Virgin Knight Who Is the Frontier Lord in the Gender Switched World - Chapter 160

After Lady Sabine’s reprimand, we broke camp.

Slowly, the carriage carrying only Lady Sabine and myself began to move.

In the end, I am beginning to grasp quite well what Lady Sabine truly wants to do.

—The goal for the rest of my life.

As I once declared to my cousin, Duchess Astarte, it is to secure the futures of the fourteen members of the Second Princess’s Royal Guard.

Then, as a duty of the Anhalt royal family and as a small token of respect to my fiancé, Lord Faust, I shall bear his children.

I had thought that would be the conclusion of my life, and honestly, I desired nothing more.

The idea of marrying the familiar Lord Faust and retreating to a rural estate seemed appealing—a good deal for me.

For the life path of this Valiere, it would not be a bad ending at all.

But that’s not how things will turn out.

“We need to have a serious talk, Sabine. Don’t evade the questions like you did before, answer everything honestly.”

“Yes, Miss Valiere. If it’s something you have noticed, I swear as a knight to answer everything honestly.”

In other words, if I haven’t noticed, she’ll keep silent until her death.

Suppressing the headache pounding in my temples, I spoke.

“Does my life plan seem easily collapsible? Is there no future where I retreat to the Polydoro estate?”

“To be frank, it’s like, ‘How long are you going to keep dreaming?'”

Lord Polydoro, engaged to Miss Valiere, is not considering a life of marriage under the current circumstances.

Despite swearing an oath, he has expressed his intention to stand against the invasion of Anhalt.

Considering this, if one were to trust Lord Polydoro’s intuition…

Sabine began to explain.

“In my view, a war is certain—a great war that will go down in history. The specifics won’t become clear until we reach the imperial capital. Or rather, it’s related to the troubles currently occurring there.”

Well, that seems to be the case.

It’s understandable that the imperial capital is already in chaos.

But why?

If I had to guess, why…

“Why do I have to participate in this historic great war…”

“Well, it’s because you’re royalty, Miss Valiere. And because you’re Lord Polydoro’s fiancée. Besides, haven’t you recently been visiting regional lords to rally them for a defensive war?”

“Well, I understand that…”

I understand my position, but I still want to complain.

My fiancé argues for fighting desperately for the country, and almost all the Anhalt nobility present at the oath-taking agreed, and I’ve been going around to local feudal lords to get them to agree.

And when it comes to the great war, if Miss Valiere, a member of the Anhalt royal family and engaged to Lord Polydoro, who had promised regional lords to participate in the great war, says, ‘I’m not going to be on the battlefield,’ it’s decided.

Even though my sister Anastasia has become the queen, if I were to say I decided to retire to the Polydoro estate, such flippant nonsense would not be accepted by anyone.

Even so, I’d still like to voice my complaints.

“I really don’t think I’m capable of anything…”

Am I unnecessary?

No matter how you look at it, I’m unnecessary, right?

Sabine understands that too.

I have received higher education, but I am a woman without any military talent or political power.

Sabine continues.

“It’s not about whether you can or cannot; if it comes down to it, nobles must fulfill their duties to the end, even if it means dying, right? You’re royalty, after all. If not, what have you been living off the citizens’ taxes for? Before heading to battle, they behead a cow for a victory prayer ceremony in Virendorf. Are you going to have your head chopped off and die in its place? If so, she would say so.”

Yes, my sister would say that.

After the first battle, I managed to improve my relationship with my sister, Anastasia.

But still, she would calmly say, “For the sake of the country, die; it’s your duty.”

My sister has resolved herself and went to the battlefield in the Virendorf campaign, as is her duty as royalty.

Even if it’s true, saying that you lack battlefield skills is treated as a cowardly excuse.

“Frankly, Miss Valiere, you don’t have the ability to lead a large army. Sabine is well aware of this, but it’s not needed, is it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Just that. If it’s about exceptional martial prowess, then Lord Polydoro, the strongest knight of Anhalt, is here. Even Sabine can command a few hundred soldiers directly under the guard, though she’ll need to gain actual battle experience on this journey.”

Anastasia, Astarte, and Queen Katarina of Virendorf would all face opponents.

Only Lord Reckenber, who could outmatch Sabine in espionage as well, would be spared.

It’s fine since Lord Polydoro accidentally met her and she died due to a dice roll going wrong.

Sabine explained Lord Reckenber’s death as if it were an accident.

Well, facing Lord Faust in a duel is like having a meteorite aimed at you—an unlucky accidental death, I suppose.

“All we ask of you on the battlefield, Miss Valiere, is to sit in a canopy-less carriage and watch us and the soldiers fight from behind. That’s all.”

Well, that would be the case, and it’s all I could do.

In the end, all I can do is reward the knights and soldiers who perform well and be fair to everyone.

That is the only privilege granted to me as royalty.

I sighed.

In the end, Sabine, much like her family’s Wesperman house, has been extorting money.

She gathered retainers as musketeers for the Second Princess’s Royal Guard and attracted many participants on this journey to the imperial capital, all for the same purpose.

“Let’s make soldiers for Miss Valiere. Let’s make a meat shield. To protect my family’s Second Princess’s Royal Guard, to protect my lord Miss Valiere, to protect my man, Lord Polydoro. These people are the sacrificial lambs.”

This expansion from her initial idea.

During this journey, Sabine has been trying to create a group that would join her call in the great war.

Of course, as already stated, these soldiers are “to protect me until we reach the imperial capital,” and for reasons such as “it seemed more fun to stay quiet,” and “If I explicitly say I’m preparing a meat shield, Miss Valiere would be upset. Don’t worry about it.”

Sabine has achieved many goals on this journey, and there was not a single lie in the rewards promised to these women, but in the end, it was all for using them up in the great war and killing them off for Miss Valiere’s sake.

From then on, they would be dispensable in Miss Valiere’s life.

With the exception of those particularly close to her, she felt they were worth less than nothing.

I have a headache.

I have a stomach ache.

Anyway, I felt sick to my stomach from Sabine’s twisted ethical sense and her loyalty to me.

Sabine’s thoughts had a childish innocence, but at the same time, they were impulsively calculating, like a psychopathic chimpanzee.

That’s enough; it’s beyond help.

Still, I cannot bring myself to abandon Sabine, who has sworn loyalty to me, and once she has relied on me, I cannot abandon anyone.

It’s a flaw I can only admit to myself as a hopeless fool.

The dreaming mercenary group, the poor horse borrowers, the third and fourth daughters of nobles disowned by their families—if Sabine has already made promises to them, then I, as their superior, will guarantee them to the end.

That’s enough.

I’m prepared for that.

“……I understand. I understand everything. Now, Sabine. There’s just one more thing I want to ask you.”

Pointing outside the carriage.

A newly knighted former mercenary captain and her subordinates joyfully tossed the heads of thirty bandits onto the cart, pulling the carriage.

Even though they were bandits, desecrating the bodies of the dead goes against the Redeemer’s teachings, as argued by a Cologne Sect cleric who momentarily held them back—why do they sometimes act more righteous than some priests?

I don’t want to do this either, and I would leave it to the Cologne Sect if they wanted to perform the rites.

However, Sabine insists, “Please wait a little longer, as we will use these.”

But what does she intend to do with collected heads?

I’ve said it many times: killing bandits doesn’t turn a profit.

We managed to recover their poor equipment, but as Faust repeatedly said, there wasn’t anything of value.

“What do you intend to do with these collected bandit heads?”

“Miss Valiere, you said no looting of cities.”

“Indeed, I did say that.”

Sabine does not protect what I didn’t say.

Sabine does not mention what I didn’t notice.

However, conversely, she upholds what I have said, and if I do notice, she answers honestly.

Her ethical sense operates under these peculiar rules.

If she were to break even that, she knows I would never trust her again.

“So, how do you plan to raise travel funds? What’s the meaning of the bandits’ heads?”

“Simply put, we’ll convert them into cash. Well, we won’t actually hand over the heads.”

“Who would convert them?”

I have an idea.

Essentially, no looting.

No looting, but…

“It depends on the region’s authority—whether a feudal lord, a cleric, or a merchant representative of the citizens—”

“You plan to line up the heads and intimidate them? Even then, dignitaries concerned about their face won’t easily yield.”

“We won’t do such things.”

Of course, of course.

We won’t do that to regional rulers, who hold the face of the entire land.

We won’t crush their dignity either.

That’s what Sabine says.

“But think about it. For the suffering people of that land, by chance, on the way to the imperial capital, by chance, Miss Valiere’s army defeated a band of bandits. It’s entirely coincidental, so it doesn’t shame the dignitaries responsible for maintaining security.”

Indeed, no dignitary would be angry about killing a bandit group beyond the protection of the law and shaming them for failing to maintain security.

They wouldn’t, but on the other hand, there are a few who would. Those who belittled me as a mere woman knight, well, I ignored them until they insulted my mother, Marianne, and then I was genuinely furious.

A presumptuous man’s high nose was ripped off by someone on the spot.

Justice is served.

Faust, while drunk, elaborated in a rather unrefined manner.

Killing bandits on your own and shaming the knights of that region is clumsy.

I did it in the past, but bandits had no money, and nothing good came from being underestimated or retaliating against insults—what are you doing, Faust?

Well, anyway, it seems there’s no issue regarding saving face.

“Next, as Miss Valiere worries, we will not threaten. Lining up heads at the city gates, surrounding them with our musketeers firing muskets, mercenaries causing a ruckus with whistles and drums until the other side voluntarily pays a tribute. I honestly considered this at first, but since the Cologne Sect clergy would desperately stop us, it’s rejected.”

“Eh, those people are coming to stop it? They won’t just fire blanks with us?”

“Miss Valiere, what do you think the Cologne Sect is? They are clergy.”

Sabine looks at me with a puzzled expression, but yes, if you put it that way.

I had only imagined the Cologne Sect might join us in selling gunpowder and salt at high prices by the barrel.

Upon reflection, they were the clergy who even insisted on mourning the dead bandits.

Yes, I misunderstood.

Misunderstandings caused by the Cologne Sect.

I honestly reflect.

“The worst case is to ignore it, but it’s also troublesome not to be considerate of the Cologne Sect. This time, let’s take a more refined approach.”

“A refined method?”

Regarding the local authority and our own clergy of the Cologne Sect.

We need the travel funds, and Anhalt is stingy, so I wanted to give the newly knighted mercenary captain some monetary reward for her knighthood, at least enough for her knightly equipment.

Anhalt is stingy, so I know they won’t prepare any funds for her when we return to the capital.

It’s pitiful, so I have to figure it out myself.

So, it can’t be helped.

This is unavoidable.

Overwhelmingly safe… safety line.

My heart is leaning toward Sabine’s opinion.

If a refined method can extract—rather, receive a tribute from the local authority, shouldn’t that be permissible?

I was prepared to draw such a permissible line in my heart.

“Spit it out, Sabine. I’m very interested in what you call a refined act.”

I gave the go-ahead.

Honestly, even if Sabine mentioned somewhat rough methods, if there’s a practical issue of lacking funds, I’m prepared to accept it.

“Well, essentially, we’ll take a method that doesn’t crush the opponent’s face. Well, we’ll take a method that is seen as unavoidable because we’ve been so considerate. Not out of fear of violence, but because they’re paying out of a pure sense of gratitude. That’s the approach we’ll take.”

Honestly, Sabine sometimes speaks in such a roundabout way it’s hopeless.

I’m slightly concerned why she seems a bit hesitant to say it.

“Hurry up and conclude.”

I urged her a bit.

I’m curious about this enchanting method Sabine claims is so refined, and as long as we can provide for this poor traveling band in a way everyone can agree on, it would be good.

Then, perhaps, this stomach ache will subside a bit.

The guilt for gathering these people due to Sabine and my actions might also fade.

With just a slight, very slight smile…

“Miss Valiere, please personally visit the local authority. Then inform them how Miss Valiere’s army ‘coincidentally’ defeated a band of mountain bandits tormenting the good men and women of the land and casually mention our ‘brigade’s troop size’ afterward. Just keep smiling pleasantly. Even if the other side tries to change the subject, ignore them and just keep smiling.”

The smile becomes forced.

Essentially, breaking it down in my own words…

“Eh, I’m going to indirectly say, ‘Pay a tribute for the bandit extermination’? Me, personally?”

“Yes, well, if you prefer, I can handle it with the rougher method I mentioned earlier…”

If she insists on a refined approach, then I must personally intimidate the local authority.

I’ve been so clear in considering your face up to this point, you understand, right? This isn’t a threat, but you are moved to reward my brigade, right? Please subtly convey this.

Sabine said so, cruelly.

Ah, yes, my name is Valiere von Anhalt.

Utterly mediocre, but from the standpoint of the Holy Gusten Empire, I am the Second Princess of the Electoral House of Anhalt, far surpassing any minor nobility.

Indeed, if I stepped forward, the other side likely wouldn’t dare spurn my face, and they might give in.

But no, indeed, it’s more refined than surrounding the city, but…

It’s no different from a threat—isn’t it? Oh, well…

“No, I’ll do it. There’s nothing else to do, right?”

Because Anhalt is so stingy, there’s no allowance left for me.

After making excuses to myself, my stomach clenched painfully.