I Was a Royal Palace Knight, But I Turned Out to Be an Omega, So I Had to Resign (BL) - Chapter 16

Morning sunlight streams through the window, hitting me square in the face.

“Ugh…”

I force my heavy eyelids open and see Prince Leon already awake, fully dressed in his neatly arranged military uniform. He’s standing by the window, going through what looks like some documents.

“Oh no!”

I jump out of bed in a panic. I couldn’t fall asleep last night and ended up tossing and turning until dawn.

“Prince Leon, I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize it was morning already…”

As I scramble to get out of bed, the prince raises a hand to stop me.

“No need to rush. It’s still early.”

He speaks with a calm expression, looking at me with a gaze that almost feels…caring.

“You must have been exhausted from yesterday’s outing. Take your time getting ready.”
“Uh, right… Thank you.”

I feel a bit embarrassed. There’s no way I can tell him the real reason. I couldn’t sleep because I kept watching your sleeping face. Definitely not.

“Anyway, once you’re ready, let’s head to the dining hall. Today marks the official start of our fortress inspection.”
“Yes, understood!”

Hearing his words, I quickly washed my face and changed into my uniform.

“Good morning, Senpai!”

As soon as I step into the dining hall, Luke greets me cheerfully, waving his hand enthusiastically from across the room.

“Morning, Luke!”

Surprisingly, the other knights at the table also nod at me, albeit a bit awkwardly.

“Good morning, Cyril.”
“Morning, Sir Glantz.”
“How are you holding up?”

Up until yesterday, they wouldn’t even make eye contact with me, and now they’re actually talking to me. While their interactions are still somewhat stiff, their attitudes have clearly changed.

Luke must’ve said something to them…

That guy might seem carefree, but he’s surprisingly thoughtful. He probably said something to the others after we talked yesterday. Honestly, it makes me really happy.

While exchanging greetings with the knights, breakfast was brought out. Like yesterday, it was surprisingly extravagant for a remote fortress. I couldn’t help but wonder where all this food came from, but for now, I just focused on enjoying the meal.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for waiting.”

Just as breakfast ended, a young soldier approached us.

“Today, I will guide you around the fortress. Baron Valen is busy overseeing training, so I’ll be your guide.”
“Very well,” Prince Leon replied with a nod.

We followed the young soldier as he began leading us through the fortress, with the other knights trailing behind.

The first stop was the training ground. Dozens of soldiers were lined up, repeating basic sword movements. On one side, Baron Valen stood watching them, his face stern as he issued commands.

“Every morning, we conduct training sessions like this,” the young soldier explained proudly.

But something felt off.

This doesn’t make sense. It’s all just basic training.

Yes, the exercises were fundamental sword drills, the kind you’d teach recruits. While basics are important, a border fortress should prioritize more advanced and practical drills—like how to counter sudden attacks or fight in mountainous terrain.

“Don’t you conduct any practical drills to prepare for enemy raids?” I asked, voicing my honest concern.

The young soldier hesitated before answering. “Um, well… Since there haven’t been any skirmishes with neighboring countries lately, we’ve been focusing on strengthening the fundamentals.”

His reply felt unconvincing. If anything, long periods of peace should be when you double down on preparedness. I glanced at Prince Leon. He seemed to share my skepticism, furrowing his brows at the soldier’s explanation.

At the edge of the training ground, Baron Valen stood observing. But instead of watching his men, his eyes were fixed on me.

His gaze sent a chill down my spine—not the kind born of caution but something far more unsettling, like a primal warning of danger.

“What’s wrong?” Prince Leon asked softly, noticing my discomfort.

“Uh, I just felt a strange stare…”

I glanced toward Valen, only to see him quickly avert his eyes, pretending to focus on the soldiers’ drills.

“…Maybe it’s just my imagination.”

Even so, the eerie sensation from earlier lingered.

After spending about an hour watching the training, the young soldier led us to the next stop.

“Next, I’ll show you the watchtower.”

The stone structure stood some distance from the training grounds, towering five stories high.

“There are watchtowers at each corner of the fortress, with guards stationed at the one facing the border to the east. The others remain unstaffed during peacetime.”

The top of the tower offered an excellent vantage point, providing a clear view of the surrounding area.

Following this, we toured the storage room, infirmary, and soldier barracks. Everything appeared impeccably organized. Too perfect, actually, like they had hurriedly hidden anything incriminating before we arrived.

The last stop was the outer gate on the eastern border. Thick wooden doors were securely shut, marking the boundary.

Suddenly, a memory from the past surged through my mind.

“This place…”

Standing before the gate, I froze. This was the very spot—exactly one year ago—where I had taken a poisoned arrow while shielding Prince Leon.

That day, much like today, we had been inspecting this fortress. During the visit, refugees from the neighboring country had sought shelter here. Shortly after, soldiers from the neighboring country attacked in pursuit.

I remember that much clearly. But the poison I suffered that day left the rest of my memories hazy—how many lives were lost or how the situation was resolved, I couldn’t recall.

I need to ask Prince Leon about that later.

Lost in thought, I barely noticed the soldier concluding the tour. By the time I snapped back, the sun was already dipping low, painting the sky with hues of orange.

The knights returned to their respective quarters, leaving just Prince Leon and me.

“Cyril, we’re done for today. Let’s head back to the room.”

Though I wanted to investigate further, wandering around without a valid reason might raise suspicion. Reluctantly, I followed Prince Leon back to our assigned quarters.