Virgin Knight Who Is the Frontier Lord in the Gender Switched World - Chapter 53

Over two years ago, I, Georg Valiere von Anhalt, first met Faust von Polydoro.

At that time, I was searching for a guardian figure—a military noble commanding troops—to serve as my backer and Advisor to the Second Princess. I was looking for a lordly knight who, upon my first battle, would generously provide his soldiers.

My mother, Queen Liesenlotte, had yet to prepare an advisor for me.

“Your sister, Anastasia, prepared one independently, so you should do the same.” 

Even so, the thought that Duchess Astarte—who ranked third in the royal power hierarchy—was my sister’s guardian seemed unfair.

In hindsight, there might have been considerations of royal family balance, deeming a spare like me, insignificant as I was, unnecessary to have a guardian.

However, I was free to find one independently if I could. It seemed unlikely that any lordly knight would be fascinated enough to approach someone as misfortunate as myself.

Nevertheless, that was the vague yet suitable arrangement my mother decided on.

At the age of 12, I wondered what to do. Even I knew facing my first battle without a guardian’s military power would be problematic. The 15 members of the Second Princess’s guard, dear as they were to me, seemed insufficient, to put it mildly.

Finding a local lord willing to lend his strength for his benefit seemed unlikely.

At that time, rumors of Faust von Polydoro reached me.

“Have you seen his gigantic stature? Who would marry that? No, first of all, for Queen Liesenlotte to allow a male knight to inherit the household…”

“However, the Polydoro domain has fulfilled its military service. I’ve heard this male knight has performed the duties since the previous lord’s death five years ago. The Queen must acknowledge that.”

“Still, the audience has been postponed for three months. Are the higher-ups debating whether to allow the male knight’s inheritance?”

This was gossip among the court bureaucrats, the nobility in their legal robes.

A male knight named Faust von Polydoro was visiting the castle town, seeking an audience with my mother to announce his succession after Lord Polydoro’s death.

I instructed Sabine, the captain of my guard, to gather information on Faust. He stood over 2 meters tall, weighed 130 kg, and possessed a steel body. He had personally killed over 100 bandits with his hands and led his people from the front in military duties. Ignoring the Pope’s decree, he preferred crossbows, owning five looted from bandits. Despite only having 300 subjects, each was brave and well-coordinated, repelling bandits who underestimated them due to their lord’s absence and looting their possessions in return.

What kind of knight was he? Had someone told me he was the prime example of the barbarian Virendorf, born and raised, I would have believed it.

But, it was convenient, especially the information Sabine added. The dispute among the high-ranking legal nobility over whether to acknowledge Faust’s inheritance, unheard of in Anhalt’s history, was helpful.

Usually, even in rare cases where only a male heir was born, arranging a marriage early and bringing in a second daughter from another domain as a bride was customary.

The fact that Lord Polydoro was struggling to secure an audience with my mother was good information. Now might be the time to pull him in as an advisor under the condition of securing him an audience.

So I decided.

“Sabine, assemble the guard. We are heading to Lord Polydoro’s residence immediately.”

“Now?”

“The sooner, the better for him. Oh, and after gathering everyone, you go ahead to meet Lord Polydoro as an envoy.”

Lord Polydoro had been waiting in the royal capital for three months already. Any further delay was unnecessary.

“Then, get the horses ready. We’ll proceed on foot from there.”

The streets of Polydoro’s poor district were notorious for being unsafe and dirty.

Sabine grumbled as she left my room to gather the guard. I headed to the stable to meet my horse.

After sorting all that, I met Lord Polydoro on the day Sabine had gathered the information. I felt I had acted promptly for once.

I later learned that Faust would have been granted an audience with my mother if he had waited another week. Looking back, I marvel at how efficiently I acted.

And when I met Faust…

“Nice to meet you, Second Princess Valiere. I am Faust von Polydoro.”

He greatly resembled my father, not in appearance, for even my father, who loved farming and was muscular, wasn’t of such an unusual stature. Faust’s muscular body was forged as a knight, unlike my father, who was shaped by farming. Their faces were different too, although Faust’s noble face bore no resemblance to my father’s.

Yet, there was something similar. The atmosphere. The way he bent his knees, minimizing his large frame to offer a knight’s bow, reminded me of my tall father bending down to look into his young daughter’s face.

It was like dealing with a child, that gentle face like the sun.

My father, Robert, now deceased, was indeed like the sun.

Faust reminded me of him. I wanted him.

Initially, it was meant to be mutual assistance. An alliance born of desperation, based on favors and duties. Faust wanted an audience with my mother to secure his succession to the Polydoro domain. I wanted a guardian for my forthcoming first battle.

It was supposed to be a mutually beneficial discussion. But meeting him changed my mind. I purely wanted Faust von Polydoro as my advisor.

“You, become my advisor,” I blurted out unexpectedly.

“Haah,” Faust responded, scratching his head with a puzzled look. What’s with that attitude? Even if he knows I’m underestimated, that’s no way to act.

“What’s with that attitude? I’m offering to make you my advisor.”

“What do you mean, ‘what’?” he continued, confusion still evident. 

It seemed as though he wanted to say he wasn’t obligated to accept my offer.

“So, what benefit do I get from this?”

“I’ll ensure you have an audience with my mother within the week,” I replied. That should be a significant advantage.

“That’s insufficient. Besides, I’m hardly qualified. Why would you choose me as an advisor? I’m merely a knight-lord of a remote domain with fewer than 300 subjects.”

I thought about it. Compared to my sister, Anastasia, and her advisor, Duchess Astarte, I indeed fall short in terms of military strength. Duchess Astarte commands tens of thousands of subjects, silver mines, horses, and a standing army of 500 well-trained soldiers. No wonder he doubts his adequacy as an advisor to the Second Princess.

But still, I am what I am, a misfortunate through and through.

“How many have fallen by your sword?”

“Ah, I’ve stopped counting after 100.”

Ah, so Sabine’s information was accurate. I wonder if there’s anyone else in this world, or history, who has killed more than 100 people other than Faust.

“Putting a claim on a useful piece before anyone else isn’t bad, right?”

In truth, I want Faust for myself, feeling a connection to my father in him. But putting that aside, it would be foolish to let such a knight go.

“That’s an honor. But still, there’s no benefit for me.”

“For future military engagements, I will allocate a portion of the Second Princess’s allowance for military funding, despite its modest size.”

My allowance isn’t much, especially compared to my mother’s and sister’s, which are dozens of times larger.

“Additionally, you’ll have the right to choose your battles.”

“So, I’ll no longer need to pursue bandit groups, but rather fulfill my military duty through standoffs with reluctant enemy nations?”

Exactly. I’d recommend guarding the Virendorf border, which has been peaceful recently.

After some thought, Faust nodded in agreement.

“Very well. I will become Princess Valiere’s advisor.”

“Thank you,” I said, extending my hand. Faust, deepening his kneel, kissed it—our contract sealed with this gesture.

Ah, such a nostalgic memory. After that, during his duty guarding the border, Virendorf unexpectedly attacked. My sister Anastasia Duchess Astarte and I desperately fought in the Virendorf campaign, a battle as if mired in hell, before returning home. I was speechless.

No, it was inconceivable that such a terrible thing would happen. Even Sabine’s family, the Vesperman overseeing intelligence, had not warned us. Were our intelligence officers too incompetent? Fortunately, Anastasia and the 500 soldiers of the ducal family arrived just in time to prevent a direct conflict between Faust and Virendorf.

After the war, Faust’s treatment was harsh. Nobody cheered for him during the parade except for me and the Second Princess’s guard. It was awful, so much so that Anastasia, Duchess Astarte, and their soldiers ended up throwing those who spoke ill into prison.

Since then, a lot has happened. The first battle was Caroline’s rebellion; the Second Princess’s guard decreased from 15 to 14, and Hanna died. Despite my mother’s insistence, I’ve yet to feel ready to recruit a replacement for Hanna.

Then, there were the peace negotiations with Virendorf, with Faust playing a leading role while we seemed almost like jesters, dragged along by him.

“Valiere, what do you think of Faust? Answer me truthfully.”

“I, well, I do like him?”

“I’m asking if you love him,” my mother, Queen Liesenlotte, demanded.

Suddenly, being asked about love at 14 felt overwhelming, although marriages at even younger ages weren’t unheard of.

“Can I have some time to think?”

“No. The marriage announcement is tomorrow.”

“Everything is too much.”

“Mother, please give me more time. We’ve just returned from Virendorf, and now, is there a marriage tomorrow?”

“Should I refuse? What will you do?”

“Then, I have no choice but to choose someone from among the high-ranking legal nobility, though honestly, none could match Faust’s achievements.”

“They wouldn’t.”

Calmly considering the situation, it’s clear the royal family has overexploited Faust. There is only one way forward. I must decide as a member of the royal family.

“Alright. If it’s just the marriage…”

“Really? You’re not against it? If you are, you can refuse.”

“Which is it you truly wish for, Mother?”

My mother, Queen Liesenlotte, seemed to have realized something too late, just like my sister probably would. I realized that she, too, had affections for Faust, who reminded us of my father, Robert.

“So, Mother, I do wish to marry Faust. Without him, the country wouldn’t function.”

“Is that so?”

Mother seemed disappointed yet relieved in her response. Distinguishing between personal and public affairs is complicated. I never wish to become queen. Instead, I’ll retreat to the remote Polydoro domain with Faust after ensuring all the Second Princess’s personal guard members have secured their hereditary knighthood.

Georg Valiere von Anhalt made this quiet resolution.