Ending Conditions of the Princess and the Knight

“And it’s full of nobles, so there’s a lot of information. You might be able to pick up something useful for whatever you want, don’t you think?”

“That’s kind of tempting.”

“It’s mostly people of reputation, but you’ll be fine, you’re so infamous.”

I glared at her, slightly annoyed, but remembering the vicious, nasty people who had been protesting in front of the hotel, I couldn’t really argue.

Notoriety would be second to fame in terms of attention.

“Think about it. It’s not a bad deal, is it?”

“If you’re honest with me about why you want to do it, I’ll give it some thought.”

“Huh? It’s a deal!”

“No, it’s not a deal, it’s a one-sided favor from you. I can just go to Ancie and ask her. She’s sweet and kind, and she’ll find out what she doesn’t know and tell me.”

“Ugh……!”

“Choose, quickly.”

Sensing her disadvantage, Bridget bit her nails and glanced quickly out the window.

The carriage made steady progress down the road and was already nearing the river. If you pass through the crossroads here, you can’t cross the bridge and go straight to the apothecary district.

Of course, either option wasn’t bad for Taeri. Whether crossing the bridge and going to the wine bar that Bridget wanted, or continuing straight to the original destination, the ruins.

When she said once again that there was no time, Bridget hesitated for a moment and eventually revealed her true intentions.

“I just wanted to……”

“Yeah.”

“I really just want to……”

“Yeah.”

“……I just want to show that we also have a princess.”

…Huh?

Taeri, who had been listening leisurely, was momentarily at a loss for words.

“When they open their mouths, all they talk about is the high-class noble culture they enjoy. They look down on this land, which has nothing like that, as a savage place. The reason my teahouse was ignored when it opened was also because of that. Who would come to a place like this without even any nobles?”

“…….”

“Even if we explain that it’s not like that, everything we had… has crumbled away. There’s nothing left to boast about.”

As she spoke, Bridget clenched her fists, perhaps reminded of some frustrating incidents.

“They laugh at us, ignore us. It’s infuriating… It hurts my pride so much that I wake up from sleep. I can’t even count how many teacups I’ve broken out of anger.”

I can see the anger gauge slowly filling up again.

With a fiery glare, Bridget gripped Taeri’s arms tightly. As if vowing revenge.

“So I’ve decided that I’m done with peaceful methods and I’m going to go and drop the damn thing, and I’m not going to take it lying down.”

More thoughts flashed through my mind than the pain in my arm.

What Bridget wants is a childlike way of thinking. It’s similar to when one person shouts at their mother, ‘I have a mom too, you know?’ and the other person responds in the same way.

And yet, I didn’t want to make light of the childishness of it, because I could see the sadness in it.

It wasn’t about boasting or showing off, but she realized that she wanted to present the most remarkable thing she had, even if it meant preserving her self-esteem.

— I just want to show that we also have a princess.”

The words stuck with me.

The thought of being a princess and being someone’s pride and joy weighed heavily on my shoulders. Maybe that’s why it seemed like a favor I couldn’t refuse.

“Are you sure you’re okay with that? Won’t that make you even more isolated than you already are?”

“I don’t know. Anyway, my tea house is ruined. And it’s always difficult in the beginning, right? Maybe it’ll be easier once I become an outcast, who knows.”

She shrugged, her eyes flickering with indifference, as if she’s saying, it’s a failed business anyway, it’s just the difference between dying alone and dying together.

If she treated customers like that, it would make sense why the business didn’t prosper, but Taeri simply chuckled.

Realizing that they still had a distance to cross the bridge, she reached out and grabbed Bridget’s arm.

“Let’s shake on that.”

Of course, she didn’t actually intend to go and have a brawl as she said. What Bridget truly desired might be something different.

“R-Really? So, is it a deal then?”

Her inquisitive face lit up with a bright smile, resembling that of a child receiving a gift.

“Yeah, that’s right. Now, tell me the whereabouts of that key thief.”

“Well, well, you’re really empty-headed. Bartering doesn’t make sense either. We should go for a fair exchange of goods.”

Oh, she’s definitely more of a politician than meets the eye.

After banging on the wall to signal a change course, Bridget pushed the window wide open as the carriage pulled onto the windswept bridge and exclaimed with the most refreshing smile she’d ever seen on her face.

“Oh, it’s a perfect day for a brawl! I wonder if it’ll rain today, with the air feeling so damp!”

* * *

His head throbbed from the lack of sleep.

Poking his spoon into the steaming soup, Claude nervously knocked over the table clock that announced the time of noon.

It was late in the morning, after meeting the princess, he spent the whole day thinking about her, and even that wasn’t enough, he’d blown off the entire day and into the wee hours of the morning.

As a result, he missed his usual forest patrol in the early morning and slept in.

He impulsively grabbed a treasured vial that was neatly placed on the shelf.

With a swoosh, the sound of a sword being unsheathed resonated, majestic and sacred. However, the sharp blade’s trajectory carelessly veered towards a cornered potted plant.

Following the path of the sword, a divine light illuminated, and half of the green leaves were cleanly cut off.

Claude, who was observing the severed plant remnants, stared fiercely at the noble holy sword in his hand when nothing happened even after a while.

“What a useless piece of scrap metal…….”

I’ll take it and throw it away.

To be honest, I was tempted to throw it out the window right then and there.

But I don’t, because I know that the sword is innocent of any wrongdoing.

If anyone was at fault, it was Claude himself.

Passed down from generation to generation to the most accomplished paladin, the Holy Sword of Agatha was a holy relic of the Order, capable of unleashing the ultimate trick known as ‘Resurrection’ by harnessing the wielder’s sacred power.

Should I just grab it and throw it away?

Honesty, I wanted to throw it out the window right away.

But I refrained from doing so because the sword had done nothing wrong.

If there was any wrongdoing, it was Claude’s own problem.

Passed down through generations, Agatha’s holy sword, inherited by the most exceptional paladin, was a relic of the sect that could unleash the ultimate technique known as ‘Resurrection’ by harnessing the wielder’s sacred power.

Of course, contrary to such explanations, the holy sword had thus far been monopolized by the selfish royalty and remained exclusively in their hands. However, even if their bloodline was diluted, the royal lineage of Valoran symbolized with a small amount of sacred power at birth, so it wasn’t a problem.

So even now, in a normal situation, he should be able to save the life of a severed flower. He wasn’t the emperor’s son, but he was a member of the imperial family, even ranked fourth in line for the imperial succession, the emperor’s maternal nephew.

But his swordsmanship made no difference.

It was beautiful, but that was it. Even though his sword was the number one sword in the empire, he didn’t have any divine power.

A paladin without divine power. A Holy Knight who couldn’t wield a Holy Sword.

In short, he was running the biggest fraud job of his life.

If he were to be found out, it would not be a mere scandal or embarrassment. He would be excommunicated and his birth would be questioned.

‘Why me… It’s all because of this cursed family.’

Just like how anyone born in Izarith is a mage with magical abilities, anyone from the Valoran aristocracy possesses divine power.

So, if this charming theatrical performance of my life is exposed, humans will first question whether I am truly a noble.

And to make matters worse, I happened to be the youngest late-born child of Duke Devonshire, making me a perfect target for mockery and ridicule.

‘I wouldn’t feel so aggrieved if he weren’t my own flesh and blood.’

He was the legitimate child of his parents. Undeniably so. This fact was evident just by looking at the portraits of the Devonshire family throughout history. However, if suspicions were to arise, any fact would surely fade into insignificance.

Sitting on the cold marble frame of the window, Claude gazed down at the surroundings with a bored expression.

‘Perhaps, if I swiftly absorb this land and disappear, no one will be able to find me.’

I never wanted it, but I’ve become arguably the best knight in the Empire, so I guess you could say it’s been a pretty good fraud of a life, considering the risks.

However, today’s safety does not guarantee tomorrow’s safety.

Currently, there are only three people who know his secret, his father, his brother, and the emperor.

He was someone who wanted to quickly conclude this performance, so that the list would remain at three for the rest of his life.

After that, his dream was to quietly live as if he didn’t exist.

A cozy life where no one knows me, and having a bit of wealth would be nice.

— I’ll be useful to you.

But then, out of nowhere, a princess fell out of the sky onto his path.

The princess, who was not ordinary in status, lineage, or the timing of her return. She had everything, including an unpredictable adventure.

The sophisticated impact was so overwhelming that he pondered over it throughout the night.

‘Do we really have to get along well? But… no matter how you look at it, we are clearly enemies.’

As a sharp knock sounded, Claude interrupted his thoughts and swiftly picked up the discarded holy sword.

“You’re awake?”

As the door opened, Chancellor Zed witnessed the knight standing at the side of his bed, carefully polishing the blade.

The moment he saw the holy sword, he was engulfed in ecstasy and knelt down from his knees.

“Ooh, the Holy Sword of Agatha. It’s been a while since I’ve seen it in its entirety.”

Claude, with neat features, glanced at it with an indifferent expression.

Just a mere sword, nothing more. That was his immediate thought. Cynical and jaded. However, Zed’s interpretation was different.

The sight of the knight looking down below with chilly eyes, combined with the sword resembling winter sunlight, made him feel like he was in the presence of a sublime representative of the gods.

If someone were to ask what a holy knight is, they could shout that the perfect specimen is right here.

A sword and a knight. How perfect is that?

If anyone were to see him wield a sword even once, they would be in awe.

He is so strong, the difference in power is overwhelming, and he commands respect and loyalty. That’s what Claude was to the knights of the Empire.

“You don’t have to go that far.”

“I have to go to such lengths. The Captain doesn’t even pull it out of the scabbard.”

“There’s no reason to use it, so there’s no reason to pull it out.”

“That’s right, we shouldn’t misuse the power of the gods. But you look quite tired.”

“Just restless sleep. Any new reports that came in?”

Lately, Claude had been managing the forest with even greater diligence. Every day, he would observe the forest’s movements and personally go out hunting. His actions earned him renewed admiration from Zed.

“I didn’t have anything in particular, but is there anything you’re looking for?”

“I am looking for something, yes.”

“There is?”

“A woman.”

“A woman?!”

“A princess.”