Chapter 14: Silver Sabertooth Expedition (3)

The expedition force hurried toward the Crystal Lake, where Silver Sabertus was located.

In the meantime, I had spent time training alone with my Sword of Separation, occasionally asking my comrades for sparring sessions, and sometimes seeking advice from Elaine, gradually improving my skills.

Originally, the reason I played the role of an intermediary within the Northern Army was to build my reputation,

elevate the brand image of someone named Luke, and use it as leverage when the time came to form an alliance with

the Northern Duke. However, even though there’s no longer a need for that, I still get along well with the people of

the Northern Army.

Since my body had been wrecked like a bus after an accident, it’s unlikely that I’ll return to that other world.

I might still have my physical body there, but even if I did, I honestly don’t know how I’d live the rest of my life.

That said, I need to live in this world.

It hasn’t been long since I came to this world, and there’s still much about it that feels unfamiliar. Because of that,

there’s so much to learn and master, and I realized that even a 5-year-old is more knowledgeable than I am, and that

if I stay close to my seniors, I can learn a lot, which is a lesson I learned in my past life.

Also, ever since crossing a line with Elaine, I feel like my perspective on those around me has changed a little.

I used to see them as “characters from the novel” and only as elements to conquer the heroines, but once I realized that I could share emotions with the people in this world, I began to open up.

Right.

If I want to live a “fantasy life,” I need to treat my days here as “life,” and I need to acknowledge that the people living here are all living their own “lives.”

This means that I should think of them not as characters, but as people just like me.

I don’t know if this is the right way to say it, but there are people in the novel. And because I’m in the same world as them, this is my life, and this is my reality.

So, should I move forward for my fantasy life today, too?

“What are you doing? Why are you making weird comments while washing your face? Is a star rising in the morning now?”

Jim, a member of the 3rd Squad, looked at me like I was crazy.

The junior was washing his face, water dripping from his face, and cheering toward the sky—so it was understandable why Jim would look at him like that.

“Good morning, Senior. The weather’s nice again today.”

“Nice? What’s nice about it? It’s cloudy. Did you get hit wrong during your duel with His Grace?”

When Jim’s face showed pity, someone came up to him, threw an arm around him, and laughed loudly.

“Haha! Why? As Luke said, it’s a good day. Except for the days when it snows in the North, every day is a good day.”

“The squad leader says the snow removal work is good exercise, too.”

“Hahaha! You’re talking about a typical day, right? A normal day.”

Right. He’s aware that he isn’t in a typical situation. Thank goodness.

“Don’t relax just because it’s a good day. Stay alert. We’ll reach the Crystal Lake tomorrow. This place is rich in magic, so not just the Silver Sabertus, but there will be plenty of other monsters.”

Though he was still smiling, his eyes were serious, as befitting the squad leader’s advice. We nodded in response.

Apparently satisfied with our gaze, Jim showed his teeth in a grin and slapped my back.

“Don’t worry too much. I’m planning to show you the true fight of a knight, so I’ll be more intense than usual. Keep watching, and prepare yourself to join our squad.”

After making his usual sales pitch for the 3rd squad, Jim returned to his tent.

Watching him walk away, Jim casually asked me.

“Has he still not given up? Tsk, that’s our squad leader. Truly the best in the Northern Army when it comes to persistence.”

“Senior, can’t you stop him?”

“Why should I? I’m in favor of you joining our squad. When will you join?”

“……”

I don’t mind keeping a little distance.

Finally, the expedition force arrived near the Crystal Lake.

Grace immediately rearranged the troops.

To prepare for any potential situation and retreat, the elite 2nd Squad of the guards and some of the soldiers were left behind in the rear, while the 3rd Squad and the main force stationed near the Crystal Lake.

As usual, Grace was at the front.

While Grace was discussing the expedition with the commanders, the guards were busy too.

Like other units, but especially the guards, every action was connected to the safety of the Northern Duke, so there could be no mistakes. Everything had to be perfect.

As the squad leader of the 3rd squad, Ji gave a briefing to his subordinates about their duties while I was attending a strategic meeting with the commanders in Grace’s tent.

“The reconnaissance team’s report indicates that the danger level of the Silver Sabertus is classified as a first-class monster.”

“Higher than the Mountain Bear we faced before.”

“Yes. Moreover, the monsters gathered near the target have been confirmed from rank 5 to rank 3, and some rank 2 monsters are also visible.”

“It seems like they’ve formed a group. We need to hunt them down before it gets any later. Commanders, share your opinions.”

“I’ll speak first.”

Unlike other members of the 3rd squad, I was observing the tactical meeting in Grace’s tent with the commanders.

‘This is something new and refreshing.’

Of course, it wasn’t because I was some big shot that I was here.

In this mission, my role was essentially to be Elaine’s sidekick. My job was to follow the captain of the guard and assist him.

Naturally, I ended up attending the high-level meetings where Elaine was present. I was standing there like a backdrop, mouth sealed shut.

Calling myself a sidekick felt more like I was guarding Elaine than the captain of the guard. After all, I was assigned to guard Elaine while still having the basic structure of the original plan.

‘I had no idea where I would be assigned after agreeing to join this mission, but I didn’t expect her to place me right next to her.’

Elaine, being the leader of Team 1, boldly argued that she would take care of me, a member of her team, and I was impressed by how ingenious her plan was.

By keeping me close, she could keep an eye on me and make sure I stayed safe.

At first, I was unsure whether this was a good idea, but I knew Elaine wouldn’t make such a decision without thinking it through.

In fact, other than the time she acted a bit friendlier after we finished work yesterday, she remained professional, never showing a hint of favoritism.

Looking at it from a different perspective, I knew we were in a relationship, so I understood why she did it, but others would find no fault in her logic.

Kii, who was eager to recruit me, seemed to understand her reasoning.

And when I looked at Jimmy, the other guards didn’t even think about Elaine trying to keep a man close.

‘Since Elaine is guarding Grace, I was automatically assigned next to her as well.’

Our northern Duke is a renowned military leader.

When facing a formidable enemy, as a noble should, he takes the lead. Therefore, I wasn’t placed in the rear.

This was a safe, high-experience position where I could watch the battles of the strongest individuals—Duke of the North and Elaine.

It was a good spot, really.

I listened closely to the operation briefing.

Thanks to the novel, I had a rough idea of where the ice crystal was located.

However, as part of the guard, I couldn’t act freely. I had to wait for an opportunity within the operation to get closer to the ice crystal.

“Alright, let’s proceed with this plan. All commanders must familiarize themselves with what we discussed today so there are no mistakes. The attack will begin tomorrow morning. It might take a while, so make sure the soldiers have enough to eat.”

“All.”

With Grace’s order, the meeting concluded.

The commanders saluted and hurried off to pass down orders to their subordinates.

The only ones left in the large tent of the Northern Duke were Grace, Elaine, and me.

“Phew.”

Grace let out a deep breath and leaned back in her chair, as if to clear her mind.

“You were very focused during the meeting. Do you have aspirations to be a commander?”

She suddenly spoke to me.

I was startled at first, but it wasn’t a difficult question to answer.

“I wanted to familiarize myself with all the details of the operation, as I’ll be participating. If I understand the plan, I’ll be able to carry out my duties more perfectly.”

In fact, before the operation begins, Elaine usually explains the plan to the guard unit.

However, what she shares is mostly related to Grace’s movements, and she only gives an overall overview of the entire operation.

If I wanted to get my hands on the ice crystal, it would be beneficial to know not just Grace’s route but also the movements of other units, so I didn’t want to miss this opportunity to learn about the full plan.

“Good attitude. The knight exam also evaluates leadership skills, so that mindset will help you.”

Grace, unaware of my true intentions, mistook it for the mindset needed to pass the knight exam and smiled contentedly.

“If you pass the knight exam, I won’t be able to treat you as a new recruit anymore. What do you think? Have you thought about it?”

Grace’s gaze shifted to Elaine.

“Your Excellency, it is still premature to think that I have passed.”

“What? It’s just a light conversation. Besides, shouldn’t you be the one hoping for my success more than I am?”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“As you gain more subordinates, your job will get much easier. You’re already recognizing him, aren’t you?”

Gracie’s sly smile made me feel a sense of novelty. I had known that she felt comfortable enough to treat Elaine casually, but I hadn’t realized she could joke around like this too.

Then again, when we met in Milky Way, she had also jokingly said that she didn’t need a bodyguard, tapping her sword lightly. Elaine, sensing the teasing, looked slightly embarrassed before answering.

“As I mentioned before, it’s too early for that. However, if Luke passes the knight exam, as you said, it wouldn’t be appropriate to treat him as a new soldier. I’ll consider offering him the position of adjutant.”

So, she would officially be one of my subordinates? That sounds nice.

“An adjutant, huh.”

“Your Excellency.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop.”

When Elaine glared at Gracie, she waved her hand and turned her head to change the subject.

“This must be unfamiliar to you. I hope you understand. When I’m with someone I can open up to, like Elaine, I tend to relax a little.”

“It’s alright. It’s nice to see that you two are close.”

“Is it? We really are. It’s been about ten years, I think, since I’ve been close to her. We met when you were in your teens, didn’t we?”

“Exactly thirteen years.”

“Right, right. It was that long ago.”

I had never known this part of the story. Gracie and Elaine’s bond started when they were teenagers. Back then, Gracie, still a noblewoman, noticed Elaine, who had passed the knight exam at the top of her class. Elaine, who came from a commoner background but had extraordinary strength, caught Gracie’s attention.

At first, they sparred and talked with each other, and before long, they became very close. So, when Gracie became the Duke of the North, she immediately planned the creation of a bodyguard unit and asked Elaine to join. Elaine accepted without hesitation and became the sword that protected her.

‘If they were of the same gender, this could have been a fantasy romance.’

It seemed like something that could have been interesting in Brave Lord.

Since the novel focused on the protagonist’s perspective, Elaine, who had no connection to Aran, wasn’t covered in detail.

‘Gracie only treated Aran like this in the novel, so it’s obvious that she treats Elaine in a special way.’

That’s why I found Gracie’s teasing of Elaine not awkward but rather fun. It felt like I was hearing an untold story that wasn’t covered in the novel.

“You can be proud. The fact that I’m joking with Elaine means that I trust you too.”

“Really?”

“Well, maybe I’ve been a bit too mischievous because I’m curious about you. Did that upset you?”

“If you keep teasing me like this, I’ll have to set aside the line between business and pleasure in front of Your Excellency.”

“Oh, my! I’m sorry.”

Elaine’s stern face as she threatened Gracie and Gracie hastily apologizing reminded me of why I enjoyed Brave Lord so much.

I enjoyed this kind of playful back-and-forth.

Now that I thought about it, the conversations had so much more life because they were all people living in this world.

I set aside my complicated thoughts about the plan and just enjoyed watching the two of them.

The next day.

“It’s a beautiful day.”

It wasn’t because there was no snow, but rather because the sky was clear and bright, with only a few clouds.

Gracie surveyed the troops that were lined up, then drew her sword and raised it high.

“Let the attack begin! For the North!”

“For the Winter Lion!”

At Gracie’s signal, the Northern Army, arranged in a crescent formation, let out a cheer and began their charge.

Their target was the Crystal Lake.

Among them lay the giant, house-sized beast, Silver Sabertus.

And surrounding it were various kinds of monsters, seemingly under its command.

The operation to hunt down Silver Sabertus had officially begun.