Date with the Northern Duchess: Three Hundred Knights
Three hundred knights. For three days and nights straight, I faced off against three hundred knights. Without a single moment of rest, never once letting go of my sword hilt, I pulled off the feat of knocking down every single one who challenged me.
The black-haired young man shed his sweat- and dirt-soaked outer coat. This revealed shoulders and abs plastered with a lifetime's worth of old scars.
"Kailun! Kailun!"
"Sir Valtenstein...! The captain of us all!"
The knights who'd witnessed the brutal sparring in the training yard thrust their fists skyward, praising his overwhelming prowess. They were knights from the Holy Empire, assigned under Kailun's command. And it didn't stop there—the Eastern Front knights joined the cheers too. True to their northern roots that prized strength and valor, they showed themselves utterly captivated by Kailun.
Even the knights who'd grumbled with jealousy at Lady Leonora's full-throated favoritism and trust, even those who'd vented their resentment at the parachute-dropped new guard captain—they all had no choice but to acknowledge Kailun's martial might.
"Impressive. The Holy Empire's mad dog."
"The Eastern Front's knight commanders didn't step up, but... we have no choice but to recognize his skill."
"Truly the guard captain Lady Leonora approved. I feel ashamed for ever doubting her judgment, even briefly."
Could you fight nonstop for three days and nights? Almost every knight would balk. Impossible. They'd collapse from exhaustion before even twelve hours. They'd topple under the weight of fatigue and sleep deprivation.
I'd battled swarms of Eastern monsters like a flood before, sure. But we'd rotated troops at fortresses like Nilfheim to hold the line, so I'd never attempted this reckless stunt of gripping the sword hilt without even a scrap of rest for three straight days and nights.
Mad dog. A true mad dog. Ferocious, tireless tenacity. Superhuman strength transcending limits. And to prove it, he'd turned a horde of Eastern knights into mincemeat.
"Gah!"
"Damn it...!"
The black-haired man thrust two wooden swords from both hands, unleashing slashes. At the same instant, the knights charging from either side went flying.
"To lose to you! The guy who snatched Lady Leonora's favor in an instant...! All this time, I've hunted countless monsters to earn her recognition, choked down the mint cocoa she served...! For years, I've endured that foul stench and gulped it down!!"
Sob... The blond youth collapsed, bawling. Taktus von Julian. A knight who worshipped Leonora fervently. He wailed like a diehard fan hearing their idol announce retirement and marriage.
"You were worried about the captain too, Rozalin?"
"The training yard's been noisy nonstop, so... I just stopped by."
"Taking down over three hundred knights in three days. He's utterly ridiculous. Honestly, he reminds me of the Sword Saint."
"......"
As the three-day duel marathon reached its end, a brown-haired knight woman appeared. The Holy Empire knights gazed at Kailun with awe-struck eyes and murmured as much. Rozalin averted her gaze, muttering softly.
"All the wooden swords in the yard are gone. We prepared plenty... Guess he'll fight barehanded now."
Hundreds of wooden swords lay splintered. Spotting him, Kailun clenched his fists into a stance.
Imperial close-quarters combat. The unarmed martial art taught to Holy Empire officers. Designed for brutal trench warfare where weapons and magic were hard to wield.
The sight of the mad dog charging barehanded was enough to stun every knight watching the duel. His superhuman-fueled punch slammed dead-center into the knight's face.
* * *
The moment I was appointed Leonora's guard captain overseeing the Eastern Front, Holy Empire knights were reorganized into Nilfheim's new guard unit. Despite plenty of Eastern nobles griping about the parachute promotion and seething with envy, they couldn't block the guard unit's creation.
Guard captain. In one leap, I'd risen to Leonora's inner circle.
Three nights, four days of vacation. Right as guard captain duties kicked off, I filed for leave. All that nonstop sparring had left me utterly sick of it.
Knock. Knock.
Early evening brought a visitor. Leonora Elua Edelgard. A silver-haired beauty boasting noble features. Not her pristine white uniform radiating flawless perfection, but simple, fresh casual clothes.
An oversized pea coat with sharp shoulders. A slim-fit turtleneck baring her ample chest. A layered long skirt and pantyhose prioritizing mobility and elegance. Even in plain casual wear, the beauty rivaling a romance-fantasy heroine shone with nation-toppling allure. Her ruby-red eyes gleamed so vividly, they stole my gaze unwittingly.
"...I'm on vacation."
"I'm heading out to inspect a nearby village. Care to escort me? Sorry for dropping by unannounced. I'll count this as work today."
"I'm honored, milady. Give me ten minutes."
"I'll wait in the carriage."
Work-life balance? In the Holy Empire, where even basic labor laws were a joke, that was pure luxury. Weekends meant mandatory unpaid overtime, weekdays you'd clock out fake and pull all-nighters, vacations got denied on flimsy excuses.
My new boss offered this gentle, merciful deal: tag along briefly, and it'd count as a full workday. As guard captain with a promised 12,000-credit salary, I gladly accepted the escort gig.
"It's a cafe I frequent. Try their signature mint latte."
"......"
Hiemalis. A village six miles from Nilfheim. Population: five hundred. A settlement for miners at the magic crystal coal mines.
Leonora guided me to the cafe there and smoothly ordered mint lattes.
"Congratulations. You've become a celebrity on the Eastern Front overnight."
"Pardon?"
The silver-haired beauty beamed and handed over a stack of papers.
The Holy Empire's Mad Dog! Topples hundreds of knights, appointed Nilfheim guard captain. Lady Leonora states: "He'll rampage as the Eastern Front's mad dog from now on."
Of course the news would spread like wildfire across the East. The cafe patrons nursing coffees by the roaring hearth—many read the local paper too, thawing their frozen faces in the warmth. The Eastern folk, accustomed to pragmatic inclusivity, shrugged off his Holy Empire origins without batting an eye.
"You skipped the mint cocoa I served before, and now you won't touch the latte... Do you hate mint? Hmm, remarkable."
"It's a bit polarizing, I'd say. But if it's your order, I'll drink."
"You must think me petty. Would I issue such a trivial command? It's a shame, though—Nilfheim's knights all love mint cocoa."
"......"
I pictured the blond young master who'd challenged me six times. He'd choked it down despite dizziness, nausea, the works.
I genuinely pitied Nilfheim's knights guarding House Edelgard.
"Wait here a moment."
"Yes, ma'am."
Leonora rose and stepped outside the cafe.
Offering cocoa to the kids? Her face and tone are ice-cold, but... she has a warm heart for her Eastern subjects. That's why the knights throw their lives away for her.
Through the cafe's clear glass window, I watched the silver-haired beauty approach street urchins. Faces and ears flushed beet-red from the brutal cold, they sniffled and trailed her inside.
Three boys. Two girls. The kids gawked wide-eyed at the cafe interior.
No wonder. Cafes were for the wealthy. Even one coffee cost more than a laborer's wage.
A maternal urge to treat these Eastern kids—born enduring the freeze—to something warm? Leonora seated the innocent-eyed children and called the waitress.
"Five mint lattes."
"......"
What a villain. Serving these pure-hearted kids toothpaste-thick mint latte despair.
"Waaah! What's this?!"
"The mint lady gave us toothpaste water!"
Sure enough, wails and complaints erupted from the kids' mouths.
"M-Mint lady...?!"
Had she not foreseen the mint latte backlash? Or was it the unwelcome "auntie" title that stunned her? The twenty-five-year-old unmarried Northern Duchess's eyes bulged wide.