Case Howard was a legendary figure who became a Royal Knight at just twenty-three. Born into a fallen noble family, she had no exalted status, but her strength was undeniable. She once slew a dragon on the battlefield all by herself. Summoning was her specialty: she could call forth undead skeletons, the lingering souls of the dead who had never left this world. Blue ghostfire coiled around the skeletons as they formed a legion. With that undead army, she defeated the enemy on the battlefield and made a name for herself in a single battle. That was how she earned the title of Royal Knight.

The title of Royal Knight was bestowed personally by the Imperial Family, and very few people ever received it—the requirements were severe. A candidate had to distinguish themselves in a major battle and save the people. The exact standards varied, but one thing was always the same: they had to accomplish something significant and make a name for themselves in a single battle. Case had earned the title by summoning an army of undead skeletons and defeating the enemy.

Royal Knights weren’t subject to the commands of enemy armies. They were entirely independent of the military, yet enjoyed the highest level of privileges. When necessary, they could even take command in place of an officer. Royal Knights also shared one defining trait: every one of them was extraordinarily powerful, far beyond an ordinary mage, and their status was on par with an Archmage’s. The title was both an honor and a symbol of strength. Only a handful of people across the entire Empire had ever earned it. Not a single member of the Imperial Family had ever held the title.

Because it was a symbol of strength—and a title that made enemies tremble.

With that title, even someone from a poor background could rise through the ranks. Case was a perfect example. She’d been nothing more than the descendant of a fallen noble family, with neither power nor influence. But she’d earned the title of Royal Knight through her own strength, and no one dared look down on her.

Still, no one had expected a Royal Knight like her to enter the selection for the Third Princess’s personal guard. It seemed like a waste of her talents. Given her strength and status, she shouldn’t have needed to do something like this.

Veltia picked her at a glance. She knew this woman wasn’t ordinary, and that she was extremely powerful. She’d make an excellent personal guard. Whenever Veltia needed anything, she could call on Case to protect her. It was a deal with no downside.

Veltia gave her newly appointed personal guard a leisurely once-over. The woman didn’t care for her appearance, her clothes were a little haphazard, and she’d barely done anything with her hair. How could someone like that live up to the title of Royal Knight? Anyone would think she was some beggar off the street.

“Case.”

“I’m here, Your Highness.”

“Come back to the palace with me. Change out of those clothes and do something about your hair.”

“...You want me to bathe in your palace?”

“You know exactly what I mean. Come on. You look like a mess—you don’t look like my knight at all. As my personal guard, you need to be clean and presentable.”

A flicker of uncertainty crossed Case’s otherwise expressionless face. This princess wasn’t at all what she’d imagined. She’d thought the Third Princess would be spoiled and willful. Instead, she was so easy to get along with that she reminded Case of her mother back home.

And this princess had taken her back to the palace as soon as she’d selected her, then had the head maid take her off to bathe.

“Lal, get my personal guard clean and give her a fresh change of clothes. And scrub her hair a few extra times. Make sure you do it properly.”

This princess was nothing like she’d been onstage. Even the way she spoke didn’t sound noble. Well, there was no point overthinking it. Case obediently followed them in to take a bath. Come to think of it, her last bath had been three days ago. It was about time she washed up.

The head maid’s expression, though, was quite a sight—especially when Case took off her clothes and Lal pinched her nose. Was it really that bad? Case thought bathing every three days was fine. Back when she was fighting, she’d sometimes gone a whole week without a bath.

After washing up, Case stared at the clothes laid out in front of her, at a loss for words. Her Highness had prepared a gorgeous dress. The lace and patterns made it obvious that only nobles could afford something like this. Case had been wearing trousers before—why was she being made to put on a dress? She was about to say something, but all she saw was the head maid, Lal, smiling at her.

It seemed like she had no way to refuse.

Case obediently put it on.

When she came out, Case was dressed in something light and airy. She didn’t dare take too long a stride; the outfit restricted her a little. She thought it was quite gorgeous, though she’d hardly ever worn anything like it. Veltia felt a strong sense of accomplishment when she saw Case dressed up. As expected, a woman’s clothes made all the difference. When Veltia had first picked her, Case had been dressed in rags and looked just like a beggar. Now that she was cleaned up, she looked like a completely different person.

“Mm. You’ve got a good look to you. Just as you’d expect from my personal guard.”

“Um... Your Highness. I’m your personal guard. Why have you dressed me up like this?”

“Because you look good in it. This outfit suits you. It’s yours.”

“...Thank you, Your Highness.”

Case didn’t know what to say. She’d come here to work, so why had she become a dress-up doll? Even her expressionless face was starting to crack.

“Isn’t it lovely? Lady Case looks so feminine dressed like this. If you’ll forgive my bluntness, your old outfit was awful! It didn’t suit you at all. Dressed like this, you won’t have any trouble catching the eye of some fine young gentleman. And dressed this way, you’ll have no trouble getting married!”

“No... Head Maid Lal, I’m here to serve Her Highness. I don’t want to get married.”

“Oh, my! Lady Case, you’re already twenty-three. You should be worrying about this! How can you not want to get married? Your family must be worried sick. You have to think of your family, of your parents!”

“...”

What could Case say? It wasn’t as if there was anything she could say.

She wasn’t getting back into her battered old knight’s uniform before the end of the day. She’d worn those clothes for ages, too.

Veltia sat in the courtyard, sipping tea and eating pastries as she sized up Case, who had joined her. Case kept a blank expression, but it was clear from the way she held her teacup that she wasn’t used to this.

“Case, aren’t you used to afternoon tea?”

“I am. I’ve just never had tea with someone from the Imperial Family before, so I’m a little nervous.”

“Good. Then, Case, I’d like to know why you came to try out for my personal guard.”

Case looked at her, wondering how this princess could speak like an adult when she was only five. Was she really only five?

Those words could easily have come from an adult. It seemed the rumors were true: the Third Princess was naturally brilliant and no ordinary person. Case had met Prince Karen and Princess Leona before, but neither of them had Veltia’s air about them—that feeling that a single smile could leave you completely in her grasp. Only Princess Veltia had that.

“Because I wanted to try out.”

“Why? Because you’re a Royal Knight?”

“...I’ve heard the rumors about you. Everyone says you’re extraordinary, and I wanted to meet you for myself.”

Veltia considered this for a moment. She’d heard of Case, but hadn’t expected her to try out for the position of personal guard. With her qualifications, Case could have done plenty of other things; she didn’t have to devote her life to a princess. This might bring her the highest honor, but it was still a gamble on a future no one could predict.

After all, no one knew what the future held for Princess Veltia.

“That’s all?”

“Of course not. I’ve had a dream since I was a child. I wanted to become the Imperial Family’s sword, a knight who guards the royals. That’s been my dream since I was little. Today is my chance to make it come true.”

“But you’re already a Royal Knight.”

“Becoming your personal guard is my dream. It’s my own choice.”

Veltia nodded.

Case’s dream was to become the sword of the Empire’s Imperial Family. In other words, she’d long wanted to try out to guard a member of the royals. Maybe she’d tried before and failed. Now this was her last chance, since Veltia was the youngest princess in the Empire. If she missed this selection, there’d be no other opportunity—not unless the Imperial Family had another child, and that would take a very long time.

After all, Case had only been a Royal Knight for about a year. The selection for Princess Leona’s personal guard had ended four years ago.

Being a personal guard didn’t conflict with being a Royal Knight. Unless there was an especially important mission that required her as a Royal Knight, Case wouldn’t leave Veltia’s side. Royal Knights didn’t command troops, but they were powerful and influential. Every one of them was a mighty figure in the Empire.

Choosing someone that powerful to protect her meant her safety would be all but assured. What a bargain.

“All right. Then, in my capacity as the Empire’s Third Princess, I order you to protect me from now on. Stay by my side when I’m in danger. Be my sword and cut down anything that stands in my way. But when the Empire is in danger, I expect you to put the Empire’s interests first. Case, you can do that, can’t you?”

“It would be my honor to serve you. I’ll gladly brave any danger for you.”

Case stood and gave a knight’s salute.

Becoming the Empire’s sword really was her dream; she hadn’t lied about that. She also wanted to find out what kind of person the Third Princess was. She’d heard all sorts of stories about this princess, who stayed shut away in her chambers and never left the palace. She wanted to see her for herself.

She’d also entered the selection because she wanted to see whether this reclusive princess could recognize her and see how strong she was. Case’s portrait probably hadn’t been circulated around the palace, so the princess wouldn’t know who she was. Case knew there was an element of chance to it, but she’d wanted to see what would happen. She wouldn’t have minded if she wasn’t chosen. But the princess had a remarkably sharp eye. She’d spotted Case’s worth at a glance and picked her right away.

That meant Case could finally make her dream come true.

Veltia was in a good mood as she sipped her tea. She now had another card in her hand, which gave her more options for the future. Political marriages and the like could stay far away from her. As long as she built up her strength, she’d be able to live a peaceful life without anyone disturbing her. She still had a long way to go before she reached that goal, so she’d have to keep working hard.