Melissa Arendrix.
She was a knight who rose to the position of the Royal Guard solely based on her abilities, despite being of common birth. Appointed directly by the Human King, there was no question about her skills.
The biggest problem lay in Melissa’s values. Before starving to death, she pledged her loyalty to the Human King who took her in. The issue was that her loyalty was on an extreme level.
If she were dealing with another human, it might be one thing, but she even demanded loyalty to the Human King from other races. Naturally, from the perspective of those races, Melissa did not appear very appealing.
The Human King, aware of this, made sure to send Melissa away whenever he met other races. Unfortunately, this time he couldn’t prevent her involvement in advance.
“Your Majesty, I bring guests.”
“Lady Melissa? You personally welcomed them?”
“Indeed, Your Majesty.”
So, seeing Melissa enter the office with the members of the Royal Knights, it wasn’t surprising that the Human King was taken aback. He clicked his tongue and said, “Lady Melissa, surely you didn’t make any mistakes?”
“How could I be rude to His Majesty’s guests?”
“If that’s the case, then I’m relieved.”
“Truly, nothing happened.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Lady Melissa. You may return now.”
Naturally, the casual way Hans spoke made Melissa’s eyes widen in shock, but the king quickly sensed it and intervened. He bowed and left the room.
“A knight with outstanding loyalty.”
“It seems I was indeed rude. I apologize on behalf of myself.”
“No, it’s fine. There was nothing to be rude about.”
From a human’s standpoint, it was a strange sight. The king was the one who recommended Hans for the position of Commander of the Royal Knights, separate from his abilities and achievements. Yet here was the king acting meekly in front of Hans.
But it was all about attitude. The Human King remembered that Hans didn’t want to take the position of Commander of the Royal Knights. If he did, the king’s plans would collapse.
Thus, he had no choice but to do his best to honor Hans. Where did the king’s pride go? He had already thrown it all away when his late father died helplessly without accomplishing anything.
“I will not become an incompetent king like my predecessor. I will etch my name confidently into history.”
That desire was close to a thirst for honor. However, it was not about sacrificing everyone for his own sake; he truly aimed to manage the state well and revitalize the kingdom.
In fact, under his reign, the Human Kingdom had endured remarkably well for a good 30 years in the front lines. The canned goods that started being distributed to the people were, in fact, developed by the king himself.
Moreover, as Hans’ Royal Knights succeeded in revitalization, the standing of the Human King who recommended Hans rose significantly. Thanks to this, he made various agreements with Beastmen and Dwarves and even drew in races that had hardly exchanged in the past.
It was all due to the king’s wisdom in recognizing Hans’ value and making the request.
“So, are you planning to head out on another expedition?”
“That’s right.”
“Do you have a chance of success?”
“Of course.”
“Can you tell me the details?”
Even though he trusted Hans’ capabilities, it didn’t mean he would agree unconditionally. He would listen to the story, and if it seemed credible, then action would follow. That was the king’s way.
The king listened carefully to Hans’ words. He ignored the fundamental information and plans. In fact, maintaining the status quo would be the most beneficial. The kingdom had already entered a peak revival since making many agreements.
So, was there really a reason to take a dangerous gamble during such a time? The answer was obviously no.
If the king’s goal was merely to revive the kingdom, they wouldn’t even be starting this discussion. However, the king’s purpose was to engrave his name in history and widely announce it.
“This is an opportunity to get ahead of other races.”
Since the demons invaded, the continent’s inhabitants had lost territory, and the number of territories regained was scant. When counting up to a hundred years, it was almost nonexistent.
In this situation, if the Human Kingdom succeeded in an expedition cooperating with the Royal Knights for the first time? At the very least, they could gain an edge in negotiations with other races purely based on their accomplishments.
Yet, going on an expedition came with significant risks. Just looking at the manpower being pulled from the expedition, it would require an unimaginable amount of resources.
Even the first expedition of the Royal Knights was largely funded by the Racial Alliance, which minimized losses. If this expedition failed as well, the damage to the kingdom would be beyond imagination.
“The common folk will definitely express concerns. That’s only natural. The first expedition failed.”
During the first expedition of the Royal Knights, the populace believed the Royal Knights would crush the demons without a doubt. However, after the failure, the atmosphere changed drastically.
Despite efforts to control information, how could they find out? The Royal Knights’ defeat became widely known. Consequently, despair and fear among the people reached critical levels, prompting action.
People began clinging to absurd religions to overcome their fear, while others fought to monopolize food. It was truly a scene worse than a living hell.
Yet, the Human King successfully managed that chaos. It was thanks to Hans, who rose to Commander of the Royal Knights. Of course, at that time, it was merely a paper tiger…
But still, the fact that the only hope of the continent, the leader of the Royal Knights, was a human was enough to momentarily quell the populace’s anxiety.
But now that the Royal Knights were preparing for another expedition? Naturally, the people would be shivering in anxiety. If there were another failure, it would feel as if they truly had nothing left.
“I assume we won’t need to discuss the resources and manpower consumed by the expedition…”
“Of course not.”
“Is there really a benefit to us that justifies taking such risks?”
“Absolutely. For instance… the national treasure of the royal family?”
“…I’m surprised you know about the national treasure.”
The national treasure. Powerful artifacts created by the first king of the Human Kingdom to protect the humans. Initially, humans had the largest influence on the continent, but they fell due to the demon invasion.
As the humans held the broadest territories on the continent, it was somewhat expected. Just in terms of territory lost, most of it had been land inhabited by humans.
The first king welcomed all the fleeing refugees. Furthermore, he sacrificed his life to create the national treasure that defended against the demons’ invasion. However, that glory ended there.
“As the demons began to ramp up their attacks, the Human Kingdom lost much of its territory, and the national treasures were also lost. In the end, only about 30% of the territory from the prime days remained.”
“It can indeed be seen as a regrettable history.”
“But, are you saying you know the location of that national treasure?”
“Of course. There happens to be one relatively close by.”
Retrieving the national treasure was an immense merit for the Human Kingdom. Even if the performance of the treasure was only half of its legendary potential, the kingdom would gain the power to overwhelm other races.
“Can you tell me more details?”
The king actively initiated conversation for the first time.
*
The negotiation ended successfully.
Though it was high risk, high return, recovering the national treasure and expanding the territory far outweighed the risks, especially since it was Commander Hans who had proven himself to everyone.
After much consideration, the king accepted the proposal. With the cooperation of the Human Kingdom, the Royal Knights would set off on another expedition. The immediate goal was two territories right in front of the kingdom.
The key here was Ares’ Bridge. While it was called a bridge, it was more akin to a fortress. It served as a pathway connecting their territories over the river.
Securing Ares’ Bridge would enable them to move forward and acquire even more territory. Essentially, if Ares’ Bridge was secured, it could serve as a forward base for the kingdom.
“Not bad.”
Having finished negotiations with the king and stepping outside, Hans let out a sigh of relief inwardly. He had struggled a bit to localize the knowledge from the original work, but he managed to get through it somehow.
With the expeditionary forces now secured, he thought he had gotten a bit closer to his goals when suddenly noticing a commotion, his gaze turned.
It seemed like something was happening at the training grounds. As Hans considered this, he looked around. He couldn’t find Helia or Bayard. He let out a big laugh.
“Of course. If they’re silent, they’re not the Royal Knights.”
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