I Was a Royal Palace Knight, But I Turned Out to Be an Omega, So I Had to Resign (BL) - Chapter 14
“Finally, we can see Seldia Fortress!”
After three days of riding from the capital, we finally reached our destination—the border fortress.
In front of us stood a massive stronghold with gray stone walls towering high. Built in the mountain pass between two peaks, this fortress is a key checkpoint against the neighboring eastern country, the Solderia Empire.
I was tired from the long trip, but honestly, I felt a bit excited. I hadn’t done anything like this since quitting being a knight. After all, it was like I’d been locked up in the palace all this time.
“We’re heading inside now. Baron Valen Kirshtein should be there to greet us.”
Next to me, Prince Leon said calmly as usual. His posture was straight and strong, showing no signs of fatigue from the journey. Seriously, is he really the same prince who just traveled three days with me? He’s always been a physical beast.
We got off our horses and started walking toward the fortress. Behind us, a group of knights followed in a line.
They were about ten knights selected from Prince Leon’s personal unit. Of course, I recognized all of them.
Until a few months ago, they were my comrades, sweating together on the battlefield. But now, not a single one spoke to me—they only glanced at me as we came here.
Well, that’s understandable. If I suddenly quit and then came back as the fiancé and bodyguard of my old boss, I’d probably find it hard to talk to me too.
Muttering that in my head, I hurried closer to Prince Leon.
As we neared the fortress entrance, I saw a group waiting to welcome us. Leading them was Baron Valen Kirshtein, who was in charge of the fortress. Black hair, gray eyes, a stern face with scars—he looked to be around 40 years old. His military uniform was perfectly neat, and his posture showed his long career as a soldier.
“Welcome to Seldia Fortress, Prince Leonhart,” Valen bowed deeply. His manners were proper, but I sensed something fake about it—like the emotion wasn’t real, more of a ritual.
“Baron Valen, it’s been a while.”
“Please follow me. I will show you around the fortress first.”
Valen led us inside. Passing through the thick stone gate, we entered an open area with a large courtyard. Around it were barracks, warehouses, and a training ground.
Watching the soldiers move about, something felt off.
Aren’t the soldiers too young?
Almost all the soldiers I saw looked like they were in their early twenties. This is a key border fortress, so there should be more experienced soldiers, right?
“Prince Leon,” I whispered.
“Yes?”
“Aren’t the soldiers here a bit too young? At a border fortress, shouldn’t there be more veterans?”
Leon glanced at me briefly and nodded slightly.
“You noticed. I’ll explain that later.”
He turned his gaze forward again. Yeah, something’s definitely going on.
After the tour, Valen took us to a private room. The knights from Leon’s unit were shown around the barracks, but Leon and I were led deeper into the fortress, away from the others.
“This is your room, Your Highness. We prepared the best room.”
The room was simply decorated but spacious, with a window showing a grand view of the eastern mountains. Pretty nice.
“The accompanying knights have been shown to the barracks, but…”
Valen hesitated, looking at me.
“And the bodyguard’s room is…”
“He’s my fiancé. It’s fine for him to share a room with me.”
Leon said plainly.
“Shared room?” I blurted out. Seriously?
Valen looked surprised at Leon’s words, glancing between us.
“Your fiancé? I thought you were just a bodyguard…”
He frowned at me, as if he noticed something. His eyes grew colder, filled with dislike.
“That scent… I see. You’re an Omega.”
Those words were clearly insulting.
“Is there a problem with that?”
Leon’s voice dropped, calm but sharp with anger.
“No, it’s just… for a royal fiancé, it should be a woman from a noble bloodline—”
“Enough.”
Leon’s one word cut him off.
“Are you trying to insult my fiancé?”
“N-no! That’s not what I meant—”
“Do you have a problem with my decision?”
Leon’s voice was low but full of overwhelming pressure. Even standing next to him, I felt a chill down my spine.
“I apologize! Please forgive my disrespect.”
Valen hurriedly bowed, sweat visible on his forehead.
“Don’t ever say such things again.”
“Yes… When the meal is ready, we will call you.”
Valen quickly left, clearly intimidated. As expected, Leon knows exactly how to silence someone with words.
“Sorry, I made things awkward.”
Alone in the room, I said apologetically.
“What are you talking about?”
Leon looked at me steadily.
“It’s not your fault. That man is just stuck in old-fashioned thinking.”
“But because I’m an Omega…”
“Enough about that.”
Leon cut me off and then sat down, changing the subject.
“I’ll explain about this fortress.”
I sat beside him.
“As you noticed, the soldiers here are too young. Where do you think the veteran soldiers went?”
“Were they transferred?”
“Yes. Since Valen Kirshtein became baron here, most veterans were moved away for vague reasons like ‘lack of aptitude.’”
Leon’s voice showed distrust.
“That man is close to the second prince, Kyle. More like a tool of Kyle.”
“Prince Kyle’s? So…”
“Yes. These soldiers are filled with Kyle’s supporters. They are basically Kyle’s private force.”
Leon’s expression was serious, voice low.
“There’s more. The small border skirmishes with the neighboring country stopped completely after Valen took command here.”
“Huh? Isn’t that a good thing?”
I asked honestly. If peace came, that should be good, right?
“Normally, yes…”
Leon looked out the window and continued.
“The Solderia Empire next door lacks resources and is always trying to expand territory. They have no reason to suddenly stop attacks.”
“Then why did the skirmishes stop?”
“The only explanation is some secret deal. A deal where they gain something without invading our land.”
I gasped. The story was getting heavier and heavier.
“Could it be that the second prince and Solderia made a secret agreement…?”
“No proof yet. But I’m investigating that possibility.”
Leon met my eyes again.
“Keep this secret. Don’t tell the knights anything.”
“Understood.”
I nodded seriously. This was important information not to be taken lightly.
“So, what exactly do we do here?”
“Officially, it’s a routine inspection. Starting tomorrow, we’ll thoroughly check the fortress for anything suspicious.”
“Suspicious things…”
I muttered just as a knock came at the door. A soldier came to say the meal was ready. We stopped talking and headed to the dining hall.
At the dining hall, Leon’s knights were also gathered. When their eyes met mine, they quickly looked away. I understood, but it still stung a bit.
Among them, only one young knight looked at me with warm curiosity. Luke, a junior I had looked after. His eyes couldn’t hide his interest.
“Sit.”
Leon’s command made everyone take their seats. Naturally, I sat beside Leon. The other knights glanced at me from time to time, making me feel uneasy.
“Tonight, we prepared a special feast.”
Valen said proudly.
The table was filled with fancy food—grilled chicken, stewed meat, fine wine… way too luxurious for a border fortress.
“This is quite a feast.”
I said, wondering where such supplies came from.
“For the third prince’s inspection, we wanted to offer the best hospitality.”
Valen smiled, but it was still suspicious.
The food tasted good, but I was distracted by the cold stares of my former comrades, so I couldn’t really enjoy it.
After finishing quickly, I stood and headed out, feeling suddenly exhausted. Not being able to talk with friends I used to easily chat with was harder on me than I thought.
As I walked down the corridor, someone suddenly called out from behind.
“Senpai Cyril!”