Chapter 26
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Welcome to Our Family-Like Knight Order! (2)
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Passing the watchtower guarding the entrance, the drawbridge came into view first, with the moat full of water beneath it. Towering outer walls stood tall alongside the keep, encircling the inner castle.
Sturdy battlements connected the gaps between them. It was an incredibly grand fortress, though far from ostentatious. This was Lionheart Fortress, where the Royal Knights had once been stationed.
I'd finally made it all the way to Lionheart Fortress. How on earth had I ended up here? As I gazed at it with a bittersweet pang in my heart, a noisy voice called from behind.
"If you don't go first, I will! Captain!"
"Yeah, we gotta go in... Of course we do..."
"Come on! Let's head inside already!"
The voices belonged to the elf Clara and the dwarf girl Ruby. Over the two months riding in the carriage, we'd exchanged names and shared some basic stories.
Clara dashed ahead toward the drawbridge. Meanwhile, Ruby slowly pushed my hesitant back from outside. But then, a certain girl naturally slipped into the gap.
Her hair, once so short I'd mistaken her for a boy, now reached her back. Washed clean of the grime, her skin was fair and smooth, beautifully on display.
She wore clothes like those of a knight's squire—practical for movement, but plain and unadorned. Her mouth smiled, though it was slightly tense at the same time.
"I'll escort the teacher myself."
"In that case, she's all yours!"
"Yes, leave it to me."
That girl was Helia. After half a year since we met, she had officially become my squire. Naturally, I had no interest in exploiting a minor and tried to refuse,
but...
[Teacher, is there something lacking about me?]
[If anything, you're too good for this.]
[Ah, I see. So you've come to dislike me.]
[How could I dislike you?]
[Then why?]
[Well, you're too you...]
[Why? Why? Why?]
[Uh...]
[Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?]
Helia's determination was so unyielding that I had no choice but to accept her as my squire. It absolutely wasn't because I got swept up in her momentum or got scared or anything.
I glanced sideways at Helia. Stuck to my side like sticky rice cake, she grinned ear to ear for some reason. She was so cute like this.
That thing I saw before... it had to be a mistake... right?
It felt like I'd poked a hornet's nest, but I'd deal with that issue slowly later. Right now, I needed to put out the immediate fire. We had to rebuild the Royal Knights somehow.
The current Royal Knights were barely hanging on by a thread.
In truth, they'd lost all their former prestige.
Even my inauguration as captain had been simplified. It was supposed to be held at the Allied Races Conference, but the other races refused for various reasons, forcing a quick, informal ceremony.
That alone showed how far the Royal Knights' reputation had fallen. Of course, I preferred it this way. Otherwise, we'd still be stuck at the royal palace.
At that moment, the elf walking ahead suddenly turned around. Her silver hair followed a beat late as her body spun gracefully. Clara spread her arms with a smile.
"Captain! And Helia! We sincerely welcome you to our home, Lionheart!"
"The captain and Helia already know we're entering."
"Still gotta say it! It's their first time!"
I shook my head as they started bickering again. During the carriage ride here, we'd exchanged names and shared some basic stories.
The elf was Clara, who proudly claimed to be 180 years old. For an elf, that was quite young—equivalent to about 17 or 19 in human years.
And Ruby, who constantly clashed with Clara, was 18. She looked like a total rookie, but they were both officially inducted members of the Royal Knights.
"By the way, where is everyone? I don't see a single person."
Lionheart was a fortress, a massive castle, and at the same time, a home. Naturally, it needed stewards to manage such a vast place. At my words, Clara gave a wry smile.
"Well... they all quit."
"Quit?"
"Yeah, half of them. The other half got taken back by their own races or nations."
This is insane. I'd heard about it, but feeling it firsthand hit different. The alliance was starting to crack. No wonder they got utterly wrecked in the original story.
For the time being, they'd probably play it safe defending their own territories rather than cooperating. After all, the Royal Knights were like a tiger without teeth right now.
Still, the situation was better than in the original. A handful survived—three Royal Knights in total—which kept the name alive.
Plus, Lionheart Fortress itself was in better shape than in the original. Sure, months of neglect meant it was dusty, but in the game, it was a total ruin.
In fact, midway through the game, you reclaim Lionheart Fortress from the monsters. The protagonist's reaction afterward is gold.
[That's a fortress? Not ruins?]
[Yes, this is where the Royal Knights were once stationed.]
[Only one wall left?]
[The monsters destroyed everything else thoroughly. They must have hated the Royal Knights that much.]
In the original, Lionheart had just one outer wall left standing. Even that was described as being used by monsters as a toilet to mock them.
And rebuilding it? All on the player. Gathering stone, wood, labor, money—everything had to be done from scratch to reconstruct the castle.
"First things first, we'll request personnel from the kingdom to fill the gaps."
"There's an elf forest nearby, so I'll go ask them myself."
"..."
For a second, PTSD nearly kicked in. Asking imps for favors? The kind who flip out over a single tree? But I shook my head. Now wasn't the time to be picky.
We had to use every resource available. Anyway, with Clara and Ruby guiding us personally, Helia and I surveyed what we immediately needed.
Lionheart Fortress was far larger and more imposing than I'd imagined—at least compared to the restored version in the original. And now, we were all gathered in the dining hall.
"You probably already know, but let me introduce myself properly. I'm Hans, the new captain of the Royal Knights."
I'd agonized over this endlessly. Could I really handle being captain of the Royal Knights? I wrestled with it countless times, and the answer was always the same. I'm not cut out for it.
I didn't have their superhuman strength, nor any brilliant strategic mind. I'm just the Time Stop Breeding Uncle. What more do you want?
"The problem we're facing now is rebuilding the Royal Knights. That's our top priority, no matter what."
"Obviously."
"We'll help with everything we've got."
"If that's what the teacher wants."
"With that in mind... once the personnel requested from the kingdom arrives, we'll go retrieve the deserters from the Royal Knights."
Of the three surviving Royal Knights, one had quit and fled. But regrettably, every single person was precious to us right now.
So, we'd drag the deserter back and put them to use. Punish them by the book for desertion? We could only afford that with spare resources. In a situation where even dog shit is valuable, we had no choice.
Especially since it wasn't just any soldier—it was a mid-level core member of the Royal Knights. According to Clara, this deserter was one of their key figures.
"But Captain, is that really the right thing to do?"
"What?"
"I get it, honestly. They couldn't protect a single one—everyone died right in front of them."
"..."
"So running away isn't unreasonable."
I hadn't expected such skepticism. Having survived hell themselves, they probably hesitated to drag someone back into it. But I couldn't back down either.
"That's exactly why."
"What do you mean?"
"Let me turn it around. Why didn't you two run?"
"Well..."
"...You don't really know, do you?"
"Simple. You were each other's support."
Ironic, wasn't it? The elf and dwarf, whose races had the deepest grudges, leaning on each other. That's how hellish it must have been. And that's the logic I pulled out here.
"But what about that one now?"
"Yeah, sister's all alone now."
"We're the only ones who experienced that hell."
"Right. And over time, she'll start breaking down bit by bit."
Of course, it was bullshit. How would I know if they'd break or not? But either way, there's an answer. If they're breaking, pry it out and convince them.
If not...
Then get on your knees and beg.
If that doesn't work, grab their pant leg and cling. Ugly? Screw that! Who gives a damn about face right now? With demons potentially invading any second?!
Since becoming captain—somehow—I'd had a thought. I had no intention of doing this for years. My skills just weren't up to it.
Too much is worse than too little. Reach beyond your grasp, and eventually, you'll hit your limit—and things could get way worse than now.
But since I'd already opened my mouth and taken the job, I couldn't quit outright. The best scenario? They kick me out themselves without me resigning...
But I couldn't go full troll and sabotage the Royal Knights in their ruined state. So, I figured: give it my all for a year, while subtly laying the groundwork.
[We're not strangers, right? We're family! Family!]
[I'm fine. I'm okay, but what would your seniors think?]
[Isn't this the kind of thing the second-in-command should handle snap-snap?]
There are people like that. Not incompetent, but subtly annoying and irritating. If they're your boss, you'd lose your mind. But if that boss suddenly quits one day?
Who'd try to stop them?
Same here. And that deserter was a core mid-level member. If even they can't take it anymore and demand my resignation? Then I get booted?
"We're all in the same boat now—we're family. How can family ignore a family member's pain?!"
But for now, mental care comes first. Drag back the deserter somehow and turn them into a pillar of emotional support. Then, behind the scenes, act just annoying enough to grate.
Of course, too much annoyance and they might punch first, so keep it measured. That "subtly grating" feeling? I knew it inside out—hated it enough to know.
In short...
I'll become the good senior.
Time to show them what a "family-like" knight order really means.