Chapter 23 – Two Men and One Bride

Just as the shift patrol ended, a member of the royal knight order named Koniac found himself startled and stepping back at the sight of a large figure sitting in the knight order’s room. It was barely six in the morning. It was surprising enough for someone to be at work so early, but even more so that it was none other than Knight Captain Leios Dreikan.

Of course, Leios often reported for duty at odd hours as captain, carrying out the King’s secret orders, but today he seemed especially unstable and had a gloomy air about him.

“C-Captain?”

“…Koniac?”

“Yes, Sir! I just returned from patrolling Crystal Palace.”

“Well done.”

It was hard work. The shifts weren’t regular, and switching between day and night patrols twice a week was no easy task. But pride in serving the royal knight order kept Koniac from complaining. Yet, receiving praise from the captain made him feel awkward, and he scratched the back of his head.

“It’s just routine, Sir. You’re in early today.”

“Couldn’t sleep.”

“I see. Sometimes breathing the morning air helps with that, you know.”

Koniac glanced at him as he opened his locker and took off his sweat-soaked uniform jacket. There was an ominous air about the captain, and Koniac couldn’t guess what had happened to change his disposition overnight.

‘Did he have an urgent mission yesterday? No, the bandits were dealt with. Didn’t he leave before evening? Did His Highness give another strange order? No, then he wouldn’t be here.’

Koniac’s mind was spinning, trying to guess why the captain seemed so worn out. If it was just a bad mood, he could appease him, but the way Leios’s bloodshot eyes seemed ready to kill anyone was a crisis. The effect of a boss’s mood on his subordinates was no joke.

The only relief was that Koniac’s shift ended at seven in the morning. He just had to change clothes and finish his duty log, even if it meant keeping an eye on Leios. At least he’d be better off than those who came in after him. He moved toward his desk as quietly as possible.

As quietly as possible.

So as not to catch Leios’s attention. Just finish the log quickly and go home. Then lie down on his recently changed bed, drink a few glasses of whisky, and sleep it off. He just had to endure.

‘He’s not the type to take his bad mood out on others…’

Of course, just breathing in the heavy air was burdensome, but Leios was always a good boss to work with. Koniac trusted he wouldn’t be caught in the crossfire, even if he didn’t know the cause. With that, Koniac picked up his pen. But his hopes were easily and quickly dashed.

“Koniac.”

“…Y-yes?”

“It’s been a while since I stretched my body. Care to spar? I’m curious how much you’ve improved.”

A spar? Koniac was a rookie knight who’d joined last year. Facing the captain meant getting beaten to death. He gritted his teeth and turned awkwardly toward Leios.

“I-I must have misheard.”

“A spar. I’ll go easy, so bring a wooden sword.”

“Ah, I haven’t finished my duty log… Captain.”

“Log it tomorrow, including today’s.”

Koniac tried his best to come up with excuses, but Leios showed him mercy—unnecessary mercy. While Koniac fumbled, Leios took off his uniform and tossed it on the sofa, then chose the longest wooden sword from the rack. Though he always used a real sword, the well-worn wooden blade felt good in his hand.

Still in denial, Koniac watched as Leios left the room. The sound of his boots on the wooden floor sounded like a march to hell. No rookie knight could refuse an order from the captain. In the end, Koniac picked up the wooden sword he’d used most recently and slumped after Leios.

Ah, the sun was really rising. He wondered if this would be the last sunrise he ever saw as he headed to the training yard.

* * *

“Ugh!”

“Your left side is open. Your stance is completely off. Again.”

Koniac staggered, using his wooden sword to prop himself up. He remembered the older knights’ joke that pain so bad wouldn’t even make you cry, but it was a lie. If it’s bad enough, you can’t help but cry. Koniac sniffled, fighting back tears and resumed his stance. The figure before him was a mountain, a shield, a beast.

“Yaaah!”

He wondered if he’d be stripped of his knighthood, unable to land a single blow. This time, he tried to parry Leios’s sword, but Leios, without moving a step, twisted his wrist, redirecting Koniac’s blade and lightly struck his right ribs.

“Ow!”

The movement was so clean and elegant, it seemed effortless, but the pain was intense. Koniac, collapsed again, looked up with tearful eyes, and the rising sun aligned perfectly behind Leios’s head, making it look like a halo. Was he seeing a god? For a moment, Koniac thought the god of war had descended before him.

The strong morning sunlight made it hard to see Leios’s expression, but he was surely disappointed. It was already the fifteenth bout. That meant he’d been struck fifteen times.

“When you charge, you use your supporting foot wrong. Keep that up, and in five years, your ankles will be ruined. You also leave yourself open too easily.”

“Ugh, yes, I’ll fix it.”

“Let’s try again.”

‘Please let me stop.’ Koniac swallowed the words along with his tears and snot. He’d never beat Leios Dreikan, nor would the criticism stop. He felt he’d die faster if he kept getting hit, but as a subordinate, he needed to show some spirit or his performance review would suffer.

He still had to get up. As Koniac gritted his teeth and staggered to his feet—

“Royal knights are so diligent in the morning, aren’t they, Lucan?”

“The Empire is as well.”

A voice of salvation called out to them—well, to Koniac, anyway. But as that voice echoed across the yard, the murderous aura that had calmed in Leios instantly returned. His black hair looked even darker, and his golden eyes were cold.

“Koniac, that’s enough sparring for today. You may leave. Good work.”

“Ah, thank you!”

Koniac knew who had suddenly appeared in the training yard, but seeing how the captain’s mood instantly soured made him wonder. Still, he couldn’t waste the opportunity given to him, so he quickly stood, saluted Leios, and left the training yard without looking back.

Leios watched Koniac leave, still holding his wooden sword, then turned his body toward the direction of the sound. There stood the Prince, his face shamelessly bright with a smile. He was accompanied by his attendant, who followed a step behind, holding an umbrella for Kallian. Despite being a guest, he walked through the palace as if it were his own, which made Leios grit his teeth.

“This is a space only members of the Royal Knight Order may enter, Your Highness.”

“From morning, you skip formal greetings to the Imperial Family—such spirit.”

“It’s you who stepped into a restricted area, Your Highness. There’s no need for courtesy, is there?”

Kallian smiled with one corner of his mouth raised at Leios’s open hostility. He knew well how irritating his smile was. He’d seen many people react with fits when he smiled at those he disliked.

But Leios Dreikan, even seeing this, stood like a rock without wavering. His tone was sharper than before, but he didn’t snarl like a wild beast, which disappointed Kallian—it would have been more fun that way.

“Well, I just happened to wander in here. It’s not far from where I’m staying, isn’t that right, Lucan?”

“That’s right.”

“So I hope you’ll be understanding. It wasn’t intentional.”

Kallian waved his hand and shrugged his shoulders, but it was clear to anyone he wasn’t sincerely apologizing. Leios didn’t respond, not expecting him to show real courtesy anyway. Besides, Leios calculated that Kallian’s arrival was a deliberate move to meet him, so he kept hold of his wooden sword.

“Anyone who enters here must spar. If that’s not your purpose, please take another path, Your Highness.”

“Hm, is that the rule here? Then I’ll follow it. I didn’t properly greet you last night, so shall we have a friendly match today?”

The image of Eileen atop him from last night flashed across Leios’s face. He doubted Kallian’s motive for calling him there to witness that scene, but he had no desire to face Kallian now. He spoke to drive him out, but Kallian stepped down the low stairs into the training yard without hesitation.

“Friendly, you say?”

“There’s even a wooden sword left behind by your knight. It’s perfect for a match, isn’t it, Duke?”

“Ha…”