Adonis responded to Reed's greeting.
"I am Adonis Huper, the captain of the 3rd Knight Order of Huper Kingdom, and I greet you, Tower Master."
"I heard you're the eldest princess of the Huper royal family."
"Yes, I am. However, you don't need to treat me like other princesses."
Adonis placed her hand on the Huper Kingdom emblem engraved on her plate armor and stood at attention.
"I am a sword that protects a nation, and before it, there is only justice, not gender. So please, feel free to speak casually."
"Understood. The spirit of an excellent knight."
In other words, she meant she was a troublesome woman.
However, Reed politely offered Adonis a seat.
Adonis sat opposite Reed.
'It's like my first encounter with Dolores.'
Although the atmosphere wasn't as cold as back then, it was even more stiff.
She had short platinum blonde hair and green eyes. As long as she didn't speak, she looked like a handsome man with her tall and slim figure.
'Wasn't she said to resemble Morgan the 2nd like a twin?'
Adonis Huper was 26 years old. Morgan the 2nd was 9 years old, and their appearances were so similar that they could be mistaken as sisters, not siblings.
[T/N: By siblings, they mean brother and sister.]
Of course, as Morgan the 2nd grew older, he would become more masculine, but at present, it was said they looked alike.
Reed examined her with his「Talent Appraisal」trait.
-----------------
Name: Adonis Huper
Occupation: Captain of the 3rd Knight Order
Age: 26 years old
Alignment: Order-Neutral
Health: 1,215/1,215
Stamina: 840/1,040
Mana: 261/261
[Traits]
「Bloodline of Huper」, 「Chivalry」, 「Giant Slayer」, 「Sword Expert」
[Abilities]
[Unreleased Traits & Abilities]
「Sura's Sword」, 「Magic Swordsman」, 「Sword Master」
-----------------
In a word, Adonis was this kind of being.
'A knight of immense strength.'
The trait「Giant Slayer」is given only to those with immense strength, able to contend with giants.
At first glance, she appeared like a dedicated knight with a slender face, but her strength was much greater than that of any other knight.
"Why do you ask, Tower Master?"
"…Nothing."
'Let's not think about it. Let's just look at what's in her abilities.'
She had all the skills a knight should possess.
Aside from
'She also had the qualities of a mage.'
She wouldn't become an Archmage, but she chose to grow as a knight instead of pursuing the path of a mage.
"First, I would like to apologize for our knights not recognizing you, Tower Master."
Adonis politely apologized. Rather than simply accepting her apology, Reed considered it an apology for his own actions as well.
"I haven't done anything admirable either. I did break your knights' swords."
"When the Imperial Workshop investigated the matter, they found that the sword was a defective product from their workshop. If the knight had battled you with that defective weapon, we would have undoubtedly lost a great knight to Alte's arms. It is our side that should be grateful."
Defective product…
Considering it was the Imperial Workshop that only handled the best products, they would have deemed it a defective item the moment they heard a single mage had broken the sword like a candy.
In the end, the sword would be remade by the Imperial Workshop, and no one would have lost anything.
"Also,"
Adonis stared at Reed with her green eyes.
"We will purchase all the goods you've intercepted at their contractual prices."
"Did you bring the money?"
"Of course."
Adonis showed a chest and said,
"I have calculated the total value of the carrots you acquired, which is 1,000 UP."
"1,500 UP."
Reed cut her off.
"Our tower can store them in the best condition. We even separate the ones eaten by bugs and keep them well, so I think that should be worth an additional 500 YUPI."
That was a 1.5 times markup.
Adonis stared at Reed and then quietly nodded.
"…Understood."
Originally, there was not only 1,000 YUPI in the chest.
She took out a total of 1,500 YUPI and piled it in front of Reed.
"Moreover,"
"Do you have anything else left?"
"I would like you to deliver all the grain that was promised to Starfall Village by tomorrow."
[T/N: Fallen Star Village -> Starfall Village, makes more sense]
Reed had not raised the issue out of charity.
He simply wanted to see how far the King's representative could accommodate.
"It's unexpected that you, Tower Master, would show concern for such a small village."
"I saw the spirit of a knight there, willing to risk their life to protect their village. Isn't that a level of resilience different from those who retreat as soon as their sword breaks?"
This remark carried a sharp edge.
Her face should have scowled, but it remained as rigid as a doll's.
"I cannot handle that matter at my discretion. I shall report it to His Majesty."
Reed didn't reply and just looked at her.
Adonis, who had been waiting for a response, raised her head and looked at Reed.
"It's strange."
"What do you mean?"
"You don't feel it? You are buying the carrots for 500 YUPI more than agreed, but you say that delivering the grain immediately is impossible."
It could have been justifiable if she wanted to avoid rubbing the Tower Master the wrong way.
However, Reed didn't see it in that simple light.
"Why is the Huper Kingdom issuing promissory notes to commoners?"
"I cannot answer that. The knights do not interfere with administration or politics, so even if I wanted to, I couldn't tell you."
"So that's how the Huper Kingdom's politics work."
"All policies are wisely led by His Majesty and the ministers. That is why, until now, there have been no doubts."
"No doubts, huh..."
Reed drew out his words.
He wanted to amplify the impact of the imminent bombshell.
"Does the Captain of the 3rd Knight Order also feel that way?"
Boom!
The glass she held shattered.
She had barely put any strength into her grip, yet the glass shattered.
Questioning a knight's faith was something to do only if prepared for death.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that. I apologize for breaking the glass."
"That's fine. It's just a cheap glassware anyway. Clean your hand."
"Thank you."
Adonis wiped her hand with a handkerchief from her pocket and looked back at Reed.
"As for your question,"
The atmosphere had subtly changed.
Her cold expression now contained an icy sharpness.
As if standing up against Reed's authority.
Adonis sighed softly and said,
"I also trust His Majesty. I sincerely request that you refrain from further questions."
"Alright."
Adonis then faithfully performed the mission on behalf of King Morgan Huper.
Two things were confirmed:
First, treat the Starfall Village incident as if it had never happened.
Second, buy the carrots for 1,500 YUPI.
Lastly, Reed will no longer cause any incidents within the Huper Kingdom territory.
It went smoothly.
From the outset, Reed hadn't aimed to fan the flames, so there was no further conflict.
"Then, I will report the meeting results to His Majesty."
With that, Adonis stood up and left the reception room.
"Adonis Huper."
Just as she was about to leave the room, Reed spoke up again.
Adonis halted in place.
"Yes, what is it?"
"Would you, as a knight, be able to remain one forever?"
"…"
At that question, Adonis turned her head to look at Reed.
What was his intention in asking such a question?
She stared at him silently for a moment before finally uttering her answer.
"I am a knight who has set foot in the martial arts. Being able to serve beside His Majesty as a sword is something I am always grateful for."
"I wanted to see that knightly spirit, so I asked. Thank you for giving such a clear answer."
"Thank you."
Adonis then bowed and left the reception room.
Reed quietly sipped the remaining tea and muttered,
"She doesn't even blink."
Her face, like a blooming ice flower on a snowy field, showed no movement.
It seemed she could have been a high-level poker player, given her consistent expression as she left the room.
However, that didn't mean he couldn't see through her lies.
- I trust His Majesty.
- I am always grateful to serve by His Majesty's side.
Adonis Huper was lying.
* * *
The eldest princess of the Huper family, Adonis Huper.
Captain of the 3rd Knight Order, Adonis Huper.
But a few years later, she would be called by a different name.
The Third Disaster, Adonis.
Codename: Adonis. She would become known as the most malicious magic swordsman.
Just with her swordsmanship, she reached the level of 「Sword Expert」, and in a few years, she would acquire the title of 「Sword Master」.
With the swordsmanship imbued with mana, body reinforcement magic, and even the creation of projectiles using mana, it was not strange for her to be ranked third among the Seven Disasters.
'She is really a desirable woman.'
Possessing martial arts skills and showing respect for discipline, she was not lacking as a wise king's successor.
She also had expectations, and she strictly dealt with her own behavior to maintain the honor of the royal family.
However, Adonis would never become a queen.
During a banquet, she accidentally killed a noble who tried to rudely assault her.
Even if she were not a princess, a person who has become a knight commander should have been able to easily subdue a noble.
As the issue surfaced, the incident involving the princess unfolded unfavorably.
In the end, the wise king dismissed her from the position of the knight commander and decisively designated Morgan the 2nd as the next king, putting an end to this situation.
She was completely buried in society.
Adonis, who had been dismissed, met Reed and participated in the
She fell into corruption.
She began to hate her father who had given birth to her.
She envied her younger brother.
She broke her own beliefs.
'I had decided to think about Rosaria first for a while, but…'
Was this something called fate?
He never thought he would see Adonis as a representative of the king.
'Adonis Huper…'
Reed, who saw her untainted self, felt a surge of emotion in his heart.
He began to be attracted to her, who was destined to become a villain.
* * *
In the capital city of Huper Kingdom, Cohen.
As the night deepened, darkness descended.
While everyone was waiting for dawn to break, the king's office was still lit by candlelight.
The wise king, Morgan Huper.
Born with a long beard and droopy eyes, he was an elderly man with a kind expression suited to the reputation of a wise king.
Due to his recent onset of presbyopia, tears fell when he worked under candlelight, but he never stopped wielding his pen.
[T/N: Presbyopia is a common condition that occurs when the eyes lose their ability to focus on nearby objects.]
Knock knock.
"Come in."
As the door opened, a minister entered.
"Your Majesty, the princess has returned after meeting with the Tower Master of Silence Tower."
"What was the outcome?"
"It seems it ended without any issue."
"Hmm… I see. You may rest for today. I'll continue working."
Although the minister said, "How can I rest when Your Majesty is not sleeping?", Morgan smiled at his loyalty and allowed him to leave early for the day.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The minister bowed politely and left the room.
Morgan lowered his head and resumed his work.
Although he was spellbound, his work didn't stop even when tears fell.
Knock knock.
It was at that moment.
Something knocked on Morgan's window.
The minister had entered and yet Morgan's pen didn't stop.
But now, it stopped.
A dim figure appeared before Morgan's eyes, covering the moonlit night.
"Who's there?"
Morgan asked, but no answer came from beyond the door.
Deciding that there was no one there, Morgan stood up and opened the window.
It was a crow.
No, it was a corpse made to look like a crow.
One side of its head was intact, but on the other side, the skull was exposed, giving it a bizarre appearance.
Morgan knew the mage who possessed such a repulsive taste.
The Tower Master of Black Sky, Freesia Vulcan Darkrider.
Morgan opened the letter that the crow had in its mouth.
- I've found what you've been looking for.
Let's meet again soon to talk about it.
P.S. Are you truly a wise king? I've never seen anyone as cold-blooded as you.