BXBX NOVEL Chapter 21 – Ride Your Steed, Knightley (1)
Chapter 21 – Ride Your Steed, Knightley (1)
“Hahaha!”
The Second Princess laughed loudly enough to show her tonsils as she sat in her office.
She had just finished reading a regular report from the Special Mission Academy.
The report, written in neat handwriting, detailed general status, budget management, ongoing issues, and suggestions.
She couldn’t say much about anything else, but the Dark Elf headmaster had beautiful handwriting.
This particular report contained some special content: a comprehensive overhaul of the Combat Department.
The practical exercises, previously reduced due to Kirrin’s caution, were significantly increased and everything was to be conducted based on field standards, with conditions to support this in place.
Kirrin had misunderstood the Second Princess’s warning not to neglect the combat subjects, thinking it was a trap to get her fired. Meanwhile, the Emperor pressured the Princess not to dismiss Kirrin.
A problem that had been stagnant for years was transformed by someone named Dian in just a month, causing the Princess to burst into laughter.
The Second Princess immediately wrote a response to the report.
She approved all of the Academy’s suggestions. She particularly praised the proposals related to the commercial district and promised full support if requested.
The headmaster was doing well without being told. Very impressive. As expected of Sir Linus’s friend.
# # # # #
“You seem to be in a good mood.”
Her aide, who had been waiting outside, greeted her as she left the office.
“Something happened.”
“Are you heading to His Majesty’s office right away?”
“I must.”
Following the Second Princess, who was walking down the corridor with her folder, the aide cautiously spoke.
“Are you planning to propose the dismissal of the Special Mission Academy headmaster again today?”
“Well.”
“This is the fifth time. I’m worried His Majesty might get furious.”
“His Majesty won’t be angry about that today.”
The aide’s eyes widened at the Second Princess’s answer.
“Have you given up on proposing Headmaster Kirrin’s dismissal?”
“It’s not giving up, it’s deferring. For now.”
The aide, seeing the cool smile spreading across the Princess’s lips, asked cautiously.
“Is it related to the man you met with Sir Linus?”
“Yes. As long as he’s around, Headmaster Kirrin won’t be touched for the time being.”
“Your Highness, who exactly is that man?”
“Wait here. I’ll go in alone.”
Ignoring the aide’s question, the Second Princess entered the Emperor’s office.
Both the Emperor and the First Prince, who were in the middle of a conversation, looked at her simultaneously.
“It’s me. Ah, and my brother is here too.”
Seeing the folder in her hand, the Emperor spoke in an angry tone.
“If you’re here to talk nonsense about dismissing the Special Mission headmaster, get out immediately! A man’s word is his bond, and an Emperor’s promise is worth more than a thousand gold…”
“It’s not that. This is about current issues from the Security Office.”
The Second Princess smiled leisurely as she showed the folder, and the First Prince bowed to the Emperor.
“Then I will take my leave, Your Majesty.”
“Brother. What were you discussing so closely with His Majesty?”
“It has nothing to do with you. Stay out of it.”
The First Prince, passing by the Second Princess, responded coldly, but when he met her gaze—her face half-covered with scars—he flinched involuntarily.
Perhaps because of this, the First Prince appeared quite small next to the Second Princess, despite being a man.
Like the Emperor sitting there, the First Prince also had a thin frame and a sinister look, quite different from the tall and well-built Second Princess.
Looking down at the First Prince, the Second Princess gave a half-smile.
“Very well. Goodbye, brother.”
After the First Prince left and closed the door, the Emperor beckoned with a finger. The Second Princess spread the folder on the desk and began her report.
It was a mid-term report on the ongoing issues managed by the Imperial Security Office, nothing particularly special.
The Emperor silently nodded his head in response, then picked up an ornate ink pen and scribbled a grand signature.
“Thank you. I will continue to proceed diligently.”
The Emperor glared at her with wrinkled eyes, clearly displeased.
“Mirellis.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I’ve been hearing a lot about you lately. I hear you’ve been replacing key positions in the Security Office and its subordinate organizations with officers from your legion.”
“I wasn’t particularly considering their background. I just happened to select competent people, and it seems they had something in common. There was no special intention.”
The Emperor pointed a trembling, thin finger at the Second Princess, Mirellis.
“A protruding nail gets hammered down.”
“Absolutely right, Your Majesty.”
“I acknowledge your merits in the war, but remember that doesn’t absolve all your actions. You’re not alone in the Palace.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
“I won’t tolerate you crossing the line to make up for your humble origins compared to your siblings.”
“I will bear that in mind, Your Majesty.”
Mirellis smiled confidently and slightly bowed her head. It was evident the Emperor didn’t appreciate that smile.
“And, just to reiterate, do not touch the Special Mission Academy headmaster. Nemara saved my life, and the headmaster is his daughter. Understood?”
“Of course. I will take my leave.”
As Mirellis was about to turn around, the Emperor asked another question.
“By the way, how is that man, Dian, doing?”
“He’s quiet and well. He seems quite satisfied with his position.”
“When is he coming to the Palace? I need him where I can keep an eye on him.”
“I’ve mentioned this before.”
Mirellis answered with a gentle smile.
“He left the Palace because he was uncomfortable being treated like a hero. If Your Majesty summons him, who knows if he might disappear again like he did ten years ago.”
The Emperor’s face paled at those words.
For the past ten years, the Emperor hadn’t had a peaceful night’s sleep. The reason was none other than the sudden disappearance of a member of the Demon King slayer party, Dian.
The Emperor believed Dian had vanished out of dissatisfaction with the Empire and feared he would return one day to kill him.
It might seem like an absurd delusion, but after Dark Elf assassins had once infiltrated his chamber during the Four-Year War, the Emperor had become extremely paranoid.
Therefore, he had the Security Office and the Intelligence Department tirelessly search for Dian, and appointed Linus as the Captain of the Guard.
The logic was that, as a member of the team that killed the Demon King, only a hero could stop Dian if he ever intruded. This was true as well.
However, Linus was too talented to remain as the Captain of the Guard, so after years of effort, the Second Princess had recently managed to replace him, prompting the Emperor to make the crazy suggestion of bringing Nemara’s Dark Elf clan to the Palace.
In the midst of this, Linus miraculously found the whereabouts of the missing special force team member, Dian, and brought him back to the Empire.
At first, the Second Princess did not intend to tell anyone about Dian. She wanted to prevent any factions interested in his history from making unnecessary moves and to keep him fully under her control.
Of course, there were a few people who had interacted with him during his three years of military service and formed a connection, but those who knew he was a member of the Demon King Slayer Special Force were few and far between.
However, when the Emperor began actual procedures to bring the Nemara Clan to the Palace, she reported the matter to him to stop it.
Bringing Dark Elves into the Palace was out of the question and faced immense opposition, but the Emperor had a precedent of appointing the Dark Elf Kirrin as the headmaster of the Special Mission Academy.
Especially since this matter involved his own life, he would push it more strongly. If left alone, the Palace gardens might actually be filled with traitorous Dark Elves.
If that happened, all of the Second Princess’s long-term plans would be ruined.
So, while reporting that she had brought Dian to the academy, she added a little seasoning.
She said that the reason Dian had gone into seclusion was because he was uncomfortable with the attention and that he had only come because she promised to keep his identity secret.
Thus, if the Emperor wanted to ensure Dian didn’t disappear again, he should avoid provoking him and allow him to live comfortably.
So far, the situation was aligning with the Second Princess’s wishes.
“Rest assured, Your Majesty. I will personally ensure he is well-managed.”
The Second Princess bowed her head to the Emperor, who was sweating with anxiety, with a smile.
# # # # #
As the Second Princess left the Emperor’s office, her aide approached her.
“Did the report go well? I saw the First Prince leaving; was there any trouble?”
“There was. Not for me, but for him. My brother despises crossing paths with me.”
The First Prince, along with the other siblings, hated and envied the Second Princess.
Unlike their pitiful selves, she had a different physique and appearance, save for her silver hair. She had also earned significant military accomplishments with her bold decisions and fearlessness on the battlefield. She was a concubine’s child.
Supported by the powerful figures who served with her in the war, the Second Princess had swiftly risen to prominence in the Palace, bypassing the line of succession.
Thus, the other heirs viewed Mirellis with contempt.
“But why was His Majesty shouting? Did something happen again?”
“It was trivial. Don’t worry about it.”
“But I am concerned. His Majesty’s whims and suspicions toward you are growing by the day.”
The aide lowered his voice.
“The fact that he trusts that unsettling Dark Elf clan, Nemara… perhaps His Majesty is experiencing something similar to what happened to your mother…”
“Speculations should be raised when they can be supported.”
“My apologies…”
The Second Princess smiled at her flustered aide and asked,
“Is today the graduation ceremony for the Legion’s Special Forces?”
“Yes. After preparing, you will move by carriage. You will dine with the Special Forces Commander and then preside over a night meeting with the Inspectorate Division heads.”
“Understood. In the meantime, deliver orders to the commander of Unit 5439 to enhance surveillance on the First Prince’s quarters starting today.”
“To the commander of Unit 5439, enhance surveillance on the First Prince’s quarters. Confirmed.”
The aide received the order and disappeared down the corridor like a shadow.
Left alone, the Second Princess walked to another location, pondering the aide’s words.
They were not entirely unfounded.
The ongoing delusions, trusting Dark Elves instead of the Empire’s officials, the Emperor had been becoming increasingly strange since the war ended.
Some officials suspected that the elderly Emperor was suffering from mental illness or dementia due to the stress of the four-year war and the trauma from the assassination attempt. Moreover, he had barely slept properly in the last decade.
Of course, no one would dare to voice such suspicions openly, but it was clear that the Emperor’s condition was abnormal.
Lost in thought, the Second Princess arrived at her destination: a secluded tower in the Palace.
She climbed the spiraling staircase, reaching a small bedroom.
In the bed, bathed in the light of the setting sun coming through the window, a frail yet beautiful woman was sitting, hugging a doll and staring outside.
“Mother.”
Mirellis called softly, and the woman flinched and looked her way.
“Don’t come closer!”
The woman screamed, clutching the doll tighter, as she saw the large scar on the Second Princess’s face and her mangled eyelid.
“I will never let them take Mirellis!”
“I’m not here to take Mirellis. I just came to check on you….”
As the woman grabbed a glass from the nightstand and threw it, Mirellis caught it in mid-air. However, the water spilled, soaking her hair.
“Get out! Get out now! No, I can never let them take her!”
Looking at her mother’s eyes, filled with madness, Mirellis gave a sorrowful smile.
“Then… I will visit again. Please take care.”
Bowing deeply, Mirellis turned to leave the tower but stopped.
“Please take good care of my mother.”
She handed a few gold coins to the caretaker before heading to her office.
Mirellis’s mother had gone mad after drinking poisoned wine meant for Mirellis, prepared by a ‘certain faction’ that feared Mirellis’s growing power.
Even after several years, she had not recovered, clinging to a doll she believed was her daughter, never stepping outside the tower.
Mirellis knew exactly who that faction was.
Expect good things… someday, I will bring you all to ruin and claim the throne myself.
To do that, she needed to keep Dian under her control and make good use of him.
By now, he would have roughly figured out the situation and would be busy scheming in his own way.
Judging by their last meeting, he had both guts and intelligence.
The Palace was a den of vipers, each hiding venomous fangs and waiting to strike.
To survive as the mad concubine’s child in such a place, the Second Princess intended to use Dian as her powerful fangs.
# # # # #
Meanwhile, at the Special Mission Academy, in the house where Dian stayed,
“What’s this, Olysia? Didn’t you say we’d have gambas today?”
“I was too busy to get the ingredients. This is good too, so just eat it!”
“I wanted to dip bread in the gambas sauce… what a shame.”
“You’re not this picky when you dine with the higher-ups, are you?”
“I’m not a child.”
“But your taste is childish.”
“Hey!”
“Make sure you don’t act like this outside.”
Olysia wagged her finger at him.
“It’s best not to give the higher-ups any reason to criticize. They all hide venomous fangs. If you want to rise higher…”
“I don’t care, you brat. Let them bite if they want. And there’s no need to climb higher. Anyway, tomorrow it’s gambas. Got it?!”
“Oh, really…”
Contrary to the Second Princess’s expectations that he would be busy with political calculations, Dian was bickering with his young maid, Olysia, over not having his desired menu.