My Ex-Girlfriend Was Appointed As the Knights Commander

24. Staggered or not (2)

“I can’t admit it.”

That’s what Christine said to Theodora. In the barracks before the other knights entered, the leader and vice-captain of the Jackdaw Knights had arrived early and were talking separately.

“What do you mean you can’t admit it?”

Theodora was busy checking the map. It was an important map made by soldiers and knights who had been guarding the borders of the no-man’s-land. Christine frowned at her nonchalant appearance. I remembered the conversation I had with Maxim last night.

‘Does your ex-girlfriend know that curse?’

‘No, I don’t know. Theodora, I mean… don’t ever tell the captain, and don’t give me any comments about my condition.’

‘why…’

‘don’t do it.’

Maxim’s face looked so desperate as he said that, Christine promised not to tell the truth. That’s why Christine’s insides were burning even more now. Maxim’s face, who laughed that ignorance was not a sin, and Theodora’s now cold face crossed each other in Christine’s mind.

“Even with the fact that member Maxime Appart was included in the number of investigators, putting it on the side that goes directly to the cliff…”

A spark lit up in Theodora’s cold expression.

“It would be a great loss to include such a knight of great skill on a Mercury mission or on a relatively unimportant mission. The stronger the knight, the more he must sacrifice. Don’t you and I take turns going in to investigate near the cliff?”

It’s not a sin to know nothing. There is a reason for everything that cannot be said.

Christine bit her lip. Theodora’s cold expression did not like her.

“Senpai…if Maxime Apart is so strong, why did you dismiss him as vice-captain?”

Theodora frowned at Christine’s words. To be precise, it was close to wrinkled eyebrows.

“Let’s not talk about it. I just decided that the vice-captain’s skills weren’t enough and forced him to step down. I am fully qualified to be a member of the Knights of the Jackdaw.”

Theodora asserted.

“but-“

“You don’t believe me? Even though you were still in the same knights with him?”

They were in the same knights, so they knew. Even though I hadn’t been around, I’d never seen him before.

A subtle tension developed between Theodora and Christine.

“…I believe it.”

“like.”

I couldn’t believe that no personal feelings had intervened in her decision. Christine looked at her with resentful eyes. I’m sure he won’t be shaken because he believes in his skills.

The barracks fluttered and the Marshal came in.

“Is the meeting over?”

Christine and Theodora nodded simultaneously. The Marquis narrowed his eyes at the subtle atmosphere and shrugged.

“done. Come outside. Let the investigation begin.”

—

Well-fed and well-combed course horses with shiny coats were wagging their tails. Maxim grabbed the bridle of the maroon horse given to him and patted him on the shoulder. The horse made a small hissing sound and stamped its hoof on the ground. It was a well controlled word. The horse that rode to the no man’s land is resting in the stable to take a break from the long journey.

“He’s a pretty good guy.”

As Maxim muttered, an answer came from an unexpected person.

“A collection of horses with good bloodlines from all over the kingdom.”

said Marquis Camilla Fay, looking at the horses turning their heads to and fro as there was no grass to graze on. Maxim looked at the Marquis, who suddenly answered his monologue, with a puzzled look in his eyes.

“They are the descendants of the brave horses that rolled and rolled on the battlefield. They never get scared when they see monsters, they run fast for a long time, and they can run faster than any other horse when the enemy forces them to charge.”

“…managed well.”

Maxim answered that. The Marquis smiled as if it was nothing.

“Of course you have to do well. So that I can ride and run at any time.”

The horse petted by the Margrave Baek made a purr and purr as if responding to the Marquis’ words. Knights and soldiers were riding their respective horses. The soldiers also seemed to have enough room to mount them all on their horses. The Marquis put his foot in the saddle and mounted his horse.

“Maxim Appart.”

Maxim met eyes with the Marquis, who was looking down at him.

“Yes, Marquis.”

“I understand that you belonged to the Order of the Ravens before they were reformed.”

Maxim felt an ominous feeling inside. It was because the Marquis’ voice as he spoke while looking at himself was mixed with a disapproving tone.

“That’s right.”

“I am a suspicious person, Maxime Appard. Even if your skills are high enough to remain in the knights, it is true that you were once a fallen knight to the point of being demoted to the knights.”

Maxim quickly climbed onto the horse. Through the saddle, I could feel the stable and strong body of the horse.

“Let’s see.”

Marquee Baek left those words behind and rode his horse to the front of the investigators.

“I’m leaving! As previously mentioned, the first row is oriented to the west, the second row to the center, and the third row to the east. Team 2 follow me!”

Team 2 was commanded by the Marquis directly in charge of personnel. Theodora led the first group heading west, and the third group was led by a knight who worked in the no-man’s-land.

Maxim was assigned to Group 2 along with Christine and Paola. Looking at the back of the Marquis who was advancing head-on, Paola implicitly spoke to Maxim.

“Hey, did you commit anything against the Marquis?”

It seems that he was watching the conversation between Marquis Baek and Maxim from the side. Maxim laughed bitterly and shook his head.

“I must have bought hatred without even realizing it.”

“That lady doesn’t have that side sometimes. what is it. You know how to conclude your opinion about people too soon.”

Paola shook her head excitedly.

“You speak as if you have experienced it.”

“Why not? Fifteen years ago, I was quite despised for being a soldier. I also had a temper, but… Maybe that’s why we clashed more.”

Paola chuckled and laughed.

“By the way, what’s the matter with the vice-captain who always stuck with you?”

Paola, smelling the gossip horribly, asked. At that, Maxim turned his head in the direction of Christine. She was looking at Maxim without bothering to come closer. Upon meeting Maxim’s eyes, Christine looked at him curiously, then turned her head toward the no-man’s-land landscape.

“…So that’s what I mean.”

For some reason, Paola looked at Maxim with sympathetic eyes. Maxim was worried that he might be having some strange illusions in his head.

“Everything between people has times like that.”

“What the hell are you thinking?”

Then, someone drove a horse next to Paola and Maxim. They were troops under Marquis Baek who were working in the no-man’s-land.

“Is that Sir Paola Simon?”

Calling her a respect, Maxim couldn’t help but wonder again at how Paola was being recognized. To think that this man who seemed like a chatty old man was recognized by the knights of no man’s land.

“Don’t use the word ‘gyeong’ because it’s embarrassing.”

Paola waved her hand awkwardly.

“These are the people who received grace 15 years ago. How could I forget the sutra and omit the honorific?”

“I also saw your performance at that time.”

The soldiers and knights became one and started talking.

“It’s amazing that it’s still there.”

Paola stuck out her tongue. Certainly, it won’t be easy to work for 15 years in such a barren environment.

“I was holding on. We have never forgotten our mission.”

Paola and the knights started chatting. Maxim tried to sneak back and observe the scene, but a knight tilted his head when he saw Maxim next to Paola.

“…But I heard that you next to him belonged to the previous days of the Raven Knights and still remain.”

Maxim clicked his tongue inwardly.

“How great are you that you are able to remain until this investigation into the uninhabited zone?”

It was a twisted and sarcastic tone. Ever since he’d been with the Raven Knights, he’d thought this would happen, but it wasn’t very pleasant to face it.

“He’s a good fighter, so don’t bother scratching him to make a boil.”

“What if you are good at it?”

The knight smiled twistedly. He was blatantly ignoring Maxim.

“Well, it’s good if you don’t run away while peeing sh*t when you run into the monsters here.”

Paola’s expression hardened.

“Don’t blame him in front of me. Even though I have a relationship with you 15 years ago, my current colleague is this Maxime Apart. Not you.”

Paola rebuked the knights, speaking in a very determined tone, which is rare. Maxim was surprised to learn that Paola had actively defended himself.

“…my thoughts were short.”

The expressions of the knights, who had ridiculed Maxim about his skills and all, contorted and apologized to Paola. Leaving aside Maxim, the person who really deserves an apology. Paola opened her mouth to say more, but stopped after Maxim shook her head slightly.

“It’s been a while since I got to see Sir Paola’s skills with my own eyes.”

The article subtly changed the topic of conversation.

“I look forward to it, Sir Paola. And…”

The knight turned his eyes to Maxim.

“Your skill, which Sir Paola praised so highly.”

Maxim did not feel the value of answering the knight’s words. The knights’ expressions became even more distorted when Maxim treated them coldly without any change in emotion or expression.

“under!”

The knights rode their horses and rode away in the lead. It was a bonus to have broken spirits. Paola sighed next to Maxim.

“Those friends aren’t really like that…”

Paola saw the knights walking away as if feeling sorry for them. Maxim casually shrugged.

“These are knights who have been guarding this rough place for 15 years.

“…Are you really a good person…”

Paola looked at Maxim curiously.

“It’s not like I’m not angry.”

Maxim said with a wry smile.

“It’s just that I wasn’t in a situation to get angry.”

There were other people whom he should sincerely harbor anger and murderous intentions for. Maxim thought so.

After long passage through the wilderness, the investigators reached a land that began to slope. Huge rocks were scattered everywhere. The Marquis, who rode in the lead, stopped his horse and jumped off the mount.

“I’ll leave my words here for now. Everyone get off the horse.”

Maxim dismounted at the Marquis’ command and tied the horse to a nearby rock. The Marquis confirmed that everyone had dismounted and gave the order again.

“Start investigating. Leave only those who will guard the horses and follow me.”

An investigation led by Marquis began. Maxim formed a separate group with the knights of the no-man’s land and walked between the oddly shaped rocks. One of them, coincidentally, was a knight who had been talking to Paola and was constantly sarcastic with Maxim.

“Did you say your name was Maxim?”

As expected, he spoke to Maxim with a stern expression.

“If you are not a coward, will you answer me?”

Judging by the way he spoke now, he was no different from the old members of the Jackdaw Knights. Maxim frowned, feeling a physiological rejection.

“What, you don’t even have the guts to answer? With no Sir Paola to protect you, no skirt width for that pretty blonde girl, you must be dumb now? Sir Paola is also Sir Paola, but you should be ashamed to be a bitch in such a low-ranking knight order.”

Maxim stood tall and stopped in his seat. The momentum that emanated from him in an instant made the knight of no man’s land tremble. Maxim looked at him and spoke in an extremely dry voice.

“…I can feel the monsters, but since they keep talking like that, I guess they can’t see them.”

The knight twisted his face and tried to scream, but first came a grotesque cry that seemed to rip his ears apart.

Kyaaa-!

Huge six-legged lizards were crawling down the hill in groups. Maxim opened his eyes narrowly and saw the knight next to him, his face burning red.

“Is it true that you protected this place for 15 years?”

“This bastard…”

The knight then prepared for battle as if it were ironic.

“If you’re that good, kill those Hackspeds…”

Maxim drew his sword before the knight had finished speaking.

“You still talk a lot.”

Maxim left the stiffened knight behind with a stupid expression and jumped into Hexfed’s group. I didn’t need an Auror to deal with that kind of ‘stuff’. A knight’s flag mixed with profanity was heard from behind.

My heart, sharpened.

Maxim had to admit that the cold, sharp emotion that bloomed in his heart was anger.

To be honest, I was a little upset.

The fact that Christine was mentioned in a bad way in that mouth stimulated Maxim’s rebellion.

The Hexpeds screamed and reached before Maxim’s eyes. Maxim raised the sword held with both hands high as if an executioner had cut his throat. The eyes of the monster and Maxim cross each other. A moment passed as long as a day. Maxim’s clock started ticking again when he dropped his sword and declared the execution ceremony.

Awesome!

The first hexped was literally split in half. Then another came closer.

Maxim threw a sword. The lizard’s mouth was torn in half, and bright red blood spattered.

Maxim raised his sword again. The heads of two Hexpeds flew through the sky.

Another sword, Hexped’s torso split in two.

One sword, one sword.

Without an aura, the sword he wielded relying only on his strengthened body slaughtered the monsters. The sword Maxim wielded was both extremely complex and extremely simple. As if the oars were drawing the waterway, the passing sword seemed natural

I took all the lives above with my sword. The Hexpeds will not know what happened to them until the very end.

A cool breeze brushed through the no-man’s-land. Like the wind that brushes through Maxim’s black wilderness, it swept over the monsters very naturally, and stopped after getting stuck in the head of the last Hexped.

The bloody smell did not come up as if it was suppressed by Maxim’s sword, but when Maxim’s sword ended the life of the last Hexped, the air vibrated all at once as if it had been waiting for it.

“….what….”

The words trembled from the knight’s mouth. His eyes were fixed on Maxim, who stained his sword with the blood of the monster and turned his head to him.

Maxim looked like he hadn’t even had a drop of blood on him. Maxim walked slowly towards the knight who was looking at him with trembling eyes. The knight met Maxim’s eyes with an expression that could not hide his astonishment.

“….this….”

“Are you still going to talk?”

Maxim’s golden eyes shone coldly as he looked at the knight.