This Villain Is Mine Now

Chapter 57

“You’re leaving right away? To the Mabel Mountains?”

“As soon as the preparations are complete.”

Leo had just come out of the bath, a towel draped around his neck, and sat across from Lyle.

The horses and armor they ordered hadn’t arrived yet, nor had the weapons the knights would use. They had been informed that it would take about a month for everything to be ready, and Leo pounded his chest in frustration.

“I’ve never been on a monster hunt before, but it’s probably similar to hunting wild beasts. The more dangerous the mission, the more important it is that the entire knight order moves as one.”

A month? That was an absurdly short time. Saying they were leaving “soon” wouldn’t change much about the urgency of the situation.

Individually, their combat skills were beyond question. No one survives a war by luck alone. The knights in the Grant Order were probably stronger, as individuals, than the knights in any other order.

But when it came to functioning as a group, things were different.

“Have you established a system of hand signals? Even with just twenty knights, they’ll need to split into pairs to search the mountainous terrain. You need a way for them to communicate when they’re separated.”

“You’re right.” Lyle nodded, taking notes on what Leo said. “It’s something I hadn’t considered.”

“Well, that’s because it’s not something an archduke would usually need to worry about. This kind of thing is usually handled by the captain…”

Leo trailed off. How could they know the traditional methods of a knight order when they had barely managed to gather knights?

“I’ll help you with the hand signals. You can adapt what we use in the imperial guard. Wild animals and monsters have highly sensitive hearing, so it’s essential to establish a communication system without sound.”

The same applied to armor. If the knights wore heavy plate armor, they would quickly exhaust themselves in the mountainous terrain.

Leo squeezed out every bit of knowledge he could share with Lyle. Still, there were so many concerns.

Before they knew it, more than two hours had passed. Realizing the discussion could go on forever, Leo shook his head.

“I’ll come back with a more organized list of things you’ll need next time. I’ve just been throwing out ideas as they came to me, so there’s probably some things I’ve missed.”

Leo knew his suggestion would never be realized, but he still proposed the simplest solution to Lyle.

“I highly recommend recruiting at least one experienced knight. When a new order is formed, it’s common for a veteran to join and help lay the foundation.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I guess I should be going now.”

At some point, Leo’s hair had dried completely. Though this situation didn’t directly involve him, Leo couldn’t shake the heavy feeling in his chest. If there was just one person who could guide the Grant Knight Order, it could become an excellent order. All they needed was one person.

***

“Then why don’t you go?”

“What? What are you saying, commander?”

The next day, Leo recounted the previous day’s conversation to the commander of the imperial guard. The commander found a simple solution.

The commander easily deflected Leo’s sword as he responded, “Why not? It doesn’t sound impossible to me.”

He continued, “Our guard will have plenty of downtime for a while, and if it’s bothering you that much, you could go with them. It would be beneficial in many ways if another top-tier knight order were to emerge in the empire.”

Leo stared at the commander in disbelief. “You didn’t forget that I’m the deputy commander here, did you?”

“I think you’re the one who’s forgotten that I’m the commander.”

Somehow, the commander’s rapier had already reached Leo’s throat. “I’m saying our guard will still stand strong even if you take a short leave. You’re not an old man stuck in a desk job yet.”

“Ugh.”

“You’ve improved a lot. That means sparring with Archduke Grant has been good for you, and you know it.”

Leo pressed his lips together in frustration at the commander’s smooth words.

The commander chuckled as he lowered his sword. “If you stop sparring for a few months, all the progress you’ve made will fade. Finding a worthy opponent is harder than you think.”

Leo didn’t respond. The commander, having watched over Leo since he was young, ruffled his hair affectionately.

“What are you doing?”

“Don’t worry so much. A knight can’t ignore someone in trouble, especially with your personality. The Grant Knight Order will leave for the hunt, but you’ll keep thinking about them, unable to focus. You might as well go with them.”

The commander’s message was clear: he was offering Leo to the Grant Knight Order for a while. Leo grumbled, feeling like he was being treated like an object.

“So are you going or not? I need an answer so I can inform His Majesty.”

“Stop joking around.”

“I’m serious. I want my deputy to become even stronger. A monster hunt will be a valuable experience. I went on one in my youth too.”

“Really?”

“Yes, with the Grant Knight Order during the time of the previous archduke. It was an experience that benefited me greatly. This is a good opportunity for you, Leo. You already have a connection with Archduke Grant, and you’ll be able to help their knight order as well. Go with an easy mind.”

Though Leo wasn’t the most open about his feelings, the commander knew him well. Rather than watching Leo remain distracted by concerns over the Grant Knight Order, it was better to send him off temporarily and have him return focused.

“Also, personally, I hope the Grant Knight Order thrives.”

“What do you mean by that?”

The commander only smiled in response to Leo’s question.

***

“I thought it would take longer for you to visit again. This is sooner than I expected.”

Lyle raised an eyebrow as he gestured for Leo to take a seat. Leo looked troubled, as though he had something to say but was struggling to get the words out. Lyle waited patiently.

After a long moment, Leo let out a small sigh and finally spoke, “It’s about the knight order. I think I can help.”

Lyle stared at him silently, waiting for him to elaborate. Leo quickly summarized his conversation with the commander.

“The commander gave his permission. He said I can assist the Grant Knight Order until it’s stable.”

Though Leo repeated the explanation several times, there was only one real reason: he was worried about the disorganized Grant Knight Order and about Lyle.

Before meeting him, Leo had dismissed Lyle as someone lucky enough to survive the war despite being the heir of a disgraced family. Lyle had reclaimed his title, but the Grant name had already faded from noble society. If it weren’t for Elaina, Leo wouldn’t have cared about the Grant family at all. To the esteemed Bonaparte family, the Grant name was like a candy that had fallen to the ground and been trampled on, dirty and cracked.

But after crossing swords with Lyle, Leo realized that surviving the battlefield wasn’t just a matter of luck.

Lyle possessed exceptional swordsmanship. He might even be on par with the commander. If he had received proper training from a young age, he would have become a terrifyingly strong warrior.

“It’s not just for your sake.”

To Leo’s surprise, Lyle didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about the offer. Leo, growing impatient, quickly tried to explain further, but Lyle spoke first.

“I appreciate the thought, but I must decline.”

“…What?”

“I’ve noticed your frequent visits to the Grant estate, using sparring as an excuse. I think it would be better if you stopped coming so often.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

Lyle looked at Leo with a calm expression. “I thought you were smarter than this, but it seems I was wrong.”

“What are you implying? I don’t understand what you’re saying at all.”

“I’m telling you not to cross the line. There’s nothing to be gained from getting too close to me.”

With those words, Lyle stood up. “I’ve already passed along your advice to Colin. He said he’ll adapt the hand signals we used during the war. We’ve also ordered lighter armor for the knights.”

“What does this—”

“Go back, Lord Bonaparte. I’m grateful for your kindness, but I can’t accept it.”

Leo stood frozen, his mouth agape. He had spent so long agonizing over this decision, yet now he was being dismissed without even receiving proper hospitality.