“If you mean my biological older sister, I don’t have one. But....”
“But?”
Jowick’s face was full of expectation.
Erilot suddenly grabbed his arm tightly.
“There is a magical device that detects mana.”
“...!”
Jowick flinched and looked at Erilot.
The child’s face twisted.
“I have a dragon attached to me — would I go around unprepared? Who do you take me for?”
It wasn’t only visible offensive blessings.
There could be people trying to exploit me through mental blessings.
So Erilot always wore a magical device.
It was specially made as a bracelet.
Detecting mana waves.
Detecting mana origin points.
Tracking Erilot’s movement routes.
Detection records were monitored in real time in Daymond’s jurisdiction.
“How dare you activate your blessing inside the palace, and to a Wonhwa no less?”
“W-W-Wonhwa...!”
“You’re dead. Guards─!!”
Erilot shouted, and Jowick’s face went pale blue.
‘That’s why I said I wouldn’t get involved with Silin, damn father...!’
In my office.
I stared sharply at Jowick, who bowed his head deeply.
“Please, Wonhwa...”
The moment I called the guards, Jowick began pleading.
“Please spare me. I have five younger siblings to care for and a sick mother...!”
“I have three older brothers. Although healthy, my father’s personality is problematic.”
“...What?”
“Didn’t you say we’d share family backgrounds?”
“That’s not it...”
“I’m not someone who’ll be swayed by your pitiful circumstances.”
When I said that coldly, Jowick immediately dropped to his knees and begged.
A knight who valued honor as much as his life.
Even though palace staff were sneaking glances.
Seeing that, I thought,
‘It’s more profitable to use him than hand him over to the palace.’
—And so I let Jowick into my office.
When I said nothing, Jowick peeked at me.
I sat down and played with the ends of my hair.
“There’s evidence with the magical device. What do you think will happen if I report you to the palace?”
“Th-That’s...!”
“Activating blessings inside the palace can be linked to treason. Then you, and your family, will lose your heads....”
“Wonhwa─!”
Jowick’s face turned deathly pale.
Until then he looked miserable, but when family got involved, his eyes darkened with resolve.
“You didn’t act alone, did you?”
“...I did.”
“You really love your family. If you say you acted under Chateaubriand’s orders, they’ll likely harm your family too. Right?”
“...”
I smiled gently and leaned toward Jowick.
“There’s a way for you and your family to be safe without getting tangled with Chateaubriand.”
“Really?”
“There’s an easy and simple way~.”
I said cheerfully, propping my chin with both hands, and Jowick’s eyes darted.
“An easy and simple way?”
“Yeah, easy and simple... money!”
“What?!”
Jowick was shocked.
“M-Money? Wonhwa! I live under the Chateaubriand main house’s support. Having the same surname doesn’t mean I have vast funds like Silin!”
I expected that.
To reach the rank of general, one must come from a distinguished family.
Especially since many nobles gathered in the Central Army, generals had to belong to particularly outstanding families.
So they registered Jowick in a close branch family and just gave him the surname.
‘Maybe they promoted Jowick to suit Silin’s taste in case she loses influence.’
I shrugged.
“Who’d give money that can’t be used by the royal army? Our family has plenty.”
“If so....”
“Transfer Central Army funds to the Western Army.”
“That’s impossible!”
“Why not? It’s the same Original Knight army anyway.”
The flow of military funds from the palace went like this:
[Palace → Royal Army → Original Knight Army]
Funds went down from the Royal Army Headquarters to the Original Knight Army, then generals agreed on distribution.
As long as money circulated inside the Original Knight Army, the palace didn’t care.
That meant, “Bringing money from the Central Army is not a problem.”
“There’s surplus funds, right? You’re a general, one seal stamp is enough to transfer?”
“If Silin finds out, I’ll be...!”
“You’ll get scolded, maybe kicked out. But that’s it.”
I smiled and continued.
“Which side do you think benefits more?”
“That would be....”
“I’ll give you time to think.”
“Okay....”
“Thirty minutes. Decide here.”
“What?!”
What if you run to Duke Chateaubriand begging for forgiveness?
Despite all this, I’m the main villain of .
Compared to my first life, Silin’s scheming is nothing but a baby’s whining.
I sweet-talked him like the serpent tempting with the fruit of knowledge.
“Are you scared of losing Chateaubriand’s support?”
“I am... Mother’s medical bills are huge.”
“Is that more important than your life?”
“...”
“Besides, you’re a Central General. Even if you flee to another country, you’d get a good position.”
“...”
“Your army has cases like that, right?”
“You mean Knight Seoho? Yes, his grandfather was once a slave...”
“I’m Chronos Astra’s granddaughter. Daughter of Daymond Astra, called the continent’s original. Connecting you to another country is nothing.”
“...”
“You can reign at the top of power without being manipulated by Silin.”
“...”
“With just one seal stamp.”
“...”
“Actually, there’s no problem. It’s not embezzlement or theft. The funds circulate within the Original Knight Army.”
Whispering softly, Jowick’s expression clouded.
“Such....”
“General Jowick.”
“...!”
“A truly magnificent title, isn’t it?”
“Yes....”
Staring into the void, Jowick slowly nodded.
“I’ll deliver the documents immediately.”
“Good!”
I smiled brightly.
‘I planned to negotiate with the emperor, but got what I wanted without lifting a finger.’
Thank you, Silin.
Thank you, foolish Chateaubriand.
Thanks for underestimating me as a child. It let me find your weakness and make money!
Jowick sent the documents, and I quickly took the funds before Silin found out.
Gorgo, Western Army’s chief administrator, was speechless.
“What is this...!”
“Buy weapons and armor. Don’t just put down deposits; issue checks. Before Silin causes a fuss demanding returns.”
“Okay?”
“Trade for white jade immediately.”
“Should we send people to Astra’s second manor?”
“No, use the usual suppliers Western Army uses. If Astra manor gets involved, Silin will find fault.”
“Yes!”
“Move quickly!”
“I’ll hurry!!”
Original Knight Army funds are distributed according to last year’s mock battle rankings:
1st place: 35%
2nd place: 25%
3rd place: 15%
4th place: 10%
5th place: 5%
The remainder is used as general administrative funds.
Central Army, always first, took huge funds, while Western Army, always last, operated on scraps.
‘Since Jowick sent funds close to one year’s Western Army budget, no wonder there was surprise.’
Thus, we obtained the ghoul extermination funds.
Much more than expected.
‘Now all that’s left is to raise the soldiers’ level.’
...Or so I thought, but that was the biggest problem.
On the platform, I watched the training ground with an incredulous look.
The Western Army was split in half, holding a mock battle.
To check unit cohesion and knights’ individual skills.
But...
“Ugh!”
“Wait, don’t push!”
“Protect the mage soldiers... aagh! Look, I got hit!”
It was a hopeless, ragtag mess.
The commander of Unit 1, who took over for the dismissed general, glanced nervously at me.
“Last quarter’s commanders all transferred to other units... The new commanders aren’t used to leading yet, and also...”
“Are you proud of having lost all your commanders?”
“N-No...”
I gripped my forehead and groaned.
‘Now I see why they’re looked down on...’
The unskilled assault squads panicked and scattered.
The ranged support units were so bad they accidentally hit allies in the back with spells.
Even considering my raised standards from watching my father’s training...
‘They’re a total mess!’
No matter that these were minors, who’d call this the royal army?
“Reorganize the units. They’re cavalry but use no spears or swords, just magic all the time!”
Calculating wind direction is necessary for ranged magic.
What are they doing casting ranged magic on horseback?
“Sorry!”
“What is that? Not a commander? Why are you running away? If the leader runs, morale collapses!”
“Sorry, sorry!”
“Why is that one at the back? If you gave him armor like that, shouldn’t he protect the mage soldiers up front?”
“Sorry...”
The knights kept apologizing, sweating profusely.
I ground my teeth and glared at the training ground.
‘Not a single useful ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) soldier! Not one! ...Huh?’
But from the corner, I saw a soldier moving oddly.
‘What’s that?’
He moved lazily but nothing got past him.
“That one.”
“Yes?”
“Isn’t that a holy mark on the back of his hand?”
“Oh, yes. That’s Isez, the Western Army’s only holy blessing holder.”
Isez?
Looking closely, the face was familiar.
‘A troublemaker!’
When I first came to the Western Army training ground, he was the one giggling with a maid.
“But why isn’t he riding a horse? He’s a knight.”
If there’s only one holy knight in the unit, the enemy will surely target him.
He should dodge attacks while moving.
Or at least be pulled completely to the rear for support.
“Well... he’s not a knight.”
“What?”
“He’s a commoner. From the ‘Palace Bare-knuckle Fighting Tournament.’”
Those who win that tournament can enter the palace.
“I get that, but why can’t he be knighted? Soldiers are knighted based on skill, right?”
The captains and clerks nearby started sweating nervously.
I muttered, glaring at them.
“You’re more rotten than I thought.”
They all looked away.
I shouted sharply.
“You took money and got knighted, didn’t you?! Even if you’re unskilled, only those with money get knighted─!!”
The loud shout made the training soldiers flinch and look toward the platform.
“That’s... the previous general....”
“You bought your knighthood?”
“...”
To be knighted, you need horses, expensive weapons, squires, and recognition from authorities.
So commoners becoming knights was a dream.
That’s why commoners risk their lives in the fighting tournament.
Some even die.
Because of how desperate they are.
“Do you think a skilled winner of the fighting tournament won’t get knighted because he lacks money? Are you human?!”
“...”
“...”
No wonder.
I wondered why they only took one holy knight from the other army.
They left one out of decency.
They didn’t take him because he wasn’t a knight.
There’s a limit to the number of knights that can be knighted yearly.
They knight their own excellent soldiers instead of taking others.
I felt eyes on me from the training ground corner.
Isez was staring at me.
I snatched the loudspeaker magic device from Unit 1’s captain.
Then I shouted into the device.
“All who bought knighthood with money will be demoted to regular soldiers! In two days, a fighting tournament will be held to re-rank by skill!”
“W-What...!”
“That’s impossible!”
The training ground began to grow noisy.
Ignoring it, I stepped down from the platform.
And strode toward Isez.
“You have to tell me about all the Western Army’s corruption so far.”
“...”
“Follow me.”
“No, I won’t.”
Isez suddenly turned his head and said.
“I submitted my discharge request yesterday. I’ll leave this month. Why bother with annoying things?”
“Cancel it.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t trust you.”
Isez looked down coldly at me.
“I’ve never seen nobles keep their promises.”
He bowed slightly.
His beautiful lips whispered coldly in my ear.
“Don’t pretend you think differently just because you’re a noble too.”
“...”
“What a pain.”
He smiled as he walked away.
His long eyelashes reflected the sun, shining coldly.
Central Army Administrator.
Jowick held his head and groaned.
His aide and Central Army knight Dikpero shook his head.
“Why did you have to do something so scary? If Silin finds out, there’ll be trouble.”
“Erilot Astra was a hundred times scarier than Silin.”
“Geez.”
Dikpero shook his head again.
Jowick sighed.
“Still, she was really beautiful.”
“What?”
“When she activated the blessing, I saw a woman in Erilot Astra’s memory. Exactly my type.”
A proud and noble beauty.
That face keeps flickering in my mind.