Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Part 3: Reputation Work
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That was the beginning of the end.
Dull, colorless gates ripped open amid a murky glow, and soldiers from the otherworld clad in chrome armor poured endlessly into the plaza.
The creatures spewed flames nonstop from long hoses connected to their armor. The buildings around the plaza were instantly engulfed in fire, and the capital's citizens screamed as they fled in all directions.
"Ugh……."
This was the scene of the otherworld's first invasion—the very first wave.
I'd witnessed it with my own eyes eight times, and the number of times I'd recalled every detail in my mind was beyond counting.
So, I realized this was a dream.
It was the first nightmare of this, my tenth cycle. How many more nightmares would torment me until the real invasion began in ten years?
"Ugh…… Huh?"
I snapped to my senses and found my body swaying atop my horse.
Whoa, that was close—I almost fell off. I quickly steadied myself and patted my chest.
"Falling off my horse from dozing during a march—what a disgrace that would be……."
"Prince Highness?"
Right then, an elderly man riding beside me drew closer and asked politely.
"If you're feeling unwell, please say the word anytime. There's a carriage in the rear if you'd like to rest inside."
The old man's identity was Duron, the commander of the Imperial Guardian Knight Order—a group renowned more for its prestige than prowess. I glanced back at the 500-odd knights marching behind us and replied.
"I'm fine. More importantly, the battlefield seems to be drawing near. How's the knights' morale?"
"To be frank…… they're visibly uneasy. It's embarrassing for me to admit, but the Imperial Guardian Knight Order falls short in many ways."
Duron let out a long sigh. Indeed, even at a glance, their skills were lacking, and their training was a mess.
The reason such a knight order bore the grandiose name "Imperial Guardian" was simple: it was composed entirely of sons from prominent noble families.
In the Payud Empire, every man except the lowest dregs of commoners was obligated to serve at least three years in the military.
The problem was that highborn sons of noble houses couldn't serve alongside commoners as mere foot soldiers.
To allow them to fulfill their duty honorably, a special knight order was created: the Imperial Guardian Knight Order. People often just called it the Guardian Knight Order, dropping the "Imperial."
In any case, the basic requirement for a knight was to wear magic armor, which demanded a certain level of physical conditioning—something achievable only through innate talent and personal effort, regardless of family background.
Thus, the true nature of the Guardian Knight Order was a fake knight unit formed by noble sons who couldn't even meet the bare minimum bar for actual knighthood.
"Many aren't skilled at riding, which slows our march. In contrast, Your Highness handles your mount with ease. Didn't you say this was your first time on horseback?"
"Correct. It is."
Of course, that was true for this regression cycle. In my first cycle, with no special abilities, I'd ridden until blisters formed on my rear end.
"I see…… As expected, one can't judge a knight's capability by appearances alone. Which is why…… Oh, forgive me. That was a slip of the tongue."
The old man apologized in a fluster. He must have assumed my small, scrawny frame meant I couldn't handle a horse properly. It was always the same reaction with each regression, so I no longer even felt annoyed.
On the contrary, handling this well could earn me extra favor from Duron and the other nobles. This time, I'd replicate what I'd done in the sixth cycle.
"Hmm……."
I deliberately furrowed my brow and clamped my mouth shut. Duron bowed his head repeatedly, at a loss.
"My deepest apologies, Your Highness. I spoke out of turn with my foolish words and offended you. Please, forgive this old man's rudeness."
"Riding so long has left my thighs sore…… Hmm? Out of turn? What do you mean? What did you just say?"
"Pardon? Well, I mean……."
Duron's eyes widened, and he hesitated for a moment. Then he broke into a hearty laugh and nodded.
"No, never mind. Your Highness is truly magnanimous."
Good. Nothing major, but that's one point scored.
In any case, unlike the other ministers blinded by their biases, I knew from past experience that this old man harbored no particular malice toward me.
At this point in time, that alone made him exceptionally valuable talent. I was still the empire's most notorious villain, a headache viewed through tinted glasses by all.
Evaluating this man I'd often worked with in past lives…… He treated people without prejudice, was unfailingly honest and straightforward, and possessed a wealth of advanced knowledge across various fields—a true man of character.
The issue was that those were his only strengths.
Once war broke out, his noble character and broad knowledge were utterly useless in combat.
His personal martial prowess was far too feeble for a knight order commander, and his leadership over troops fell short of expectations.
To make good use of him, he belonged on the civil side rather than military. If dragged into war, rear staff duties suited him best.
Come to think of it, in the sixth cycle, I'd put him in charge of army logistics, and he'd done quite well.
"Your Highness is nothing like the stories I've heard."
"Oh?"
I smiled faintly and replied.
"My reputation precedes me, doesn't it? Seems none of the ministers like me."
"Indeed, I've never heard a good word. But after conversing with you these past few days, I suspect the rumors are exaggerated."
"It's true I caused plenty of trouble in the palace. Anyway, thanks for seeing me in a better light."
"You're too kind. I look forward to working with you."
Duron gave a light nod and fell back to his position. I gazed at the barren, wasteland-like surroundings and suddenly recalled a distant, horrific memory.
It was from my first regression.
Back then, much like now, I'd been heading to the battlefield on a whim. Still suffering from adaptation failure to the new world and the aftereffects of accumulated poison, I'd ridden at the front of the knight order without a thought in my head.
The moment the rookie spotted the undead horde charging head-on, terror seized him, and he wheeled his horse around.
-Aaaaaaaaack!
After that, all I remembered was screaming and fleeing; I had no idea what happened next.
I'd later heard that since the commander—me—had fled at the sight of the enemy, the knights and soldiers behind panicked, and the formation collapsed.
Knight Commander Duron had fought desperately to turn the tide, but to no avail.
He was swept away by the enemy horde and lost his life, while the knight order and army crumbled without mounting a proper defense.
Of the 2,500 troops mobilized, over 80 percent were casualties.
It was an unprecedented defeat in imperial history.
I'd barely escaped with my life thanks to the Stealth Imprint and spent the rest of my days (all ten years of them) confined to my estate, ground to dust by criticism over the incident.
"That really was ages ago."
Thinking back on old times brought a chuckle.
Just then, a small commotion stirred in the rear formation, and a knight with their helmet pulled low spurred forward.
"From the head maid, Your Highness."
"……Meredes?"
The voice belonged to Meredes, a maid from the Lunenbreath Manor.
Huh? Why was this tall young lady here right now?
This had never happened in any previous regression. Wasn't Meredes an elixirist to begin with?
And how was she wearing magic armor so effortlessly? An untrained civilian should collapse in under ten minutes, even in the lowest-grade stuff?
"It's Meredes, right? What's brings you here? And where'd you get that armor?"
"When we heard Your Highness was heading to the battlefield, the head maid dispatched me urgently. Procuring Guardian Knight Order armor took some time. My apologies."
"Your Highness? What's going on?"
Duron, who'd been at a distance, shouted over. I waved it off casually and lowered my voice.
"Lania sent you all this way to protect me?"
"What could I possibly do to protect Your Highness? I merely brought the 'Growth Elixir' the head maid prepared."
"Ah, that……."
"You haven't had any the past two days, so you'll need to take three doses at once today."
"Really? Is it safe to down that much?"
"……."
Meredes seemed to realize even she thought it problematic as she spoke. She drew a canteen from her belt and pondered for a moment.
More importantly, how was she enduring the magic armor's strain? A civilian should have their stamina drained instantly and collapse.
"Meredes? Have you ever trained as a knight before?"
"……My sense is that three doses at once won't pose a life-threatening risk. But what did you just say?"
"I asked if you'd ever done knight training."
"No. And what does knight training entail?"
"You know, basic stamina workouts, swinging weapons, donning and doffing magic armor to adapt…… That sort of thing. Groups of knight aspirants hyping each other up. You've really never done any?"
"Never. This is my first time wearing magic armor."
"And you're fine? No sudden weakness or anything?"
"Perfectly fine. If anything, I feel far stronger than usual. I could lift something very heavy right now, or run much faster than normal."
"Well, that's the effect of magic armor……."
Well, now.
To handle her first time in magic armor this well was top-tier talent.
For reference, it had taken me at least three years of physical conditioning and adaptation training to move properly in lowest-grade magic armor.
And Meredes was already near the pinnacle as an elixirist?
How could one person be so ridiculously versatile? And she was still young.
"How old are you now?"
"Sixteen."
"Same age as me. And you donned magic armor without any training. You're amazing."
"……I've always enjoyed gathering elixir ingredients, so I've frequented deep into the mountains since childhood. Perhaps that's toughened my body."
Meredes spoke cautiously in her blunt tone. No, miss—that's not how magic armor works. It isn't some soft gear you can wear just from hiking a bit.
In short, she was innately powerful in strength and physique. Recalling past experiences…… She was indeed tall, with long limbs and well-developed muscles all over.
I hadn't realized she had knight-level talent, though…….
"Unbelievable. Even after nine regressions, there's still more to learn."
"What was that? With the helmet on, I can't hear if you speak softly."
"No, nothing. I just mean I'll need to keep you close from now on."
"All the maids of House Lunenbreath, myself included, stand ready to obey Your Highness's commands at any time. However……."
Meredes suddenly turned her head forward, glaring at something as she spoke.
"There's smoke rising ahead."
"Smoke? Oh…… Yeah, that?"
Sure enough, faint smoke trailed up from the distance. Her eyesight was incredible too—I might've missed it if she hadn't pointed it out.
"Looks like it's starting. Just in case, fall back."
"Understood. I'll administer the Growth Elixir after the battle."
"What's the matter, Your Highness? Do you know this knight?"
Duron rode up beside me again and asked. I reacted swiftly, pointing far ahead.
"No, I just called her over to ask something. Was I the only one seeing that smoke?"
"Pardon? Smoke…… Oh, you're right—it's rising from way over there."
Duron looked where I pointed and sighed. I signaled Meredes to withdraw and continued.
"Looks like the enemies are coming. The smoke suggests a village or town might be under attack."
"Indeed…… As Your Highness says. All units, redirect southeast—now! Hurry!"
Duron immediately turned and barked orders to the knight order. I flashed a slight smile at the retreating Meredes, then turned my horse toward the rising smoke and galloped ahead.