I, reincarnate as the leader of the villainous knight order

Chapter 42: Subsequent Reports

“Eleanor, you did well. Take a good rest.”

Upon arriving at the Third Knight Order in the capital, I congratulated my beloved horse, Eleanor, at the stable and took care of her grooming. Thanks to her hard work in the cold, we were able to return within the timeframe of my initial leave request.

“Commander, I’ll take over. Isn’t it time for dinner?”

As I lost track of time while grooming, the stable attendant called out to me. When we arrived, it was already dusk, and now it was pitch dark outside, with only the magical lights in the stable shining.

“It’s almost done, so it’s okay now. Thank you. Just handle the equipment.”

“Yes!”

“Good night, Eleanor.”

I patted her nose and headed to the barracks, then to the dining hall where my subordinates were enjoying their meals.

“Welcome back, Commander!”

“A lot happened while the Commander was away!”

“What was the reason for your summons back home?”

Marius, Simon, and Arnault all noticed me and started asking questions.

“Wait a moment. Let’s talk while we eat. I’ll tell you about my trip too.”

As I headed to the kitchen to get my dinner, the head chef approached me.

“Welcome back, Commander Vandière! While you were away, everyone behaved themselves without causing any problems! It’s all thanks to your firm leadership. And I heard you did great in the trial…”

“Chef! Commander Vandière just returned, so please let him eat first! Please, it’s prepared over here!”

The chef, who used to be timid, now spoke eloquently, and an apprentice, feeling sorry, brought a tray ready for me. His attitude towards me has softened considerably since before. Quite a positive development, isn’t it?

“Heh, thanks, I appreciate it.”

I couldn’t help but smile with joy. I took the tray and moved to the table where my subordinates were waiting.

“We’ve been waiting for you, Commander! Oh, it’s been quite interesting while you were away! I gathered some information because I thought I’d tell you when you got back.”

“Simon, although I’d say Marius and I were the ones mainly gathering information?”

Arnault gave Simon a stern look. Well, that’s probably true. Simon tends to remember only vague information.

“Anyway, can you tell me what happened with the temple and the Crown Prince?”

“The Crown Prince is currently under house arrest. He insists that his fiancée suffered greatly, causing him to panic. The Second Knight Order Commander insists that he was just following the Crown Prince’s orders. The Marchioness of the Border Earl was under house arrest on the day of the trial. She managed to leave with the help of several maids and went to the courthouse. According to the maids’ gossip, it seems the Marchioness has grown tired of the Crown Prince due to this incident. There are also rumors that the King is considering disinheriting the Crown Prince and making the second prince the heir. Various rumors are circulating. Regarding the temple, it might be better to hear from Marius.”

“Yes. The temple claims that everything was done by a priest who was at the courthouse without authorization. He has acknowledged it himself, so his priesthood has been revoked, and he is now imprisoned. The motive was to tarnish the honor of the commander who disparaged the temple, and it seems they did not intend to harm the Marchioness. Sir Squire, who came to court as a witness, reportedly committed perjury, saying it was for everyone’s sake, but he refuses to disclose who ordered him. So, the Second Knight Order is continuing the investigation.”

“Wait a minute, is the Second Knight Order, which mistakenly arrested the Commander, still investigating?”

Gaspard interrupted Marius’s words.

“The Second Knight Order Commander is currently under suspension, so it’s an order from above. Those below, including the deputy commanders, simply followed orders and seem to face no consequences.”

“That’s too lenient. All those in the Second should at least face a pay cut. We can make up for it.”

“Don’t say foolish things. You all know that orders from superiors are absolute, right? It’s natural for those in higher positions to take responsibility. And… was there any information about a saint coming to the temple?”

“Oh, I know about that! Yesterday, when I went drinking, a furniture craftsman was boasting about being rushed to make a bed for a woman. It’s a luxury item with carvings, so he said even nobles might use it, and it might arrive tomorrow.”

“Simon’s nightlife occasionally proves useful. Even if they try to put up a facade, I wonder if they realize they’ll be suspicious once the existence of a saint is revealed.”

They sneered at the incompetence of the temple.

“Ah, I feel more at ease seeing the Commander’s smile in that way.”

“Huh? What do you mean, all of a sudden?”

“Lately, your smiles have seemed like you’re plotting something. Just now, the chefs were all stiff, weren’t they? It’s like the Commander is some kind-hearted young man.”

Unconsciously, I had punched Simon’s head. It was a reflex, and my body remembered it. Moreover, I hit him with the second knuckle, which is quite painful in a subtle way. Well, if I don’t do something like this, these guys won’t listen properly.

Ignoring Simon’s grumbling, I thought about our future course of action while eating.