The Special Unit [Lilium] of the Order of Saint Sebastian
When they finally arrived, the imperial capital Delcross was brimming with a festive atmosphere. The windows along the streets were adorned with delicate flowers, and blue lily emblems, representing the special unit, were hung on various buildings.
People lining the streets waved handkerchiefs, welcoming the young paladins who had vanquished the sea demons for the empire.
“Long live the Order of Saint Sebastian!”
“The noble blue lilies of Delcross!”
“Hail the sea demon exterminators!”
White petals fluttered everywhere.
At the front of the long procession, young knights in white knightly uniforms led their horses with dignity. Except for the blue sword and crossed blue lilies emblazoned on them, their uniforms were similar to those of the Order of Saint Aurelion.
It was a wonder how they managed to keep their uniforms impeccably clean despite the sea demon extermination not being a simple outing.
There were only about a dozen paladins at the forefront.
Although it was almost embarrassing to call it a special unit, the procession became a sizable force when counting the regular knights, squires, and other soldiers following them.
“Blessings upon the millennium-old holy kingdom of Delcross!”
“Glory to the noble knights of Lilium!”
Seongjin and Amelia were secretly watching this spectacle from the entrance of the palace walls.
He was half dragged by her, who had skipped classes to see the parade. Yet, for Seongjin, who spent his days in constant training, taking a moment to enjoy such a diversion wasn’t a bad idea.
“People really seem to enjoy it.”
The sea demon extermination sounded impressive, but it wasn’t something the citizens of the capital would have physically experienced.
As Seongjin pondered over the somewhat excessive welcome, Amelia smiled.
“There was a monster attack in the capital recently. There was a need to lift the spirits amidst the ominous atmosphere.”
Indeed.
Most of the attack victims were unconnected poor people in the slums, so the perceived human toll wasn’t as significant as the scale of the incident.
However, it was a spectacle of never-before-seen creatures flying around, attacking people. It wasn’t strange that the citizens were shaken.
Thanks to the [monsters] causing havoc, the endless debates in the Holy Council were gradually concluding. There was a move to classify monsters as beings from another dimension, different from demonkind.
It seemed that soon there would be proper working policies for the monster extermination unit.
“Ah, look over there, Morres! It’s Logan!”
At Amelia’s shout, Seongjin turned his head in the direction she pointed.
The procession of Lilium had now approached close enough to recognize faces from the wall. And at the forefront, a familiar-looking boy rode a horse with a composed demeanor.
A slim boy in the throes of puberty, with black hair. A young paladin.
His youthful face shone even brighter, possibly due to the silver light armor and the white uniform of the knightly order.
His slightly droopy blue eyes and delicate facial contours were more reminiscent of his mother, Empress Tatiana, if one were to be precise.
“…He resembles his father, somehow.”
Indeed, he did.
The calm and dignified aura surrounding the boy was unmistakably royal.
“Logan truly feels like His Majesty’s son.”
Amelia’s eyes were filled with deep affection as she looked at him.
“And he’s really a kind boy. When I first came to the palace and didn’t know what to do, he was a great help to me.”
Seongjin inadvertently recalled a dream he had a few days ago.
In it, Logan seemed to be taking care of Morres as well.
Setting aside the suspicions of possession, it seemed certain that he was indeed a good-natured person.
[Wow, haha. There’s light here too! The soul is completely covered in light!]
Then, the Demon King in his mind scoffed as if sickened.
[If it weren’t for your father’s barrier, I would have taken damage to my soul just by looking at him.]
Ah, right. Logan is said to have exceptional divine power as well.
In any case, a genius in swordsmanship, strong in divine power, and with a noble character to boot. What didn’t this guy have?
While Seongjin gazed at the approaching procession of Lilium with a perplexed expression, Amelia cautiously observed him and spoke.
“Um… Morres. Logan is a good boy, so how about trying to get along with him from now on?”
Huh? What’s that all of a sudden?
Seongjin blinked in confusion.
[Hmm, for your information, according to the information I collected before…]
The Demon King, finding an opportune moment to interject, chimed in happily.
[Morres had bad relations with his brothers, but he especially hated Logan. He used to pick fights, insult, and bother him whenever he saw him. There are rumors that Logan started participating in sea demon expeditions and leaving the palace because of Morres. Can you imagine how bad it was for people to think the Second Prince, who endured all that, might not be a saint?]
‘Uh……’
Have I, towards the continent’s top golden boy and a strong candidate for the next Holy Emperor, completely fallen out of favor with him?
As Seongjin was grappling with the misdeeds of the reckless Morres he used to be, he suddenly snapped to attention due to a sharp hostility directed at him.
‘……?’
Looking around in confusion, his eyes landed on the Lilium group approaching the city gate.
And then their gazes met.
Logan.
Despite the considerable distance, the young paladin at the forefront was staring directly in Seongjin’s direction with fierce eyes. It was a position that should be hard to see from outside, cleverly hidden by the structure of the wall.
Caught off guard by the unmistakable hostility, Seongjin watched as Logan soon averted his gaze. The sharp hostility also vanished.
‘…What?’
Amelia seemed to have noticed nothing. She looked at Seongjin, who had suddenly become rigid, with a puzzled expression before turning her gaze back to the welcoming crowd.
At the forefront of the knights and greeters who had come out of the palace to meet them stood an elderly priest, composed in his demeanor. He was Cardinal Caplan, the father of the Empress and Logan’s maternal grandfather.
As the Lilium special unit halted in front of the city gate, the Cardinal approached them with a proud face.
“Your Highness! I heard you slew many sea demons with a single stroke on this expedition! Your fame resounds throughout the continent, including Delcross and neighboring countries. You truly bring us honor!”
Prince Logan dismounted and briefly paid his respects to the Cardinal. The small buckler on his raised left arm gleamed in the sunlight with a cold silver light.
He seemed to have no special affection for his maternal grandfather, in stark contrast to the Cardinal, who was overflowing with pride for his grandson.
After the customary welcome speech and the splendid military salute of the lined-up knights, the special unit finally entered the palace.
“Long live Prince Logan!”
“Hail the sea demon extermination squad!”
“May the blue lilies of Saint Sebastian be blessed by the deity!”
Even after the group had completely disappeared into the city gates, the citizens of the capital continued to cheer and wave their handkerchiefs. It was a scene that truly reflected the popularity of the well-regarded Second Prince.
“Let’s head back now, Morres,” Amelia said as she dusted off her pants and stood up.
“Today, there will likely be a royal banquet for the first time in a while. Except for Owen and Cecily, the whole family will be gathering.”
She spoke with a joyous expression, but Seongjin felt troubled, recalling the hostility Logan had directed at him earlier.
Such an overt hostility was a stark contrast to the kind boy he had seen in his dream.
After all, even a boy of good character who liked to look after his brothers would naturally harbor resentment against Morres, who had tormented him for a long time.
Seongjin wondered how he should approach Logan.
Should he start by apologizing for his past misdeeds?
However, Seongjin had yet to realize that the hostility Logan directed at him stemmed from something more fundamental.
* * *
Gatherings of the entire imperial family were exceedingly rare in the palace.
Considering the emperor met with his children in rotation every day, Seongjin thought it odd that he didn’t organize more frequent gatherings for a family meal or the like.
For Seongjin, this was a relief.
It wasn’t like a mandatory office dinner, nor was it enjoyable to dine in a crowded setting with people he wasn’t comfortable with.
However, the palace was different on this occasion. When a prince returns to the capital after achieving glory and being away for months, the situation changes.
The emperor had summoned the imperial family for the first time in nearly half a year. With many attendees, the palace was in a buzz of activity.
Notably, there was a fierce competition of dressing up among the empress and consorts, each vying for dignity and pride.
Queen Lizabeth, who always paid attention to Seongjin’s attire, hadn’t even shown her face in Pearl Palace this time, probably preoccupied with her own preparations.
It was the dawn of a rare floral war in the Delcross Palace.
The atmosphere was different for the children, however.
It was a relatively free time to catch up and share news with each other after a long separation. This was why Amelia had been so happy.
Herna and Gades, who lived outside the palace, were also expected to attend, and even a place was prepared for Masain. Dressed neatly in his knightly uniform, Masain boarded the carriage with Seongjin to head to the main palace.
At this point, Masain, unable to hide his imperial identity any longer, smiled awkwardly.
“I apologize for not informing you earlier, Your Highness.”
“No, Sir Masain. Should I start calling you ‘brother’ from now on?”
Seongjin, who had been inwardly frustrated about pretending not to know, asked with a sense of relief.
Considering the emperor’s age, he could almost be Seongjin’s son (in previous world), yet he called him ‘father’ without difficulty. Calling someone ‘brother’ should be no harder.
However, Masain reacted vehemently, waving his hands in denial.
“No! That was a term of endearment from my ignorant childhood. Besides, you don’t have any memories of that time, do you?”
“But still…”
“Moreover, I am just a knight in the service of the imperial family. I am comfortable with our current relationship, so please understand.”
“…”
Well, if he insists.
Seongjin had always thought him to be a man of integrity, perhaps too much so.
The carriage carrying Seongjin arrived at the main palace earlier than scheduled. Being people who didn’t need much preparation helped them start early.
However, as Seongjin and Masain entered the lobby of the main palace, they found someone who had arrived even before them.
Prince Logan, a boy with a calm and settled aura, was leaning against a wall in the corridor, watching Seongjin and his party enter, alone and without any attendants.
Seongjin halted in his tracks as Logan rose to his feet and slowly approached them, still shrouded in what felt like a tangible hostility. Clearly, the sharp hostility Logan had directed at Seongjin during the parade was not a figment of his imagination.
Seongjin hesitated for a moment, uncertain how to approach Logan. If years of bad blood had built up between them, it would be best to start by mending that relationship. He thought about offering a greeting first.
However, contrary to Seongjin’s expectation, Logan’s hostility stemmed from a more fundamental cause. It wasn’t that he was hostile towards [Morres].
“…Who exactly are you?”
Logan’s eyes, glaring intently at Seongjin, burned with a blue flame of anger.
“Why are you in Morres’s place, wearing his face, living his life?”
“…!”
“What have you done with Morres? Answer me!”
Faced with an unexpected situation, Seongjin inadvertently swallowed hard.
Amelia-noona to the rescue!
