Chapter 26: I Became a Swordsman in the Middle Ages

Long Business Trip (4)

"It's… surprisingly peaceful?"

The two arrived safely at the gates of the Gartane County.

What surprised them was how livable the place looked. Beatrice had imagined something grim and gray when she heard they were heading to a warfront, but the city still felt warm.

“This land is under the jurisdiction of a frontier marquis,” Cecilia explained. “The threat of demons is always close, and if everyone fled in fear, no one could live here.”

Frontier Marquis — a noble who governs a territory frequently exposed to invasions or unrest.

Their title might be Count, but in practice, they had the authority of a Marquess, perhaps even more. They had the power to raise their own armies or manage defense fortresses independently.

Cecilia strained on her tiptoes, trying hard to peer into the distance.

“Still… even accounting for that, it’s too peaceful.”

She tilted her head in suspicion. No matter how she looked at it, there were no signs of threat.

“There should be at least 2,000 monsters.”

“I-I think we’re better off not having that many…”

‘Beatrice really is a kind soul,’ Cecilia thought.

But why was she crying?

Most likely, she wasn’t worried about her own growth but rather the safety of the people who might get hurt by those monsters.

As they continued walking for a while—

Cecilia yawned, but suddenly sensed something odd and stopped in her tracks.

“Lady Cecilia, look. There are guards up ahead,” Beatrice pointed out.

But Cecilia was already walking away toward something else.

“Lady Cecilia?”

Shing—

Cecilia suddenly drew her sword. Her blade aimed not at any monster, but at a terrified apple vendor.

“Put down your weapon!”

The guards shouted loudly, but Cecilia didn’t even glance at them. Her eyes stayed fixed on the shopkeeper.

“He’s afraid of me.”

“…”

“But he’s not a demon. Strange. I swear I sensed one.”

Cecilia’s voice was calm and detached. The apple vendor took a step back, clearly shaken. The apples from his display rolled across the ground.

Cecilia’s eyes naturally followed the falling fruit—

And that’s when she saw it.

A young child, hiding silently beneath the cart while holding their breath.

Cecilia’s eyes went cold.

“…It’s you.”

“Don’t move!”

A guard lunged at her, but Cecilia allowed herself to be taken down without resistance.

She’d calculated that causing unnecessary trouble now would interfere with her mission.

With her hands behind her back, she was subdued quietly. Beatrice, flustered, tried to intervene.

“W-Wait! This person is Lady Cecilia of the Windsor Knights! She’s not suspicious!”

But the guard ignored Beatrice and questioned Cecilia directly.

“What were you trying to do?”

“I killed it.”

Splurt!

Belatedly, the child collapsed behind them, blood pouring out.

The apple vendor dropped to his knees in disbelief.

“Nedan? No… no, please. Stay with me… my baby…”

The guard’s eyes widened in shock beneath his helmet.

“I killed a demon.”

Suddenly consumed with rage, the guard drew his sword.

“That—that?! You’re saying that was a demon?! Damn you—!”

“Stand down,” a calm voice interrupted.

“Y-Your Excellency, but—”

“That is not someone you can handle.”

Cecilia lay on the ground, staring up at the man standing over her.

He had his hands behind his back—his stance wasn’t necessarily powerful, but he exuded that distinct air of authority unique to high-ranking officials.

“‘I let myself be restrained since you’re a guard, but if you cross the line, I will respond in kind.’ Isn’t that right, nameless Windsor knight?”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Lord Gartane, Frontier Marquis. I am Cecilia of the Windsor Knights.”

“L-Lord! The corpse, it's turning black!”

Another guard pointed at the fallen child and cried out.

The child Cecilia had struck was quickly rotting, then disintegrated into black ash—a classic sign of a slain demon.

The guard restraining her gasped and immediately let her go.

Now free, Cecilia stood up and dusted herself off.

“My apologies, Sir Knight Cecilia. We’re a bit remote here; so not everyone knows of the Windsor Knights.”

“There’s nothing to forgive. Guards have the duty of upholding public order in addition to protection. His reaction was appropriate.”

‘But I won’t forget this. I’m stealing every last final hit from him from now on.’

Yes—Cecilia could be surprisingly petty.

“…Let us go to the keep for now. I’ll lead the way.” (TL: Keep is somewhat like a castle, if you’re wondering)

***

The Count’s keep was, in a word, bare.

Even Kairon’s famously frugal mansion looked more luxurious. A noble household without even a single painting? It was practically unnatural.

He led them to his office. Though technically called an office, it was more like a war room—a commander’s quarters. Maps and tactical diagrams lined the walls. On the desk, scattered chess pieces sat atop a battlefield map.

Lord Aldred Gartane, the Frontier Marquis, lit a cigarette and spoke.

“Are all Windsor Knights like this?”

Cecilia tilted her head slightly.

“I meant, are you all such fanatical idealists?”

He was likely referring to how she’d immediately killed the demon rather than reporting it first—and in public, no less.

Cecilia considered explaining, but decided to address her own curiosity first. He had spoken as though another Windsor knight had already come through.

“Have you met another Windsor Knight before?”

“Yes,” he answered, exhaling a slow stream of smoke before setting down his cigarette.

“Edward Windsor. The knight who was ‘sanctified’ for what he did in this city.”

‘So the Vice Commander was here... But wait—’

What he did?

It didn’t sound like praise for valor or achievements.

‘Now that I think about it… The guards we passed on the way in did seem oddly hostile toward me.’

Could Edward have caused trouble here?

Unlikely. Edward’s image was stellar, to the point where at least 70% of the Windsor Knight Order held him in high esteem.

If it had been Jerriway, that would’ve made sense instantly, but…

“May I ask what happened, exactly?”

“No,” he said, coldly.

“Because now, it’s my turn to ask.”

Aldred gestured toward Beatrice, who was trembling beside them.

“Who is this knight? Her attire’s different from yours. Do the Windsors now distinguish between high and low ranks even in clothing? That wasn’t the case last time.”

“I am a high-ranking knight, but this child is a trainee.”

“…An apprentice knight, is she.”

That seemed to irritate the Count more than a little.

Beatrice, always quick on the uptake, turned pale as a sheet, lowering her gaze in a panic.

Staring down at her, Aldred spoke in a tone laced with disapproval.

“Did you take this place for a training ground?”

“No. We met by chance on the way here.”

“Then she should turn back while she can. She's out of her depth.”

“She should still rank in the middle tier among your knights, at least.”

“…”

Beatrice was on the verge of fainting.

Did she just provoke him?

No matter how high-ranking Cecilia was, she was still beneath the Frontier Marquis in status.

‘We’re all going to be executed!’

But surprisingly, Aldred didn’t seem angry.

“Then she might prove useful. She may stay.”

“Thank you.”

“…?”

Beatrice was more flustered than relieved.

‘Am I the weird one…?’

Just now seemed like a perfect moment for him to explode in anger, yet he hadn’t even shown a hint of displeasure.

“So, when are the rest of your knights arriving?”

Cecilia took a step back.

Then she stared right at Beatrice.

The look clearly said: You tell him.

‘That’s so unfair…!’

But she couldn’t dare to refuse Cecilia. Fumbling and stammering, she stepped forward.

“Um… the one who received the mission was Lady Cecilia…”

“Yes, I know. I assumed she came ahead because the situation was urgent. So, how large is the force she brought?”

Aldred looked genuinely expectant. Beatrice, understanding the feelings of knights committing ritual suicide, closed her eyes and said:

“...We are the entire force!”

Behind her, Cecilia nearly clapped. She’d already gotten that impression on the train, but it was clear now—Beatrice wasn’t afraid to speak her mind.

‘Passed.’

Cecilia was growing more and more fond of her.

Meanwhile, Aldred’s fondness was clearly evaporating.

“What—what? That’s it? The entire force?!”

The composed Count abruptly shot to his feet, his face a picture of disbelief.

“Wait, don’t tell me—ah, yes. Incredible! Could it be you’ve already reached Sword Emperor at your age?”

Shake shake.

Cecilia calmly shook her head.

“No.”

“…Haha, of course not. My mind must be slipping. Sword Emperor at that age? Absurd. Then... surely, you must be upper-tier Sword Sovereign? Still very impressive. A bit disappointing but valuable reinforcement nontheless.”

Cecilia responded with utmost sincerity:

“My title is Sword Princess.”

“Sword Princess…! That’s a fine title. I’d love to see your swordplay. Surely, it’d be at least Sovereign level considering the epithet, right?”

Cecilia looked wistfully into the distant mountains and replied:

“Just the beginner tier.”

“…?”

“I received the title about a year ago.”

“Hahahaha!”

Aldred laughed so hard that tears welled in his eyes.

Beatrice, on the other hand, was starting to find the Count downright terrifying.

“What a delightful joke. But let’s not be too flippant now. To be a high-ranking knight in the Windsor Knight Order, one must be at least upper-tier Sword Demon, no?”

That was incorrect.

In the Windsor Knight Order, even regular knights were expected to be near the level of a Sword Demon. Nearly half had been officially granted the title.

But to become a high-ranking knight, it wasn’t just about brute strength. It also required sound judgment, composure, and capability in various aspects.

Of course, someone at the level of Sword Emperor could be promoted based on strength alone.

But Cecilia hadn’t been promoted because she was a Sword Princess.

She had been acknowledged for her exceptional decision-making—so much so that no one within the Order questioned her qualifications.

“An urgent call for reinforcements. A surprisingly peaceful city. Demons who have stolen ‘presence’ to hide among humans.”

Cecilia spoke calmly.

“It appears that what this territory needs isn’t just military support.”

A flicker passed through Aldred’s pupils. Cecilia didn’t miss it. Her voice firmed with growing certainty and conviction.

“The real issue is that too many demons have already infiltrated this land.”

‘The parents of the victim from earlier… they seemed to know that their child was a demon.’

That was the moment she grasped the situation. Ordinary humans wouldn’t be afraid of Windsor Knights.

But fear could only mean one of two things: either the person was a demon, or they were hiding one.

In the case of the shopkeeper, it was clearly the latter, and it had likely been going on for some time.

Then came the most telling detail: the attitude of the frontier marquis.

He hadn’t shown any surprise or alarm even when a demon was discovered in his territory.

That left only one possibility:

“They know it’s happening, but they have no way to deal with it.”

Cecilia’s voice was quiet as she recalled the earlier scene.

“To those who believe they’re protecting actual humans, it would look like nothing but murder.”

“…How?”

Aldred was visibly shaken.

“How do you know that? Even here in the domain, including me, only a handful of us are aware.”

“That’s why I’m here. Because I can grasp what only a handful know, in under three minutes.”

Cecilia said it with pride.

Proof and recognition.

Those were the two most crucial elements in a mission like this.

The faster she gained cooperation, the more she could do. The more she could do, the sooner she could finish the job—and go home on time.

“Let me formally introduce myself again: Sword Princess Cecilia. I am the entire reinforcement from the Windsor Knight Order.”

Now Cecilia understood why the Queen had sent her on this mission.

At this level, her abilities alone would suffice to bring it to a close.

…It was just a little disappointing there didn’t seem to be many monsters.

“I’ll end this war within 3 days.”

And thankfully, it seemed she could make that deadline.

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