What Do You Think?
“What do you think?”
Adrian set the documents down on his desk and asked. At that, a burly man hidden in the shadows stepped forward.
“About what?”
“About Abigail. You were with her on this inspection, weren’t you?”
“……”
Agni Asper, captain of the Carpoem Ducal House’s 3rd Knight Order, the Bellio Knight Order, stared at his lord with a rigid expression.
Tracking down the monster hunters on this mission had always been the Bellio Knight Order’s job. So when he’d heard about the maid, he’d naturally assumed it would fall to them.
Yet the clueless little duchess had seen right through it and chosen them. At first, he’d dismissed it as coincidence.
“…If it hadn’t been for the little duchess, we might’ve been wiped out.”
Agni clenched his fist tight.
When Rimen Village’s chief had offered him drugged water, Agni had drunk it without a second thought. Astonishingly, the spoiled girl he’d pegged her for had seen through it all.
Even when she’d pretended to sniff the food, he’d thought she was just throwing a tantrum. But she’d been checking if they’d poisoned that too.
“She’s… remarkable. I’m ashamed I ever doubted her.”
“…Hm.”
Adrian sank deeper into thought as he listened. His gaze fell on the report on the desk—letters and documents Abigail had sent bit by bit. They detailed exactly how she’d captured the hunters, matching Agni’s report perfectly.
And on top of that, plans for the border regions he’d only dreamed of but never acted on. How on earth had Abigail come up with all this?
To be honest, I hadn’t expected anything…
When Abigail had begged to be sent to the border, Adrian hadn’t held out any hope. He’d worried she’d just suffer in the cold, harsh wilds and come back worse for wear.
He’d never dreamed she’d wipe out the hunters and rescue every last child perfectly.
He’d sensed his daughter changing lately, but not to this extent.
Adrian’s eyes darkened gravely.
“…It’s too much.”
“Pardon? What was that?”
Adrian’s red eyes turned to the puzzled Agni. Among his subordinates, Agni was the toughest to handle. For a man from the borderlands, life was survival—overcoming poverty, cold, and monsters as a warrior.
How much effort had it taken to make him a loyal limb? Yet Abigail had won him over in one mission.
Worry clouded Adrian’s face.
“It’s too much. Her brilliance might end up harming her one day.”
As Duke Carpoem, he had many enemies. It was the fate of bearing such a vast house. The duke had to be far stronger than those who threatened his life. Half-measures only gnawed away at one’s own.
Adrian knew that well.
If she lacks the ability, I could just keep her hidden away…
She could coil up safely, hoard what she had, and live comfortably. But Abigail was choosing the dangerous path.
Adrian’s mind waged war between reason—stop her now—and instinct—trust his daughter.
He still didn’t know the right answer. A long sigh escaped his lips.
“Hoo.”
“What’re you fretting over? She was the spitting image of you when we first met.”
“…Hm?”
“Well, kinda annoying, but… ah, forget I said that.”
“……”
Agni cleared his throat awkwardly and averted his gaze from Adrian’s.
Abigail’s resemblance to her father Adrian wasn’t just skin-deep. The unyielding confidence before anyone, the cool pragmatism, the leadership that bent all to her will—it was like seeing Adrian in his youth.
“My spitting image, huh.”
Words from a trusted retainer he held deep faith in. Adrian chuckled softly.
Agni watched and thought even their creepy smiles matched.
“Right. No one but me should believe in that child.”
Agni nodded indifferently beside the smiling Adrian, oblivious to how this decision would ripple massively in the future.
* * *
“We’re selecting personnel to come with me to the border region.”
“……!”
My words sent a stir through the entire knight order.
I continued calmly. “The Bellio Knight Order, busy crushing hunters right now, will stay with me in the borderlands, and we’ll supplement their numbers.”
As Agni had boasted, the Bellio were competent but brutally rough around the edges. They didn’t need backups to round up hunters, but I did. With the duke’s permission granted, we had to build outposts before winter hit.
Suddenly, someone shot up a hand.
“Speak.”
“…Wh-what’s the selection criteria?”
I eyed the knight whose gaze gleamed oddly, then scratched my head.
Criteria, huh. I’d figured they’d all hate going, so I’d planned draws or ladders for fairness.
But the knights’ eyes burned fiercely for some reason.
“Well, first come, first…”
Before I finished, hands shot up everywhere.
“Me! I’ll go!”
“I’m better than that punk!”
“What’d you say, you useless shit?”
“You done talking?”
What the hell was this? Nearly the whole order had their hands up. I stared at them in disbelief.
“…Are you all insane?”
The first questioner yelled, “The little duchess favors those barbarian thugs! We could help too…!”
“Fine, fine, no need to cry. It’s depressing.”
I frowned. Ah, relative deprivation from the Bellio they’d hated so much. Made sense—they’d shone catching the hunters.
I nodded inwardly, convinced.
“Look, I’d love to take every volunteer, but we need some staying at the ducal house, right?”
What to do? Stick to draws or ladders? Seemed fairest.
As I pondered, Jade beside me raised his hand.
“Ah, Sir Jade. Got a good idea?”
“Wouldn’t a simple method work?”
“…Simple method?”
Jade nodded. “Sparring matches.”
“Sparring, huh.”
Won’t that take forever? I thought, but the knights’ eyes were already wild.
“Fine, whatever. Let’s do it.”
“Ooooh!”
And so began the bloody sparring for border duty.
Rules: wooden swords, no aura, same ranks only—for equal chances.
“Isn’t this basically everyone volunteering?”
“Seems like it.”
Serrian Sinus, the knight order captain, would judge. I was just a spectator beside him.
“Feels like the scale’s getting out of hand…”
“Can’t be helped. They’re all desperate to impress Lady Abigail.”
“Huh? Me?”
I pointed at myself, tilting my head. Serrian sighed.
“I wish Lady Abigail would realize her position as little duchess by now.”
“Ah, it doesn’t feel real.”
Since possessing this world, I’d been nonstop. No time to adjust—just survive by tackling whatever came.
I’d become little duchess as hoped, but a small doubt lingered. Was I always this bold? In my past life, I’d been a normal office drone who read the room. Sure, team lead gave some leadership, but carrying this huge duchy? No way.
Yet here I was, holding up surprisingly well.
“Lady Abigail is doing splendidly.”
“Huh?”
“So don’t feel burdened.”
I stared at Serrian in surprise. Blunt guy saying this?
“Thanks, Ser.”
“Ahem.”
He coughed awkwardly, turning to the sparring knights. The training grounds echoed louder than a market.
It felt like watching a sports match.
“Smash him!”
“Kill the bastard!”
“That all you got?”
Harsh roars and curses flew. Should’ve been off-putting, but I burst out laughing.
I bellowed at the arena: “Beat ‘em all to a pulp!”
“……”
Soon, the survivors lined up before me—about twenty knights. Five leaders up front.
“Names?”
“Yes! Legnus Mark of Spina Company!”
A tall, disciplined man. Impressive how he’d overpowered his foe.
I turned to the next.
“Melbern Swede of Calta Company.”
Soft features, but his sharp thrusts screamed expert.
Passing the third and fourth, I stopped at the last.
“Name.”
“C-Calta Company’s Paul Rex.”
Why so timid? I stared at the boyish-faced Paul. His face flushed under the pressure.
Plenty bold in the duel—must be shy normally.
I climbed back onstage.
“It’ll be rough for a while, but give it your all.”
“Yes!”
Their roar shook the grounds.
* * *
The Magic Tower was deathly silent.
Since the vicious rumors spread, the mages walked on thin ice.
In a lab corner, low-rank mages whispered.
“Heard the rumor?”
“What rumor?”
“That prisoner in the rune prison at the bottom…”
The grim rumor: the prisoner in the rune prison had been quietly eliminated.
The listener’s eyes widened. “For real? How…?”
“Don’t the senior mages manage the rune prison?”
“Yeah, the master’s closest aides.”
“If it’s true…”
The low mages exchanged glances. This wasn’t simple.
The tower had always been safe under the tower master’s protection. No one dared touch it.
This was a direct challenge to his authority.
“They’re trying to scare us. Spreading unconfirmed crap—what’ll you do if you get in trouble?”
A mage hauling research books scolded them. The first speaker mumbled sheepishly.
“I just heard it…”
“Heard what else?”
Someone showed interest, and he brightened.
“This is from someone I know…”
“Yeah?”
“The one who killed that prisoner…”
“Yeah, yeah.”
The excited mage shut up, eyeing the suspiciously agreeable one.
“…But who are you?”