The NTR Knight Commander has Decided to Desert

Chapter 5

"Tsk. So, in the end, you let him get away?"

"My deepest apologies, General Neto. After that, I searched the entire area just in case... but in the end, we couldn't find him."

Olivier replied in a somber voice.

She had led her subordinates out to capture the deserter Cromwell, but ultimately returned empty-handed. Watching her, General Neto spoke in a cold voice.

"Pathetic. You should've caught him when you had the chance. Even if the opponent is Cromwell, are you saying that even with dozens of troops, you couldn't handle a single Holy Knight? And that's with mages and warriors in the mix too?"

"I have no excuse... At the time, I was momentarily overwhelmed by the divine power of the Commander—no, of Cromwell... I accept full responsibility for failing the mission."

As if struck by a severe shock, Olivier spoke in a voice that was utterly hollow.

That voice sounded less like someone asking for punishment and more like someone who had half given up on life.

Seeing her like that, General Neto clicked his tongue softly and then waved his hand roughly as he gave his order.

"I don't want to see your face. Go do your job. I'll deal with the consequences of this after the battle is over."

"...Yes, General."

Bowing her head once again at General Neto's command, Olivier left the command tent.

Watching her stagger away as if in shock, General Neto slowly shook his head and sat back down.

'Pathetic. Crying over something as simple as failing a mission.'

Despite the battle looming ahead, Olivier seemed to have lost her composure.

Seeing his comrade in such a sorry state, General Neto lit a cigarette.

'Still... this just got a little more annoying. That bastard Cromwell defecting to the rebels. That means a lot of information about our army probably went with him.'

Edward Cromwell had long served in the military as the Second Commander of the Imperial Knights. His defection to the rebels meant that a fair amount of military secrets had likely gone with him.

Among them would be detailed internal information about the Imperial Army currently stationed under General Neto.

Secrets that couldn't be known through simple espionage.

Critical information like the army's exact size and structure, the location of supplies, and whether or not reinforcements were available.

Since such things could potentially be more powerful than troops depending on the situation, General Neto couldn't help but feel deeply uneasy.

However.

Setting aside that unpleasant feeling.

He was coming to the conclusion that it was ultimately an emotional matter and wouldn't actually affect the outcome of the coming war.

'At the end of the day, it's just one Holy Knight who left. His proud knight order is still here, and more importantly, they can't do much with just information alone—the difference in power is overwhelming.'

No matter how good the intel, it's useless without the troops to act on it.

And even the few troops they do have are unlikely to follow the orders of a mere defector like Cromwell.

Of course, if he survives and makes contact with the rebel main force, it'll be a real headache. But if they just conquer the fortress and cut off his head before that happens, problem solved.

And so, General Neto was brushing it off as nothing more than a minor nuisance.

- —"What is going on? Why so suddenly...?"

- —"There's no time to explain! Please, let me see General Neto immediately!"

"Hm?"

A sudden burst of commotion reached his ears.

Feeling puzzled, General Neto raised his voice.

"What's all the noise?"

- —"Ah... General. It's just that... Ah!"

The next moment, a familiar face burst into the tent, pushing past the guards.

It was Richard, a high-ranking warrior and newly appointed general, who now stood before General Neto with a panicked expression.

"General Richard, what is the meaning of this? What was so urgent that you pushed past the guards?"

"I-I apologize. Please forgive my rudeness, General, but this is an extremely important matter..."

"Important? Don't tell me this is about Cromwell?"

At General Neto's words, Richard hesitated slightly for a moment.

But she quickly erased that reaction and spoke in a serious tone.

"...So you knew. Yes, that's right. I came to speak with you about Commander Cromwell."

"If it's about that, there's no need to say anything."

"Pardon?"

General Neto's attitude radiated annoyance.

Richard began to feel a bit flustered, and General Neto, crushing his cigarette out on the table, glanced at the documents before him and spoke in a tired voice.

"He's a traitor now anyway. Since it's confirmed he defected to the rebels, we'll just kill him on sight in the upcoming battle."

"General, this is not something to be taken lightly. Cromwell is—"

"I'm well aware that he knows a fair bit of our secrets. But no matter how much intel he has, it's worthless without soldiers to use it."

"Th-That's certainly true. However—"

"And even if he's quite strong, Cromwell is still just a Holy Knight. Unlike mages, his combat power has clear limits, and he no longer has a powerful knight order backing him. What's there to worry about?"

"That's not true! I've told you before—Commander Cromwell is not just any Holy Knight! If we're not careful, we could face consequences we never imagined—"

"General Richard?"

General Neto's tone turned icy as he cut into Richard's urgent words.

Richard was momentarily speechless, and General Neto spoke in a cold voice as he looked at her.

"I know you hold Cromwell in high regard. After all, he's the one who essentially made you who you are today. But still, I don't appreciate you showing such lingering attachment to him."

"G-General... that's not what this is about—"

"Don't try to play me. I know you're just trying to find some way to save him. He's a traitor. If you keep showing sympathy for him, I won't be able to overlook it any longer."

"..."

His words carried a quiet warning.

And so, Richard had no choice but to fall silent.

"Leave. If you've got time to worry about a traitor, use it to prepare for the coming battle."

With that, Richard said nothing more and stepped outside.

Watching her go, General Neto felt a surge of deep irritation, realizing just how deeply Cromwell's presence still lingered within his army.

'That filthy name from a lowborn commoner sure has stuck around... Once this battle is over, I'll put his head on a pike and make an example out of him. Anyone who dares speak that traitor's name again won't be forgiven.'

*

"Kgh..."

Biting her lip hard enough to draw blood, Richard stepped out of the command tent.

Her attempt to convey the danger Cromwell posed had just gone up in smoke.

Now, a growing sense of unease was taking root in her heart.

'No one understands... Not William, not even General Neto. They're all underestimating just how dangerous Cromwell really is.'

Cromwell was known merely as a Holy Knight who led a powerful order across the battlefield.

His bravery and ability to command mounted knights were certainly admirable, but Richard knew better than anyone that his true terror went far beyond that.

Having worked with Cromwell far longer than even his fiancée Clara, Richard knew him well.

That's why, even though she had cooperated with General Neto out of personal ambition, she couldn't shake the deep anxiety in her heart.

If things went wrong and they failed to eliminate him safely—

She feared that the edge of that terrifying man's sword might turn on her next.

And at this very moment,

As that worst-case scenario began to unfold before her eyes,

She began to tremble, feeling a deep sense of regret over everything that had happened.

"Damn it!"

Richard cursed, trying to push away the overwhelming emotions.

Then, still trying to ignore the lingering anxiety, she began heading toward her subordinate unit's location.

'...N-No... What's the point of regretting now? A-And... there's no way the rebels would just follow the words of a mere defector. It's fine... It'll be fine. Everything will end without incident...'

With that, Richard pushed herself forward.

Unaware that her footsteps were growing unnaturally fast...

*

General Franklin stared straight at me with a calm expression.

I asked her again, my voice tinged with confusion.

"Uh... um... What did you just say?"

"I said I'll do as you suggested. I'll fully accept what you said earlier."

"..."

Despite the tense atmosphere, I found myself dazed by how decisively she had made her decision.