BKSL CH 05

Chapter 5 – “She’s So Different From What I Heard”

Today, Sibel Vias, the count’s daughter, arrived here in Tori.

I introduced her to the members of the First Knight Order, and we all had dinner together.

Normally, the knights and dormitory staff don’t eat in the same room.

Since she had just traveled a long distance, I planned to let her rest for the evening without assigning her any work.

But according to Elga, Sibel herself had insisted on helping with something.

That was… quite unexpected.

She was completely different from the woman I had heard about.

The rumors said she was Prince Marx Grandio’s former fiancée and a false saint.

They said that once every hundred years, a saint is born — someone blessed by the heavens. Sibel was believed to be that saint, and because of that, she became arrogant and looked down on others.

But then it was discovered that her stepsister was the true saint, and Sibel supposedly began bullying her.

As punishment, Prince Marx broke off their engagement and exiled her here, to the dangerous frontier land of Tori.

It sounded like a typical noble scandal — one I’d heard far too many times.

Still, because of the constant monster attacks, this land was severely lacking in workers.

Everyone who came here had their own story, their own circumstances.

*

Elga, for example, had a family buried in debt. Her parents had practically sold her off to work here to pay it back.

Most of the others, too, came here reluctantly — driven by poverty or debt.

As commander, I try to make sure everyone can live here as comfortably and safely as possible.

Even though the knights of the First Order are all elite nobles, I’ve encouraged them to take care of themselves and support the staff as equals.

Over time, the staff began to relax and accept life here.

But even now, we’re still short on hands.

And this time, of all people, the new recruit turns out to be Prince Marx’s ex-fiancée.

I was prepared to welcome her as one of us, no matter how arrogant she might be.

But Sibel turned out to be bright, cheerful, and full of energy.

Her very first words were—

“I may not be perfect, but please take care of me!”

No one had ever greeted me like that before. I couldn’t help but laugh.

Was she planning to marry into the knight order or something? Surely not…

Usually, newcomers are nervous and pale from fear or exhaustion after the long trip.

But her emerald-green eyes sparkled with excitement, and her long platinum-blonde hair — straight and shining — seemed to reflect her lively personality.

Still, her clothing caught my attention.

It was far too plain for a highborn lady. A simple, somewhat old-fashioned dress.

Maybe, as punishment for bullying her sister, all her fine things had been confiscated.

Yet she didn’t seem the least bit down about it.

In fact, she looked completely happy.

That was the strangest part of all.

“What’s wrong, Leo? You’ve got that serious face again,” said Mirko, my vice-captain, as we finished writing the day’s report in my office.

Mirko and I are the same age, and we’ve trained together as knights for years.

He’s larger than I am — one of the most muscular men in the order — with soft brown hair and eyes that make him popular among women.

Seeing me lost in thought, he spoke up.

“What do you think?”

“About what?”

“That woman—Lady Sibel Vias.”

“Ah, Prince Marx’s former fiancée.”

Only Mirko and I know the full background of the people who come here.

We don’t tell the others — everyone here has their own burdens, and that’s enough.

“Don’t you think she’s completely different from what we heard?” Mirko said.

“True. I was expecting an arrogant noblewoman, but she was surprisingly normal.”

“Yes… almost too normal for someone of her rank.”

It wasn’t meant as an insult — if anything, her brightness brought a comforting warmth to this place.

“Maybe she’s lost her mind,” Mirko joked.

“I doubt it. And besides—didn’t you notice? She helped with dinner tonight.”

“That’s right… now that you mention it, the food was better than usual.”

“Exactly. She only just arrived today. How does a count’s daughter suddenly show up and start cooking like that?”

“Maybe that’s part of the modern princess training?”

“I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

It’s true, we’ve both been away from the capital for years, often deployed abroad. But even so, I doubt the world has changed that much.

“Still,” Mirko shrugged, “she seems cheerful, and the food was good. That’s a win in my book.”

“Agreed.”

“Tomorrow she officially starts work. Give it a few days — her true nature will show soon enough.”

“…You’re right.”

Her personality didn’t worry me.

If she caused trouble for the others, Elga would tell me immediately.

What concerned me was something else entirely.

If the reports I received about her were wrong… just how wrong could they be?

If it was only her personality, that was fine.

But what if the story about her being a false saint was also a lie?

I didn’t want to believe that possibility — but just in case, I decided to keep a closer eye on her for a while.