Chapter 15 - Comeuppance

Mayer was silent for a long while. “…Now that I think of it, it seems I was not being considerate enough. The Dark Knights uniform matches well with your hair.”

I wasn’t sure about that, but he was definitely paying lip service to imply that I had chosen well in joining his corps. I didn’t put much meaning in his compliment, though. “Thank you, Your Excellency,” I replied.

“I am your captain now; call me captain, not ‘Your Excellency’,” Mayer insisted with a solemn face. Axion and the other still addressed him as such, however, but whatever. Boss’s orders, anyways. “Yes, Captain.” I nodded obediently.

“Hmm… It is not at all satisfactory to have you wear the standard uniform. Upon our arrival at the base, I shall have a new set befitting your status commissioned,” he said.

Why these two were so disapproving of their corps’ knight’s uniform was beyond me. Meanwhile, Axion—who had been listening to the side—stared at me with amazement, murmuring, “His Highness was never the sort of person to say such things…”

The captain was human too; what was wrong with saying a few compliments? Still, I didn’t know if he found that Mayer giving a compliment was hard to believe, or the uniform suiting me… Disregarding Axion’s reaction, Mayer looked at me and spoke very seriously, “In any case, now you know. Your new uniform will be provided during your initiation ceremony, once we return to base.”

“Yes…”

“And I have sent word for a horse of your own to be readied. Go with Axion to the cavaliers to be given one.”

Well, that was good news. Normally, only elites could ride horses while the rest of the troops would move on foot. Riding a horse wasn’t nearly as comfortable as driving, but it sure beat the heck out of walking. During the first playthrough, I had only managed to get a horse when I was already midway through it so I knew how important having a steed was. Not long after I finally got to ride one, I lost my arm and ended up walking again.

Having the privilege of traveling on horseback immediately fueled me with more loyalty—no, dedication than praising my looks, making me vice-captain, and whatnot. It was then that Axion finally recovered from his shock. “But Your Excellency… Can Jun ride a horse?”

This promptly reminded me that horses were a valuable resource, so much so that the number of households in a village that reared them could be counted in one hand. It wasn’t that commoners didn’t know how to ride horses, most just didn’t… That was even more prevalent in kids like me, who grew up without a proper place in the house. But I had learned how to ride in the first playthrough, though.

Before I could even clarify that, Mayer spoke up. “She can,” he said, in a matter-of-fact tone. I figured he must’ve seen me on horseback since he remembered me from the first iteration. And then, after giving a one-sided answer, the man went and disappeared somewhere again.

The captain was a diligent person who was always busy—he never stayed still in one place. It made me wonder if he couldn’t be satisfied unless he knew everything that was happening within the expedition corps. Mayer was, in fact, a micromanager; in other words, a control freak. As far as his corps was concerned, everything had to go according to his plans. Such a tiring personality… It truly made me question how he had even endured having me join his team. Or perhaps he just didn’t want to leave an unexpected factor out of his reach?

While I reflected on Mayer’s personality, I heard Axion murmur in an amazed tone, “Wow. You sure are a woman full of surprises.”

“It’s just riding a horse,” I replied, nonchalant, but he only shook his head at me.

“It’s rare for the average person to know how to ride a horse,” he said. “But I suppose His Excellency went over this as well while interviewing you.”

“Haha. Well…” I sighed. “I’m sure His Ex—uh, the captain had me join as vice-captain because I’m ready for action. He’s not the type of person who’d give out positions based on potential first, after all.”

As an extreme control freak, it was of the utmost importance to Mayer Knox that his expedition corps members could work well together in a dungeon raid. It was why he rarely made impromptu changes to his lineup of elites. Initially, recruits would be assigned to the 3rd Corps and from there they’d rise in rank gradually, only after displaying their ability in cooperation and individual strength. However, going up in rank did not mean becoming an elite. Only when a vacancy opened in the expedition corps Mayer envisioned would then someone be selected to become a fully-fledged ‘Dark Knights elite’. In a way, it was similar to how a professional club operated. To put everything into perspective, having someone join and immediately become the vice-captain like me was an extremely unusual case.

Perhaps I gave him the impression of knowing too much about the duke, because Axion blinked repeatedly, puzzled. “That’s true, but… You seem to know a lot about His Excellency,” he said.