The Emperor and the Knightess

Lucius the First and his army made its way to the north smoothly. They passed the southern and mid-continent easily and finally reached the Koemong River.

The biggest river in the northern continent, it was just as magnificent as before, but to the Acreian men, it didn’t look the same. It was because they saw an even bigger river in the southern region.

The Gora River, the biggest river on the continent that was made of Pesi and Goga Rivers. After 10 years of seeing the rest of the world, the Acreian army was no longer impressed or scared by the Koemong River. In fact, when they faced this water again, they felt embarrassed because they remembered how long and how much work it took them to cross this small river.

Now, there was a sturdy stone bridge across the Koemong River. It was completed a few years ago by Duke Luzo. This was the first time the emperor saw this, and he was pleased with the result.

His servant explained to him, “People call it the Emperor’s Bridge, your highness.”

“People are so silly. They put my name on everything they can think of.”

The liquor the emperor enjoyed was called the Emperor’s Drink. The cliff the emperor climbed was called the Emperor’s Cliff. The bathhouse the emperor used was called the Emperor’s Bath, and the path the emperor took to return home was called the Emperor’s Road.

The people loved the very first emperor of the continent. Anything they could name, they named it after him. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the continent was called the Emperor’s Land.

Lucius the First changed the name of the bridge into something that made more sense, the Koemong Bridge. Many complained that the new name was too simple.

The bridge was well built, and it held strong even when the entire army crossed it. The local man reported that thanks to the bridge, there had been a significant increase in the interaction between the kingdoms.

Crossing the river with a boat had apparently lessened and the supply chain had become more active. This improvement was of course considered to be one of the countless deeds by the kind emperor.

The people of Aehas and Kukda welcomed Lucius the First with open arms. Instead of going straight to Acreia, the emperor decided to stop by in both Aehas and Kukda. After leaving Kukda, they were on their way to Aehas when Poliana realized that they were going to pass by her hometown, Cranbell. The village of Cranbell wasn’t close to the capital of Aehas, but it was on the way. This meant that there was no need to stop by and stay overnight in Cranbell.

It may have been her home before, but how she felt about Cranbell wasn’t all good. She did want to report to someone in Cranbell, however, so she requested some time off from Lucius the First.

The emperor granted her a vacation, but he told her that there was no need for her to take a time off just to visit her place. If she wanted to spend some time in her hometown, he and his men could have Cranbell as their stopover.

Poliana was against that idea.

“We cannot have you stay in the castle of Cranbell. It is more like a mansion and it is not fit for an emperor.”

“It’s fine, Sir Pol. I have slept outside before, so your old home should be more than adequate.”

“But that was when we were in the middle of a war.”

Now, the war was over, and they were on their way back to Acreia. Poliana insisted that the emperor shouldn’t stay in Cranbell, but Lucius the First refused to change his mind.

“It can’t be because you want to see your family…”

“I want to see my old teacher, your highness.”

“Hmm… So, Cranbell is your home…”

After conquering Aehas, Lucius the First got rid of most of the nobles of their titles and lands because they aggressively resisted his rule. The titles and lands were given to others, including knights and low-ranking aristocrats.

In any other circumstances, Poliana would have inherited Cranbell and the family title. The land belonged to her by her right, so Lucius the First announced, “It’s not much, but you should take it.”

“Well… It really isn’t much of a land, but… I suppose. Thank you, your highness.”

Poliana already owned an extravagant castle and land in Sitrin. This small land of Cranbell, where cranberries were its main source of income, didn’t interest her much. But more land meant more money, and it was always good to have more. She didn’t refuse the emperor’s reward. She learned that accepting gifts graciously was just as important as being humble.

Poliana got on her horse and a few of her men followed her from behind. 10 years ago, when she first became an Acreian knight, the locals did not look at her too kindly for betraying her own kingdom of Aehas. They seemed awkward around her, but now…?

A lot had changed during these last 10 years. A bridge was built across a river and the entire continent was united. The unknown Aehasian knightess returned in victory. She used to be alone, but now she was the head of an entire division. She had men serving her and protecting her.

Standing in front of the old knight’s grave, which had been kept neat, Poliana reported out loud, “I have seen the end of this continent.” She didn’t say any more because there was no need. She returned in good health. She achieved what she set out to do. She followed Lucius the First and saw more than she could ever have imagined.

Standing in her blue uniform with a golden stripe, with her clean and well-groomed hair, and in good health, Poliana knew the old knight would have approved of it.

‘I guess I didn’t have to request a vacation for it. I don’t have much to say anyway.’

It only took half a day to visit the grave. Poliana decided that she should return to her position immediately, but her men insisted on enjoying the full amount of time given to them.

“Aren’t you going to visit your home, Sir Pol”

“No. It’s not like I had a nice childhood.”

“But the land belongs to you now, which means you need to meet with whoever is in charge and make sure he isn’t committing tax evasion. Don’t you think you need to at least check everything out?”

Any Aehasian nobles who didn’t resist were allowed to keep their basic titles and lands, but those who did fight back lost their aristocracy, although they were allowed to continue to manage their respective lands. This decision was based on practicality. Lucius the First knew that the best way to manage their cities was to have their original owners do it for him.

Only

Unfortunately, most nobles in Aehas, Kukda, and Bebero lost their titles, while those in the southern continent and some in the mid-continent were able to keep theirs.

Poliana’s family was no longer a noble. She wasn’t sure if they were still in charge of maintaining the land, or if they were forced out of their own home. If they did, they were probably given a lower rank.

If they were still in charge of Cranbell, then she felt confident that her family would’ve done an adequate job. They were just average folks, they weren’t smart or sneaky enough to evade tax or commit extensive fraudulence.

‘But I don’t feel like going home… I feel lazy…’

She didn’t have any pleasant memories from her childhood. All she remembered was being ignored, mistreated, or training under the old knight. She wasn’t bitter about it, she just felt indifferent.

‘Oh, wait a minute!’

Suddenly, she remembered something. It was something very important.

Yes, her men were right. She should visit her home after all. Poliana turned her horse around. There was one more thing she needed to do in Cranbell.