Bullshit
Xral. A harsh curse bubbled up inside me before I knew it. Thank goodness it didn't slip out. I faced the crown prince with a stony expression. Even if he was the crown prince, there were things I could tolerate and things I couldn't. He'd just blatantly crossed the line.
I opened my mouth to say something, but someone beat me to it.
"Hahaha."
Bursting into loud, amused laughter in place of the injured Jade was Agni Asper, standing by my side. I shot him a startled look.
"Sir Agni?"
"Come on, isn't it hilarious? These weak southerners band together and strut around like they own the place."
Lumping even the crown prince into the category of "weak southerners." That was Agni for you, always lighting the fuse.
Then someone slammed their fist on the office desk.
"How dare you insult His Highness!"
The man with the bristling brown mustache... who was he again? Judging by the ornate insignia on his uniform, he held a high rank in the imperial knights. Only someone like the commander could raise such a racket in the crown prince's stead. In the original story, the one who came north with the crown prince was the commander of the 2nd Knight Order. His name was... My possession had been going on so long that the details were fuzzy. Something starting with "Co..."? Anyway, as Mr. Co-Something bristled, Agni just snorted in derision.
"Your Highness insulted our young duchess first!"
He slammed the desk right back without missing a beat, making the sturdy mahogany table groan as if it might splinter. That was Agni for you. Terrifying as an enemy, but rock-solid as an ally. With his jaws of terror snapping relentlessly, he pressed the crown prince's group.
"What? Women shouldn't fight? You think your mob could ever replace our young duchess, no matter how many of you there are?"
"W-what did you say?"
Agni's mocking shout turned Mr. Co-Something's face beet red. It was immensely satisfying, but if it went on, things would blow up, so I reined him in.
"That's enough, Sir Agni."
"Hmph."
The flustered crown prince also chided Mr. Co-Something.
"Sir Corin, stand down."
"But, Your Highness...!"
Ah, so his name was Corin. My memory wasn't half bad—I'd even remembered an extra's name down to the "Co."
I felt a quiet swell of pride as I regarded the crown prince.
"In any case, I understand Your Highness and the imperial knights' intentions."
"I had no intention of insulting you."
"Yes, I know."
I was a bit pissed, but I knew the crown prince hadn't meant malice. In the original story, he was the righteous male lead, a knight who protected ladies. To them, me wielding a sword must seem unnatural. The north revered martial prowess, so female heads of house were commonplace, but stuffy southerners still balked at women inheriting. For a crown prince raised there, trying to "protect" me by sidelining me from the front lines was probably par for the course.
"But I have responsibilities as acting head of the house. This is the north, and I'm the Carpoem heir who will one day rule it."
"....."
I still hadn't annulled my engagement to the crown prince. The emperor had probably planned to force me to the ball by imperial decree and announce our marriage on the spot. The monster surge had derailed that, though. Things had diverged a little, but up to now, we'd been following the original plot faithfully enough. The crown prince would fall for Yurina soon, so I could wash my hands of the engagement. The real issue was using his help from here on to fend off monsters stronger than in the original.
His power would be crucial. I spoke up, eyeing the troubled crown prince and his knights brimming with discontent.
"How about this?"
Unlike the crown prince, the imperial knights clearly harbored malice toward me. Northerners despised southerners, and vice versa—their leader, a woman no less, was bound to rankle. Best to seize the initiative right away.
"Sir Corin there spars with me."
"Pardon?"
The crown prince startled, and the imperial knights' eyes bulged. He immediately tried to dissuade me.
"Young Duchess, think again. Sir Corin is the commander of the imperial 2nd Knight Order. He's no opponent for you."
Agni and the northern knights' faces flickered with scorn at his words, but they didn't notice.
"Since the lady has requested it, I see no reason to refuse."
"Sir Corin!"
The crown prince shouted angrily, but he was powerless to stop it. Knightly duels couldn't be halted, not even by the emperor. Since it wasn't to the death, they'd call it a spar.
"If I win, Your Highness withdraws your words."
"....."
The crown prince pressed his lips tight, looking vaguely angry. Or maybe worried about me? No, delusion. He was just irritated that I wouldn't listen. With a sigh, he nodded reluctantly.
* * *
"Your Holiness!"
Saintess Yurina Florence's voice rang sharply through the temple.
Julius El Ridan, the current pope, replied firmly.
"I cannot permit it."
"Why not!"
"......Haa."
At her stubbornness, Julius let out a long sigh. Ever since returning from the ball, Yurina had been demanding a dispatch to the north. He'd heard the news too—monsters rampaging up there. But neither the north nor the imperial family had requested temple aid yet. They couldn't just send priests and holy knights without cause.
"The monster attack on the north before caused some damage, but the young Duchess Carpoem held them off admirably, and didn't His Highness lead troops himself in support?"
Julius tried to persuade her calmly first. He looked like a young boy, but he was already over thirty. Popes were hereditary like any noble house. The Ridan family had received Lumine's blessing for generations. Unlike saintesses, it was a familial blessing, so all heirs brimmed with divine power from birth. But perhaps too much of a good thing—overwhelming power often brought trials. His father, the previous pope, had died young from divine backlash. Julius himself had been so flooded with power as a child that his growth had stalled.
People had lamented the papal line ending, but Julius didn't mind. It was God's will. He accepted it with equanimity. Unlike fiery Yurina.
"I can't accept that, Your Holiness! The north needs God's hand!"
"Yurina......"
Julius tapped the chair arm with his fingers, looking troubled. Excluding founding saintess Ariel, Yurina was the only saintess to reach the northern edge and face monsters. Was that why she fixated on the north? Or some other reason? After a moment's thought, he called another name.
"Sir Illein."
"Yes, Your Holiness."
"The saintess seems agitated. Escort her to her room."
"...Understood."
"Your Holiness!"
Yurina glared rebelliously, but bit her lip at the approaching Illein and holy knights. Even as saintess, the pope's authority in the temple was absolute. She whipped around and stormed off, her furious gait screaming unyielding resolve.
"Haa......"
Julius sighed again. The northern monsters. Was that endless conflict starting anew? Turning aside, he asked a high priest.
"Where is the high priest?"
"Praying in the prayer hall."
"Send him to me the moment he finishes."
"Yes, Your Holiness."
The high priest bowed and backed out of the office.
"Fuu."
Alone now, Julius—looking nothing like a child—pressed his furrowed brow.
The young saintess who flung herself at anything northern. The inscrutable, scheming high priest. Nothing but headaches. But a bigger problem loomed. His gaze fell on the letter on his desk. The seal stamped on it should never have come here.
A black dragon baring threatening fangs. An unofficial letter from northern Carpoem.
"Things grow ever more dire......"
Like opening Pandora's box, Julius picked up the letter. Would it bring calamity or hope? He took a deep breath and tore it open.
* * *
Corin Diale. Pride of the empire, commander of the imperial 2nd Knight Order. Third son of the Marquis Diale house, he'd shown prodigious talent since childhood. With a powerful marquis family as backing and skills surpassing his peers, his arrogance only grew. Being chosen for the imperial guard was only natural for the superior one. He'd never lost a single duel since becoming a knight. As the emperor's sword, he was confident no one could stand in his way.
A Sword Expert of upper rank with excellent combat sense. In real battle, no one dodged his blade. His epithet, Hawk Strike Sword, came from thrusts like a hawk's dive.
Corin had always taken pride in himself. Public acclaim was his due, and serving the future emperor as his right hand was his destiny. He might not inherit the marquisate as third son, but that was fine. Once the crown prince ascended, he'd become commander of the 1st Knight Order—the empire's greatest sword.
"......"
Yet now, he lay sprawled on his back, staring at the blue sky. A hawk soared over the barren northern expanse. Corin tracked it blankly with dazed eyes.
"Get up already, won't you, Sir Corin?"
"......"
Only at the mocking voice did reality seep back in.
Corin Diale. Pride of the empire, commander of the imperial 2nd Knight Order.
For the first time since becoming a knight, he had lost.