Chapter 144: The Fifth Imperial Knight Order
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 144: The Fifth Imperial Knight Order
“I know we need a priest, but… does it really make sense for the Pope’s successor to go?”
“Does it make sense for the Imperial Princess to go?”
“I’m a member of the Imperial Family.”
The Imperial Family had a duty to protect the Empire.
Technically, the Temple held a similar obligation, but unlike me, there were plenty of other priests who could take Nathaniel’s place.
“Practical experience is important for the Pope’s successor, too. So, I’m going.”
“Did His Holiness give his permission?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.”
Since even the Pope had consented, I had nothing left to say. I honestly couldn’t tell what the Pope was thinking.
Isn’t he being a bit too indulgent?
Dantalion and Mom had eventually allowed me to set out, but they had their reasons.
Nathaniel’s deployment, however, felt more like he was just forcing his way through. From his perspective, it was only natural to want to accompany his lover, but from the Pope’s perspective, he should have been worried about something happening to his precious successor.
Come to think of it, between this and the business with the Magic Tower, it seemed the Pope was remarkably unable to refuse Nathaniel’s requests.
As that thought crossed my mind, a languid voice drifted into my head.
[That Pope fellow is a bit indecisive.]
What? Is that true?
[Mhm.]
It was Ilnes, who was usually so deep in a death-like slumber that it was hard to talk to him. It was rare for him to initiate a conversation.
So that’s why Nathaniel gets to do whatever he wants.
[Well, the Pope isn’t a very greedy man. And his health is quite poor right now.]
I see.
Since Ilnes stayed by Nathaniel’s side, he must have seen the Pope often. It seemed the Pope’s personality had left an impression even on Ilnes, who usually didn’t care about others.
Well, he did seem like a kind person.
Though I had never met him in person, Nathaniel’s confident attitude and Ilnes’s words made it easy to understand.
I nodded and let out an inevitable sigh.
“Fine, let’s go together.”
“Okay!”
Nathaniel smiled, looking relieved. He must have been secretly nervous that I might leave him behind.
“I’m going to meet the Knight Order now. Do you want to come along?”
“Sure.”
Once the decision for my deployment was made, the knights heading to the East were quickly assembled. My plan was to meet them and immediately take a Warp Portal to the Eastern region.
I hadn’t met many of the Imperial Knights yet. There was Demia, who always guarded me, and Philip, who was still under contract with me. As for the other commanders, I had only caught glimpses of them at banquets.
The group heading to the East this time was the Fifth Imperial Knight Order. To be honest, they weren’t the Emperor’s direct subordinates.
I had heard that the Fifth Knight Order, which Philip belonged to, was composed of people who weren’t particularly ambitious about social climbing. Perhaps because of that, they were frequently drafted for dangerous missions.
I’d also heard that the knights there had bellicose personalities and actually preferred the more perilous assignments.
Still, even for seasoned knights, I wondered if the prospect of facing a Kraken wouldn’t be frightening or worrisome.
Feeling a bit concerned, I went to meet the Fifth Knight Order.
“Your Highness!”
“Philip!”
As soon as I arrived at their headquarters, Philip was the first person I saw. Upon spotting me, he ran over like a well-trained puppy, and I greeted him warmly.
“Have you been well?”
“Yes. Have you been doing well too, Princess?”
“Of course.”
Philip and I chatted amiably.
Unlike the others, Philip showed some signs of aging. While he was skilled enough to be in a knight order, he wasn’t at the level of a Sword Master.
Still, thanks to his easygoing nature, it didn’t feel awkward at all despite the long time we had spent apart. Seeing him act like an old friend even after our reunion, I gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.
“Now that I think about it, we’re going to the East together again.”
“I know, right? I wonder if it’s fate.”
To me, the time I went to the East with Philip felt as vivid as if it had happened yesterday.
But for Philip, ten years had already passed. Even so, he asked with a sly grin and a twinkle in his eyes. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Ah, right, this isn’t the time for that. Let me introduce you to my comrades.”
“Okay.”
Only then did I feel a slight tension. I followed behind Philip with Nathaniel at my side.
“Commander, Her Highness the Princess has arrived.”
“Hmm.”
A tall man slowly turned around. A rugged, intimidating face came into view.
The Commander of the Fifth Knight Order was someone who rarely attended balls. Consequently, today was the first time I was meeting him. Looking at him, I felt I understood a little better why the Fifth Knight Order was so marginalized.
He looks incredibly scary.
While other knights were tall and sturdy, they generally had the refined appearance of nobles. The Commander of the Fifth Knight Order was nothing like that.
He had short, dark dirty-blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. His skin was tanned dark from the sun, and scars were visible here and there. He looked less like a knight and more like a mercenary.
“I greet Her Highness. I am Daniel Douglas, Commander of the Fifth Knight Order.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“As of today, the Fifth Knight Order has been ordered to follow Your Highness and slay the Kraken in the Eastern Sea.”
Daniel spoke in a grave tone. He showed no sign of agitation.
Even though I was the Princess, I was much younger than him and a woman; I thought he might find it unpleasant to take orders from me, but that wasn’t the case at all.
Regardless of his appearance, I liked that about him. I gave him a bright smile.
“I look forward to working with you. This is my first time leading a knight order, so I hope you’ll be of great help, Commander.”
“Yes. And please, feel free to speak informally to us.”
“I see. I will do that.”
When I was younger, I used formal speech with nobles, but I felt it was time to stop doing that. I readily nodded at Daniel’s careful request.
“I will introduce the other members.”
“Please do.”
There were over ten knights going to the East. Aside from the Commander and Philip, three people stood out.
“Greetings. I am Nate Leonard.”
Black hair and dark gray eyes. He was a knight who looked like he was from the North, no matter who saw him. I didn’t know his skill level, but I felt a sense of kinship seeing someone else with black hair from the North.
“Logan Griffin.”
This knight stood out in a different way than Nate.
He was a man with brown hair and green eyes—an utterly ordinary appearance—but the way he looked at me was quite insolent. It seemed he wasn’t very fond of me.
“I am Michaela Lohengrin, Your Highness!”
“…!”
Finally, Michaela caught my interest because she was the only woman in the order. Furthermore, she had striking, vibrant red hair that commanded attention.
Her eyes were a mix of red and yellow, giving them an orange hue. For a moment, those eyes reminded me of the Empress Dowager, but the look in them was entirely different.
Unlike the Empress Dowager, who pretended to be gentle while hiding her sinister intentions, Michaela had a bright and cheerful impression. She looked me straight in the eye with a pure gaze.
“I look forward to working with all of you. I hope everyone gives their best to defeat the Kraken that is terrorizing the East.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
The knights shouted in unison at my words. I scanned them with my eyes.
There were a few knights like Logan who didn't seem to approve of me, but I didn't pay them much mind. In truth, I wasn't entirely sure how much my magic would be able to help them either.
“Is the Warp Portal ready?”
“Yes, you may leave immediately.”
An Imperial Mage was waiting with the Warp Portal open. I stepped onto the magic circle with the knights and Nathaniel.
Rumble!
Perhaps because there were so many of us, the magic circle vibrated violently. However, the scenery before my eyes changed in an instant.
It’s the East.
I could smell the salty scent of the sea. I turned my head toward the direction of a voice.
“Your Highness!”
“Sir Hamilton!”
Once again, I met a familiar face. It was Hamilton from the Siren Count House.
“Phew, I can’t tell you how shocked I was to hear that Your Highness was coming.”
“I’m all grown up now, you know.”
“You’re still so small, though.”
Hamilton was someone I had been indebted to during my previous stay in the East. Memories of staying at the trading company he managed came flooding back.
Come to think of it, the East was the territory of the Siren Count House. The area where the Kraken appeared was also near their domain.
“I will lead you to the barracks first. My older brothers are all there as well.”
“That sounds good.”
We had arrived directly at the shore where the Kraken had appeared via the Warp Portal. It seemed the Siren family had been monitoring the situation from a temporary command headquarters set up by the beach.
I followed behind Hamilton, leading the knights.