Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 2
Return of the War Hero
Living in this world for 15 years, one thought had never left my mind.
Otherwise, there’s no way I would be holding people’s severed heads in this incredibly sweet and fluffy Romance Fantasy world.
"Haha, our war hero has returned!"
The King welcomed me enthusiastically as I returned victorious from the war. The ministers and soldiers also applauded my appearance, but that didn't last long. Seeing me, they froze on the spot, and the bright smile of the King hardened just as it was.
The hallway I walked through was marked with blood instead of footprints, and my once golden armor was completely soaked in bright red.
The heads of five enemy generals dangled in my hand like a keychain.
"4th Knight Order Captain, Carmil. Thanks to Your Majesty's grace, I have returned victorious from the battlefield just now."
Is a King still a King after all? While everyone else was speechless, he soon praised my achievements with a composed demeanor.
"Oh, ooh. As expected of our Captain Carmil. Truly the one I trust the most. I wish to talk more, but since you have just returned, you must be tired, so rest well for now."
"No. It is fine. I appreciate your words, but I haven't..."
"Now, now. Don't be like that. I will remember your merits, so please, just go."
At His Majesty's command, which was close to begging, I had no choice but to stand up. Looking around, the ministers frowned, and the maids turned their heads away, even retching.
Even the Royal Guards didn't dare to approach me. Every time this happens, I realize it anew.
Making such a fuss over just this appearance. Times like this make me realize how much of a greenhouse flower this place is compared to the battlefield.
Well, most of the people here are main or supporting characters of a Romance Fantasy. There's no way they would know the battlefield I'm experiencing now. If they did, that Romance Fantasy would have surely failed.
"Phew, fine. Let's go wash up first."
Like that, I warmed my body in the top-class quarters the King arranged for me. First, I washed with warm water and filled my stomach with a proper meal, not bugs or muddy water.
It was truly paradise.
"Thinking about this world, actually, this is the right way."
Come to think of it, what crazy Romance Fantasy would have you shower in rainwater and wash your face with unknown blood? My current situation is the weird one.
Why did I possess this guy who isn't even mentioned in the novel, instead of the male lead or someone around him? Honestly, I only learned that the 4th Knight Order Captain's name was Carmil after possessing him. He was that nonexistent, even among fans.
"If there's anything to remember, it's just that he died during the war."
In fact, my time limit was 3 years ago. Driving his subordinates to their deaths in a battle against demons and dying together with them—this was the only memory of Carmil I knew.
To escape that future, how much I trained and swung my sword. I faced death dozens of times, but nevertheless, I survived until today.
And with the Kingdom's highest title of War Hero, at that. Of course, infamy followed just as much.
"Still, wasn't that a bit too much earlier?"
Leaving aside the ministers looking at me like a monster, shouldn't fellow soldiers not be like that? This is why you can't communicate with guys who have never been to a battlefield. Stuck in the royal palace every day with the excuse of guarding the King, they don't know the desperation of the battlefield.
If I hadn't stained my armor with blood today, my blood would have dyed the enemy general's armor.
"Well. Still, I understand. In Romance Fantasies, people go crazy over things like honor and glory among knights rather than that kind of stuff."
The glory of serving royalty. An honorable one-on-one duel as a knight against a knight. Battles in Romance Fantasies are mostly like this. So, putting aside the dirty feeling, I can understand why those guys reacted that way.
The reason the King tried to send me out quickly is one of them too.
"He must have been afraid that I might meet the princesses."
Recently, whenever I came to report to the royal palace, other royals except the King were never present. I heard other Knight Order Captains meet the princesses and chat happily, but I don't even remember bumping into them while passing by. It's been so long since I last saw them that my memory is faint.
Since they are girls who only look at gardens full of flowers every day, the King probably doesn't want to show my state to such daughters.
Thanks to that, despite falling into a Romance Fantasy world, I have almost no memories of getting involved with the protagonists here.
Just the battlefield every day. A life repeating itself, nothing more, nothing less.
Of course, at first, I resented it and thought about just dying, but now that 15 years have passed doing this, I accepted it long ago.
Rather, now I can't adapt to that Romance Fantasy world.
"Well, this is not bad in its own way. I'll just live like this for this life."
I lay down on the fluffy bed just like that.
I simply enjoyed this momentary rest for the next battlefield.
After some time had passed since Carmil left, the maids hurriedly wiped the blood off the floor.
"Everyone, wipe it quickly. The Princesses will return soon!"
"Yes!"
Hearing those words, the maids moved more busily. They erased the smell of blood with perfume and quickly removed the enemy generals' heads he left behind. Just in case, they even decorated the surroundings with flowers. It was always chaos like this after Carmil left.
"Princess Ilene. Princess Camellia. The two Princesses have entered!"
Just in time, the report that they had returned was heard. The maids who finished cleaning quickly returned to their places, and the ministers also stood as if nothing had happened.
As the two princesses entered, the King welcomed them as usual. The two gathered their hands neatly and bowed their heads.
"Your Majesty. This girl and Camellia report that we have just returned from the Empire."
"Haha. No need to be so stiff. Just do as you always do."
"No. How could we dare..."
"Hehe. Then shall we?"
At that moment, Camellia, who was next to her, quickly took those words and raised her head. Ilene scolded her with her eyes, but she was rather confident.
"Eey. Dad says so too. Unnie, you do as usual too."
"Camellia, you! Haa..."
Ilene tried to say something but gave up. Because the King and the ministers were already looking at them with pleased expressions.
Eventually, she also raised her head and smiled at the King.
"Royal Father, we are here."
"Yes. Welcome. How was the social gathering? Wasn't it tiring?"
"Phew, don't get me started. It was so far to the Empire that I almost broke my legs on the way!"
"Camellia. You rode a carriage, yet you say such things."
Laughter was heard from here and there at those words. Camellia puffed out her cheeks and looked at her.
"Hmph. Still, we walked from the city gates! Besides, the food was bad the whole way, and sleeping outside was terrible too. Unnie, you slept fitfully too."
"W-When did I do that? Don't make things up in front of Royal Father!"
"Hing. Dad. Let's hold the next social gathering in the Kingdom. Huh? It's annoying for me to go."
Camellia begged the King while recalling the past suffering. At that cuteness, not only the King but also the people around them melted.
"Okay, okay. Let's do that. Dad will talk about it well next time."
"Wow, really? Dad is the best! Then it's a promise?"
"Camellia, you really..."
Ilene sighed watching her Royal Father accepting the whining and her younger sister. Seeing that, he immediately paid attention to her as well.
"My lovely Ilene. I heard the news that you won against the Knight Order Captains there when you went to the Empire this time."
"Ah, no. It's nothing much."
Although she said that, her heart started beating faster than usual.
Seeing his daughter's excited appearance, the King quickly praised her.
"Haha. Nothing much. You defeated all the Knight Order Captains of the Empire, which is called the country of knights; what greater achievement could there be? You are truly the pride of our Kingdom."
"Fufu, thank you. Royal Father."
In reality, she set a tremendous record of complete victory against the knights there. Especially two knights among them were comparable to Carmil.
However, there was somewhat of a backstory to that, and there was no way she would know that fact.
"It is my regret that I couldn't see that exploit in person. Right. How was it competing with the knights?"
"Everyone was truly amazing, befitting their reputation. Especially the two Knight Order Captains, to the point where I couldn't be sure of victory until the very end. Luck was on my side, but the results of my training led me to victory."
"Hahaha! Right. Who wouldn't know that you train harder than anyone else. With our Ilene, the future of this Kingdom is truly bright!"
"That is correct, Your Majesty! We will spread this matter widely beyond the Kingdom to the entire continent immediately."
"With the Princess here, who would dare to look down on our Kingdom!"
Applause was heard from here and there. Nobles and servants alike all genuinely congratulated her, and it was much louder and longer than the applause Carmil received earlier.
"Right. Was there anything else at the social gathering besides that? For example..."
Like something happening with the Prince. The King asked with that expectation, but Ilene shook her head.
"No. The Princess and other young ladies were not interested in martial arts, and I couldn't possibly compete with the Prince."
"Mmm, I see. Then what about our Camellia?"
"The food was delicious!"
"And what else?"
"Ah! And the other young ladies were kind too. I want to meet and play with them again!"
"I-I see."
At the two daughters' answers, the King couldn't hide his disappointment. He thought if he could entrust his daughters, who were precious to him, to anyone, it would be the Prince. But the two daughters seemed completely uninterested in such things yet.
Still, there is plenty of time, and since the two daughters said they had fun, he decided to be satisfied with that for this social gathering.
"Right. Anyway, you both worked hard coming here. Since the weather is nice, let's take a walk in the garden with this dad and talk about the rest..."
"Royal Father. Before that, I have a request."
"Hmm?"
At that moment, Ilene looked at him with a serious face. Amidst everyone's focused gaze, she opened her mouth.
"I want to go to the battlefield this time too."
Her expression looked more confident than ever before.