Virgin Knight Who Is the Frontier Lord in the Gender Switched World - Chapter 166

How many chances are left?

Are there a dozen more, or not even one?

The anxiety is unbearable.

Without any means, it’s forbidden to even pull a single hair from the “Lucky Fairy.”

Such rare good fortune as a knighthood remains elusive.

Given that all the promises from Lady Sabine were true, missing this chance would make my entire life a lie.

I’d end my days in regret, thinking if only I had done better then.

Mumbling grievances while drinking.

“Pretihya!”

I shout the name.

It’s the name of someone who’s already grabbed a single hair.

Once the head of a well-known mercenary group near Anhalt—now a knight of Anhalt.

At the knighthood ceremony given by Lady Valiere, she was the first knight ever knighted by a sword during this journey.

Now, her former mercenaries, all granted citizenship, held official military positions.

Ah.

Why has such a gap arisen?

I shout her name like a scream.

“Pretihya!”

She almost stops—but doesn’t and continues walking.

She must have heard my voice.

Why ignore me!

I felt anger but also calmed down a bit.

Ah, she definitely wants to be called.

She wants me to say it all.

“Loyal knight of Lady Valiere, Lady Pretihya! Please wait!!”

Imagining how she wants to be called now, what I would want if I were her, I call out to her clearly.

“If it’s said that way, I can’t help but turn around, my friend.”

Pretihya stops and turns around slowly.

Her face is brimming with pleasure.

Radiating delight, flaunting the “collar of a loyal knight of Lady Valiere.”

Grinding my teeth at it, I convey my request.

“If you say we’re friends, then please indulge me in a conversation.”

“Indeed, you and I are friends. We have even tried to kill each other before, and together we attacked those despicable employers—us mercenaries. We are comrades on this journey. That hasn’t changed even after I became a knight.”

Pretihya acknowledges me as a friend still.

But then she mutters some nonsense.

I’m also busy in my position.

Lady Sabine has asked if I could spare some soldiers for the lady’s escort, and I need to greet other knights who were recently ennobled.

She’s the third daughter of the Anhalt nobility, so if she doesn’t have even a servant, it wouldn’t be bad to lend her some soldiers during the journey.

Well, I intend to learn about the knight’s behavior in the Anhalt royal capital from her.

It’s all about helping each other.

She rambles on about that.

I understand.

“My family crest, but I don’t want to display the crest of the house I left. Here, I should design something inspired by fairies, following Lady Valiere…”

She has no intention of listening to me.

She just wants to boast.

Because if I were in her place, I would do the same.

The actions of arrogant people are the same at their peak.

“Are you listening?”

“I am indeed.”

If I were in the same position, knighted by Lady Valiere, I would indulge in any amount of her stories.

I would do just the same boasting.

For now, that remains a dream-like story.

“Lady Pretihya, I wanted to ask. Did you mention the escort troops for the lady just now?”

First, I needed to unravel the thread of her boasting.

“Hm? Were you listening? Ah, yes. As you know, our group has grown—ranging from mercenaries with rich combat experience to almost superhuman Black Knights. With the expanded number of troops, we must gather loyal knights desperate to protect her ladyship. Of course, I’ll protect her ladyship with my life.”

Grinding my teeth.

Everyone seems to be stealing my chance.

I understand.

Becoming knights and citizens for merely wiping out a small band of thieves was an exceptionally generous offer.

There were candidates throughout the empire.

The greatest chance was when everyone was half-doubting Lady Sabine’s promise, yet lured by the enticing terms.

Pretihya was the one honored with the knighthood.

“Don’t worry. Lady Sabine told me not to steal other’s achievements and be resented. I won’t join in killing thieves anymore.”

Just envy.

Yes, she, covered in blood and mud like us, was the one who emerged from the mire.

I—

“Pretihya. Did Lady Sabine tell you where the bandits were?”

“Such base suspicions aren’t good.”

As sharp as a wolf, she might have been prioritized by Lady Sabine to receive information about bandits.

Perhaps she passed some silver under the table.

It’s not that I think such tactics are bad.

If possible, I would do the same.

“I see, I won’t deny that I had prior information,” Pretihya admitted with a candid tone. “I divided and gathered information about the bandits together with Lady Sabine. What’s wrong with knowing first? It only makes sense that the knight of the personal guard who first discovered the bandits shared the information with me, as I was cooperative.”

…

It seemed likely true.

I knew Pretihya had been up to something in the city, but I couldn’t find out exactly what.

Lady Sabine wouldn’t have been kind enough to inform me directly.

That was all there was to it.

“Is that all you have to say?”

“Could you tell Lady Sabine that my mercenary group wants to help in the next city?”

…

I had to act now.

If I did nothing here, I would truly never reach honor.

“It’s fine by me, though others have already said the same.”

“…It seems everyone thinks alike.”

Everyone was desperate, doing everything conceivable to seize their moment.

Blood boiling, muscles twitching, mercenaries gambling their lives in a frenzy, making this the journey of their lives.

If honor was achieved, it would be a lifelong boast.

There might even be killings over it between different groups.

Indeed, if killing a neighbor would bring honor, I wouldn’t mind.

I no longer considered murder a sin.

“I have a bad feeling about your ideas, so let me warn you. Murder and strife within the brigade are forbidden. If you tarnish the reputation of Lady Valiere and Lady Sabine, you won’t receive any honor.”

“I understand.”

…

Of course, I wouldn’t do such a thing.

Knowing that winning this crazy bloodbath could bring benefits my miserable life could never dream of.

In a frenzy, on the verge of losing my sanity.

But the brigade maintained discipline because breaking it meant not even being allowed to throw chips on the table.

If anyone stole from the merchants traveling with us, they would be beaten until swollen with blood and left to rot.

One foolish act could cost us our futures!

It was good that I had killed that enemy of mine.

“Well, look. I truly support you from the bottom of my heart, right? Lady Valiere, Lady Sabine, and the notoriously stingy royal house of Anhalt are really splurging this time. A knighthood isn’t just given once or twice. It’ll happen several more times.”

…

Whether one of those times would come to me was the question!

The number in the brigade had expanded from 1000 to 1500.

As Lady Valiere’s journey continued, more knights and citizens would be appointed.

Rumors would spread, and more volunteers would want to join the journey.

It wasn’t just the added mercenaries and Black Knights.

“…Pretihya. It seems that the number of traveling merchants and entertainers has also increased.”

“You’ve noticed well. I’ve already paid a visit to greet Lady Valiere. Of course, direct audiences aren’t permitted. Lady Sabine and I have been dealing with them as our first duty.”

…

Sharp-eyed merchants and entertainers gathered, offering their best silver coins to join the journey.

Even if they joined midway, the imperial capital was still far.

This was a grand opportunity.

Thousands would move from city to city, consuming vast supplies, slaughtering bandits, restoring peace, and paving the way to the capital.

The necessary funding for these acts was also secured.

“Is it a big deal that Amelia von Berlichingen joined?”

“It is.”

…

That notorious bandit knight hadn’t knelt to Lady Valiere.

But of course, the fairy-like princess.

Countess Berlichingen gladly brought a hundred elite troops and arrayed her banners in the camp, joining the journey.

This news had already spread through the empire, probably shaking every lord along the way.

Pretihya was eloquent.

With Countess Berlichingen added, even this coarse mercenary captain could understand the intentions.

Lady Valiere intended to demand legal plunder (feud) from every lord during the journey.

She planned to amply cover the journey’s finances on the way.

At the journey’s end, Lady Valiere’s purse would surely be filled with mountains of silver coins.

Perhaps even more than the tens of thousands Countess Berlichingen had amassed.

It was terrifying.

And at the same time, I was proud.

I was now under her command.

“She’s like a devil. Lady Valiere, with her fairy-like appearance that disarms people, with her fragrant voice that captivates, and with her devilish actions—”

…

By the time we reached the imperial capital, she would have massacred every bandit group found, paved her path with a carpet of blood, amassed wealth from the robbed nobles, and used the name of the Anhalt Electorate to build her own army.

Only then might she deign to settle as a regional lord, a position offered by the royal family, after achieving something that would be remembered a thousand years from now in the capital.

That was the condition Lady Valiere imposed on her sister, the princess, before going to the imperial capital for the electoral ceremony.

It was clear to anyone.

There was no other reason for her highness to head to the capital.

No, perhaps she even planned to kill Princess Anastasia and become the elector herself.

More likely, Lady Valiere would certainly act on any opportunity.

Even the Empress herself, wrapped up in such strife, would not intervene, no matter how dreadful the conflict.

It was madness.

I had never encountered such a terrifying existence.

Once, I had heard she was unsuitable as a spare to the throne.

What nonsense!

We all were, myself included, nothing but blind fools!

Before Lady Valiere, the fairy announcing death (banshee), we were just pitiful creatures trembling in fear.

“Her highness intends to destroy all her enemies. If there’s an opportunity, she might even kill her own sister to end it. She’s truly a fairy announcing death to all.”

…

It was frightening.

I was terrified of the magnificent entity that was Lady Valiere.

At the same time—everyone involved in the journey yearned for her recognition, burning to be consumed by her fire.

Anyone would be desperate to become her knight.

I was exhilarated.

Perhaps, at this moment, I was witnessing a historic event.

That much was certain.