“What do you mean….”
It’s nonsense, right? Do you want to die? I wanted to ask that. But the way Bergman looked at me was so gentle and naïve.
“If Princess personally made the masks for the knights, didn’t you definitely prepare these for competition?” He clapped his hands together. “As I’m Princess’s first vassal, I handled the matter right away.”
“Sigh… How to cancel my application?” I asked as calmly as I could.
Right. I can just cancel it. All I had to do was cancel the application itself.
“Cancel? Why are you going to do that?” Then Bergman laughed. “As this is a competition hosted by the Ministry of Magic, you know that once you submit an application, it cannot be canceled.”
I almost missed the mask.
Why? Can’t I cancel it?
Ah, right, it was a Ministry of Magic event.
The three major festivals of the empire are handled by the Imperial family, Temple, and Ministry of Magic. The monster hunting competition was in charge of the Ministry of Magic. It couldn’t be canceled once they received the application.”
“The Minister of Magic liked it so much that he came out himself. How happy they are that the Felicite family is entering!”
Ah, damn it. Let’s be calm. Keep calm. I repeated to myself. Right. It was okay if they wore a mask that covered their faces.
How long until the competition?
One month, just one month left. One month wasn’t a very tight time. I can make their masks and uniforms, get permission from the duke, and even finish gathering Norma. However, if those four people were released into the competition… Isn’t that going to make monsters extinct?
“Bergman.”
“Yes, Princess!”
“How long does it take to match the knights’ uniform?”
“Oh my, are you going to leave their uniforms matter with me as well?”
There was madness in those genius’s eyes.
“The development of new material and fabric is also being completed, so two weeks will be enough.”
As it was the day when the knights became the face of the family, the uniforms they wore were also a huge topic of discussion. From a designer’s perspective, it is bound to be a tremendous honor.
“I’ll prepare perfectly.”
I never thought it would be a problem to do everything well just because he said he was good at it. But anyway, nothing would change even if I grabbed Bergman by the collar now.
“As much as you can.”
I held the table and straightened my back. I was someone who had gone through N lifetimes and had crazy resilience.
“Make it nice and cool.”
I can’t live without it.
“So that other families feel crushed just by looking at our uniforms.”
“C-crushed!”
Bergman’s eyes glistened with an artistic spirit.
* * *
In the meantime, news also came to the duke.
“The Minister of Magic sent a video sphere, saying that Princess’s vassal personally came and submitted a participation form.”
“…That’s it.”
Aeron, Rubel, and the duke were gathered in the office.
“But as you know, we don’t have a separate elite knights corps. Because the duchy already has a private army.”
“I guess I can cancel it only if I meet the minister in person.”
Their expression became perplexed when they heard about the situation. Everyone was at a loss as to what to do.
“Your Grace, I don’t think this is a bad opportunity.”
“What?”
Aeron, who had been quiet, spoke. “I can’t say that the public image of the Felicite family is good because of what has happened so far.”
“…”
“So, how dare I leave the Princess behind?”
Aeron’s eyes glanced at me.
“There were rumors going around.”
It wasn’t wrong. The duchess’s death, the duke’s absence, the terrible rumors about Norma, and the annulling of Siani’s engagement. It was true that we had a gloomy image compared to the Rixon royal family and Benio family, who were both the same Eunomia.
“I think it would be good if we could make this opportunity to rebuild the honor of our Felicite family.”
“My family has never participated in the festival in recent years.”
The duke also nodded his head. As he said, ever since the duchess died, Felicite has rarely participated in tumultuous events.
“Then should we call the knights in the duchy now?”
“No.” This time, I opened my mouth. “As it is a competition to hunt monsters, it’s different from regular hunting. Even if they receive training, it will be difficult.”
“Yes, but…”
“Therefore.” I caught my breath for a moment. “How about sending out the knights under my direct command?”
“Yes? Did the Princess have a knight order directly under your command?”
Rubel and Aeron widened their eyes as if this was their first time hearing this. But the duke seemed to understand what I meant.
“Norma.”
“…Gasp!”
“Yes, yes? Norma?”
“Would I have received the key to the underground castle from my father without thinking?”
“T-that means.”
“I decided to gather the four most outstanding Norma and make them my personal knights.”
It’s better. If I nailed it like this in front of the vassals, the duke would have no choice.
“But the Norma has never been revealed to the world. If they go to a large-scale festival like this…”
“They’re going to put a mask on. Then they will be so-called faceless knights.”
“Even so, who on earth commands those Norma?”
“Who?” I stared at Aeron, who was asking me a question with a mesmerized look on his face.
“They’re the knights under my direct command.” So, of course, I should do it.
“O-oh my gosh.”
“Princess! Even the knights older than you are giving up the competition when it comes to Norma.”
He seemed surprised at how fearless I was.
“I have already entrusted Bergman with the masks and uniforms for the knights to wear. I will proceed with the remaining work as soon as Father allows it.”
If people repeated being alive and dead hundreds of times, it was bound that their fear would disappear.
“They have abilities beyond the limits of ordinary people, so if they just get used to the hunting laws… It won’t be difficult.”
Winning was given. Since only the main characters from the original work were collected in the first place, there was no way it wouldn’t happen.
“We must have to win something like this.”
“…”
“This is the first elite knights corps presented by the Felicite family, so we deserve that level of honor.”
There was a heavy silence. It looks like I’m too immersed in it again. I only realized it when I looked at their dumbfounded faces. I just saw a flashback of myself when I was General Olivia.
The duke’s expression as he rested on his forehead on the sofa didn’t look good. From my point of view, I had missed the fact that it was an unpleasant matter for him.
“So, Father, I mean…”
“Ahahaha!”
But then.
“As expected, Felicite’s blood is different.”
What is it?
“As expected, my blood is different!”
Suddenly, the Duke Felicite burst into a hearty laugh.
“Who do you think I am?” The Duke’s eyes, leaning on his back with his legs crossed, were overflowing with ease. The red insignia waving behind him was majestic.
“Now I’m stuck in the office because of that damn old man, but I was once a soldier who roamed the battlefield.”
My words seemed to stir up his forgotten memories and emotions.
“Yes. We must win.”
“Y-Your Grace.”
“That’s how the Felicite family is. At last, I see the images of my youth overlapping with you.”
This is obviously the office. However, the solemn sandstorm of the battlefield seemed to be whistling.
“This is what Romeo Felicite, commander-in-chief of the imperial army, and his daughter are like.”
“It’s been a long time since Your Grace has been immersed in it.”
Rubel, his long-time subordinate, seemed to be happy to see the duke like that.
“…Your Grace.”
However, Aeron couldn’t keep up with the heat and only blinked.
“People like us aren’t scared of anything.”
In the meantime, I smiled. “Right, Father?”
Before I knew it, I had become the daughter who had taken after her father. Moreover, it’s Romeo Felicite.
* * *
“What?”
The sudden news intertwined the eyes of the emperor and Kailus.
“That’s surprising. I never thought the Felicite family would attend the monster hunting competition.”
“Did the Felicite family even have an elite knight corps?”
“Well.”
At that time, the Minister of Magic’s voice was heard from the floating video sphere.
{To be exact, it was said to be a knight order directly under Princess Felicite.}
“…Knights directly under the princess?”
{Your Majesty! Don’t you think his monster-hunting competition will be very fun? My heart is already racing!}
Since the three major festivals were organized by the Imperial family, Temple, and Ministry of Magic, they were directly related to the pride of each. But for the Felicite family participating in the monster hunting competition?
Ahahaha said the Minister of Magic. The sound of his laughter was already unusual.
{This time, the preparation for the monsters—}
But soon, the sound snapped.
“That’s frivolous.”
It was because the video sphere was thrown out the window due to a glance from Kailus. He hated noise very, very much.
“Hmm.”
The emperor didn’t pay much attention, as if it was a familiar occurrence.
Instead, he muttered thoughtfully. “If Duke Felicite allows it, then the level of the knights is not average.”
Duke Felicite was a man who never fought a losing battle. Moreover, since it’s the first knight order to come out under the name of his family…
Knights order directly under the princess. If it hadn’t caught the duke’s eyes, he wouldn’t have even given permission.
“Well, that’s good.”
The emperor laughed as if he were having fun.
“I was wondering under what pretext I should invite the princess to the imperial palace…”
It was clear that there would be all kinds of speculation and talk if the princess was invited to the imperial palace. Since it was an important negotiation, he was worried about the security.
“It would be perfect since the monster hunting competition will be held in the imperial arena.”
Also, he was looking forward to seeing what the elite knights gathered by Sian would be like.
“Moreover… it’s that princess.”
Then Kailus opened his mouth. “Does that mean you’re going to attend it?” Cold air flowed from the strange color of his eyes.
“I guess so. It will be quite fun, so why don’t you attend this time too?” The emperor joked.
Kailus hated most were people and noise. For him to attend a monster hunting competition full of people gathering and shouting? It was a story that would have made the late emperor laugh. However,
“I will attend.”
“Huh? What?” The emperor couldn’t believe his ears.
“I personally…” Kailus muttered quietly. “Have to see the princess.”
