5
It seemed I always met people in suffocating situations. The dignified woman standing before me, a massive dragon at her side, pointed her spear in my direction. The way she stood was so beautiful it was captivating, somehow reminiscent of the same imposing presence Princess Valtrune possessed.
“I am Ritziareite. Her Highness’s Personal Knight. Are you prepared?”
As Princess Valtrune’s sworn vassal, she stared right at me with unwavering eyes. I wondered how I appeared in her reflection as we continued our standoff. We clashed on the battlefield often. Aside from Princess Valtrune, I think she was the only opponent against whom my sword was truly ineffective. She was just that good. Mounted on her dragon, she used her long-reaching spear to deny my approach. I tried time and again to slip into her blind spot, but I was blocked every time, and we never reached a decisive conclusion.
Within the Valugan Empire, she was without a doubt the strongest dragon soldier. I believe it was thanks to her skill that she crushed the Kingdom’s advances time and again, allowing the Imperial army to hold on when it was on the brink of collapse. But because she was a commoner, and a woman, she was an enemy general who had only risen to prominence in the final stages of the war. She was so strong, it wouldn’t have been strange for her to have made a name for herself much earlier. The fact that she had only just appeared on the main stage also showed just how desperate the Empire, which so heavily valued status, had become.
“Another draw, it seems.”
“…Looks like it. Unfortunately.”
“I see. I can understand why my mistress has taken a liking to you. Your sword is so refined. It’s truly a waste for you to be an enemy.”
At the time, her words filled me with guilt, but I held fast to my position as her enemy.
“I am… a knight of the Reshfeld Kingdom.”
“Yes, I know. My mistress has told me so often I’m sick of hearing it, that you will not join our side.”
She knew me well, even as an enemy. Her cool expression broke, and she hung her head in genuine disappointment.
“Every time your sword grazes my spear, I think… If only you were an ally, how reassuring would that be? If we could fight back-to-back, we wouldn’t lose to any foe… That’s what I find myself thinking.”
“That future doesn’t exist. I cannot side with Princess Valtrune.”
My feelings and my actions were not aligned, and I was in great anguish. Whenever I was forced to recognize my hostile relationship with Princess Valtrune, my heart ached as if it were being squeezed.
“Please don’t look so pained. My mistress understands your circumstances well. Therefore—”
Not as an enemy, but as a fellow warrior, she raised her spear.
“Do not hold back. Come at me with your full strength, as you always have. As long as I still live, I will receive every blow from your sword!”
She, a person from the enemy nation, was also kind to me.
“…Sorry… and thank you.”
“Not at all. Those are my mistress’s orders.”
I cannot say how much those words saved my heart. Her existence was, second only to Princess Valtrune, an incredibly important one to me.
6
“Well?”
Time had completely stopped for Ritziareite. Her mind had likely shut down from the suddenness of it all. …I never would have imagined in the past that I would get to see that Ritziareite with such a blank look on her face.
“……”
Seeing Ritziareite standing there, speechless, the Princess immediately turned her gaze to me. Then she gave me a cute wink.
“Aldia, what do you think?”
“Well. Considering her skill and character, I personally believe she is a fitting person to be commander.”
“See? I agree.”
I was here to respect Princess Valtrune’s opinions to the fullest. That said, it wasn’t just because she wished for it; I genuinely felt that the position of commander suited Ritziareite. If she were in command, the new army would surely achieve stable results.
“Eh…”
—Was she that surprised that I praised her? My words seemed to shake Ritziareite as well. She began to speak in a quiet, reserved voice.
“…Um, I am a commoner, and a woman. Why can you be so certain… that you can expect so much from me? I don’t understand.”
She directed the question not at Princess Valtrune, but at me. In this Empire, where the aristocracy reigned supreme, it was no wonder she had become so humble. The Ritziareite before me now seemed to have less self-confidence than the one I met in the past. She was different from her old self, who had held the title of Personal Knight. She probably hadn’t yet realized her own potential. So, I told her plainly.
“I am merely stating my own opinion. As Her Highness said, I believe you are just that capable. That you are a commoner, or a woman… neither Her Highness nor I are particularly concerned with such superficial information.”
The moment I said it, Princess Valtrune burst out laughing.
“Aldia, you… fufu, you really do understand me, don’t you.”
“I am your Personal Knight.”
“So you are. You are my Personal Knight, after all.”
When I answered in that casual tone, Princess Valtrune smiled, looking amused.
“Lady Valtrune… are you truly… sure it’s okay for it to be me…?”
Ritziareite pleaded with the princess, who was still chuckling.
“Yes. I acknowledge you. Appointments based on status or gender are unnecessary. I… intend to keep only those who are capable and trustworthy by my side.”
“Capable… trustworthy…”
—That was one of her core truths. That was precisely why she had chosen someone like me, a commoner from another country, to be her Personal Knight. Princess Valtrune was absolutely different from your average royalty. She possessed a compassionate heart, a strong will, and sharp insight and judgment. She could see who was necessary for the country and select them as precious assets.
“I… see… Just as the rumors said, Lady Valtrune, you truly are a kind person.”
Tears welled in Ritziareite’s eyes.
“Until now, not a single person has ever said such things to me. When I became a dragon soldier, as a commoner and a woman, everyone just told me ‘You can’t do it’… That’s all I ever heard.”
Ritziareite is a strong woman. She ignored her unfortunate background and worked hard as a dragon soldier. The reason she became so strong was none other than her refusal to stop fighting against adversity.
“I’m so… happy. I feel like I’ve been acknowledged for the first time…”
That must be why Princess Valtrune chose her as her Personal Knight in the first life.
“It’s all right. You will, without a doubt, become a renowned general. I guarantee it.”
“Yes…! I will become even stronger, for your sake, Lady Valtrune!”
Ritziareite has a strong desire to improve. As she is now, I am still much stronger than her. However, in a few years, she will become strong enough to stand beside me. —I can’t afford to get complacent, either.
“I will inform your current dragon corps of your transfer. I’d like you to come here as soon as possible, but…”
“Understood. I will pack my things and prepare to move here.”
“Yes, arrangements for your room have already been made… So once again, I’m counting on you. Ritziareite!”
“Yes! This life is for you, Lady Valtrune!”
She replied with a bright, clear smile. Princess Valtrune’s former Personal Knight had thus found her way back to her side. “If we could fight back-to-back…” This was also the moment that what she had once said to me had come true. For my part, I felt a quiet fire ignite within me, vowing to work in a way that would bring no shame to the title of Princess Valtrune’s Personal Knight. I would strive to be acknowledged by Ritziareite as well—I silently hardened my resolve, my thoughts turning to the words of the woman who had died in the past.
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