Chapter 1 — The Knight Commander Gets Murdered

Section: Part 1 — Exile, Then Saving the Nation

Discord : https://discord.com/invite/asmotoon

—My fiancée was a whore.

After being dragged into a yearlong campaign to exterminate the barbarians, I finally returned home, only to be greeted by news that my fiancée was pregnant. Naturally, I hadn't so much as touched her hand, let alone seen her face, that entire year.

While I was carving out a path through barbarian-infested territory day and night, she was busy opening something else. Some lady she turned out to be.

I did wonder how this would play out if it had been some random town girl.

If you ignored my feelings, it wouldn't be much of a problem. It wouldn't even qualify as gossip. Unfortunately, the situation isn't that simple.

I'm the man in charge of the North Hawk Knight Order, and my fiancée of all people is Third Princess Tarin. To make matters worse, the man she's with is a court count. Put that combination together and you get the perfect scandal, which has the royal family scrambling for damage control.

So the court grandees apparently decided the best course was to erase me.

No, that's not quite accurate.

More precisely, they'd like to declare me dead in action.

The fact that they told me this directly in the audience chamber, without so much as a token celebration for the victorious officers, means the decision was made before I ever returned.

A predetermined route, then. Splendid. So this is what civilian control looks like.

"My apologies."

The king, whose fangs have long since been pulled now that Parliament throws its weight around, offered a brief apology. It isn't really his fault. At worst, I'd blame him for letting my fiancée grow up with light morals and a lighter head. I don't bear him much of a grudge.

"North Hawk Knight Commander Warrena fell during the recent assault on the barbarian fort. While dueling the enemy general, he was brought down by a cowardly interference. Therefore, the betrothal to Her Highness Third Princess Tarin is dissolved. Compensation to his kin will be paid per standing protocol. That is all."

The bureaucrat at his side read the note in his hand in a deadpan tone. The king let out a short sigh, murmured another "my apologies," and earned a flicker of sympathy from me. Only a flicker.

As for Tarin, the fiancée who betrayed me, I never had lingering attachment to begin with.

What truly grated was that all the labor I'd poured into serving as the kingdom's sword and shield, sacrificing every spare moment for the country and its people had been rendered completely pointless.

And the reason is downright vile.

A princess's little fling was enough to wipe everything away. How is that acceptable? Anger welled up toward her, toward the lover I'd never met, and most of all toward the kingdom that would treat me like this.

But anger with nowhere to go quickly curdled into crushing disappointment.

There was never room for discussion.

In the end, I traded the position of knight commander, the name Warrena, and my betrothed for hush money disguised as rewards and damages, more coin than I could spend in a lifetime and a barren tract of land in the sticks. They even floated the idea of granting me a barony under a new name, but I declined. I was determined to cut ties with them forever.

Change my name, retire to the frontier, and live in hiding for the rest of my days that's the reward I received for subjugating the barbarians.

North Hawk Knight Commander Warrena, fired because his fiancée got knocked up after cheating on him.

...What a pathetic punch line.

◆◆◆

"The Death of the Hero Warrena" will be published once I've left the royal capital of Sazanport.

They slid a carriage up to my townhouse under cover of darkness, and when I stepped inside for the first time in a year, it was already empty. The servants must have been told ahead of time that I was dead. Only my footsteps echoed hollowly through the chilled halls.

I wanted to curse them as heartless, but their master was gone. If they wanted new employment, they had to leave quickly. I couldn't fault them.

I spent my first sleepless night in a long while.

On the battlefield, I could sleep standing with barbarian corpses at my feet, but it's been ages since I felt like this. When was the last time?

After a bit of reflection, I remembered. Right since the first time I killed a man.

As dawn paled the Sazanport sky, I shook off the haze in my head and sluggishly rose to prepare for departure. I wasn't hungry, so I just drank a little water.

About an hour later, while I was packing my belongings, someone knocked and called out from behind me.

"Brother."

"...What is it, Ellie?"

I didn't need to turn to know. Keeping my eyes on the bundle in my hands, I answered the person behind me.

"Sorry, nobody was around so I let myself in. I'm back in Sazanport for the first time in ages and came to drag you out into the city, but... what are you doing? Actually, what even is this?"

When I turned, Ellie's familiar, dignified face was creased in confusion. Judging from that, she hadn't heard I'd been dismissed.

"Oh, nothing. I got relieved of the commander post yesterday, so I'm planning to hole up in the countryside and enjoy the slow life. Moving prep is in full swing—though I was away until yesterday, so there isn't much to pack."

"What?! You're kidding me, no one told me."

Ellie's shock was understandable.

"I just did."

"Ugh... that's so abrupt. What's going to happen to the order?"

"No idea. There's a competent vice commander. He'll manage."

Ellie immediately folded her arms and scowled.

"That was a joke."

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"If anything, you never stop joking. But that's not the point."

"Fine, fine. You want the reason. Can't tell you. You'll know in two or three days anyway the ministers will issue their statement."

"So it's something you can't tell even me. Well, since you're going about your day like normal, I can at least rule out crime. So? Where are you going?"

"Norwald."

"N-Norwald?! As in that godforsaken northern frontier?!"

"Watch your language... Aren't you supposed to be a young lady no, a saint? ...Yeah, that Norwald. Want to come along? Just kidding."

I tossed out the line while turning back to my luggage. Ellie sucked in a breath. ...Why?

A sharp click followed her shoes, I realized and then words I never expected dropped from above.

"I'm coming with you."

"Huh?"

I looked up, startled. Ellie's cheeks were lightly flushed, and she was smiling brilliantly.

"I'm going too. To Norwald."

"Hold it, I was joking. Don't take it seriously. What about your duties in the order? You're a knight too."

"I'll quit, obviously. And if that's your argument, what about you?"

"I have my reasons. You don't. Absolutely not. If a healer of your caliber leaves, that company no, the entire mage battalion will grind to a halt. You stay."

"Wow, thanks. I'm flattered by such praise. ...Still going, though. And stop with the 'you, you, you.'"

"Sorry, Ellie. But you're not coming."

By the time I'd coaxed her into staying, the sun was already high. Maybe I should sew my own mouth shut. I'm in no position to lecture anyone about being frivolous.

I locked up the townhouse and loaded the last of my baggage into the wagon.

Once the place sells, the payment will reach me via the Adventurers' Guild. I even invoked a contract spell to draw up the deed, so I'll trust the bureaucrats that far.

I took one last look around the estate, pulled my hood low, and climbed aboard.

Sorry I couldn't safeguard the family home, Grandfather. I apologized to the patriarch two generations back in my heart and snapped the reins.

It's a good twenty-day trip by freight wagon to Norwald in the far north. I let my thoughts drift to that unseen land. I'd toss the gloom aside along with my old name.

Farewell, capital. I doubt I'll ever set foot here again.

From now on, I'm just a country bumpkin named Dan.

All I want is a quiet life.

----- End of chapter -----