“Thanks, master. Let’s go over the details of your investigation, okay?” Flèche said.
He was smiling. Maybe my happiness had rubbed off on him.
“The royal palace of Hanche isn’t as easily accessible as the one in Lèvres. Outsiders are completely forbidden from entering. Only those who live there, nobles, and the kingdom’s honored guests can set foot inside. Oh, and I believe members of the Motar Faith are allowed in as well.”
“In other words, I won’t be able to just waltz in there to investigate. Can’t I just use my magic to teleport myself inside, though?”
“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to secure the precise coordinates of the rooms inside, and you’d risk being spotted if you teleported to a random location. The people of Hanche don’t like magic, and most are fervent believers of the Faith. It would cause a huge uproar if they saw you teleport into the palace.”
“I could erase the memories of anyone who spots me,” I suggested.
“That spell’s difficult to gauge, isn’t it? In the worst-case scenario, you might make those people forget the last ten years of their lives,” Flèche pointed out. “Don’t you remember that time you used that spell on some ruffians who came to bother you, and you accidentally made them regress to infancy? It would be a disaster if you caused dozens of people to forget everything.”
“Now that you mention it, that did happen... I could try to see into the palace from afar or use an illusion spell to distract the guards?”
“It’s likely most people inside the palace don’t have mana, which is what long-distance viewing spells rely on, so that’s not feasible. As for an illusion, not only would you need to create a large one, but it would also have to be detailed and convincing. I know you, master—you’ll get bored halfway through. You’ll spot something interesting and immediately forget about the spell. I don’t think you’d be able to focus on maintaining an illusion for that long,” Flèche said.
He knew me so well. That’s my second disciple for you!
“I...can’t deny any of that.”
“I know.”
“Plus, it’ll cause diplomatic issues between Lèvres and Hanche if they catch me snooping around.”
It would be a huge scandal if word got out that Lèvres was probing around Hanche. It really wouldn’t be good for Flèche’s reputation. Most nations were still under the Faith’s influence, so Lèvres couldn’t risk attracting criticism for now.
“I know you’d find a way to handle it if something were to happen. But I think it’d be best if you didn’t do anything too showy—just this once. I’m really sorry for making you go about things in such a roundabout way,” Flèche said apologetically.
“Don’t worry about it. I suppose I have no choice but to try going there undercover. It seems like fun!”
Flèche and Thibault both nodded vigorously. It seemed they approved of my plan.
“There’s only one possible way for an outsider to visit the palace. By joining one of the kingdom’s chivalric orders, you’ll be assigned to duties that could take you inside, and you’ll get to investigate without anyone suspecting a thing,” Thibault explained shyly.
“A chivalric order?” I echoed.
Thibault replied, “Yes. There are several in Hanche. First, we have the Order of the Eagle, which has been created to prepare for conflicts with other nations. Then, there’s the Order of the Lion, whose role is to enforce law and security in the kingdom. Last is the Order of the Royal Knights. It’s permanently stationed at the capital and responsible for guarding the royal palace—that’s the one we’re planning for you to join. The Royal Knights’ duties include participating in training drills, defending the castle, escorting important guests during events, and other similar responsibilities.”
“Can I really join it just like that?” I asked.
“Yes. The Eagles and the Lions are considered to be the most prestigious chivalric orders; anyone who hopes to join them must first pass a rigorous test. But the Royal Knights are basically where all the rejects end up... They’re constantly short on people, so they can’t afford to reject anyone who wants to join. The application guidelines state that they welcome both men and women into their ranks, and they have indeed hired female knights in the past.”
“Let me make sure I understand... The Order of Royal Knights has a shortage of personnel?”
There used to be similar chivalric orders five hundred years ago, and those who were stationed at the royal capital were usually the most well paid of them all. I would’ve thought things would be similar now, but...
“Yes.” Thibault nodded. “Most Royal Knights don’t stick around for long, so they’re always on the lookout for new recruits. The order has a reputation for not being a great place to work. The leaders are always cozying up to the ruling class and the Motar Faith. Whenever a problem occurs, they just throw money at the Faith to have them handle it.”
“I see. They’re not doing their jobs properly.”
“Exactly. The top brass consists mostly of second and third sons with no prospects of inheriting their houses’ titles, and most are completely useless. The truly capable ones join the Eagles or the Lions. The Royal Knights are basically where young nobles with nowhere to go end up. The rest are commoners who passed the entrance examination and now work under them. As you can see, it shouldn’t be too difficult for you to sneak into the mix. If you succeed, you’ll be allowed within the palace for your duties.”
I nodded. “Tell me more.”
“I believe most tasks will be relatively safe. However, as I mentioned earlier, the working conditions are terrible. I only looked into the Royal Knights a little bit, and I already noted several issues—the biggest of all being the current captain.”
Since Thibault was a journalist, it made sense he would be well-informed on most matters. I gazed at him, waiting for the details.
“He’s the second son of a marquis and has a habit of flaunting his status and his house’s authority to commit all manner of misdeeds.”
“Is there no one who can stop him?” I asked.
“No. Not many people have the authority to tell off the son of a marquis. Besides, he’s the kind of man who will do anything to justify his actions. From what I’ve heard, anyone who’s dared to admonish him in the past has ended up in dire straits. No one has the courage to stand up to him anymore. Most royal knights have decided to just not get involved with him anymore. If they leave him alone, he takes care of his main duties, at least.”
“My, my, it seems we have a little troublemaker on our hands. I suppose I’ll try to change his ways while I’m in Hanche.”
“Huh? Y-You can’t! We just need you to snoop around a little. Please don’t put yourself in danger!” Thibault exclaimed, panicking.
“Master is strong,” Flèche assured him. “She can beat anyone in a fair fight. But I agree with Thibault; I’d prefer it if you avoided any unnecessary risks.”
“She’s...strong, you say?! Far be it from me to refute your words, Your Majesty, but she’s a dainty countess. I find it difficult to believe she’s as powerful as you say.” Thibault eyed me with an incredulous stare.
“I see where you’re coming from, Thibault. Master is adorable, after all. But she’s also an amazing woman whom I trust with all my heart. I urge you to put your faith in me on the matter,” Flèche said.
“O-Of course. If you say so, Your Majesty.”
It seemed that Thibault had no objections to my doing some sleuthing in Hanche. He held out a hand to me, an earnest expression on his face. “Miss Lam, I’ll be relying on you for this mission. Please do not do anything rash.”
It appeared he still held some reservations toward me. But that wasn’t a problem; I could prove my worth to him little by little.
“Rest assured, you can leave it to me,” I said, exchanging a handshake with him.
After that, we began ironing out the details.
“Miss Lam, let me say it one last time to make sure we’re all on the same page: Your mission is to head to Hanche to gather information discreetly.”
“I am to join the Order of Royal Knights, take advantage of my position to infiltrate the palace, figure out the Faith’s objective, and try to clear your name. Is that right?”
Flèche and Thibault nodded in confirmation.
“I will be joining the knights with you. I believe I should be able to assist you using my knowledge of local and domestic affairs. I cannot possibly ask you to risk your life alone while I do nothing,” Thibault said.
Flèche smiled at him as if to commend his resolve. He must’ve had an idea that Thibault was this kind of man, and that was why he’d introduced him to me.
I flashed Thibault a smile as well. “Thank you, it’ll be reassuring to have you with me. It’ll be a huge help if you could share your knowledge with me when we’re in Hanche. I sadly know very little about the state of the world.”
“Leave it to me!” he replied enthusiastically, his cheeks reddening.
Flèche cleared his throat. “You know more about the world than you think, master.” He sighed. “I wish I could come with you.”
“Let’s go on an outing together when you have more free time, Your Majesty,” I offered. “You must be too busy right now, since you’ve just become king.”
“Thank you, master. The promise of spending time with you should give me the energy to deal with all those annoying tasks waiting for me.”
It never failed to surprise me how much more mature he was in this life.
“You’re doing such a good job. You’re a great king,” I praised him.
He immediately pushed out his head toward me.
He’s expecting head pats, isn’t he?
It seemed this habit of his hadn’t changed, even now that he was king.
“Rest assured, Your Majesty. I’ll join the Royal Knights in Hanche, as promised, and conduct a thorough investigation. This will also give me a chance to learn more about the world. Two birds, one stone.”
I’d always been gung ho about magic throughout both of my lives, so knights had never interested me.
Even five hundred years ago, they didn’t use magic—only magical weapons. And in this life, they probably don’t even have those...
By going to Hanche, I might be able to experience new things I never would have been able to here at the Mercure estate.
And! I’ll get to eat fresh durians.
It was a win-win situation, really.