Sleep Learning: Bronze Country Third Knights leader

In the Knights' group station in third city Hairun, Bern Fleet's men were running in a flurry of panic.

"Reporting!"

"What is it?" (Bern)

"A horde of monsters in the thousands are headed here from the north!"

"Is that so. It's a good thing… " (Bern)

"What?"

The knight reporting the panic situation wondered why the Knight leader was smiling as if waiting for a time like this.

The day after the meeting with Guildmaster Mainz, Bern was already planning on retaliating against the guild. Although externally the Knights appear righteous, the plan is to knock the Guildmaster to the bottom.

During the last Lizardmen raids was when the Knights began to move towards trouble. The Guild and the army had united with the citizens to struggle against the lizardmen, while the Knights had insisted on first protecting her Royal Highness Princess. Pushing Ririade into a back room of the Hairun, 1,000 knights were posted there to only defend the princess. So, all damage was pressed out to the city for the Guild to handle.

In the report to the first city Varugoku the facts had been twisted in the Knights' favor that the Guild's defensive line outside the city had attacked the lizardmen where the Knights' had less authority and it was more loosely monitored.

"We can go down. Sound the alarm bell 30 minutes later." (Bern)

"But, then the defense will not be in time –"

When the knight tries to question Bern, he pulls out his treasured sword from his waist and raises the point of the sword to the knight's throat. The knight stops in mid-word from fear. When he does, Bern whispered in the ear of the knight with the tone of a demon. The frightened knight stiffens in place from the evil aura.

"We knights must protect the Crown Princess Ririade above all else. Understood?" (Bern)

"Yes!"

"Is your head on straight? The defense of this town has already died with the lizardmen attack. Even if it wasn't, how would you protect the princess from the hordes of monsters? Think well…Throw away the city. Use the people and guild as decoys to escape with the princess to Varugoku. We are escorts." (Bern)

Bern had come here with the mission to discard Hairun, and he will push all responsibility to the Guild. By twisting the previous reports about the Lizardmen, among the nobles and royalty of Bronze Country their impression of the guild had nosedived. Then with this monster attack, the town collapses, and Bern Fleet, who delivered the Crown Princess Ririade to the safety of Varugoku while coping with the monsters, will be rewarded.

Bern immediately decided to abandon the city. Therefore, by delaying the alarm on purpose, the city that was delayed in responding to the monsters will not escape a collapse. The monsters from the northern Haunts are different than the small fry around here, so even if there are S rank adventurers, the results will be devastate the Morotomo Guild. This situation would expose the guild to criticism of mismanagement in the first city. Assuming Guildmaster Mainz survived, he would hit rock bottom and no longer be an issue.

"Accompany her Royal Highness to the bottom of the castle. In the meantime, stay in ranks outside the castle and form a procession Immediately leave this city to its collapse!. Act quickly. Understood?" (Bern)

"Understood!"

Before the terrified knight could completely escape, Bern called him back.

"Wait!" (Bern)

"Hyi!"

"That's right…After the alarm bell echoes, call the S rank party [Blizzard] here." (Bern)

"Oh, afterwards?"

"Yes. By then we will not be here. Even the slightest defense the S rank can offer will be received late. I hear that party has a friendly relationship with that cursed Mainz. I look forward to seeing what they will do once they know we took Her Highness. Defending the city or chasing us, either one does not change the result much. If delayed longer, the demise of the city is assured. Fuhahaha!" (Bern)

"You mean to say that I am to remain here?!"

"To die in order to protect the Princess, is probably the long-cherished ambition of a Knight though?" (Bern)

Again with Bern's evil idea directed towards the knight, the knight was swallowed in fear.

~ ~ ~

After the knight left Bern's sight, his eyes became vacant. He immediately flew to the third castle of Hairun. Though he had no title, there was no need to inspect the third Knight leader before he could enter the castle. In addition, most of the knights in the castle originally belonged to Bern Fleet, something even Mainz or Ririade did not know. In particular, the soldiers left to protect the castle and Ririade have been brainwashed to such an extent that they will look to the order of Bern before the order of Ririade.

Bern easily went into the castle, and entered Ririade's room without permission. "Please refrain." Ririade's followers were silenced by Bern's retinue. Without slowing his momentum he shot open Ririade's door.

Seated on the sofa in her negligee was Ririade holding a dagger in one hand. With her wet golden hair and moistened skin, she seemed coquettish.

"So it was noisy because of you Knight leader-sama." (Ririade)

"It is an emergency situation, Your Highness. Please forgive me." (Bern)

Lowering his head Bern's face is a distorted smile. Ririade clenches the dagger strongly.

"Even in an emergency, it is a crime to come in without permission. Please leave!" (Ririade)

"…That is impossible. If the life of the Crown Princess is in danger, I must appear promptly." (Bern)

"What is it?" (Ririade)

"Hordes of monsters are closing in on us!" (Bern)

"Wh-what is! –tsu!? Am I going to be trapped?" (Ririade)

"No. You will be escaping. It is only this town that will become prey to the monsters. Since we do not know whether or not they can be defeated you must escape before being attacked. Therefore, we knights will escort you to the first city Varugoku." (Bern)

"Tell me you are sleep talking! You will be abandoning this city for me!?" (Ririade)

"…I must struggle with the princess every time. All of you! Bring Her Highness!" (Bern)

"What!" (Ririade)

The soldiers start moving at the order of Bern Fleet. "Release me!" Ignoring the screaming Ririade, they take her dagger, put a gag in her mouth, and wound a rope around her body to restrain her. Then she was tossed to the knights waiting at the horse-drawn carriages outside.

"Mainz is done along with this town. I will probably be promoted for my achievement of protecting the Crown Princess! Fuhahaha!! Ha-hahahaha!"

Bern boarded the same carriage as Ririade and gloated with laughter, ignoring her flow of tears.