There were a few minor incidents.
Fortunately, the princess's visit to the unit, which was full of talk and trouble, was coming to an end without any major incidents.
"The schedule is almost over. You've worked really hard, Vice-Captain."
"No. It's all thanks to the captain's strong support."
"Honestly, what did I do? You did all the actual work."
The vice-captain in particular worked really hard.
Even though the princess only looked around the unit roughly, it was her credit that she was able to fix the Knights' headquarters, which was a mess, to a decent level within a short period of time.
The vice-captain showed excellent crisis management skills as if this wasn't the first or second time this had happened, and thanks to her, my trust in her increased even more.
Meanwhile, I think I've already shown you most of the facilities of the Black Lion Knights that I can brag about to the princess.
Now, there's no need to make the princess stay here any longer.
I feel sorry for the subordinates who are stuck in the headquarters barracks, anxious and unable to do anything.
Everyone has been working hard day and night for several days, so I should at least let them leave work early today. No matter how strong the knights are, physical and mental fatigue are separate issues.
—Tread, step
But why has the princess been walking silently since a while ago?
Even without that, the princess of the empire came to meet a mere knight commander in person, so I was feeling uneasy because I ended up not being able to have a proper conversation with her.
That's why I was just thinking about whether I should force myself to make room after all the schedule was over.
—Creepy!
A chill suddenly ran down my spine.
'What is it?'
In addition to the five senses, humans have another sense.
It is commonly referred to as the sixth sense.
In general, it is simply treated as a different name for coincidence or ominousness, but when entering the realm of superhumans, the story is different.
In critical moments where life and death are at stake, such as on a battlefield, the sixth sense sometimes acts as a more powerful basis for judgment than the five senses.
But in this peaceful moment, my sixth sense is sending me a small warning signal.
It was strange.
However, it was literally a small warning signal, so it shouldn't be a big deal.
Of course, since the princess is here, I wasn't having any complacent thoughts.
Currently, the Black Lion Knights are almost guaranteed absolute safety by the imperial guard and the commander-level guards that I personally selected.
Since I am personally guarding the princess, the possibility of something dangerous happening is extremely low.
Maybe it was just a warning sign that something a little unfortunate might happen today.
No matter how high you reach, your gut instinct is not something to be trusted in a critical situation.
Even outside of the battlefield, people who rely on their gut instinct all day are often called delusional or paranoid.
It's not right to be overly cautious. Just being conscious is enough.
Thinking that, I glanced up at the sky and saw that the sun was already halfway through the sky.
It was early morning when the princess and her party had just arrived at the guard post, so quite some time had passed.
I asked the princess, who had been holding onto the hem of her skirt and twiddling her fingers with a strange blush, for her opinion.
"Princess. This concludes our inspection tour of the Black Lion Knights. Is there anywhere else you would like to see or anything else you would like to know?"
Then, the princess raised her head and met my eyes directly, giving me an inexplicable smile.
"I don't have anything else to ask, but there is a place I want to look around a little more."
"I see? Then where else..."
As expected, it seemed that one of the facilities was particularly impressive.
'That makes sense.'
The Black Lion Knights' grounds are quite large, and there are quite a few facilities that stand out here and there.
Honestly, I was a little disappointed that they were so indifferent to my and my subordinates' efforts.
As I answered in a carefree manner, the princess's cold blue eyes continued to stare into mine.
I'm not used to dealing with women. But I wasn't so insensitive that I couldn't even recognize that kind of signal.
'It's come.'
They must want to have a private conversation with me.
It was something I had been prepared for from the beginning.
"Vice-captain. You go now. Since all the scheduled activities are over, I think it's enough for me to guide you alone."
"Yes. Understood. Then…"
The vice-captain immediately bowed to the princess and returned to the headquarters barracks with measured steps.
Since the moment she hesitated during the inauguration ceremony, she has never once refuted an order I gave her.
Also, it was fortunate that the meeting between the two women ended on a good note.
Although they had a bit of an argument, judging by the princess's expression, it seemed that there was no ill feelings between them.
'Well, in the end, they seemed to reconcile.'
To be honest, I was a little worried because the vice-captain was acting overly confident in front of the princess.
It was absolutely unacceptable for her, a precious subordinate, to be dragged away for the crime of insulting the royal family.
"Hoohoo…"
When the vice-captain was no longer in sight, the princess smiled and pursed her lips, looking extremely refreshing.
"You said Monument Square? That place where the lion statue that looked exactly like you was. I'd like to see that place one more time."
"Yes. Then I'll take you there."
Monument Square.
It's called a square, but it has a strong meaning as a kind of sanctuary, so no one visits it unless there's an important event like a memorial service or a military departure ceremony.
In other words, it was the perfect place for a private meeting.
According to the report of the 4th Hundredth Captain, there was a recent romance between a female knight and a servant under his command, and the place where they had their secret meeting was right here.
Well, since they were both good friends, they didn't give him any heavy punishment other than a light disciplinary action for public indecency.
It was truly something that would make the previous Black Lion Knights shed tears from the sky.
But when on earth did the princess see this? As expected, the royal family has a wider field of vision than ordinary people.
Just as I was about to enter the very small artificial forest path leading to the monument square.
"Give me your hand." "Yes?"
The princess made a remark that embarrassed me greatly.
"Even Coco, who is raised in the front yard of the villa, gives it to me right away if I ask for a hand, so how can someone who is bigger than an orc not understand that?"
"Wait. What are you doing, Princess?
—Sudden!
Without any time to say anything, I had no choice but to let the frail Princess, who I could easily subdue with just one finger, hold my hand.
The Princess began to examine my lumpy and hideous hands as if she was curious.
"Your hands are really huge. They must be twice the size of mine. With those big, rough grips, I… "
"Princess. You're playing a little too much."
At that embarrassing act, I tried to stop myself with a serious expression, fearing that someone might see me, even though it was impossible.
"Huh! Why? That night, you hugged my body tightly, covered my mouth, and sniffed my hair… "
At the princess's words, I kept my mouth shut and couldn't say anything.
"I'm sorry. You can do whatever you want." "Hehehe..."
It was a hand with nothing but scars and calluses.
My teacher always nagged me about my hands being so big that I had to eat a lot.
It was nothing more than an eyesore that shouldn't be shown to someone who was the princess of the empire.
"Huh..."
But why was the princess putting her white, soft hand on my palm and making a strange snorting sound.
She was even looking at me with a look of satisfaction.
I felt like I could die from embarrassment.
"Ah! Lord Wolfgang. Your face is red."
"Huh? You can't possibly be..."
"Uh-huh... So you're a human after all, not a monster made of steel. How cute... "
You blushed in front of others?
Me?
I couldn't believe it. The princess must have misunderstood something.
All knights are superhumans.
And superhumans can control areas of their bodies that ordinary people can't reach to some extent. Even blood circulation is one of the easiest parts to control.
And on the battlefield, one of the things you shouldn't reveal the most is your vital points and emotional changes. It's just this, this trivial thing...
It seems like I'm not in a position to criticize others for being dull.
I guess the month of rest must have made me a little rusty without me knowing it.
However, the princess's story that followed made me come to my senses again.
"Sir Wolfgang. I've been thinking about it for a long time since that day, but I don't think I can just let that night go."
It seems like it's not the time to be embarrassed by something trivial.
"I'm just embarrassed. What should I do about this great sin?"
"Extremely honorific. I'm sure you told me not to use it? You should speak informally instead."
"I'm sorry."
The words of the royal family have great power in themselves.
If the princess feels ashamed because of that day and wants to execute me, I should go up to the execution stand without a trial.
For the people of the empire, the royal bloodline has such absolute power.
Because those with the blood of heaven flowing through them have the right to dispose of those who crawl on the ground as they please.
"I've been thinking a lot about what to do with you. Even now, when I think about that day, my head gets hot and my stomach starts pounding. How could that be?"
"...."
"Sir Wolfgang. I bet you never thought you'd just get away with it, right?"
"Yes. That's right. I'll gladly accept whatever punishment you give me."
"Hmm. There are so many things I want to do with you, but..."
Gulp.
I couldn't help but swallow my saliva in extreme tension.
The crimes committed against the royal family are not subject to immunity.
My loot and gifts, even the three indulgences granted by the royal family, were nothing more than pieces of trash.
'Is my life over?'
Was the ominous feeling I felt earlier, the warning from my sixth sense, meant to foretell what was to come?
Now that the war is over, there are no more old subordinates who have to take responsibility for my life, and I have no regrets about my family and position.
However, I feel sorry for the Black Lion Knights who have finally started to follow me to some extent.
What will become of me now?
If you think about it, what happened that night was just bad luck, but in any case, it wasn't completely my fault.
That's why I don't feel wronged. Even if I do feel wronged, I don't think I'll resist with force. I clearly committed a crime that can't be resolved with an indulgence.
Resisting with force after committing such a serious crime is something only a gangster would do.
Power exists to defeat enemies on the battlefield, suppress injustice, and protect the weak, not to be wielded freely.
While thinking that and slowly preparing myself, the princess's lips finally parted.
Torture? Execution? Or, extermination?
Surprisingly, it wasn't any of the three.
"First, hold my hand straight. So that I can feel your body temperature properly. Like wrapping it tightly." "Yes?"
I was completely dazed by the unexpected flow, but for now, I followed the princess's instructions.
"Hehe. Why are you so surprised? I'm going to make you do much more from now on."
It didn't seem like it was meant to be humiliating. What on earth was the intention?
—Hug
"Ah... I'm already feeling a little better. Let's walk together like this for a bit."
"...I'll follow your orders."
What on earth did the princess want to do?
"Hehe~ There's no one around. No female cats. Just the two of us. It's perfect."
Judging from the fact that she was even humming, it seemed like she wasn't feeling angry or upset, so it was a blessing in disguise.
As I walked, holding the princess's hand tightly, half-conscious,
Before I knew it, her and I had reached our destination, the monument square.
"This is probably good. You should be facing the sunlight so that you can see it well."
The princess turned around, looking at the huge black marble statue of the black lion from afar, and said, holding onto the hem of her skirt with both hands.
I still have no idea what she wants.
"Because of you, I can't even do my hobbies, so I'm already a bit stressed out."
"I'm sorry."
To be honest, it's a bit hard to even follow the flow of the conversation.
What on earth am I going through?
"Again, again, I'm sorry. You should restrain yourself from now on. That's not your role."
"..."
"Well, then your first role is... I guess I'll just be a bystander."
The princess's actions made it impossible for me to do anything, or even think properly.
What is this moment that I'm experiencing right now, what is this sight that I'm seeing right now?
Was she perhaps dreaming of a midsummer night's dream that she had only heard of?
"Haa, haa… Who, don't look away."
The princess of the empire.
Alicia von Diana Solaris.
To a man who had only had a strange one-night stand, and who was now looking for a new relationship after overcoming the scars of war.
She lifted up her pure white skirt.
She was completely horny, and was exposing her most precious part as a woman, dripping a transparent, sticky liquid.