Virgin Knight Who Is the Frontier Lord in the Gender Switched World - Chapter 148

Fundamentally, the incident caused by Duchess Temeraire seems to have settled.

That is fundamentally speaking.

The real problem is what will come hereafter.

That’s when people come to their senses.

“Lord Polydoro. Do not be careless. Think of it as everything beginning from now on.”

Thus, Duchess Temeraire emphasized.

“You defeated me. And that’s all. Not a single problem in the Holy Gusten Empire has been solved. I trusted you. I saw a sparkle in Martina. However, you do not reach the charisma of Reckenber, and Martina, now just a sinner’s daughter, has no right to speak. Nothing has changed in this regard.”

These were harsh words.

Perhaps I am not in a position to say such things.

Prefacing it this way, Duchess Temeraire continued emphatically.

“We must simplify. No matter how much artillery may evolve or how much guns may develop, it is utterly impossible for serf soldiers, merely handed muskets to win against troops trained in Mongolia to become excellent horse-archers unified with their mounts. Understand the principles of the world.”

Thinking back, she has an extremely attractive appearance.

Now, with her head bandaged and short-haired, her nose crushed flat.

Yet, with a beautiful countenance, her crystal pince-nez shining with intelligence, I find Duchess Temeraire incredibly attractive as a woman.

Well, it’s not my place to express any affection, having nearly killed her.

“You recently vowed a Geas in the Kingdom of Anhalt. I’m not asking you to do the same again. The unification of military power should originally be the job of the Electors and the Empress. What you need to do is spread the content of ‘Gun, Cannon, Knight’ that Martina came up with throughout the Holy Gusten Empire. Understand?”

What I should do is what Duchess Temeraire is desperately pleading for.

She is now freed from that state of madness.

More clearly foreseeing the future than I, this Faust, or than Anastasia-sama, and Elector Katarina of Virendorf.

“Anastasia is young. Her abilities are impeccable, but she is inexperienced. She isn’t enough to be entrusted with everything. Disliking reckless bravery, she has a habit of putting things on hold before settling them. In a few years, maybe, but even now she is inferior to her mother, Elector Queen Liesenlotte. Katarina can be summed up in a word—she’s a brat raised under the wet nurse’s umbrella of Reckenber. This is both an insult and a compliment. Reckenber has fulfilled its loyalty; that much is worth. However, she often runs off in the wrong direction. At the same time, she is also decisive. Ah, unexpectedly, they might make a good team.”

Ultimately, we are lacking.

We think Anastasia-sama and Katarina are lacking.

Therefore, we need to compensate.

“Well, it’s not something I, who have been running wild disgracefully, should say.”

I believed that the truth was in the words of Duchess Temeraire.

Therefore, I listen silently to her words.

“Faust von Polydoro. I ask you. What will you do from now on?”

Duchess Temeraire’s question.

I quietly answered with determination.

“I am a noble knight who has sworn loyalty to the Anhalt royal family, and I will respond with all my might to everything.”

There is no lie in it.

This determination I swore to Anastasia-sama contains no falsehoods.

Yet.

“You don’t think that’s enough, do you?”

Duchess Temeraire said with a melancholic dismissal.

— Yes.

The situation can no longer be settled with just that.

“Faust. You are no longer just a peripheral lord knight with a mere 300 subjects. You are not allowed to make excuses and act as such. You shattered my stubborn head. You crushed both body and soul. You have demonstrated everything through actions. But, your work is not yet finished.”

Duchess Temeraire handed back a book.

It was a poorly bound manuscript titled ‘Gun, Cannon, Knight.’

“If it were Martina, her theory would be a presence beyond Reckenber. I don’t think it’s enough to win against Mongolia, but it’s more feasible than my plan. You boasted that you saw a sparkle in me. Then, you must make it a reality. I will cooperate. Let’s fulfill everything. But, if you don’t move yourself, it won’t make a story.”

The important book Martina and I made.

I would probably have it even if I died.

Holding it in my hand, I listen to Duchess Temeraire’s talk without flinching.

“Obey Anastasia’s orders. Listen to Katarina’s commands. That’s fine. You should be a knight as such. However, you must keep the promise you told me. This is—”

A somewhat anxious voice.

Not that I doubt you, but I do not doubt you.

If told otherwise, I’d rather die.

It was a confession as if from a patient with bipolar disorder.

“Isn’t it the promise we swore in that duel? Won’t you answer, Lord Polydoro?”

I have no intention of denying it, nor is there any falsehood in the words I uttered then.

“There is no need to ask.”

I denied Duchess Temeraire’s question.

“I will obey the commands of Anastasia-sama, listen to the words of Katarina, and fulfill the promise with Duchess Temeraire. Isn’t it obvious that I, as a knight, should vow such a promise here, Duchess Temeraire?”

I looked straight into Duchess Temeraire’s eyes.

“Very well. Everything.”

Duchess Temeraire quietly accepted the gaze.

“Even in this situation, forgive me for doubting you, Lord Polydoro. If you say you will live as a knight and fulfill all promises, then I will execute everything. Everything I can do to support you.”

It was a quiet narrative.

Words like a confession echoed in Duchess Temeraire’s private room.

“I’ll even degrade myself to a beast.”

Duchess Temeraire would certainly fulfill the words just spoken.

I could be sure of that.

“…Faust. I’m sorry, but you probably think I’m foolish.”

It is a fact.

I understand best that I am foolish.

I intend to fulfill all the promises I made with Duchess Temeraire.

Yet, I didn’t know how to fulfill them.

My level of intelligence is sadly foolish.

“I understand.”

“Therefore, let me teach you everything you should do in the Holy Gusten Empire from now on. Listen well.”

Having Duchess Temeraire thoroughly understanding and teaching me everything was indeed a blessing.

Only with her presence could I finally grasp what I needed to do in the empire.

“First, the presence of the Cologne Sect. Likely, they hold all the developments related to guns and artillery that Martina has anticipated. You must absolutely win their confidence and gain all the knowledge necessary for the war against Mongolia. I will also arrange through the Knight of Cologne. Act as a follower of the Cologne Sect as well. If necessary, I will call them as intermediaries.”

The Cologne Sect had assisted me in all my actions.

Although it was like deception at the Geas in Anhalt, the priest answered me.

The Holy Mother of my territory even listened to a prayer that would not normally be accepted, to bury the corpse of a sinner to help Martina’s heart.

However, whether this could be achieved in the imperial capital was still unknown.

It’s not as simple as all prayers being answered.

“Second, the presence of the Pope. She is betraying us. It’s fine for you to verify my information, but she is definitely betraying us. She is trying to communicate with Mongolia. Probably by now, Anastasia and Katarina are simply thinking they should just kill her. There’s nothing wrong with that idea in itself, but if it were easy to kill her, I would have done it long ago. It’s not that simple. The opponent is not like a stationary target that will be pierced if you shoot an arrow. She is the head of a huge religious organization. Keep that in mind.”

The Holy Gusten Empire’s Pope.

I know nothing about what kind of person she is.

What I do know is that he is incompatible with the current Empress Maxine I, who denies the divine right of kings.

If Duchess Temeraire’s information is true, what does the Pope intend by betraying us?

Is it simply to preserve her religious position?

I wanted to know the Pope’s true intentions.

“Third, the presence of the Empress. She is betraying us. Originally, for that young girl, the Holy Gusten Empire was nothing but an entity that let her father die, an entity she could not love at all. What she loves are herself, inheriting her beloved father’s blood, her mother who struggled desperately to save her, and all her loyal relatives. As long as her lineage is secured, she wouldn’t care if the empire were taken over and ruled by Mongolia, or if the citizens of the capital suffered immensely. I can’t say I completely understand her feelings, but if she dedicates all her talents to betraying the country, she will be a formidable obstacle.”

Empress Maxine I.

As for me, I can’t help but feel sympathy for her given her background.

— I should be resolute.

If necessary, kill her.

I hope she is not betraying us.

“Those are the three points. If we cannot overcome these three obstacles, we cannot even face Mongolia in battle. We would be doomed from the start. And—as I said before, the opponent is not like a stationary target that will be pierced by arrows. Everyone is fighting with a desperate resolve for survival. Before we try to kill our adversaries, they might try to kill us first.”

Duchess Temeraire reached out.

Her hand extended towards me, stopping just in front of my face.

“Just remember these three points. If you do, you will not lose your way. Afterwards, just follow the chivalry you believe in.”

“I understand.”

I nodded honestly.

Duchess Temeraire was not yet back to full form.

She took a breath to calm his excited emotions, and soon began to speak again.

“Let’s talk about the short-term predictions for now.”

Duchess Temeraire showed an intellectual sparkle behind her glasses.

There was no trace of the madness from the time of the duel in his eyes.

A strong will and intense self-confidence from experience were evident.

“Being punched by you woke me up, and upon thorough consideration, I realized. The Cologne Sect is likely aware of the Pope’s betrayal. The Pope has considered the Cologne Sect heretical for a while, and has been hostile towards the Cardinal Archbishop of Cologne. It’s likely that the conflict between these two will occur even before the Anhalt Elector succession ceremony.”

Duchess Temeraire’s mind was working rapidly, probably his pulse racing.

Her cheeks were flushed.

“My prediction is that the Pope will move first. If the Pope realizes that her betrayal has been noticed, she will have to silence it by any means necessary. And that means—Inquisition.”

There was a pause in her words.

Duchess Temeraire quietly drew a conclusion.

“She will declare the Cologne Sect heretical and issue an excommunication to destroy the heretical faith of their church organization. She will demand conversion from the clergy and believers, and immediately send the Cardinal Archbishop of Cologne, who is staying in the capital, to the stake. Yes, if it were me, that’s what I would do.”

I stood up, ready to leave the room immediately.

I must meet with the Knights of Cologne and find a way to assassinate the Pope right away.

“Lord Polydoro. The conversation isn’t over yet. What I’ve just said is my short-term prediction, and it’s not something that will happen today or tomorrow.”

“But—”

“The Pope will likely make the first move. However, that doesn’t mean the side that reacts later will lose. Let’s prepare quietly. Yes. They call me the boar in public, but I was originally better at these kinds of schemes. I had been in a frenzy, forgetting even my own methods.”

Duchess Temeraire deepened her smile.

She narrowed his eyes quietly, squinting like Lord Reckenber, a friend from the past.

“Quietly, quietly. Let’s prepare to kill the Pope. If we can save the eminent Cardinal Archbishop of Cologne from danger, the Cologne Sect will likely reveal their knowledge to us. If everything goes well, everything will settle down nicely. Unfortunately, though, this Temeraire is terribly unlucky. Things probably won’t go as smoothly as expected.”

Duchess Temeraire truly smiled joyfully.

Nothing about my initial thought that ‘it will begin from now’ was wrong.

The duel with Duchess Temeraire was just a prologue.

Finally, the main story I must undertake in this empire has begun.

Understanding this, I clenched my hand tightly, forming a large fist.