Chapter 2. Kneel! (3)
Chapter 2. Kneel! (3)
There are four baronial families under the Duke.
Hagen, Kleefeld, Glumbach, and Ebenburg.
Hagen, as you can see from the name, means 'fence'. A fence blocking the path leading into the center of the Duchy. In reality, the castle is quite sturdy, and it is located in a place where they can immediately send out troops to defend the Duke's direct territory if necessary. My personal maid Frida and the Parish Deputy Arno are from here.
And—
"Ella, and Lila."
Their shoulders flinch at my call.
The two are from the Kleefeld family. They possess vast pastures, so the family's main production is livestock and dairy products. In fact, it's not just their 'main' product; they are practically the family that monopolizes the supply of leather and dairy products within the Duchy.
The relationship with the Ducal family is amicable. To begin with, there isn't a family in the Duchy that has openly turned against the Ducal family yet. Though, if Rosalyn runs wild here and there, the relationship might sour.
I leaned my upper body slightly toward the third and fourth daughters of the Kleefeld Barony and said.
"As knights of the Order, are you training well? It doesn't look like you have armor or horses."
"Th-that is, Your Excellency......"
The girl opened her mouth, trembling with her slightly reddish hair.
"I'm sorry, but could you tell me your names first? I cannot tell you two apart."
"I am Ella. I am the older sister."
"I see, Ella."
Although they were tucked away in a corner of Rosalyn's memories, I still remembered the names of the girls in the Order properly.
"Tell me. Have you been training well as knights?"
Not that I'm one to talk, hmm. Since I was the original Knight Commander.
But what are you going to do about it? I've stepped down as Knight Commander. So, strictly speaking, it means I'm not a knight anymore.
"Th-that is......"
"At the very least, enough to swing a sword......"
"Is that so."
I nodded and looked at the Vice-Captain, Inge.
She was clearly smiling, but Inge froze stiff upon seeing my face.
I said, as if pressuring Inge.
"Inge. Would you be able to win if you faced those two knights in a test of skill?"
"I, I......"
Vice-Captain Inge glanced at the young ladies.
After all, she was the one who couldn't even stop them when they openly took military provisions and returned to their own territories. She wouldn't change just because I added a single name, would she?
"Let's wait a moment."
I said with a gentle smile.
"As for judging your skills, let's think about that once Erna brings the other knights."
*
Medieval era.
Inheriting a noble family was based on the principle of primogeniture. If the family was huge and needed many people, they might have used the second son as a vassal, and perhaps there might have been some opportunity for the third son as well.
But how common are such families? Usually, up to the second son was the backup for the eldest, and from the third son on, they had to 'figure out' how to make a living on their own. Because the descendants of those third sons would find it increasingly difficult to be treated as nobles.
Therefore, the paths chosen to maintain noble status to some extent were becoming a priest, becoming a knight, or approaching a wealthy commoner to marry. Though, in the end, many cases would just drift away from nobility and become de facto commoners.
There's really no difference for third sons and fourth daughters either. There's no real advantage to political marriages. Who would bother taking a third or fourth daughter of a baronial family when they want to take a legitimate wife? Even if they fell truly in love, they would think twice when wanting to make her their legitimate wife.
That's why they joined the Knights Order.
Because they have 'something to do' for now. Right?
"Good."
I said in a voice that sounded like I was about to hum a tune.
The time Erna arrived was just about when dawn was breaking in the distance. Fortunately, I hadn't fallen asleep yet. Although I had already emptied the teacup Frida prepared several times.
"......"
No, more than that, Frida standing next to me so nonchalantly is a bit scary. Even if the Hagen family is the family in charge of the Duchy's defense.
"Erna, how is it? Do you think you can swing a sword?"
"......Yes, I can."
She can't bring herself to say she can't.
Since I, who have received the Duke's sword back, am tapping my feet. This is why commoners are good. It's easy to suppress them with authority.
On the other hand, nobles...... No, it's absurd even thinking about it again. If they put them in the Knights Order because they were third or fourth daughters, they should have managed them properly.
I looked at the four people Erna brought again.
Ella von Klepelt, Lila von Klepelt. Both of them have red hair and look identical. However, they parted their hair in different directions, so I could distinguish them to some extent.
Merit von Glumbach. Also a fourth daughter of a baronial family under the Duke. The Glumbach family owns vast forests and generates revenue through hunting and herb gathering. Since there are animals and herbs imbued with magic in this world, it was also an important source of supply.
She has long black hair, and while her face is pretty, she looks a bit sharp and stubborn. If her ears weren't long, she would have had the impression of an elf. Still, she couldn't look me straight in the face and was glaring at Erna instead.
Leana von Ebenburg. A young lady from a fine family that has produced many knights. Well, she was a third daughter too, so she might soon 'not be a young lady' anymore.
"Good, good."
I said, rising from my seat.
"Then, Erna. Can you fight everyone here once and win?"
I intentionally used that tone of voice with Erna.
Because if I keep using a specific tone when I'm scared, someone will eventually find out the 'fact that I'm scared'.
It's better to mix it in consistently in daily life. More precisely, it's wise to use it 'even when I'm clearly not scared'.
"Ah...... I."
"Please don't say 'because I'm too tired'."
I handed the Duke's sword to Frida and approached Erna.
And I reached out and placed my hand on her armor. The black plate armor is something that could never be bought with a commoner's money. In fact, it was armor that was too expensive for a mere knight to buy in the first place.
It was just Rosalyn's 'bluff'. It would have been impossible if not for the gold and silver coming from Eisenforge.
"Erna is the Knight Commander, right?"
I said as if whispering.
The heads of the other knights who were listening to my words turned toward me. I glanced at them and said.
"As the Knight Commander, let's check the skills of the knights, shall we?"
This time, I look at them a bit more clearly.
"It was my father who recruited you—but it was you young ladies who 'volunteered'."
In medieval noble society, the position of third and fourth daughters is clear. If it were a truly wealthy family, they would give a huge dowry and marry off all their daughters to excellent nobles, but—
"A convent or the Knights Order. You are the brave ones who chose the Knights Order between the two, aren't you?"
I stroke Erna's shoulder. It's fortunate that it's armor; if I had done this over regular clothes, people would have greatly misunderstood.
"B-but......"
"Erna. Erna is their benefactor."
"Me, you say?"
"Of course. We are a Knights Order, and a Knights Order must have a Knight Commander to lead it. If there is no focal point, is there any reason for the Knights Order to exist?"
I said, looking up at Erna.
"So, let's confirm it properly. And, if you can't win—well, that's fine. Then I will let you step down from the position of Knight Commander."
Blink.
I blinked on purpose.
"By the way, Erna. You were the Knight Commander appointed directly by me, the Duke, weren't you?"
"Th-that is correct."
"But if your skills are lacking, that obviously won't do, right?"
I smiled brightly.
"It would mean that my eyes were wrong. I...... my heart is too fragile, so I cannot bear such a burden."
I said with my hands clasped in front of my chest.
"So please fight properly. In the name of the brilliantly shining Duke."
You know what I mean, right?
If you lose, you're dead.
Erna's face was pale.
*
There wasn't much I did after that.
Every time Erna seemed to be pushed back by the young ladies, I just called her name, "Erna," from behind.
Then Erna would be startled and swing her sword.
Ah, this is kind of fun.
It's like moving a marionette on strings.
Inge stared at me with a deathly pale face as I sat in a chair, calling Erna's name several times with an expression that looked like I was about to hum a tune.
At first, it seemed like Erna was moving just because of my orders.
Somehow, the more she fought, the more intense Erna's movements became.
As if she were bursting out something that had been piling up and piling up.
And, every time the young ladies were hit by her wooden sword, it seemed like she felt a little bit of ecstasy.
"......As expected, she was a bit of a dangerous person."
I muttered.
No, well.
It's not like there are many situations where a commoner can legally beat up a noble.
Looking to the side, Inge was constantly glancing at me.
"What are you looking at?"
"Yes? Ah, no, Your Excellency, um......"
"Of course, I plan to make you do it too, Inge. As Vice-Captain, shouldn't you be better than the knights?"
When I said that with a grin, Inge's face stiffened.
Let's see how normal her personality is.
The knight orders under the Duke, excluding this Blutrosenorden, are three. Eichenorden, Silberbergorden, and Stahlklaueorden. They mean something like the Oak Knights, Silver Mountain Knights, and Steel Claw Knights, respectively.
However, they all have clearly defined missions. Eichenorden directly defends the Duke's direct territory, and Silberbergorden, as the name suggests, protects the gold and silver mines of Eisenforge. The Steel Claw Knights act as the Duchy's strike force.
They are too much of a 'regular army' to move directly.
So, the Knights Order that will go to fetch the things I personally need will almost exclusively be the Blutrosenorden.
The fortuitous encounters and artifacts I saw in the game, and the response to the Demon King's magic power.
"Well, please don't worry too much."
I said in a dignified voice.
"If you follow my orders, I will give you a chance to properly achieve merit. You never know. You might even be able to obtain a territory as a Knights Order."
"Th-then...... what if we don't have the skills to achieve merit?"
To Inge, who asked me, I grinned.
Isn't that obvious? I'll just recruit new ones, that's all.