I, reincarnate as the leader of the villainous knight order

Chapter 78: The Crown Prince’s Surprised [Ernest’s Side]

It had been almost a month since the departure of the Saint and her companions from the capital. I had completely forgotten about the amulet submerged in the fountain in front of the grand temple and had been busy fulfilling my duties as the Crown Prince.

Maybe it’s because of Vandière’s absence, the recent days had been surprisingly calm, without any unusual irritations.

Perhaps it would be better if Vandière never returned, and these peaceful days would continue indefinitely. However, his strength is necessary for this country. If only he could lower his status to that of a commoner, if not a slave…

I diverted my gaze from the stack of documents and sighed, gazing out of the window at the blue sky.

Vandière aside, I wonder if the saints are having a hard time in the encampment day after day, but with the Holy Knights around, personal safety should not be a problem.

Suddenly, one of the guards burst into the room, exclaiming, “Your Highness, it’s urgent!! According to a report from the Second Knight Order, a large number of monsters have appeared in front of the grand temple!”

“What!?”

I was taken aback by the unbelievable report delivered by the guard who had entered the room abruptly. Though not on par with Vandière, my swordsmanship was acknowledged by the guard knights. I quickly prepared my equipment and headed to the location where the monsters were reported to have appeared.

According to the report I heard while on the move, my entire body broke out in goosebumps. The fountain in front of the grand temple… Could it be…?

Even while passing through the noble district, we encountered several monsters. Fortunately, there seemed to be no damage to the noble residences due to their fences and gates. However, the grand temple, where the monsters were said to have appeared, stood between the noble and merchant districts, with a significant amount of foot traffic. Naturally, there were no fences or gates around it.

If it were the commoner district, there would be plenty of houses that could be broken by the monsters’ onslaught. If I had been deceived to leave the amulet at the fountain… then this turmoil would be my fault.

In the first place, I should have found it strange when I was still with the High Priest. No matter how much one wanted to demonstrate the power of the Saint, one should not have been someone who would willingly harm the people for that purpose.

If I had been manipulated like this… There might even be a possibility that Vandière from before had been too. No, I have to focus on protecting the people of the capital right now!

The Second Knight Order was fighting monsters everywhere. Although I tried to head to the front of the grand temple where the monsters were first sighted, I couldn’t even approach due to the overflow of monsters.

“Those who are injured, retreat! Who is in command here!?”

“Vice Captain Constant is leading the troops at the South Square of the Merchant District! He’s trying to prevent the monsters from entering the Commoner District!”

It was a wise decision. The capital was designed in a concentric layout with the royal castle at the center, surrounded by the noble, merchant, and commoner districts. Therefore, if monsters flowed into the commoner district, the search area would suddenly expand. The monsters ranged from small creatures like Horn Rabbits to large beasts like Demon Bears, and everyone was struggling.

It seemed wise to join forces with whoever was currently in command. Although the horses were in confusion, I managed to calm them down and headed to the designated square. When we arrived at the South Square, I found the Second Knights surrounded by Black Wolves.

“I’ll assist you! Attack the Black Wolves from behind!”

With my command, the guard knights accelerated and launched attacks on the distracted Black Wolves. Seizing the opportunity, the Second Knights swiftly subdued them one by one.

“Thank you, Your Highness. We owe you one.”

It was a knight I knew. Constant de Roche, who was acting as deputy commander. I remembered him well because he had often advised Vandière during our academy days.

“Roche, what’s the situation?”

“It’s not good. We’re doing our best to prevent the monsters from entering the Commoner District. But for now, the residents seem to have taken shelter in their buildings. I plan to go to the source of the monster outbreak to assess the situation…”

“But there are too many monsters for us to approach.”

“Yes. If only we had the Third Knight Order, which is accustomed to fighting monsters… No, please forget what I just said.”

I understand Roche’s feelings. Both the First and Second Knight Orders, which guard me, are fine with interpersonal combat, but they are inexperienced compared to the Third Knight Order when it comes to fighting monsters. It’s frustrating, but if Vandière were here, we would have resolved this situation quickly.

“Heh, never thought I’d want to see that face again. But we can’t rely on someone who’s not here. We’ll handle it ourselves.”

“If you look at it differently, it means we can gather monster materials to our heart’s content. When they come back, let’s boast about how much profit we made.”

“The profit will be divided equally! Let’s head to the grand temple!”

Roche’s joking was reassuring, but I noticed he was quite exhausted. How many monsters are there exactly? Although not as intense as the Stampede we learned about in history, many people are confused because the attack is coming from within the capital, not from outside.

“Haa, haa…!”

After several hours, we finally reached a position where we could see the grand temple. Despite having trained with great determination recently, I was already feeling exhausted. The sword felt unusually heavy, the armor felt cumbersome, almost like restraints, and my own breathing sounded loud.

It was then, of all times, that a big monster, a Demon Bear, appeared. Others, like myself, were also exhausted, and although I could see the Demon Bear raising its arm, I couldn’t raise my arm to wield my sword. At the moment I resigned myself to death, the Demon Bear’s arm was cut off and flew through the air.

“The captain was right. Your Highness Ernest, please retreat and rest here. Although Captain Justin will be coming a few days late, the Third Knight Order, except for those heading to the mountains, has arrived here.”

I was saved by Vandière’s decision. At that moment, I felt a mix of frustration and relief, and tears threatened to fall.

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Thank you for your patience. In the next episode, finally, big brother makes an appearance!