I’ve been under this ridiculous delusion until now.
The reason I kept my mouth shut and stayed still was to hide the Time Stop. Aside from the rare occasions when my energy drops and the Time Stop is forcibly released.
I had to conceal the Time Stop as much as possible. I wanted to explain when I caught the Demons, but I missed the timing because they overvalued themselves.
Honestly, human emotions are like that. When everyone around is praising you, how can your shoulders not rise? But right now, I absolutely cannot let that happen.
“No way! This uncle is the Commander of the Royal Knights?!”
I got so excited that I let my tone slip, but right now, I couldn’t care less about such trivial speech. I was currently in the King’s office. A throne was right in front of me.
In front of that throne was a shabby wooden table. The king, sitting on the equally shabby wooden throne, stood up and bowed his head.
I was taken aback by the sudden situation of the king bowing his head, causing me to momentarily shut my mouth. W-what? The king is bowing? To someone as lowly as a mere guard like me?
“I apologize first to Sir Hans. I’m sorry.”
“Uh, um?”
“I failed to convey my opinion due to my mistake.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
Even though they were the weakest force, a king of a nation bowing his head so easily? That’s when I finally became self-aware of the situation I was in.
Right now, I was causing a commotion in the king’s office. Even if I have been appointed as the Commander of the Royal Knights, this was a blatant act of rudeness I could not overlook.
Having barely realized this, I paused for a moment and stepped back. I calmed my emotions with a deep breath. That could’ve turned out really bad.
“I’m sorry. This uncle is just very flustered right now.”
“It’s alright. That can happen.”
“……”
Maybe I was too relaxed. I let my ‘uncle’ speech slip out. The real Time Stop Breeding Uncle isn’t helpful at all in life. Anyway, my thoughts were unchanged.
“This uncle can never be the Commander of the Royal Knights.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because I’m weak.”
Even just becoming the Commander of the Knights was something I wanted to avoid, let alone being the Commander of the Royal Knights? That was well beyond my capabilities.
The position of the Commander of the Royal Knights was not something that could be passed off with a shrug like this. Hadn’t that golden generation gone on an expedition and faced annihilation?
But look at me now. Let’s set aside Demons like the Demon-grade Afskiga and Togui. I struggled just to catch Blade Wolf, didn’t I? You’re telling me I can be the Commander of the Royal Knights?
Even a passing mutt would dance with a smile! And to make matters worse, I absolutely have no confidence in leading the Royal Knights well. It’s driving me crazy!
“Indeed, to Sir Hans, the current Royal Knights may look like a toothless tiger.”
“Not them, I’m talking about me. This uncle can never be the type to be the Commander.”
“You’re humble.”
I completely shut down any possibility of misunderstanding. In this situation, there was no way I could back down. While it was true that it is difficult to shake off excessive expectations from those around me,
there are levels to what can be accepted. No matter how much I think about it, I absolutely couldn’t take on the role of Commander of the Royal Knights. The king nodded his head, confirming my obstinate will.
“I understand. If Sir Hans has said that much…”
“Phew~ That’s a relief. It’s too heavy a burden for this uncle.”
“There’s no helping it. Of course, their situation is unfortunate, but…”
“Hmm?”
“Have you not been curious? About how deeply rooted the Elves and Dwarves are, yet they cling to each other like that.”
Now that I think about it, it is a bit strange. Seven years later, I wouldn’t know, but right now, due to political reasons, the Royal Knights were completely split.
But especially the Elves and Dwarves, who have deep-rooted divisions, are mingling with each other like this? But I soon realized the reason. I’m not an idiot; I should have figured it out.
“Is it because their comrades have been annihilated?”
“Yes, that’s right. No matter how deep the divisions, they have been comrades who have fought together until now.”
“……”
“At least thanks to Sir Hans, they have regained some spirit now. But before that, the atmosphere was inexpressibly dark.”
That’s only natural. In a single night, all their comrades died. And now they’re immediately trying to appoint a new commander after the Royal Knights faced annihilation?
Even I would oppose that vehemently. Seriously.
Of course, they would have understood it logically. But can one act purely efficiently? They can’t just ignore the emotions they’ve harbored thus far.
Even if they are heroes.
Wait a minute. If I just leave this be, won’t they really fall into depression? Their comrades died right before their eyes? But what did I say in front of them?
[Even if what we do differs, we’re ultimately in the same boat.]
Ah.
[Seeing comrades in pain and suffering, how can I let that pass?]
Ah.
[If you’re in trouble, call me anytime. I’ll gladly lend you my shoulders again and again.]
Tehee!
Wait! There’s a serious misunderstanding here! No, I only said that because they looked like they were really struggling! It was just a word of encouragement! Anyone can say that, right!?
No, no.
I’ll be honest.
I thought I’d never see them again after this.
Because they are heroes.
They would be really busy from now on!!
I was worried. All their comrades died, what now? But they’re heroes. I thought, “Surely, they’ll manage just fine on their own,” but…
Is this how it turned out?
“Things are a bit better now, but they’re still hanging on the edge of a cliff. So much so they have to rely on their sworn enemies.”
“……”
“Now a new focal point has finally emerged, but if Sir Hans says that, then there’s nothing I can do.”
Every word the king spoke pierced me like a dagger.
Yeah, who can I blame?
I thought I’d never see them again, and yet I’ve spoken without restraint.
Damn it.
*
Finally, negotiations were established.
Sir Hans would become the Commander of the Royal Knights, and in return, the kingdom would provide considerable support. I expected that much. After all, the king intended to offer support.
Currently, the vacant position of Commander of the Royal Knights was akin to a poisoned chalice. If something goes wrong, I’d be the one to bear the responsibility of past mistakes.
Politics are like that, in the end. Avoiding blame as much as possible and finding a target to bite. Not even a jungle, closer to hyena behavior. However, conversely,…
That also means it can become an opportunity.
Of course, the fact that I did not give a heads-up to Sir Hans was something I would have to apologize for someday, but inadvertently, that led to things going smoothly. The king nodded.
“As expected, Sir Hans is a hero.”
Originally, the moment I arrived at the capital, I had planned to negotiate as much as possible, but I never expected that he would encourage and control them like this right after arriving.
[This uncle can never become the Commander of the Royal Knights.]
[Because I’m weak.]
[Not them, I’m talking about me. This uncle can never be the type to be the Commander.]
Perhaps, that was a test of myself. Diminishing myself to see if he could fool the king. To see whether he would fall for the silver tongue or not.
“But Sir Hans, you seem to be overlooking one thing.”
If someone powerful humiliates themselves for others, they are no longer mediocre. Of course, Sir Hans surely had some remarkable backstory as well.
However, the current situation was extremely serious. The annihilation of the Royal Knights that Quarens reported earlier. It was none other than Sir Hans who predicted that.
Honestly, I was skeptical, but without hesitation, the king immediately shared that information in the alliance meeting. Naturally, the reaction was jeers, but it helped immensely.
[What is this?]
[It’s a Teleport Scroll. It’s a treasure of the kingdom.]
[Why are you giving me such a valuable item?]
[Isn’t there a chance?]
He is the Human King. Therefore, he trusted humans. He pulled out royal treasure, the Teleport Scroll, to offer support. And the fruits of that trust returned in this manner.
However, it was not the time to celebrate just yet.
Who would’ve thought the Royal Knights would face annihilation? There were only 3 survivors left, and one of them even deserted. It was a truly desperate situation with no signs of hope.
Yet the king’s resolve was unwavering.
He had repelled the Demons and skillfully mediated the nearly divided Royal Knights. Sir Hans had already proven sufficient capability, strengthening the king’s faith even further.
“This is the opportunity.”
At some point, trusting that an opportunity would arise, he enforced a ban on extravagance amidst the opposition of the nobles. Now, it was time to use the gathered resources.
Opportunities can only be seized by those who are prepared.
The king knew that truth painfully well.
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