I, Reincarnate as the Leader of the Villainous Knight Order - Chapter 157: Surprise

Chapter 157: Surprise

The next morning. After completing our early training and breakfast, we reunited with Ernest and his group. They had stayed overnight in the town. Together, we set off toward the royal capital.

Fortunately, Kuro didn’t seem to remember much from the previous night beyond what happened in the town. Which allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief.

With the First Knight Order, the Third Knight Order, and even the Holy Knights accompanying us, there wasn’t a single bandit foolish enough to approach. Other than occasional encounters with monsters, the journey went smoothly until we reached the outskirts of the royal capital, where its city walls came into view.

“Ah, it’s such a relief to be back in the capital alive!”  

“Totally! I wonder how many rest days we’ll get this time. With the Evil God gone, there shouldn’t be a spike in monsters. So maybe it’ll be a long break.”  

“Simon, Arnault. Even if it’s a long break, it’ll be on a rotational schedule. Don’t forget we’ve got to train the apprentices too.”  

I calmly pointed out the reality, and Simon and Arnault slumped their shoulders in disappointment. Even if it’s rotational, they’d still have proper rest days. So I didn’t see why they needed to sulk. What a dramatic pair.

Just before we reached the gate, the carriage carrying the Saintess and the dragon pair stopped. And three of them stepped out.

“We’ll be taking our leave here,” 

Kuro said, looking straight at me.  

Leaving? Does that mean Jeanne and Jest will go with him too? I stopped the group to question him.  

“Where are you going? And… isn’t only one of you supposed to leave?”  

I glared at Kuro, and Jeanne started laughing.  

“Oh ho ho! Master, don’t worry. Both Jest and I have learned teleportation magic from Kuro.”  

“””“Teleportation magic?!””””  

My subordinates overheard Jeanne. They shouted in unison along with me. After all, teleportation magic only exists in fairy tales.  

“Hmph. It’s magic only a great dragon like me can know. Even if I tried to teach you humans, you couldn’t use it because of your lack of mana,” 

Kuro said smugly, puffing out his chest.  

So the secret Jest was keeping was about teleportation magic. Jest giggled at our astonished reactions.  

“You see, Mom and I have a pact with Justin. So we can teleport to him anytime. But other than that, we can only teleport to places we’ve been to before. Mom’s heading to the mountain nest to guide Dad, so she’ll be gone for a while.”  

“I see… So that’s how it works. Wait, does that mean only the caster can teleport?”  

“Yep! That’s why Mom’s flying back to the nest with Dad.”  

For a moment, I was worried Jeanne and Jest might sever their pact and disappear. Which would have been a shock. I couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing Jest again now. I instinctively lifted her into my arms and seated her in front of me on my horse Eleanor.  

“Take care of Jest,” 

Jeanne said, giving me a nod.  

“I will.”  

Jeanne and Kuro stepped away from the group, transformed into their true forms, and took flight into the sky. Gasps rippled through the First Knight Order and the Holy Knights. Well, seeing two massive dragons suddenly appear was bound to cause a commotion.  

“Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad! See you soon!”  

Jest cheerfully waved at her parents, beaming. Their figures were probably visible from the capital as well, so I hoped it wouldn’t cause a stir there.  

—

When we entered the capital, it seemed the people were already aware of the fact that I had two dragons as familiars. In that sense, there wasn’t much uproar.  

What surprised me more was that our return had been reported to the royal castle in advance. Crowds of cheering residents lined the main road leading straight from the gate. They enthusiastically welcomed us.  

Ernest and the First Knight Order were accustomed to such receptions, waving and responding confidently to the cheers. However, the Holy Knights were unused to such warm receptions. They appeared visibly flustered.  

The Third Knight Order was in a similar position. But compared to before, the citizens’ treatment of them had noticeably improved. Blushing, they awkwardly managed to wave back in response to the cheers.

To be honest, I’d rather head back to the barracks and rest. But apparently, all of us were required to gather in the royal castle’s courtyard.  

In the courtyard, His Majesty offered words of gratitude for our efforts, promised rewards, and announced that a banquet, open to even the commoner members of the Third Knight Order, would be held the following day.  

My subordinates and Jest were all grinning from ear to ear. While they returned to the barracks ahead of me, I was unexpectedly summoned by Lady Diane. Apparently, Ernest was already aware of this. And for some reason, he accompanied me to Lady Diane’s private chambers.  

“Do you know what Lady Diane wants with me?”  

“Well… I suppose you could say I know. Let’s just say it’s not bad news for you, Vandière.”  

His vague response made me uneasy. But it was clear Ernest knew something.  

We entered the royal family’s residential area. And with Ernest leading the way confidently, we soon arrived at Lady Diane’s room. Come to think of it, this was the first time I’d been to her room.  

—

“Diane, it’s me. I’ve brought Vandière.” 

“Please, come in.”  

The door opened to reveal Lady Diane and her maid, Annabella, waiting inside.  

Ernest took a seat beside Lady Diane, while I sat across from them. And tea was served. After taking a sip, Lady Diane finally spoke.  

“I apologize for calling you when you’re likely tired. I wanted to discuss something with you…….. or rather, Annabella did.”  

As Lady Diane turned her gaze toward her maid, the visibly nervous Annabella stepped forward, taking a deep breath.  

“U-um, will you… will you become my fiancé?!”  

“What?!”  

The sheer abruptness of her proposal caused me to let out an involuntary, bewildered exclamation.