“I should’ve been born in Villendorf,” I said.
“Lord Faust, you cannot say such things, even in jest,” Martina warned.
“But I can sympathize,” Chief Squire Helga argued. “Villendorf’s reaction is so different from Anhalt’s.”
I groaned with anguish. “Why am I so popular in Villendorf, yet so unpopular in Anhalt? This world makes no sense. No, I’m certain that something is wrong with the world.”
“Shall we defect to Villendorf, fief and all?” Helga asked.
“If my fief could sprout legs and walk away, I’d gladly do so.”
Helga and I continued to joke around. Surely we were allowed to joke and complain a bit. The two of us made no attempt to lower our voices.
“Lord Faust, Her Highness Valiele and her corps are nearby,” Martina advised. “If they hear your words, I’m sure that it’ll only bring you further trouble.”
“All right, I’m done,” I said.
I fell silent as my mind wandered over to Zabine, the captain of Princess Valiele’s corps. Even through her clothes, I could see her perky tits—she was the only one who seemed to actually like me. I didn’t want her to hate me; it’d be a shame to lose those titties. They’re mine, I thought. She’s kinda crazy. I mean, seriously, she’s got a screw loose. But never once had I gotten a chance to go on a date with her.
I’d spent a month in the forge for my suit of Maximilian armor, and after that, I used what little time I was allotted to gather information on Queen Catalina. At our farewell party, Queen Liesenlotte took up much of my time. It went without saying that my days since I’d crossed the border were busy and filled with duels. When in the world could I find the time to get my hands on Zabine’s perky breasts?
In fact, I’d been so busy that I couldn’t even enjoy a lengthy conversation with her. At most, we greeted each other now and then. This world was screwed up. Whatever. It is what it is. The world never bends to my wishes anyway. I quietly resigned myself to my unlucky fate and switched gears. I was finally granted my audience with Queen Catalina.
“Helga, did you receive the gift from Ingrid Company?” I asked.
“Yes, right here,” she replied.
It was wrapped in cloth. When Ingrid handed it over to Helga, she’d mentioned that she’d never felt more nervous in her life during a delivery. I couldn’t blame her.
“Lord Faust, I’m certain that Queen Liesenlotte will be furious at you,” Martina cautioned. “To be safe, I asked Princess Valiele to apologize alongside you.”
“Is it that bad?”
“Of course it is!”
I couldn’t deny that the queen would be angry at me, but I felt like that was all. At most, I’d receive a harsh scolding, nothing more.
“Now then, it’s time,” I said. “I don’t look weird, do I?”
“You look fine, aside from your great helm,” Martina replied. “We should exchange it when we return.”
I quite like this helmet. What problem does everyone have with it? Honestly, this is fine. My instincts can cover for my narrow scope of vision, and it’s useful during duels. Not like I need this helmet for duels, but still. Speaking of which, the knights of Villendorf are more refined and powerful than those of Anhalt. I knew that the cream of the crop gathered around, but after ninety-nine duels, I couldn’t help but feel the stark difference in power.
But all of them could only barely take a step into extraordinary superhuman territory. No one was even close to the skill of Knight Captain Reckenbell, who’d made me genuinely fear that I’d lose in battle.
“Helga, could you take my great helm?” I asked. “I don’t think you can enter the audience chamber. You’ll have to be in a separate waiting room until I’m done.”
“Certainly,” Helga replied.
She took my helmet.
“Martina, I want you to come with me as my apprentice and squire,” I ordered. “And hold onto my gift for Queen Catalina.”
“So, you’re really giving this to her, then?” Martina asked. “Not like I can stop you at this point, my lord.”
She wore an expression of quiet resignation.
“Now then, I wonder if I can slice open Queen Catalina’s heart with this,” I wondered.
I didn’t expect to, but I hadn’t been able to come up with a better idea. After I’d meticulously gathered information about her and heard of her time with Knight Captain Reckenbell from minstrels, this was the best shot I had.
“Even I don’t know what’ll happen,” I said. “I’ll throw caution to the wind!”
I’m sorry, Princess Valiele. The princess was guided inside before me, treated as the chief delegate for the first time since she’d set foot in Villendorf. I gazed at her tiny back. I need you to act like a jester for a bit, but know that I bear you no ill will. This is simply the only option I’ve got. My plan was to make Queen Catalina laugh. This item and Princess Valiele’s reaction were imperative for my plan to succeed.
“The more I hear about Lord Reckenbell and the time that she spent with Queen Catalina, the more a certain thought occupies my mind,” I remarked.
“And what would that be?” Martina asked.
“It’s nothing much, but I can really tell that Lord Reckenbell truly loved Queen Catalina.”
My eyes were glued to the item covered in cloth that was cradled in Martina’s arms. After the minstrel had sung every heroic tale she knew about Queen Catalina and Lord Reckenbell, we’d decided to take a short rest. It was then that I heard a very peculiar story. Just once, Lord Reckenbell and Queen Catalina had been admonished by the royal palace. Lord Reckenbell was the pinnacle of perfection—she conducted her political, military, and combat duties immaculately. Summed all together, her extraordinary talents would easily surpass mine. And yet, she was reprimanded. I was almost painfully aware of what raced through her mind back then.
“She really must’ve loved the queen,” I mused.
“Personally, I cannot understand it,” Martina demurred. “Was Queen Catalina able to return the love that Lord Reckenbell had given her? It seems to me like Lord Reckenbell’s loyalty to her was one-sided and produced excellent results for the queen’s sake with not much reward.”
“Martina.” I reprimanded her slightly. “I’m not saying that rewards are unnecessary. However, if you expect something in return for every action you take, that can’t be called love. And some can only realize another’s love when they’re about to die—or even after their death.”
“Do you speak from experience?”
“I do. And perhaps that’s more than enough for the dead. If one realizes their love after their beloved’s death and continues to think about them, maybe that love can reach their beloved in the afterlife.”
Some people need that kind of hope, or else they can’t bear the pain. Mother… I couldn’t do a single thing to repay your kindness when you were still alive. But I can at least protect your citizens and the fief that you left behind. To fulfill my promise, it was essential that I negotiate peace with Villendorf. Princess Valiele walked ahead and didn’t turn around.
“Let’s go, Faust,” Her Highness said.
I took a deep breath before I gave my firm response.
“Yes, Your Highness,” I said.
My voice sounded like a gong that quietly reverberated throughout the halls of Villendorf’s palace.