The Knight Who Coveted His Lady
“How the hell is that supposed to be legitimate rule?” I was utterly dumbfounded. “Bandits get branded criminals for rape and plunder, but when a lord does the exact same thing it’s suddenly innocent?”
“The two are fundamentally different. Their stations are not the same.”
Where else would the phrase might makes right fit so perfectly? Adelia and I left the village and rode side by side toward the city of Nobern. Because the opponent was a lord rather than a mere bandit, Adelia was being cautious about launching any direct attack.
“A single fief is essentially a nation unto itself. Just as every kingdom has its own laws, each territory follows its own set of rules. Lords respect and acknowledge one another; they do not criticize or judge another lord’s methods of governance. In exchange for paying taxes to their superiors and providing troops in times of emergency, lower lords are granted complete autonomy over their own lands.”
She continued without pause.
“Paying taxes and supplying soldiers. If you do those two things well, the king and the grand lords will praise you as a capable ruler. No matter how badly the territory is run, no matter how much the people suffer, if your policies drive the fief to ruin, only the lord bears responsibility. The family falls and pays the price for incompetence—that’s all. Until that moment, no one may dare question a lord’s rule. Because a lord is a king.”
Hmm… So this was the unwritten code among the nobles of this world. A corrupt set of rules designed to protect the privileged class that fed on the backs of commoners. The idea that a lord could do whatever he pleased simply because he was “king” of his land felt as alien to me as parents selling their own children. Having lived through democracy, I found it almost impossible to accept. But if this was how things worked here, what choice did I have? Bitter as it was, I had to swallow it.
My mouth tasted foul.
“Then since we can’t touch Lapilwood, are we just giving up?”
“We cannot give up. He clearly made a deal with the bandits. I will see him thrown in prison.” Adelia’s eyes hardened with determination. “However, if the Lion Heart Unit attacks Lapilwood directly, we may face fierce backlash from the other lords. They’ll claim the king’s army has violated a lord’s autonomy. This case is different from Lord Roten’s. Back then we had clear evidence—he drew his sword against us. But right now we have no proof of Lapilwood’s crimes. The only thing we know is that you saw him at the bandit leaders’ meeting a few months ago.”
That didn’t mean there were no options at all. Adelia went on.
“If we can uncover evidence that he colluded with bandits or criminal organizations—something unrelated to his official duties as a ruler—we can throw Lord Lapilwood straight into jail.”
“For example?”
“For example, secretly maintaining a hidden army beyond the troop numbers officially reported to the royal palace.”
“Then the bandit group he was running on the side could be considered that secret army.”
“Or failing to fulfill his duty to protect the lives and safety of his people from external threats such as bandits or monsters.”
“That matches how he turned a blind eye to the bandits plundering inside his own territory.”
“Finally, any reckless exercise of power that caused harm to people outside his own fief.”
“Since those bandits plunder without regard for borders, if we can find account books showing he supported them or documents proving secret contact, that should do it.”
“The question is whether we can actually find any.” Adelia continued. “Lapilwood has already disbanded the bandit group he once controlled, and we currently have no evidence strong enough to prove his guilt. Without evidence, it will be difficult for the Lion Heart Unit to act openly. A few statements from his own people claiming he ignored the bandits’ pillaging or colluded with them won’t be enough to secure a conviction in the royal court. Even the judges tend to side with the nobility. Unless another noble steps forward to testify, they’ll likely dismiss the claims of commoners alone. If we arrest him without clear proof, he’ll almost certainly be found innocent.”
“Yet you don’t want to let Lapilwood go. So you’re telling me the Kether Mercenary Group has to handle this alone?”
“Find us a clue that will allow the Lion Heart Unit to step in. First, infiltrate the lord’s residence and check his secret vault. There may be incriminating documents inside. If you bring back solid evidence, we can use it as justification to mobilize.”
While discussing the matter with Adelia, we arrived at Nobern before I knew it. I reined in my horse on the main road, preparing to return to the mercenary office, and was about to bid her farewell when she suddenly held out her right hand.
“Kiss it.”
“What are you doing? There are people everywhere.” I gestured pointedly around us. The wide street was full of passersby, and thanks to our fame—her as commander of the Lion Heart Unit and me as leader of the Kether Mercenary Group—quite a few people were already staring at us on horseback.
“Didn’t you learn proper etiquette just the other day? When parting with a lady, you’re supposed to kiss the back of her hand. Have you already forgotten?”
“You really…” I swallowed the words are doing this on purpose, aren’t you? and reluctantly took her hand. I pressed my lips to the back of it with as much courtesy as I could muster.
Chu.
At that moment a great cheer erupted from the crowd—“Whoa!” “They look like a painting!” “What a perfect couple, how beautiful!”—accompanied by loud applause. I wasn’t used to being the center of attention and felt embarrassed, but Adelia, in complete contrast, rode away with a satisfied smile, elegant and graceful. She seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the adoring cheers that followed her.
Back at the mercenary office, I immediately summoned the members. Since we had decided to infiltrate Lapilwood’s residence, everyone would be working overtime tonight. Unfortunately, night had only just fallen and most of them had already gone home—except for Kelly and Epibia. I sent Kelly to fetch Unia from the tavern and ordered Epibia to bring Dana and Pasvachio from the house.
I myself headed for the inn where Mateus was staying. As the newest recruit, I wanted to see with my own eyes where he lived, so I went to call him in person. He had said money was tight, and sure enough, he was staying in a shabby little inn.
“Ah, the friend staying with that middle-aged lady? Go to the room at the far end of the second floor. The one with a fish painted on the door.”
Following the innkeeper’s directions, I climbed the creaking wooden stairs. With every step the floor groaned beneath my feet. When I reached the second floor, an unexpected sight greeted me.
A boy holding a mop was peeking through the slightly open door of the room at the end of the hallway—the very room the innkeeper had described as Mateus’s. I walked up quietly, clamped a hand over the boy’s mouth, and shoved him against the wall.
“What do you think you’re doing? Who are you?”
“I-I’m sorry! I’m just the inn’s part-timer!”
“Why is a part-timer spying on a guest’s room?”
“B-because… I couldn’t help it! My eyes kept going there! I tried to stop myself but my body wouldn’t listen! It’s true!”
My gaze reflexively dropped to the boy’s lower half. His pants were pitched like a tent. At that exact moment, the half-open door creaked and swung fully open on its own. My eyes naturally drifted into the room.
Inside, a middle-aged woman and Mateus were completely naked, passionately engaged in the act.
“Ahh! Aaaah…! Mateus! Haaah!”
“My lady! You’re the best! Hngh! Hngh!”
The middle-aged woman had to be the lady Mateus served—Margaret. He was gripping her waist from behind, thrusting into her like a beast, panting heavily. Margaret was on her knees with her hips raised high, trembling in ecstasy. When she heard the door open, her eyes flew open and met mine where I stood in the hallway.
“Kyaaaah!”
The two of them scrambled apart in panic. Margaret yanked the blanket over herself, while Mateus, spotting me, simply sat frozen on the bed with a blank expression.
Ten minutes later, after I had waited downstairs at a table, Mateus finally appeared. He was properly dressed in his work clothes with his sword at his waist. He sat down with a look of utter resignation and let out a long sigh.
“There’s no greater example of ingratitude, is there? I’m ashamed to admit it, but things have… developed between me and my lady. I have betrayed Sir Tyral, who made me a knight. I have nothing to say if you point your finger and curse me. I’m a pathetic fool who doesn’t even deserve to call himself a knight.”
I nodded silently and slid the beer I had ordered for him across the table. Mateus, clearly thirsty, grabbed the mug and drained it in one go. I smiled and said,
“You don’t need to worry about me. I think it’s only natural for a man and woman to seek comfort when they’re lonely. Besides, without that kind of pleasure, how could you keep protecting her? I have no intention of scolding you. And I have zero interest in meddling in my subordinates’ private lives. As long as you do your job well for the mercenary group, that’s enough for me.”
Mateus set down the empty mug, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and nodded.
“Thank you.”
He stared at the table for a moment before beginning to speak.
“It was right after we were driven out of the fief and began wandering with my lady. While walking through the mountains we had the misfortune of running into five bandits. I’m sure you can guess what happened next. They planned to kill me and rape her. But I wasn’t about to let that happen. I fought with everything I had to protect her. When I finally came to my senses, the ground was littered with their corpses. I had killed before, but that day… I saw myself consumed by madness. Not a single body was intact. They had been torn apart so horribly it looked like they’d been mauled by a wild animal.”
Mateus let out a small sigh and lifted the empty mug. He tilted his head back and tapped the bottom, trying to get the last drop. I ordered him another beer. He thanked me politely and continued.
“The way I mutilated those bodies was completely unlike me. It went against every principle of chivalry. Being suddenly expelled from the only home I had ever known must have made me take my anger out on them. My mind was filled with anxiety. What should I do now? What did I even want? How was I supposed to protect my lady? Could I even manage it? All those thoughts piled up until I lost control and became violent.”
Recalling that day, Mateus dragged a hand down his face.
“What have I done? I collapsed right there, sobbing like a child. The excitement from the killing still hadn’t faded, and the fear of the future mixed with it until I broke down crying like an idiot in front of my lady. I knew I shouldn’t, but I had spent my whole life only doing what others told me to do. I had no confidence that I could live a life of my own. I was terrified of standing alone with nothing and no preparation.”
“What I’m about to tell you now is important,” Mateus said. “My lady watched me crying like a child for a long time with a sorrowful look, then came over, embraced me, and whispered softly, ‘When a man feels anxious, he needs a woman’s warm touch.’ Do you know what happened after that?”
“I can guess. Something like what I just saw?”