Chapter: 17
Argenta’s military power was broadly divided into three groups.
Assassins who secretly eliminated anything that might hinder Argenta in the shadows.
The official forces of Argenta, the knights.
And the enforcers who punished those who broke Argenta’s rules.
Since the head of the knights was Lord Dielo Argenta, in practice, the “Cleaner” Piele, the head of the maids and assassins, and “Executor” Rick, the head of the enforcers and the chief of intelligence, could be considered the key lieutenants of Argenta.
As such, they held absolute loyalty to Dielo Argenta. Naturally, anything that could harm the head of the house was their first target to eliminate.
“I didn’t expect the Lady to dive completely into the battlefield.”
And she did so swiftly, without hesitation.
Piele was surprised as she listened to the reports from the knights dispatched to the Fourth District.
“Actually, isn’t she an outsider? She’ll be leaving the family soon anyway.”
The informant giving the report also wore an admiring expression.
“I didn’t think she would go that far. If the Lady hadn’t been on this battlefield, the damage would have been significant.”
“A magic-using monster… maybe Sir Ledius should have self-destructed,” Rick, listening to the report, shrugged. Piele frowned at his words.
“Not self-destruction, rampage.”
“Same difference. Dying is dying. Boom.”
True to his nickname, ‘the cheerful lunatic,’ Rick grinned and spread his hands. Piele sighed as she looked at him.
Not many people knew that Rick and Piele, Argenta’s key lieutenants, were close. In public, they always maintained strict formality.
“She’s far more proactive in her duties than I expected, and she understands Argenta’s traditions well. Quite different from the atmosphere with Alojé,” Piele said—a rare high praise from someone usually so exclusive with outsiders. The informant reporting to them bowed his head.
“It’s really a shame she’s only here temporarily.”
He, too, was aware of the fake Pero plan, as he was Argenta of the Fourth Floor.
Rick scratched his cheek at that.
“But even if it’s temporary, it doesn’t look like the head has any intention of sending her away.”
“That’s true,” Piele responded unconsciously.
“Why?”
They asked each other the same question simultaneously, their eyes meeting.
“The head instructed us to tell her Argenta’s secrets without holding anything back.”
Piele spoke first.
Whether to remain a complete insider, or… to make a sharp decision, perhaps.
Rick tilted his head, processing the deadly implication.
“Really? I thought differently.”
“How so?”
Rick always seemed lighthearted, but he had a sharp mind. Otherwise, he couldn’t be the Executor and head of intelligence. Piele respected his perspective.
“I…”
Rick’s expression turned serious. When he looked like that, he really meant it. Piele listened with a similarly serious expression.
But then—
“I saw love in the head’s eyes.”
Piele pressed her forehead. She couldn’t help but take him seriously…
“No, really! Hearts were popping everywhere, I swear!”
“If you’re going to talk nonsense, go make your report instead.”
Piele shooed Rick away.
Whatever thoughts the two of them held, Argenta’s atmosphere was definitely beginning to change.
Originally, within Argenta, Crua was seen as this:
An outsider from the rival Alojé family, who could leak Argenta’s secrets to Alojé at any moment.
But now, things were different.
Though from Alojé, she had thrown herself into the dangerous battlefield for Argenta, saving countless lives.
The way Argenta now saw Crua Alojé—no, Crua Argenta—had completely changed.
“…Ah.”
How did I get back?
I blinked. I thought I had talked with Dielo and watched the battlefield being cleared.
‘I suppose the post-battle cleanup will take some time,’ I remembered Ledius saying as I mounted a horse.
‘Ah,’
And then I felt dizzy while mounting, swaying.
At that moment…
‘Crua.’
It was Dielo reaching out to me. I remembered his apologetic expression.
‘You can rest now. I’ll take you back.’
He guided my body onto his horse…
“…Ah.”
After that, my consciousness must have shut down, so I didn’t realize it, but I had probably returned riding with Dielo.
I blinked a few times. My mouth was dry, as if all the moisture had been drained from my body. I had no strength even to move a finger.
“So this is a side effect.”
It was said that after using the powerful abilities of all three families, each person experienced different side effects. Crua had never properly used her water-controlling abilities in the original story, so she wouldn’t have known.
—Click.
At that moment, the door opened slightly, and a maid carrying a wet towel entered.
Our eyes met, and she widened hers.
“…My Lady?”
“Yes.”
A familiar maid. She approached quickly and checked on me.
“You’ve woken up. I’ll fetch the doctor.”
“No need for a doctor.”
I wasn’t sick, just exhausted. I stopped her and asked something important.
“Sir Ledius?”
“Huh?”
The maid widened her eyes. Was I too direct? Well, before the battlefield, I had never met Ledius, so it made sense.
“I mean the commanding officer of the Fourth District. Actually, not just the commander, but all the troops in the Fourth District.”
Lying down would only sap my strength. I got up and asked again.
“Are they all safe? How much damage was there?”
Dielo must have returned safely—he was the one who had brought me back, after all.
“Ah, Sir Ledius has already been there.”
“What?”
I widened my eyes. If he’d already gone, how long had I been unconscious?
“Was I out for a long time?”
“You were unconscious for about a day and a half.”
Ah… no wonder I felt weak.
I closed my eyes tightly and opened them again as the maid spoke.
“The damage to the Fourth District’s forces is minimal. There were many lightly injured, and if it had turned into a prolonged battle, the losses could have been severe…”
The maid bowed deeply.
“Thanks to your support, there was no major damage. Sir Ledius wished to offer his personal thanks, but had to return immediately to the Fourth District for ongoing command.”
“That’s a relief.”
Finally, I exhaled. My body ached, and I had lost two days, but the survival of Ledius Argenta alone was a huge boon to Argenta. A satisfied smile came naturally.
“And Dielo?”
“He returned safely and continued his schedule. He took moments during the day to check on you.”
I could easily imagine his worried expression. He would certainly have been deeply concerned about me. Our marriage contract didn’t include any condition that I had to risk my life on the battlefield in emergencies.
“Tell him I’m fine too.”
“Understood. Still, the head ordered that a doctor be called immediately upon your awakening…”
The maid added cautiously. It was typical of Dielo’s careful nature.
I finally nodded.
“Alright. Call the doctor, and then go report to Dielo.”
“Yes. For Argenta.”
The maid saluted politely and left. Her movements were precise.
“…‘For Argenta’?”
I recalled. It was the first formal greeting I had heard since arriving at this mansion. And starting with that maid, all the other staff began to greet the same way.
“My Lady, Dr. Nias is here.”
“Ah, come in.”
The doctor, entering cautiously to examine me, and the Argenta maids and knights following him, all greeted in the same formal manner.
“Understood.”
“For Argenta.”
Listening to them one by one, I felt a strange sensation. Recently, I had been on the outskirts of the mansion, but now it felt noticeably closer… Why?
The answer came from Piele, who entered my room to check on me after the doctor left.
“Your actions on the battlefield left a very strong impression on the Argenta people.”
Honestly, I hadn’t thought that a newly arrived Lady commanding knights would be seen positively by the staff. The battlefield was full of water, so my Alojé abilities were effective, but it was essentially my own insistence that had brought me there.
‘It’s a battlefield near water, so shouldn’t the Alojé who controls water go?’
What else could it have been but stubbornness? But even if I was acting like a reckless Lady, I had to save Ledius. That was the only reason I pushed forward.
“…Why?”
I couldn’t understand. No matter the outcome, to anyone who hadn’t read the original story, this would have seemed reckless. I didn’t even expect to control the water so effectively myself. I thought I could barely extract Ledius Argenta from the chaos.
But the moment I saw the water, my blood had boiled.
“Because it was a dangerous battlefield.”
Remembering the scene, Piele answered.
“I heard you didn’t hesitate to enter the battlefield. Even Argenta would naturally fear until burning themselves for Argenta, but you didn’t. You entered more boldly than Argenta themselves.”
Piele smiled faintly. I opened my eyes wide. I knew the ‘Cleaner’ Piele always drew a line with people. Yet this smile carried genuine friendliness.
“They see it as your ‘first battlefield.’ I also think so.”
“First battlefield?”
“Yes.”
—Click.
The door opened, and a maid cautiously set a bowl of soup on the tray before me.
Piele, serving my meal, said,
“This is a test to become Argenta.”
So it wasn’t just about ability. According to the original story, at least in Alojé, controlling water was enough to become a knight.
“It’s a test where one goes onto the battlefield without weapons, only relying on their own power to survive.”
“…!”
So those who can’t fight properly are left to die?
“Survive or die. The trial can only be overcome with one’s own power. If one dies, their ability becomes part of the head’s; if they survive, they become a member of Argenta.”
Even speaking of life and death, Piele’s expression remained calm.
“It is a test to ask whether one is ready to burn themselves for Argenta. To become a true Argenta.”
Impressive words. I murmured softly.
“To become Argenta…”
I finally understood the strange bond among the Argenta people. Probably because only those who had survived their ‘first battlefield’ were accepted as Argenta.
“A strange feeling,” I said, finishing the soup and watching Piele wipe my mouth.
“I don’t know when I’ll leave this place.”
I already knew not much time was left, but I couldn’t show it.
“……”
Piele only gave a brief, silent bow in response.
That night, having slept only a day and a half, I couldn’t fall asleep.
So I began preparing for the future.
“Could you bring me the continent map?”
