[The war had ended. You returned to Kazimierz and were welcomed at the city gates with grand fanfare, like a king returning to his kingdom. You saw many knights, including the Silverlance Knights, who marched in formation to pay their respects to you upon your arrival.]
[You had heard of these people countless times from your grandfather and Uncle Mlynar. They had always said that the Silverlance was the highest-ranking and strongest order of knights in Kazimierz. Even your grandfather spoke highly of them without end. It was a title every knight in Kazimierz once dreamed of. But to you, you felt nothing but disgust and contempt. The moment you saw them, you spoke harshly—because during the entire war, they never once showed up to help. They hid themselves away from the battlefield, allowing Ursus to invade unchecked.]
[The Silverlance Knights accepted this criticism without a word of defense. They said that if the King of Knight willed it, they were prepared to atone by taking their own lives on the spot. You turned to Uncle Mlynar beside you and asked if you could really do that. Mlynar sighed and explained that the Silverlance Knights were considered the final fortress protecting Kazimierz. If even one of them were to die or disappear, it would be like losing an entire army. The reason they followed your orders directly was because the Silverlance was originally created to serve the King of Knight directly, founded by the Council of Justice—one of the founding organizations of the Kazimierz National Assembly. It was a powerful entity outside of political authority, meaning no one had the right to command them.]
[Normally, the Silverlance Knights weren't even allowed to enter the capital, due to regulations imposed by the Council of Justice to keep them out of politics. That's why it was customary for them to wait for you at the city gates without going inside.]
[After hearing this, you began to understand and looked back at the Silverlance Knights standing before you, judging their strength with just a glance. You couldn't help but speak in disappointment: the Silverlance were even weaker than the Emperor's Blade. If you were to fight them, it would take at least two of them to hold their ground. Even if they won, they'd only end up dead without achieving anything. Sending the whole unit wouldn't even be enough to defeat Pozakasty or stop the Ursus army. How could they still dare call themselves the final fortress of Kazimierz?]
[The Silverlance Knights, still bowing, trembled—not out of anger, but out of shame from being rebuked by the King of Knight. Mlynar, hearing this, walked over and smacked your head without hesitation, saying the Silverlance Knights had great potential. Their current weakness was only because they hadn't fought in a long time. With enough battles and experience, they could grow as strong as your father or grandfather. Comparing them to a living legend like Pozakasty—who even your grandfather couldn't defeat—would only tarnish their name.]
[Toland Cash, Mlynar's close comrade and a mercenary hired to aid in scouting, chimed in to support you. He agreed with your words and declared the Silverlance Knights useless. Instead of aiding other knights in battle, they chose to hide and only emerged at the end to 'protect' Kazimierz. Toland scorned them, saying they thought a mere 200 men could take on an entire army.]
[Mlynar remained silent, seemingly in agreement, though out of respect for the legacy of the Silverlance, he said nothing. One of the Silverlance Knights stood up as a representative and accepted all the accusations. However, he explained that they had to follow their assigned duties to protect other cities. Though they mourned the fallen knights and soldiers on the battlefield, they never regretted fulfilling their role. Thus, they firmly told the King of Knight that they would accept punishment for your dissatisfaction, along with the rest of the Silverlance Knights present.]
[Moved by their sincere determination, you finally calmed your anger and forgave them. You allowed them to enter the city with you.]
[Once inside, the cheers of the citizens and many unfamiliar knights returning from the battlefield welcomed you. Amidst the crowd, you saw a group of dignified-looking individuals guarded by well-dressed knights waiting to greet you. When they saw you, they all knelt and called you 'Your Majesty, the King of Knight.' You glanced at Mlynar for a signal—who were these people? Mlynar's eyebrow twitched as he leaned in to whisper that they were Kazimierz's leadership group.]
[They were led by Loleta Russell, the Grand Knight representing the Council of Justice and the leader of all the Silverlance Knights. She was one of your grandfather's closest comrades during the famed Dawn of Kazimierz war. She had even sent the Campaign Knights to aid your grandfather and Mlynar in the past, which allowed them to survive.]
[You were shocked and immediately filled with joy to meet someone your grandfather had often spoken of. You quickly walked over and helped the elderly woman to her feet, telling her she didn't need to kneel. As someone who had once saved your family, you felt you should be the one kneeling instead.]
[Loleta looked a little awkward but maintained a gentle smile. She thanked you and brought forward a shy young girl hiding behind her. Loleta introduced her as her adopted daughter, Viviana, who admired you so much she had always wanted to meet you.]
[You looked at the young girl, probably a little younger than Margaret, and greeted her with a knightly gesture. Viviana, caught off guard since she wasn't a knight, quickly lifted her skirt to curtsy in the manner of a noble.]
[After that, representatives from the other major powers, including members of the Kazimierz royal family and other nobles, came to speak with you. But you had no interest and bluntly said you didn't like long talks. If they had anything to say, they could send a letter. Then you dragged Mlynar and Grandma Loleta back home with you.]
[When you arrived at the Nearl family mansion, everyone was standing seriously at the entrance to greet you. Even Maria, who always smiled, had a solemn expression. Sensing something wrong, you quickly hid behind Mlynar and Loleta before greeting them.]
"G-Grandpa! Margaret! Everyone! It's been a while—I'm back! L-look, I brought Uncle Mlynar back with me! So... I didn't break my promise, right?"
"Indeed, Your Majesty the King of Knight. As this pitiful old man, having you save my foolish son... even if I gave you my life, it wouldn't be enough!"
The old man suddenly knelt to the ground, shocking you. You rushed over to lift him up.
"Grandpa, don't do this! Your health is already—"
Before you could finish, the old man reached up and grabbed your arm tightly.
"Falling for such a simple trick... You're still green as a knight, boy."
The old man looked up at you with a wicked grin, sending chills down your spine.
"N-no way!"
You looked around at the faces of everyone in the house—barely holding back their laughter. Everyone except Maria, who was already laughing out loud. You instantly knew you had been pranked.
"As an honor to the King of Knight... how about running 100 laps around the training field as punishment?"
"Ah... Uncle Mlynar!! Help me!!!" Wang Fei tried to turn and seek help from anyone who could assist him, but he was immediately disheartened when he saw the other party avoid him, as if to say, "I can't help you with this..."
[After the punishment ended, your family held a celebration party for you in the backyard of their mansion, inviting the group of warriors who had accompanied you during the war. Toland, Kaz, and Silver Lance were among them.]
[You were surrounded by the women in your family. Margaret and Sophia kept asking about your injuries nonstop, even though you told them they had been healed thanks to the Holy Armor. Still, they insisted on taking you to the hospital tomorrow, and you had no choice but to agree. Meanwhile, you had to eat the burnt grilled meat that Maria and Viviana fed you.]
[You sneaked into the living room after your grandfather summoned you. Upon entering, you found your grandmother, Ioletta Toland, and your grandfather, Uncle Mlynar, waiting inside. Your grandfather said that Ioletta had important matters to discuss with you. You nodded and sat on the sofa, waiting to hear what your grandmother was going to say.]
[Ioletta said your appearance was something Casimir had been waiting for over hundreds of years. But at the same time, it could cause the most turmoil for Casimir in a century.]
[You immediately guessed and asked Ioletta if it was about Victoria.]
[Ioletta nodded and praised your knowledge. She said Victoria had learned that you are a Unicus. Since the Unicorn race had split from Casimir decades ago, now Casimir had no one left from the Unicorn lineage. According to Unicorn history records, they trace their descent from the Unicus, and since the King of Knight was born from a related bloodline, they have a right to be part of your family as well.]
[Your grandfather scoffed upon hearing that. He said that decades ago, before the war with Ursus began, the Unicorns saw Casimir losing because they couldn't stand against the army of Usija, the terrifying leader at that time. So, they left and even took their army to join Victoria, trading information to gain favor. Now that it's about self-interest, they still dare to claim kinship from a bloodline unrelated to their own. Truly despicable...]
[Ioletta agreed and added that those people even proposed an alliance by using Victoria's name to arrange a marriage between the King of Knight and their eldest daughter from the Unicorn tribe to bind the two nations. If accepted, they would propose to Victoria to be one of their allied countries in the future.]
[Your grandfather was furious. He strongly opposed selling his grandson to those traitorous sellouts. Uncle Mlynar and Toland silently nodded, saying nothing. You, the center of the matter, quietly drank soda while observing what Ioletta was saying.]
[Ioletta already knew how your grandfather would react, so she proposed a plan she had prepared: to announce that the King of Knight already had a fiancée. This way, Victoria, which clings to old customs of choosing only one partner, would have no grounds to object.]
[Everyone seemed satisfied with the plan except you. You asked who the fiancée would be, or if it would be a fake identity. If it was fake, and it got exposed, it could damage Casimir's reputation.]
[Ioletta had anticipated this and proposed her adoptive daughter, Viviana, as your fiancée. She was a child Ioletta had taken in from a close friend in Lithanian. Viviana was a noble there, though illegitimate, her family status was high enough to keep the King of Knight's name clean. Lithanian wasn't a bad country either, and they were currently in conflict with Victoria. Choosing her would force Victoria to back off. Although it was unfortunate for Viviana to be forced into this, she had already consulted with her and was willing to help you wholeheartedly.]
[Your grandfather immediately saw through the old lady's plan and said there was no need for that. After all, Lithanian was still under the control of the Witch King, whose death was uncertain. If they acted rashly, it could spark a war between kings, causing international trouble. Most importantly, he knew that you would choose someone from the Neer family anyway, not another woman!]
[That answer made you almost choke on your drink.]
[Your grandfather said Margaret was the most suitable fiancée for you! You quickly argued that they were siblings! Uncle Mlynar seemed to back you up, and you were happy for a moment—until you heard Uncle Mlynar's next words.]
[The one who should be paired with Ray is Sophia!]
[That comment made you turn sharply to look at Uncle Mlynar in disbelief.]
[But we are Uncle and nephew!! (I've wanted to use this line for a long time) you protested, until both of them told you it was just teasing in name. Why take it seriously? You were left speechless... So, was it me who was wrong here?]
[After their argument ended, and they agreed to discuss the matter later, Grandma Ioletta moved on to other topics. Since she worked at the council overseeing Casimir's security, the military had recently sent her several reports. Since the birth of the King of Knight in Casimir, their cities were under scrutiny from all directions. Furthermore, news that the King of Knight had defeated Wendigo, a pure-blood war god of Ursus, made many parties eager to ally with them.]
[People from Lithanian, Victoria, and even the great power Yan were interested in becoming allies with you, causing the military to be overwhelmed and unsure how to respond.]
[The most concerning case now was that Kazdel, the representative from Princess Teresa and Teresis, wanted to meet the King of Knight to talk with you.]
[As everyone knew, Kazdel was currently in a civil war within the royal family. Teresis, the eldest daughter, was waging a coup against her younger sister Teresa, the current queen. Although it was a cold war now, the fact that Teresa and Teresis wanted to meet you was a clear signal that they sought an alliance with Casimir. If this continued, and one side accepted the other's proposal, when the civil war ended and the winner wasn't the side they chose, Casimir would definitely have problems with Kazdel in the future.]
[You thought that was no problem at all... Just call them both in together and end it. Then tell them to offer the best rewards, and you would reject both on the grounds that other countries offered more. That way, you wouldn't offend either side, and they would also learn which force was stronger enough to join with in the future.]
[Ioletta laughed approvingly upon hearing this. She praised your grandfather for raising you well as the King of Knight. Your grandfather proudly puffed out his chest but said you still had a lot to learn. As the King of Knight, you couldn't take things lightly, which made you pout heavily and whisper that you didn't want to be the King of Knight at all.]
[But because of the responsibility of this noble status, you had to accept this position unwillingly...]