Chapter 22
“Damn it! Everywhere I go, I hear about this Count Crisis and that Count Crisis! I wish I could stop hearing his name.”
His eyes, which resembled a cloudy winter sky, became colder and more hateful.
The mercenary king Lazlo appeared suddenly, like a sudden summer storm.
When he not only achieved great military feats and gained the title of Count, but also seized the position of the youngest commander of the Imperial Guard, the whole thing seemed like a nightmare to Edmund. Everything he had aspired to was easily taken from him.
“The emperor is trying to rein in the nobles. Otherwise, how could he have given such a position to a mercenary like him?”
Edmund clenched his teeth tightly.
Every move Emperor Demarcus made had a purpose. He had never seen anyone act with such meticulous calculations.
Therefore, Laszlo's preference was also a message to the nobility: "If I make a wrong move, I can take your position away in this way," a very serious and challenging message.
“However, this is too much.”
This will only provoke the nobility. I can understand why the Duke of Lancaster tried to break away.
Edmund, nostalgic for the days when the nobility's power surpassed that of the imperial family, headed towards the Knights' quarters. He planned to change out of his sweaty clothes and leave the palace.
But there, too, all the talk was about Laszlo.
"It seems that the Guards Commander, that workaholic, will be leaving early these days, don't you think?"
“Hehe. Why do you think that is? He got a jar of honey hidden in the house.”
"A jar of honey? What do you mean?"
One of the senior knights made a suggestive gesture with his little finger, with a lewd smile.
"Remember that he got the Edel Lancaster. Don't you remember?"
At this, the other knights chimed in with laughter.
“Wow, I was really curious about who would end up with that woman, but even she was taken by Count Krisch!”
“If it were me, I would have stripped her of her clothes and kept her in bed, and never allowed her to leave.”
“Ah, just imagining that makes me ache there.”
The knights' conversation quickly devolved into vulgar language.
Idil's beauty shone through despite being cruelly dragged from the duchy for two weeks.
At the victory banquet, although all the women wore dazzling dresses and jewelry, none of them were as beautiful as the majestic and revered Idél.
“Frankly, selling it to the old Duke of Lancaster was a waste. It was a loss for humanity.”
“But rumors say the Duke never touched her. He had an old mistress, remember? She was so spiteful that the Duke and Edel never shared a room.”
"It seems that whether you're a duke or one of us, living under your wife's control is the same, huh? Hahaha!"
"Wait a minute. Does this mean that Edel Lancaster is still a virgin?"
“Wow! The number of crises hit the jackpot! I’ll just be happy to see it up close.”
While listening to their conversation as he changed his clothes, Edmund found their vulgar ideas disgusting, but he also thought of a good idea and smiled.
“If you are so curious, why don’t you ask Count Crisis to invite you here?”
The knights turned their eyes to Edmund, surprised by his sudden participation in the conversation.
They had avoided bringing him into such a topic, thinking he would be uncomfortable, but his unexpected participation surprised them.
“C-How can we do that? A question about whether we can come because we are curious about the woman who was given to him?”
Someone's response brought another round of raucous laughter.
'Fools. With brains like these, it's no wonder they're just foot soldiers.'
Edmund suppressed his urge to click his tongue in front of them, and smiled again.
"Is there any need to say it like that? The Imperial Guard and the Royal Knights work together, and even suppressed the rebellion together. Count Crisis isn't aware of all of you. Just ask politely if he can teach you a thing or two privately."
“Oh! As expected of Sir Milton!”
“Smart people are different!”
The knights praised and applauded Edmund's idea.
Even in the midst of all that, Edmund did not forget to leave a way to escape.
“Just to clarify, the main reason is to learn from Count Crisis, not just to see the woman. So learn from him and pass it on to your companions.”
Only then did they understand, and they nodded their heads in admiration.
Despite the cooperation between the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Knights, there was a competitive spirit among their leaders.
Seeing Edmund encouraging them to learn from such a rival revealed a detachment uncommon for his age, even though the knights were more interested in women than in learning.
"Should we really try it?"
“Yes! What do we have to lose? Moreover, the palace the emperor presented must be amazing. Let’s at least go and see it.”
Some of the knights, driven more by their lower brains, began to plan seriously, and Edmund offered advice slyly.
“Remember that the official reason is the debate session. I have heard that the training grounds at Count Crisis Palace are spacious and well equipped.”
“Oh! Okay, let’s handle it this way…”
They gathered together and conspired before finally leaving for the Imperial Guard building.
* * *
Laszlo was also finishing his training with the Imperial Guard and changing his office.
Even in winter, after more than three hours of training, he would be drenched in sweat. Therefore, his wardrobe always contained clean towels and a change of clothes.
While he was changing his clothes in his usually quiet office, he noticed an unfamiliar presence outside.
"Hmm... Is anyone outside?"
The sound of hesitant footsteps outside his office caught his attention, making him alert, but he quickly relaxed and continued changing.
"If they were murderers, they wouldn't have been this negligent."
As he nonchalantly buttoned his handcuffs, the group finally knocked on his door.
“This is Terry Bogard, Angelo Valen and Joseph Oz of the Imperial Knights. We request to meet the Commander of the Guard.”
"Come in."
Laszlo was curious to know why the Imperial Cavalrymen had come to the Imperial Guard building, but he didn't immediately turn his attention to them. He finished fastening the last button on his cuff before finally looking at the men who had been searching for him.
“Unfamiliar faces.”
However, his voice, which was neither arrogant nor dismissive, made them want to back down.
The horsemen, who had come with an informal attitude, suddenly felt as if they had entered the lion's den.
But rudeness was their strong argument.
“We have not yet proven ourselves worthy of attention, sir. Apologies.”
"Spare me the flattery. What is your job?"
“Well… this may seem like a sudden and arrogant request, but… the Imperial Guard and the Imperial Knights are allies, aren’t they?”
Laszlo's forehead twitched slightly.
Based on his experience, such indirect introductions often mean that there is something hidden.
"Terry Bogard, speak clearly about what you want."
Terry noticed the warning in Laszlo's tone, smiled strangely, and said:
"May we have the honor of training on Count Crisis's estate?"
“…”
Laszlo revised one idea. The preamble was already clear.
"This is... definitely a surprising request."
“Ah, haha! Even when I say that, I feel a little embarrassed. I know this puts a strain on your busy schedule, Commander. Don’t hesitate to say no.”
This aroused Laszlo's curiosity.
"Yet, you came to ask. Why?"
“We want to become stronger. Training at the palace is the standard, and after repeated training sessions with the same comrades, we have become very familiar with each other and feel good about ourselves.”
At that moment, Angelo entered.
“We thought about how we could become stronger. If possible, we wanted to train at least once under the guidance of a very strong person who could objectively assess us.”
“And so, we thought of Count Crisis. Your reputation as the youngest commander in the Guard, training without personal bias, precedes you.”
Joseph joined in, explained their position in detail, and Terry concluded the matter.
“We discussed a lot before coming here, knowing that this request is primarily in our best interest. But one of your acquaintances in the Guard said that you always welcome knights eager to improve…”
Having heard enough, Laszlo nodded his head slightly, although reluctantly.
What Terry heard was not a lie.
Immediately after his appointment as commander of the Guard, there was a stir. The Guard, composed of the elite of the elite, now had a former mercenary as its leader. It was too much for them to accept.
'Even choosing the best crop among the horsemen will not be without problems.'
But the emperor had no intention of backing down from his decision, and left Laszlo to tame the guards alone.