Chapter 22
“Damn it! Everywhere I go, it’s Crises Count this, Crises Count that! I wish I could stop hearing that name.”
His eyes, resembling the cloudy winter sky, grew colder with hatred.
The mercenary king Laszlo had appeared unexpectedly, like a sudden summer shower.
When he not only achieved great military feats and received a countship but also snatched the position of the youngest Captain of the Imperial Guard, it all seemed like a nightmare to Edmund. Everything he had been aiming for was taken away so effortlessly.
‘The Emperor is trying to keep the nobles in check. Otherwise, how could he have given such a position to a ruffian like him?’
Edmund gritted his teeth.
Every move of Emperor Dimarcus had a purpose. He had never seen anyone act with such meticulous calculation.
So, favoring Laszlo was also a message to the nobles: ‘If you make a wrong move, I can take your position away just like this,’ a very dangerous and challenging message.
‘Even so, it’s too much. This way, it will only provoke the nobles. I can understand why the Duke of Lancaster attempted to secede.’
Edmund, nostalgic for the times when the power of the nobles exceeded that of the imperial family, headed toward the knights’ building. He planned to change out of his sweaty clothes and leave the palace.
But there, too, the talk was all about Laszlo.
“The Captain of the Guard, that workaholic, seems to be leaving early these days, don’t you think?”
“Hehe. Why do you think that is? He’s got a honey pot hidden at home.”
“A honey pot? What do you mean?”
A senior knight made a suggestive gesture with his little finger, grinning lewdly.
“Remember, he was given Edel Lancaster. Don’t you recall?”
At this, the other knights chimed in, laughing.
“Wow, I was really curious who would end up with that woman, but even she was taken by Count Crises!”
“If it were me, I’d strip her naked and keep her in bed, never letting her leave.”
“Ugh, just imagining it makes me ache down there.”
The knights’ conversation quickly devolved into lewd talk.
Edel’s beauty had shone through despite being dragged roughly from the duchy for two weeks.
At the victory banquet, even though all the women were draped in dazzling dresses and jewelry, none were as beautiful as the solemn yet dignified Edel.
“Honestly, it was a waste for her to be sold to that old Duke of Lancaster. It was a loss to humanity.”
“But rumor has it, the Duke never touched her. He had an old mistress, remember? She was so spiteful that the Duke and Edel never even shared a room.”
“It seems that whether you’re a duke or one of us, living under the thumb of your wife is the same, huh? Hahaha!”
“Wait a minute. Does that mean Edel Lancaster is still a virgin?”
“Wow! Count Crises hit the jackpot! I’d be happy just to see her up close.”
Listening to their conversation while changing his clothes, Edmund found their vulgar thoughts revolting but also thought of a good idea and smiled.
“If you’re that curious, why don’t you ask Count Crises to invite you over?”
The knights’ eyes turned to Edmund, surprised at his sudden involvement in the conversation.
They had avoided bringing him into such a topic, thinking he would be uncomfortable, but his unexpected participation caught them off guard.
“H-How could we do that? Asking if we can come over because we’re curious about the woman he was given?”
Someone’s response brought another round of raucous laughter.
‘Idiots. With brains like that, no wonder they’re just foot soldiers.’
Suppressing his urge to click his tongue in front of them, Edmund smiled again.
“Is there a need to say it like that? The Imperial Guard and the Royal Knights work together and even went on the rebellion suppression together. Count Crises isn’t unaware of you all. Just politely ask if he can teach you a thing or two in private.”
“Ooh! As expected of Sir Milton!”
“Smart people are different!”
The knights applauded Edmund’s idea, praising it.
Even in the midst of this, Edmund didn’t forget to leave an escape route.
“Just to clarify, the main reason is to learn from Count Crises, not just to see the woman. Learn from him and pass it on to your comrades.”
Only then did they understand, nodding in admiration. Although the Imperial Guard and the Royal Knights cooperated, there was a competitive spirit among their commanders.
Seeing Edmund encourage them to learn from such a rival showed an uncharacteristic detachment for his age. Though the knights were more interested in the woman than learning.
“Should we really give it a try?”
“Yes! What do we have to lose? Besides, the mansion given by the Emperor must be spectacular. Let’s at least go see it.”
Some of the knights, driven more by their lower brains, started planning in earnest, and Edmund slyly offered advice.
“Remember, the official reason is a sparring session. I’ve heard the training grounds at Count Crises’ mansion are spacious and well-equipped.”
“Oooh! Okay, let’s approach it like this…”
They huddled together, conspiring before finally running off toward the Imperial Guard building.
* * *
Laszlo was also finishing his training with the Imperial Guard and changing in his office.
Even in winter, after more than three hours of training, he was drenched in sweat. Thus, his locker always had clean towels and a change of clothes ready.
As he changed in his usually quiet office, he noticed an unfamiliar presence outside.
‘Hmm… Is someone out there?’
The sound of hesitant footsteps outside his office caught his attention, making him alert, but he soon relaxed and continued changing.
‘If it were an assassin, they wouldn’t be this sloppy.’
As he nonchalantly buttoned his cuffs, the group finally knocked on his door.
“This is Terry Bogard, Angelo Valen, and Joseph Oz from the Royal Knights. We request an audience with the Captain of the Guard.”
“Enter.”
Laszlo was curious why members of the Royal Knights had come to the Imperial Guard building but did not immediately turn his attention to them. He finished fastening the last button on his cuff before finally looking at the men who had sought him out.
“Unfamiliar faces.”
His voice, neither arrogant nor dismissive, nonetheless made them want to step back.
The knights, who had come with a casual attitude, suddenly felt like they had walked into a lion’s den.
But shamelessness was their strong suit.
“We haven’t yet proven ourselves to be noteworthy, sir. Apologies.”
“Spare me the flattery. What’s your business?”
“Well… this may seem like a sudden and presumptuous request, but… the Imperial Guard and the Royal Knights are allies, aren’t they?”
Laszlo’s brow twitched slightly.
From his experience, such roundabout introductions often meant something was being hidden.
“Terry Bogard, speak plainly about what you want.”
Noticing the warning in Laszlo’s tone, Terry gave an awkward smile and said,
“May we have the honor of training at Count Crises’ estate?”
“…”
Laszlo revised one thought. The preamble was indeed straightforward.
“That is… certainly a sudden request.”
“Ah, haha! Even as I say it, I feel a bit embarrassed. I know it’s an imposition on your busy schedule, Captain. Feel free to decline.”
This piqued Laszlo’s curiosity.
“And yet, you came to ask. Why?”
“We want to become stronger. Training at the palace is standard, and after repeated drills with the same comrades, we become too familiar with each other and complacent.”
At that moment, Angelo chimed in.
“We thought about how to become stronger. If possible, we wanted to train at least once under someone extremely strong who could objectively evaluate us.”
“Thus, we thought of Count Crises. Your reputation as the youngest Captain of the Guard, training without personal bias, precedes you.”
Joseph joined in, explaining their situation in detail, and Terry wrapped it up.
“We debated a lot before coming here, knowing this request mainly benefits us. But an acquaintance in the Guard said you always welcome knights eager to improve…”
Having heard enough, Laszlo nodded slightly, though reluctantly.
What Terry had heard was not false.
Immediately after being appointed Captain of the Guard, there was an uproar. The Guard, composed of the elite of the elite, had a commander who was an ex-mercenary. It was a lot for them to accept.
‘Even selecting the cream of the crop among knights wouldn’t be without issues.’
But the Emperor had no intention of retracting his decision, leaving Laszlo to tame the Guard on his own.
