The next day.
A magical rift opened in the middle of the village corridor. Leon stepped through the portal with ease, surprising Noelle—the young knight still not used to his theatrical entrances.
He smiled and gently reached out, adjusting the crooked ribbon in her maid's hair.
Since pledging her loyalty to him, Leon had revealed parts of the truth to Noelle. She had been terrified, of course. But even so, she chose to follow him—wholeheartedly.
To Leon, Noelle embodied purity among knights—a living example of the Ten Codes of Chivalry: humility, honesty, compassion, bravery, justice, sacrifice, honor, perseverance, benevolence, and loyalty.
She was, without a doubt, an endearing knight.
"Leon! You're back!"
"Yes, I'm back." Leon chuckled. "You should've seen my father's face. It was... priceless."
"Hehe, please go change. You look way too formal."
"Alright, alright, Euphie... But don't give me that pout."
Euphie approached him with a sigh. Her hands started undoing the buttons on Leon's coat, then his shawl. Her movements were smooth, natural—almost like a newlywed wife tending to her husband—but there was a hint of frustration on her face.
"To be honest, I thought I'd have a chance to shine this time," she murmured. "I thought I'd finally do something great for your plan to conquer this kingdom... Really stand out…"
She hesitated, then crossed her arms.
"But in the end... we've been here less than ten days, Leon! Ten days! And you already took over the Kingdom of Midgar! I didn't even find out until this morning!"
The frustration in her voice was genuine. She truly wanted to be by his side—as a partner, not just an onlooker.
"Well…" Leon scratched the back of his neck, a little embarrassed. "It was just too good an opportunity to waste. I couldn't let it slip by."
"You could've at least told me about it! Planned it with me! I... wanted to fight by your side."
Leon looked at her for a moment, then smiled softly and wrapped his arms around her in a gentle hug.
"Sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I promise next time, you'll be the first to know."
And with that, he leaned in and kissed her.
"Ahhh...!"
Noelle, nearby, turned away with her face red as a tomato. She covered her face with her hands, clearly embarrassed.
Leon let out a small laugh at her reaction.
"She's still so innocent," he murmured to Euphie, who just giggled quietly.
"Leon…" Euphilia said, pretending to sound formal, though a smile curved her lips.
"Do you really promise to tell me next time?"
"I promise. Prince's word," he said, touching his forehead gently to hers.
"Then fine… Just don't leave me out again, okay?"
"Never."
To others, Leon's affectionate demeanor might seem strange. But for Euphie and Noelle, it was clear: life by this prince's side would never be ordinary.
Conquering a kingdom in a few days? That was just the beginning.
---
A few hours earlier, when Leon made his report to the Kingdom of Palettia.
His father, King Orphans, was so shocked he literally fell off the throne, his jaw hanging open in disbelief.
Sylphine, on the other hand, was much calmer.
For her, the most important thing was their reunion. She hugged him tightly, kissed him, caressed his face... and dragged him inside, where she had already prepared lunch herself.
---
"Emmm... why has Sylphine been treating you better lately?" King Orphans asked, eyeing his son suspiciously. "She's even ignoring her own children because of you."
Leon shrugged, wearing a faint smile.
"Maybe it has something to do with my mother... Who knows. Father, for us men, a woman's heart is an unsolvable maze. The more we try to understand it, the more lost we get."
Orphans gave a short laugh.
"Hah... you've got a point."
Though the conquest of the Knights' Kingdom had been a tremendous success, Leon had no intention of returning home just yet.
For him, this journey served as a kind of rest, and in silence, the king acknowledged that his son had earned it. After all, conquering an entire kingdom in less than ten days was something most kings could never dream of achieving in a lifetime.
Still, there were unresolved matters...
Remnants of the Diablos cult scattered through the ruins. Urgent repairs. And the rebuilding of Midgar.
Leon crossed his arms as he looked over a map spread out on the table.
"I'll personally draft the restoration plan. Then, I'll order Midgar's king to carry it out. Now that this kingdom belongs to me, I can't let it fall into ruin."
As for the remaining cult members, Leon wasn't concerned.
"They're just rats in hiding. I'll have the girls hunt them down... slowly. This territory is mine now."
He smiled coldly, eyes gleaming with dominion. The Knights' Kingdom—politically and militarily—was now entirely under his control. Directly or indirectly, everything went through him.
Change the laws? Access the royal treasury? No ceremony was needed anymore.
Even convincing the princess to share a bed with him... seemed like just a matter of time.
But unlike what others believed, Leon wasn't a tyrant gone mad. He knew how to wait—and above all, how to respect the feelings of those who mattered to him.
---
Later, at his temporary residence in Midgar.
"By the way, I heard Princess Iris is investigating the cult. She's tracking down what's left, right? Any results yet?" Leon asked casually.
"Master, the information is still preliminary... But it seems she found an ancient relic and a magical artifact in the ruins of the fortress that was destroyed yesterday."
"Relic?" Leon's eyes widened.
"But... didn't we already sweep the whole area? Didn't we recover everything?"
If Gama had been present at that moment, he would've been kneeling on the floor, trembling like a wet puppy.
Letting a magical item slip through was a serious mistake—especially given the kinds of relics the cult used to hoard. The clearest example was the set of [Seven Deadly Sins] that Leon had used to defeat a dragon.
But he sighed, letting the tension go.
"Forget it. Iris is smart. She's probably already taken action. When I visit the academy, I'll ask her to tell me the details in person."
He didn't blame Gama. Everyone made mistakes. And the fact that Gama had managed to create the powerful Mitsugoshi Trading Company proved his worth.
Besides...
Leon had an unexpected advantage: Iris's younger sister was his personal informant—and very dedicated. The kind who would report everything, from the magic order's secret plans to... the color of Iris's underwear that day.
Leon raised an eyebrow, a playful smile on his face.
"Poor Iris. Her father, mother, and sister are already mine. If I were her, I'd just surrender already... She's only wasting time."
---
Meanwhile, at the Magic Swordsmen Academy, Literature Department.
It was still early when Iris arrived, accompanied by her younger sister Alexia—who, unbeknownst to her, was a loyal spy for Leon.
"Shirley Barnett, Faruzan," Iris said seriously, placing a box of ancient artifacts on the desk. "This delivery is of utmost importance from the Knights. Please accept it."
In front of her stood two very different girls, each beautiful in her own way.
"Hahaha~ Ah... Am I really the right person for this?" murmured Shirley, a shy pink-haired girl, fidgeting with her necklace. "I don't know if I can handle something from the Knights…"
"Huh? What did she ask again? I'm too old, my hearing's no good. Better call the Senior to translate,"
Faruzan, a girl with a youthful look and aqua-green twin tails, spoke in a slow, archaic tone, as if she were centuries old.
Alexia widened her eyes. The pair her sister had sought out was... peculiar.
But for some reason, her intuition told her these two might be more useful than they appeared.
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."
I just noticed the mistake in the chapters.