Virgin Knight Who Is the Frontier Lord in the Gender Switched World - Chapter 151

In a cheap tavern in Anhalt, a gathering of merchants had convened.

A question was posed to the merchants, one that all tried to decipher.

“Princess Valiere von Anhalt is mediocre—no, pardon me. I’ve heard that as an Elector’s child, she lacks the talent expected. Is that not the case?”

Princess Valiere von Anhalt is indeed mediocre, lacking any superiority over her elder sister, Princess Anastasia. Even we, mere horse renters who are nothing more than transporters maintaining the village relays, are aware of this. Another merchant responded to the question.

“I’ve heard she was mediocre, but I don’t recall anyone saying she was incompetent. Moreover, her first battle was a resounding success, having brought along Advisor Lord Polydoro. I haven’t heard of any episodes that would mark her as flawed, except maybe that she clung too much to Lord Robert, which might seem like she lacks spirit.”

“Was she pretending to be mediocre?”

“For what purpose?”

Various voices interchanged.

Where alcohol flows, it’s not unusual for random talk to ensue.

Among many merchants, a conclusion could perhaps be reached.

As for me, I already have a conclusion to present.

“Princess Valiere only began to show her competence after it was confirmed that Princess Anastasia would succeed the Electorship without issue. Until then, the mighty hawk merely masqueraded as a mediocre dove. With no ambition for the throne and her exclusion from the succession race decided, it was time for her to spread her wings as a noble.”

In essence, she had been paying respect to her sister, Princess Anastasia, all along.

Once her role as a spare was concluded, her life ahead was her own.

Princess Valiere must have thought so.

She sought something that would attest to her growing capabilities.

That much can be concluded.

With such a record, how could anyone doubt Princess Valiere’s abilities?

In her first battle, against the numerically superior “Blue Bloods,” she rallied the militia with her charisma and achieved victory with minimal losses.

She served as the chief negotiator in peace talks with the barbarian Virendorf Elector, successfully concluding them.

During times when the Queen or Princess Anastasia took breaks from state affairs, she ran about with her guard like a centuries-old itinerant court to stubborn local lords.

Both in arms and politics, the achievements of a 14-year-old knight speak volumes.

Seeing this, how can one doubt Princess Valiere’s capabilities?

“Considering her track record, thinking she’s mediocre is foolish.”

“But, she did have Lord Polydoro’s help, didn’t she?”

“True, Lord Polydoro is a capable knight. Until now, who else but Princess Valiere could have served directly under him and benefited from his aid? Everyone should be aware of that.”

Princess Valiere herself chose Lord Polydoro as her advisor.

Yes, right here in this tavern’s inn.

Lord Polydoro used to stay here at this cheap tavern when he was a struggling knight, merely trying to feed his people.

“Princess Valiere, at the age of 12, found Lord Polydoro, known as the son of the notorious ‘Mad Marianne,’ without anyone’s help. She came to this tavern herself and brilliantly welcomed him as her advisor. Can such a fact be dismissed as mere luck or coincidence?”

Now, anyone would want to connect with Lord Polydoro, a fiercely loyal knight of immense power. Who would wish to oppose him?

Yet, at that time, he truly was isolated.

It was Princess Valiere who approached him, offered him a lower residence, and made him her advisor.

“Her competence is beyond doubt. Anyone can see and understand that.”

“So, are we fools for not seeing this?”

“That’s the only way to put it. You should completely reconsider your views.”

The competence of Princess Valiere von Anhalt, the second princess, is beyond question.

That conclusion was reached, and everyone accepted it.

As a result:

“We shall join. We too shall participate in Princess Valiere’s royal procession to the Imperial Capital. No other conclusion is possible.”

As a poor horse renter, I was recruited by the Ingritt Trading Company to join as a laborer.

A merchant laughed at this.

“We, mere horse renters without even citizenship, who pay dues to the commercial guilds and merely transport goods—what are you asking of us?”

“Only that you transport goods using your horses and wagons. Even if your horses die, your wagons break, you lose your goods, or even your life, it’s all on you.”

Princess Valiere, no doubt, demands this.

Laughter erupted.

“Who would join such a thing!”

“She isn’t forcing anyone. Only those who want to, should,” she supposedly said.

The conditions are harsh.

The princess takes no responsibility for the merchants.

However, the benefits exist nonetheless.

“Joining Princess Valiere’s column means you won’t have to pay taxes on trade, you know?”

“I’ve heard. Yes, I heard.”

“There will be no entry taxes in the cities. No tolls at the checkpoints. That’s what she has said.”

Princess Valiere doesn’t take responsibility for the merchants, but you are free to pass from Anhalt Royal Capital to Windbona Imperial Capital without paying any taxes.

“If we manage to transport goods from the royal to the imperial capital, the profits will be enormous.”

“But if we fall during the journey, we’ll be left behind. Will we be abandoned?”

“Yes. This is not an order from Princess Valiere, but a condition set by the Ingritt Trading Company. So, that’s what it means.”

Princess Valiere may compensate the damages for the innkeeper merchants to some extent, but really, she knows nothing of any other merchant.

She repeatedly made this cruelly clear.

“I have no desire to pay the poll tax, so as the third daughter ousted from home, I find myself unable to even serve in a shop, traveling from town to town as a horse renter.”

With no horses to my name, my only possessions are two adorable donkeys who have taken a liking to me and a freight cart.

Since I can’t afford to buy trade goods, I use the donkeys and the cart as collateral to borrow a significant amount of money from the Ingritt Trading Company. Under a contract that transfers everything to them should I fail during the journey, I buy goods.

I transport these goods from the royal capital to the imperial capital.

If I fail, it would be better to be dead.

Whether I fall ill, can no longer march due to the forced pace, get attacked by a pack of wolves on a forest path, or am unlucky enough to be ambushed by bandits at the edge of the column, Princess Valiere compensates nothing.

It’s simply a death from starvation.

“Right, I think I’ll take a gamble on this,” I muttered to myself while staring at a wooden cup brimming with ale.

Having previously spoken at length, as a horse renter, I am not trying to convince anyone else, merely laying bare all of my true feelings.

Yes, it’s all or nothing.

I’m betting everything on Princess Valiere.

It’s sink or swim.

As I’ve mentioned before, if I fail, everything ends.

But still…

“If I succeed, I can gain everything.”

I can prove everyone wrong.

The family that discarded me because I was liable for the poll tax.

The employers who fired me because I couldn’t even properly serve.

I could show them all.

Obtaining citizenship in the Royal Capital of Anhalt requires more than just money.

I need someone to vouch for my status, a relative or connection who can explain who I am if something happens.

No matter how much money I offer, I can’t even buy the rights of a citizen.

But if I succeed in this trade, Ingritt, the head of the Ingritt Trading Company, would create a background for me.

A merchant who gained wealth through association with the Ingritt Trading Company during Princess Valiere’s royal campaign, with a solid position and background.

Surely the capital would not refuse citizenship to such a person.

If Princess Valiere hears of this, if Ingritt, a merchant in service to Princess Valiere, claims this, can you imagine what would happen to the official who denies her citizenship?

If you know, then sign the citizenship registration immediately.

That’s how they would “persuade.”

This narrative would affirm my existence like nothing else.

Even me, a mere horse renter, sipping miserably on soup from a wooden bowl.

“I can prove all those who looked down on me wrong.”

Yes, I am fully aware now.

A life like this might as well be dead.

It’s only sad that my two affectionate donkeys should be dragged into my fate, with nothing else left for me.

It’s sink or swim.

Not taking this gamble would be a loss.

In front of me is Princess Valiere’s beautiful and lustrous red hair, a sign of good fortune.

It’s rumored that the god of fortune only has bangs, but not Princess Valiere.

She has demonstrated to the world by picking up the brave and loyal Lord Polydoro.

She achieved remarkable military feats in her first battle.

She won peace negotiations with barbarian tribes in politics.

She ran an itinerant court and showed authority to local lords.

Isn’t that enough?

Princess Valiere’s capabilities are already proven to the world.

Now, it’s not about whether she can make it or not.

She will succeed, so it’s up to me to follow in her footsteps.

It’s only about whether I have the ability to walk in her tracks.

I, I.

“I will bet everything on Princess Valiere. If not, such a person as I might as well die.”

That was the resolution I made.

Thus, I had nothing to fear.

If I can’t even grasp Princess Valiere’s beautiful red hair of good fortune, I might as well die.

I have decided this, both logically and manically.

As a merchant, I’ve made the decision to sink or swim.

“What will you all do?”

It’s not that I’ve grasped it and won’t hand it over to anyone else.

Rather, the more people there are, the better, as this opportunity is highly unique.

So, I ask.

“Will you bet everything and gain everything? Or will you miserably perish? Will you unfortunately fall along the journey? Having understood all this and still fall, blaming me would be unreasonable, as Princess Valiere has proposed.”

That’s all this is about.

It was just that.

A vast fortune and the rights of a citizen, all requiring a readiness to face death.

That’s all it is.

I smiled gently, observing my fellow merchants, people in the same miserable state as me.

Everyone, everyone.

Considering their positions, contemplating their wretched state.

Then, exploding in a shout.

“Glory to Princess Valiere, and to us pitiful horse renters, to the merchants!!”

I drained the ale-filled wooden cup and slipped out of the cheap tavern.

I was no longer in my right mind.

I would head to the Ingritt Trading Company, stake all my possessions as collateral, and borrow as much money as I could to buy all the trade goods available.

There was no other option, nothing else I could do.

“I will win, I will win.”

And then, I would prove everyone wrong.

I drained the ale from my cup, raising the empty vessel high.

I don’t aspire to become like Lord Polydoro, picked up by Princess Valiere from this very cheap tavern.

But still, still.

Since I’m betting my life, please.

“Glory to Princess Valiere and me. Fortune to the beautiful red hair. Citizenship to me. The right to boast as a human being!!”

Shouting so, I granted myself the right to order another ale.