Chapter 79

The battle had ended, and each of the members I chose expressed their gratitude.

Especially Ash, along with his fiancée, thanked me repeatedly. I took their words with a wry smile.

Since the royal guard knew, there was no need to worry about retaliation. After all, the Holy Maiden was with us.

I was told to leave the rest to them, and I returned to the room assigned to me in the palace with Alice.

"What's wrong, Noah?"

The moment I opened the luxurious door, I saw someone who shouldn't have been there. Alice, who had been standing behind me, stepped back and opened the door cautiously.

"Who is it?"

"You must be Alice, Noah's knight. It's nice to meet you. I'm Izu."

I reassured the bewildered Alice that there was no need to be on guard, and I stepped into the room. Izu, who was smiling, was wearing a maid's uniform, not her usual indoor dress. If I wasn't mistaken, it was the same uniform that Ash's fiancée wore, the uniform of the castle's maids.

I wanted to escape reality again, but I explained to Alice, who was looking at me questioningly.

"Ah, she's Izu. Tristan's sister. She lived at the Stern family's mansion but didn't appear in public for some reason. That's why Alice hasn't met her before."

"I see. I'm Alice, nice to meet you. So, why is this duke's daughter here in a maid's uniform?"

Alice asked Izu what I wanted to know. But, well, the question was almost an answer.

"By the order of His Majesty and my brother, I have come to the castle to learn proper etiquette. I will serve as a maid under Noah."

Like Ash's fiancée, it's common for noble daughters to come to the castle to study etiquette. However, I've never heard of a duke's daughter serving as a maid, let alone a maid being assigned to someone who isn't a noble.

"In fact, I've been asked to come to the castle for quite some time, with His Majesty's knowledge."

When a woman of her high status is called to the castle, it's usually for diplomatic purposes or to deepen ties among the nobility.

Even if she came to the castle to learn etiquette, she would still be a lady, and it would be a bit strange for a maid to serve a lady.

Izu cannot attend diplomatic events or parties. However, it seems the king was concerned about her being confined in that mansion for so long.

It's not possible to assign a duke's daughter to just any noble, but if she is assigned to me, who knows her situation, her secret is less likely to be exposed, and security can be ensured.

Yeah, that sounds like something the king would do.

"Um, am I causing trouble...?"

"No, it's just that..."

"I have received an education as a daughter of the Duke's family. I believe I can be of some help with noble customs."

That's true.

No matter what I say, she is here by the king's order. Of course, I would welcome a cute and familiar maid like Izu.

Izu will help me, who is unfamiliar with castle and noble life, many times more than she suggested.

To be precise, a maid from the Stern family has come with Izu to take care of her.

I ended up living a rather luxurious life in one of the best locations in the castle, being taken care of by Alice and the others.

Now, as for the important work, it's progressing smoothly for the time being.

The position of the bearded captain has been taken by the second-in-command, the man I fought with, Watt. From what I saw of his battle with Watt, he doesn't seem as low-class as the bearded one, but I'm not sure yet.

Since he was called the right-hand man, he must know something about the bearded one's misdeeds.

I don't have the time to fully understand everyone, and there's only so much I can do.

What is currently required of the royal guard is not human combat training but monster combat training in preparation for the Dark Age.

The traditional military exercises conducted between the Five Great Nations are outdated for the royal guard.

Until now, soldiers in border regions like the uncle's have been protecting the towns from monsters, while the royal guard has been stationed in the castle to protect the king and fight enemy soldiers.

However, it is said that when the next Dark Age comes, the damage will be on a scale that will force the royal guard to move.

Researchers have been warning about the Dark Age for years, but by the time their voices were heard, the darkness was already imminent.

Even if the border area holds out this time, there will be another Dark Age.

That's where I came in. Not only my skills, but my experience as a guild receptionist is perfect for what the king is looking for.

Moreover, the border area has been getting suspicious recently. It's the Rotus Empire.

One might say that it's a human conflict, but the soldiers are not fighting the empire's soldiers.

The empire is conducting large-scale monster hunts near the border and driving the monsters towards the Albion Kingdom.

While it's the empire doing this, the actual monster hunting is done by hired mercenaries. Considering the damage to the local area, it's impossible to tell them not to hunt the monsters, so the border area between the two countries is tense.

It's more than just a nuisance, so recently, the royal guard has been dispatched as a mediator.

Their role as reinforcements is also expected by the local lords.

However, the royal guard, which only prepares for human combat, is not very useful as reinforcements, to put it bluntly.

Since this is happening in various border areas, an urgent response is needed.

First, I need to burn the status of the remaining royal guards into cards and improve their skills based on the guild's manual.

I also need to revise the training for monster combat, as well as the formation and deployment of each squad.

Since I was somewhat recognized after ousting the bearded one, or perhaps they realized it would be bad to openly defy me, the royal guards are showing a cooperative attitude on the surface.

Today, I am heading to the training ground with Alice to check the status of the soldiers.

"In the knight's order, Eugene and Renji helped me..."

"I'll help if I can."

It's progressing, but there are just too many. Alice is my bodyguard, so she needs to be able to act in an emergency.

I realized again how much the guild members had helped me.

"Noah-senpai~!"

Ah, I'm hearing things. This is Renji's voice. Maybe I'm tired.

"Noah, it's been a while."

This time, it was the voice of Branch Manager Emma.

She was my superior at the Albion branch of the guild.

No, that can't be. She hated formal occasions and nobles, and Eugene said she had quit her job after getting married.

"Noah... Noah!"

"A, ah..."

Alice's voice brought me back to my senses. On the other side of the courtyard, two people emerged from a formation of about ten people.

They were accompanied by a knight, walking down the stone corridor in a solemn atmosphere.

Strangely, the knights surrounding them were in the formal attire of the Rotus Empire. If I wasn't mistaken, it was Branch Manager Emma and Renji.

In other words, they were envoys of the Rotus Empire.

Despite the Albion knight's attempts to stop them, they changed their course and came to me.

Alice casually stood in front of me.

"Why are you two here as envoys of the Rotus Empire?"

The question slipped out of my mouth naturally.

"That's quite a greeting. Well, it's fine. Have you heard that I got married?"

I nodded at Branch Manager Emma's words.

"Yes, from Eugene. Congratulations."

"Thank you," Branch Manager Emma smiled. The Branch Manager, smiling?

I felt a chill down my spine.

"My husband is a viscount of the Rotus Empire. I have changed my name to Emma Cupid. I am now a minor noble of the empire."

Branch Manager Emma, no, Lady Emma Cupid, smiled happily.

"I am here as an envoy of the Rotus Empire. It concerns you."

"That's right! It's a matter that concerns you and Noah-senpai!"

Renji said brightly. Despite the situation, she was smiling as she used to at the guild.

"Do you remember the family I talked about before?"

Yes, I remember. She had a brother she was separated from. I helped her investigate, but we never found out.

"Well, I finally found out who my father is! His name is Lester Ignis."

No, that can't be. The words stuck in my throat.

"My brother is Noah-senpai!"

Renji's innocent smile pierced through me.

Also known as the Festival of Women.

Visually, it's a feast for the eyes and enviable, but this story isn't that simple.

2015/01/12 Revised