Why Fight

“What do you mean?”

Ryan looked at the worried-looking blonde girl.

His intuition told him that the blonde girl was worried about him and the soldiers of the Black Dragon Knights, not anyone else.

“The Black Dragon Knights are all from commoners and lower nobles, right?”

Ryan understood, more or less.

“Are you saying my soldiers are inferior to those useless offspring of middle and upper nobles?”

“Your Highness, please forgive my bluntness, the Blue Lion Knights aren’t the Royal Knights.

Very few middle and upper-class noble descendants go there to ‘gild’ their resumes.

They mainly recruit descendants of middle and lower nobles who still have a sense of noble honor, a long family history, and value tradition, but are slightly declining.

So their soldiers have had adequate nutrition since childhood and are guided by formal swordsmanship instructors… This isn’t a gap that can be closed with equipment.”

Ryan turned his head to look at the members of the Blue Lion Knights and found that they were generally a size larger than the soldiers of the Black Dragon Knights.

The swordsmanship they had demonstrated in the earlier competition was also beyond the reach of the Black Dragon Knights members who came from poor backgrounds.

Most importantly—

“Your Highness, please use your best subordinates for one-on-one and arena matches. Please don’t hold back,” the blonde girl said courageously.

He had to admit that Ryan had indeed been somewhat negligent beforehand, thinking he could take down the Blue Lion Knights without deploying his strongest troops.

“Can we win this way?”

“It might be hard to tell at first, but now… it’s a bit difficult.”

Ryan understood that this was because the morale had plummeted due to the crushing defeat in the first round.

But he never imagined that even if he had gone all out from the start, his subordinates would only be evenly matched with the other side.

Are his people really that bad?

Ryan couldn’t help but recall the words that the middle and upper nobles often said behind his back—

The Black Dragon Knights are Prince Ryan’s personal knights.

The only one worth mentioning in this knighthood is the Prince himself.

Without the Prince, the Black Dragon Knights are useless.

After all, they’re all a bunch of lowlifes…

Even though Ryan had won victory after victory, he couldn’t silence these people.

He had repeatedly comforted himself, saying that these people were just being stubborn.

But now, the soldiers of the Black Dragon Knights, despite having better equipment than their opponents, were still losing to the Blue Lion Knights, who had declined to the point of being ridiculed by countless people.

More than embarrassment and shame, Ryan felt anger and unwillingness in his heart.

For the soldiers, and for himself.

Everything seemed to be confirming what that old man had said—

“Prince Ryan, please don’t give up.”

A clear, pleasant voice, as refreshing as a spring breeze, pulled him back from the abyss of hatred.

Bright golden hair swaying gently in the breeze, bright and determined cerulean eyes.

That girl spoke.

“Do you have a solution?”

Ryan was stunned for a moment before asking.

“Rather than saying I have a solution, I can find the problem.”

“Problem?”

“Yes, the main reason why everyone in the Black Dragon Knights is so weak is the lack of fighting spirit.”

“…” Ryan turned to look at his subordinates.

Just as the blonde girl had said, unlike the Blue Lion Knights, who were raring to go and gnashing their teeth in hatred.

They didn’t seem very dejected even after losing.

Only… fear, as they occasionally glanced in their direction.

More than failure, they were afraid of being scolded or punished by him after failing.

“I see. My defeat isn’t unjust.”

Ryan wanted to prove something, but his subordinates didn’t have the motivation, and since it wasn’t a battlefield where life and death were at stake, it was natural that they wouldn’t be motivated.

“No, no, Prince Ryan, there’s a way to change this… Please extend the rest time a little longer.”

Ryan didn’t do that, but instead turned his head to look at the location of the Blue Lion Knights, and then at the blonde girl.

“Is it really okay to do this?”

The blonde girl was stunned for a moment, then put her hand on her chest and smiled firmly,

“Of course, I’m His Highness’s maid, and my primary task is to share His Highness’s worries.”

(…She’s really good at sweet talk.)

Ryan stepped down from the stage and announced that the second round would be postponed.

Amid the boos of the Blue Lion crowd, Flora walked into the ranks of the Black Dragon Knights.

The soldiers of the Black Dragon Knights had complex feelings towards the Crown Prince.

On the one hand, they were very grateful to the Crown Prince for promoting them, especially the knights and attendants who came from commoner backgrounds.

On the other hand, the Crown Prince’s terrifying management and his terrible reputation abroad affected their wholehearted loyalty.

As a result, they played with formalism, only putting in twelve points of effort when they saw the Crown Prince.

At other times, they probably only put in seven or eight points of effort.

So much so that they couldn’t even beat the Blue Lion Knights, who lazed around all day drinking and only put in five points of effort in training.

However, there were some among them who were very conscious and maintained their full effort even at ordinary times.

These people were the Crown Prince’s trump card.

But that alone wasn’t enough.

It could only solve the immediate problem.

It was not a long-term solution.

It would have been fine if Flora hadn’t known, but now that she had seen it.

How could she not do better?

“Miss Maid, may I ask what’s the matter?”

A knight asked cautiously.

Flora knew that these people also realized that this exercise might be very important.

But the Crown Prince’s mistake was bringing Flora, this beautiful maid.

The crowd recalled the rumors and subconsciously felt that the Crown Prince was being childish—well, this was also one of the reasons why their fighting spirit was not high.

So Flora didn’t tell the Crown Prince, nor did she let him come along.

Because even if he called for a delayed rest time now, the crowd would probably think that the Crown Prince was doing this because he lost face in front of a beautiful woman.

Yes, don’t look at how respectful this knight looks on the surface, but in his eyes, there is actually contempt and disgust for Flora.

It’s just that they dare to be angry but dare not speak.

Because she is the Crown Prince’s maid.

But thanks to this, she was able to see all this and have the opportunity to let them listen to her.

That was enough.

“Everyone, please listen to me…”

“What did you say?”

Noticing that his subordinates’ eyes had become full of fighting spirit, Ryan couldn’t help but ask the blonde girl who had just returned.

“I just told them clearly what Your Highness’s plans were.”

“That’s it?”

Ryan was stunned.

“That’s it, but not just the idea of wanting to win, but what they can prove and get after winning, and what Your Highness said just now, the things you considered… I told them all.”

“…What’s the point of doing this?”

Ryan could tell that the blonde girl wasn’t lying.

“There are many meanings, and it’s very important… It can let them know why they’re fighting, what they’re fighting for, and let them know how much effort Your Highness has put in for this, and let them know how much Your Highness values everyone.”

“…Meddling.”

Ryan’s face couldn’t help but flush.

He couldn’t imagine how embarrassing the words the blonde girl had said in front of everyone were.

He also didn’t know how to face his subordinates after this.

His prestige had been swept away.

He thought of such a word.

“Your Highness, prestige is not built by making people afraid…”

What was worse, the blonde girl also saw his embarrassment.

Shut up.

He wanted to say that, but he was afraid that once he said it, his carefully cultivated calm persona would collapse.

(If I had known, I wouldn’t have brought her here… Huh?)

He was stunned.

He suddenly realized that he had made a mistake.

“Or rather, please don’t forget that the purpose of building prestige is to make the knighthood stronger and let everyone win more victories…”

At the same time, he also realized.

Someone had said those words that he thought were extremely embarrassing for him.

They were also enduring the distrust, even the hateful gazes of others.

That was also true now.

No matter how disgusted he looked.

That person was still insisting—

“If everyone wins in the end… Your Highness, please praise them well.”

Looking at the blonde girl’s sincere expression.

No problem.

Ryan could only answer like that.