My Ex-Girlfriend Was Appointed as a Knight Commander

Chapter 17

“Are you the Raven Knight Order that came to investigate?”

The Marquis of the Frontier, wearing round glasses, had dark shadows under her eyes. In her hand, she held documents that were not fully processed yet, and the part she held was tattered, indicating she had read quite a bit. It was a stark contrast to other high-ranking nobles who leisurely managed their territories in the Royal Capital or peaceful regions.

“You’ve come a long way. There’s no urgent matter at the moment, so I’ll give you ample time to settle in and reorganize at your accommodations today. And...”

Camilla folded the documents and put them in her chest pocket, then let out a long sigh.

“Damn it. Anyway, wait here for a bit. I should at least personally explain what’s happening and what kind of place this is.”

After finishing her words, Camilla returned to her residence. As the door closed behind her back, Paola let out an amused chuckle.

“When I saw her last time, she was the former Marquis’ young daughter with bright blue eyes.”

“You know each other?”

When Roberto asked, Paola shrugged his shoulders.

“Even back then, she had pretty good instincts. Although her speech was rough. Her self-sacrificing charge into the front lines was impressive. Seeing her now, it seems she’s doing well.”

Camilla soon reappeared, opening the door of her residence. Her glasses when she first appeared were off, perhaps used for reading documents. She put her hands on her hips and looked at the Raven Knight Order.

“The royal family sent some capable people. Honestly, I had my doubts... Is the Commander the renowned Theodora Bening of the Snowy Lands?”

Camilla asked, facing Theodora. As always, Theodora responded in a calm voice.

“Yes. It’s an honor to be recognized.”

“If I couldn’t recognize you, my eyes would be worse than knotholes.”

Camilla patted Theodora’s shoulder.

“You’ve been through a lot in the north, and now that you’re trying to rest in the central region, they sent you here. You must be going through quite an ordeal.”

She then noticed Paola standing beyond Theodora. She grinned, revealing her teeth.

“There seems to be a familiar face. Didn’t you come here 15 years ago as part of the reinforcements defending this place? If my memory serves me right, you were a soldier back then, but now you’re a knight.”

Roberto looked at Paola with wide eyes. Christine and Maxim also glanced at Paola with surprised expressions. Aware of the attention on him, Paola shrugged his shoulders awkwardly.

“It’s an honor to be remembered.”

Paola displayed that foolish grin.

“I was just a young knight back then, but now you’ve become a splendid lord.”

“I can’t help but remember a comrade, especially one who showed great valor. Thank you for making the long journey to protect this land again.”

Having finished the greetings, Camilla stepped forward.

“Let’s go to the city walls for now. It’ll be faster to explain while seeing the overall situation.”

Camilla started walking towards the direction of the city walls. Even in her casual gait, there was no gap. It was the unique presence of someone always prepared for battle. The citizens working didn’t pay much attention even as she passed by. Some occasionally glanced at them, but most focused on their main work, treating it as a common occurrence.

“I need to give you an explanation about the uninhabited zone.”

The city walls, which seemed much taller up close than from afar, were rugged with protruding shadows on the stones. Usually, moss would grow on such rocks, but strangely, the stones were dry and sturdy as if they had just been brought from a quarry. With regretful eyes, Camilla looked at the elevator installed on the city wall, then turned her steps towards the stairs.

“Normally, we would use the elevator, but... since there are many people now, please bear with it.”

She began her story about the uninhabited zone as she climbed the stairs.

“The uninhabited zone is literally an uninhabited zone. It’s a term used to refer to a space where humans cannot exist. It’s a wilderness where only monsters that prey on each other thrive. There’s no hierarchy among the monsters there. They just charge at anything that moves to devour it.”

The sound of the knight order’s footsteps climbing the stairs could be heard. Maxim listened attentively to Camilla’s words as she climbed the stairs without hesitation.

“No one knows when, why, or how the uninhabited zone came. We don’t know what lies beyond it or how vast it is. To find that out, we might have to go back much further than the history of the Riant Kingdom or even the empire.”

As they climbed the stairs, the sounds from the top of the city walls became clearer. Maxim could hear the sound of soldiers hurriedly crossing the city walls, someone shouting and urging them on, and the clanging of weapons colliding.

“Beyond there lies a land even more barren than the wilderness you’ve passed through. And the job of the soldiers and knights of this territory is to kill the monsters crawling up the cliff at the end.”

Camilla tapped the city wall with the palm of her hand.

“This city wall is literally the last line of defense. We’re currently dealing with hordes of monsters that cross over at least once an hour, day and night, without distinction. Sometimes, we open the gates and go out for direct subjugation.”

The end of the stairs came into view. The sky, which came back into sight, had reached the very end of twilight, and the land was beginning to darken. Torches were hurriedly passing by.

“Well, we’re here. Feel the rest for yourself.”

Camilla poured more wine into her empty glass.

“Sending the reorganized Raven Knight Order here this time, I can tell it’s to give them a definite accomplishment and then lend them strength.”

“His Majesty asked this knight order to become his sword.”

Camilla nodded.

“I don’t know what’s going on within the kingdom, but it feels like something is about to happen no matter what.”

Gulp.

Camilla took a sip of wine and set the glass down with a thud. Rather than enjoying the wine, it seemed like she was drinking fruit juice.

“Well, before that, we need to solve this damn uninhabited zone first. Even if we try to investigate, we lack personnel above the knight level, not to mention soldiers. I think you’ve come at a really good time.”

Theodora took another sip of the astringent wine that had a strange addictiveness. The taste was still lacking.

“Do you have any speculations?”

“Of course. I can immediately come up with three worst-case scenarios, but well.”

Camilla inhaled deeply from the pipe. Smoke rose in wisps.

“The investigation will be quite difficult. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to bear some of the burden with me.”

“By all means, I don’t mind.”

Theodora took another sip of wine.

Because the words she was about to say to Camilla seemed to require a little boost from alcohol.

“There’s a favor I’d like to ask.”

“Say whatever you want. As long as it’s not nagging me to have a romantic relationship.”

At that joke, Theodora could smile very slightly. But soon, she tightened her lips and began to speak.

“In our knight order, there are still two people who were active in the previous Raven Knight Order.”

Camilla blinked.

“That’s unexpected. I guess they had skills worth keeping?”

“Yes, but I...”

Theodora bit her lip.

“I cannot tolerate the attitude of one of those two. Both as a knight and as someone who wields a sword.”

She also wanted to say how he treated her, but Theodora kept those words to herself.

“Is that so? I don’t like that either.”

Camilla said, removing the pipe from her mouth. Judging by the way her eyebrows twitched, she really didn’t like it.

“What should we do?”

Camilla asked, raising the corners of her mouth.

Theodora inhaled.

To somehow express these emotions to him, to Maxim. Theodora opened her mouth.

“Assign that person to the most dangerous and difficult places during the investigation.”

==

The night without stars was too dark.

Maxim, who had no idea what kind of story Theodora had told about him, was sitting in a chair by the window, facing his own reflection.

Recent events kept making him recall the past. The encounter with Emil Bordin, the conversation with Theodora, and even tomorrow’s mission.

‘I don’t want to think about it.’

Maxim looked out the window at the sky with dull, sunken golden eyes. Memories came and went regardless of his will like seawater being pulled and pushed by the moon’s gravity and repulsion. He was alone in the room. It made the sentiment deepen even more.

Maxim gave up on pushing away the memories. It was quiet. A good environment for contemplation.

He closed his eyes and began a long reminiscence.

It was a memory from three years ago.

A story from when Maxim and Theodora were still lovers, before Maxim took on the curse that gnawed at his body.