Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Surprise Inspection
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Camilla's return to the capital sent shockwaves through the imperial palace.
Standing at the vanguard on a blood-soaked battlefield as a twenty-year-old girl.
And rumors spread that she had massacred the enemy with overwhelming skill.
Her fame was so great that people were saying the empire's youngest swordmaster had been born.
The crown prince, who had received the report ahead of time, immediately recruited her into the Imperial Knight Order.
And boldly placed her in the vice-captain position, one that usually required being at least thirty years old.
The moment she returned to the capital, she became the top predator among the empire's knights.
In truth, Camilla reveled in her fame and prestige.
And she resolved to show conduct befitting her reputation even after returning to the capital.
But.
The Imperial Knight Order surprisingly had little for her to do.
The crown prince's order was number one in the empire's hierarchy to begin with, so all the tough jobs were handled by the other orders.
It was an awkward situation where she wanted to show off her skills but there was no work to be had.
In the end, Camilla decided to go on dispatch duty to flaunt herself.
And right on cue, there was a place calling for her...
"Camilla of the Imperial Knight Order. Looking forward to working with you."
The knight order with the lowest rank in the empire.
The Capital Defense Corps.
"With all the unfortunate incidents in the capital lately, the palace has graciously sent support."
Valderian beamed as he introduced her to the officers.
He was the one who had called Camilla in the first place.
"She'll be with us for the next few weeks, so treat her with the respect due to a superior officer."
The Capital Defense Corps officers sitting in the office.
They gazed indifferently at Camilla, who had only just become an adult.
But soon, their expressions twisted into fear.
Right in front of everyone, Valderian...
"Whether it's training or instruction, handle it however you see fit. You've come back from the front lines, so you know better than I do."
...had unleashed the leash on Camilla, who was starved for recognition.
"Yes. Then let's get started right away."
The general planned to use her to straighten out the lax atmosphere in the Capital Defense Corps that had persisted until now.
He had been tearing his hair out over the useless parachutists dropped in before.
"I've heard you're quite famous among the knights."
Camilla looked down pitifully at the officers who had been living leisurely and lazily until now.
"They say the Capital Defense Corps is the laziest and most incompetent in the empire."
The officers gulped in unison at her words.
They felt like their peaceful daily lives would shatter if she meddled in their work.
"From now on, I'll make sure no such talk ever comes up again by managing and training you properly."
Camilla strode confidently across the corridor of the officers' office.
And she memorized every knight's face with her own two eyes.
Like a beast eyeing its prey.
"Eek..."
Ruper was gone from his spot, replaced by Miya.
She watched breathlessly as Camilla approached the seats of her weary seniors.
The first victim among them was a chubby, somewhat dim-witted senior who loved to eat.
"Do you think eating is allowed during duty hours?"
Camilla pointed to the half-eaten chocolate bar on the table.
The senior replied with a generous smile.
"Vice-captain, care for a bite?"
A response that proved just how chaotic the Capital Defense Corps had been.
At that, the swordmaster smiled sweetly.
And...
"Eat shit."
She kindly shoved the chocolate bar into the fat senior's mouth.
"Five seconds. Eat it and make it disappear right now."
The senior choked and coughed.
He barely swallowed it down and hurriedly stashed away the snack bag.
Afterward, Camilla turned her head.
And approached the filthy table that had been bothering her since she entered the office.
"You. Everyone else's is dirty, but yours is especially a mess."
Camilla crossed her arms alone.
With a cold glare, she commanded the guard knight who looked at least five years older.
"What's the point of a knight guarding the capital if he can't even clean up...?"
"This is how I work most efficiently."
The female knight wore the same chilling smile as before.
Then, out of nowhere, she placed her hand on the desk.
"I'll help you get even more efficient."
She swept all the clutter off the table onto the floor.
"I work best with a clean desk. I'm teaching you personally, so take it graciously."
"Y-Yes..."
The senior sighed deeply, head bowed.
However, these two were merely the first victims.
"From now on, anyone slacking off or acting unbecoming of a knight in the Capital Defense Corps will be severely punished."
The moment she got Valderian's permission, she began taking control of the entire office.
"So, for the security of the empire, I ask for your full 'cooperation.'"
The Capital Defense Corps knights, overwhelmed by the young swordmaster's ferocity.
They all began tidying their spaces in perfect unison.
Valderian watched the now-disciplined office with satisfaction.
Camilla was the crown prince's direct subordinate and a national hero from the battlefield.
No matter how much of a parachutist from a prestigious family you were, her pointing it out was unblockable.
But Camilla wasn't satisfied with just this.
She also memorized the names of the dispatched members listed on the bulletin board.
Then, her gaze suddenly stopped at 'Veil Mikhail.'
"General."
"Speak, vice-captain."
Camilla approached the general with Veil's nameplate and performance list in hand.
With unfocused eyes, she said,
"Veil Mikhail here. Who is this knight?"
"He's the top graduate of this class. A staunch, patriotic fellow."
Top of the class.
Camilla, who had also been top of her class, flashed her blue eyes.
"Ah, the one who beat Richard?"
"Yes, he subdued that mana rampage guy with his bare fists."
Camilla nodded as if she had heard of it.
But soon furrowed her brow.
A powerhouse who took down Richard was stuck in a place like this.
On top of that, his performance was in the lower ranks of the order.
He only did morning patrols, with no notable arrests.
Finding this highly suspicious, Camilla put on her signature cold, expressionless face.
"Captain, can I conduct surprise inspections on the dispatched knights as well?"
"Go ahead."
Valderian gladly accepted the young knight's proposal to take initiative.
Impressed by her zeal, he even offered to call a carriage for her himself.
But Camilla firmly declined.
And...
"No need. It's easier to surprise them if I move alone."
She curled the corners of her mouth upward like a leopard stalking a leisurely gazelle.
"Good! As expected of someone with real combat experience!"
Valderian guffawed, hand on his hip.
He gazed fondly at the young beast who had seized the office in an instant.
But.
Not everyone was pleased with the situation.
Miya, watching the two terrifying superiors from the corner.
She gulped deeply as she eyed the scary girl about to barge into Veil's office.
"Veil's in trouble..."
Miya quietly wrote a note.
And secretly tied it to a messenger pigeon before gently releasing it.
"Hey, you."
The moment it flew off safely.
"Eek...! Y-Yes!!"
Miya, already singled out, whipped her head around.
And respectfully greeted Camilla, who stood with arms crossed alone.
"Smokers, head to the smoking cleanup area immediately. Follow me."
"Yes, understood!"
The senior glanced back at the departing pigeon.
Fortunately, the messenger bird was safely heading to Norten.
「―――.」
The pigeon cut through the cold northern winds of the capital as it flew diligently.
Eventually, it arrived at a familiar office.
The sound of it tapping on the window glass from the sill.
At that noise, I rose from the desk in the office where I'd been spacing out.
"The headquarters...?"
Yawning, I opened the window.
Seeing the note tied to the messenger pigeon's leg, I immediately knew it was from Senior Miya.
She usually came to the office leisurely like a cat if nothing was up.
Sending a messenger pigeon in a hurry like this.
'Something urgent.'
I unfolded the note at once.
As I read through, a familiar name appeared, and I furrowed my brow.
"Camilla...?"
Definitely a name I knew.
When was it...?
"Ah, right."
One of the knights I fought on the day of the purge.
Same age as me, and also a swordmaster.
But she was at the intermediate stage between entry and mastery.
While I had already reached the pinnacle by then.
Thanks to that, I subdued her without much trouble.
However, her tenacity was impressive.
Even after falling, she clung to my ankle with her loyalty to the crown prince.
Of course, she regretted it immensely once she learned he destroyed the empire.
A typical fool who knew nothing else.
"With all the incidents in the capital, the crown prince must have called her in advance."
Considering her affiliation and strength, she's a highly threatening figure.
But her purpose in visiting now is just a surprise inspection, so no big deal.
I haven't done anything problematic.
Thinking that, I gazed leisurely out the window.
And watched my minions in the vegetable garden.
Watermelon vines marking a line in the middle of the field.
Tau and the Torrman clansmen playing volleyball with some ball they picked up somewhere in between the lines.
"Hey, knight! What kind of pass is that?"
"What? You should've received it properly!"
"In our north, passing like that gets you cursed at!"
Ekina, the Red Flame vice-captain, giggling as she watched the bickering men.
And even the black mage elder who had slyly joined recently.
No matter how I looked, it was a peaceful, ordinary knight office scene...
...
Was it?
Am I screwed?
I blinked my eyes alone.
Then, hands behind my back, I descended the stairs leisurely.
"Oh, clan chief!!"
The rough-looking men sweated and grinned.
By now, they were calling me clan chief.
"Master, you've come out."
The eastern knights, grown to just shy of swordmaster, bowed politely.
To them, I was already a sky-like master.
"Captain, look at these guys. They can't even play volleyball without using their feet."
"Volleyball is played with feet, Ekina vice-captain."
Ekina vice-captain had blended into the atmosphere from exchanging info.
And the black mage elder too.
They all treated my office like their neighborhood playground.
"Everyone, focus for a moment."
I said coldly to them.
At once, they all froze.
Only the sound of the ball rolling across the garden.
"A rookie named Camilla is heading here now."
"Camilla...?"
The Torrman clansmen and eastern knights tilted their heads.
However, Ekina, who had been the crown prince's lackey early on, and the black elder seemed to know her.
"That crazy bitch is coming here?"
Especially Ekina.
She scowled the moment she heard Camilla's name.
"Why, you know her?"
"My classmate from the southern front. She cut down hundreds of enemies alone."
Cutting down hundreds meant at least swordmaster-threshold level.
And as Ekina's classmate, she couldn't be too old.
"Her personality's rotten too. Obsessed with promotion, volunteered for the front lines, and was the drill sergeant there."
I pursed my lips.
And nodded slowly before saying,
"As expected, her personality matches her fighting style—total dogshit."
"I'd better get out before getting involved."
When even the vice-captain stuck out her tongue, the group around us tensed up.
The moment their happy daily life shattered at the name of a twenty-year-old girl.
But amid that chaos, I remained expressionless.
In fact, in a nonchalant voice, I told them,
"It's fine. Nothing to worry about for you all."
I fetched the clothes prepped in the storage shed.
And tossed them in front of my group.
"Everyone, go change into these and come out. I'll handle her when she arrives."
The office members pulled out various farmer outfits from the basket.
They looked a bit hesitant for a moment...
But soon nodded with eyes full of trust in me.
Then, they all moved with military precision like a single army.
While everyone entered the building to change,
I sent Ekina off and stood alone at the office entrance.
To meet the very impressive sword saint coming to see me.
Arms crossed, I silently stared at the horizon.
Then, a chilling aura approaching from afar.
"She's here."
Radiant blonde hair cut short solely for war.
Eyes once pure as a girl's, now lifeless from being steeped in blood.
And...
Crimson mana dyed red with killing intent.
Anyone else would piss themselves.
Such a heterogeneous aura on a pretty girl's face.
"You must be Veil."
But for me, who had cut down far more...
It felt welcoming, like seeing a junior.
"Aigoo—welcome!"
A sly merchant's grin.
Seeing that smile, Camilla furrowed her brows.
It was completely different from the Capital Defense knights she'd dealt with so far.
If they were rabbits fidgeting before a predator,
The one facing her now was a sly fox.