c96 of the wn
77. The Disrespectful Princess Takes Charge.
“Ha…? …What? …!? ”
At Stayle’s training ground.
Arthur, who had come for his usual sparring with Stayle, was visibly shaken by the words from Lady Pryde, Tiara, and Stayle. He searched for the words he wanted to say, his mouth moving desperately as he tried to make sense of it all.
“The Imperial Guard, knights...?! That passed in today’s legislative council...?”
“Yeah, and after my sister, the first in line to the throne and the proposer of the plan, establishes the Imperial Guard, they’ll always be by her side as her personal bodyguards in times of emergency.”
Stayle continued speaking to Arthur, almost as if he were piling on more information. Despite his neutral expression, it was clear he was smiling.
“Well, even though the proposal was mine, it was really Stayle and Chancellor Gilbert who brought the idea to life,” Lady Pryde said with a slight chuckle.
It had been exactly a year since the legislative council meeting last year.
A few months ago, after Chancellor Gilbert’s marriage to Maria was announced, he immediately started working on a detailed plan for the Imperial Guard and knights, just as I had hoped. I was honestly stunned when, the day after our conversation, he handed me a massive stack of papers. After Stayle read through all the details and made corrections, pushed through suggestions, and made revisions, the plan was finalized with further refinements from Chancellor Gilbert. It was far from the calm atmosphere of a legislative council meeting; the two of them were completely engrossed in their work.
With the pile of papers Chancellor Gilbert had brought laid out before us, Stayle and Chancellor Gilbert debated: “If it’s for personal protection, the Imperial Guard should consist of at least three or four elite members.” “We can’t trust just anyone with her safety. What if an individual, such as a certain chancellor, was manipulating the situation behind the scenes? “But having only one guard might be insufficient in terms of protection.” “For now, we only need the best, not the masses.” “Let’s start with a trial period, one knight and one guard, and then gradually increase the number. In the meantime, the future regent can find trustworthy knights and guards.” “I planned to do that anyway. I have an excellent knight who’s adept at detecting hidden agendas.” “Ah, right. Now, about how to naturally make Arthur the Imperial Guard…”
It was a serious back-and-forth, but I was relieved that Stayle and Chancellor Gilbert were able to communicate so effectively, even though their sarcasm was still present. It seemed that Chancellor Gilbert was genuinely enjoying his exchange with Stayle.
Thus, the proposal to create the Imperial Guard and knights for royal protection was approved in today’s legislative council. I couldn’t help but think that Chancellor Gilbert may have worked behind the scenes to ensure it passed. In any case, as the proposer and future queen, I decided that the trial period would involve one knight and one guard assigned to me as part of the Imperial Guard. Of course, I would still have other guards as needed, but the key idea was to assign the Imperial Guard to me during normal daily life, and have a fixed knight and guard assigned when going out or in times of emergency. After a few years, if the trial proved successful, we would expand the number of guards for the queen and first in line to the throne.
Once the proposal passed, I spoke to Jack, the guard waiting outside the council room, and he was clearly surprised. He never expected that this newly passed law would affect him so directly. “Me...?” he said, eyes wide. But when I explained that I had already planned this from the beginning, he happily agreed, saying, “If I’m good enough, I’ll gladly serve.” Both Marie and Lotte, who were with us, also looked delighted.
By the way, Marie and Lotte had already become my personal attendants even before the legislative council meeting. After receiving permission from Father, I told them the news, and they were both thrilled. “It’s really okay for someone like me, who’s only been a maid for five years?” “It’s an honor. I’m happy to serve you,” both Marie and Lotte eagerly agreed, and I was relieved.
When the proposal was approved by Mother and was set to be enacted within a week, both Tiara, who was allowed to attend this year, and Stayle were in high spirits. After the council meeting, Tiara and I went to thank Chancellor Gilbert for his help, and he managed to hold back his usual sarcasm. Chancellor Gilbert smiled and said, “I’m glad I could be of help.”
Still… Chancellor Gilbert is truly remarkable—on a terrifying level. Normally, a legislative council meeting lasts only a few hours, but with the proposals and amendments he brought forward, half the day passed. It’s hard to believe he only proposed the Special Abilities Registration Act last year. The sheer number of proposals he put forward was staggering, and many of them were passed. The time it takes to implement each law will vary, but Father sighed, realizing his workload had just doubled. “We’ll be even busier now. But don’t worry, I’ll do my best,” Chancellor Gilbert assured Father, looking more energized than ever. …Though Father did pull his ear and scold him in frustration. I’m sure in the coming years, Chancellor Gilbert will continue to push through even more proposals and keep working on implementing and improving them.
After the legislative council, I greeted Chancellor Gilbert, told Jack about the Imperial Guard assignment, and finally joined Stayle at the training ground, where he had been waiting for us. Despite it being his day off, the council had run late, and I had kept him waiting for several hours. Before Tiara or I could apologize, Stayle spoke first.
“They’ve passed the proposal to assign an Imperial Guard knight to my sister.”
“Recruitment?! When does the selection start?!”
Arthur leaned forward eagerly, his enthusiasm almost overwhelming Tiara and me. It seemed Arthur was interested in the Imperial Guard, but unfortunately for Tiara, his protectorate target was me instead... but that’s okay, right?
“It’s already decided.”
Stayle answered calmly, without a hint of concern. Arthur froze, his words stuck in his throat.
“Wait, what?! Has it already been decided with the commanders or leaders?” Arthur asked his question, but Stayle simply shook his head in response.
“Don’t be foolish. No one else but you will be my sister’s Imperial Guard. You’re the one who will be the Imperial Guard, and I’ve already made the arrangements with Chancellor Gilbert.”
Stayle spoke firmly, and Tiara and I exchanged amused glances. We knew how hard Stayle had worked with Chancellor Gilbert for this moment.
Since it was a trial introduction, knights from the commander, vice-commander, and senior ranks were excluded for now, as they had their own responsibilities. Once the Imperial Guard knights were formally established, the senior knights would eventually be appointed. Chancellor Gilbert could have made the arrangements without a trial period if he had wished, but he chose this method instead.
“Then won’t knights with more experience take priority?”
“That’s usually the case. But I was thinking of a system similar to the main corps entrance exam…”
“Take it by force.”
Before Stayle could finish, Arthur interrupted confidently. With a grin, he cracked his knuckles, signaling his readiness for the tournament-style selection.
“No, that’s not necessary. You and I have been training together for three years. I’ll use that to build trust with the royal family.”
“That kind of favoritism would be pointless. Let’s go with the same selection method as the main corps exam.”
“But what if there’s a chance you might lose?”
“I’m not going to lose. Do you know who I’ve been training with for three years?”
Arthur smirked confidently, and after a short pause, Stayle smiled too.
“…You know what happens if you lose, right?”
“Ha! I know.”
Their mischievous smiles made Tiara bounce with excitement. “Now I’ll get to spend a lot of time with Arthur!” she said, flashing me a bright smile.
Three days later, an impromptu tournament was held for the Imperial Guard hopefuls, excluding the commanders and vice-commanders. The tournament, which was supposed to be a small-scale event, turned into a massive competition with almost every knight in the corps volunteering. The tournament lasted for two full days. It was a terrifying scale, and the knights were all brimming with incredible energy and fighting spirit. I couldn’t help but wonder if they were so drawn to the title of Imperial Guard, the rewards that came with it, or the honor of guarding the royal family... Perhaps it’s time to reconsider the knights' pay and benefits.
In the end, after two days of intense competition, the winner was—
Arthur Beresford.
He truly earned the position of Imperial Guard knight solely through his own strength.
He was a man of his word… truly terrifying.
Once again, I realized that Arthur would one day become the future Knight Commander of the strongest Arthurian Knight Corps.
And one year from now, I had no idea that the events I took outside of the game would eventually lead to a situation where my game memories and cheats would be entirely useless.
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