Nero, the vice commander of the Black Claw Knights, was a man of strict and upright character.
His appearance was stern and grim. His short blond hair and sharp eyes made him look like a leopard. Bored with the tedious days of farming, he joined the war as a young soldier.
He excelled in strength and speed, which led to him taking on the role of a messenger. However, one day, he was captured by the enemy army. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Nero tore up the orders and swallowed them with water before he could be taken prisoner.
He was subjected to intense torture. Yet, Nero never spoke. He hadn’t read the contents of the orders, so there was nothing to reveal. Even so, he was kicked, punched, and tormented. The main forces of the Dailan Magic Kingdom, commanded by King Alan, were overwhelmingly strong, and the enemy army was cornered. Their desperation led to the brutal torture. It seemed that Nero had no fate other than death.
But then, the king’s forces attacked the enemy camp, rescuing Nero. The king’s healing magic restored his lost claws and teeth, and he immediately returned to the battlefield. The king recognized his efforts. Not only for keeping the secret, but also for enduring the brutal torture without losing his will to fight, Nero was awarded a medal.
The king didn’t heal Nero out of kindness. He was a man who wouldn’t bat an eye even if ten thousand soldiers died, and he would never use healing magic on a common soldier for anything other than war. The king’s goal was to instill in his soldiers the belief that “no matter what injury you sustain, you won’t die if the king is there,” thus boosting their morale.
However, for Nero, it was an event that earned the king his lifelong loyalty.
From there, Nero’s career soared. He not only received a medal but also saw a dramatic improvement in his magical abilities after facing the brink of death. He was even granted the “Hound” spell by Erinna, Dailan’s foremost magic scholar. Now, despite being of common birth, Nero is the vice commander of the Black Claw Knights.
Nero holds more power than most nobles. Particularly when it comes to monitoring the knight orders and mage divisions for rebels or lapses in discipline, he is allowed to exercise considerable authority.
Moreover, Nero was immune to bribery. Perhaps as a reflection of his loyalty to the king, he despised the people of the frontier. In Nero’s eyes, they were lazy, indulgent beings who cared only for their own comfort while the king fought bloody battles for the kingdom. Their attempts to bribe him with dirty gold coins held no appeal for Nero.
But recently, Nero had been growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of cooperation in his search for rebels. Especially in the past six months, the rebel forces that had risen against the king had become more active. Just recently, remnants who continued to resist even after their defeat by the Dailan Magic Kingdom had allied with the rebels and were closing in on the royal capital.
This threat was eliminated by Queen Bazarde’s power, but there had to have been a key leader who facilitated the connection between the rebels and the remnants. Nero tried to mobilize the knights from the frontier territories to search for this leader, but his requests were met with various excuses and ultimately refused.
Of course, for those being mobilized, the knights from the frontier territories, this was an extremely troublesome request. They were frequently dragged into wars, and on top of that, they bore a heavy tax burden to maintain the royal army. Discontent was widespread, not just among the commoners but also among the nobles who governed the frontier.
Furthermore, there were no leads on the appearance or identity of the rebels, and no concrete evidence. The frontier knights could hardly be expected to readily obey Nero’s unreasonable search orders based solely on his intuition. They did a half-hearted search just to get it over with.
In response, Nero issued a notice of an inspection of the frontier territories as a form of retribution or retaliation.
The deadline was one month away.
But in reality, Nero started his inspections a week earlier.
Naturally, this was to scold the frontier knights, who would be frantically trying to prepare.
“Would you make excuses like ‘the enemy came suddenly’ if you lost a battle?” he would say.
This was Nero’s duty, and he had no hesitation.
To solidify the rule of the Dailan Magic Kingdom, Nero continued to move without rest.
◆
“How is it? The cavalry of the Silver Scale Knights?”
“Kuh…!”
In the plains surrounding Shelland, rows of knights mounted on horses stood ready. Under the clear skies just before summer, Byron, the commander of the Silver Scale Knights, proudly displayed his men to Nero.
Byron was a lively and handsome man with black hair, a black beard, and tan skin. He was renowned both as a swordsman and as a leader entrusted with the command of the knight order. Additionally, he was a devoted husband, with the habit of composing poems for his wife, just as he had when he was single. The only flaw in this man was that his poetry was a bit lacking in skill.
And today, Byron’s face was once again adorned with a smile full of confidence and grace. Contrary to Nero’s expectations, there was no sign of defeat in his expression. With a commanding voice, Byron issued orders to his knights.
“Silver Scale Knights, ready!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Charge!”
The cavalry surged forward in perfect unison.
Even though it was just a drill, their morale was high.
They galloped around Shelland, deliberately passing close to the outer walls that protected the town.
The townsfolk, eager to catch a glimpse of the noble knights, let out excited cheers.
“…You’ve done well to prepare all this,” Nero remarked.
“Indeed, the last time you visited, you pointed out that ‘the horse gear was inadequate,’ and we took it to heart. We are truly grateful for your words,” Byron replied.
“I merely said what needed to be said as part of my duty.”
“Exactly. We took your words to heart and reflected deeply on them.”
Despite his humble words, Byron crossed his arms and maintained a calm, composed expression. He was more proud of the beauty of his cavalry under his command than merely getting through Nero’s inspection.
The knights, armed with silver spears and clad in gleaming black armor, were a formidable force. They could easily scatter any enemy army or monstrous threat. These knights were renowned as the strongest in the eastern part of the Dailan Magic Kingdom.
The horse armor, which had been hastily prepared to meet this inspection, was exceptionally well-crafted. It was light, sturdy, and beautiful. The bright brown leather was adorned with the knights’ emblem, burnt in a deep black that stood out boldly.
Leather armor often carried a rough and intimidating image, one that could instill fear even in those it was meant to protect. But this emblem transformed that fear into a sense of reliability. This was the image the knight commander sought—not of knights who merely destroy their enemies, but of those who protect others, a vision Byron aspired to achieve.
“But still, appearances aren’t everything. Can they live up to it? Drills are just drills, not the real thing,” Nero commented.
“Indeed. To protect what is important, we must always keep our fangs sharp. We must have the substance to match our appearance. Thank you for your advice,” Byron responded.
“Hmph. The inspection revealed no issues. They are well-trained. I will report as much.”
“We are honored.”
“I’ve seen enough. I will take my leave.”
“Oh, but we’ve also prepared a banquet,” Byron offered.
“I didn’t come here for a feast. I’m busy,” Nero replied curtly.
Before the cavalry could return, Nero had already left the area.
Byron watched him go, letting out a sigh.
“He won’t accept bribes, doesn’t take breaks, and despite the absurdity of arriving a week early for an inspection, he’s a remarkable man… If it weren’t for the artist’s advice, we might have been in trouble.”
Soon after, the cavalry returned to Byron.
Even the horses seemed to enjoy the thrill of galloping in armor. While one might think that the additional weight of armor on top of the saddle and stirrups would be cumbersome, Byron believed that the horses must feel it too—the pride of carrying knights so elated by their appearance.
“The artist must be getting tired of his mountain retreat. It might be time to call him back… But before that, shall we have a little run, partner?”
With those words, Byron patted his beloved horse’s back.
