Virgin Knight Who Is the Frontier Lord in the Gender Switched World - Chapter 228

I knocked on the door, calling out the name of the knight who had pledged fealty to me.

Amelia von Berlichingen.

Renowned as the worst bandit knight in the history of the Empire.

“Amelia!? Is Lady Amelia von Berlichingen here?”

“Indeed I am, Lady Valiere. This is my room, after all.”

As I called out while opening the door, a response came at the same moment, as if Amelia had anticipated I would arrive at any second.

“You know why I’m here, don’t you?”

“It’s about teaching the arrogant Imperial Capital’s Merchant Guild a lesson, isn’t it? I thought you’d be arriving soon.”

Lady Berlichingen responded without any unnecessary chatter, getting straight to the point.

Good. That made things quicker.

“About the arson at the newspaper office, you need to stop—”

“There’s no punishment from the Emperor, you know?”

I was about to admonish her for the arson when she uttered something that caught my attention.

“What did you just say?”

“Even if we set fire to a newspaper office in the Imperial Capital, the Emperor, the lord of this land, won’t exercise his right to issue punishments. Can you imagine why?”

“Uh…”

I felt like she was sidestepping the topic. But it was true that the Emperor not exercising his judicial right to punish arson at a newspaper office raised questions. It was worth exploring.

“The Emperor’s judicial power—his right to issue punishment—doesn’t cover the entire Capital, and the newspaper office isn’t within his jurisdiction? Even though it’s the Imperial Capital, power isn’t centralized under the Emperor alone. There are different lords within the city, and the authority is dispersed.”

“Half correct.”

Amelia replied.

“Indeed, broadly speaking, there are four rulers in the Imperial Capital: the Emperor, the Citizens’ Council, the Monastery, and the Imperial urban nobility. The newspaper office falls under the jurisdiction of the Citizens’ Council, more precisely under the section controlled by the Merchant Guild of the Imperial Capital. So, your interpretation, Lady Valiere, is largely correct.”

She explained it simply, as if giving a lecture.

“In other words, the newspaper office is under the protection of the Citizens’ Council, not under the Emperor’s protection. Therefore, there’s no reason for His Majesty to protect it. However, setting fire in the Imperial Capital is a significant breach of internal order, which could become an issue. The Emperor would likely intervene. Normally, that is.”

Amelia summarized—murmuring with a smile. It was the kind of smile one gives a student who’s answered correctly, instead of praising them.

“Well, publicly it’s still part of the Capital ruled by the Emperor. But if you’re saying I’m only half right, then what’s the other half?”

I thought hard, furrowing my brow. After much pondering, I spoke the answer that came to mind.

“Is it because the Emperor hates the Citizens’ Council?”

“Full marks. Well done.”

It seemed I had answered correctly.

“…When the Emperor was just a naive five-year-old, a rebellion was started by his relatives. The Citizens’ Council sided with the rebels and imprisoned him in the palace. During his confinement in one of the rooms of the Windbona palace, he was given nothing more than a piece of bread to eat. His father, who was also imprisoned, gave everything he had to the young Emperor, eventually starving to death. That hatred still festers within her to this day.”

I thought about it. Thought, and then…

“So, the Emperor couldn’t care less if the Citizens’ Council or the Merchant Guild members, or their people, die.”

“Precisely, my Lady Valiere.”

“…Hmm.”

I understood why the Emperor wouldn’t care if the Citizens’ Council suffered. But even so, arson seemed excessive, regardless of whether the Emperor would intervene or not.

“But arson is still a bit much—”

“Lady Valiere, to be frank, the Citizens’ Council sees you as a pushover. Those merchants think that despite being an Elector’s child who defeated the Elector of Mainz, you will back down if they push hard enough.”

“…”

Why am I being underestimated to this extent?

I may not have done it alone, but I’ve fought my way through this journey. I found myself wondering, but Amelia spoke first.

“…Frustrating as it is, even I would look down on you if I understood the situation and gathered all the information. Your kind nature is well-known in Anhalt, and the Citizens’ Council of the Imperial Capital knows it too. So they think about how cheaply they can buy the goods you bring.”

Even Amelia. But I know that I’m soft-hearted.

Still—do I have to deny that with violence? Is it really worth setting fire to a newspaper office? Is there no room for negotiation?

“But, Lady Valiere, it’s not just your kind nature that’s the problem. Those in the Citizens’ Council, and the Merchant Guild, fundamentally look down on not only you but also me, the so-called bandit knight you lead, and every member of your retinue as ‘outsiders from beyond the Imperial Capital’s walls’—in other words, country bumpkins. Oh, yes, quite simply—”

Amelia spoke bitterly, yet… it was as if she couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.

“They lack imagination. They never think something like this could happen in the Imperial Capital. That we wouldn’t dare do something like this within the city walls. They assume you have to convert your goods into money, and that the Merchant Guild is the only buyer, so they demand foolish concessions from you. Therefore, we must prove that we aren’t to be taken lightly. That is the negotiation.”

Amelia turned her back to me. Through the window, I could see the large clock that marked the time, and I could hear its chimes.

“By the way, Lady Valiere.”

Amelia spoke as if voicing something she had been curious about for a while.

“Does Lady Sabine always report everything she does to you like this? I was under the impression that after-the-fact reporting was acceptable.”

“Well, Sabine is quite something too. Sometimes she reports after the fact… or maybe mostly after the fact…”

I hesitated. Sabine also tends to act on her own.

She seems to believe that as long as it benefits me, she can do whatever she wants. And if I don’t notice, then she figures after-the-fact reporting will suffice.

Am I really her master?

“Understood. After-the-fact reporting won’t suffice, then. I beg your pardon, as I’m new to court service…”

The chimes of the clock echoed. It was almost time for the night watch to begin their patrols to protect the city from fires.

Amelia knelt before me in a knightly pose, asking for forgiveness as if in homage.

“Actually—”

“I already gave the order to set fire to the newspaper office an hour ago. By now, it should be happening just before the night watch starts patrolling. I’ll take whatever punishment comes after it’s all over.”

I was too late. I sighed, realizing that there was no turning back now.

I reluctantly approved Amelia’s actions. After all, there was no one else but me who could take responsibility for what had been done.