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Chapter 57
“You’re leaving right away? To the Mabel mountain region?”
“As soon as preparations are complete.”
After washing up, Leo came out with a towel draped around his neck and sat across from Lyle.
The horses and armor he had ordered hadn’t arrived yet. The same went for the weapons meant for the knights. They were told it would take about a month before everything was ready, and at that, Leo thumped his chest in frustration.
“I’ve never been on a monster subjugation myself, but it can’t be too different from hunting wild beasts. The more dangerous the mission, the more the order must move as one.”
A month. An absurdly short amount of time. Calling it “immediate” wouldn’t be much of an exaggeration.
There was no doubt about the individual skill of each member. No one survives a war on luck alone. The knights accepted into the Grant Order were, by individual ability, probably stronger than those in any other order.
But as a group—that was another story entirely.
“Have you established a signal system? Even with just twenty men, they’ll have to split into pairs for mountain searches. You’ll need a way to communicate when separated…”
“I see.”
Lyle nodded, jotting down Leo’s words.
“That’s something I hadn’t considered.”
“Well, it’s not really something a Grand Duke needs to know. Normally, that would be the job of the knight commander…”
Leo fell silent. This was an order cobbled together from common-born knights—who among them would know the inner workings of a proper, traditional knightly order?
“As for signals, I can help. We can adapt the system used by the Imperial Guard. Wild beasts and monsters have very sharp hearing, so even small noises can alert them. You’ll definitely need a silent signal method.”
The same went for armor. Moving through the mountains in heavy plate armor would quickly exhaust anyone’s strength.
Leo squeezed out every bit of his experience to advise Lyle, but even so, there were too many points of concern.
Before they knew it, over two hours had passed. Realizing the discussion could go on forever, Leo shook his head.
“I’ll reorganize what’s necessary and bring it with me next time. I spoke off the top of my head, so I’m sure I’ve missed some things.”
He knew his words were likely in vain, but still, Leo gave Lyle the simplest solution he could think of.
“I’d strongly recommend recruiting at least one veteran knight. When a new order forms, an experienced hand usually helps lay the foundation.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Then, I’ll take my leave.”
By then, his hair had completely dried.
It wasn’t exactly his business, but Leo couldn’t shake the heaviness in his chest. With just one person to guide them properly, the Grant Order could become a fine order of knights. If only they had even one such person.
“Then why don’t you go yourself?”
“What? Sir, what do you mean by that?”
The next day, Leo told the Commander of the Imperial Guard about his visit with Lyle. After listening, the commander came up with a simple answer.
“Why not? It makes perfect sense.”
The commander casually deflected Leo’s sword strike as he spoke.
“Our order won’t be busy for a while. If it bothers you that much, you might as well go. Having another elite knightly order in the Empire can only be a good thing.”
Leo stared at the commander, dumbfounded.
“You haven’t forgotten that I’m the vice-commander here, have you?”
“Sounds like you’ve forgotten that I’m the commander.”
Before Leo knew it, the commander’s rapier was pressing right up against his throat.
“You treat me like some old man sitting around, but trust me—the Imperial Guard will survive a short while without you.”
“Ugh…”
“And you’ve improved a lot. Your skills, I mean. Sparring with the Grand Duke of Grant has definitely helped you. You know that, don’t you?”
Leo clamped his mouth shut at the sly remark. The commander sheathed his blade with a chuckle.
“If you lose a good sparring partner for a few months, your progress will slip back to where it was. Finding a worthy opponent isn’t easy, you know.”
Leo said nothing. The commander—his mentor since childhood and the man who would eventually pass down his position—placed a large hand on Leo’s head and mussed his hair.
“What are you doing!”
“Just telling you not to overthink it. A knight can’t ignore someone in need. Especially not someone like you. You’ll just keep worrying about the Grant Order even after they leave for the subjugation. Might as well go with them for a while.”
In other words, he was offering to lend his vice-commander out. Leo bristled, fuming at the implication that he was being treated like an object.
“So? Are you going or not? I need to know before I report to His Majesty.”
“Enough joking around.”
“I’m completely serious. I want my vice-commander to become even stronger. A monster subjugation will be a valuable experience. I went on one myself when I was young.”
“Really?”
“Yes. With the Grant Order too—under the previous Grand Duke. That experience helped me a great deal. It’s a good opportunity, Leo. You’re already acquainted with the current Grand Duke, and you can offer that order some real help. Go with an easy heart.”
The commander knew Leo well. Beneath the stiff manner and pride, Leo was a good man—too good to ignore a struggling group. Sending him off to help would be better than watching him worry himself sick.
“And personally, I want to see the Grant Order find its footing.”
“What do you mean by that?”
The commander only smiled in response.
“I expected it would take longer, but your return visit is sooner than I thought.”
When Leo appeared again, Lyle was surprised, though he motioned for him to sit.
Leo looked troubled. He seemed to have something to say, but hesitated, as if weighing his words.
Lyle waited patiently for him to speak.
After a moment, Leo exhaled softly and began.
“It’s about the order. I think there’s a way I can help.”
Lyle gazed at him, silently prompting him to continue. Leo briefly explained the conversation he’d had with his commander.
“The commander has given me permission. I can assist the Grant Order until it’s properly established.”
He’d told himself it was for training and self-improvement, but the truth was simple: he was worried—for that ragtag order and for Lyle Grant himself.
Before meeting him, Leo had looked down on Lyle completely. The heir of a traitor, a man who’d never trained formally in swordsmanship. He’d been lucky to survive the war and regain his title, but in noble society, the Grant house was considered ruined—a broken, dirt-covered relic.
If not for Elaina, Leo would never have spared a second thought for the Grant family. For someone like Count Bonaparte’s brilliant son, the Grants were no better than a cracked, mud-stained candy trodden underfoot.
But after crossing swords with Lyle, he realized something: surviving on the battlefield isn’t about luck.
Lyle possessed exceptional skill—perhaps even equal to the commander’s. Had he trained from childhood, he might have become an absolute monster.
“This isn’t just for Your Grace’s sake,” Leo said earnestly.
But unexpectedly, Lyle didn’t seem pleased. His expression remained distant, unwelcoming. As Leo grew anxious and tried to explain further, Lyle’s quiet voice cut him off.
“I appreciate the sentiment. That’s all.”
“…Pardon?”
“I’ve been thinking about this lately. You’ve been visiting the manor more and more under the excuse of training. It’d be best if that stopped.”
“What? What do you mean by that all of a sudden?”
Lyle looked at him steadily.
“I thought you were smarter than this. Don’t make things difficult.”
“I don’t understand what’s difficult. What are you implying, Your Grace?”
“I’m telling you not to cross the line. Getting close to me won’t bring you any benefit.”
With that, Lyle stood up.
“I’ve passed your advice to Colin. He said he’ll adapt our old battlefield signals. As for the armor, we’ve ordered lighter suits.”
“What is this supposed to—”
“You should go back. I appreciate your goodwill, but that’s enough.”
Leo had spent so long thinking before visiting again, and yet here he was, treated like an unwanted guest and dismissed without even the chance to speak his piece.
He looked up at Lyle, bewildered, his expression frozen in disbelief.
