It’s been five years since I inherited the position of Commander of the Emblem Knights from my mother.
Just as people had forgotten that my mother was the ‘temporary’ Duke of Emblem, they had also forgotten that I was merely the ‘temporary’ commander of the Emblem Knights.
‘Temporary?’ Dame Cherrya is the rightful Commander of the Emblem Knights, isn’t she? Could it be that Lord Melsia still hasn’t given her approval? But wasn’t it Lord Melsia who appointed Dame Cherrya as the commander in the first place? Could this be an act of humility on Dame Cherrya’s part, thinking she is unworthy of leading the Emblem?
‘Oh, enough! Yes, I am the commander. Satisfied?’
Eventually, I stopped including the term ‘temporary’ when introducing myself.
Over the years, I led the Emblem Knights with a sense of responsibility. What I initially thought was a burden turned out to suit me quite well.
The newspapers and social magazines of the Lutinas Empire gave the following evaluations of the Emblem under my leadership:
[The Emblem Knights led by Dame Cherrya Emblem have taken on a distinctly different style from those led by Lord Melsia Emblem in the past.
While Lord Melsia’s knights wielded heavy and destructive swordsmanship, Lady Cherrya’s knights are akin to solar storms and fiery dances.
Those who have witnessed their techniques up close will never forget the sight.
With leaps that pierce the ground and leave red trails like flaming arrows, Dame Cherrya’s dazzling swordplay is followed by the spectacular maneuvers of the Emblem Knights. It’s easy to see why the title ‘Knights of Passion’ always precedes the name Emblem.]
Whenever the Emblem Knights made their appearance, all eyes were on us.
Some looked with admiration, others with envy and jealousy, and yet others as if witnessing salvation. By simply instilling the image of us protecting the Empire with overwhelming strength, crime rates dropped, and people sought justice.
This drove us to work even harder, but it also brought us to our limits.
‘An adjutant… I need an adjutant!’
Initially, because of my ‘temporary’ title, I didn’t feel the need for an adjutant or understand their importance.
When my mother looked worried and insisted that an adjutant was essential despite my reluctance to have a ‘bothersome sidekick,’ I finally realized why—but only too late.
By the time I understood, the opportunity had passed.
My mother’s adjutant, Lawrence, was still faithfully by her side. However, other senior knights were either awkward to work with as my adjutants or simply didn’t align well with me.
As for my peers—Lucas, Jack, and the others—they weren’t exactly reliable enough to entrust with such a critical role.
The same went for the junior knights, who were still wet behind the ears due to my early ascension to Commander of the Emblem Knights.
“Finally, I’m getting an adjutant!”
I had waited five years, hoping for an adjutant like rain on parched land. During that time, I came to painfully understand the importance of the role, so I searched across the entire empire for potential candidates.
Among them, one stood out as the strongest contender and my personal favorite—a recent graduate of the Continental Academy.
“But, Commander, does it really have to be that person? There are plenty of other applicants.”
“No, it must be Kane.”
Kane—a commoner without even a family name—was a genius who outshone all the nobles and earned the top spot in his class.
Although the Continental Academy primarily admitted nobles, a few exceptionally talented commoners could gain entry with sponsorships.
These commoners were just as exceptional as their aristocratic peers, but Kane was in a league of his own.
Not only had he rejected noble sponsorships, but he also became a mercenary to gain practical experience and earn enough to pay the Academy’s exorbitant tuition fees.
Later, he funded his education through scholarships awarded to the top student in every subject.
“If he advanced early, he’d have to compete with Enoch Gray and wouldn’t take the top spot, so he decided to graduate instead. That audacity really suits the Emblem, doesn’t it?”
Kane’s decision to graduate early rather than compete with Enoch Gray, a legendary prodigy who had never relinquished the top rank and even advised professors, made perfect sense.
I admired how Kane acknowledged his limitations, not with despair, but with a determination to find a new breakthrough.
“Do you know how many families are vying for Kane’s talents? There’s even betting going on at the Academy about which family or country he’ll join!”
“How do you know that?”
“I have friends at the Academy.”
“Ah, that friend of yours?”*
“Yes.”
Thinking of my only friend, Olivia Balmore, brought a smile to my face.
“Rumor has it that Olivia is still furious with you, Commander. Doesn’t she still send you angry letters full of curses?”
Jack teased, I shrugged.
“Well, what can Olivia do? Who could’ve predicted I’d become Commander of the Emblem Knights when she was drafting her application for the Academy?”
Olivia Balmore, my poor, dear friend.
I, too, had once planned to join the Continental Academy alongside Enoch Gray.
However, circumstances prevented me from enrolling, leaving Olivia to enter the Academy alone after taking the entrance exam with me.
Unintentionally, I had left her behind, and she hadn’t forgiven me.
To this day, Olivia sends me letters full of complaints and resentment—though she always includes the Academy gossip and updates about Enoch Gray, which I’m curious about.
“Still, Olivia likes me.”
“What exactly does Miss Bloodmore like about the Commander?”
“My face?”
Jack let out a deep sigh and shook his head.
“Well, yes, the Commander’s face is undeniably attractive. But do you think Kane would join the Emblem Knights just because of your looks?”
“Among all the knight orders on the continent, where would you find one as strong as the Emblem? If he’s a knight, of course he’d aspire to join us.”
I shrugged my shoulders and spoke with pride, my nose held high. The Gray Knights, which could have rivaled the Emblem, had been dormant for the past five years.
Occasionally tied to rumors involving the second prince, their absence of a commander had greatly impacted them.
This gave me confidence—there was no knight order that could rival the Emblem, not even the Gray Knights.
“Hmm…”
Jack narrowed his eyes, his expression suggesting he knew something. His look left me uneasy.
“Why? What is it?”
“Commander, you’re missing something here.”
“What am I missing?”*
“Why is Kane graduating early?”
“Because if he advances to the next grade, he’d have to compete with Enoch Gray and wouldn’t be able to maintain the top spot, so he prepared for early graduation exams instead.”
“He could have avoided Enoch Gray by not advancing grades and staying in a different class year altogether.”
“…Then maybe he just wanted to graduate quickly?”
I blinked in confusion, unable to grasp what Jack was implying. He shook his head.
“Commander, isn’t your Academy friend not the only one there?”
“What other friend do I have…? Wait, you don’t mean Enoch Gray?”
“Yes, him.”
“What about him?”
“Did it ever occur to you that Kane might be preparing for early graduation just so he can graduate alongside Enoch Gray?”
It hadn’t. Jack’s words left my mouth hanging open.
“That talented recruit probably spent his entire Academy life lingering in front of Enoch Gray. Aren’t you worried about that?”
Jack’s incredulous tone sent chills down my spine, and I bolted without thinking.
“Ahhh, I forgot!”
It was my mistake. This wasn’t just a matter of leaving the fish to the cat—it was like shoving fish into a store full of cats.
“My adjutant!”
This was a crisis. As always, it was all because of that damned Enoch Gray.
