novelraw Chapter 341: Childhood – This Can’t Be Right
Chapter 341: Childhood – This Can’t Be Right
“If His Highness vouches for him, of course, I trust his word. However, it seems I’ve misunderstood something about knights.”
Nedostia Yeriel’s words were polite, yet barbed with skepticism. It was unthinkable that someone born and raised in the Conrad Kingdom’s premier knightley household—the Tertan ducal family—would lack knowledge about knights.
Lean understood her insinuation but held his tongue. Nedostia was his father’s consort and therefore his elder. He waited patiently for her to finish.
“As I understand it, a knight’s strength generally increases with age. Yet the person His Highness introduced appears far too young. To call him the ‘strongest knight’ seems... somewhat exaggerated, wouldn’t you agree?”
She trailed off delicately. Normally, Nedostia was not one to speak in such vague terms, but she was mindful of her relationship with the prince.
Her son’s chances of ascending the throne were now effectively nonexistent. Protecting her position and reputation was her primary concern.
Even so, this was too muChapter They had decided to send Eric to the Aisel Kingdom, hadn’t they?
It was a tacit declaration of surrender—a humiliating capitulation where even a white flag was hoisted high.
Still, if they were going to surrender, they ought to show some respect to those they were sending. After all, they were unlikely to be forgotten so quickly.
This was the root of Nedostia’s discomfort.Although they were all part of the Yeriel royal family—outwardly and ostensibly unified—she had expected Lean to show greater consideration for her and Eric.
“Not at all. I doubt anyone in our kingdom could match him,” Lean said evenly. “Perhaps only Count Herman Forte of the Bellita Kingdom would stand a chance.”
Nedostia frowned, her expression tightening before she could stop herself. She was, after all, in the presence of the future king.
The prince’s words were simply too absurd.
That unknown commoner could rival the continent’s only Swordmaster? Really?
To Nedostia, it felt as though Lean had chosen this moment to urinate on the dignity of her and her son, who were already on their knees waving a white flag.
As her expression hardened, Ainas de Yeriel gently interjected, lowering her cup with an air of calm authority.
“A knight of such great strength—how extraordinary. It must surely be a blessing upon our house, a reflection of the king’s virtuous governance reaching the people. We cannot let such talent remain hidden. Might I suggest that we first allow him to join the knights’ order? What do you think, Your Majesty and Your Highness?”
The queen’s proposal was both a compromise and a veiled critique. While she wasn’t entirely dismissing the prince’s claim, her suggestion to induct Rev into the knightly order was a way to evaluate his true capabilities—essentially delaying the idea of using him to escort Eric to Aisel Kingdom.
It was a shrewd, diplomatic suggestion.
Lean, however, tilted his head confidently. He met his father’s gaze and wordlessly persuaded him before issuing a decree.
“Indeed. Knighting him would surely be useful, even in Aisel Kingdom. Fetch the commander of the First—no, the Second Knights’ Order.”
When a royal ‘misspoke,’ it was often deliberate.
The choice to summon the Second Knights’ commander rather than the First, who held greater prestige, was a calculated decision to match Rev’s strength against a less renowned knight while signaling confidence that Rev would win.
Meanwhile, Lerialia sidled over to Nedostia, her voice light and teasing.
“Lean is so confident, isn’t he? Maybe Eric really is getting himself an amazing knight, Mother.”
“...Perhaps,” Nedostia replied, her tone somewhat softened.
While her anger hadn’t fully dissipated, the prince’s unabashed confidence puzzled her, and Lerialia’s sweet words helped ease her temper.
The golden siblings—who had dominated the secession battle since birth—were a source of pride for the family. Knowing that Lerialia referred to both Lean and Eric as ‘brother’ without distinction brought some solace to Nedostia. She decided to observe the sparring match before forming a judgment.
Rev, meanwhile, was bewildered.
‘What is he trying to pull?’
He couldn’t discern Lean’s intentions and, surrounded by royals and nobles, couldn’t voice his frustrations aloud. When Lean approached him, Rev gritted his teeth and muttered under his breath.
“You and I are going to have a talk later.”
“Just focus on winning. If you lose, I’ll never hear the end of it. Oh, Lena, please step this way for a moment.”
“There’s no need for honorifics, Your Highness.”
“Haha, is that so? Well, calling you ‘Miss Lena’ feels too stiff. Let’s go with ‘Lena’ from now on, shall we?”
“Call me whatever you like.”
It would take time for Sir Hassen, the Second Knights’ commander, to arrive. Lean ordered the maids to dress Lena in more appropriate attire and returned to find Rev warming up in a quiet corner of the audience chamber.
“Brother, I need to talk to you.”
“What is it?”
Lerialia approached, pulling Lean aside.
“I need to ask you something. That guy... he appeared in my dreams. Do you know him?”
“Yes. I saw him in a dream too.”
“Hmm... My dreams about him were strange. His appearance and relationship with me kept changing.”
“How so?”
“Well~ in one dream, he was the leader of a rebellion. In another, he was my knight. Sometimes, we were fighting with each other. And at the end... he wasn’t even friends with you anymore.”
Lean froze for a moment.
Rev fighting Lerialia? And not friends with him? What in the world had happened in the previous iteration...?
“...I see.”
“Be careful, Brother. There’s something off about him. He seems like a decent guy, but still... Oh, and by the way, remember what you asked me to do?”
“You mean Marquis Tatian?”
“Yep. I managed to bring him in. His ‘seat’ was so heavy—it took me forever to move him.”
“‘Seat’? Honestly, Lerialia, where do you pick up such odd expressions?”
“Hehe, don’t worry. I’d never say something like that in front of Mother or Father!”
“You mean ‘Mother and Father.’”
“Yes, yes! Anyway, I did well, didn’t I?”
“You did great. It couldn’t have been easy—good work. After we send Eric off, we’ll start preparing ourselves. I’ll speak with Father about it.”
“Hehe. Orville, here we come!”
Lerialia skipped away cheerfully.
Amidst the royals’ polite conversation over tea and light refreshments, Lerialia cheerfully plopped herself into their midst. Her sudden presence caused smiles to blossom on everyone’s faces.
Lerialia shone with a brightness rivaling the sun, happily mingling with her family.
Meanwhile, Lean stepped out to personally greet Sir Hassen, the commander of the Second Knights’ Order, at the door.
As a prince, summoning the commander of the knightly order required him to extend the proper courtesies.
When Sir Hassen finally arrived, he and Rev sparred. While the results of the duel were kept confidential for the sake of Sir Hassen’s honor and reputation, word quickly spread about one fact:
Eric Yeriel had gained a new bodyguard.
***
That Evening
"Ugh, this is exhausting... Why me? Why do I have to deal with all this nonsense?"
"You worked hard today," Lena said, approaching Rev and taking the jacket he was removing.
Rev, still weary from the day’s events, gratefully accepted her help.
"The room’s nice," he muttered.
"Yeah, they even assigned a maid to us. Meals will be delivered regularly too."
"Well, that’s the least they can do after what I went through today... Ugh."
Rev had, unexpectedly, gotten a new job.
He was now a royal bodyguard for the prince.
Being knighted personally by the king was an incredible honor, but for a commoner to be assigned as a royal bodyguard—skipping the ranks of palace guards—was nothing short of astonishing.
Rev, however, was far from thrilled. Not only had he not wanted the position, but the entire day had been a trial of endurance as he was dragged around by various officials.
The court etiquette instructor lectured him endlessly about protocol when addressing royalty.
The steward bombarded him with questions about his origins, nationality, and allegiances. Rev also had to meet the commander of the palace guard and, finally, undergo an "interview" with Eric Yeriel himself.
As Eric was the one employing him, it was only natural for the prince to assess him personally. Ultimately, Rev’s salary would come out of Eric’s pocket.
The interview was a nerve-wracking charade of lies upon lies.
Rev fabricated his relationship with Lean, his decision to immigrate to the Conrad Kingdom, his loyalty to the crown, and even his "vision" and "goals" for serving the royal family.
Lean, you bastard.
After that, he met with palace guards to discuss how he would coordinate Eric’s security and how responsibilities would be divided while he was stationed at the palace.
By the time the day ended, Rev’s jaw felt sore from clenching his teeth in frustration.
Tossing his jacket aside, he collapsed onto one of the room’s plush sofas. At least the furniture was comfortable.
As his exhaustion started to drag him toward sleep, Lena sat beside him and handed him something.
“Rev, here.”
Lutetia Palace Regulations for Commoners.
“...”
Rev pinched the bridge of his nose instinctively. He was struck by the book’s thickness and further irritated by the subtitle specifying for commoners.
He already had a general idea of its contents.
Having served as a palace guard in the Bellita Kingdom’s Orville Palace, Rev knew the basic rules for commoners living within royal grounds.
But this was Lutetia Palace, not Orville. There were bound to be differences in the finer details, which meant he’d have to read it at least once.
I should’ve just stayed away from this palace.
No—perhaps he regretted coming to see Lean at all. Rev sighed and began flipping through the hefty book.
The pages detailed things like palace sewage systems, the schedule for cleaning the latrines, and how palace maids would distribute supplies every Monday morning.
Why am I reading this...?
Rev tossed the book aside.
“I’ll read it later. I’m too tired right now... I’m going to sleep.”
The room assigned to Rev and Lena had a bed. That, at least, was expected. Without further thought, Rev threw himself onto it and promptly passed out, snoring softly.
Lena hesitated, pacing around the room. She had something important to say, but the moment slipped away.
“Hey, Rev. You know... I think the people here think we’re married. We should probably—”
But the sight of Rev sprawled out like a starfish on the bed left her words hanging. Lena’s expression turned sour.
He probably thinks we’re already married too.
“...”
Lena sighed.
Fine. For Noah and Soya’s sake, I’ll marry this guy eventually. But still...
I haven’t even gotten to experience dating yet! Not that you’d care, Rev!
She sat down on the edge of the bed, pouting as she looked at her soundly sleeping friend—no, comrade. Her fingers brushed his forehead softly.
Their relationship had grown beyond childhood friendship long ago. The countless iterations had forged an unshakable bond between them. For Rev, Lena had become an irreplaceable part of his life.
She understood that, but still—
“You can’t treat your girlfriend like this, idiot.”
“Snrk... guh...”
Even so, this wasn’t right.
Lena twisted Rev’s ear with merciless precision.
Though she had glimpses of past iterations through dreams, it was Rev who carried the weight of repeating their lives. To her, this life was the first and only one she’d live.
Rev groaned in his sleep, while Lena pondered ways to revive his seemingly deadened sense of romance. Despite her frustrations, she eventually lay down beside him and fell asleep.
***
Rev’s new responsibilities consumed the days that followed. It wasn’t until more than a week later that Lean finally came to see him.