As time passed, Clobber's flushed cheeks gradually returned to normal, the subtle pink hue fading until his face looked like it had before.
Realizing his earlier lapse in composure, he quickly averted his gaze from Veronica, mentally scolding himself.
What the hell was I thinking, staring at the duchess like that?
If she ever caught on, he'd probably be in for a hefty punishment.
Fortunately, Veronica seemed uninterested in such details, allowing Clobber to breathe a quiet sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, Veronica noticed that her "little rose" had grown shy, unwilling to look at her any longer, and found the situation more amusing by the second. The urge to tease him only grew stronger.
But duty came first. She had to handle the business at hand before anything else. After all, she was a ruler, a founder of a nation, and a Dragon Knight—there were certain standards to uphold.
Opening the second letter, she found it was from Count Daniel, with a report regarding the border territories.
The contents were simple: nobles from all corners of the kingdom were heeding the duchess's call to arms, many of them already having completed their war preparations. In just two or three days, they would be ready to gather at the two countships on the border—Moonlight Mushroom and Golden Rose.
Everyone was now waiting for Veronica's orders to confirm the final assembly point.
As her eyes skimmed the letter, Veronica glanced at Clobber, who was standing to her right, pretending to be an attentive guard. Her expression shifted as if she was formulating a plan.
Without hesitation, she seized her quill and swiftly marked the assembly point as Flower Crown City, the capital of the Golden Rose family.
From there, the army would march west along Rose Boulevard, eventually reaching the Hilder Fortress, and then press forward toward the Moir Forest.
Soon enough, the military orders, outlining the marching route and assembly points, were neatly written.
After double-checking everything, Veronica sealed the letter in an envelope.
She then reached for the delicate seal hanging from her waist—a golden dragon's head carved into it.
With a satisfying "thud," she pressed the seal firmly onto the envelope, and the golden dragon insignia appeared, marking it as her personal letter.
She placed the letter on the table and turned to Clobber.
"Little ro—"
She stopped herself mid-sentence, feeling the informal nickname was out of place.
" Clobber, take this letter to the steward of the outer keep and have him send it to Flower Crown City."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Clobber quickly accepted the task, eager to leave the hall. The atmosphere in the room felt off—like something ominous was lurking, watching him.
Taking the letter, he practically ran out of the throne room.
What he didn't notice was the pair of amused eyes that followed his retreating figure.
Outside the hall, Clobber put his helmet back on. Despite the safety of the Saint Gold Keep, there was something about wearing the helmet that gave him a sense of security no other object could provide.
At the outer keep, in the steward's chambers…
"You mean, this is a letter directly from the Duchess?"
The steward asked, his voice filled with surprise as he looked at the knight before him. Normally, the Duchess's office was attended only by her personal maids, and they were the ones who relayed her orders.
Clobber nodded, pointing to the fiery seal on the envelope, where the golden dragon head was clearly etched.
"See this mark? This symbolizes the Duchess herself. After all these years in the castle, do you really not know this?"
The steward shook his head. Of course, he knew about the seal, but what baffled him was why Clobber, of all people, was delivering the message.
Dragon Breath Knights were normally assigned important military duties—patrolling the area or standing watch—but delivering messages was never one of them!
Now, a knight who had only just been assigned was acting as a messenger. That was highly unusual.
As a veteran servant who had worked in the castle for years, the steward's keen instincts immediately sensed something more was going on here. The Duchess was known for her careful management of her people. The servants took care of supplies, finances, and intelligence, while the knights focused solely on military matters. The knights never got involved in intelligence, not out of distrust, but to maintain a careful balance and mitigate risks—after all, not everyone who came to the Saint Gold Keep was loyal to the Duchess.
Seeing Clobber and the unusual circumstances surrounding him, the steward silently thought to himself:
The Duchess must place special importance on this young knight, or she wouldn't have sent him with a letter.
With that thought, a knowing smile spread across the steward's face, as if he had uncovered the key to the puzzle. His mood lightened instantly.
"Please, Clobber, the messenger crows are kept by the tower here. I'll select one that regularly travels to Flower Crown City."
With that, the steward approached the cages containing the crows and chose one. He carefully placed the letter in the space between the crow's wings, which were covered in feathers.
"Wait—what?"
Clobber was stunned. The letter, almost as large as his hand, was suddenly gone after being tucked between the crow's wings.
Although the steward couldn't see Clobber's shocked expression through his helmet, he could guess from the silence that his reaction was exactly as expected.
"Don't be surprised, Clobber. These messenger crows were specially trained by the Duchess. Though they may look ordinary, they're actually low-level magical beasts. They're enhanced with wind elements, which makes them incredibly fast."
"The design of these crows is different from regular birds. The space under their wings is hollow, hidden by the feathers. When the letter is placed inside, the crow can adjust the feathers to secure it, preventing it from being lost along the way. You can rest assured, it's quite reliable."
Clobber finally understood the unique properties of the messenger crows. They had sacrificed their fighting ability to become the perfect messengers, using their ability to carry letters and their speed to their advantage.
He watched the crow take off, before bidding the steward farewell and heading back to the throne room.
Inside, Veronica was finished with her work and was now waiting idly for Clobber to return.
As Clobber entered, the Duchess's eyes lit up. She gestured for him to approach.
Without hesitation, Clobber quickly walked up to her, ready for her next command.
"Alright... Go to the inner keep's gate. The first room on the left is your captain's office. Tell him to gather the troops. After lunch, he's to escort me to Flower Crown City."
Clobber's face remained neutral as he nodded in agreement. It was better than standing around doing nothing.
"And one more thing. You don't have a direct knight squad yet. From now on, you'll be serving by my side as a messenger. Your main duty will be to relay orders for me."
Hearing this promotion, Clobber knelt on one knee, following the proper etiquette to thank his liege for the generous offer.
As for what was going on inside his head... Let's just say, he wasn't nearly as excited as his outward display suggested.