his fists tightly.

Ever since he had first joined the knight order, his looks and skill had drawn attention, making him a target for noblewomen.

Some were just rumors, while others were situations he couldn't escape. And it was true that the Queen, who was known to scout for young knights, had taken an interest in him.

He had lost count of how many times Darius had saved him. And how many times he had incurred the unnecessary jealousy of nobles.

The Queen had no idea how much her whimsical games had wounded his pride.

Feeling the stares of those around him, he made his way to his new barracks. He was scheduled to meet up with his transferring subordinates there and head directly to the Tree Sea Defense Force's base.

...Honestly, his heart was heavy.

But one thing bothered him. If Mireille's master had truly belonged to the Tree Sea Defense Force, then Darius's story about being saved on the battlefield and falling in love might not be a complete fabrication after all.

Because he himself had fallen for Mireille after she saved him.

...Does that mean Darius and I are two of a kind? No, he didn't want to admit that.

Still, why would Mireille's master, who was supposed to be just an alchemist, be in the military? The document he found on the tower's fourth floor also had the unit's emblem on it. It was clearly a classified document.

Now the problem was how much of this to tell Mireille.

When he remembered her exhausted face, he wasn't sure if he should tell her the truth. Perhaps it would be better if he just dismantled all those wooden boxes himself first.

On the way to the barracks, such thoughts swirled endlessly in his mind.