My Childhood Friend Told Me to Go Marry the Most Beautiful Woman in the Kingdom, So I Seriously Started Improving Myself—and Somehow Ended Up Making Women Fall Hard - Chapter 34 & 35

Act 03

Chapter 34: What Is the Third Knight Order?

On the first day I was assigned to the Third Knight Order as a knight trainee—following the Second Knight Order—I did so under the Marshal’s secret orders.

The Third Knight Order had thirteen training grounds spread around the outer wall of the royal capital.

Because all knight trainees were gathered here, we were assembled at the largest one—the First Training Ground.

The moment I passed through the gate, the air felt different.

The height of the stone walls. The sheer size of the training field.

Neither could be compared to the Second Knight Order.

More than anything, the number of people was overwhelming.

There were over three hundred trainee knights standing in formation.

A low murmur rippled through the crowd.

The scrape of armor fittings. The clatter of sword scabbards bumping together. Footsteps. Coughs. The smell of sweat.

Back with the Second Knight Order, there had been around fifty trainees.

Even that had felt like a lot.

But this place was on a completely different level.

“…What is this?”

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

And it wasn’t just about the numbers.

There were those who looked like sons of nobles. There were hardened fighters who had risen from commoner backgrounds. There were faces clearly accustomed to violence.

And the ages weren’t limited to academy classmates either.

People of all ages and races were gathered here.

So this was the Third Knight Order.

The unit that protected the widest area—outside the capital and the commoner districts.

A place where dirty work was more common than clean jobs.

The Marshal’s words resurfaced in my mind.

(Internal investigations are dirtier than battlefields.)

I wiped any extra expression from my face and took my place at the edge of the line.

“Yo.”

Someone suddenly tapped my shoulder from the side.

My body stiffened on reflex.

But right away, I felt it wasn’t hostility—

It was closer to teasing, mixed with a strange sense of familiarity.

“You’re Hort Rubel, right?”

When I turned around, I saw a familiar face.

It was Gemini—one of my classmates from the academy.

He came from a commoner background, had real talent with the sword, and was always the joking type. One of those friends everyone knew back at school.

A light grin. Short, neatly trimmed hair. A slightly monkey-like face.

He seemed taller than before, and the way he wore his armor looked oddly natural—like he was already used to it.

“Gemini? Long time no see!”

“Yeah. You were always hanging around Rina, you know. Hard to talk to you from my side.”

“My bad. From now on, just talk to me whenever.”

“Oooh—so the rumor’s true? You and Rina split up?”

“Split up isn’t quite right. I got rejected before we even started dating.”

“No way! After everything you did for her?”

Gemini’s words made my chest sting.

“Ah—sorry. My bad. Don’t make that face. From now on, we’re both single guys with no girlfriends! Let’s get along.”

“I don’t really want to be lumped into that group, but… yeah, it’s good to see you. So? You’re Third Knight Order too, starting today?”

“What are you saying? I was aiming for the Third from the start.”

“Huh? Don’t trainees have to rotate through other orders first?”

“Hey, come on. Once you get an offer, it’s totally fine to decide right away.”

“Is that how it works?”

Should I have just accepted an offer from the Second Knight Order back then?

Maybe.

But part of me really wanted to see the other knight orders too.

Gemini jerked his chin toward our surroundings.

“If it’s about the Third Knight Order, ask me anything. This place is great. Since the area we cover is huge, it’s easy to rack up achievements.”

Gemini knew a lot about the Third Knight Order.

Was he the “assistant” the Marshal had mentioned?

…Maybe. Or maybe not.

I couldn’t bring up the secret mission myself.

The moment I did, if the other person turned out to be an enemy, it would be over.

“Yeah, I’ll be counting on you.”

“Gotcha. …Oh, perfect timing. While we were talking, the big shots are coming out.”

“Big shots?”

“Yeah.”

Gemini lowered his voice slightly.

“The Third Knight Order’s different from the others. Our patrol range is massive. Not just the royal capital. Gates. Outside threats. Bandits. Monsters. It’s nothing but bad guys.”

Bad guys.

The way he said it sounded disturbingly real.

But I was here to investigate the Third Knight Order from the inside.

“That’s why a lot of people get picked as full knights here. Pure merit-based. But look at it the other way—if you’re soft, you get eaten alive.”

Up ahead, a shadow appeared on a high platform overlooking the trainees.

Long ash-gray hair. A bandana across his forehead. Tall. Broad-shouldered.

His face wasn’t smiling, yet the corners of his mouth were twisted.

Sharp eyes slowly swept across the lines of trainees.

The air dropped a degree.

Gemini muttered quietly.

“…There he is. Commander Snake.”

The man stepped forward.

Then came his first words.

“YOU BASTARDS!!”

The roar slammed into the training ground like a shockwave.

Three hundred people straightened their backs on reflex.

Me included. My throat tightened on its own.

The man puffed out his chest and declared.

“I am the great Snake—the commander of this Third Knight Order.”

The way he introduced himself wasn’t just intimidating—it was outright provoking.

He narrowed his eyes and grinned.

“Any of you who trained soft in other knight orders—fight like your lives depend on it.”

Fight like your lives depend on it.

The wording was rough, but the meaning was crystal clear.

“If you can do that, I’ll make you knights. I’ll promote you. Achievements, glory—take as much as you want.”

A ripple ran through the formation.

It felt like the air itself heated up.

That was the sound of greed waking up.

Commander Snake didn’t miss it.

He deliberately paused—then slammed down the next line.

“But the pathetic ones can die.”

The noise snapped off instantly.

“The weak—I’ll kill them myself.”

There was no joking smile.

It was a sentence being handed down.

“This ain’t some clean place inside the royal castle. The people you’ll face are scum. Bandits. Monsters. Underworld trash. Anyone who causes trouble.”

For a moment, Snake’s eyes gleamed dangerously.

“When it comes to bad guys, anything goes. No matter how dirty it is. Go wild and crush them. None of you scared, right? Everything you do is approved by me.”

“““WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”””

The gathered trainees erupted in cheers.

For a second, I couldn’t even process what I was hearing.

But Commander Snake clearly knew how to grab people’s hearts.

And then—with his next words—

A chill ran straight down my spine.

“But if you do something bad, I won’t forgive it.”

Commander Snake’s voice dropped low.

Pressure. Killing intent.

“If you act without knightly resolve, I’ll kill you. We are knights. Protect everyone except the bad guys. That’s the job.”

The training ground fell silent.

Three hundred people held their breath.

It was a sharp turn.

He tightened hearts that had just loosened with excitement.

In my head, I’d imagined Commander Snake as a much worse villain.

But this man was someone worthy of being chosen as the commander of the Third Knight Order.

This was the Third Knight Order.

I clenched my fist.

Blending in with the face of a trainee, I would thrust my blade straight into the center of the filth.

――――――――――――――
[Afterword]

Hello, this is the author, Iko.

Now then, let’s begin Act 03.

Chapter 35: Where Will We Be Assigned?

Even after Commander Snake’s speech ended, the tension in the training ground didn’t fade.

Three hundred trainees held their breath, all waiting for what would come next.

When Commander Snake signaled with his chin, another man stepped out from the side.

Glasses. A gentle smile. Polite, careful movements.

Tall. Broad-shouldered.

Standing beside Commander Snake, he didn’t look inferior at all.

His body was clearly well-trained.

He looked kind—but there was no opening to exploit.

Gemini whispered to me.

“That’s Vice-Commander Daitaros.”

After handing things over, Commander Snake stepped back behind him.

The vice-commander cleared his throat lightly.

Unlike Commander Snake, he didn’t raise his voice.

Yet his calm tone carried clearly across the square.

“Everyone. Welcome to the Third Knight Order.”

The gaze behind his glasses quietly swept over the lines.

“We welcome you. Many of you were probably shocked by the commander’s words. But rest assured—there is a role for everyone here. There are places to shine. And there is a system where effort is properly rewarded.”

The murmuring settled just a little.

Vice-Commander Daitaros continued evenly.

“The Third Knight Order protects the entire royal capital. But we are not a single, unified block.”

He drew an invisible line in the air with his finger.

“We are divided into units—from the First to the Thirteenth.”

All eyes focused on him.

My back straightened without thinking.

“First Unit.”

Vice-Commander Daitaros gestured toward Commander Snake, who stood on the stone steps.

“The First Unit is the core of the Third Knight Order, led by Commander Snake. Large-scale incidents. Major arrests. Riot suppression. Dealing with monster hordes. When the order moves as an organization, this unit handles command. In short—flashy battlefields. Within the Third Knight Order, this is the peak a knight can aim for. Those who want to reach the top, aim here.”

Flashy battlefields.

The wording was gentle, but the meaning carried real weight.

The eyes of trainees who dreamed of promotion began to shine.

“Second Unit.”

This time, he lightly pointed at himself.

“The Second Unit is led by me, Daitaros. It’s the backbone of the Third Knight Order. Accounting. Supplies. Logistics. Assignments. Attendance. Reports. All administrative work. It’s dirty, behind-the-scenes labor—but if you’d rather use your head than swing a sword, aim for this unit. We’re always happy to have you.”

A small breath of relief leaked from the trainees.

It probably sounded like someone finally telling them that frontline combat wasn’t the only path for a knight.

I nodded inwardly.

In the Second Knight Order, the commander alone had been buried under paperwork.

But in the Third Knight Order, administrative work was handled by an entire unit.

Everything was clearly divided into units.

So why had all that work been shoved onto the Second Knight Order instead?

“Third Unit through Tenth Unit.”

Vice-Commander Daitaros slid his finger sideways as he continued.

“From here on are the units that match what most of you imagine when you think of ‘guard duty.’ The royal capital is divided into eight districts, and each unit commander is in charge of one. As trainees, you’ll first be assigned to one of the Third through Tenth Units to experience city patrols.”

For trainee knights, this was the main job.

Area security.

In other words, the work that put you in contact with people’s problems every single day.

Patrols were plain and exhausting—but absolutely necessary.

I understood that well.

“Patrolling. Keeping public order. Mediating disputes. Theft. Assaults. Fires. Lost children. And small-scale monster incidents. Protecting daily life in the capital—that’s the job of the Third through Tenth Units.”

His polite tone only made the weight of the work sink in deeper.

“And then—the Eleventh, Twelfth, and Thirteenth Units.”

Vice-Commander Daitaros’s voice dropped another notch.

“They don’t work inside the city, but outside the royal capital. Gate duty. Guarding the gates that surround the capital. Monitoring traffic. Inspections. Cracking down on smuggling. Preventing enemy infiltration. On top of that, they patrol the outer perimeter and watch for signs of bandits or monsters coming in from outside.”

Outside the city, monsters roamed.

The battlefield was close.

Foreign spies.

Underworld figures passing through.

“Especially the Thirteenth Unit. They spend the most time outside the capital. It’s dangerous work. But anyone who can perform well there can survive anywhere. It’s also the fastest path to moving up to the First Unit.”

The trainees were drawn in by Vice-Commander Daitaros’s explanation, holding their breath.

Tension and relief were woven perfectly into his words—

Showing the harsh reality of a knight’s job, and the sweet promise of promotion waiting beyond it.

“After hearing all this, some of you probably thought, Which unit is higher? Which one is easier? But in the Third Knight Order, everything is necessary. Every unit has a role. Every unit has a place to shine.”

The eyes behind his glasses sharpened.

“From today onward, you are members of the knight order. Become a shield for the people of this kingdom.”

The Second Knight Order existed to protect the royal castle.

The First Knight Order guarded the inside of the castle.

The Royal Guard protected the royal family.

But the Third Knight Order was entrusted with everything else.

The environment was harsher than I’d imagined.

And far larger in scale.

“Assignments are decided by aptitude, preference, and ability. If you want to rise, show your strength.”

Vice-Commander Daitaros paused—then delivered his final words.

“Those who work hard will be rewarded. But those who slack off will be eaten alive. Recently, because of some lazy individuals, the pride of the Third Knight Order was stained. Two were purged—but one managed to escape.”

For a brief moment, I felt Vice-Commander Daitaros’s eyes land on me.

His voice stayed gentle, but the atmosphere clearly shifted.

“We do not forgive those who soil the knight’s code. Engrave that into your hearts.”

Different words from Commander Snake—

Yet they led to the same conclusion.

This was the Third Knight Order.

I let out a breath and clenched my fist.

There were enemies inside the Third Knight Order.

Commander Snake. Vice-Commander Daitaros. Gate Guard Captain Uragar.

Their names lined up coldly in my mind.

♢

Once the commander and vice-commander finished their speeches, assignments to each unit were announced one by one.

I was assigned to the Fifth Unit.

“Gemini, I’m Fifth Unit.”

“No way! You hit the jackpot!”

“Jackpot?”

“Yeah, let me tell you now. Third, Fifth, Seventh, and Ninth Units are all winners! The rest are trash. And me—me—!”

“Where’d you get assigned?”

“Sixth Unit.”

Gemini’s face twisted so badly it was painful to look at.

Pure despair was written all over him.

“Uh… what kind of person is the Sixth Unit’s captain?”

“…An okama.”

“An okama?”

“Yeah. A fully ripped, beautiful beast of a woman! Damn it… Hort! Please, at least collect my bones when I die!”

With tears streaming down his face, Gemini staggered away.

Watching him go, I tightened my grip on the assignment tag and headed toward the Fifth Training Ground.

Area patrol within the royal capital.

Disputes. Theft. Assaults. Fires. Lost children.

The jobs that got the dirtiest, took the most abuse, and dealt with people at their worst.

Not a bad place to dive straight into the heart of the filth.

Deep inside the training grounds was the Fifth Unit’s office.

The moment I opened the door, the air shifted.

The smell of leather. The smell of sweat. The dry scent of iron.

And yet—standing there were three women.

None of the other trainee knights had arrived yet.

Their armor designs were different.

Their stance was different.

The quality of their gaze was different.

I could tell at a glance—they were captains.

Gemini had said it before.

In the Third Knight Order, units were divided by district, and captains held a lot of authority.

And here there were three captains together?

All women?

The first one to catch my eye was a woman with gray hair.

Glossy strands flowing down to her waist.

Sharp eyes. A faint scent of perfume.

Tall, with a dangerously alluring beauty.

On the chest of her armor was the emblem of the Third Unit.

The Third Unit’s captain.

“Fufu. So you’re Hort Rubel.”

Her voice wrapped around me like honey—sweet, whispering.

Had she been waiting for me to arrive here?

“I’m Skoll Shadowblow, captain of the Third Unit. …And I’m Commander Snake’s little sister.”

Snake’s sister—

A chill ran down my spine.

“Isn’t this the Fifth Unit?”

“Fufu. I came to see you. That’s why I had the other trainees moved somewhere else.”

So it really was me she wanted…

Gulp.

“You look scared, y’know.”

“Fufufu.”

The next woman wore the insignia of the Fifth Unit.

Short orange hair. Cat ears twitching lightly. Sharp eyes.

A supple body, with daggers hanging at both hips.

“I’m Oren Ferna, captain of the Fifth Unit… and you’re the problem child, right?”

Problem child?

“Uh… problem child?”

“Fufufu. You’re famous, you know—the trainee who picked a fight with the Third Knight Order. You sounded interesting, so I wanted to see what kind of kid you were. You’re kinda handsome too, huh?”

This wasn’t the atmosphere I’d imagined at all.

Then a voice came from lower in my view.

“Hmmm. So this is the Hort everyone’s talking about, eh?”

Small—yet her presence wasn’t small at all.

I’d never seen her before, but she was clearly a dwarf woman.

She was short, with a youthful face.

And yet her body was absurdly curvy—

Her chest stood out far too much, making me instinctively avert my eyes.

Because of the height difference, it was impossible not to see.

“I am Brigitte Bram, captain of the Ninth Unit. A pleasure to meet you, yes?”

Dwarves lived about five times longer than humans.

She looked young, but she was definitely far older than she appeared.

“You’re thinking something rude, aren’t you? Even so, I’m still a fresh and youthful gal of just two hundred years old!”

Two hundred was considered young…?

And why was the Ninth Unit’s captain here too?

Maybe my confusion showed on my face, because Oren shrugged lightly.

“You’re wondering why the three of us are here together, right?”

“…Yes.”

Skoll let out a soft chuckle.

“It’s simple. You’re famous.”

My heart skipped a beat.

Had my undercover mission been exposed?

Brigitte slapped the desk as she spoke.

“The man who cleaned up the hell that was the Second Knight Order’s commander office. The man who embarrassed the Third Knight Order. The man who went straight to the Marshal himself. Rumors inside the knight orders spread fast.”

“…”

Everything I’d done in the Second Knight Order had already reached the captains of the Third.

Skoll slowly stepped closer.

The scent of her perfume grew stronger.

“Tell me, Hort. Are you strong in your sense of justice? Or are you just an idiot?”

Oren flicked the pommel of her dagger with a finger.

“Or maybe you just like standing out?”

Brigitte laughed cheerfully.

“Or perhaps you’re simply unlucky with women? How amusing.”

I straightened my back and gave a proper salute to the three captains.

“Knight trainee Hort Rubel. As of today, I’ve been assigned to the Fifth Unit. I humbly ask for your guidance and orders.”

“That’s pretty stiff, huh.”

“I like it. Fufu—having the nerve to stay serious in a situation like this. That’s cute.”

“Mhm. I don’t dislike proper manners.”

The three captains’ gazes weighed me up from head to toe.

“Alright, you’ve seen Hort now. You two—back to your own units!”

“Fufufu, byeee. See you later, Hort.”

“If you have any questions about weapons, come see me anytime, okay?”

With Oren nudging them along, the two captains left the Fifth Unit’s office.

Left alone with Oren, her cat-like eyes locked onto me.

The next instant—

Her fist slammed straight into my stomach.

“Guh!”

“First, there’s something I want to ask you.”

Those were the last words I heard before my consciousness was knocked clean away.