Newbie, Please
-Knights are beings that fulfill orders. Even the most unreasonable ones—they obey. If you can't do that, then quit being a knight.
Back when she was little, Sisilia often received guidance from Chiron. Not just sword training, but the mindset of a knight, the duties a Windsor Knight must uphold.
It shaped her current values, influencing her profoundly. Chiron was the ideal knight incarnate. If you embodied the image of a knight and made it real, it'd be him.
-But this isn't an order. It's purely up to your choice.
……Will you become my adopted daughter?
So she thought his cautious question that day stemmed from his knightly virtue. When she accepted, his face lit up like he could leap for joy—it was vivid in her memory.
Sisilia felt a twinge of doubt. She was the one who should be grateful, so why was Chiron so thrilled?
Sometimes she wanted to ask. How can you do that? Just because of your knightly code, can you take in a strange little girl you just met, teach her the sword, feed her, house her?
……And my upkeep costs a bit, you know.
“Sir, do you realize? You're defying the queen's command. More than that—you're showing killing intent toward me.”
'Captain's pissed.'
The knight among knights, the man who was her dad in this world—Chiron. He was unleashing a fury that made all his past scoldings seem like child's play.
'Why?'
This was bad. Lydia might look like that, but she was an authoritative queen. One misstep, and this could be seen as rebellion.
“……I've spent my life believing a knight's sole duty is to obey orders. That alone was my conviction and creed.”
Chiron's voice sank heavily.
Lydia replied coldly. “A truly righteous belief. Knights are made beings. They act and move as intended—that's enough. Sir Chiron, you were the finest knight in my eyes.”
Chiron's hand slowly moved toward the sword at his waist. The knee he'd bent began to straighten. For the first time, he faced the queen standing tall.
“Right now, I'm abandoning that belief.”
“And why abandon your conviction?”
When Lydia countered, Chiron answered without hesitation. “Your Majesty is repeating the failure from ten years ago.”
“Sir Chiron!”Erterion shouted in rage.
But Queen Lydia calmly raised her hand. “Continue.”
“The order to repeat that failure on my daughter too.”
The queen's expression was unreadable. She seemed angry, yet serene.
“I will not accept the order naming Sisilia as Humanity's Proxy. Even if it costs my life.”
In that moment, Sisilia heard words that should have shattered her—something she'd normally be stunned speechless by—yet she didn't blink. Her mind swirled with questions.
Chiron was willing to forsake a lifetime's conviction for her, a mere adopted daughter. Why?
Chiron was the quintessential knight character. Born that way, he'd never commit the greatest dishonor for a knight: treason.
“Sisilia, go.”
Chiron said lowly. Sisilia, lost in thought staring at the floor, looked up. His back, not far away, seemed impossibly vast.
“Run as far as you can.”
Sisilia couldn't understand Chiron. It was an emotion too complex for her yet. But one thing was clear.
'NPC fail.'
He rejected his scripted role. He defied the NPC duty to drive the plot.
But.
'Dad pass.'
Sisilia's eyes sparkled like stars. She dashed over and hugged Chiron.
“Dad.”
“……!”
Chiron flinched at the warmth from behind.
“……Sisilia.”
“I'm fine.”
“But.”
Sisilia closed her eyes. “Trust me. Like always.”
Chiron turned. Sisilia gazed at him with her usual clear eyes.
“'Cause I'm cute, duh.”
Chiron let out a chuckle. “What kind of logic is that?”
He stared at Sisilia silently for a moment. He knew this ending. What happened to those ensnared by the queen's expectations. How they lost their humanity.
'You think you can overcome it?' she seemed to ask.
'Have I ever failed your expectations, even once?'
No, never. Chiron decided.
“I'll trust you.”
Once Chiron vanished, Sisilia's smile faded instantly. She stared at the throne with utter coldness.
“So sad.”
Lydia dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. Erterion gawked at her, exasperated.
“Still, gotta do what must be done.”
Lydia pocketed the handkerchief. For the record, there were no tear tracks on her face.
“Alright, shall we start?”
She smiled. “Sir Chiron's execution, or becoming Humanity's Proxy—which will you choose?”
'Knew it. Planned this from the start.'
This was Lydia's setup. Calling Chiron first was deliberate.
Sisilia said flatly. “Neither, thanks.”
“……L-Lady Sisilia?”
Sisilia was fuming. Lydia sweated as Sisilia turned away, refusing to look.
“D-Did it backfire?”
“I told you this was a bad idea.”
“B-But I didn't expect Sir Chiron to go that extreme.”
“You……!”
Erterion covered his face with his palm.
“Apologize. To Sir Chiron, and to Sisilia.”
“Sorry……”
'Gotta convince her somehow.'
Sisilia stood pretending to sulk, but she was colder than ever. No wonder modern silence was a 'right'—it was the strongest weapon. Just standing mute had shifted control to her.
Judging the momentum fully hers, Sisilia spoke. “……I can't accept becoming Humanity's Proxy.”
“Sisilia, this I can assure you: you'll surpass the Demon King, even the Demon Gods.”
“Why?”
“……The insight of a queen who's lived 300 years.”Lydia paused at Sisilia's skeptical face. “Or rather, we concluded concentrating power on one hero eradicates demons better than spreading blessings thin.”
“Objection. Too risky. Better to maximize possibilities.”
“It's 300 years, Sisilia. I've proven that theory wrong with my own body over 300 years.”
“Those 300 years built this moment. Accumulating knowledge and tech is humanity's greatest strength. But funnel it to one person, and that dies.”
“That strength works without the Goddess's blessing too.”
“But with it, it's refined further. More importantly, I object strongly to this discussion format.”
“Why? I think we're talking fine.”
“Wrong premise. With the Goddess's power weakening, we should discuss 'how to prevent that weakening.'”
In that instant, Queen Lydia's smile deepened.
'……Did I mess up?'
Sisilia scanned her logic—no flaws. She stayed composed.
“Sadly, Sisilia, the premise 'Goddess's power is weakening' is wrong.”
“……You think the Goddess's power hasn't weakened?”
“It's not weakening—it's stockpiling for the coming human crisis. Mage Tower results. You don't doubt the Tower, right?”
'……No way.'
Sisilia had already confirmed it with the Mirror of Truth.
She trusted the Tower, but holy relics don't lie. It was the Goddess herself speaking.
'Tower miscalculated?'
No, unlikely. The Sacred Flame's influence waning was obvious—even Windsor Knights felt it. Those more sensitive to mana than her wouldn't miss it.
'……The phenomenon hasn't changed. The lens viewing it has.'
One of two: the queen was wrong, or—
“……You faked 'the Goddess's power hasn't weakened'?”
“……!”
“That shifts us from 'how to prevent weakening' and lets you steer as wanted. ……Right?”
Erterion's brow arched gracefully. He whipped toward Lydia. “For real?”
“Pfft, no way. Why would I hide the truth?”
Lydia grinned innocently. Sisilia said blankly, “The wind lingers thick around Your Majesty's mouth.”
“……!”
“You're lying.”
“Ahaha…! Wind Blessing detects lies too, huh.”
Lydia muttered gravely. “Why didn't I know……?”
Because it was a lie. Wind Blessing had no such power.
Anyway, Sisilia was convinced by the reaction.
'Queen's bullshitting. To steal my newbie.'
Sisilia glared daggers. Stealing newbies in front of a newbie lover—how cruel.
“……Why lie like that?”
“Too despairing. Better to hide it—no help otherwise.”
Lydia brushed it off. Erterion seemed puzzled but not deeply suspicious. Knight brain didn't stretch to 'newbie summons.'
But pointing it out would fix it.
'Better to summon otherworlders to preserve the power than let it weaken, right?'
Lydia was sweating—clearly worried about that option.
'But the queen won't fold easy.'
She'd dodge a bit. But breaking her stubbornness for newbie summons? Tough. Her royal authority was ironclad. She'd crush opposition and proceed.
'Weighing options, the rational play is—'
“Wanna bet?”
“Bet?”
“Test me and Vice-Captain Edward.”
“……Edward too?”
'From Chiron's words.'
-Your Majesty repeats the failure from ten years ago.
Sisilia hadn't missed it.
'Something happened ten years back. Probably Gartan Territory incident.'
And it deeply disappointed the queen in Edward.
Such rulers rarely change their minds.
'She'd sooner summon newbies than name Edward Proxy. Straight path to newbies.'
So Sisilia said, “I think Vice-Captain Edward is more qualified than me for Humanity's Proxy.”
Lydia's precarious smile froze. Sisilia's hypothesis solidified.
“And do the test publicly, with everyone watching. Decide passage by fair vote.”
Lydia pondered briefly.
“If I accept you're superior to Edward, you'll become Proxy?”
“I swear.”
No long hesitation. She smiled as usual. “Deal. I accept, Sisilia.”
'Newbies safe forever.'
Thus, the duel was set: one veteran guarding her newbies versus the queen seeking peace.