The Knight Commander of the Second Male Lead [Novel] Chapter 64

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 64

Chapter Title: The Ring Owners

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“It's fine. Are you okay?”

“Of course.”

“Your hair got cut.”

It had only barely grazed her, but two or three strands of hair beneath her ear had been sliced clean off.

“It's incredibly sharp.”

Adrian snatched the sword from her admiring grasp and slammed it back into its sheath.

“Adrian, are you mad?”

Nina asked cautiously, and Adrian replied.

“If you were the mountain sacrifice, I wouldn't be able to move a muscle from there.”

The moment your eyes met mine, I'd forget the blade's sharpness, the priest's duty—everything in an instant.

“And then we'd hold hands and run away together?”

As Nina smoothed her hair down with both hands and smiled, Adrian chuckled.

“I was thinking of offering my heart instead.”

“Ah, I can totally see you doing that, Adrian, so no. I'm grabbing your hand tight and we're running.”

Nina said it with a straight face, and Adrian gazed at her for a moment before quietly answering.

“Yeah.”

Nina was satisfied with his response. Then she flopped back onto the sofa. Her long twin tails splayed out every which way, but Nina didn't mind. They were so smooth they never tangled anyway.

“Nina, I got invited to the summer ball this time.”

“What? Adrian, making your society debut?”

Nina giggled and teased him, and Adrian asked.

“You're coming with me, right?”

“Of course. If you try leaving me behind again, you'd better watch out. The capital's a demon cave, after all.”

Nina scrunched her eyes and put on a mock-serious face, and Adrian nodded.

He agreed about the demon cave part.

“By the way, they say the emperor doesn't have many days left.”

“Hmph, serves him right for treating you like that.”

“Probably just old age.”

Adrian corrected her, and Nina pouted. Adrian smiled.

“And as you know, the empire...”

“Got it. All the emperor's children have rights to the throne, right? So isn't it total chaos right now?”

“No, it's down to two ring owners.”

“Explain in detail.”

Nina sat up properly on the sofa and asked. Adrian explained lightly.

“The proof of succession rights is a ring. They wear seal rings engraved with their initials on their pinkies, but not everyone has what it takes to fight a full war for the throne.”

Adrian tapped his own fingers as he spoke.

“They give the rings to the imperial they support. They trade them, steal them, lose them—that's how the battle for the throne plays out. Until only one remains.”

“So that's what 'ring owners' means. Who are the current two?”

“The emperor has six children total. Right now, it's Princess Viarentil and Prince Paradiv.”

“Which side are we backing?”

“Neither, if I can help it. We're swamped with just the Violet Forest—we don't want to step into that mess.”

Adrian flashed a grin.

“—is the stance I want to keep holding.”

“Staying out of it? Can't do that forever.”

“For the time being.”

“What if the emperor dies before a successor's set?”

Nina asked without a shred of reverence for the emperor.

“It'd spark a fierce fight. An idiot who can't prepare for that shouldn't end up on the throne anyway.”

Nina nodded at Adrian's words. “Yeah, when you put it that way.” Knowing when the emperor would die was a win in the info war, after all.

“But it's weird. The throne's decided by succession battles, but why do nobles use primogeniture?”

“For stability, they say. The empire runs better with a smart emperor—it's tradition. Also why the nobility keeps getting rotated out.”

“I really don't get it.”

Nina shook her head.

“Anyway, we'll meet everyone when we go to the capital? I'm looking forward to it.”

Imperial family members, after all.

It'd be her first time seeing royals in person. They were probably just normal people, nothing special, but still exciting.

Adrian picked up the gold coin box Nina had been using as a pillow and set it on the desk.

“You should have the townhouse fixed up before we go.”

“As long as it's livable, isn't that fine?”

“Then we'll get it fixed.”

“That much?”

Nina's eyes went wide.

“That much.”

Nina nodded at Adrian's answer. Well, it was his house—he'd handle it fine.

“Then before I head to the capital, I should select some elites too...”

She needed to get things done ahead of time, so Nina stood up.

“I'll take my leave then.”

Adrian nodded lightly. Nina stepped out of the room and touched her neck.

Adrian must've been shocked.

That black blade had felt strangely alluring, like it was drawing her in.

An impulsive act.

But it didn't feel like it would veil itself?

Even if she'd slashed her throat straight on, it didn't seem like it'd hurt her.

Nina looked at her wrist. Staring at the two spirit runes, she whispered.

“What do you two think? What was the shadow spirit trying to tell me?”

The spirit runes showed no reaction. Nina sighed.

Nina decided to head back to the captain's office first. As she crossed the hallway, someone called out.

“Nina.”

She turned to see Randell. Upon spotting her, he carefully removed his glasses, pocketed them, and strode over.

“Randell.”

Nina grinned.

“What's up? Out wandering from the lab. Did the Nina effect finally work?”

“Ever since that day I went to catch salmon, fell in the water, and lost every fish I caught?”

“Ancient history...”

“Or the time you offered to get honey from the beehive and dropped the whole thing and ran? Or maybe...”

Randell teased, counting on his fingers. Nina shrugged.

“Those were fun, though.”

Randell blinked, then laughed. “Can't deny that.”

He was almost over his aversion to taking off his glasses now.

That salmon day, he'd put them back on after returning, then taken them off again.

He'd realized the glasses suppressed not just his anger, but his joy too.

With them on, even exhilarating happiness turned foggy and distant, replaced by calm.

So he couldn't wear them that day.

He had intense anger and hatred, but also intense joy and pleasure.

But he'd suppressed them so long he couldn't label them. Each one too vivid, like distinguishing rainbow colors in a spectrum.

Even now.

Taking off his glasses in front of Nina always brought a rush of new emotions, but he couldn't name them.

Randell pushed the feelings aside and said.

“Word from the Isle of Sages.”

“Really? What'd they say?”

“Come back and report. Looks like what I sent wasn't enough.”

Plus, they probably didn't like keeping a grand sage outside so long.

Nina nodded, thinking that.

“Now that I think about it, you've been here a while. Maybe I've kept Grand Sage Randell too long.”

“I...”

Randell cut her off.

His vibrant blue eyes trembled as they fixed on her. Nina asked carefully.

“Randell, you okay?”

Her worried, gentle tone made him squeeze his eyes shut.

“Randell? What's wrong? What'd the Isle of Sages say?”

“I...”

He steadied his breath. He couldn't even tell what the rampaging emotions were.

“I want to stay here.”

Nina gave him a look like he'd said something absurd.

“Then stay.”

He blinked in surprise, then asked cautiously.

“It'd be okay if I stayed?”

“Of course. No, it'd be great. It's a win for the ducal family.”

His face darkened again at that. He shook his head.

“No, not that. Not the ducal family—you, Nina.”

“Me? I don't mind at all.”

Her answer was so light it made Randell doubt if he'd gotten through.

“Really?”

“Yeah, Randell. I don't get why this is hard? If I went traveling and asked to crash at your place, you'd let me, right?”

“Yeah...”

“This is my house... well, not exactly, but it feels like it. Is it? No, it's the young master's house.”

Suddenly Nina pushed aside the thought of should I buy my own place? and continued.

“Anyway, what's the big deal between friends? It's not like I'm losing out. Forget gain or loss—having you here isn't a burden. To me, it's no big thing.”

Nina shrugged.

She peered carefully into his blue eyes and asked.

“That's how I see it... Did I misunderstand something?”