LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 36 - Chapter 36: Back to Square One
Chapter 36: Back to Square One
“So, are you going to give it back?”
Inside the carriage sent from the courthouse to take me back to the Third Knights, when I reached out to Constant, he silently handed over my sword and magic bag.
“By the way, was it the Crown Prince who instructed you, or was it the Second Knight Commander?”
Taking the sword I received out of its scabbard and putting on just the belt, I asked. Constant immediately lowered his head.
“…I’m sorry! Even though we falsely accused you and threw you in jail, you protected our honor… Thank you. The orders this time came from the commander, but judging by the Crown Prince’s behavior in court, I think he instructed us.”
“Well, that makes sense. Most of my predictions are likely on point.”
“So, is the story about the saint true?”
As members of the First Knights, they might have been informed, but it seems like the Second Knights were kept in the dark. They are treated as noble squires, not nobles themselves.
“We don’t have confirmation, but we have a strong belief. Think about it; both the priest in court and the witness clearly had ties to the temple. Normally, would the temple need to eliminate the Crown Prince’s fiancée?”
“…No.”
“Right? The only reasons to get rid of a fiancée would be if they wanted to get rid of Diane herself, or if they wanted to pull her down from her position as a fiancée. But Diane hasn’t done anything to harm the temple, despite her contributions as a noblewoman.”
“Indeed… I saw her at the temple for official duties as the Crown Prince’s fiancée, and she seemed to have a good relationship with them two months ago.”
Constant seemed to be retracing his memories, resting his chin on his hand and looking out the window.
“Maybe they received reports of the saint being found afterward. Haven’t you also thought that the recent increase in monster activity is strange? Even though it was unsuccessful, there was an incident in the Taleraan Borderlands. The revival of the Evil God… no, perhaps even before that, the dragon.”
At the mention of the Evil God’s revival, Constant gasped.
“The revival of the Evil God… if a priest heard that, it would be a major event, wouldn’t it!?”
“But you’ve learned in the Royal Academy that the appearance of the saint is because the gods send her to counter the Evil God, right? It’s common knowledge you’ve been taught by private tutors since childhood, even if you’re not a noble.”
“But the saint hasn’t appeared yet.”
“True, but if the saint were to appear while the Crown Prince’s fiancée is still around, and if she were to push aside Diane and take the position of fiancée, wouldn’t that leave a bad impression? It’s easier for the public to accept someone stepping into the vacant fiancée position after something unfortunate happens to the fiancée.”
“But does that mean the temple really…? They are clergy, after all?”
“You… are so pure.”
“What!? Are you making fun of me!?”
Constant’s face turned bright red as he started to get angry. Actually, I wasn’t making fun of him; I just found his purity reminiscent of my younger brothers when they used to believe in Santa Claus.
“Hey, are you trying to frame me again? Being a noble, you come to realize that no matter how clean someone’s surface may seem, there are plenty of people hiding dirty secrets. Even among the clergy…”
“You probably know more about nobility than I do, so you might be aware of things I don’t,” I said, teasing him with a smirk as our conversation grew more relaxed.
“Oh, so you’re not calling me ‘your grace’ anymore?”
He suddenly furrowed his brow when I teased him, perhaps letting his guard down after our long conversation.
“Haha, just kidding. You can call me Justin like old times. Whether it’s the First or the Second, we’ll have to cooperate across barriers if the Evil God appears. It’ll be quite a task to retrain those Third Knights, but I intend to instill proper manners into them… Oh, looks like we’ve arrived.”
As we talked, we arrived at the Third Knights’ barracks, so I quickly got off the carriage. I briefed my subordinates on the situation and headed back to my family estate.
“Sorry about that, you were on your way back to the Vandière Marquisate, right? Take care on your way back… Justin.”
He reverted back to his tone from our academy days. He’s truly a straightforward guy.
“Oh, don’t worry about it. You were just doing your duty. Oh, and could I bring a dish to the prisoners in the dungeon later? If they sincerely repent for their sins, I might even consider feeding them again with a message of encouragement.”
“Well, I suppose that’s okay… Did you suddenly feel sorry for them overnight?”
“It’s not about that… it’s more like a bit of punishment disguised as a meal, to be honest. Anyway, see you later, Constant.”
With that, I hurried into the barracks. I need to let them know I’ve been acquitted as soon as possible, or they’ll be worrying about me being detained. As I entered the barracks’ entrance, my squad members were coming towards me with fearful expressions.
“I’m back.”
“Captain!!”
As they noticed me, they rushed over with surprised faces.
“Today was supposed to be regular training, so why are you all here?”
“Because we were worried, sir! We were about to raid the courthouse to rescue you, of course!”
“Cut it out, don’t decide on your own. Doing something like that would only worsen my reputation.”
I immediately rejected Arnault’s words. I thought he had become a bit more mature recently, but his fundamental nature hasn’t changed at all.
“Anyway, I heard you were detained and had a trial today. Why are you here, Captain?”
“Well, since I was originally framed, it’s obvious that I’ve been acquitted. But well… thanks for worrying about me!”
I ruffled the heads of my subordinates one by one. Despite their complaints about it being rough or hurting, I find their refusal to run away a little bit cute, just a little bit.