Virgin Knight Who Is the Frontier Lord in the Gender Switched World

It has been a month since I, Faust von Polydoro, promised Princess Anastasia, the first princess, that I would head for peace negotiations.

And at last, the eagerly awaited armor was completed.

Until then, I had been visiting the forge every day.

Ultimately, Martina, having too much free time, was subjected to daily swordsmanship training.

“Ingritt, what do you think, as the advisor to the second princess, Polydoro?”

Ingritt’s voice came through. I looked at her face through the somewhat narrow view of the great helm. Indeed, the field of vision was restricted, but it was sturdy.

I tested it by striking a bucket helm with my great sword, but it didn’t budge.

The court magician’s magical inscriptions seemed to be working well.

The court magician approached me.

“Take this as well,” she said, handing over what appeared to be horse gear. It looked like a saddle but was a wide, thick cloth that seemed to cover my beloved horse, Flügel, entirely. It was densely inscribed with magical runes, feeling as sturdy as horse armor, made of thick red fabric.

“I went to see your horse grazing. Flügel, was it? Truly a fine horse. In a critical moment, this cloth will protect your horse. Take good care of it,” she advised.

I had thought she was merely idling by engraving magical inscriptions on my armor over the past half-month.

She had been preparing gear for my beloved Flügel all along.

My apologies, sorceress. I had misunderstood you entirely due to your sharp tongue and temper. I silently bowed to the sorceress in gratitude.

With this, both Flügel’s and my equipment were perfectly prepared.

Currently, Flügel was freely roaming in a pasture outside the royal capital. I had wanted to send him to Duchess Astarte’s domain for breeding as soon as possible, but the peace negotiations took precedence. Breeding would have to wait. While Astarte could have provided a decent horse, none could surpass Flügel for me.

“However, that bucket helm is not quite right. I suppose we’ll make a fluted helm afterward,” I mused. The helm didn’t quite match the fluted armor, looking somewhat unbalanced despite its quality.

“I liked it, though,” I admitted.

“No, we’ll make a proper helm later, after you’ve departed,” the sorceress muttered.

I hoped my efforts and the sorceress’s work would not be in vain—that I wouldn’t meet my end, fulfilling the vengeance of Captain Reckenber of the knight’s order. Although I was well aware that such a cultural misunderstanding with Virendorf was unlikely, exceptions always exist. It’s best to be prepared for anything.

“Everyone, great work,” I expressed my gratitude from the bottom of my heart to all the blacksmiths, the sorceress, Ingritt who had accompanied me despite her busy schedule, and Martina, who now lay sprawled on the ground.

“Are these hellish days finally over?” Martina asked, her voice weary from the exhaustive swordsmanship training.

They were enjoyable days, at least for me. It wasn’t about tormenting Martina; her rapid growth was astonishing. Not just clever, but she would devise new strategies every day, challenging me in ways that were more enlightening than fighting any common soldier or bandit, despite being only nine years old.

“Martina will do great things, Caroline,” I thought to myself, addressing Martina’s mother, Caroline, whom I had killed and who likely hadn’t made it to heaven or Valhalla. “I might not have liked you, but I promise to fulfill your dying wish for Martina. I will ensure she becomes a great knight.”

“Are you departing soon, Advisor Polydoro of the Second Princess?” Ingritt inquired respectfully.

“No… Allow me a week’s rest,” I admitted, feeling genuinely exhausted, having done little besides training Martina.

My subjects in the lower house must be growing impatient. There were reports to be made to Princess Valiere and her guards to be prepared, although I wasn’t worried about the latter. A month should have been enough for thorough preparations.

And then there was Flügel. I had to retrieve him from the pasture and spend time with him. Although it sounds nice to say he was free, I had neglected to care for him myself. I hoped he wasn’t upset.

“After that rest, we’ll set out for Virendorf, moving forward.”

“What route will we take?”

“Why do you ask?”

I was puzzled. It didn’t seem like something of concern for Ingritt’s trading company.

“Well, if the peace negotiations are successful, it would secure a major trade route for at least ten years. Wouldn’t it be wise for a merchant to secure that route in advance?”

“There’s a chance the negotiations will fail.”

“Investment involves risks. One cannot invest if they fear failure. If possible, I’d like to accompany you.”

Ingritt, head of her trading company, made her case.

Even if the negotiations fail, I won’t cover your losses. If that’s acceptable, then do as you please.

With that thought, I sighed quietly.

※

“The gag order has been lifted, I see. Very well. This timing is indeed perfect.”

“This timing is impeccable. We have managed to persuade the kingdom of Anhalt to send Faust von Polydoro as their envoy.”

The Virendorf Campaign had been under a gag order for those who were present on the battlefield.

Especially for those who had witnessed Faust von Polydoro.

Not for the honor of the Captain of the Reckenber Knights.

Not to prevent the citizens from being misled by the true character of Faust von Polydoro.

But for a single demand.

To send Faust von Polydoro as an envoy for peace negotiations, solely for that purpose.

“Our demands, if read by the other side, could have forced us into a position of concession based on that as a starting point. It was good that we managed to avoid that necessity. Indeed, there is no longer a need for the gag order.”

“If they bring it up, it won’t be a weakness for us.”

Two people.

In the royal chamber of Virendorf.

Sitting on the throne, the Queen of Virendorf.

Aged 22.

And standing in front of the throne, an old woman.

The Minister of Military Affairs of Virendorf, who laughed heartily as if everything had gone according to plan.

“I acknowledge your skill. Lifting the gag order now was indeed timely. What changes can we expect from our citizens?”

“They will acknowledge the heroic poems as truth, no, they will recognize that the man Faust von Polydoro is even more precious.”

“Can we prevent an outbreak of violence among our citizens towards Faust von Polydoro?”

The Queen of Virendorf asked cautiously.

The Minister of Military Affairs laughed heartily again.

“Originally, the likelihood of that was low. It doesn’t fit with the temperament of our citizens. Moreover, knowing that he defeated the Captain of the Reckenber Knights in an utterly honorable manner, any violent outbreak would tarnish the honor of our hero, Captain Reckenber. Thus, the likelihood of our citizens’ violence has been reduced to zero.”

It should be so.

Reckenber.

I am sad.

For the first time at the age of 20, upon your death, I came to know the emotion called ‘sadness.’

What kind of emotion have you made me feel, Reckenber?

When I heard of your death, when the knights desperately gathered flowers in the unfamiliar fields of enemy territory and sent your carefully wrapped head, and then your body clad in armor was delivered.

For the first time, I cried openly without caring who saw me.

When I was 5, you were still 15.

Not a princess, not even a lordly knight, just a military advisor from a bureaucratic noble family.

At that time, you were not even a captain, just a soldier.

A mere hereditary knight, a military officer.

That was you.

At that time, I wasn’t even disappointed in you, who hardly had any soldiers to command.

After all, what else could be expected from an advisor to the third princess?

“…Reckenber”

Whispering that name.

I were such a flawed human being.

Someone who couldn’t understand the emotions that others feel.

Unloved even by my father, and at birth, I killed my mother, a flawed third princess who was called a matricide, you served me without looking down on me at all as my advisor.

Why was that?

As someone flawed, I don’t understand well.

Even now, I cannot grasp your sincerity, Reckenber.

After your death, I think.

I should have listened to you more.

I should have spoken to you more.

Your military achievements.

The nomadic tribes you drove to extinction.

Your political achievements.

Raising me, merely the third princess, to the Queen of Virendorf.

Your glorious achievements.

Honestly, they were of little concern to me.

What I needed was simply your irreplaceable existence.

“Ah, Reckenber. Why did you die?”

“Do you hate Faust von Polydoro?”

“I don’t know. I am unfamiliar with the emotion of hatred.”

The Minister of Military Affairs asked frankly, and again, I dwelt on thoughts of Reckenber.

I don’t understand you, Reckenber.

As a superhuman, as a hero, you could have lived more wisely.

The values of Virendorf, where everyone desires to be a hero on the front lines.

You had that.

But I didn’t.

Because I am flawed.

Yet, why were you so kind to me?

Why did you devote yourself to me so much?

I don’t understand.

You should have explained it to me in words, or I won’t understand.

I am foolish, flawed.

I understand logic.

But your actions were not based on the logic of benefit but were shown to me in the name of the emotion of love.

Yes, I was told by your only daughter, Nina, that I was loved by you, mother Reckenber.

I am not worthy of it, a fool.

Why did I allow the surplus generated from the suppression of the nomadic tribes to be used for an invasion of the Kingdom of Anhalt?

“Then, do you hate this old woman, Lady Katarina? Queen of Virendorf, Ina-Katarina Maria Virendorf. I was the one who advised the invasion of the Kingdom of Anhalt.”

“The decision was mine. I won’t blame you for it.”

I answered logically.

The responsibility lies with me, the queen, the highest authority.

Who could have predicted Reckenber’s death?

Still, those nomadic tribes coming from the east along the north will eventually learn of Reckenber’s absence, and the raiders will come again.

So, knowing that only 500 of the Duchess’s standing army could be stationed at the Virendorf border while the majority of the Anhalt regular army was engaged elsewhere.

It was thought that the hero Reckenber, leading a force of 1000, would serve as the front-line commander.

Who could have predicted a defeat?

Logically, such a defeat should have been impossible.

But we were defeated.

By Faust von Polydoro, a man known merely as a warrior, who defeated Captain Reckenber in a duel.

And by the genius strategist, Princess Anastasia the First, and the tactical genius, Duchess Astarte, two heroes.

Why were we defeated?

We were not weak.

But we lost.

Reality must be accepted.

The Kingdom of Anhalt is strong.

As fellow Electors, they were never weak.

I understood that but…

“This old woman is prepared to take responsibility for the defeat when it comes. If you say to drink delicious wine here, I am prepared for that as well.”

“Poisoned wine is a culture of the Kingdom of Anhalt, not our country. If it were our country, you would slash your throat with the dagger at your waist and die.”

“That’s why it would be a humiliation. I am prepared for that as well.”

Enough.

I am tired of the old woman’s ramblings.

We lost.

That is the conclusion.

We need to review our strategy from the beginning.

We need to reassess our state after the loss of Captain Reckenber.

For that…

“We need to meet Faust von Polydoro once.”

“Are you planning to observe the Kingdom of Anhalt through this man?”

“If there is a trend in that country to undervalue a hero like Faust von Polydoro, all the better.”

Gritting my teeth, I thrust my clenched fist in front of the Minister of Military Affairs.