Chapter 05
“Schloitz Procyon has been appointed as the new Supreme Commander.”
I perked up at the name I felt like I’d heard thousands of times recently.
“So the rumors were true?”
“They are. Do you know how old Lord Procyon is?”
“He’s barely of age. Just turned twenty.”
“Oh my goodness…”
The noble ladies gathered around my mother all clicked their tongues in amazement. Honestly, I would’ve reacted the same if I didn’t have memories from my past life. But none of them complained that it was too much—no one said it was unreasonable for someone so young to hold such a high position, even if he had done great things.
Of course, there was a good reason for that.
“This morning, His Majesty officially announced it. Sir Schloitz Procyon has earned two hundred sacred swords.”
“…Unbelievable. I guess someone that skilled is the reason the military was able to prevent the disaster at the Chevrone territory.”
“Exactly. I even heard Her Majesty the Queen…”
The conversation was all about Schloitz and his achievements.
If he’d come to the capital, it would’ve caused a complete uproar…
Everyone was wondering when Schloitz would return to the royal capital. Since his debut, he hadn’t come back even once.
That’s what I heard.
****
I stood, holding my knees, panting heavily.
Each breath I took made my lungs ache. Sweat dripped down my chin. My ribs hurt so much I wondered if they had broken.
“Lady Blandea.”
Sir Balock approached me and spoke.
“You haven’t forgotten you still have three laps left, have you?”
“I was just… catching my breath.”
“Knights and soldiers of the military do even harsher training every day. Would you like to stop?”
“No…!”
I immediately got up and started running like mad again. It was hard to tell whether I was living or just being tortured daily.
The military’s training is even harder…
In the end, I completed it.
And I collapsed from exhaustion for the second time this month. I had to be carried away—but at least I slept really well that night.
****
A few days later.
After barely surviving another deadly training session, I was crawling back to my room when I saw an unexpected face waiting for me.
“My lady! Are you alright?”
“Dylan?”
Dylan helped me up from the floor. His sharp-looking face showed total shock as he looked me over.
“What happened to you?”
“I’ve been training. That’s all.”
“Training?”
“Special lessons from Sir Balock. It’s been a while now.”
“Special lessons? From the knight captain? That explains it…”
Just like in the original story, Dylan had ended up as Enrico’s follower, so he wasn’t around the estate often. He usually traveled between our estate in the province and the academy to visit Enrico. So it had been a while since he came to the capital house.
“You seem much healthier now.”
“Thanks to the family’s excellent doctors.”
Dylan smiled gently. His silver-rimmed monocle was sparkling and perfectly clean as always.
“That too, but you’ve clearly worked hard. Are you trying to become a knight?”
“No, it’s not really about that.”
“Then why?”
“Just… because.”
I couldn’t say it was because I’d abandoned Schloitz and was trying to punish myself through training.
So I brushed it off vaguely. Dylan let out a small laugh.
“My lady, you’ve always been so mature. Honestly, you’re more grown-up than the young master.”
“Of course. I know that.”
Dylan chuckled. He helped me walk slowly—thankfully, since walking any faster would’ve made me collapse again.
“The whole kingdom is buzzing—not just the capital. All because of a twenty-year-old Supreme Commander.”
“Yeah. I can imagine.”
“I have some business with the military.”
At that, my ears perked up.
“You don’t want to ask anything?”
“Nope. Nothing.”
“Are you sure? The military is like a whole different world. You don’t get news from inside unless you really try.”
He wasn’t wrong. I didn’t live in isolation—I was still a noble lady of the Lefevre family. I could easily hear royal gossip if I wanted. But getting news from inside the military was a whole other matter.
“My lady.”
“…?”
“Are you sure there’s nothing you’re curious about?”
I slowly looked up.
“…Well then…”
I fidgeted with my fingers.
“Can you check just one thing for me? I just want to know… if the Supreme Commander—Sir Schloitz Procyon—is safe and uninjured. That’s all. Only if it’s not too much trouble.”
Of course, I saw with my own eyes during his debut that he was healthy… but back then, he still seemed like a boy. Maybe because he didn’t have any family with him, or maybe because he was filled with thoughts of revenge against the old me—he looked a little worn down.
And now, he has achieved something huge. I couldn’t help but worry that he might’ve gotten hurt.
He wasn’t the male lead, so the original story didn’t really go into details like this…
“I understand. That won’t be hard.”
Dylan gave me a soft smile. For some reason, it felt like the way he used to look at me when I was little, and it made my heart feel strangely warm.
****
The Kingdom of Razak was the largest and most powerful among neighboring countries. It had stayed that way thanks to sacred swords made centuries ago by royal mages. Even now, only the royal family controls that technology.
Whenever monsters threatened other kingdoms, Razak would give them a sacred sword—mostly to prevent long-term damage to itself. Of course, these gifts only further reinforced the power hierarchy between Razak and other nations.
Even in such a powerful country, the military had its own unmatched authority.
They were tasked with defending the ruins where monsters first appeared, a region declared a special autonomous military zone.
But the military never rebelled against the crown—not even once in history.
That’s because the sacred swords belonged to the royal family, and all the core knights in the military were still young nobles based in the capital. Even though soldiers and knights often died fighting monsters, that was seen as unavoidable.
People still feared monsters deeply.
Especially after ten years ago, when the Rosier family’s territory and several other noble lands were half-destroyed by monsters. The fear from that time still haunted the nobility.
****
About ten minutes later, Dylan and the other Lefevre aides received permission to enter the military zone.
“You may go in.”
Dylan tried not to look around too much but still observed the area.
There’s a faint smell of blood.
He couldn’t tell if it was monster blood or human. But it was definitely different from the outside world. The air was heavy with the scent of death, like a light fog.
“It smells bad in here.”
“Good thing we didn’t bring the younger aides. They’d have fainted.”
Some aides from the Lefevre house looked pale. These were people used to paperwork and supporting their master’s purification power—not battlefield conditions. In noble families, military personnel and administrative aides were kept completely separate, so no one judged them for being unaccustomed to the smell of blood.
One of the military knights spoke politely:
“There was a scheduled monster hunt today. It’s not always like this.”
“I see.”
“Please follow me. The Supreme Commander is waiting.”
Because they were from the prestigious Lefebvre family, the knights were extra respectful as they guided them inside.
They were led into a central building among many. It wasn’t decorated like a royal castle or a noble estate—no grand art, no fancy furnishings. But the cold, sharp atmosphere gave off an overwhelming presence.
There weren’t even any long hallways or stairs—the door led straight into the Supreme Commander’s office. That no-frills design was so typical of the military.
“Commander, the Lefebvre aides have arrived.”
Schloitz Procyon, the young Supreme Commander, was at his desk, reading documents. He was the man the whole kingdom was obsessed with. Naturally, the aides couldn’t help but be curious.
“We greet you, Supreme Commander. Our lord is pleased we were able to deliver this personally signed letter to you.”
“As am I.”
A short reply. His voice was cool and calm, like flowing water.
He accepted their presence, but that was all. The atmosphere felt icy. Their own lord, Leonard, was warm and cheerful.
Under such a kind and capable master, the Lefevre aides had lived like sheltered flowers. This was the first time they truly realized—they were now far from the capital, in a world ruled by military order.
“The letter.”
A young man who seemed to be the Commander’s assistant quickly stepped up and accepted the letter from them. The Supreme Commander frowned slightly as he flipped through the pages.
Dylan saw this as his chance.
He doesn’t seem to be injured.
As the Commander kept reading, Dylan watched him closely.
His eyes seem fine too…
Probably. Even when he was supposedly blind, Schloitz had followed Blandea perfectly, so it was hard to be sure. Dylan couldn’t take his eyes off him.
And just then, an unexpected voice suddenly cut through the silence.
