The Red Knight Seeks No Reward

Chapter 3

Some words should never be taken lightly and were best not forgotten. The last words that Judith’s swordsmanship teacher spoke to her were a perfect example.

“If you choose to become a knight, you will live a life of ignorance. You will be oblivious to the virtues you must pursue. So, what will you decide? If you still covet titles, land, or gold even after accepting this letter, then you’re no true knight. You’ll be a rogue knight or even a sword-for-hire. Do you truly wish to lead such a life?”

Why didn’t I heed his words? I should have listened to him. Her wise teacher had told her the truth. He had joked around with her at any given chance, but he was nonetheless as wise as a teacher should be. He had seen what would become of her. She regretted joining the Order of Black Knights, and for becoming the knight she eventually did.

Judith looked straight into Calipa’s eyes and declared, “I’m not going to be a rogue swordsman driven by money anymore.”

“Do you mean it?”

“I mean it.”

Judith had vaguely assumed she would die a peaceful death. She’d imagined herself growing old and passing away during a nap on a sunny day. She’d thought she would have no resentment or regret moving on to the afterlife. But her guesses hadn’t even been close. Death had come to her in a way she had never imagined.

“Indeed I did. And I’ll also pay to put the dog down.”

She felt a piercing pain in her heart when she remembered the man who had so contemptuously thrown gold coins at her in payment for her death.

Where did I go wrong? Would things have been different if I had joined a different order, or was I always destined to become a money-hungry sellsword who never deserved to wield a blade in the first place? For now, she couldn’t say. But now that she had traveled back in time six years, she was determined to change her future. Not joining the black knights was only the beginning.

“You’ve made up your mind,” said Calipa.

“I have.”

“Right. I see.”

Calipa suppressed her curiosity about Judith’s answer. She seemed resolute, and Calipa could feel her genuine determination without having to ask again. She couldn’t tell what had changed Judith’s mind, but she knew that others would have laughed off the declaration.

A money-hungry rogue—it was a harsh statement, but it wasn’t wrong. Out of all the people Calipa had met in her lifetime, she had never met anyone who sought money more blatantly. The first thing Judith had done upon receiving the imperial knights’ gray uniform was to rip off its buttons. The uniforms were made by dressmakers appointed by the imperial palace. They were made with the finest materials and finishings, with even their buttons made of solid gold. Judith hadn’t hesitated to sell them.

“As long as the gold is in my hands, it is mine. I can do whatever I choose with it.”

Within three days, she had sold the buttons. It was quite disrespectful. It was considered an honor to wear such a uniform even once, and it was something to be treasured for generations.

But she hadn’t stopped there. Judith had bought spare practice swords that were being distributed to her colleagues for two thousand gold apiece. They had sold her the swords assuming Judith’s sword had been damaged. They were dismayed to later learn that she had resold each sword for twenty thousand gold.

Of course, they hadn’t kept quiet about any of it. The quartermaster must have seen it as an opportunity to cut her down to size, so he’d called her in to be reprimanded. But Judith had remained undaunted.

“Do the knights of the Veritas Empire need to brag about how much tax goes into their buttons? We’d be lucky not to get mugged. I sold the buttons, and I’ll make good use of the money.”

“The uniform and the official garments of the imperial knights are required for identification…”

“What’s wrong with selling them? Will the empire be held responsible if I starve to death?”

“Selling the spare swords is unheard of!”

“No one was using them anyway.”

The novice knight who hadn’t cowered or backed down at her superior’s scolding also happened to be a genius, famous for being the youngest aether master in history. Eventually, the quartermaster had enough of her and decided to officially penalize her. That event had triggered a barrage of derision, and everyone had called her a money-hungry b*tch.

Funnily enough, the other knights then started to discreetly pawn off their own golden buttons after the incident. By the time Judith had made copper buttons for her uniform, no golden buttons remained among the imperial knights. The order’s regulations changed too, and they banned the sale of spare swords.

That day, Calipa had a quiet revelation—the only thing that separated her friend from the others was her blunt honesty. And that honesty was what had helped Calipa to open up to her. She remembered something Judith had said to her.

“Dame Impenor, I do not know the pain you have suffered, so I would be remiss to advise you on how highly to prize vengeance. But I will say this—an old saying on the eastern continent goes, ‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.’ It is only right to repay blood with blood. You must kill them and have your revenge.”

Calipa reproached herself for not knowing exactly what to say now, but she hoped her sincere heart could be conveyed even slightly. “Judith, I’ll be all right.”

Her friend’s silence was doubtful.

“I really will. You don’t have to mind me. You will always be my good friend, even if we are not in the Order of Black Knights together.” Calipa’s blue eyes glistened with the grace of a lake sparkling under the sun.

Calipa watched as Judith’s face slowly brightened, but then crumpled once more with overwhelming emotion. She wondered what unseen change Judith had undergone to make her act this way. She did feel tempted to ask, but she thought Judith would tell her when the time was right. She handed her friend a handkerchief instead of asking her questions.

Judith had once glared at others whenever they called her a money-hungry b*tch, but her eyes were now dripping with heavy teardrops. She cried for a while until Calipa’s black handkerchief was drenched.

***

There were four orders of imperial knights in the Veritas Empire. The red knights served as the pillars that supported the empire, the blue knights served the dragon, the black knights were loyal to the imperial family, and the white knights served the people.

The empire highly valued swordsmanship and combat skills. There was one legendary story of the fourteenth Emperor Belfeque, himself a blue knight, turning the tables on the assassins who had dared enter his bedchambers. Given such tales, the majesty of the knights in the Veritas Empire was high enough to kiss the sky. And in such an empire, Kaillou Lewalmeigh was the Captain of the Red Knights.

“Welcome back, Captain Kaillou.”

“Good day, sir!”

“Yes, keep up the good work.” Kaillou’s eye-catching red hair, which had been neatly slicked back in the morning, was now disheveled. He flicked it back a few times in displeasure, checking his reflection in a window.

“Your hair looks dashing as always, sir!”

“Stop making me cringe and stand guard, will you?” Kaillou had led the vanguard in many battles. His distinctive appearance often made him a target, but bitter defeats and unnecessary withdrawls were not in his playbook. The emperor described him as the red knight who defined valor. “Is there anything to report?” he asked.

“No, sir! All is well, sir!”

No news was good news. It was all proof that the capital was at peace. Though, one should be wary of becoming complacent, Kaillou thought.

He stepped inside his office, thinking about whether he should assign the soldiers to do laps around the training grounds. He expected to find no one there, as per usual, but there were two familiar faces waiting for him.

“Kaillou, you’re late for work.”

“But I’m here at my usual time.”

“I’m asking you to come in earlier.” One of the men who was waiting in Kaillou’s office spoke with a soft smile, his green eyes sparkling. It was Desian Ritz, Kaillou’s adjutant. Desian was capable of being quite caring, yet he would sometimes spout off a string of demanding directives, making him a man not to be reckoned with.

Instead of asking if Desian was in good spirits today, Kaillou only shrugged.

“Kaillou! You forgot that today is the knight qualification exam, didn’t you?” another voice scolded mildly. This man wore a red cloak and a belt made of woven golden thread. From his chest hung the golden sash that only imperial royalty could wear.

“Oh, that was today.”

“What kind of answer is that? Have you no interest?”

“In fact, I have none, Your Highness. I just returned from the eastern front yesterday.” Kaillou’s response was rather lacking in decorum, considering he was speaking to an imperial prince.

Ethan, the fourth imperial prince of the Veritas Empire, frowned deeply. “You’re not interested in the new recruits? I’m growing concerned for the future of the empire, Captain.”

“Sure, I am, Your Highness. But I know you always have the empire’s best interests in mind, unlike someone like me. It’s another peaceful day in the empire.”

“Kaillou…” Desian softly called his name again as a gentle reminder of who he was talking to.

However, Kaillou and Ethan’s relationship went far beyond that of an imperial prince and a captain. This exchange barely rivaled their usual banter.

“What were you two up to in my office?” Kaillou asked Ethan.

“I’m here to find myself a personal guard. I can observe the exam, right?”

“Again? Why do you always want to choose new recruits for your guard when the palace is crawling with knights?” Kaillou clicked his tongue. “Are you looking for a newbie-like veteran?”

“You mean, a veteran-like newbie.”

“Same thing.”

“Gosh, you’re so simple.” Ethan shook his head, then continued to speak a beat later. “I just want to recruit at least one more person to serve me in the imperial palace. I would prefer to recruit a strong knight before they’re exposed to unscrupulous tactics.”

“Right, is that so.” Kaillou sat down on the sofa, unimpressed.

Ethan side-eyed the captain as the man put down his sword. “It’s not too late for you to make a vow to serve me as your liege, Kaillou Lewalmeigh. I’ll take you in.”

“You’re pushing your luck. I chose to become a knight to serve the imperial dynasty and the empire. I told you that when we graduated from Royal Blue Blood Academy. I don’t intend to serve anyone else.”

Ethan clicked his tongue. “You arrogant bastard. Don’t come crying to me later, begging me to take you in.” He grumbled for a minute, but didn’t take the complaint any further.

Desian smiled, as he was used to the two bickering.

“The new recruits are the same every year.” Sitting on the sofa, Kaillou casually dropped his opinion, which would have baffled the test examiner if he had heard it.

Of course, Kaillou wouldn’t change his mind, no matter what reaction he got. The new recruits were considered the rising stars of swordsmanship, but they often got lost at least once a year inside the palace. In the captain’s eyes, they were no more than fluffy little fledglings who were pretending to be tough.

Ethan tilted his head. “You’re not even curious? You’ll be responsible for the new recruits, you know.”

“There’s only so many times you can get your hopes up. Their skills are always about the same, and not many have the grit to stick around.”

“But not all are the same,” said Desian, who looked like he was in an unusually good mood. “We’ve found someone Your Highness might take an interest in.”

“Hm? Who is it?”

“The youngest aether master in the empire.”

“What?” Kaillou’s eyes grew wide in surprise. “Such a knight arrived while I was out east?”

“Yes, sir. Of course, it’s better for us to see for ourselves rather than read about it in the papers, but I’ve already extended an offer for her to join our order.”

The captain quickly scanned the paper that Desian had handed over. “She took out… a belial in the illusionary combat trial?”

“Impressive, no?” Desian said, seeking Kaillou’s reaction. “It also took her less than three minutes to defeat a mottskatorka. Quicker than frying an egg.”

“Don’t mention food. I didn’t have breakfast,” the captain said, clutching his stomach.

“She’s a genius.”

“I can’t believe it. Is that even possible?” Of course, it was hard for Kaillou to take the facts at face value. If it was true, then there was a killing machine who could slaughter forty demonic beasts on her own walking around the palace.

“Right? It’s hard to believe it, isn’t it?”

“It is.”

“Then let’s go see her!”

Kaillou was lost for words for a moment. Ethan, the fourth imperial prince, had just suggested a plan that would throw off his entire schedule. Kaillou wanted to yell at him, to claim that he was busy and that he shouldn’t be pestered, but Ethan was the prince of the empire who he had vowed to serve. There were some things that their devoted friendship, maintained since their days in the military academy, could not save him from.

The captain asked with a frown, “Do we really need to see her for ourselves? Is it that important?”

“Snapping up new recruits to join the order is also one of your duties as captain. Do you really want to lose all the skilled ones to the black knights again? You won’t be able to retire at this rate, you know.” Desian pointed out his sore spot with a smiling face.

Kaillou let out an involuntary groan. The Captain of the Black Knights, Jeromell Isen, was a resourceful man. He maximized results with the least amount of action, and recruiting new knights was no exception. In the past, when Kaillou had asked decently competent recruits if they wanted to join the red knights, they had already been taken by Jeromell.

Kaillou took a last look at the newspaper in his hand. There was no way he would let Jeromell have his way this year. Besides, this new knight was an aether master. A swordsman of that caliber was worth seeing for himself. “All right. I’ll go with you,” he said.

The captain’s acceptance was practically a declaration of defeat, which brought a smile to the lips of the prince and the adjutant.