Chapter 10

Shiro stood at the entrance of the Third Knights' garrison, which is located near the main gate of the capital city—the North Gate.

Their area of responsibility extends from the surroundings of the capital to the fortresses located to the north and west.

Due to the need to take immediate action in emergencies, the garrison is situated in such a location.

After completing his morning patrol report, Shiro was in the break room on the second floor of the garrison.

"Alright..."

He placed the bento wrapper on the table and leaned back in his chair.

A few knights were in the break room, and those who noticed Shiro raised their hands and greeted him.

At this time, most of the people relaxing in the break room had brought their own bentos.

Shiro raised his hand and returned their greetings. As he did so, someone at the opposite seat reached out.

"Hey, is that a love bento, Shiro? To think it's made by Cecilia, how envious!"

A large, bearded man grinned, showing his white teeth.

"Commander, please don't. It sets a bad example for the other members."

"Ah, you're being considerate. Is it going to rain tomorrow?"

He burst into hearty laughter and began to unwrap his own bento.

The man standing in front of Shiro is Gaius Rosen, the commander of the Third Knights.

Though he looks like a bear, he is of noble birth.

"Damn..."

Without paying attention to Shiro's grumbling, Gaius began to savor his side dishes.

"You won't last long in our unit if you're always so considerate."

"Sure, sure..."

As Shiro drained the water from his cup, he shifted his gaze to a member standing at a distance. The member, who had been listening to their conversation, shrugged, and Shiro shrugged back in response.

The Third Knights, among the knight units that protect the capital, have a large number of knights who were former adventurers.

This is partly due to the fact that many adventurers have unclear backgrounds, and some nobles want to keep them away from the castle. However, it is also because they have extensive combat experience against monsters.

Adventurers earn their living by completing quests from the Guild, an organization that mediates jobs.

The difficulty varies from Rank 1 to 9, and there are various types of quests, many of which involve danger.

High-paying quests such as monster hunts and dungeon explorations are particularly risky, with failure often leading to death.

The Third Knights regularly venture outside the city to monitor the movements of monsters and sometimes need to quickly eliminate them.

Because of this, having members with combat experience is extremely valuable.

For the adventurers, the job of a knight, which offers relatively safe and stable income, is very attractive.

In this context, Gaius Rosen, the commander of the Third Knights, is in the right place.

He treats commoners and adventurers without discrimination and is not a pretentious noble, making him very approachable. The former adventurers in the unit do not feel intimidated.

Furthermore, the atmosphere he creates within the unit fosters a sense of trust and unity, allowing them to rely on each other and work towards a common goal with a sense of fulfillment and achievement.

As a result, the Third Knights are highly popular among the common people, and the citizens often say, "The unity of the Third Knights is like steel; without them, we cannot live in peace."

"...So, what's the matter?"

Whenever Gaius appears in front of Shiro, it's usually for some business.

When Shiro prompted him, Gaius stopped eating and handed him a sealed letter.

Shiro took the letter, checked the address, and frowned.

"This..."

"Deliver this to Rick."

Felix, the Chancellor.

He is the right-hand man of the current king, who was appointed at a young age.

He is also Gaius' childhood friend.

"What's it about?"

"Let me tell you first, Shiro..."

Gaius leaned back in his chair and sighed.

"It seems that recently, some knights have been repeatedly begging for money from commoners, adventurers, and traveling merchants."

"Are they from our unit?"

"Of course not. If there were, I'd have already dealt with them."

Shiro chuckled, knowing Gaius would do just that.

This means that someone from another unit is taking advantage of the vulnerable.

"From the reports, it seems to be the Second Knights..."

Gaius leaned back in his chair, causing it to creak.

The Second Knights are mostly of noble birth.

Due to the good security in the capital, many concerned nobles recommend their relatives to join.

Conversely, some nobles dislike this trend and volunteer for other units.

"Our members have been receiving consultations. We've been investigating secretly..."

A bear-like man conducting a secret investigation.

But don't underestimate him.

Gaius, despite his appearance, is a sharp man.

Moreover, the Third Knights, who have taken on various jobs, are skilled in intelligence gathering.

The fact that Gaius is talking about it means that he has solid evidence that a young member of the Second Knights is the culprit. Bringing it up to Shiro during his break indicates that he doesn't want to make a big deal out of it.

"It seems to be the son of the Earl of Cardy and his cronies."

"Ah, Bucardy."

Though he is a noble, it can be troublesome if the news gets out, but the people here won't tattle.

Moreover, the Earl of Cardy has a poor reputation.

He often opposes the government's decisions and tries to interfere in politics.

There are also persistent rumors of his poor conduct and the presence of unsavory characters in his mansion.

Incidentally, the Cardy faction was also the one that opposed Shiro and Cecilia's marriage and Felix's appointment as Chancellor at a young age.

"Bucardy... Ahem. Bucardy might be up to no good."

Gaius cleared his throat dramatically but couldn't correct himself.

It seems he also dislikes the Cardy family.

Gaius looked at Shiro seriously.

"I want Rick to know about this as soon as possible. Can you do it for me?"

"Sure, but..."

"Great, really!"

Pleased with Shiro's agreement, Gaius resumed his meal.

Shiro watched him and tucked the letter into his pocket.

"If it's just delivering a letter, wouldn't it be faster for the commander to do it?"

"If the commander moves, the other party might become wary."

"Just going to the castle?"

If someone sees them meeting.

Shiro began to understand, and Gaius added:

"Also, Rick is at his mansion today."

"..."

Shiro glared at Gaius, who was still bent over his bento, causing him to shudder.

"Is that the only reason you don't want to go?"

Gaius, who was avoiding Shiro's gaze while shoveling food into his mouth, remained silent.

Noticing that Gaius' ears were red, Shiro sighed deeply.

Eventually, Shiro also began to eat his bento, as if giving up.