The Knight Commander of the Second Male Lead [Novel] Chapter 25

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 25

Chapter Title: Expanding the Ebony Knight Order

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Nina handed over the herbs Kiril had requested and asked her to take care of her plants as well.

It would be hard to ask an ordinary gardener, and the only person worth asking was Kiril, who had experience growing herbs from the Violet Forest.

Kiril peered into the gathering pouch with a "Well now."

"Where'd you pick up stuff like this?"

"Here and there."

Nina held up her pinky and said, "Please take good care of them."

In other worlds, it was a sign of "It's a promise," but here it meant "Please."

They said it was a polite way of asking, like entrusting a baby animal.

'I had a hard time getting confused by this one.'

Recalling her childhood, Nina shook her head inwardly.

Kiril's eyes sparkled as she asked,

"Heard you brought back a herd of One-Horned Horses?"

"Yeah. It just kinda happened."

"How does something like that 'just kinda happen'? No weak or injured ones among them? You know, one you could think, 'This one could do without'?"

To Kiril's question about whether there was a specimen safe for experiments, Nina said seriously,

"Kiril, stay away from the One-Horned Horses. I'm scared you might feed them something weird."

"I have that much sense."

"I hope so."

When Nina replied skeptically, Kiril grinned.

"I really won't touch them, so don't worry. You brought back what I asked for properly. If I'd left it to Jin, he'd have picked the wrong ones."

"Ah, Jin has no eye for detail. And he's the second son of a merchant house."

"Exactly. Second son of a merchant house, and with eyes like that, he's doomed to fail at running one."

Kiril shook her head slowly and asked,

"Body holding up okay?"

"Yes, nothing unusual."

Kiril smirked, lit her pipe but then set it down, saying,

"If you died, I'd want to dissect your corpse."

"I'd let you, but..."

"Then the Duke wouldn't leave my head attached to my body."

Kiril soothed her regret with the thought that even separately alive would be fine.

At the "get out, you're annoying me now" eviction notice, Nina quickly left the apothecary room.

After dining with Jin, the Vice-Captain, and discussing supplementing the Ebony Knight Order's ranks, evening had arrived.

Jin said with a tired face, "I should turn in early today."

Nina announced, "See you at dawn tomorrow."

"Got it."

Jin left the room with a face full of determination. Alone now, Nina carefully reviewed their conversation.

'I was given full authority, but...'

Still, it makes sense to report the general outline, right?

I should ask Sir Lui for more details on the exchange meet too.

Now that I'm the Captain of the Ebony Knight Order, I need to work hard to raise the order's fame.

'Hmm. Come to think of it, doesn't the ducal family have another knight order?'

The Ebony Knight Order is for the Violet Forest(?), and there was another one that went to the exchange meet.

'What's the deal with that one?'

I haven't been back long, but I haven't seen them.

'No way they disbanded it, right?'

Considering the Young Master's temperament, it's entirely possible.

'He likes delicately pulling out claws, but if it gets annoying, he just cuts off the head.'

I might need to recruit more people than expected.

Nina stood up. Time to report her summary and collect the reward she hadn't gotten during the day.

She boldly entered Adrian's bedroom and found him sitting on a long chair, reading a letter.

"Young Master?"

"Come in."

"Can I run from here and jump into your arms?"

"What?"

Adrian looked up at her, and Nina kicked off the floor.

Without taking many steps, she launched herself at him, and his body toppled back onto the long chair.

Thanks to him catching her as he fell, there was almost no impact.

Giggling, Nina pinned both his shoulders firmly and looked down at him.

"The chair looked so soft and fluffy."

To Nina's words, Adrian replied, "It is soft, yeah."

His hands wrapped around her waist to keep her from falling. When he tried to get up, she pressed down hard to stop him.

Flattened back down after trying to rise, Adrian stared up at her intently.

Nina knew she often crossed lines.

Whenever she did, Adrian just looked at her with an unflappable face, never truly getting angry or annoyed.

He was kind but meticulous. Any ordinary person would get mad if she acted like this.

Of course, those who knew her well were used to it.

That was why Nina sometimes felt an impulse.

Hey, Adrian.

How far can you endure?

What all can you tolerate?

"Adrian."

Nina smiled.

"I really like you."

Adrian's eyes widened, then he smiled.

"I like you too."

Nina grinned and elegantly rolled off the sofa onto the floor in one turn.

She landed on all fours like a cat.

While Adrian sat up and straightened his collar, she quickly leaned against his knee, draped her arm over it, and rested her head on top.

"I talked with Jin, and we decided to quickly bolster our numbers. Ideally within this month."

"Again."

He grumbled that he didn't like this position, but Adrian's hand started stroking her hair anyway. Nina leisurely enjoyed it as she continued,

"By the way, isn't there another knight order? What happened to them?"

"They got attached to the Duchess's side."

"I see. That explains it."

Nina looked up at him and said, "Should we expand the Ebony Knight Order then? Or make a new one?"

"Do whatever you want. Just as long as the annoying ones don't linger around me."

It was so like Adrian to call his guards "annoying" in that gentle voice.

"I'll be careful."

With that, Nina straightened up, rubbed her head and cheek against his hand, then pulled away.

"I'll discuss the budget with Sir Lui."

"Sure."

Nina glanced at the letter still in his hand.

"What's that?"

"Info from the spies."

"Oh, we have spies too?"

"Royal Guard Knights are gone, so there's leftover budget."

No, I don't think that budget's leftover.

We bought herbs, built Kiril's greenhouse.

Internal strife wrecked the finances, and there are debts to other territories!

"No eyes or ears is inconvenient."

'Our Young Master, really.'

Others would think there's no spare capacity while groaning under taxes.

Yet this guy squeezes the budget while munching potatoes to deploy spies.

'No ordinary noble could do that...'

Who could've imagined the Rubaenu Ducal Family spreading an intel network across the Empire in the last two years?

"Good news?"

"No good news or bad news. News is just news."

He added that it was only a matter of how to use it, then folded the letter.

Nina nodded and asked,

"About the crops we're growing. We have to sell through merchants, right? What if we form our own merchant group?"

"Our own?"

"Yes. We could set up proxies, but handling distribution ourselves seems better."

Since it'll be exclusive goods, after all.

"Got any candidates in mind?"

"Hmm, not yet."

"Think about it."

It was provisional approval. Nina smiled in satisfaction and stood.

"Then I'll head out. I have to train with Jin starting at dawn tomorrow... er, roll Jin into shape."

Nina's voice somehow sounded excited.

After Nina left the room, Adrian shook his head at the empty spot where she'd come like a storm and gone.

Coming when she wanted and leaving when she wanted was very cat-like.

He opened the letter again.

Adrian's mouth corners twisted up crookedly.