Chapter 6

By the way…

“Nice to meet you all. But why exactly am I your ‘ma’am’?”

Most people from the Finance Bureau were assigned the title of liaison officer, a role functionally equivalent to a vice-commander in the knights—specifically to avoid complications during active fieldwork.

So clearly, she outranked them. Where did this ‘ma’am’ nonsense even come from?

“Use proper titles.”

Standing beside her, Aivert swept a gaze across the room.

He was smiling, but his eyes certainly weren’t.  

And since her fiancé—the Vice-Commander of the Azure Knights himself—clearly did not approve of that particular nickname, the knights snapped to attention at once.

“Understood!”

“A pleasure to meet you, Dame Rodella Syveric!”

Not that she asked them to pretend they were meeting her for the first time…

Rodella sighed quietly to herself.  

It made sense now, why so many well-bred officials from the Finance Bureau had failed to keep this undisciplined bunch in line.

“This way.”

Aivert waved the others aside and escorted Rodella forward.

His manners were impeccable, completely different from the casual, even rough gestures he usually threw around at the knights.

“Vice-Commander really is a different man around Dame Syveric,” one of the knights muttered under his breath.

Just then, the door to the Azure Knights’ main office swung open.

With this much noise, there was no way the captain hadn’t noticed the commotion.

“You’re too loud! Get back to training!”

Captain Latine waved his hands dismissively, clearly unconcerned with formality.

“Hurry in. We’ve got a lot to talk about, and not much time.”

* * *

Captain of the Azure Knights, Latine Modilac.

One of the key figures credited with ending the war, his title—”Modilac’s Blade”—was revered not only within the empire, but even in remote corners of the continent.  

Even the monsters that once plagued the empire, and the beings who controlled them, didn’t understand the human tongue—but they flinched at the sound of “Modilac’s Blade.”

That’s how overwhelming his presence was, and his martial prowess was beyond dispute.

He was also the closest friend and most dependable ally of the current Chancellor of the Harnes Empire. With a flawless public record and unmatched accomplishments, there was only one stain on his otherwise perfect career:

The Azure Knights themselves.

And that stain had been draining both his reputation and his wealth for years.

“You’ve no idea how long I’ve waited for you, Dame Syveric.”

His arms moved as if to embrace her—practically trembling with emotion—and Rodella subtly stepped back.

Aivert immediately moved to block him.

“She’ll crumble if you hug her wrong.”

He raised his scabbard in warning, and Latine let out a short, incredulous breath.

“You think I’m you? Like I don’t know how to hold back?”

If that were true, his fame would’ve died off long ago.

Of course, that very fame was also what he used to gather the Azure Knights—not based on bloodlines or status, but on virtue and potential alone. And now, this same knight order was merrily dragging that reputation through the mud.

At the center of it all? The ever-dignified Vice-Commander Aivert himself.

“Good to know you can control yourself,” Aivert replied, stepping back at last.

Rodella gave him a sideways glance that said really?, but quickly turned back to the man she hadn’t seen in some time.

“It’s been a while, Captain.”

“It has. Been quite some time since I saw you up close like this.”

Latine smiled, clearly pleased.

“Since the academy graduation, I think. It has been a while. And you seem… rather worn down, sir.”

It was impossible that Chancellor Ameris’s favorite—Rodella—had gone unnoticed by Latine, her closest friend.  

A friend’s darling was like a niece to him, after all.

He’d always held affection for Rodella. Even if they couldn’t meet in private due to political scrutiny, it still shone through his eyes.  

And now that she was volunteering to walk into this disaster zone and straighten it out, it was only natural that he was thrilled.

“It’s been rough. And that’s why we don’t have time to waste today.”

Fatigue surged across his face in an instant.

“Let’s get straight to it.”

He motioned for the two to sit, then pulled a blank sheet of paper from under his desk.

“No money, no time, and nothing to work with in this blasted place.”

— Scratch!

He popped off the pen cap with his mouth, scribbled something rapidly onto the page, then held it up in front of them.

[736,549,214]

Rodella blinked.

Seven hundred thirty-six million, five hundred forty-nine thousand, two hundred fourteen?

“Any idea what this number is, you two?”

Aivert answered lazily.

“Your net worth, sir?”

…You’re rich, aren’t you?

— Crack!

The pen cap in Latine’s mouth shattered halfway.

He spat out the pieces and smiled with unsettling calm.

“There was a time when that amount didn’t faze me. Lord Royden. Hm?”

Military protocol typically avoided referencing noble titles within the force.  

Achievements mattered more than bloodline, honoring those who earned their place in battle against the monsters of the past.

So for Latine to invoke the title now—it had to mean something.

Apparently, Aivert picked up on it.

“That number doesn’t align with House Royden’s finances.”

Which meant:

That’s not our money.

Latine chuckled dryly. His face made it clear he’d long given up expecting any straight answers.

He turned his gaze to Rodella.

“This is the amount our proud Vice-Commander, Sir Aivert Royden, has racked up single-handedly in property and structural damage compensation over the last quarter. Hush-money settlements are extra, of course.”

“…Excuse me?”

‘What did he just say?’

Rodella’s mouth hung open in disbelief.

It was common knowledge—even in the most remote corners of the empire—that every time Aivert caught a criminal, he did so with reckless disregard for the surroundings.  

But she didn’t know the amount.

That figure… It was enough to bankrupt an entire noble house!

‘And I’m supposed to fix this?’

Rodella’s lip twitched.

But there was no way she could lose her composure and let something vulgar slip in front of Latine.

Especially since Sir Latine still believed she and Aivert were a sweet, soon-to-be-wed couple blissfully in love.

If word got out here and now that their relationship was even slightly fractured, she’d be buried under a mountain of matchmaking invitations by the end of the day.

With monumental restraint, Rodella pushed down the rising storm of words.

“…That’s a bit more than I imagined.”

“Right?”  

Latine smiled—hollowly.

“He doesn’t just break things. I brought in strong men to save lives, but they end up breaking spirits in the process.”

So people survived, but property died.

Latine chuckled bitterly.

“Your job, Dame Syveric, is to get these lunatics to stop breaking everything in sight. I have very, very high hopes for you.”

…It definitely wasn’t going to be easy.

But—

“I’ll try. No—I will get it done.”

If she could manage this, the next chancellor’s seat was practically guaranteed.

Turning this nation’s most notorious disaster of a unit into a functional military force would be a boon to the empire in every way imaginable.

And so, the moment Rodella Syveric took on the most crucial task of her career—had arrived.

* * *

“I won’t get in the way of you lovebirds. Show her around inside.”

Clearly short on time, Latine hurried the two of them out of his office.

Then he went right back to his letter-writing—no doubt drafting a heartfelt apology on behalf of the Azure Knights to the owners of the various properties they’d recently demolished.

Grumbling that his prose had improved far more than his swordsmanship since becoming captain, Latine disappeared behind his desk.

Meanwhile, the two made their way deeper into the Azure Knights’ headquarters—heading toward the Vice-Administrator’s office.

Or so Rodella thought.

‘Wait… this isn’t the right floor.’

The layout wasn’t what she remembered. From what she’d heard before, they were on the wrong level entirely.

Aivert was leading her somewhere else.

“…Aren’t we going to the Vice-Administrator’s office?”

“I moved it. The original location didn’t seem convenient.”

Aivert replied smoothly.

‘Inconvenient how? Because it didn’t get morning sun? It’s not like I’ll be working in daylight hours anyway if I’m pulling overtime every night…’

Puzzled, she followed him to the new location—and then stopped short.

“…Isn’t this right next to your office?”

‘Why here? Why?’

As Rodella blinked in confusion, Aivert gently took her hand and brought it to his lips.

“Soon-to-be newlyweds shouldn’t be stationed far apart, should they?”