Virgin Knight Who Is the Frontier Lord in the Gender Switched World - Chapter 13

Sabine is a demon.

A real demon.

With just a few minutes of speech, she stripped away the small happiness of a small village, sending the surviving villagers towards death.

We commence our march.

Leading the way is none other than myself, Faust von Polydoro.

In the middle, is the personal guard of Princess Valiere, the second royal daughter.

And at the rear, a daikan leading 40 dead soldiers followed in a line.

“Lord Faust, Lord Faust.”

“What’s the matter, Helga?”

I respond to the words of Helga, the captain of my retainers, who stands by my side.

What, do you have a complaint about the restart of this first battle?

It’s too late now, Lady Valiere has already given the GO signal.

Well, there’s a new advantage since Lady Valiere has guaranteed a hefty apology sum from the local lords.

I’ll skin them for all they’re worth.

Otherwise, I couldn’t stand doing such a march.

“How would you feel about Lady Sabine as a bride?”

“Helga, you must be jesting. Please say you are.”

I murmur with a voice filled with bitterness.

“Not at all. I somewhat grasp what you’re trying to express, Lord Faust. Yet, from my perspective, it appears to be a feasible idea.”

Even if you somewhat understand, don’t say it, idiot.

And you, supporting that demon, Sabine?

It’s a joke, right? The other villagers couldn’t possibly agree with this.

They’re not poisoned by that fever, are they?

She is a demon.

As a soldier living off the nation’s taxes, I uttered something I should never have said so lightly.

She outright rejected the very principle of noblesse oblige.

Even the line I delivered with a hidden meaning, “Are you even of noble blood, to lead the peaceful citizens to death?” didn’t catch her attention, that chimpanzee.

Ah, I’m getting a headache.

I begin to explain to Helga.

“As a lordly noble and a clerical noble, that is, a kingdom’s military officer, our positions might slightly differ, but what doesn’t change is that we receive taxes from our villagers, and as military officers, from the citizens. That’s what we live on.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Helga nods.

“In return, we have a duty. The duty is to protect our villagers, to protect the citizens. Understand?”

“Yes, I understand.”

Helga nods again.

If you understand that much―

“Why lead the citizens to death? Is that what a soldier should do? Denying the very role of a soldier? Don’t you feel the contradiction in your existence? That speech was not something that someone of noble blood should utter lightly. If you discard even the pretense of nobility, you are no longer a noble, no longer a knight.”

“But, if pushed to necessity, we too will act. If our husbands or sons are taken, we villagers will fight. If that’s limited to our territory. Isn’t that normal? I believe Lady Sabine said nothing wrong.”

Helga replies nonchalantly.

I’m stunned by her words.

So, these people―the villagers of my Polydoro territory―first and foremost receive protection from Queen Liesenlotte, in lieu of military service.

The contract for that protection.

They were prepared with the mindset of “we must protect ourselves” even before receiving that protection.

The people living in a frontier territory close to the border of Virendorf, with military duties, and those in a small village without such duties in the direct territory.

Thus, it boils down to a cultural divergence.

That’s why I can’t understand Sabine’s brutality.

I no longer feel like explaining the brutality of what Sabine did.

If I continue, I’ll likely be told, “Isn’t it because the kingdom’s citizens are too lenient? Lady Sabine did nothing wrong.”

Or rather, all the villagers of Polydoro territory would probably respond with the same words.

Ah, it’s becoming troublesome.

Let me speak my true feelings.

“I don’t like Lady Sabine. I acknowledge her ability as an orator but dislike her. I still can’t understand what Lady Sabine did, and Princess Valiere, despite her young age of 14, being swayed by Lady Sabine’s fervor…This forebodes ill for the future. How’s that?”

“Ah, somehow.”

It seems Helga somewhat understood.

Will it be alright?

Is it okay?

I worry if my villagers are influenced by that vile agitator’s fervor.

While worrying, Faust begins the march.

“Everyone, march!”

I give the signal.

Everyone starts marching.

This is good.

As I come to terms with the situation, Helga speaks again.

“But, you see, Lord Faust.”

“What’s the matter, Helga? Do you still have something to say?”

I murmur again with a face full of bitterness.

“If we had just left the villagers of that small village clinging to us, wouldn’t it have led to a riot? After all, we would be abandoning them and returning home.”

“…”

There lies a possibility, indeed.

After all, those transformed into death soldiers now shadow our steps.

“Furthermore, without drafting militias, the grim reality that we can’t rescue the abducted men and boys remains unchallenged. Considering it would be mutually beneficial to conscript the raging local residents, wasn’t it not a bad idea?”

“Do you think that chimpanzee spoke while understanding that?”

Helga and I turn to look at Sabine’s face as she engages in another lewd conversation with one of the guards.

“I don’t think so.”

“Right? Absolutely, I think the same.”

From the beginning, that woman absolutely had no intention of conscripting militias.

She just despised the villagers clinging to Princess Valiere the Second Royal Daughter and insulted them.

In the midst of that speech-like insult, she realized.

“Wait? Maybe I can stir these people up and conscript them as militia?”

That was her thought.

Now that I fully understand her character, I can see that thought as clearly as if it were in the palm of my hand.

That demonic creature.

That demonic chimpanzee.

Well, I suppose chimpanzees inherently have a somewhat demonic nature.

But that’s beside the point for now.

Perhaps, the reason she was thrown into the Second Princess’s personal guard wasn’t just because of her stupidity.

It was because of her inherent demonic nature.

Such people who can handle dirty work might be necessary for rulers, after all.

Perhaps―it might be the best solution for both the side of the Second Princess and the villagers who had their husbands and sons taken away, but there is no logic made by calculation behind it.

It’s literally a blank. Sabine achieved the current result without thinking anything through.

Let’s be clear, she is a dangerous person.

Considering the danger of her oratorical skills, she’s someone who should be isolated somewhere.

Maybe it’d be better to lock her in a zoo cage, hanging a name tag “Sabine” around her neck, as a peculiar monkey that can give speeches.

Ah, enough.

I don’t have the luxury to think about such things.

My goal is simple.

The target is Caroline, to catch up before reaching the Virendorf border.

And then, to break through.

This singular focus defines my mission now. Simplification is key—it spares us the burden of overthinking.

“Let’s lift our spirits with song. The march towards Caroline stretches before us. May both the militia and the daikan find motivation in our chorus.”

The voice of Sabine, the guard captain.

While finding it terrifying from the bottom of my heart, I was marching.

That’s how Sabine maintains morale.

Gradually, I’m becoming seriously scared of that woman.

I decide not to interfere.

Hoping at least, she won’t hum any indecent songs.

※

“Hasn’t the deployment been prepared yet?”

“You know it takes time, Queen Liesenlotte. Moving 200 soldiers requires its preparations. We’ll depart tomorrow.”

Even with a standing army at our disposal, ready troops cannot simply commence their march at a moment’s notice.

The preparation of weapons is one thing―but provisions, wagons, the expected route of the enemy’s march.

The points where we expect to encounter the enemy along our march route.

That much is necessary.

Especially the last part is crucial.

A single error in our route could lead us directly to the Virendorf border.

And that would be the start of the Second Virendorf Campaign.

That’s the situation we’re in right now.

Queen Liesenlotte understands this.

She should understand.

Yet, this is the situation.

Duchess Astarte sighed deeply.

“What about getting ahead of the enemy’s march route?”

“I’ve discussed it with Anastasia.”

I, Duchess Astarte, using my position as the First Royal Daughter’s advisor, have already consulted Anastasia, known for her sharp intellect and strategic eye.

It feels a bit odd to be consulting when I’m an advisor myself.

We both concluded that this point marked on the map—likely the point where Caroline, the local lord’s second daughter, would flee to.

But that point is far.

The reinforcements will probably not make it in time.

However, there might be a chance—

The possibility of delaying Caroline, a suggestion by Faust.

The possibility that Caroline, driven by greed, might extend her reach to other territories, delaying her march.

Other troubles, like wagons breaking down, simply delaying the march.

There are various possibilities.

There is a chance we could make it.

And since there is a chance, considering our honor, we cannot refrain from sending reinforcements.

I sigh.

“What’s with the sigh? My daughter must be feeling lost by now, Valiere.”

“After all, she’s just a spare. An ornamental spare. Aren’t you being too much of a doting parent all of a sudden, Queen Liesenlotte?”

I speak my mind freely, already used to speaking within the family.

I’m a free spirit.

Nothing scares me.

The only thing that scared me was when I thought I was about to be thrown into hell, the moment I touched Faust’s butt, and the faces of the Polydoro territory’s villagers turned demonic.

That was truly terrifying.

“Even as merely a decorative spare, I cannot bear the thought of Valiere facing death!”

“You say the same as Anastasia. You don’t wish for her to die, right?”

Whether she’s loved or not, it’s hard to tell.

I dislike it, though.

That mediocrity.

Mediocrity may be tolerable in a commoner, but it is unforgivable in those of noble blood.

That’s what Astarte thinks.

“Right now, Valiere might be lost in a small direct territory that was ravaged by Caroline. To even attempt pursuit…”

“That’s why I’m worried. I’ve said it before! If the first battle is lost, I’ll strip Faust from his position as advisor to the Second Princess.”

I see.

There’s a reason to be worried, after all.

But I’m not shaken.

“Your Majesty, Valiere is mediocre. She is a mediocrity.”

Faust is a lordly knight.

He detests any harm or loss to his villagers above all.

Unlike the hopeless situation of the Virendorf campaign, he would not engage in a battle that, even with a chance of victory, would cause significant harm to his people.

And Valiere is mediocre.

She moves as per the advice of her advisor, Faust.

If there’s an exception.

“Those chimpanzees. Excuse me, the Second Princess’s personal guard. Hopefully, those fools don’t get too excited about their first battle and make unreasonable demands on Valiere.”

“Don’t say such terrifying things!”

Queen Liesenlotte murmured, hugging herself.

And then, she lamented.

“I never thought they would be so foolish—a bunch of chimpanzees. Even if they were knights disowned by their families, I thought I was giving the second and third daughters of noble blood to Valiere.”

“It appears that the so-called noble-blooded seconds and thirds are nothing more than voyeurs and reprobates, indulging in lewd discourse and sneaking glances at changing pageboys right within the palace walls.”

I respond with a look of disbelief.

I hate mediocrity.

Therefore, I also dislike those chimpanzees.

Uncontrollable, incompetent hard workers are better off dead.

No, maybe they can still be exploited as soldiers on the battlefield.

I can’t judge yet since they’re inexperienced in battle.

Speaking of which, Valiere is also inexperienced in battle.

If Valiere experiences her first battle, would her mediocrity change?

I don’t have much hope, but reevaluating her on this occasion might not be a bad idea.

If she can use this opportunity, even if she’s already considered a failure, perhaps she can change a bit.

“Anyway! Hurry up. Even setting Valiere aside, we must deal with Caroline, who likely attacked our direct territory and kidnapped our people. The royal family’s honor is at stake.”

“Especially not allowing her to seek asylum with the barbarians of Virendorf, right. I understand.”

With a casual tone, Astarte replied, her gaze fixed on the engagement point on the map, right on the edge of the Virendorf border.