Chapter 41 : The Royal Knight Order that is out of their minds

The feeling of riding in the royal carriage was pure comfort. With the curtains drawn, it didn’t even feel like we were moving.

I heard that the interior had been enchanted with magical measures, but I wasn’t sure about the details, and honestly, it just felt good.

“Can you hear anything from inside?”

“No, I can’t.”

It’d be nice if we didn’t hear those sounds from outside.

Considering how well the carriage is soundproofed, those noises were probably meant to be heard.

It was likely a signal for us to stay alert and not do anything foolish.

But… I don’t think the foolish ones are going to be us. What should we do about that?

“Hehe, Rudion. Isn’t this the first time we’ve been alone like this?”

Hehe? Why is Seria laughing like that?

We had spent a lot of time together, but we always stayed in open areas at the academy. Being alone in such a confined space was new to us.

Maybe that’s why her laugh seemed a little ominous.

“Don’t worry. I won’t do anything.”

When she said that with a reassuring tone, it didn’t make me feel at ease at all.

“Oh! Of course, I’d welcome it if Rudion made the first move.”

“Do you think I’d do something like that?”

“Well… um… are you really thinking about it?”

Why is she getting her hopes up?

Of course, I wasn’t planning on doing anything. They’re probably out there glaring at us, so if we get caught doing something wrong, what would we do?

“Such a shame.”

“You don’t seem that disappointed.”

“Well… I figured that’s how you’d be, Rudion.”

Where does this trust even come from? Not even cautious around men… seriously…

I was about to say something, but I stopped myself when I remembered how the original Seria never had male friends, let alone romantic interests.

Yeah, I’ll just stay cautious instead.

As time passed, the carriage came to a stop.

After traveling for a while, I peeked through the curtains, wondering where we had arrived. It seemed we were near a busy district.

The carriage was large and beautiful, so entering the main area would make us too conspicuous. Seria must’ve asked to be dropped off nearby in advance.

It wasn’t far, so it didn’t matter much. As I stepped out of the carriage, all the people who had been surrounding it now gathered around Seria.

It was clear they wanted to follow her, and Seria had to speak up.

“If everyone follows, who’s going to guard the carriage? Only a few should come!”

“I’ll go!”

“No, I’ll go!”

“What are these fools talking about? Of course, I should go!”

Good grief. With so many people, deciding who follows us was a struggle.

After a bit of arguing, they finally heard Seria’s order to decide through a drawing. The captain of the guards, who lost in the draw, was crying. I really didn’t understand why he was crying over something like this.

“The princess will be working until she returns, and you two will undergo special training.”

“Wipe your tears, captain. And taking it out on us just because you lost isn’t very dignified.”

“Exactly! We’re victims here! The two chosen ones should be the ones going through the training, not us!”

“… I suppose that makes sense.”

How childish. Is this really the royal guard? It’s making me feel small…

Anyway, I ended up strolling through the busy district with two of the guards.

Even though Seria covered her face, with them following so closely, it was impossible not to stand out. But Seria didn’t seem to care, acting as though this was something she was used to.

Afterward, everything proceeded smoothly.

Buying clothes? Seria spent about 40 minutes picking and trying on 15 different outfits before deciding on what to buy.

The one outfit we chose was bought with my money, but Seria thought for a moment and then bought all the remaining clothes with her own funds.

“It’s a gift.”

And then she handed them all over to me.

If she was going to buy them anyway, why did she make me go through the trouble of changing outfits so many times?

“The princess bought these clothes for you. Please remember the amount so we can report it to the captain later.”

“Understood.”

Given the guards’ reactions, I decided it was best to leave the clothes at the store rather than take them directly back to the palace. We could pick them up on the way back.

I quickly applied some light makeup. It wasn’t really my style, and I usually prefer to skip accessories, but I compromised with some basic makeup.

“Does this look alright? I don’t think it’s working.”

Honestly, I was good-looking, but it felt awkward with all these added touches. I wasn’t sure if it was even necessary.

“…Rudion. Can I take back what I said earlier? I really want to confess right now.”

“Even if it’s a joke, I appreciate it.”

“It’s not a joke…”

Well… it seems Seria likes me.

I’m clueless when it comes to this stuff, so I guess I’ll just trust Seria’s judgment.

It was a relief that the guards didn’t follow us into the cafe. If they had overheard that, things might have gotten really uncomfortable.

Afterwards, we went to a restaurant recommended by Alkine for an early lunch, and then to a cafe Seria praised as beautiful, where we had a drink.

The guards followed us the entire time, sending disapproving glares, but by this point, I’d gotten used to it and didn’t mind anymore.

Though, I really hope they didn’t imitate me when I took a drink straight from the straw.

“Go report to the captain and ask for permission to execute immediate judgment.”

“I’ll be right back.”

I really don’t want to know what it feels like for someone’s eyes to get that vicious.

“Oh, sorry! I didn’t mean to.”

She claimed it wasn’t on purpose, but seeing that mischievous expression, it was obvious she did it deliberately.

She was teasing me because she found it amusing to see me wary of the guards.

But if you’re going to do it, at least act confident about it. Why is her face so red after pulling something like that?

This sort of thing has been happening a lot lately—she makes a bold move, only to end up embarrassed afterward.

She probably wants to close the distance between us in her own way, but her execution is always clumsy.

I thought about this as I took another sip of my drink, but then Seria started looking incredibly flustered.

“T-that… I just drank from that…”

No, you were the one who snatched it from me and drank it first.

Which part of this is making her embarrassed? I couldn’t understand at all.

“Do we need the captain’s approval for this?”

“Doesn’t seem like it. Let’s proceed with immediate judgment. Draw your swords.”

What’s with them now?

Wait, is that guy seriously drawing his sword? Calm down, will you?

Thanks to Seria’s impulsive actions, chaos erupted as soon as we returned to the carriage. But by feigning ignorance, I managed to get through the situation.

When we finally arrived at the palace, a crowd had gathered to welcome Seria.

“The princess has arrived!!”

As soon as the carriage stopped, the captain of the guards announced loudly, and the crowd immediately rushed toward the carriage, ready to assist Seria.

Watching this through the window, I glanced at Seria and saw her letting out a deep sigh.

“This always happens whenever I come back. Is all this really necessary?”

As she muttered that, she started looking around curiously as if something was off, tilting her head in confusion.

I had an idea of what she was thinking, which made me chuckle.

Normally, her parents—the Emperor and Empress—would be among the crowd, but their absence was unusual.

They must’ve deliberately stayed away because they knew I was coming along.

Thinking about how much they must’ve been considering my presence made me feel a bit uneasy. Still, at this point, there was no use worrying about it.

“Well, let’s get off.”

After glancing around a few more times and failing to spot her parents, Seria said that and stepped out of the carriage with me.

The moment we got out, the crowd surrounded Seria and whisked her away.

The rest of the people followed her, leaving me alone in the spot.

– No, not alone.

The guards who had been escorting the carriage stayed behind.

Before I realized it, the captain of the guards had approached me with a friendly smile and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“So, your name is Rudion? Come with us for a moment.”

Ah, so this was their plan all along.

It didn’t seem like there was a way to escape, so I decided to go along with them.

They led me to the royal knights’ headquarters.

Why the knights’ headquarters? Well, it’s because the guards are part of the knight order.

The term “guards” is just a way to distinguish their roles, but there’s no significant difference.

Guards, defense units, royal guards, elite guards—they’re all part of the same knight order.

Of course, there are probably more detailed and complex systems among them, but from my perspective as someone who only encountered this in the game, it didn’t seem like a big deal.

Anyway, as I was dragged there, I was met with intimidating stares.

It seemed word had spread, as dozens of people were lined up, creating a grand sight that wasn’t an exaggeration to call imposing.

“So this is the guy from the rumors…”

“The princess speaks so highly of him. I’m curious about his skills.”

“Damn, getting the princess’s attention. I’m jealous!”

“Hey, shut up! He might hear us!”

Their chatter made me feel a bit small, but realizing that I could hear them, the captain of the guards cleared his throat to grab my attention.

He then spoke seriously.

“We are the royal knights, entrusted with the duty of protecting the princess and the royal family.”

Shouldn’t protecting the royal family come first?

Seriously, these guys aren’t normal.