Virgin Knight Who Is the Frontier Lord in the Gender Switched World - Chapter 233

Valiere had the appearance of a fairy.

With her elegant demeanor, she could easily be mistaken for a bewitching blood fairy. It’s an apt description.

She exuded an aura that lacked the fierceness of a warrior, almost like a young girl who had yet to experience her first battle.

Though dignified, her voice still carried the sweet tones of a young girl when she spoke.

I knew that she was no stranger to battle, having already slain a person in her very first combat.

“Valiere von Anhalt. I am deeply honored to have been invited by His Majesty the Emperor.”

With a graceful bow and the utterance of her name, it was clear that she was not merely a woman being propped up by those around her.

She was charisma in her own right.

Beside her stood her partner, Lord Faust, who also drew attention.

His chest was as broad as a kite shield, his arms thicker than a greatsword, and even his cheeks seemed to be packed with muscle, resulting in a deep voice.

It was like the sound of a massive gong being struck.

With such a body, it seemed like he could swing a greatsword with just one arm.

Though his appearance was not unpleasant, his hands told another story.

Covered in thick calluses from wielding swords and spears, his hands were swollen and rounded, much like a bear’s paw, with hardened and gnarled skin.

They were grotesque to the point that one could hardly call them the hands of a man.

In summary, he was quite unattractive as a man.

And yet――

“I am Faust von Polydoro. A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Strangely enough, I found myself drawn to him.

Was it possible for such a superhuman man to exist?

I couldn’t help but think so.

He extended his hand toward me.

I grasped his palm with my own thin, malnourished hand.

His hand was hot, full of heat.

If he truly wished, he could likely crush my hand right here and now.

“I am Maxine von Lothringen. I have long heard of the famous Lord Polydoro.”

“I wonder what the rumors say.”

“For example, that you shattered the gates of the fortress where Duke Temeraire was holed up with a cannonball deflection.”

A smile played on my lips.

There must be more to it.

When the Elector of Mainz was defeated, no doubt Faust was at Valiere’s side.

I envied their master-servant relationship.

No, I should say their romantic relationship.

After all, these two were engaged.

……Engaged, huh.

Maxine has no such person.

“Valiere, may I call you by name?”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

“Then, let’s get to the main topic.”

A man.

I want a man.

At the very least, someone noble, whose bloodline is sufficiently distant to not dilute our family’s, and a superhuman man at that.

If I could secure such a person, I would discard this empire without hesitation.

This empire, which does not bend to my will, is worthless to our family.

……

Lord Faust von Polydoro, standing before me, fits that condition.

It feels like encountering a forbidden fruit for the first time.

That sensation was certainly there for me.

And yet, his imposing presence was undeniably captivating.

It was for this reason that the Elector of Virendorf wanted his presence at the peace negotiations.

After taking a good look at his worth, I released the hand I had been clasping.

“Valiere, may I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

What I asked was unrelated to the desires of my family.

It was about the reason for this summons.

“I’ve heard that you’ve been in conflict with the City Council. Don’t you need help? I won’t hesitate to assist you.”

“I apologize for troubling Your Majesty with this matter. If possible, we would prefer to handle it on our own.”

First, I’ll test Valiere’s mettle.

“Indeed… I’m not sure if this can be called help, but I’ll order the Landsknecht to cease hostilities with you.”

“That would be greatly appreciated, but… will they obey?”

A natural question from Valiere.

Indeed, the Landsknecht only follow the commands of the late Reckenber.

If there’s anyone else they would listen to, it would likely be Reckenber’s daughter, Claudia, but even that is uncertain.

However,

“I am still their employer. True, the Landsknecht may not heed commands. But it will provide an escape route. When faced with battle, they can claim that they are under imperial orders not to fight. Those who fear confronting you will surely use that as an excuse to flee.”

“Emperor Maxine, while I appreciate the thought, I do not have the forces to repel 10,000 Landsknecht. Even if not all of them come to fight in the battle against the City Council, a direct confrontation would result in immense casualties.”

A reasonable statement from Valiere.

That much is undoubtedly true.

However,

“Valiere. At the end of the day, they are nothing but rabble. Among them, there may be a few superhumans, but without a commander, they are no more than half-mercenaries, half-bandits. They are the sort to set fire to a farmer’s home and clap their hands in delight. They were strong because Reckenber was leading them. Without a charismatic leader, they will not fight to the death. Exactly so――”

If I were to compare, it would be to the person standing before me.

“Like you, Valiere von Anhalt. Ordinary soldiers can only become warriors if they have a charismatic leader.”

I’ll praise her generously.

She is someone who will bring me benefits.

If she slaughters a great number of the City Council members, I would certainly support her.

“Besides, you have him by your side.”

I turned my gaze to the side.

Indeed, Lord Polydoro seemed to be quite the superhuman.

If he charged, the Landsknecht would scatter like spiders fleeing in all directions.

Everyone knows that he single-handedly defeated the Mad Boar Knight Brigade, who had previously massacred their way through 500 Landsknecht before escaping.

“In the end, if you have him charge, the negotiation table will be flipped over.”

That’s the conclusion anyone could come to.

In this world, violence ultimately holds sway.

“Now, shall we have a meal?”

At the large table, bread and soup were set before me.

For them, a grand feast had been prepared.

I approached the table with my bony body.

As I wobbled and staggered, I was suddenly embraced from the side.

――How insolent, I was about to say.

But then I saw Lord Polydoro looking at me with concern.

“……”

“Are you alright?”

Without saying a word, I sat down, forming a group of three around the table.

What is it with this man?

The area of my waist where I had been supported felt oddly warm.

“Is that… all Your Majesty has for a meal?”

Lord Polydoro asked.

Yes, this is it.

Bread and soup are enough for my meal.

Do you have a problem with that?

“I can’t eat more, even if I want to. If I try to force myself, my stomach just rejects it.”

Recently, this is actually an improvement for me.

After all, Valiere is going to avenge my father.

“Lord Polydoro, do you dislike women who don’t eat much?”

“I do prefer women with a bit more meat on them.”

Indirectly, he’s saying I’m not his type.

What a rude man.

But I’ll let it slide.

“Don’t you often get told you aren’t very manly?”

Let me return his rudeness in kind.

That he isn’t manly at all.

I muttered as I looked at his calloused, thick hands.

“I’m told that often. But I grew just as my mother wanted.”

In my mind, I pictured my mother.

She was a powerless woman.

Not incompetent, but ordinary at best. She was stripped of both my father and me, and even once lost her status as Empress.

Ah, but I didn’t hate her.

Nor do I hold any grudges.

My mother’s dying words were, “If you ever grow tired of it, just abandon this country.”

She must have hated the position of Empress herself.

“I was born with this body that can project a voice from my belly like a gong, and I’ve never thought of myself as unfortunate.”

“……I see.”

With strength in his voice, Lord Polydoro spoke without any shame in his appearance.

I found myself liking this quality in him.

Just liking it.

No, is this a matter of like or dislike?

……At this moment, I realized I was evaluating Lord Polydoro.

Yes, evaluating.

I was assessing whether he was a suitable candidate to father my children.

What is a man to me?

Unlike fragile page boys, my only comparison had always been my father.

He wasn’t like Lord Polydoro standing before me.

He was more like a man sold off from a distant maritime nation for gold and national benefit.

Thin, frail in appearance.

And yet, he protected me from starvation and died in the process.

He gave me his bread and perished.

“Lord Polydoro, what do you think of my father? You must have heard the sad tale of my father and me.”

I asked frankly.

To this muscle-bound man, so utterly different from my scrawny father.

Well, what kind of man was my father?

“I can’t say much about your father, Your Majesty, as I didn’t know him well.”

Lord Polydoro answered with a solemn expression.

Not with flattery to please me.

“I could, of course, praise your father for prioritizing his daughter’s life over his own. But when I look at you now――”

Lord Polydoro glanced at me.

Thin, frail, and with narrow hips.

“……”

He stopped his words there.

“When you look at me now, what do you see?”

I urged him to continue with a nod of my chin.

He spoke again.

“I believe that, having left you with lingering trauma, your father passed away. If you were able to enjoy meals more, I think he would be happier.”

“I see.”

Such know-it-all talk.

But it’s fine.

Even as Emperor, he isn’t afraid and speaks his mind. I like that.

I’m still pondering.

This man fits the description of the man our family has long sought.

He meets the conditions.

He’s a noble, albeit a lower one, and distantly related to my family, ensuring the bloodline won’t dilute. He’s also a superhuman.

If I were to bear his child, even if I abandoned my position as Empress, I might still rise again.

The fact that the Elector of Virendorf sees value in him is no coincidence.

Whether or not the imperial throne itself holds value is another matter.

Now――

I want to determine if this man is worth bearing my child.

Before I decide whether to embrace him, I need to figure that out.

There’s no point in securing something worthless.

“Valiere.”

“Yes?”

Part of this process requires casual conversation, but—

The quickest way is to see how they perform on the battlefield.

“In exchange for my assistance, I have a request. I, Maxine, wish to witness firsthand the destruction of the City Council, my father’s enemy.”

It wasn’t a lie; it was the truth.

And beneath that lay the hidden goal of evaluating Lord Polydoro.

“I want to accompany your forces for a while. I want to see up close how you bring down the City Council. Depending on how things go, I may assist with your sister’s plans for an orderly transition of the imperial throne. I expect great things from you.”

“Excuse me?”

Valiere looked puzzled for a moment.

Then, after some hesitation, she turned pale and――

“I-I understand. Please do.”

With a face as though she had swallowed poison, she agreed to my proposal.

She truly looked like she was on the verge of passing out.

“Likewise, I look forward to working with you.”

Noticing her reaction, I extended my hand with a smile.

I couldn’t help but let a grin slip at how entertaining this was becoming.