24. [Encounter with the Knight Commander]
As the sun began to set, I was growing impatient.
It was confirmed that the second [Capture Target] was here.
But… would he interact with Leticia? There were too many uncertain factors.
I knew him, but we were by no means close.
Unlike the encounter with the prince, which had a strict timing of ‘just before the audience with His Majesty,’ this time the timing was broader: ‘during riding practice.’
However, based on the detailed descriptions in the game, I predicted the time would be exactly around sunset.
Leticia waved from atop the white horse, Lillie.
“Elder Sister! Did you see? I rode by myself!”
…Did I miss it?!
――Because I missed my sister’s momentous achievement, my favorability towards the second [Capture Target] would decrease.
No, what mattered was Leticia’s favorability towards him, and his favorability towards Leticia, not anything involving me.
“I looked away for a moment… but you can ride by yourself now.”
I approached and took the lead rope from Ciel.
“Hehe… thanks to Ciel… and Elder Sister.”
My heart was pierced by my sister’s shy adorableness.
What a waste of a smile, directed at someone like me.
――In the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of silver.
My sister seemed to have seen the same thing and looked in that direction.
“What… is that?”
“――That’s the Eustasia Knights. They’ve been staying at the same guesthouse since yesterday for training,” Ciel, who had been watching from a distance, explained.
Leticia murmured.
“The Eustasia Knights…”
It was the cavalry. They were all mounted on horses, wearing their everyday armor, which protected key areas with plate armor, though not the full battle armor. There was no mistaking them.
Above all, the crest embroidered on their surcoats was a ‘helmet with a unicorn horn and visor.’
Bearing a part of the unicorn, which was also the crest of the Eustasia royal family and, by extension, the kingdom, it was a crest that only the Eustasia Knights were permitted to display.
They all had longswords at their hips, rested the butts of their lances in the saddle sockets, and carried the shafts on their shoulders.
They were likely returning from training.
They passed by silently on the other side of the wooden fence.
However, I could feel the knights glancing at us.
My sister was the most beautiful girl on the continent, so I, as her older sister, would try to be understanding of their desire to look at her.
And then, ‘he’ stopped his horse in front of us.
“――You others, return ahead.”
…A familiar voice. And a familiar face.
The one easily riding the large black horse, unbothered by its wildness, was a tall, well-built man.
Aside from the red plume added to the helmet crest on his surcoat, he was dressed the same as the other knights, but his physique was noticeably superior at a glance.
A thick chest, trained and lean limbs. Faded blonde hair, rumored to have Western blood, that flowed like a lion’s mane.
Scars on his right eyebrow and left cheek stood out white against his tanned skin. The scar that notched his thick eyebrow was close to his eye, and they said he would have been blinded if it had been slightly off.
His light brown eyes, which fortunately remained unharmed and appeared golden in the light, narrowed unhappily when he saw me.
“Adelheid. I didn’t expect to see your face here.”
“I didn’t expect to see yours either, Felix—Felix von ‘Ritter.’”
Of course, I had expected to see him.
I had confirmed that the Knights had training scheduled and that his name was on the list of those in charge.
He was a noble for one generation, bearing the title of “Knight Ritter.”
Aside from special cases like Leticia, the only way for a commoner to become a noble was to join the Royal Knights, prove their worth, and become a high-ranking knight.
Upon becoming a high-ranking knight, they were granted the title of ‘von’ and the surname “Ritter,” and received numerous privileges, though not to the same extent as hereditary nobles.
Above all, they were famous for their strength, and many children in Eustasia—both noble and commoner—looked up to them.
That was the Eustasia Knights.
He was their leader, the Knight Commander.
He held authority second only to His Majesty in military matters, and in terms of rank, though in a different sphere, he was my equal.
Despite his youth, he commanded immense trust from his soldiers.
He was also popular with women, but he had a reputation for being a womanizer, which made me question if he was suitable for my sister.
Well, I knew he was more serious than the rumors suggested.
For better or worse, he didn’t see women as women.
He preferred horses to women, enjoyed hanging out with his male friends, and liked physical activities—the truth behind the rumors was that young ladies who were dragged along on long rides on horseback, disguised as ‘dates,’ and ended up with sore backsides and thighs, spread exaggerated stories.
As the head of the Vanderwaals, I knew the source of the rumors, but I had some sympathy for him, so I let them be.
He wasn’t privy to gossip, and the knights knew what kind of man their commander was.
So, there was no real harm.
His reputation and honor were none of my concern.
If I were to speak of the good rumors, he was a wild, handsome man, a knight among knights, excelling in martial arts, especially swordsmanship… or something like that.
Personally, I thought he was overrated.
From the perspective of the Kingdom of Eustasia, it was a good thing that the Knight Commander was rumored to be a good person, so they let the rumors spread.
However, some young noblemen, inspired by such rumors, would run away from home, hide their identities, and try to join the Knights.
Most of the time, the task of searching for and investigating these individuals fell to the Vanderwaals, increasing our workload, which was truly annoying.
It was also an opportunity to gain favor or gather leverage, to be sure.
――My connection with him also stemmed from such work.
He, who valued military strength and honor as the head of the Knights, and I, who considered where to use that strength and prioritized intelligence gathering to avoid using the Knights whenever possible.
It was only natural that we didn’t get along.
Unlike Prince Konrad, with whom I had a personal dislike, our positions were fundamentally different.
“That’s a good horse… No, wait. You’re leading a horse?”
His thick eyebrows furrowed.
“Who is this?”
“My sister. My half-sister.”
Knight Commander Felix looked understanding.
“Ah, I see…”
He leaned his lance against the fence and dismounted from his black horse with a graceful leap.
His movements were as light as one would expect from a Knight Commander.
“[It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Felix von Ritter, Knight Commander of the Eustasia Knights.]”
――His self-introduction was exactly the official line.
Leticia also dismounted from the white horse.
I had been watching carefully, ready to support her if needed, but she landed safely on the grass.
Considering it was her first time riding a horse today, she looked quite natural.
“…[It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir Felix. My name is Leticia] von Vanderwaals.”
Aside from stating her surname, she returned his self-introduction with the same official line and smiled faintly.
What if he fell for her…? Well, since it was the official scenario, the probability was one in three, and there was nothing I could do about it.
At that moment, the white horse, Lillie, nudged Leticia’s cheek with her muzzle.
Seeing that, Felix’s expression softened, a rare sight.
…Yes. Just as described in the [Text Log] in my mind: [Seeing me being nuzzled by the white horse, he softened his expression.]
Were the horse’s actions and the Knight Commander’s reaction also predetermined by fate?
Then, what about his next words?
“[You like horses too?]”
…Here it comes.
The [Choice].
Until now, it had been a straight path.
If the player wanted to get closer to the prince—although it had gone in a strange direction—they just had to follow the story.
But the remaining two were different.
By choosing from the options presented, the player could elicit different reactions.
There were multiple choices, and it wasn’t decided in one go… it seemed.
I didn’t know the exact specifications, such as how many times to choose each option or if there were any options that should never be chosen.
Basically, the options were designed to show a willingness to connect with the person.
Here, Leticia had two options.
[1. “Not particularly…”] and [2. “Yes, I like horses too.”].
The numbers in front were for clarity, I supposed.
Essentially, she just needed to show a willingness to engage with him.
And Leticia’s answer was—
“[Yes, I like horses too.]”
――It was an answer that reached out to him.
She did seem to genuinely like horses, so it was probably a natural response.
Lillie was also fond of Leticia.
But I see.
Perhaps Leticia was drawn to men like him.
…With a hint of sadness, I watched, holding my breath, to see if the Knight Commander’s subsequent words would match those in [Moonlight Liberium].
“[Oh? We seem to have something in common.]”
――It was exactly as the script dictated.
And he smiled faintly. …He usually only showed me a grimace, so it was refreshing.
Leticia also smiled back.
“They’re delicious, aren’t they?”
…Leticia?
Wasn’t your ‘like’ a little different?
Eustasia Knights, Knight Commander
Felix von Ritter
CV: Censored
Sample Voice 1 Sample Voice 2 Sample Voice 3
Commander of the Eustasia Knights. One of the capture targets in [Moonlight Liberium].
As his appearance suggests, he doesn’t worry about small details and has a bold personality. 26 years old (at the time of his appearance).
He excels in martial arts and is also good at taking care of others, earning him absolute trust from his subordinates. He loves horses and enjoys riding. He is the type who wants to spend time with someone he likes.
However, since it’s a Yuri game, he’s a placeholder.
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