Facing Down the Brass
The three knights' eyes shook rapidly. They were utterly flustered by the princess's sudden intrusion. The princess said nothing, simply watching the three men quietly. In the heavy silence, the two legion commanders glanced furtively at the battalion commander.
The battalion commander, pushed by seniority, had no choice but to step forward.
"Third Company's Third Platoon's deputy squad leader... barging into the battalion commander's office like this..."
"I'm here as the princess right now."
"...An honor. Please, come in, Your Highness. Would you like to take a seat somewhere comfortable?"
The battalion commander's shift in attitude was astonishingly swift. The two legion commanders eyed the back of his head with cold stares. He noticed their glares but what could he do? It was better to displease the legion commanders than the princess. They'd head back to their legions once business was done, but she'd be sticking around the battalion for her service. Her status outranked theirs, and she'd be right under their noses.
The princess didn't refuse his offer. She walked over with steady steps and stood beside the chair at the head of the table. The Silver Eagle Corps legion commander, who had been sitting there, hurriedly scooted to the spot next to the battalion commander.
The moment she sat, the princess turned to the three knights.
"Is discipline really necessary here?"
"Pardon?"
"I asked if the Third Platoon's squad leader needs to be disciplined."
The three knights just gaped, unable to answer. They knew it too. The squad leader had done nothing wrong. And the one who'd caused the mess was standing right in front of them.
"Who was it that ruined this opposing forces exercise to begin with?"
"...!"
"I'm asking who messed up."
She was really going to push this? The knights' expressions grew complicated at the princess's brazen words.
"You think it was me?"
"Th-that's...!"
"I don't think threatening the golem mage was a mistake."
"...?"
"If anything, you three are the ones who ruined the exercise."
"!?!?"
Shock flooded their eyes. This was straight-up deflection—the exact same tactic they'd tried to pull on the Third Platoon's squad leader.
The battalion commander licked his parched lips and rasped, "Wh-what mistake did we make?"
"Running the exercise without proper notification."
"That was..."
His gaze flicked to the Black Golem legion commander. It was he who'd insisted on following field manual protocol because the emperor's eyes were on the unit.
On this point, even the Black Golem legion commander had a defense, so he spoke up. "Calling it improper notification is a misunderstanding. We clearly informed each platoon right before the exercise via voice magic."
"That's the mistake."
"How is that a mistake?"
"How can anyone trust voice magic?"
The Black Golem legion commander struggled to grasp her point. Voice magic was a recent development from the Mage Tower, a groundbreaking way to transmit voices. And she was saying not to trust it outright?
"For example... suppose I handed you a voice magic scroll right here that said, 'The Black Golem legion commander is dismissed.' Would you just accept it and step down?"
"...!"
It was a stretch. An extreme hypothetical to force her argument through. But if it came from the princess? She had the status to deliver a scroll like that.
The Black Golem legion commander's words failed him.
"The notification for this exercise was the same. A scroll delivered via battalion and company runners would normally be trustworthy enough."
"...".
"But what if the enemy swapped it out midway with fake contents? Or forged the seal and impersonated us to feed false intel?"
On modern Earth, that was child's play—edited recordings, AI-generated voices, remote virus drops. But in this world, it was a stretch for most. The Mage Tower had only demoed voice magic to the imperial family a few years back.
"Imagine it: the enemy sends a fake scroll saying 'exercise commencing' to lull us into complacency, then hits us with real troops and wipes us out."
By now, the three knights were getting drawn into her logic. The vulnerability of voice magic. The potential for disruption and deception. Their minds raced with the implications.
"Now do you get why I threatened the golem mage? As long as there's even a 1% chance he could be a real enemy, I have to protect myself."
The princess framed it as a safety issue. She'd made them see the risks of uncertain intel.
But.
"Um... Your Highness?"
"Speak."
"Didn't you grab the mage by the collar and then complain that your workload doubled?"
"...".
Her elaborate argument crumbled under that factual jab from the Black Golem legion commander. The blurred point snapped back into focus.
"That had nothing to do with intel uncertainty..."
"Ow, fine. You messed up too, so call it even."
"...".
I let out a deep sigh as I left the battalion commander's office. I'd almost smoothed it all over, but got properly skewered at the end. Still, I'd managed to block any discipline for the squad leader.
I'd argued that if anyone was getting punished, it should be the one who caused the incident—me. They couldn't counter that.
My punishment: confinement to quarters. Exactly as expected, so I was satisfied.
Heading to the platoon barracks, I spotted the squad leader fidgeting like a puppy desperate to poop. He straightened up when he saw me and approached.
"How'd it go?"
"No responsibility will fall on you for this, sir."
"And you?"
"I'll be disciplined. Confinement."
"...I see."
Relief washed over him at the word "confinement." Violence during training was serious—demerits or even demotion for regular soldiers or knights. Dodging that with status privilege? He'd count it lucky.
"Confinement starts today?"
"No, sir. After the position construction wraps up."
Using confinement to duck work was tempting. But that'd make me no better than the malingerers who faked injuries for light duty. If I'd skipped from the start, fine—but bailing midway? Not my style.
"Rest order's out today due to the exercise. Work resumes tomorrow, so get some downtime."
"Understood, sir."
Business done. I saluted to leave, but he grabbed me.
"Deputy. One thing I'm curious about."
"Yes, sir?"
"You graduated second from the Imperial Academy?"
"Yes, sir."
"With that magic talent?"
He looked incredulous. Honestly, even I wondered sometimes if my skills were that impressive. And for good reason...
"If you're second, what does it take to be first?"
"Dodging every one of my lightning bolts and kicking my ass."
"Whoa..."
I'd never beaten the top student once. Tried my damnedest in academy sparring, but graduated without a win. Just figured, genius gonna genius. We weren't rivals, so no hard feelings.
"Must be one hell of a fighter. I'd love a spar someday."
"Spar? We could do it right now."
"What?"
"That top student is..."
"Your Highness!"
Speak of the devil. Elina Verdia, Imperial Academy valedictorian, came charging at me with eyes wide.
"Squad leader, you know her. Elina Verdia—academy top graduate and my personal maid."
"Your maid was valedictorian?"
"Yep. She attended with me as my exclusive maid. Same classes, but her skills? Insane."
I'd been shocked too. Expected talent for a royal maid, but dominating the rankings? And Elina, why're you barreling in like that?
"Elina, you can't go tearing through the camp like this."
"You tore through it first, Your Highness! Kicking down the battalion commander's door!?"
"That was..."
"And getting disciplined mid-exercise? Where's your dignity!"
"Wait, how do you even know I got punished?"
"I went to clean up your mess at the office and overheard!"
Damn battalion commander... or the legion commanders? Why's everyone here such a gossip?
"This won't do. You need reflection time today!"
"Elina, you don't have authority for..."
"Her Majesty the Empress grabbed my hands and begged me to guide you straight!"
"Bringing up Mom here?"
Elina wasn't debating further. She pinned my arms and legs in a flash, then fireman's-carried me with pro technique.
I got dragged to the house. And spent the rest of the day in what she called "reflection"—really just etiquette lessons.