The Queen’s Knight

"I'm sorry. I was too arrogant before." Although he had boasted that he could still turn New Darrlington around even in its dire state, after actually trying to do so, Guiliniweier realized he had spoken too loudly.

"No… this won't do. It's impossible." If New Darrlington had any breathing room before, now that his last reserves had been squandered by Bavanshi, the place was effectively doomed. Relying on incremental development without outside support was sheer fantasy—he might as well wait for a hundred million Morgland coins to fall from the sky onto his head.

"…Damn it. A serious illness demands a potent cure. Time to do something drastic." Guiliniweier resolved to change strategy. Much of the resistance he faced stemmed from Bavanshi's utter lack of popular support in her domain—and once people's trust is lost, it's nearly impossible to reclaim. So he decided: he wouldn't bother trying to win hearts. He would govern by fear.

"Why bother being a benevolent ruler in Fairyland?" he thought. The Fourth Arc's Saber Knight had tried to be a wise monarch, yet faced near-constant assassination attempts. Better to embrace brutality. This time, he wouldn't be polite to the fairies. He'd consolidate the army—force is the ultimate argument.

System: You have changed your governing approach for New Darrlington.

System: You begin shifting your focus toward the military.

Over the frantic three days of work, though Bavanshi had formally granted him command of the army, Guiliniweier had scarcely attended to military matters: internal affairs alone had overwhelmed him. Moreover, the army itself was in better shape than the civil administration. Most critically, two Queen's Knights oversaw it. Their presence had surprised him: Queen's Knights in Fairyland were rare—perhaps only around a hundred, many attached to their own fiefs or serving at Camelot itself. That Bavanshi commanded two was almost inconceivable.

He opened the army roster in New Darrlington's management interface and saw two portraits under the generals: Knight Katali and Knight Aster, both SR-grade cards. Their border glowed a faint gold with hints of silver—akin to a four-star goalkeeper's strength: impressive, if not the very top tier, but still SR.

Guiliniweier examined their stats. Katali: Strength B, Agility D, Endurance C, Magic C; innate traits: two useless Ns and one R-tier. Aster: more balanced: Strength C, Agility C, Endurance B, Magic D; also 1R2N. The R-tier traits: Katali's "Fierce" (grants +1 Strength, −1 Agility; high chance to counterattack when struck) and Aster's "Hold the Fort" (+1 Endurance, −1 Magic; stronger while defending a position).

He paused—these trait names felt oddly familiar. Then:

System: You proceed to the barracks to meet the Queen's Knights.

System: In the barracks, you find Knight Katali training the soldiers.

Seeing Katali's helm covering one eye completely, Guiliniweier hesitated briefly.

"May I ask why your helmet covers one eye?"

"I'm blind in that eye. Since it's useless, might as well seal it and eliminate a weak point."

He realized the déjà vu: "Fierce" and "Hold the Fort" echoed the famous "Zhan Lie" and "Ju Shou" martial virtues—like Cao Wei-era warriors. Could Bavanshi truly have that Wei Wu spirit?

He decided to test Katali. "Enough diversions—do you dare face me in combat?"

"Though I serve Lady Bavanshi by the Queen's command, I'm not obliged to obey a mere nobody's orders," Katali replied. "You wish me to heed you? Defeat me, and I'll follow your command."

System: Knight Katali issues you a challenge.

Guiliniweier felt uneasy. He'd come only to inspect the army, not to fight. He had not trained at all, his stats were all Ds—how could he face a Queen's Knight? Then he realized: this was the same Katali he had fought in the third simulation. Back then, during the Blacksmith arc, Bavanshi's forces attacked Salisbury and captured Altria; he'd broken through Katali and another Queen's Knight. If he could defeat both in simulation, surely he could handle one now?

His confidence rebounded. "Very well—come at me! A defeated underling shall teach you my power!"

Katali bristled: "Bold claims—never faced you, yet call me a vanquished minion?" He raised his greatblade and charged; Guiliniweier drew his sword to meet her.

System: You accept Knight Katali's challenge with full confidence.

System: You and Katali begin battle.

System: You die.

The trial of survival activated; he returned to the start, pale-faced. He recalled that in the simulation, he had overcome Katali and Aster only after countless deaths, setting traps to eliminate one first. Facing Katali in reality was far more oppressive: the aura of a battle-hardened knight made each breath feel heavy. This was beyond his current ability—if he insisted on fighting normally, he would be slain repeatedly until his spirit broke.

He wavered: if he withdrew now, regaining control of Bavanshi's forces would be difficult. Still…

"…Perhaps it's time I take command myself." In the real world, Guiliniweier touched an imaginary pair of glasses on his nose, a gesture he found oddly motivating.

System: AI combat control disengaged; the player now takes over the fight.

System: Trial lock target: Queen's Knight Katali.

He need not force his simulated self to fight at full risk. The critical battle required his direct intervention; other skirmishes he could let simulation proceed. Why waste the "cheat" when he had it? He recalled a tale of an ancient general linked to a modern gaming prodigy. To the general, the battlefield was death; to the gamer, it was a game. With the gamer's guidance, he fought with unmatched clarity. Though fantastical, Guiliniweier saw the principle: his role now was like the gamer stepping in to guide his simulated self.

When Katali's huge blade lunged at his face, slicing the air with a shriek, a normal combatant would instinctively shut their eyes. But as "player," he kept his gaze on the blade, seized the fleeting opening: as the blade descended, he drove his sword to intercept, bracing guard against the heavy strike. Before her follow-up could break his defense, he sidestepped to her right front and tilted her blade aside. Exploiting his smaller frame, he slipped into Katali's blind spot—where her greatblade could not strike—and feinted a counterstrike, prompting her to shift defense.

Katali reacted swiftly, raising the haft of her blade to guard, but that was only a ruse. Guiliniweier ducked, executed a swift reverse spin: his sword arced behind him like a helicopter rotor, completing a circle to strike Katali's unguarded side. The blade bit deeply.

Technique: Supreme Art, Fifth Form—Zwerchhau (Cross Strike).

He paused the blade at Katali's cheek. "Shall we continue?" he asked calmly.

Katali sighed, sheathed her greatblade: "The outcome is decided. I've lost. From tonight on, my service is yours." Guiliniweier exhaled quietly—he had bluffed her effectively. With greater strength, the fight might have been dangerous, but his tactics won the day.

System: You have defeated Queen's Knight Katali and earned her acknowledgment.

He asked casually, "By the way, where is Knight Aster?"

"Oh, Aster?" Katali replied indifferently. "Lady Bavanshi sent him to guard the prison—she won't risk letting that… Prophet's Child slip away."

"Oh, I see." Guiliniweier covered his face, realizing what he'd forgotten.