I, reincarnate as the leader of the villainous knight order

Chapter 11: Placing Orders

“Continue with what?”

Gaspard, the subordinate who made the “big brother” comment earlier, spoke while avoiding eye contact. You don’t usually use honorifics, so it’s too obvious.

“About what you said… ‘big brother’…”

Damn, it’s incredibly embarrassing to use the word “big brother” in front of these guys with memories of my previous life as Justin!

“Wow, the commander is blushing!”

“I’m not blushing!”

Gaspard exclaimed in amazement, and I couldn’t help but retort. The atmosphere grew tense due to the strong vibe I emitted, silencing everyone.

“So, who told you guys!?”

“Well, we heard everyone talking about it. Probably everyone in the Third Knight Order knows about it, right?”

“What…!”

I almost collapsed to my knees, but managed to hold myself together. I couldn’t afford to show an embarrassing sight in front of them, given my memories. However, Simon continued to add insult to injury.

“Yeah, when I heard that the commander blushed back then, I thought it was definitely a lie. But seeing the commander now, I’m sure it’s true. Haha, ow, what are you guys doing!”

Seeing me fall silent, the others began to scold Simon, hitting or kicking him. It seemed they panicked when they saw the murderous intent emanating from me again.

“Hmph.”

Expressing my displeasure, I left my subordinates and headed to the apothecary. After a few moments of slapping sounds behind me, it seemed like everyone was following.

“Wait here, all of you. It’s cramped if everyone goes in, so Florian and I will handle the conversation alone. Florian, you’re acquainted with the apothecary, right?”

“Yes! The knights’ potions and medicinal herbs are bought here!”

“Good. Make sure not to intimidate pedestrians or the apothecary’s customers.”

As I warned my subordinates, they made bored faces. It was a good thing I nailed that down. These rascals tend to scare people around for fun.

Entering the apothecary, the shopkeeper froze when he saw my face. Unlike last time, I came in my knight’s attire, so he might have thought I was suspected of something.

But when he saw Florian’s face, he visibly relaxed. If they were going to arrest a suspect, they wouldn’t need a clerk.

“Welcome. How may I assist you today?”

I left negotiations mainly to Florian, planning to delegate all future dealings to him. I gestured with my chin, and Florian stepped forward, holding out a paper listing the items to order.

“Um, we have items we’d like to order for regular delivery to the knight’s lodgings at the lord’s mansion in the future.”

“I see. What and how much would that be?”

“For now, it’s these items… We may need varying quantities in the future, but we plan to order regularly.”

The shopkeeper’s face lit up at the word “regularly.” However, his expression turned disappointed as he looked at the paper. He probably thought expensive potions would sell, but it turned out to be only cheap herbs.

“These are for the infirmary… No, they’re for the kitchen!?”

“Yes, Sir Vandière, the Knight Commander, taught us a new way to use them, so the cooks and knights wanted to try.”

“Sir Vandière, the Knight Commander…?”

The shopkeeper stared at me with a blank expression. It’s common knowledge that nobles like me are far from cooking, so the shopkeeper’s reaction was expected.

“If you want, you can ask the cooks about the usage. I don’t intend to keep it a secret. In fact, I’d welcome it if the information spreads, and if it leads to more delicious restaurants, all the better. That way, Mr. Shopkeeper, you’ll probably profit enough from the deliveries to the knight’s lodgings. So, make sure to study the items properly for delivery to the kitchen of the knight’s lodgings.”

“Y-Yes! Of course!”

Huh? I thought I smiled wryly, but apparently, it looked scary.

“It’s fine to deliver them to the kitchen of the lodgings, and please hand the itemized list to the cooks.”

“Understood. With this quantity, I believe we can deliver it today.”

“In that case, it would be helpful if you could do it before dinner preparations begin, for everyone’s peace of mind.”

Seeing Florian looking at the shopkeeper with pleading eyes, the shopkeeper seemed to understand various things and nodded firmly. After leaving the apothecary, at the next stop, the spice shop, I made sure to subtly… negotiate discounts while fully showcasing the presence of my subordinates from outside.

[In front of the apothecary side]

“Hey, Simon, stop laughing already. What will you do if the commander comes out of the shop?”

While Justin entered the apothecary with Florian, Arnault chided Simon, who had been shaking his shoulders without making a sound.

“I mean, when the commander cried, I thought it was bad, but this time he called himself ‘big brother’… Haha, and he blushed…”

“I didn’t see it with my own eyes, so I never believed the commander cried, but seeing the commander just now, I can believe it.”

Gaspard, who exclaimed in surprise at Justin’s “big brother” comment earlier, nodded earnestly.

“Hey! If the commander asks, we don’t know what’ll happen to us, so don’t say anything!”

“You… If the commander asks, just say you heard it from Vice Commander Orel. Under no circumstances should you reveal what we said!”

“Okay, okay, I won’t say anything anymore.”

Arnault and Simon cornered Gaspard together, and he nodded meekly.

“But really, in these past few days, the commander seems like a different person. He even showed a smile to the kids, you know? It wasn’t his usual condescending smirk.”

Marius, the only squire in Justin’s squad, muttered while looking at Justin through the window glass. Despite being the youngest at sixteen, he was the squad’s biggest cynic.

“That’s right! I was seriously freaked out! The commander always laughs with such a serious face!”

Simon smirked, looking slightly upwards with a mischievous grin, but the others didn’t react and turned away. When Simon tilted his head in confusion, a voice came from behind.

“Oh, would you show me that face too?”

At Justin’s words, Simon turned around with movements that sounded like rusty tin, facing exactly the same smile he had imitated before.

“N-No, it was just a joke…”

Normally, Simon would have been mercilessly beaten with the sheathed sword, but this time, he was punished by being squeezed with an unprecedented fist instead of the sword, which he had never seen before. However, none of his comrades tried to help him.