Virgin Knight Who Is the Frontier Lord in the Gender Switched World - Chapter 152

The Anhalt Palace’s rose garden grants are rare, bestowed only to a select few.

For Her Majesty Queen Liesenlotte, it remains a sanctuary left by her beloved husband, Robert, accessible only to Liesenlotte herself, her eldest daughter Anastasia, her second daughter Valiere, and select individuals like the gardener Michael, who were close to Robert during his life.

I am among those privileged.

As a young bureaucratic official and the right hand of Queen Liesenlotte, I am married to a man who once served as a page to Lord Robert.

I have been granted the right to enter the royal rose garden, to host guests at the garden table, just as Lord Robert once did—an aristocratic custom to display one’s status and power before commencing negotiations.

“Is this the pinnacle of your rise? To think Her Majesty holds you in such high regard,” remarked Lady Sabine, the guest, nonchalantly.

Most would start currying favor upon recognizing the power differential, but I knew the caliber of the person before me was not of petty stature.

I responded to her.

“Well, perhaps. I was once nothing more than the impoverished third daughter of a minor noble family—yet here I am.”

My family, though hereditary knights, held no official positions and lived in poverty. My elder sisters, deprived of entertainments, lovingly taught me what they learned at school. Our parents risked censure to petition Lord Robert, proclaiming that their youngest daughter would surely contribute to the royal family, which led to my service at the palace.

There, I met my husband, who served as a page to Lord Robert, and our love flourished.

We now have a child.

Lady Sabine is well aware of this and needs no further explanation.

“No, I suppose I am overly blessed—from parents, siblings, superiors, to a spouse.”

Blessed by all, I established a new line of hereditary knights, standing as a bureaucratic official and the queen’s right hand.

Of course, I also support my family home, which remains influential. My sisters hold respectable positions as nobles, and we send substantial remittances home—though, with the amount of patronage from merchants at the castle, this was hardly necessary.

“I am happy, unlike you, Lady Sabine.”

I mockingly alluded to the standing of Sabine von Wesperman.

When Lord Polydoro took a geas, the Wesperman family faced public ridicule.

Though little known, Lord Polydoro had resolved an assassination attempt against Lord Robert, while the Wesperman family failed to resolve it.

To the queen, the crest of her noble house holds no value anymore. They won’t lose their title, but a decline to mere crest nobility seems inevitable.

The opposite of my situation.

“Your family probably doesn’t matter much to you anyway, does it?”

“If they collapse, so be it,” Lady Sabine replied nonchalantly.

To her, and to me alike, our families are of little concern.

“Regardless of Her Majesty’s favor, I wonder how Princess Anastasia will act. Perhaps Marina might manage with the princess’s favor, but the Wesperman house is effectively gone.”

“That brings us to,” Lady Sabine finally broached the main topic, slightly amused.

“As a favored bureaucratic official of the queen, will you also be accepted as the right hand of Princess Anastasia?”

“I believe I have the capability.”

The tea party was at Lady Sabine’s request, and we were alone in the rose garden.

Was this conversation worth the private setting?

“Then you should demonstrate your capabilities to Princess Anastasia before she returns from the imperial capital after the Elector’s consecration.”

That would soon be determined.

“Let’s hear it,” I muttered.

Lady Sabine briefly chuckled before continuing.

“You’ve significantly reduced the number of noble houses.”

“Necessary actions,” I replied.

Those who openly scorned Lord Faust von Polydoro during the geas incident, disparaging a man who risked his life to warn of the kingdom’s peril, deserved no better fate.

I listed the inept nobles and, by the queen’s command, stripped them of their titles and crushed their houses.

“So what now? Princess Anastasia appreciates my efforts, and I doubt she’ll fault me for it.”

“I’m not saying it’s bad. Quite the opposite, really.”

Lady Sabine took a sip of her tea, prelude to the continuation of our discussion.

“Many knightly houses have vanished, many titles are now vacant, many positions are unoccupied, and budgets are freed up. Despite a modicum of sympathy for those ousted, everyone is concerned about these openings.”

“I see.”

It was about the scramble for the newly vacant posts.

“If they’re simply from a knight’s lineage, capable of handling their duties, there are plenty available. Plans are to distribute these fairly, aren’t they?”

“Not wrong to curry favor or bind ties through nobility, but becoming mere pawns of landed knights might be questionable.”

I pondered Lady Sabine’s point.

“Is a knight without actual combat or expedition experience really what Anhalt needs now?”

“Indeed.”

Not a priority. The useless ones lacked not only political cunning but competency in their roles.

“Prioritize ‘fighting knights’ then.”

If a great war like a crusade were to erupt, what we’d need are knights ready for immediate combat.

“That’s the idea. Any suggestions?”

“Perhaps.”

Conflicts between lordly knights over territory boundaries were common in the Kingdom of Anhalt, and mediating these disputes necessitated the presence of a sovereign local lord under a bilateral contract with the royal family.

Knights’ loyalty is often conditional, employed when beneficial.

Experienced killers are not scarce.

But they’re often involved in minor raids rather than grand battles.

“Knights with commanding capabilities and extensive expedition experience are rare here.”

At least, not in Anhalt. Lords and heirs of noble houses are bound by military duties and can’t simply be pulled from their positions.

If there were, however—

“I understand what you’re suggesting. We’re to hire foreign troops, right? Seems like a waste.”

Indeed, investing heavily in foreign mercenaries or lordly armies involves a one-way outflow of gold, silver, and resources abroad—funds that would never circulate within our kingdom. Although necessary under desperate circumstances, from the perspective of a bureaucratic official responsible for the national economy, this was hardly the best course of action.

“So, you’re suggesting we should quickly elevate Lady Sabine to a hereditary noble position?”

I deliberately made a misinformed response, knowing well that her intentions weren’t so self-serving.

“No, that’s not it. I’ve already secured such a promise from Princess Anastasia during this journey.”

Trying another incorrect guess, I ventured, “You want all the knights of the Second Princess’s personal guard elevated to nobility?”

“No. That would happen in the great war that Lord Polydoro has warned about.”

Then, perhaps the correct answer would be, “During Princess Valiere’s upcoming campaign, you want me to select knights with ‘long-term battle experience’ and ‘extensive real combat experience,’ and in return, you want a significant number of the newly vacant posts?”

“That’s right.”

It seemed absurd. I was tempted to stand up and end the conversation, but the audacity of Lady Sabine’s proposal piqued my interest. If she could actually deliver, it wasn’t a bad deal. I decided to remain seated and urged her to continue.

“Continue.”

“Well, ‘long-term battle experience’ can simply be achieved by making it from the royal capital to the imperial capital. It’s already superior to those who’ve never stepped beyond the city walls.”

I conceded that point. Now, the next issue.

“How do you plan to provide ‘extensive real combat experience’?”

“People live by helping each other,” she replied, though it wasn’t really an answer.

For example, “Do you intend to count the overwhelming plunder of towns and villages as real combat experience? Are you suggesting that knights who prioritize looting over the objectives of war will be of any use on the battlefield? Do you even understand that the spirit of chivalry is about forging warriors who are truly useful in combat?”

“Princess Valiere would never allow such plundering. Along the way to the imperial capital, they could target bandit groups or rough mercenary bands that local lords are struggling with. That’s not uncommon.”

Indeed, even Princess Anastasia’s own guard had been attacked by bandits on the road. Bandits were ubiquitous.

“Then, isn’t it true chivalry to not overlook the suffering of good, innocent people along the way, even if it means a slight detour? I believe that’s the case.”

“Indeed.”

More than protecting the good from villains, it sounded like an excuse to massacre villains for combat experience and justify it as a noble cause.

“And this might delay their arrival at the imperial capital, but that’s acceptable, right?” This seemed a questionable stance for someone serving as a knight of the Anhalt Kingdom.

“I see.”

Now, this bureaucratic official sometimes has a bit of hearing trouble, so occasionally I miss some words.

Even if I did miss something, it’s not my fault—the person who doesn’t consider my poor hearing is to blame.

“I see. I didn’t catch everything, but I think I understand the gist. There were some parts hard to hear.”

“It’s known that the bureaucratic official has poor hearing, so it can’t be helped.”

Somehow, the conversation continued, though I wasn’t quite sure where it was heading.

“And how do you plan to find ‘a strong knight as a commander’?”

“That’s a bit challenging. We’ll try to train as many as we can, but we might have to hire experienced individuals.”

Hiring experienced personnel. Well, that’s not unheard of.

“Integrate an entire mercenary group?”

“Those who lead mercenary groups are often the third or fourth daughters of knights, or the fallen squires. Unless they are exceptionally talented, those without proper education wouldn’t end up leading a mercenary group.”

A fact indeed.

It’s not uncommon for noble offspring, educated as aristocrats, to end up leading a mercenary band.

“Would it be so wrong to extend a hand to such women from someone as noble as Lady Valiere?”

“A touching story.”

Truly heartwarming. A mercenary band leader, who had contributed on the battlefield, getting direct support from royalty—potentially even recruiting their entire troop.

A story of honor, rights, and riches.

“A beautiful tale.”

“One that will be told in the Kingdom of Anhalt for a thousand years.”

Their descendants would proudly recount how their lineage was honored by such a narrative.

Lady Sabine seemed pleased with her proposal. Indeed, it wasn’t a bad plan.

“Lady Sabine, may I speak a soliloquy?”

“Go ahead. I hear that the bureaucratic official has a habit of talking to herself.”

“Thank you.”

I sipped my tea, wetting my tongue.

“Indeed, this sounds economically sound. Better to circulate money within our own borders to raise troops than to employ foreigners. What intrigues me is the hiring of experienced individuals. It’s unsightly to grant titles to heads of mercenary groups who haven’t earned their stripes. However, if they prove themselves by protecting the good and defeating villains during Lady Valiere’s campaign, why would anyone object to her granting them titles?”

Only a fool would argue against that, no better than the incompetents who scorned Lord Polydoro.

“Any objections will be dealt with by me, the queen’s right hand.”

I implicitly promised to manage the vacancies, future hiring costs, and appearances.

But then.

“However, ‘extensive real combat experience’ is somewhat left to chance. Bandits generally flee when disadvantaged. The primary objective remains to safely reach the imperial capital.”

“True, it won’t be easy. Hiring experienced individuals is our main plan, so this is just a backup.”

Lord Polydoro, famous for his many encounters with bandits, once complained that they would flee upon seeing him. Given his imposing presence—over two meters tall and weighing more than 130 kilograms, wielding a parade-sized greatsword—it was understandable even insects would flee.

Lady Sabine muttered and placed her now empty teacup down.

“Well, then. If upon her successful return as Elector, Princess Anastasia finds that all the positions filled by competent knights were arranged by her future right hand, she would be extremely pleased. She would recognize the skill. That’s the gist of it.”

I fully grasped her intentions. It wasn’t a bad proposal.

“Lady Sabine, should this succeed, I will acknowledge all your efforts. After you receive your title, I’ll arrange multiple positions for you and provide the funds to maintain your forces. What else might you need?”

“The third and fourth daughters of noble families, those languishing at home, might soon head out to lead their own mercenary bands. The kind like you and I. Could you give them a firm push in the right direction?”

“So, you want me to entrust you with these would-be knights, if they show aptitude for command? Very well.”

Quietly, I drained the last drop of my tea.

I was fully prepared to accept Lady Sabine’s demands.