Chapter 147
"Um, is it all right for me to hear about this?"
During a meeting of the Tenth Knight Order’s unit commanders, it was Prince Zeland who spoke, looking somewhat perplexed.
By “this,” he meant the relationship between the First Knight Order and the Tenth Knight Order.
The First Knight Order and the Tenth Knight Order didn’t get along.
I’d vaguely suspected as much from how little they interacted, but hearing it stated so plainly made me wonder if it had really been all right to ask—even I, who wasn’t Prince Zeland, felt uneasy about it.
“I don’t think there’s any problem. Prince Zeland should know about the relationships between the knight orders. Besides, the animosity is entirely one-sided,” Lapiria-sama said casually.
“I see...” Prince Zeland still seemed to have more to say, but he let the matter drop there.
“...Well, if there are no other comments, we’ll end here. Dismissed!”
With Lord Raiz’s announcement, the meeting came to an end. As everyone began to leave the room, the Roa Unit was stopped and called back.
“I’d like the Roa Unit to help coordinate the schedule for the joint training. Please stay a little longer.”
Having started out as a bureaucrat, I was useful for this kind of behind-the-scenes work. And since the entire Roa Unit had been asked to stay, not just the unit commanders, I figured we were all meant to help me.
I’d more or less expected this, so while everyone else returned to their posts, we sat back down. After all, this was a major event bringing together six knight orders. Coordinating with all the various parties was essential. When it came to that sort of thing, I could confidently say I was second only to Lord Raiz in the Tenth Knight Order.
Lord Raiz and I took the lead, assigning everyone the tasks that needed doing. Since we had the chance, I’d put Nelfia, who was with us, to work as well.
We continued discussing the details over lunch, and once we’d settled on most of the assignments, I rolled my shoulders in relief. Then Prince Zeland spoke up. “Lord Raiz.”
“Yes, Prince Zeland?”
“May I ask you a little more about what you said earlier regarding the relationship between the First Knight Order and the Tenth Knight Order? These two orders are pillars of Rudek. I’d like to understand the situation properly.”
“I see...”
Lord Raiz considered it for a moment, then looked at Prince Zeland. “Very well. What would you like to know?” He seemed ready to answer his question.
“Is it true that the First Knight Order is the one that unilaterally views the Tenth Knight Order as an enemy?”
“...If you mean that we hold no grudge against them, while the First Knight Order refuses to acknowledge our existence whenever the opportunity arises, then yes, that’s true.”
“As Lapiria-sama mentioned earlier, what sort of harassment have they subjected you to?”
“There have been all sorts of little things... But, Prince, do you know why the Tenth Knight Order uses 10 instead of 十?”
“...No, I don’t.”
There was little difference between 十 and 10, but in Rudek, official documents had traditionally used 十, while everyday paperwork and business often used 10, which was also used on the southern continent.
“The First Knight Order strongly objected to that. They insisted that the Tenth Knight Order was nothing more than a temporary order formed for emergencies. That was indeed how the Tenth Knight Order began, but even now that it’s a full-fledged knight order, they seem intent on implying that it’s still temporary.”
“...I see.”
I was listening beside the prince, and I was quietly surprised, too. So the grudge went back to the very beginning.
“Since then, the First Knight Order has held fast to the idea that the Tenth Knight Order is not its equal. For example, they objected to the various weapons used by the Tenth Knight Order, saying, ‘What place can there be in the royal capital for such unorthodox junk, so unbecoming of a knight order? It doesn’t suit the capital’s refined atmosphere.’ As a result, I had to take those weapons into my own residence. Shall I give you more examples?”
“...No, that won’t be necessary. I understand... But... the First Knight Order did something like that...”
Seeing Prince Zeland’s troubled expression, Lord Raiz’s expression softened as he continued.
“To tell the truth, I can understand the First Knight Order’s feelings to some extent. They were proud to be the king’s personal guard, yet the king went out of his way to create a knight order of his own. They must have felt as though they’d been slighted.”
“But that was—!”
“Yes, it couldn’t be helped. The king wasn’t slighting the First Knight Order. Its role is to protect the royal capital as the king’s personal guard. It isn’t a force that should be sent to the front lines lightly.”
Cutting off Prince Zeland’s words, Lord Raiz spoke again.
“Do you think the First Knight Order understands that?”
“They probably understand it in their heads. But the Tenth Knight Order grew rapidly. It became the largest knight order in Rudek by numbers, and it won many victories across the land. Along with that, the people’s support for it grew stronger. If I were in their position, I might find it hard to put my feelings completely aside, too.”
“...I understand. Thank you for explaining it to me.”
“No, I don’t mean that the First Knight Order is evil. I want you to keep that in mind.”
“Yes.”
At the end of Lord Raiz and the prince’s exchange, I nearly spoke up, but swallowed my words at the last moment.
Of course, there might be more to the relationship than just the Tenth Knight Order, but I felt I’d glimpsed one reason behind the First Knight Order’s betrayal.
“All right, let’s leave it there. Roa, I’ll leave the arrangements for the joint training to you.”
“Understood.”
“...There’s one more thing. I’d like to keep this just between us for now. Is that all right?”
After making sure everyone present agreed, Lord Raiz’s expression turned serious.
Perhaps... I had an inkling what this was about.
“Once the new recruits have been brought in and the snow has melted, we may have a rather busy time ahead. I want you all to be prepared.”
Lord Raiz didn’t say any more, but I quietly felt that it really would happen after all.
The large-scale battle that would take place on the Zetta Plains in the future I knew...
I had the feeling that the great war later known as Rudek’s last glorious battle was quietly waiting for its time to come.