The Northern Mad Dog Is Wagging Its Tail

  Britia was contemplating biting Sig’s tail, and in the meeting room of Altheim, a serious discussion was taking place.

 

  “I’m going back.”

 

  The deputy commander of the Northern Knight Order furrowed his brow and blurted out.

 

  “After all the hard work in Altheim while you were fooling around in the capital, I thought you’d come back quickly. What’s all this about?”

 

  “What hard work? I heard you enjoyed your freedom as if it were your own world, with Lord Duke not being around.”

 

  Evry scoffed at the deputy commander’s complaint. In response, the deputy commander glanced at him and silenced him with his gaze.

 

  “So, Lord Duke wants to sweep the South aside and give that land to Lockhart, right?”

 

  “Yes.”

 

  Upon hearing Sig’s response, the deputy commander let out a loud sigh that could be heard outside the meeting room.

 

  He tapped his fingers on the desk and fell into deep thought.

 

  “Although it’s just a presumption, let’s put it aside for now.”

 

  The deputy commander let out a heavy sigh.

 

  “For now, the South is too far away. If the Alanidino guys attack, it won’t be easy to come back to Altheim.”

 

  When we return, there might be the red flags of Alanidino flying over the walls of Altheim.

 

  “We’ll leave half of our forces in the North.”

 

  “No, we’ll divide the South in half, right?”

 

  The deputy commander chuckled before nodding his head.

 

  “I’m sure you have confidence. You trust us, right? Yes, understood. Thank you more than we deserve for always saying that.”

 

  Despite his snappy attitude, Sig’s face remained calm.

 

  “We’ll push them back to the Taraf border. Then things should calm down for a while.”

 

  Sig had no intention of changing his mind.

 

  “Because of my stubbornness, you really want to go back.”

 

  Rubbing his forehead with his hand, the deputy commander muttered.

 

  “Even if it’s not Alanidino, there may be others aiming for Altheim. There’s no guarantee that the Robley Alliance is limited to the South.”

 

  He tried to persuade Sig in any way he could.

 

  “Aren’t you just reluctant to leave Altheim, deputy commander?”

 

  Evry interjected, pointing out the fact. The deputy commander enjoyed the liquor from different regions, but he was a man who didn’t like going on trips somewhere. So, it was Evry’s responsibility to accompany Sig to the capital every time.

 

  The deputy commander glanced at Evry and motioned for him to be quiet.

 

  “And now they say the South is in harvest season. Just imagine taking us away from our busy work and turning it into a mess. I would absolutely love that.”

 

  He probably cursed at those darned folks from the North. Well, it didn’t matter much. After all, they would eventually return to the North, no matter how much the people in the South made a fuss.

 

  But what about Lockhart?

 

  “Throwing Lockhart into a boiling pit of dissatisfaction and leaving without a care.”

 

  A stone thrown at someone far away would hit someone nearby.

 

  “If Lockhart is willing to put up with that, fine. I heard that Lord Duke doesn’t even know about these thoughts, but it’s just my luck to get hit by the stone.”

 

  Sig’s expression, which had been listening to the deputy commander’s words with a sense of unease, changed slightly uncomfortably.

 

  “If I were a person from Lockhart, I would think I wouldn’t have to deal with such trouble.”

 

  The deputy commander raised his voice to make him even more uncomfortable.

 

  “And we don’t have a strong reason to intervene, do we?”

 

  “Our reason is weak?”

 

  Evry asked with a puzzled expression.

 

  “Lady Britia almost got kidnapped by Huate!”

 

  “Yeah, it was Huate, not Robley.”

 

  “But Robley…!”

 

  “Robley got all the money back and made the contract public, which is dirty and disgraceful. However, they didn’t break the contract.”

 

  Evry couldn’t come up with a counterargument. The deputy commander’s words weren’t entirely wrong.

 

  But still, yeah. I’m not just a rookie knight.

 

  Even though he had been a knight for several years, Evry felt a rebellious spirit in the way the deputy commander looked at him as if he were a young child. Despite the passage of time, he still treated Every like his supervised knight.

 

  Feeling frustrated, Evry glanced at him, but the deputy commander ignored that gaze and continued speaking.

 

  “I can guarantee that the orders came from Duke Camelot himself, and they will take advantage of spreading rumors to instigate noble families to oppose the Crown Prince and the North.”

 

  Without even looking, the deputy commander was convinced that they would try to turn the situation against Lord Duke. It was obvious.

 

  “Especially since Robley showed signs of turning towards Duke Camelot. It’s too easy to disguise their intentions.”

 

  If there’s even a hint of suspicion, people will bark like mad dogs.

 

  Thinking that way, not only the neutral faction but even those who were on the Crown Prince’s side could feel the crisis and align themselves with the other side.

 

  “Your Grace wants to be a support for Lord Duke, not anyone else, right?”

 

  The deputy commander squinted his eyes and stared at Sig.

 

  “All the trouble we’re going through will ultimately be of no help to Lockhart or Your Grace. No one will be happy. Instead, they’ll be miserable.”

 

  Sig felt resentful as the deputy commander thoroughly denied what he thought was a good idea.

 

  “So, are you saying we should just stand by and watch her call Harty by his name instead of calling me with my real name?”

 

  Harty? Who is Harty and why is he speaking with such hostility?

 

  In response to the sudden mention of Harty, the deputy commander looked at Evry and asked him to explain.

 

 “Harty Slanford is Your Grace’s adversary. Since the lady doesn’t seek help from Your Grace but has been receiving help from Harty, he has been acting this way.”

 

  Evry whispered to the deputy commander’s ear. In response, the deputy commander let out an “Ah” as if understanding.

 

  He wondered why such a bold and ignorant mindset of wanting to wipe out the South had emerged. Was it because of a competitive spirit?

 

  “If that’s the problem, then we have to do something about it.”

 

  The deputy commander closed his eyes and rhythmically tapped the table with his index finger.

 

  “What…?”

 

  Evry was about to ask what he meant, but the deputy commander raised his index finger to stop him.

 

  “I’m thinking. Do you think I can just wave a wand and come up with a clever solution?”

 

  He scolded Evry to wait. Then, as his moving finger abruptly stopped, he chuckled.

 

  “Your Grace, earlier you said you wanted to push them out, including Taraf, right?”

 

  Taraf was the name of a kingdom that was destroyed by the empire two hundred years ago. It was a land so filled with darkness and evil energy that it couldn’t be purified even with divine powers. It was abandoned, with no owner or country left.

 

  Who would dare to step foot in a place where not a single blade of grass grew on the vast plains and both livestock and people suffered?

 

  However, there had been recent reports that the area around Taraf had become overgrown with dense vegetation. Two hundred years was enough time for nature to cleanse itself and still have some left.

 

  “If you want to give them land, what about Taraf?”

 

  “We’ll have to confirm if it’s completely purified, but it might not be a bad idea.”

 

  It wasn’t comparable to the South, but being in the southwest, it would be somewhat warmer. Evry agreed that the deputy commander’s suggestion seemed quite reasonable.

 

..”If Lockhart settles there, it would be good for us and also for Lady Britia.”

 

  “Why Lady Britia?”

 

  “She’s there all alone without knowing anyone. Which woman would like to live in the North, where she has no one but her husband? It would be better if she had family within reachable distance.”

 

  Because of the teasing remark that guys who don’t get married are no good, Evry closed his mouth in surprise.

 

  “Britia doesn’t have a husband.”

 

  Sig, who had been lost in thought without saying a word, suddenly spoke up.

 

  “Will she get one soon?”

 

  “She will get one soon?”

 

  The deputy commander said mockingly, but anger crept into Sig’s voice.

 

  “Who said that?”

 

  Evry hesitated, looking around cautiously at Sig’s angry question. She didn’t hear the exact words “I’m getting married.”

 

  But Britia definitely said it. She said, “Take care of the North,” and even hugged Sig and said those words.

 

  Was it a secret when she said it in front of everyone?

 

  “I’m sorry. I thoughtlessly conveyed the words.”

 

  Evry apologized, but Sig’s anger didn’t subside.

 

  “Who exactly did she say she’s marrying? And why did she tell you that Britia is getting married soon?”

 

  Sig’s face turned grim, saying that he hadn’t heard anything.

 

  Why would he ask who she’s marrying when he’s the one she’s marrying?

 

  The deputy commander, whether it’s the South or Taraf, thought that a proper confirmation was needed.

 

  “Your Grace, let’s ask directly. Are you planning to marry Lady Lockhart?”

 

  “Me and her?”

 

  Sig was shocked as if asking what nonsense he was hearing.

 

  “I want to be her loyal dog, not her husband. I don’t want to get married.”

 

  The conference room fell silent for a moment.

 

  “But she doesn’t rely on me at all. Maybe she thinks I’m not as impressive as Slanford.”

 

  Sig expressed his genuine disappointment.

 

  “Wait, wait, Your Grace. My head hurts so much right now…”

 

  At the mention of wanting to be a dog, the deputy commander held his head, which was throbbing, and raised his hand.

 

  “Let’s hear the reason why you want to be her dog.”

 

  The two of them were in such a good mood. If only Evry hadn’t said those words, he honestly didn’t believe it. He was too excited.

 

  But he didn’t doubt for a moment that even Robert and Sude, the squires, believed that Alteim’s host would come soon.

 

  But what about himself? A dog?

 

  The deputy commander felt sad because he already had a feeling of why this difference had occurred. That man had often surprised those around him with unexpected thoughts.

 

  “Like Little relies on me, I want to stay by her side too.”

 

  As Sig spoke, the deputy commander crossed his arms and leaned back against the back of his chair.

 

  “Little doesn’t get mad even if you get married, Your Grace. Having someone who gives her treats would make her happy, right?”

 

  “That’s, yeah.”

 

  Sig blinked his eyes slowly at the matter he had never considered before. What he said was true.

 

  “Would you be happy if Lady Britia threw you a bone with meat on it?”

 

  “No.”

 

  “If she said she’s marrying anford, would you genuinely be happy and congratulate her?”

 

  Fire sparked in Sig’s eyes.

 

  “Your Grace, I’ll ask again. Please think carefully and answer. What do you want from that lady?”

 

  Veins bulged on the forehead of the deputy commander with his arms crossed. He tried his best to be patient.

 

  What he wanted.

 

  Sig wanted to hold her hand. He wanted her to respond with “Sig” when he called her name. And what else?

 

  Ah, when she gently kissed his forehead, he couldn’t tell whether it was reality or a dream. He felt so elated that he wouldn’t mind not becoming a dog.

 

 If she kissed his forehead again, no, next time, if he kissed her forehead, cheek, or lips…

 

  Sig stopped his thoughts abruptly, surprised by what he had just imagined. He had always planned to do those things with someone he loved. He had never thought of doing them with Little before. So…

 

  “I didn’t actually want to be Little…”

 

  “I guess I’m going back because of this person.”

 

  The deputy commander was speechless at Sig’s realization, as if he had just woken up to it.

 

  “That’s good to know. It’s fortunate that you realized it now, before saying such nonsense about wanting to be her dog.”

 

  It was fortunate for Sig, but the deputy   commander suddenly became worried about that girl.

 

  Would it be okay for her to marry such a fool?

 

  “I already told her that I wanted to be her dog, but she rejected me. She said she didn’t like that.”

 

  Sig spoke bitterly, expressing the truth.

 

  “Well, then it’s hopeless.”

 

  It was already over, nothing could be done about it. He had revealed his foolishness and even faced rejection.

 

  The deputy commander was confident that Sig didn’t understand that the rejection was simply because she didn’t like it.

 

  “It’s hopeless?”

 

  “Yes, give up.”

 

  The deputy commander was surprised by Sig’s reaction to the notion of hopelessness. Did he actually think there was a chance?

 

  “Do you think there’s a chance?”

 

    “Whether she marries ‘Harty’ or some idiot, it doesn’t matter, let’s just go back to Lord Duke. Let go of the southern affairs too.”

 

  “…I can’t.”

 

  Sig glared at the deputy commander as if he would kill him, seemingly angered by the idea of giving up.

 

  “I can’t give up.”

 

  He emphasized it twice, tightly clenching his fist. The deputy commander looked at Sig’s eyes, burning with jealousy, and took a step back. It seemed like there was actual steam rising from Sig’s forehead.