Chapter 47
When I was asked which commander I wanted to stand with, I looked around once more.
There were many chairs arranged around the round table, but less than half of them were occupied.
There were enough chairs for all the Knight Commanders and the Commander-in-Chief, but it seemed that only those stationed near the royal capital had gathered today.
Besides Commander-in-Chief Savis, Fourth Monster Knight Order Commander Quentin, and Sixth Knight Order Commander Zachary, who were standing around me, only four Knight Commanders were seated.
I recognized two of them: Commander Cyril of the First Knight Order and Commander Desmond of the Second Knight Order.
The other two were new to me. Judging by the colors of the sashes worn over their uniforms, the long-haired male knight was Enoch, Commander of the Third Magic Knight Order, and the female knight was probably Clarissa, Commander of the Fifth Knight Order, which guarded the royal capital.
But the moment I shifted my gaze to the last female Knight Commander, my eyes widened in shock.
She stood out among the tall, powerfully built Knight Commanders.
Her fluffy pink hair framed her face, complementing her snow-white skin.
Her large amber eyes sparkled like gemstones, and her plump, glossy lips were the same pink as her hair.
I was surprised that such a high-ranking knight—a Knight Commander, no less—was an incredibly beautiful girl. But what shocked me most was the upper half of her body peeking out from a uniform that seemed to deny her girlish appearance.
She'd undone several of the buttons from the top, even though Commander Desmond had managed to fasten all of his. The upper buttons of the shirt beneath were undone, too, and an enormous cleavage peeked out!
...Ah, no. It would be more accurate to say she couldn't fasten the buttons, rather than that she'd undone them.
W-What is this? She looks like a beautiful girl, but she's so voluptuous! Isn't that my ideal final form?!
I drifted toward the Fifth Knight Commander as if drawn to her.
Wow, the closer I get, the more I can smell her lovely scent.
Then Commander Zachary's voice came from behind me, sounding panicked.
“H-Hey, Fia, don't be fooled! That's the most ruthless and merciless creature in the entire order, with a heart of steel! And she disguises herself as the weak, taking advantage of her frail appearance. Such behavior is unbefitting a Knight Commander! Also, she's not as young as she looks! ...In other words, she absolutely isn't young enough to be called a girl like you seem to think!”
“Zachary is right. Fia, that person is a ‘pink female praying mantis’! Young knights keep falling victim to her, even though it's obvious they'll be devoured in the end. She's a terrifying creature. Young men—and women, too—shouldn't go near her! You'll suffer terrible consequences!”
Commander Cyril stood up as well and warned me.
Goodness, how unsightly. Insulting a fellow Knight Commander is unbecoming of a knight.
Honestly, I'm tired of muscles and sweat. Someone fluffy and fragrant like her is much more my type!
“I'll stand with the Fifth Knight Commander!”
“Hey, this has nothing to do with you!”
Everyone called me out, but I didn't care. I gave the Fifth Knight Commander a knight's salute and introduced myself.
“I'm Fia Ruud of the First Knight Order. Please allow me to stand behind you during the Knight Commanders' Meeting.”
The Fifth Knight Commander blinked her long lashes, then smiled softly, like a flower opening.
“Why, how lovely. I'm Clarissa Abernathy, Commander of the Fifth Knight Order. It's nice to meet you.”
Gosh, even the beautiful girl's voice is adorable. Her distinctive way of speaking, with the ends of her words bouncing up, is almost addictive.
With me standing behind Commander Clarissa, the matter seemed settled, and everyone, beginning with the Commander-in-Chief, took their seats around the table.
“We will now begin the Knight Commanders' Meeting.”
The meeting's facilitator declared it in session.
It seemed the Knight Commanders' Meeting was held regularly, but this one had apparently been hastily arranged to coincide with Commander Quentin's return to the capital.
First, they dealt with several routine matters, such as the month's schedules for the commanders and above, and the knight orders' budgets. After that, they moved on to the main topic—the reason the meeting had been called today.
“Now, regarding the capture of the Black King...”
Commander Cyril, who had been appointed to preside over the meeting, introduced the next topic.
“The original plan was to take advantage of the fact that the Black King was still a juvenile and capture him as soon as we pinpointed his location. We were to send out three hundred knights, primarily from the Fourth Monster Knight Order and the Sixth Knight Order. However, based on reports of sightings in the Starfall Forest, it seems the King has grown more than we anticipated. Quentin, what are your thoughts on this?”
“The plan has changed. Based on the reports, the Black King is no longer a juvenile. If that's the case, capture is impossible. To avoid disrupting the surrounding ecosystem, the best course of action would be to have the Black King return promptly to his lair at the sacred peak of Kurodake.”
Hearing that, Sixth Knight Order Commander Zachary sounded disappointed.
“I thought we'd finally get to tackle a big capture operation for the first time in ages. What a bore. So? How many are we taking?”
Commander Quentin slipped his long fingers into his hair, as though deep in thought.
“It would be unwise to bring too many. If the Black King identifies us as enemies, he may attack. Gathering enough people to restrain him would only invite danger. We need a number small enough that he won't see us as a threat... Let's say fifteen from the Monster Knight Order and thirty-five from the Sixth Knight Order?”
Commander Clarissa of the Fifth Knight Order, which guarded the royal capital, interjected.
“My, how frightening. Make sure the Black King doesn't wander into the royal capital by mistake. If you put my lovely citizens in danger, I'm afraid I'll be in a bad mood.”
“...I'll do my best.”
Commander Zachary gave a brief reply, then continued.
“They say memories don't settle in right after someone is reborn. Maybe the Black King was confused and wandered into the Starfall Forest. Quentin, you brought back stones from the cave and part of a corpse from the Black King's lair, didn't you? If you show them to him, maybe they'll bring back his muddled memories and he'll return to his lair.”
“...We'll try it.”
Commander Quentin answered with his eyes lowered, but for an instant he raised his gaze and looked at me.
—Understood, Commander Quentin.
So, while the knights are searching the forest, the Black Dragon will show up, Commander Quentin will throw a stone, and the Black Dragon will fly off in the direction of its lair. That's the plan.
I peered through the opening at my collar to look at Zabiria, who was sleeping soundly against my stomach. Hehe, what a child. But I'm sure Zabiria won't object, right?
I smiled to show that I understood, but Commander Cyril noticed and reprimanded me.
“Quentin, stop sending meaningful glances to one of my knights during the meeting. You're disrupting order.”
“It was just a signal, Cyril. I asked Fia-sama to accompany us on the search for the Black King, and she agreed. ...Hah! I only met Fia-sama for the first time today, yet we can communicate with a glance. You've spent so much more time with her, and you're still nowhere near that.”
Commander Quentin replied mockingly.
In an instant, Commander Cyril narrowed his eyes without losing his smile.
H-Hey, you're not children! Stop needling each other and then firing back every time!
As I wondered what to do about the tense atmosphere, Commander Clarissa began to giggle with delight.
“You're quite popular, Fia-chan. But you still need to make them wait. Getting so fidgety that you want to step in and stop them shows you don't have enough patience. You need to keep teasing them, and teasing them, until you drive them both to the point where they can't take it anymore!”
Watching Commander Clarissa happily look back and forth between Commanders Cyril and Quentin, Commander Desmond sighed as if he couldn't take it anymore.
“See? Women are always the ones who bring calamity.”
“...”
Enoch, Commander of the Third Magic Knight Order, remained silent.
Commander Zachary looked around the room and let out an exaggerated sigh.
“You lot, the Commander-in-Chief is right here. That's enough!”
After glaring at the commanders, who had all fallen silent, he began, “All right, then...”
“If there are no objections, we leave tomorrow morning. I'll pick thirty-five knights from my order, Quentin, you choose fifteen. The two of us will have to go, no question. Now, does anyone object?”
After waiting a while and confirming that no one had anything to say, all the commanders looked up at Commander-in-Chief Savis.
The Commander-in-Chief nodded once and spoke.
“That will do. ...Don't overexert yourselves.”
With the Commander-in-Chief's approval, tomorrow's departure was settled.
At once, the commanders rose in perfect unison and pressed a fist against the opposite shoulder. The knights standing behind them, myself included, followed suit.
The Commander-in-Chief was the last to stand. Looking at us, he spoke in a deep, resonant voice.
“All that is in heaven and earth stands with the Black Dragon Knight Order of the Kingdom of Naave!”
“All that is in heaven and earth stands with the Black Dragon Knight Order of the Kingdom of Naave!”
The Commander-in-Chief raised a hand in acknowledgment as we repeated his words, then left the room.
―――And so, the Knight Commanders' Meeting came to a close.