I, reincarnate as the leader of the villainous knight order

Chapter 41: Foster Siblings

The next morning, we decided to leave before breakfast, moving up our departure plans. The reason was that things were… quite hectic during dinner.

First, everyone was surprised by the change in seasoning, then the head chef was summoned, and I exaggeratedly mentioned that my idea had spread to other territories, so I ended up having to explain everything from scratch. Sister Julia looked at Albert, who couldn’t wipe the smirk off his face, and me with a fond smile.

From Cyril, I received a strangely sharp gaze, as if he had heard from Father or thought I had scored points with the seasoning. Although our parents had the typical poker faces of nobility, they seemed unusually restless, and I couldn’t eat calmly either.

After getting ready, I received my beloved horse Eleanor from the stable and waved to Alexei and Angel, who spotted me from the window. They probably think I’m just going out for a bit. It’s a shame to part ways when they’ve become so attached, but it can’t be helped.

Heading to the training grounds to greet the knights and my father and brothers, who were conducting morning exercises before breakfast, I found a familiar group waiting for me. Even though it was just a normal day, steam was rising from the knights as they trained, making their breath visible.

While it’s not as extensive as the Taleraan border territory, the Vandière Marquis’s territory also has large forests, so training is essential. It’s a knight order that’s almost as large as the Third Knight Order.

I let out my frustrations there, as if to vent my pent-up feelings. Well, I was doing my job as a knight, but sometimes I overdid it with the monsters, or my attitude toward those around me was bad.

Being the son of the Marquis made others hesitant around me, which probably led to my arrogance. In other words, most of them didn’t welcome me. Only a few who I saved or got along with seemed genuinely happy to see me.

“Father, excuse me for interrupting your training. I’m here to say goodbye since I’ll be heading back to the capital.”

“No problem. We’ve just finished. Dismissed!”

It seemed like they had just finished, as Father immediately disbanded the knights from the training grounds.

“Anyway… Hm, going back… huh. It seems like the Third Knight Order has become your place. You should be fine, but be careful on your way.”

“Yes.”

As I mounted my horse and started to head towards the mansion gate, someone appeared to block my path.

“Leaving without even saying goodbye, isn’t that inconsiderate?”

“Ryuka… If I had the time, I would’ve liked to talk, but there were some complications before leaving the capital, so I wasted a couple of days. …Still, you’re not planning on going to the capital? It would be reassuring to have you there.”

The person who appeared was Ryuka, the son of Mael, my wet nurse. In other words, he was my foster brother. Born a month ahead of me, he had been trained as a knight while I was pampered by the wet nurse. Normally, children of knightly families would be entrusted to their relatives, but since his mother served the lord, we had been living together as childhood friends.

At the time, I envied Ryuka, who was loved by his real mother, and Ryuka envied me for having his mother all to myself while he was undergoing rigorous training to become a knight. One day, our suppressed emotions exploded.

At the age of ten, we had a serious fistfight and confessed our jealousy towards each other.

That day, both of us ended up in a sorry state and received a scolding from my wet nurse. She was about to report it to Father, prepared to face the consequences, but I stopped her. I said it was our problem to deal with.

Actually, I was embarrassed at the thought of being known to have fought over my wet nurse. From that day on, Ryuka and I became best friends. It’s almost like a plot from a retro delinquent manga, where friendship blossoms from a fight.

The day I decided to go to the capital, I invited Ryuka to come along. However, he refused, saying he couldn’t leave his mother, who was my wet nurse. It was also to give his mother, who had already fulfilled her duty as a wet nurse, an easy time. I couldn’t force him, so I gave up.

Nowadays, if I brought Mael along to the capital, I could provide a home for her. I suggested it with that intention, but Ryuka shook his head.

“Nah, my mom doesn’t want to leave the Vandière territory.”

“I see… Well, congratulations on becoming a squad leader this year. You’ve earned it.”

“With my skills, it’s only natural.”

“Well, whenever you feel like it, come visit the Third Knight Order. You’ll fit right in with them. You’d be welcome in the Second too, but if you come, come to us in the Third, okay?”

“Yeah, if I go to the capital, I’ll visit you first… Justin.”

We bumped fists and left without saying goodbye. Since we had been sparring since childhood, I had the advantage in magical abilities, but in pure swordsmanship, we were almost equal.

The other vacant position of vice commander is practically reserved for Ryuka. Orel is already thirty-eight… It’s about time for him to refrain from running around and focus more on strategy and management.

Arnault and Gaspard have potential, but they’re not yet at the level to take the lead. Anyway, for the time being, we’ll rely on Orel.

Anyway, I wonder if the investigation into the temple and the Crown Prince’s associates will progress by the time we arrive in the capital. But more importantly, I’m worried about whether my subordinates have caused any trouble.

As the first snowflakes began to fall, I hurried to the capital with my beloved horse.