4

A week since that first meeting with the fierce princess. Finally, or maybe just about time—today’s the big day. The victory parade, the medal ceremony, the guard appointment, and who even knows what else, all rolled into one.

We, the 31st Armunale Unit, now rebranded as the First Guard Armunale Division, Second Princess Security Unit, are waiting at the city gate, just off the central avenue of the capital.

Other units that saw action in that battle have been called in—those still mobile. Three Armunales and a whole swarm of mana-carts line up around the gate. Batis’s unit is in the parade today too. Too bad Leon’s unit couldn’t make it—just missed it due to overlapping guard shifts.

The pilots—me included—stay put in the Armunale as we roll down the central avenue toward the palace. The rest of the unit’s job is to wave at the crowd from the magic jeeps driven by soldiers.

The parade goes all the way into the palace grounds. After that, regular citizens can’t go further. The nation’s top officials gather there for the medal ceremony. Then they announce we’ll be the Second Princess’s personal guard.

“Alright, time. Advance—slow pace!”

At the commander’s voice, the jeep at the front begins to move, slow and steady. The city gates, sealed until now, creak open. And with them, the roar of the crowd hits me like a jolt—shaking the whole machine.

Phew. Glad we’re inside the cockpit. Otherwise, that noise would’ve rattled the bones right out of us. I can’t imagine what it’s like for the ones riding in the jeeps. Can they even hear themselves think? Probably not.

Stepping into the central avenue, thick with fireworks, cheering, and blaring fanfares, the street was packed so tightly on either side that there was no room to plant a foot—people waving frantically at the knights riding past.

The whole squad waves back, but if you look closer, their smiles are tight. Well, no surprise there. Who’s ever been greeted like this before?

As I slowly glide the machine forward, watching everyone’s faces, a signal comes from the commander in the front vehicle—some kind of hand sign.

“Yeah, yeah.”

I lift the machine’s hand in reply, switch the controls to simple auto mode, and open the hatch on the cockpit.

So I’m supposed to stick my head out too.

Well, Armunale’s star performer. The pilot’s supposed to show their face today—can’t just vanish during the medal ceremony, now can we?

By the way, simple auto mode? It’s barely more than a parade system. All it does is follow basic commands—really, just a fancy way to move through the streets. Apparently, Carine herself had to manually program the physical simulator—sensboard, for today only. Good work, Carine.

Open the hatch, and the distant cheers slam straight into your skin. My first instinct was to cover my ears, but I held it in, stepped out from the hatch onto the machine’s shoulder.

‘WAAAAAAAH!!!’

The moment I showed myself, the crowd roared louder than ever.

Yeah… now I get why their faces twisted up. Anyone’d be scared stiff by something like this.

Smiling back at the curious stares, we slowly made our way down the central avenue, taking over twenty minutes to cover the distance.

Then, glancing idly through the crowd, I suddenly felt it—a wrongness, like a pebble in my boot.

I turned my gaze back to the same spot. This time, I caught it clearly.

"…That one…"

A dazzling parade. The townsfolk were dressed up fancier than usual, the streets painted bright with color and cheer.

And in the back of the crowd—just one smudge of shadow beneath a building.

A shape in a ragged, hooded cloak, face hidden. Hard to say if it’s a woman or not. Could be a small man, too—plenty of those around. But something about it stood out. Not quite like the locals. Not a traveler, either. The way the hood was pulled so deep… it was almost like they were trying to hide their face. And that was the exact thing that made it feel off.

I wave with my right hand to the crowd, flick my left hand just once—just a little tap, like a secret knock. That’s the signal to the plainclothes soldiers scattered through the town.

This parade’s a mess. Gotta be spies from other countries, or troublemakers from home. So we’ve got a little code in the way I move my left arm—just enough to let the hidden soldiers know what’s what, without anyone else catching on.

And from the crowd, the soldiers who saw that flick of my wrist start to shift, quiet as shadows.

I catch their movement, then pull my gaze from the suspicious shadow.

From here on out, it’s the guards’ job.

Well then, I’ll just keep waving a little longer, eh?

I focus on the palace gates, drawing closer now, and put real effort into the wave again.

It takes another ten minutes before we finally reach the palace.

The pace kicked up instantly after that, and we were practically sprinting into the castle the second we arrived. The audience chamber’s already prepped—no time to dawdle.

We’ve gotta move like hell, since His Majesty’s already waiting inside.

The commander leading the way, and thirty-one of my squadmates, all gliding through the soft, bouncy hallways like they’re on air. Sure, it’s a bit surreal—though the real surreal is poor Bodwan, being wheeled in a chair like that.

Honestly, ever since I got here, I’ve been running through hallways nonstop.

That thought flickered through my head as we reached the entrance to the audience chamber.

I caught my breath, and the commander gave a sharp nod to the guard at the door.

“Armunale Unit Commander Sam Solomon, Commander, and Lord Logwer Bodwan. Thirdty-first Armunale Unit has arrived!”

The soldier bellowed inside, and the door before us creaked open slow like a sigh.

There they were—members of the royal family lined up straight ahead. Closer to the front, high-ranking nobles and the nation’s elders stood shoulder to shoulder.

We stepped forward, the commander leading, a little tense—just a little—into the hall. Midway across the red carpet, we knelt.

The commander shifted sideways and joined the line of nobles. From here on, it was the ceremony. And the spotlight? That was us.

The king, having confirmed our bows, rose slowly from his throne. Something long and formal began—words meant for everyone.

But we didn’t have time for that. Not now. All that mattered was keeping our backs straight, our heads down, our breaths quiet. Just waiting. Waiting for the speech to end.

And then—silence. The king’s speech was over.

“Then, for the two who’ve achieved glorious victories in this war, I award the Lion Medal. Bodwan, Eld—take it easy.”

The king’s words and I rise, settling into a relaxed stance. Bodwan, unable to stand, pushes his wheelchair forward a little and puffs out his chest.

“To these two brave knights, the Lion Medal.”

“Hah!”

“Yes.”

At the king’s command, two figures descend from the high seats where the royal family sits.

One is a young man in his late twenties—Prince Darius Norbelle Fatal. The other… my expression twitches just slightly.

Descending from the high seats, medal in hand, is the Second Princess Ines.

She’s smiling, all bright and cheerful—no one would guess she’s the same girl who once turned an entire flower field into a prank gone wild.

But I know her. That smile? Something’s brewing. Definitely something.

I stood there, sweat prickling at my neck, waiting for the queen to arrive.

Then, before me, the lion’s medal was fastened onto Bodwan’s chest. At once, the whole crowd clapped.

“Excellent service. I’ve heard you’ll be joining the academy as an instructor. The children who’ll carry our nation’s future—entrust them to you.”

Bodwan bowed deeply, as the first prince’s voice—kind, earnest, just like a good young man’s—rang out.

Then it was my turn.

Princess Ines stood before me, that same smile unchanged, and placed the medal on my chest. I let out a quiet breath inside—no needle, thank the stars.

Now, what’s she gonna say?

“Hearing of your extraordinary deeds. Please continue to wield your strength fully for the sake of our nation.”

…………Huh? That’s… normal.

I’d been braced for something grand, so the sheer normalcy of it all left me reeling. Nearly forgot to bow—caught myself just in time, knelt, head down.

“With this, the ceremony of honor concludes. And immediately thereafter, the appointment ceremony begins. Ines, take up your sword.”

“Yes, Father.”

A murmur rippled through the lower-ranking nobles who’d only known about the ceremony of honor. They hadn’t expected this.

Ignoring it entirely, Ines the princess took up the ornate, dazzling sword set out for her on the high seat and returned once more to our side.

“Ines turns fifteen this year. Henceforth, I intend to gradually assign her official duties. In line with that, I hereby declare that the entire thirty-first Armunale detachment currently present here shall be transferred directly into Ines’s personal Armunale guard. Anyone object?”

The senior lords, already forewarned, began clapping with calm composure. The nobles followed suit, flustered and quick to join in.

No point arguing now. Better to show swift agreement than risk offending the king.

“Seems there’s no objection. Then, Ines—begin the ceremony.”

“Yes.”

Princess Ines stepped forward until she stood before me, then told me to rise.

I did as told, and faced her straight on.

“I, Second Princess Ines Norbelle Fatal of the Fatal Kingdom, hereby wish you as my personal guard, to stand beside me as my sword, my shield.”

With that, Princess Ines extended the sword she held toward me. This was the rite of becoming a royal guard.

Back in my old life, knights were the ones who stood guard—but here, it’s a little different.

In this world, it’s the lord who asks the knight, and the knight who accepts. At that moment, the lord hands the sword to the one who’ll be his guard, and asks to be protected by it.

Back in the old days, they’d actually give a real, practical sword. Now it’s all just a show—pretending to hand over a national treasure sword. Once the ceremony’s done, the blade gets taken back.

“We swear, with our very lives, to guard Lady Ines.”

I recited the usual words, and took the sword from Princess Ines.

The king spoke, watching.

“From this moment, the Thirty-First Armunale Unit shall be assigned to the First Armunale Guard Battalion, and shall serve as the Second Princess’s Guard! New guards—my daughter is in your hands.”

“Your Majesty, leave the hall!”

As soon as the ceremony ended, the king stepped straight through the door beside his seat and vanished.

“See you later.”

With that, Princess Ines also left the room.

So the parade that had kept me on edge the whole time should finally be over… should’ve been over…

“Ah, this is the city! This is outside the cage, isn’t it!”

“Mm, I suppose so.”

“Better start scavenging for food right away. A canary returned to the wild won’t survive without foraging.”

Right, right—pets always starve when they’re set free, don’t they.

I thought that halfheartedly, pulling my wallet from my pocket.

Beside me, Princess Ines sparkled with excitement in her eyes, while Ange—dressed in a maid’s outfit—gave a dry, resigned smile.

And farther off, a whole crowd of guards, including Ritz, stood waiting in civilian clothes.

Why the princess was hunting for stalls in the city district? Simple—

“Since the guard’s with me, isn’t it fine to wander the town? That’s what my older brother used to do.”

The second princess had twisted that excuse into a full-blown demand, just like she always did.

First mission on the job—guarding a royal lady on a secret sightseeing tour? That’s way too much trouble, isn’t it!?

Well, she’s been hidden from the public since she was born, so the odds of anyone recognizing her are practically zero. But still—anyone trying to target royalty would know what she looks like. Can’t let my guard down.

“Ah, delicious. This fatty chicken meat—so rich, so tender. Must’ve flown through the wilds with grace, unlike me. That’s why it tastes like this.”

You’ve got a lot of freedom, I’ll give you that. But chickens don’t fly.

“Now then, where to next? So many things to look at… my eyes can’t decide.”

“How about the embroidery stall over there? Just looking at those brightly stitched handkerchiefs is fun enough.”

Ange points to a spot nearby, nudging the Second Princess.

“Mm, embroidery. I’ve done all sorts of things when I’ve had nothing better to do. Once I stitched a perfectly lifelike manhood—got smacked for it, I did.”

“That’s probably for the best…”

What the hell’s wrong with her… this raunchy little princess.

“Wiping your mouth with a handkerchief embroidered with a manhood? The guilt is almost unbearable. You should try it.”

“Uh… I’ll think about it.”

“Just say no! Flat out!”

“But, Eld—!”

The Second Princess’s sudden outburst has her near tears.

Damn it—Ange still treats the Second Princess like royalty. I’ve told her a hundred times already, she’s just a brain-dead daydreamer.

“Hmm, what’s over there?”

“Hey, Button-sama! Don’t go running off like that!”

Button was Ines’s fake name. Gave it to her so we wouldn’t get caught, that’s all.

Ines slipped through the crowd like she’d done it a hundred times. How’s she so used to this… you’re the one who usually splits the crowd like a crack in the earth, not me!

Pushed by the throng, I lost a little ground from Ines. In that moment—shrieks erupted from the crowd.

I shot a quick glance at Ange, then launched myself into the air with magic.

Ange, lightning-fast as always, caught up to Ines in a flash. “Excuse me,” she said, then scooped Ines up and tossed her straight at me.

I caught Ines midair and turned to where the screams had come from. There stood a man, swinging a knife.

And just like that, I spot a few men lunging out from the alley across the way.

The commotion’s a feint. If that’s the case, the one most likely to be the target right now is the flower garden princess here.

Oh my, just hearing my lovely voice and the wolves came running, didn’t they?

You're awfully relaxed, aren’t you?

Even though she’d been thrown at Ange, Princess Ines clings to my waist, perfectly calm.

I landed on the roof nearby, set the princess down, and kept watch below while asking.

Birds flock to canaries, of course. My voice must look like a tasty morsel to them. Beauty’s a sin, isn’t it?

A canary, or a parakeet from the pet shop, you are. That bird that’s picked up “good morning” and “hello” now and then, and some rather cheeky words too.

"Would’ve said that, but those were just extras Father set up. Today’s outing was never about the fun—it was a test, really."

"Oh? So what’s the verdict?"

"Passed, of course. Left them far behind, yet caught so fast—first time ever. And that clean throw? Perfect."

Guess we made the cut.

Down below, regular soldiers already have the extra men pinned. The festival’s in chaos, but no one’s hurt, and soon it’ll just fade into noise again.

"Test’s over, so we should head back now."

The princess pouted a little, like she’d missed something.

"Can’t help it. We’ll come back when we can."

"Yes, indeed. Back to the castle, then—let’s do some embroidery. Maybe next time, we’ll try something… personal as a theme."

"..."

"Offering it to you, if you like?"

"I don't need it."

I flat-out refused the gift from the princess.

I’ll let Ange comfort me later. I’m already worn out—just the first day…