Chapter 61: Elaine vs Grace (1)

As the brief conversation with Arthur ended, I returned to the meeting room, just in time for the session to resume.

As expected of the North, not a single person suggested backing down in the face of the central forces. With the overall strategy set on fighting back, the discussion now focused on military preparations.

Grace led the hawkish faction that pushed for aggressive military action, while Lainell spearheaded the diplomatic faction, advocating for political maneuvering to pressure the enemy and gain the upper hand without direct conflict.

Both sides presented logical, persuasive arguments, and this was an area where true experts were at work.

It wasn’t my place to interject.

Besides, there wasn’t much I could contribute with my knowledge of the future.

Well, there was one thing I could share.

But bringing it up would mean proposing an expedition to the West, which would essentially be the same as starting the war.

Dorgon’s three strategies for attacking the North—

The first, the Snowflake Tower terror attack, aimed at weakening enemy forces.

The second, planting a traitor within the North’s ranks to create internal chaos.

And the third—strengthening his own forces by recruiting non-human tribes from the West.

After the Great War, these displaced tribes had lost their homeland and were barely surviving. Dorgon promised them land in the North in exchange for joining his army, ultimately using them as expendable soldiers.

If those tribes could be eliminated before they joined him, it would throw a wrench into his plans.

But for now, they were still hiding deep in Western territory—beyond my reach.

And attempting to negotiate with them instead?

That would be an instant disaster.

Historically, they had attacked the North during the war, so bringing up the idea of an alliance in this meeting would probably get me executed on the spot.

‘For now, I’ll focus on what’s in front of me. The North is already reinforcing its walls, so at least we’ll be better prepared than in the novel.’

As for the non-human tribes… I’d deal with them when the time came.

After an intense discussion that lasted over half a day, the meeting finally concluded.

Here’s a summary of the key decisions:

1. Inform the East and South of the situation and draw them to our side.
2. Accept Hero Aran if he comes to the North.
3. Accelerate ice crystal research and iron ore mining to bolster our strength.
4. Conduct preemptive expeditions to eliminate potential threats before the war begins.
5. Expose the prince and the Seven Heroes’ betrayal, making our cause appear just.

For me, the most relevant part was the fourth point.

Since I was now the vice-captain of the escort unit, if Grace led an expedition, I would be accompanying her.

‘The Snowflake Tower attack was easy to stop once we identified the culprit. But this time, it’s the opposite problem.’

I already knew who the traitor was.

But I had no proof.

A crime has to be committed before an arrest can be made, and as far as I knew, Dorgon hadn’t even contacted them yet.

In the novel, this person only acted after the war had begun.

Right now, they weren’t a criminal—just an upstanding citizen.

If I just pointed at them and said, “They look like a traitor,” Lainell would give me the stink eye.

If I claimed, “I used my secret ability to see the corruption inside them,” I’d probably be asked if I had a fever.

‘Damn it. I’ll have to wait and keep an eye on them for now.’

Maybe they had committed an unknown crime already.

If so, I just needed to dig it up and use it against them.

After the meeting, Grace retired to her chambers early, mentally drained from everything that had happened.

Thanks to that, Elaine and I were able to finish work unusually early, just before dinner.

“Luke.”

“Yes?”

“During the break earlier…”

“Yes?”

“…What did you and Commander Arthur talk about?”

Even though we had finished early, escort knights had to stay in the barracks for emergency deployments.

But Elaine and I had bent the rules a little.

Using “going out for dinner” as an excuse, we had come back home instead.

As long as we returned on time, no one would question it.

It was basically like taking an authorized leave in the military.

So, right now—

Elaine was sitting on my lap, leaning against me.

Oh, and we were both fully clothed.

Not every spare moment turned into something indecent, okay?

“He offered me a position in the knight order’s headquarters.”

“…I thought as much.”

I left out the part about the marriage proposal.

It had already fallen through anyway, and if I brought it up now, I’d probably get pinched.

Elaine had a very strong grip.

How do I know? …Let’s just say something happened.

And now my back hurt just thinking about it.

“What was your response?”

“I told him I’d consider it. It wasn’t a situation where I could just say no outright.”

“Commander Arthur isn’t the type to give up that easily. Did he try to persuade you further?”

“No, that was all.”

“…I see. By the way, he has mentioned before that he’s looking for a husband for his youngest daughter.”

My heart nearly stopped.

I kept my face as neutral as possible.

“Ah… really? I see.”

“You didn’t happen to hear anything about that, did you?”

I could feel her sharp gaze drilling into me.

“…No, I didn’t.”

I was not about to tell her that he tried to marry me off.

For my own safety.

Elaine’s warning, given in a grumbling tone, sounded oddly cute.

But then again…

‘Elaine’s anger, huh…?’

For some reason, the image of Seolhangeom’s Ultimate Move: Snowfall Strike flashed through my mind.

If I got hit by that… I’d die, wouldn’t I?

“If you really think I’d leave for the headquarters, I can’t help but feel a little hurt… Do you really have so little faith in me?”

“Wha—?! T-That’s not it! I would never doubt you! Of course, you’ll stay by my side!”

When I purposely turned my gaze away, acting as if I was sulking, Elaine panicked and grabbed my arm, shaking it vigorously as she tried to reassure me.

She even rushed in to kiss me the moment I said I’d forgive her if she did.

Of course, when I told her I was joking, she ended up sulking instead, and I had to comfort her.

Still, by the time we returned to the dormitory, we were both laughing together again.

The next morning at work, Grace was still visibly exhausted from the previous day’s events.

Leaning back in her office chair, she tilted her head back, looking up at the ceiling.

“Your Grace, that’s improper,” Elaine remarked, standing beside her.

Without even lifting her head, Grace lazily turned her gaze toward us and—

“So… when are you two getting married?”

“???”

“?!”

Just like that, she dropped a bombshell.

“There’s no one else around. Speak freely,” she added.

“Marriage…?”

“You’re not planning on getting married?”

“No, it’s just that…”

Elaine, who rarely ever lost her composure, turned bright red.

But as expected of a seasoned commander, she quickly regained her composure and answered with utmost sincerity.

“We don’t have any plans yet. It’s an important matter, so we need to discuss it seriously before making a decision.”

“I’ve already approved your relationship, haven’t I? Why not take this chance to make some real progress? Holding hands, kissing… should I just make an official announcement? Something like, ‘The Captain of the Guard and her second-in-command are now dating, so no one should barge into my office unannounced’?”

“…You’re being unusually playful today.”

Elaine let out a small groan, clearly embarrassed, while I silently observed with curiosity.

The two of them had always been more than just liege and vassal—they were close friends.

I had seen Grace tease Elaine before, but never this directly.

Also, for the record, we had already held hands, kissed, and even gone beyond that…

“Shouldn’t you be focusing on work?”

“And here I thought my guard captain’s job was to protect me, not torment me. What do you think, Luke?”

“…Sorry?”

“Please refrain from putting my subordinate in an uncomfortable position.”

“He’s my subordinate too. But fine, I’ll stop—if you call me ‘husband’ properly.”

“Your Grace…!”

Elaine sighed deeply.

She really was being unusually mischievous today.

Normally, she would make a few lighthearted jokes and drop it if Elaine protested, but today, she was unusually persistent.

Even in the novel, Grace had never acted like this.

‘Ah… I see.’

It made sense.

Grace had just found out that Aran, whom she believed to be long dead, was actually alive.

And not only that—he had been betrayed by those who had spread the rumors of his death.

In Brave Road, there was a scene in Episode 4 where Aran and his party finally reached the North.

Upon receiving the report, Grace had bolted out of the Winter Palace and sprinted straight to the city gates.

That was how much Aran meant to her.

Of course, Grace was one of the heroines in Brave Road.

Right now, she was probably suppressing the overwhelming urge to go find him.

That turmoil inside her was why she was acting so distracted, unable to focus properly.

“Then, while we’re on the topic, I’d like to discuss the selection process for the deputy captain,” I said.

“Go ahead.”

Despite her casual demeanor, Grace was strict when it came to her subordinates.

The moment I brought up work, she straightened up and gave me her full attention.

The selection process for the deputy captain wasn’t as grand as the knight exams.

It was fairly straightforward:

1. A comprehensive evaluation of the candidates’ past performance.
2. A test assessing their ability to handle the duties of a deputy captain.
3. A duel to determine combat prowess.

With the process laid out, the meeting officially began.

The promotion assessment, in simple terms, was much like a modern-day advancement review.

It evaluated one’s performance in daily duties, required candidates to pass a qualification test, and—true to Northern traditions—ended with a straightforward duel.

Since the Honor Guard still had its duties to attend to, the process would be condensed into a single day: a written exam in the morning, followed by combat evaluation in the afternoon.

After all, the four candidates were already well-known to both Grace and Elaine, so there was no need for an overly complex process.

“That’s simple and efficient. No need to bother with a long-winded test.”

“Then, I’ll schedule it for next month and notify the candidates accordingly.”

“Do that.”

Grace seemed to be getting back into work mode and returned to her documents.

But then—

Knock, knock.

[Your Grace, the armory department is here.]

“Come in.”

The door opened, and the armory officer entered.

Behind him, a soldier carried a wooden case—likely containing a newly forged weapon for inspection.

“Your Grace, we’ve completed the dagger you requested and have brought it for your review.”

“A dagger… Ah! That one?”

At the mention of a weapon, Grace’s expression immediately brightened.

She got up from her seat and approached them herself, with Elaine and me following closely behind.

At the armory officer’s signal, the soldier opened the case, revealing—

“Hmm, this turned out better than I expected.”

“Please, give it a swing.”

Grace didn’t hesitate to pick up the two daggers inside.

One in each hand, she swung them freely through the air, testing their balance.

“The weight and design feel just right.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

“How about its effectiveness?”

The armory officer grinned confidently at her question.

“It’s an ordinary blade for slashing, but its thrusting power can pierce steel. After all, it was crafted from the fang of the Silver Sabertooth.”

“!?”

The moment I heard that, my eyes widened in shock.

This was the dagger—the very same one that appeared in the novel as Grace’s secondary weapon before being passed on to Aran.

A weapon crafted from the fang of the Silver Sabertooth, boasting unparalleled piercing capabilities.

Silver Sting.

‘I remember hearing it was being forged after the Silver Sabertooth hunt.’

I hadn’t been too concerned about it since it was destined to be completed anyway.

But now, it was finally finished.

And looking at it now—

‘Wait, there are two of them.’

In the novel, there had only been one.

Yet, now, Grace was holding one in each hand, confirming that two had been made.

At that moment, I glanced at Elaine.

She, too, was completely absorbed in observing Silver Sting.

That was fine.

She didn’t need to know.

This wasn’t a novel—it was reality.

“We originally intended to forge a longsword, but due to the toughness and sharpness of the material, it was difficult to work with. Ultimately, we had no choice but to make it into daggers instead.”

“No problem. You’ve done well. If it’s specialized for piercing, then a dagger is actually the better choice.”

Grace examined them a bit more before asking—

“Have you decided on a name?”

“Not yet, Your Grace. Since it is your weapon, we thought you might enjoy naming it yourself.”

“That makes sense… Let’s see. The blade is silver, and it’s made from the fang of the Silver Sabertooth… Silver… Silver…”

Grace furrowed her brows in deep thought before finally snapping her fingers.

“Silver Sting! That’s it.”

“A magnificent name, Your Grace.”

The armory officer, Elaine, and even I found the name fitting.

I had been enjoying watching the story take new and better turns…

But sometimes, seeing things play out exactly as they did in the novel had its own charm.

It was like when a novel was adapted into a webtoon—sure, creative liberties could make it more exciting, but there was also a special satisfaction in seeing something faithfully brought to life.

Watching Silver Sting come into existence and witnessing its naming in person filled me with excitement.

“Well then, now that I have a new weapon… Elaine, how about we have a spar? It’s been a while.”

Oh?

A spar between Grace and Elaine?

And with real weapons, no less?

This was a first since I had joined the Honor Guard.

“You seem a bit distracted today, but… Very well.”

Elaine didn’t shy away from the challenge.

When Grace handed her one of the Silver Sting daggers, she accepted it without hesitation.

“Luke, hold my armor for me.”

Elaine’s gaze had already transformed into that of a Northern warrior.

And somehow, I felt like there was a hint of payback for all the teasing she endured earlier.

Seeing that, Grace smirked, her fighting spirit flaring up as well.

Watching them both prepare for battle, my chest swelled with anticipation.

A clash between the strongest warriors of the North—was this even real?