I Decided to Become a Knight to Save My Family

I lowered my head slightly, pretending to be shy, and peeked up at him. “If it’s not too much trouble… could you tell me about it?”

The arm that had been blocking James suddenly shoved him forward. “My dear colleague here is quite a gifted storyteller.” “Of course! Who do you think I am? I’m the capital’s top romance expe— urk!”

James twisted in pain as his shoulder was gripped tight. My second brother, Leopold, wore an expression of total innocence as he asked, “Jim?”, prompting James to grumble and correct himself. “Even the First Princess enjoys my stories so much she calls for me often. There’s no talent quite like mine for making something out of nothing, or making reality sound ten times more exciting.”

Hearing that from his own mouth… I don’t trust him at all.

The First Princess must be Linnea Akareon, the Empress’s daughter. According to Erkel, she was exactly like the Crown Prince—cold by nature. It made no sense that a princess who was born a woman and could never become the heir would giggle at James’s bluster. It was more likely that she found the sight of him talking so hard to be a curiosity, rather than finding the content actually funny. Like watching a circus animal perform tricks.

But since Llewellyn Edwill is a child who shouldn’t know such complex politics, I sat on the sofa, kicked my feet that didn’t reach the floor, and cheered. “Wow!” James looked immensely proud of my reaction. They were the kind of people who made acting like a child worth the effort.

“The Vice-Captain is always bragging about you, but he hoards you so much I never got to see your face. I never imagined I’d meet the little angel like this.”

That damn angel talk again. Even though it wasn’t directed at me, it was a title embarrassing enough to make one’s skin crawl. I glanced at my brother, who had likely started it, but his expression remained unchanged. No, if anything, he looked satisfied.

“Yes, Llewellyn is an angel.” “Man… when I first saw him, I actually checked to see if he had wings on his back.” “I’m still amazed by that every time, too.”

I shouldn’t have helped him.

My stomach churned every time they spoke. Stop it. Don’t do that. If you can’t stop, at least do it when I’m not here, you bastards.

There was no way those two, who wouldn’t even put me down when asked, would listen to a request to stop the praise. Having satisfied his urge to gush, Leopold approached me. He clearly intended to put me on his lap. Still annoyed that he had talked about me to the Crown Prince, I snapped my head away. No kisses or hugs for a week.

“I don’t want to.” “Huh?” “I want to sit here. You sit over there, Brother.”

It was the first time I had voiced a direct rejection. Stunned, Leopold’s hand froze mid-air. “Llewellyn?” His voice trembled as he called my name. I realized I was pouting and felt a bit childish, but I decided to be shameless. So what? Outwardly, at least, I’m ten.

James offered his “consolation.” “I told you to take it easy, Vice-Captain,” he said, despite having been just as bad himself. Only I was left with complicated thoughts while watching them.

As much as my brother’s obsession was annoying, it wasn’t truly bad. If I had loathed it, I would have been furious. No matter how much he did as he pleased, he wouldn’t continue if I clearly said “no.”

‘The conflict reaches its peak here after Llewellyn leaves for the North.’

The plot summary Erkel had prepared was shocking. After Llewellyn leaves, the Crown Prince enters a full-scale war with Annette and seizes victory. All that remains is to purge his enemies. Although the Edwills hadn’t directly pointed a sword at the Crown Prince, he couldn’t overlook their allegiance to Annette.

He wouldn’t be able to forgive those who harmed his family. Knowing he would grieve for a long time and regret it for life, the Crown Prince decided to eliminate the Edwill family—and the one who stood before him was Leopold Edwill. For the honor of the house, for the master he swore loyalty to, and for his beloved younger brother.

After making a deal with the Crown Prince, Leopold charged into a battlefield where death was certain, and he fell there. The Crown Prince graciously “forgave” the Edwills, who had shown their loyalty through death, and was later forgiven by Llewellyn.

A world full of dreams and hope? Isn’t this a world where you can only find hope in your dreams?

Erkel had looked at me as if he didn’t understand. “Huh? Isn’t this plenty of hope and love? It’s a happy ending.” Right. I expected too much from you.

“Llewellyn…” My brother was whimpering from the seat I had pointed to, acting pitiful. James watched him with an interested face. A man like that looks like he could survive anywhere. At only twenty—the prime of his life—what was he thinking when he stood before the Crown Prince? What made him decide to sacrifice himself? Pride? Family? Having never possessed anything important enough to risk my life for, I found it hard to understand his heart.

I sighed and reached out toward him. He closed the distance instantly, hugging me and pressing his lips to my hair. I was used to the affection by now, but I didn’t expect him to be like this in public. James, who had been watching us with interest, now looked aghast.

“Llewellyn, our youngest. Shall I take a vacation this time? We can get some clothes made while we’re in the capital.” My eldest brother already makes a fuss about getting clothes every season, saying I grow every month. I’d already heard the maids joking that they’d run out of storage space within a year. Why more clothes?

“Don’t be ridiculous. The Captain will have a fit if he hears that. His blood pressure has been high enough lately as it is.” “Then how about books? Abel said you seemed interested in magic.” It was true I had looked into it a few times out of curiosity. But I had already decided what I wanted to learn.

“A sword. I want a sword.”

Erkel had pointed out that we needed to follow the main story to some extent to twist the original. Setting aside whether we could change the main plot, knowing the general flow would make it easier to predict what would happen.

‘But for that, we need probability.’ ‘Probability? Like what?’ ‘In the original, everything was solved by saying “it was because of love”… but we’re going to change the genre from Fantasy BL to just Fantasy, right? The Crown Prince keeping you close, getting close to the Duke, making a contract with Luke—all of these need to be necessary actions. The only reason Llewellyn, who had nothing but a pretty face, could fulfill those roles was because those guys were blinded by love.’ ‘So I need capability…’

In a fantasy world, I thought magic was the ultimate power. But the strongest in this world was already Cedric, the Tower Master. Even the genius Abel was “ordinary” compared to him, and I didn’t think I could beat that. If I was going to be mediocre anyway, a sword was better. I desperately needed the stamina and strength to survive.

“A sword?” “I want to be a knight.” My brother, who was initially surprised, melted at my next words: “Just like you, Brother.” James yelled that he was a madman when Leopold immediately called for an enrollment form. True. Even I think he’s crazy. Adding his own “head-canon” that I wanted to be like him because he “looked cool,” Leopold made a fuss about calling a master blacksmith. I didn’t see the point for a child who could barely hold a wooden sword, but he looked happy, so I let him be. I didn’t have the energy to stop him.

In the midst of it all, I leaned against his steady chest. “Live a long, long time.” Don’t die, and don’t sacrifice yourself.

“Isn’t that something a grandson says? Do you give out pocket money if I say that? Live a long time, Vice-Captain!” James was hit by a pen Leopold threw without even looking. “Of course. My goal is to hold my sword at both your wedding and the day my nephew gets married.”

He laughed, mentioning the imperial tradition where one person from the groom’s and bride’s side duels on the wedding day. Death seemed like a word far removed from him.

What if we fail to change the original? Erkel had spoken of hopeful things, but it was a question neither of us dared to ask out loud. The anxiety nestled in a corner of my heart wouldn’t easily fade.

Leopold, seemingly thrilled that I wanted to learn the sword, gave James his notice to leave and busily started getting dressed. It seemed he thought he had finally won over my eldest brother, the civil official, and the third, the magician. When he goes home and brags, my father and brothers will surely follow me around with sad eyes, like dogs whose treats were stolen.

“Anyone would think you were chosen by royalty.” “Just tell them to finish up and go home.” “Man… I get the Captain, but what about Shane? Didn’t you see him purifying himself for the last two weeks because his turn for a duel is coming up?” “Oh? He won’t be able to hold a sword for a while if his arm is broken.”

My brother, who casually mentioned he’d break the man’s arm if he forced a duel now, grabbed his coat. James clicked his tongue. “Seeing him like this with his brother, he’ll probably retire the moment he gets married and has a kid.” My thoughts exactly.

As James said, if he stays like this, he’ll probably never leave the house once he has his own child. He’d be a father even more extreme than Count Edwill.

“Brother is going to inherit the title anyway, so why would I get married? And I don’t even like kids.”