It would be hard to say that Deputy Commander Reddit’s actions were entirely correct, but who could simply criticize him without understanding?
If a parent’s child is in danger, no one would be able to maintain a clear mind.
I was curious about how the Emperor reacted when he saw him.
“…And then?”
Recalling the past, Deputy Commander Reddit’s face grew bitter.
“I expected the Crown Prince to scold me, calling me irresponsible, but instead… he told me, ‘Deputy Commander Reddit, from now on, you’re to return to Hamilton under my orders.'”
I was taken aback by his unexpected words.
To think there could be such a warm side behind his usual cruel words.
I couldn’t believe it, so I asked again for confirmation.
“Did His Majesty really say that?”
“Yes, thanks to him, I was able to go see my daughter without any pursuit from the army.”
“Then, what about your daughter…?”
Anxiety crept up in my heart as I looked at Deputy Commander Reddit.
Fortunately, there was no trace of sorrow in his voice.
“By some miracle, my daughter recovered. And His Majesty even sent the Imperial family’s personal physician.”
“Wow, that’s such a relief…!”
But I was still stunned by the fact that the Emperor had been so considerate.
Noticing my reaction, Deputy Commander Reddit chuckled.
He seemed to understand my surprise and nodded.
“Well, it’s not surprising for you to react like that. He does so many nasty things, after all. But it’s not just me—everyone in the Imperial Knights feels the same way.”
I turned my gaze to the knights in the training hall.
Among them, the one who caught my attention the most was Sir Veratri, laughing boisterously while spinning a colleague around by the ankle, lifting him high above his head.
“Wa-hahaha!”
The knight spinning through the air seemed unconscious by now.
“Then, is Sir Veratri the same?”
“That guy? He’s just a maniac when it comes to fighting.”
As he said that, I noticed Sir Chris, crouching low to the ground and preparing to shoot arrows at his fellow knights.
“What about Sir Chris?”
“Oh, him? He’s just insane. He’s an exception.”
I was starting to lose track of his argument, and my expression must have shown my doubts.
Seeing that, Deputy Commander Reddit seemed to realize he needed to clarify.
He pointed to Sir Walton, who had narrowly avoided an arrow shot by Chris.
“Oh, right. There’s Walton. Walton was originally a commoner.”
“A commoner?”
“That’s right. Commoners weren’t allowed to even enter swordsmanship academies. They wouldn’t accept them. But there’s one condition under which they could join the Imperial Knights—if they performed a great service in war.”
“Isn’t Hamilton supposed to offer equal opportunity to everyone?”
“Not at all. It’s far more aristocratic and conservative than you think. Of course, that was true before the Emperor ascended the throne.”
Deputy Commander Reddit paused for a moment before continuing.
“Now, however, the Emperor has changed the system. Anyone can enter the Academy if they have the skill, regardless of their social class.”
“Entrance requirements?”
“Yeah, the aristocrats were furious. But thanks to that, Walton’s younger sister, who had talent in swordsmanship, received a scholarship and graduated from the swordsmanship academy. And now, she’s about to join the Imperial Knights.”
I remembered hearing from Sir Walton during our journey to Hamilton that he had a younger sister.
To think that she would become a member of the Imperial Knights was truly astonishing.
“Well, I heard that Walton went to war because he wanted to protect his sister’s dream of joining the Imperial Knights, something even a commoner like her could aspire to. So, he couldn’t help but feel even more grateful to the Emperor.”
The Emperor that Deputy Commander Reddit was describing felt like a completely different person from the one I had known.
There was a strange sense of disconnect, as though they could never reconcile.
Noticing my subtle expression, Deputy Commander Reddit pointed toward the training hall.
“And then there’s Gem, the bear beastkin… Even now, I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something unsettled in my heart when I see him.”
There was a small pot with fresh green sprouts in it, and Sir Gem was happily watering the plants, humming to himself.
“Why is that?”
“Gem’s parents traded him for ten tomatoes.”
“…Tomatoes?”
“They were so useless that they intended for him to be used as a shield. Back then, the only thing his parents gave him to hold onto was a squishy tomato, and whenever he sees one, it reminds him of his family, which is why he’s so attached to them.”
It was a heartbreaking story just to hear.
When I first saw him, I couldn’t hide my surprise at how badly injured he seemed, covered in blood.
But it turned out that he was just fast asleep after stuffing himself with tomato sauce.
If the chef ever serves tomato-based snacks in the future, I promised myself I would make sure to give them to Gem.
“I’m probably talking too much as I get older. I’m just rambling on.”
“No, Deputy Commander Reddit, thanks to you, I’ve learned a lot of new things. I also feel much closer to the Imperial Knights now.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Now that you’re free to walk around the palace, feel free to come anytime if you need a break. Perry’s been so happy here.”
At that moment, Perry, who had been rushing toward Sir Veratri, was sent flying toward the wall like a piece of paper.
“Haha! If I can’t even manage this, how will I ever become Argon’s right-hand man?”
“You’re the one who’s ridiculously strong, Veratri! Once I grow just a little taller, I’ll easily catch up to you!”
Perry’s determined expression made me smile.
She definitely seemed more lively when we were around here compared to when it was just the two of us.
“Looks like we’ll be coming here more often, especially because of Perry.”
“Well, she’s at the age where she should be playing around. Now, I have to go attend a meeting, so I’ll take my leave.”
As Deputy Commander Reddit left the training hall, there was nothing more for me to do here.
Watching the knights train had started to get a little boring.
Just as I was about to leave, Perry, looking exhausted, came over to me.
“Shall we head back?”
“Why? Don’t you want to see more places?”
“No, I just want to rest in the room.”
“Then let’s go.”
When Perry and I reached the room I was staying in, a stranger was standing in front of the door.
She saw me and bowed respectfully.
“I’ve been waiting for you, young lady.”
“You’ve been waiting for me? Why?”
“I was tasked with delivering an invitation to you. Here it is.”
Only then did I notice the envelopes she was holding, full of letters.
There were so many that they were spilling over in her hands.
The letters were piled so high that it was hard to hold them all.
“If you go inside, I’ll place them in your room for you.”
“Oh, yes! Please just leave them here.”
The servant placed all the invitations on a small desk.
After finishing her task, she bowed once more and left the room.
“Why are there so many?”
I picked up the invitations one by one, starting to check them.
There were invites for charity parties hosted by noble ladies, promotions for boutiques, a diamond mine presentation, and even an invitation to a vegetable tasting event for herbivorous beastkin in Hamilton.
‘What kind of place is the herbivorous beastkin vegetable tasting event?’
In my mind, I imagined a scene where the herbivorous beastkin gathered, munching on vegetables and chatting casually.
Just thinking about it made my mouth water.
If that was the kind of event it was, I really wanted to go.
“If I tell the Emperor, would he let me go? He’d probably say not to go, though…”
As I continued flipping through the invitations, one caught my eye.
It was an invitation to a tea party hosted by the Duchess.
‘The Duchess…?’
I remembered being told about her during the ball.
The Crown Prince, Charneche, was said to be the most likely candidate for the throne when the Emperor died.
The Duchess was his mother and the one who orchestrated everything behind the scenes.
‘I suppose I need to look into this.’
However, there was one thing that bothered me.
The tea party wasn’t being held at the palace, but rather at the Duke’s mansion.
I was only granted freedom within the palace, and to go outside required the Emperor’s permission.
“Perry, we’ve just returned to the room, but… I think I’ll have to go out again.”
“Where to?”
“To the Emperor’s office. I need to request permission from the Emperor for something.”
It seemed that the world around me was beginning to shift, little by little.