Chapter 47

I didn’t know that the campsite would be here.

As soon as I got out of the carriage, I swallowed a groan inside of me as I saw the spacious garden and four-story mansion spread out in front of me.

“It’s really big, isn’t it?”

Leonard, who came near before I knew it, looked up at the mansion and said.

“I’ve only heard about it, but it’s better than I thought.”

Of course, it was the mansion of the most powerful duke then. Oh, by the way, I had made him emperor.

“There is a separate training center behind the main house, and the hall on the first floor is also spacious, so it can be used as a dining hall.”

“I see.”

“And there’s a cliff where you can see the sea as soon as you get out of the garden. I think the scenery from there is nice.”

Leonard said with a look of full expectation, so despite not expecting much, I still said Wow, I’m looking forward to it.

In fact, I already knew.

Because the owner of this house told me.

A long time ago, sitting on a swing placed there, I already looked at the sea to the point of getting sick of it.

A heavy feeling suddenly fell on my shoulder when I was soaked in an unexpected nostalgia.

“What do you think? Isn’t it amazing?”

Commander Dalton slipped between Leonard and me and put his arms around each of us.

Leaving Leonard aside, the way you treat a lady is too rough, dude.

“As far as I know, it was the residence of Emperor Erez Gray when he was a duke.”

Yes, I know.

Instead of answering, I laughed Ahahaha.

“My lady, what should I do with the luggage?”

While I was feeling Dalton’s weight, Agoth approached me with a large trunk in both hands.

Dalton’s expression became serious when he saw Agoth.

“Hiyaa, the instructor’s maid is just as unique as the instructor. One of those heavy things in each hand…”

“Agoth also uses a sword.”

“Hmm. Do you have any intention of becoming a knight by any chance?”

“No. This child is mine.”

When I flatly refused, a proud smile appeared on Agoth’s face. Dalton shook his head with a smile at Agoth’s sparkling eyes.

“If you go to the hall, the manager will be waiting for you. Put it down there for now.”

Dalton, who answered Agoth for me, tapped me on the shoulder and said.

“If there is a room that you like, you can stay in that room.”

“Will that be okay?”

“Ladies first.”

Oh, that’s great.

I smiled broadly and told Agoth.

“Agoth, tell the manager that I’m going to use the room on the far left of the third floor. It’s a room with a terrace, so he’ll know immediately.”

“What? Ah, yes. All right.”

Agoth was startled by my specific order and then rushed into the building with our luggage.

Agoth wasn’t the only one who was surprised. Leonard and Dalton were looking at me with round eyes.

“… What is it?”

What? Did I say something wrong?

“Uh… Helena. Is it okay to decide that way without looking first?”

“That’s the best room, but… Instructor, did you already know?”

Oops.

I’m new to this mansion now. I should have chosen it after looking at the mansion, but I made a mistake.

‘Because I stayed in that room every time I came here. I picked it because I was used to it but didn’t think of it.’

I rolled my eyes and spouted out excuses quickly.

“Well, I mean… I think I’ve heard from someone that the room is good. Who was it again…”

Dalton clicked his tongue at my faltering answer.

“Oh, it’s probably Hamilton, that man.”

“Oh, that’s right. I heard it from Viscount Noct!”

I’m sorry, Hamilton! From now on, I won’t call you inflexible or anything like that!

By the way.

“But is that really the best room?”

“Mm, it’s the widest bedroom and has a nice view.”

Is that so?

Was Erez always giving me the best room? I’m sorry for him. I didn’t know until 500 years later.

“This must have been because I didn’t understand other people’s feelings well.’

I feel a little bitter.

I wish I could have said thank you for your care. Well, I think I’ve done everything I could to repay him by giving him the throne.

‘Let’s be nice to Caesar instead. Be nice to his descendant so Erez will be happy in the other world.’

I don’t know what the connection is, but I decided to.

***

The inside of the building was changed a bit here and there, so for me, it was like finding something wrong here and there in a picture.

The color of the carpet in the western corridor had changed, the decorative cabinet with a slightly broken corner had been changed to something else, and the bed’s position had changed.

However, the overall atmosphere and structure were the same as they had been 500 years ago, so I felt a strange nostalgia.

“It’s still nice…”

The second bedroom terrace.

I leaned back on the rocking chair and muttered. As I was enjoying the cool sea breeze, I felt somewhat drowsy.

“I think this is my first vacation after a long while.”

Agoth, who sat beside me and fanned me, said with a smile.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Actually, it’s my first time seeing the sea.”

“Huh, really?”

Well, the first time I met Agoth was when I was 12.

As a lazy owner, I rarely went around, so Agoth, my maid, suffered from a lack of experience.

‘I should have paid more attention.’

Once I started to realize it, I wondered why I was so indifferent to the people around me.

“Shall we go out to the beach later, Agoth?”

“Wow, is that okay?”

“Sure. We’re here for a vacation. I didn’t come here to train.”

That’s right.

Although I joined the Knights’ camp training at Dalton’s recommendation, my purpose was to always be on vacation, recreation.

“One, two, three, four!”

“Your voice is too small! Louder!”

“Five, six, seven, eight!”

“All right, ten more laps like this!”

“… Be quiet!”

I leaned against the railing and squeaked downwards.

The noise between floors is too much!

Just below the railing, the members of the Red Knights were running at Dalton’s command. This happened every morning and evening. Everyone was even taking off their tops, which also contributed to the promiscuity of the public.

“Oh, Instructor!”

“What do you mean ‘Oh, Instructor’?! If you want to train, go inside the training ground!”

I shouted, pointing to the building across the street.

They said there’s a separate training center, so why are they making noise while running around the garden!?

Even though I was angry, Dalton just chuckled and laughed.

“There’s no meaning of going out to a place with good air if we stay inside the building, right?”

“Then you can run in the garden or beach, right? Why are you just cantering in the backyard under my room?”

“Hahahahaha, does it seem like that?”

Dalton burst out laughing tactlessly.

No, maybe he’s not tactless. It must be a calculated act.

Otherwise, no one would rush under the terrace of my room and make a fuss.

“Don’t be like that! Fight with us, Instructor!”

“We know you brought your sword!”

“Besides the trainees, please train us as well! We’d like to have a real fight with Princess as well!”

From the knights to the trainees, it was chaotic. Anyone who saw it might think there was a protest going on.

Moreover, some of the guys who were with me in subjugating the monsters knew very well what to say to shake me.

“If Instructor doesn’t fight us, we’ll fight only with the deputy commander all day!”

“What?! Don’t bother my brother!”

As I squeaked, Hawk, who had been arguing with me during the selection of the subjugation squad, waved his hand and chuckled.

I couldn’t ignore those words even if I let everything else slide.

“Agoth, my sword!”

“What? Oh, yes!”

Agoth hurriedly took out the weapon bag she had kept under the bed. Then she pulled out two of my swords and came rushing up to me.

I grabbed the two swords with one hand.

“Oh, Instructor! Are you coming?”

“Alright! Everyone’s just waiting.”

“Hey, Hawk! The instructor is coming! Go and serve…!”

“There’s no need.”

I shouted after cutting Dalton’s words.

Everyone paid attention to me, wondering what that meant.

I grabbed the railing with one hand and jumped over the second-floor terrace railing.

“P-Princess!”

“Instructor!”

The members who had been grinning shouted in shock when they saw me in dresses jumping off the railing on the second floor.

But the second floor was not a big deal for me. So I jumped without thinking.

I easily landed in the middle of the members. It was quite fun to see the flustered members.

I laughed as I looked around the members, holding the sword in both hands.

“Now then, who will come to defeat me first?”

***

Unfortunately, the free match that started like that was not fun.

Twists and tension would exist only if the fighters’s skills were on par, but all I had to do was knock down the knights who had been challenging me unilaterally.

“Ah, as expected, our lady is the best! You’re amazing, my lady!”

Only Agoth’s passionate cheers from behind proved that this was not one-sided violence.

After defeating about a dozen knights, I started sweating. I sighed softly with the sword in my right hand draped over my shoulder.

“The people who encouraged me turned out to be so boring…”

In my murmur, humiliation came to the faces of the knights I had defeated.

“If I had known this would happen, I would not have changed my clothes. I should have given you a handicap and fought in a dress.”

Ufufufu. I grinned with a villain’s smile. At the sight of me looking down, the knights screamed in agony and distress.

“The demon… It’s the demon! The Great Demon King has descended…!”

“Until now, I thought the crown prince was the strongest, but we have been deceived…!”

“Deputy Commander! Will you just watch? You must step up and avenge us! You’re on our side, aren’t you?”

Not able to hit me directly, the knights began to cling to Leonard.

My first disciple, whose fame had been raised by defeating the knights of the Red Knights from a time when he had no merits, smiled at the request of the members.

“Oh, am I supposed to take someone’s side now?”

Then he pulled out his sword and walked over to me.

Huh? Is my angelic brother pointing his sword at me? I thought, but…

Of course, that couldn’t be.

Leonard stood next to me and pointed his sword at the knights. With that characteristic dazzling smile on his face.

“I’ll be on Helena’s side then.”

“You’re so mean! You want to survive alone!”

“A traitor! He betrayed us less than a year after taking office!”

The knights began to clamor. Dalton stood at a distance, chuckling and watching.

It was only then that I realized that these humans had no interest in training and were just looking for an excuse to play.

‘And I joined their play.’

I couldn’t help but laugh.

No… I don’t think we’ve just been playing around.

‘It’s actually… kind of fun?’

A time of no purpose, no results, just acting boisterously.

Relationships where fierceness is not needed, and there’s nothing to protect.

“My lady, aren’t you tired?”

At that moment, leaving behind the knights that had started a fight with Leonard instead of me, Agoth came to me with a towel.

I took the towel and smiled a little.

“Mm, it’s fine. I don’t know if I should say it’s fine… But this isn’t bad either.”

I looked towards the knights.

“I think getting along with people is not as annoying as I thought.”

I think it’s okay to open up to others a little bit…

“Why don’t you try to build a closer relationship with me instead of someone else?”

“…?!”

Someone pulled me from behind and hugged me. A low, quiet voice followed in my ear.

It gave me the creeps.

I knew who it was without looking back, just from the friendly but faintly jealous voice.

“Caesar!”

Looking back, Caesar squinted and laughed.

“It makes me jealous to see you having fun with other people without me.”

“No, you— I mean, why is His Highness here when he’s not even of the Knights Order?!”

“Because Helena is here?”

That’s not the right answer!

“By the way, seeing all the Red Knights working hard on their training, I can’t hide my satisfaction as the crown prince.”

Caesar said to the knights and smiled. The chirping knights immediately stood at attention to the villainous smile.

Caesar took the sword in my left hand, held it, and pointed it at the knights.

“It looks interesting. Can this prince intervene?”

The members’s expressions seemed to want to shout Do not interfere! were quite pathetic.

‘I don’t know what the camp is for.’

Before Caesar’s second battle with the knights, I had to laugh bitterly at this camp of unclear purpose.