I, Reincarnate as the Leader of the Villainous Knight Order - Chapter 135: Let’s Go to the Royal Capital 3 [SIDE: Ryuka]

Chapter 135: Let’s Go to the Royal Capital 3 [SIDE: Ryuka]

The noise on the first floor of the inn woke me up the next morning.  

If I leave at this time, I should arrive at the royal capital by evening.  

After getting ready so that I could leave right after breakfast, I stepped out of my room.

“Oh, it’s that guy!”  

I heard a familiar voice from the bottom of the stairs. When I peeked down, I saw yesterday’s gate guard pointing at me. He had five people with him, none of whom I recognized. It made me tilt my head in confusion.  

“You’re the one who killed that bandit, aren’t you?”

As soon as I stepped down the stairs, a burly man grabbed my hand firmly.  

If I had the choice, I’d rather have the lady standing behind him take my hand instead.

“Who are you people?”  

“We are the family of those attacked by that bandit. My son was ambushed two weeks ago while out gathering supplies… ugh.”  

“Father…..   Thank you for avenging my brother. Now, he can rest in peace.”  

The lady gently patted the crying man on the shoulder. It seemed their family member had been killed by the bandit I took down. That guy had tried to kill me too, after all.

“If this has brought you any comfort, I’m glad. I just did what I was supposed to do as a knight.”  

Out of habit, words fitting for a well-mannered knight flowed effortlessly from my mouth. Back when I became a company commander, I was drilled relentlessly on giving this kind of response. After all, how we dealt with the locals would affect how they viewed the House of Vandière.

“Such a noble thing to say…! And I heard the reward money was used for the children who were attacked. Please, take this—it’s a small token of our gratitude.”  

They handed me a heavy bag, clearly filled with money. Judging by its weight, it was probably full of gold coins. The son who was attacked must’ve belonged to a large trading family.  

If Justin were here, he’d probably tell me to forgo the money and earn a larger favor instead.

“As I said earlier, I merely did what needed to be done. I’ll accept your feelings, but please use this money to help others who have been affected. Or, if I ever find myself in trouble, lend me a hand.”  

“How humble…! Very well, we’ll do as you say.”

Words that sounded suspiciously like those of a con artist flowed smoothly from my mouth, and the people who had come to thank me seemed deeply moved.  

Justin had always made me handle things like this when he overstepped, telling me to use my public face to smooth things over, ensuring that people would be more lenient because of my presence.

It might seem like a missed opportunity, but in the long run, this kind of approach usually ends up being more beneficial.  

It’s that “give and take” philosophy, I guess.

“Ryuka, that child you mentioned yesterday received healing from a high-ranking priest and made a full recovery! They were disappointed they couldn’t come to thank you themselves since they aren’t fully healed yet. But their parents cried and asked me to convey their gratitude.”  

“Healing magic drains a lot of strength, especially for severe injuries. It’s only natural. I hope they don’t suffer any long-term aftereffects, given how much time had passed.”

After the merchants finished expressing their thanks, the gate guard reported the news to me, and I felt relieved.

“Hey, you better hurry up and eat, or breakfast time will be over!”  

“Ah, I’m coming.”  

“Oh, sorry for bothering you before breakfast. I heard you’re heading to the royal capital. Please be careful on the road.”  

“Thank you.”  

Freed from the crowd thanks to the innkeeper, I filled my stomach with another delicious breakfast, just like last night.  

Afterward, I went to the stable at the back of the inn, where my partner Kiara was contently munching on some feed.

“Good morning, Kiara. Let’s do our best to meet Justin by today.”  

I patted her snout, and she responded with a snort. That snort meant “leave it to me.” She was eager, but she also splattered my face with droplets from her nose.  

After washing my face with cold well water, I set off.

There were a few incidents along the way. But as the sun began to set, I could see the city walls of the royal capital in the distance, and I naturally smiled.  

Beyond the city walls, I could even see the royal castle. According to Justin, the Third Knight Order’s barracks were near there.  

Just thinking about how close we were to meeting made me want to urge Kiara to go faster, but if I tired her out, it would only slow us down in the end.

After taking a break along the way, we arrived at the capital’s gate as the eastern sky grew darker.  

Knights should be able to enter through the gate reserved for nobility. 

I veered away from the long line of commoners waiting at the common gate and headed toward the gate where luxurious carriages were entering.

“Identification, please.”  

When I handed over my ID to the gatekeeper knight, he glanced at the endorsement on the back and widened his eyes in surprise.  

Let’s see, if I remember correctly, the gatekeepers here belong to the Second Knight Order. Given how things usually go, I wonder if Justin’s bad reputation is also reflecting poorly on the House of Vandière?

“Hmm… no problems here. Go ahead.”

Contrary to my expectations, the knight handed my ID back without any issues. I proceeded just as Justin had told me.  

I couldn’t help but gawk a bit at the urban sprawl of the royal capital. It was only natural to be a little awestruck.  

Since it was around dinnertime, the delicious smells from the surrounding restaurants wafted through the air.

For a moment, I considered stopping at a nearby place. But I recalled something I had overheard at the inn’s dining hall last night and decided against it.  

Yes, the person behind that delicious food was Justin!  

Surely, there would be great food waiting for me at the Third Knight Order’s barracks!!

“Come on, Kiara! We’ll be seeing Eleanor soon! If we go straight down this road and turn right at the end, we should reach the Third Knight Order in no time! It’s a bit of a walk, but we should get there before it gets too dark.”

With the thought of reuniting after several months, Kiara and I passed through the bustling streets of the capital.

◇◇◇  

Next time, the perspective will return to Justin.  

The reunion of the foster brothers.