Over a hundred adventurers had gathered for the founding ceremony, held in the spacious entrance hall of the manor.
Everyone chatted nervously as they waited.
I stepped away from the table and watched from the side of the wall — not as a participant, but as a host.
Monica was bustling about, and the shrine maidens had been stuffed into maid outfits to help out.
When Monica came over to me—
"Was it better to have them in shrine maiden robes after all? I thought it was too out of place, but it completely killed their individuality."
"What are you blabbering about? More importantly, is there enough food and drinks?"
When I checked in, Monica nodded.
"No oversights on that front. However, there is one small issue."
"Ah, I know what you mean. It'll be fine until this fight is over, right?"
"Yes."
She had noticed the problem we were dealing with. Monica confirmed that much and headed back to work.
I looked over the venue. Crate-san was there too, dressed in a particularly spirited outfit.
(I'm not exactly deceiving anyone, but it still feels wrong, like I'm taking advantage of them.)
These starry-eyed adventurers.
More than striking it rich, these were people who wanted to escape from their current lives.
That's right — what I had gathered were people seeking a lord to serve. In particular, I had asked Crate-san to round up those aiming to become knights.
(Birds of a feather, huh.)
Among them were adventurers who originally came from knightly families. Aria was from a military viscount house. There were plenty of others like them.
They were a bunch who had decided to go along with this deal in order to reclaim their former glory.
From within the Jewel, I heard the Fifth Generation's voice, tinged with a hint of exasperation.
"In every era, there are always fools who can't do a cost-benefit analysis. Well, at least they've got the resolve for it."
The Sixth Generation chimed in as well.
"Indeed. But they're dependable right now. Besides, when you think about what lies ahead, the Saint will need people who can act as her hands and feet."
I turned my gaze toward the staircase.
(It's time.)
I had waited until they'd had a few drinks and the tension had eased before having them make their entrance.
When the shrine maidens—or rather, the women who weren't wearing maid outfits but instead the outfits Monika had made—stepped out, the venue suddenly buzzed with chatter.
That chatter died the instant the real star of the show appeared.
(Yeah, as long as she keeps quiet, she really does look like a saint.)
Aura appeared in a white dress that clung close to her skin, followed by Selma, the former Saint, and Gastone, the former High Priest.
I looked to Eva, and she nodded.
Eva had a Skill too—one she rarely used in combat, and one she herself wasn't particularly fond of.
It was called [Voice]—a Skill that amplified the user's voice so it could reach a greater number of people.
And it was the key piece of tonight's plan: [Back Music]. Even without instruments, Eva could perform using her Skill.
Into the venue,
solemn
music began to play. Eva looked no different from usual, which made it all the more baffling—where on earth was this sound coming from?
(A Skill the user herself doesn't like—now that's rare. Or wait, did it manifest precisely because she didn't want it? Skills sure are full of mysteries.)
There's a reason Eva doesn't use these Skills. She hates them.
She wants to deliver her voice with her own strength. She doesn't want to rely on a Skill.
Music is meant to be played with instruments, by a full ensemble together. A Skill takes all the soul out of it.
That's what she'd always say.
This time, we didn't have the time or the money to hire an orchestra, so we asked Eva.
The venue buzzed with quiet excitement—the atmosphere, the music, and now the appearance of a real saint—or rather, a former saint candidate.
When Aura stopped midway down the stairs and looked out over the venue, she spoke.
"Thank you all for gathering here. I, Aura, am grateful to each and every one of you."
Lazy, violent—the image I had of her and the Aura standing before us now were so different I nearly burst out laughing.
I listened patiently as she talked, but the gist of it was simple: let's beat the hell out of Zayin's Holy Knights together. Succeed, and you'll get a commission—promoted straight into the knight order.
That's basically what it came down to.
Right—she'd lured everyone here with the promise of a commission. There was no way we could pay actual wages. However, it had been decided that we would provide essential supplies like food.
Then, Aura turned her gaze toward me.
"To reclaim Zayin, we will form a knight order here and now. I entrust the role of commander to Lord Laiel, who saved my life."
I stepped forward, and every pair of eyes among the gathered adventurers locked onto me.
"It's only temporary, but I will happily accept the role of commander."
Then, Aura continued.
"The position of vice-commander will go to Lord Crate Benigni."
Crate, overcome with emotion, tears already welling up—
"...Y-Yes!"
His voice as he answered seemed to tremble slightly.
Aura spread both hands wide, then clasped them together before her small chest in a prayer-like pose.
"Hereby, we establish this knight order—the Holy Knights. May the Goddess's blessing be upon those who possess courage."
To counter the Sacred Knights, we decided to establish the Holy Knights in opposition. Of course, the name was pretty much improvised.
It was literally just one character different.
(Well, it's not like anyone's used to the other name anyway... It's more like the Saint's knight order, and this is the kind of country where the military arm is practically the Holy Knights. It's temporary anyway—someone will probably rename it later.)
It was a lazy line of thinking, but going too outlandish wouldn't be great either. And so, the knight order came to be called the Holy Knights.
While the venue buzzed with excitement, I alone was grumbling to myself about the name. And then—my next move.
(Right, I need to meet with Alberno and the others tomorrow.)
The next day, Miranda and I met up with Alberno at a bar to talk.
It was tucked away in a winding alley and had a rough atmosphere. However, the quality of the food served was high, and it tasted good.
While drinking, Alberno looked at us and said—
"Work with Zayin's side? No thanks. I only bet on the winning horse."
I gave a wry smile at Alberno's shameless declaration, then nodded.
"That's perfectly fine. But fighting isn't always about taking up weapons and charging into battle, is it?"
Around us, rough-looking characters were drinking and making a racket.
Prostitutes were soliciting customers throughout the bar, but none approached our table where Miranda sat.
Alberno kept the cup to his lips, watching us over the rim.
Miranda, reaching for the food, spoke up.
"What we need is for rumors to spread through Zayin—that the former Saint candidate has risen up and is declaring war on Zayin."
Alberno was pondering. Rather than hesitating, he seemed like he simply couldn't wrap his head around it.
"...I know you lot have been making all sorts of noise. You're planning to use that blockhead Crate, aren't you? But are you really going to spread the rumors yourselves?"
I nodded.
"To win. We have no intention of losing. That said, our policy is to never take a fight we can't win."
Indeed, none of our predecessors ever fought battles they were bound to lose. The Third Generation was the only one who gave up her life to buy time, but even that was born of necessity.
She didn't throw her life away to lose. She threw it away to win.
Alberno laughed.
"I like that! You're my kind of person. But what's the point of just spreading rumors? That alone doesn't really hurt us, I'll admit."
He seemed to think it might be a trap.
"All we need is to spread the rumors. The embellishments will add themselves. Also, there are a few specific rumors we'd like spread. Please spread them in order. Ah, we'll cover the expenses for eating and drinking in Zayin. Once you're done spreading the rumors, you're welcome to come back."
Neither Miranda nor I expected Alberno to actually do proper work. But more than having him move on our behalf, what we really wanted was the fact that we'd commissioned him.
We wanted someone watching to believe that we were making grand moves.
"...Hmm, well, if that's all, sure. But we've got a favor to ask in return."
"What would that be?"
When I spoke, Alberno's expression turned serious.
"Let us get in on this little scheme of yours."
Miranda tensed slightly, shifting her legs that she'd crossed under the table so she could move freely.
All the while maintaining her smile.
"And what exactly does that mean? You want to participate? You don't exactly look like you'd get along with Crate."
Alberno rested his arms on the back of his chair and angled his body toward us.
"Nothing to do with the knights or anything like that. I just want to claw my way out of this bottom-feeder life. Well, all of us do, really. We're nothing but a sorry bunch of rejects. But still... I'm not asking to climb to the top or anything. I just want a decent life. When an opportunity like that drops into your lap, you'd be a fool not to grab it, right?"
I let out a sigh.
"What kind of help are you offering?"
"We'll take the commission. While we're at it, might as well ask what they want us to do on their end."
Third Generation's voice came through Jewel.
"Well, the main reason is we want the other side to know we're moving. I don't think there's any problem even if they betray us, but still..."
I used the Skills search to check their reactions. Alberno was giving off a blue response. And inside the bar, there was also a group showing red responses.
When I glanced their way, Miranda noticed and followed my gaze.
Alberno spoke.
"There are some adventurers here who are joining one side or the other. Those ones are on Zayin's side. They might sell our information. While we're at it, we'll deal with those kinds of people for you. Doesn't look like any of you are cut out for that."
He wasn't wrong. It really wasn't our forte.
"...What's the pay?"
"Money, status, fame... I'd like to say all of it, but we want whatever's appropriate. Even if we can't enlist with Zayin, anything that other people would recognize—a medal, a title, anything. If we could shed our identities as ex-thieves... that'd be enough."
His expression was dead serious. I nodded.
And then.
"Oh, that reminds me, Alberno."
"What?"
"You know about Zayin's knight order... the elite unit they've got?"
"You mean the ones who do the dirty work? Yeah, I know about them. So what? From where we're standing, they've got it enviable. They may do the dirty jobs, but they're still elites in the knight order."
"Wouldn't you be interested in that elite unit?"
Albano wore an expression that said he simply couldn't understand.
Miranda seemed to grasp what I was thinking. She touched her chin, looked at Albano, and nodded several times.
"Well, this might actually work out. They're like water and oil, though."
That's what she said.
It was two weeks later that Alette came to see me, as I'd been busy making preparations in the meantime.
What Alette brought when she visited the estate was a letter.
I received it in the parlor and looked at Alette's face.
"I'm looking forward to meeting Her Highness the Princess."
When I said that with a smile, Alette wore a somewhat complicated expression.
"Doing your research beforehand and then acting all nonchalant about it... Laiel, you've got quite the personality, don't you?"
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Alette had probably been hoping it wouldn't come to this. But when it came to a meeting with the three cards I was holding — who she already knew about — I figured the princess would agree to see us.
Whether someone had put the idea in her head or not.
Alette looked at me.
"...Just to confirm in advance — if you're not going to come under Rolfis's umbrella, we can't provide support. We can cooperate, but that's all."
I knew that Rolfis didn't have the bandwidth to redirect funds, materials, or manpower.
So I hadn't been counting on them for that.
"That's fine. What we want is for both sides to work well together. I believe it would benefit your interests as well."
Then Alette turned to me.
"This is... just a guess, but I think they're going to ask you to hand over Aura, the former saint candidate. Apparently, there's been movement in that direction."
Seeing Alette mutter with irritation, I nodded.
"Yeah, the prince who's my fiancée is staying here, isn't he? What a nuisance with war so close."
She probably shared my opinion, but Alette didn't agree with me.
"I don't think it'll turn out the way you're imagining, Ryle."
As I kept my smile, a voice came from inside the Jewel.
It was the Seventh Generation's voice.
"Turn out? That's something you seize for yourself. Besides, our preparations have already moved to the next stage. There's no stopping now."
The Fourth Generation as well.
"Stopping here would be a huge blow... Hah."
Ignoring the dispirited Fourth Generation, I spoke to Alette.
"Well, I'll figure something out."
"I see. Still, that maid isn't here today, huh?"
Alette glanced around the room, and I nodded with a smile.
——This was a fortress on the outskirts of Zayin.
It had once been in active use, but now it was only manned by a handful of stationed knights. Even the soldiers had been rounded up from nearby villages, scraping together every able-bodied man they could find.
The fortress had been built because of the border with Rolfis, but now that Rolfis had been pushed back, it had lost its purpose.
Still, nearly fifty personnel were stationed here, and they maintained the fortress purely for upkeep. The reason there were so few people relative to its size was simply that it wasn't important enough.
A sentinel soldier yawned atop the fortress wall. A fellow soldier from the same village.
"Hey, were you gambling late again last night?"
The soldier who'd yawned looked displeased.
"That's the only option, isn't it? Even if we get paid, there's nowhere to spend it. The knights have no motivation. Training is pointless. We should just destroy a fortress like this."
It was no surprise the young soldiers felt that way.
At the now-useless[Neunirl Fortress], demoted knights had no motivation and reeked of alcohol from the morning on.
The soldiers under them, too, had morale that was virtually nonexistent.
"Man, there's supposed to be a war with Rolfis... but it's so peaceful here."
One soldier murmured, gazing into the distance.
"Huh? What's that in the sky... Hey! Isn't that a Kirin?"
"No way! Where? ...It's really flying. And it doesn't even have wings."
The soldiers got excited seeing something rare. The same went for all the soldiers in the fortress. With nothing else to talk about in this boring place, the discovery of a Kirin immediately livened things up.
The hungover knights also came outside, and it didn't take long for them to look up and spot the Kirin.
"A Kirin brings good luck, right? Then maybe something good will happen for us too..."
But then, one of them shouted at the top of his lungs.
"En—Enemy attack! Enemy attack!!"
They hurriedly rang the bell to alert the knights and soldiers in the fortress, but everyone, not even in their armor, rushed out in surprise to look beyond the walls.
There, a large iron box with a round tube attached to its side was moving forward, even though there were no horses.
"Wh-What the hell is that?! Hey, how did it get this close?!"
The hungover knight, now wide awake, grabbed a soldier by the chest. But the knight was dressed only in trousers and a shirt... and had no weapon.
"We—We were distracted by the Kirin..."
Then, another soldier screamed.
"Hey, that thing!"
"No way..."
On top of the metal box stood a girl in a white dress. A cloth covered her face, but wavy brown hair was visible beneath it.
"Could it be the Holy Maiden?"
The fortress soldiers had never seen the real Holy Maiden. After all, even Selma—the former Holy Maiden—they had only glimpsed a handful of times.
The knights, however, could immediately tell this was different. The outfit wasn't the same, but there was a certain presence to her.
That jogged one knight's memory of the rumors.
One of them spoke.
"Could it be... Lady Aura!"
There had been whispers that she had escaped Zayin and was gathering soldiers in Baim to stage an uprising. But even the knights hadn't expected her to come to the borderlands.
"Why would she come to a place like this with nothing here..."
a soldier muttered.
"What do we do! Are we allowed to fire arrows at her!"
Unable to give clear orders to the panicking soldiers, the enormous metal box carrying the Holy Maiden rolled up to the front of the gate. Before the sealed gates, a massive barrel had already been aimed at the center of the entrance.
"What are they planning. Damn it! Everyone, arm up immediately! They're imposters! We'll take them down right here—"
Before the knight could finish his sentence, a violent explosion and shockwave shook the fortress. Several soldiers collapsed on the spot, and smoke was billowing from the area near the gate.
The knight immediately looked outside and saw nearly a hundred people pouring into the fortress. Fully armed soldiers flooded through the breach, and the knight frantically remembered that he was completely unarmed before turning to flee back inside the fortress.
At that moment, a girl stepped down from the box. Her outfit exposed her shoulders, midriff, and thighs, and while her sleeves were loose and flowing, the fabric around her chest and waist was skin-tight.
"Wh-who are you!"
He reached for his hip, but he had left his sword behind. As the girl let out a soft giggle, one of the knights lunged at her with a spear he had snatched from a soldier.
The girl dodged the thrust and immediately followed up with a spinning kick that sent the knight flying.
The kicked knight rolled across the ground and slammed into the wall, losing consciousness.
"S-strong..."
As the knight said that, the enemy was already closing in from the stairs, surrounding everyone who had gathered on top of the wall.
Judging that they were outmatched in both numbers and equipment, the knight—
"...I surrender."
That was what he said. Part of the reasoning was the hope that if this girl truly was the one calling herself the Holy Maiden, Aura, she wouldn't do anything terrible to them.
The girl spoke.
"Hurry up and restrain them. Lady Aura is on her way. After that, I'm sending food-procurement squads out to the surrounding area. Gather the soldiers too. The battle isn't decided until we've finished preparations before the enemy arrives."
Hearing that, the knight felt confirmed in his suspicions.
(Damn it... to lose without even fighting...)
Though restrained, the knight noticed that the people binding him were clumsy in their technique. One by one, soldiers were being disarmed and restrained as the captives were moved along.
On the way down the stairs, a voice called out to a captured enemy soldier.
"Hey, give me a hand over here too."
"No, I have to take this one to the cells..."
The knight said to the conflicted enemy soldier:
"I surrendered. I won't try to escape. Besides, I'm tied up, so I can't run."
At that, the enemy soldier pretended to hesitate, then headed back up the stairs.
The knight grinned to himself, then undid his ropes while still bound and began descending the stairs.
"Amateurs. They've scraped together a bunch of adventurers, but on the other hand, that means they only managed to gather around a hundred. Looks like they're short on supplies too."
Making sure to stay hidden, the knight moved through the fortress and headed for where his horse was tethered.
Then, once the saddle was on and he mounted, he spurred the horse straight for the shattered gate.
The enemy spotted him and shouted something, but the knight ignored them.
(If I bring back this intel, I'll be spared. I'll say I fought the enemy bravely but was defeated... that way, I only managed to bring the information back...)
Riding hard toward the capital of Zayin, the knight galloped away—.