Chapter 224: Feuzen Tradition

After days of wandering through the dense forests of northern Baschurten and Euz, my body and mind were wearing thin. We’d fought battles and picked up 38 prisoners along the way. And on top of that, we’d rescued a young lady of Euz, which was never part of the plan.

Burdened with spoils, prisoners, and an esteemed guest, I had no choice but to head back to Feuzen to regroup. We were in no condition to fight, and my men, exhausted from their ordeal, were openly voicing their fatigue.

This area was close enough to Feuzen that getting back wouldn’t be difficult.

Fried would have to face the Basel-Euz coalition alone on the Meriant Plain, but as long as he didn’t make any critical mistakes, he wouldn’t go down easily. I had to believe that.

My forces were spent and needed rest. As the saying goes, more haste, less speed. If we lost a decisive battle because of exhaustion, that would be putting the cart before the horse.

The cavalrymen agreed with my decision. The Essenbach dragoons, thoroughly crushed by me, now knew their place in the pecking order. They weren’t exactly obedient, but they were much easier to command now.

The looks on Viktor’s and Fiel’s faces had been priceless, though.

They’d expected me to rough up a handful of dragoons, not beat down every last one of them.

Was there even another knight in the world who could flatten 150 hardened dragoons? I’d cheated by using the medical service, but to anyone who didn’t know that, I must have looked like a monster among monsters.

Even I thought what I’d done was insane.

I’d only come to my senses after turning the whole place upside down.

The 5,000 points stung, but they weren’t wasted. Taming those dragoons who’d been grabbing at everything they could get was more than worth the cost.

If those idiots went rogue on the battlefield and got wiped out, it could put me in danger. In that sense, establishing discipline was a real gain. Right, it wasn’t for nothing.

Viktor cynically remarked that a bunch of cocky bastards had finally met their master and tucked their tails. Fiel asked a more fundamental question: where on earth did my stamina come from?

How was I supposed to answer that?

All I could tell him was to work on his lower-body training.

Anyway, as we neared Feuzen, I sent Anton ahead.

Angela poked her face out of the carriage window and called to me.

"How much farther to Feuzen? I want to get out of this carriage."

"About 30 more minutes. You’ve barely been riding. Motion sick already?"

"Excuse me, I’ve never ridden this long in my life! Show some consideration for a noble lady!"

"Fine, then a noble lady shouldn’t be sticking her face out the window like a commoner."

I grabbed her face and unceremoniously shoved her back inside the carriage. Angela shrieked and threw a fit, but what did I care? The Euz cavalrymen standing guard around her were chuckling awkwardly.

This was just a bit of light teasing.

If it had been Lily, she’d have gotten a knuckle rap on the forehead.

On the way back to Feuzen, Angela and I had grown comfortable with each other. If she’d been the prim and proper type, I wouldn’t have been able to act so casually, but Angela had a temperament similar to Hilda’s, which made her easy to be around.

"What kind of person is the Crown Princess? I’m dying to know."

"...I think it’d be better if you see for yourself."

She was so peculiar that words couldn’t do her justice, and anyone who heard would never believe it anyway. Count Euz had recommended Angela as Lily’s handmaid, but even he’d paused to reconsider after seeing what Lily was actually like.

"I can’t wait. If she’s the Crown Princess, she must be absolutely beautiful and elegant, right?"

"On the outside, she’s beautiful and elegant, sure. His Highness the Crown Prince compared her to an edelweiss."

"An edelweiss? That beautiful white flower from the Alps?"

That’s why I’d given her the nickname "girl in white." Of course, it was a nickname only I knew, more of a pet name. At least I hadn’t lied. Angela seemed to have built up way too many fantasies about the Crown Princess, though.

I looked forward to seeing her face when those fantasies inevitably came crashing down.

Coming home to your domain is a happy thing. I’d thought of the Rosengarden in Breisburg as my family’s home, but Feuzen was entirely mine, so the attachment was even stronger.

"Oh, my darling! You’ve returned safely!"

"Wait, I’m filthy right now. I probably reek."

"What does that matter? I love everything about how you smell!"

Ah, Hilda. My noble Valkyrie. A real one, through and through.

I held her tight as she showered me with kisses, both of us oblivious to everyone watching. My men were long used to the sight, but for Angela, it was pure culture shock. The dumbfounded look on her face was priceless.

Fiel said with a smirk,

"Don’t be alarmed, Fräulein. This is a Feuzen Streit family tradition."

"Tradition? They kiss at the village entrance every time the lord comes home?"

"Sometimes the lord initiates it, sometimes the lady does."

Behind Hilda, Elisabeth and my sister-in-law had also come out to greet us. They were smiling awkwardly, with Elisabeth looking downright envious. So after I pulled away from Hilda, I called out to Fiel.

"Fiel! To be precise, the tradition is for married couples to kiss when they’re reunited!"

Viktor laughed and gave the bewildered Fiel a firm shove in the back. Fiel stumbled forward and locked eyes with Elisabeth. He glanced around self-consciously, then reluctantly walked up to her.

"Darling, I’m home."

"Welcome back. I’m glad you’re safe."

"Apparently it’s a Feuzen tradition for married couples to kiss when they reunite?"

Ohh! Fiel pulled Elisabeth into his arms and kissed her. I never expected that stiff man to take the lead. But in an instant, the tables turned—Elisabeth had him locked in her embrace, and he was the one being kissed instead.

Yaaaaay!

Clap clap clap!

The townspeople and cavalrymen erupted in cheers and applause, celebrating the couple’s reunion. I guided the bewildered Angela and her attendants into Feuzen. Angela let out a sigh.

"I’d heard that every domain has its own culture, but seeing it in person really drives it home."

"It’s just our domain. We’re not shy about showing affection here."

"Doesn’t the Church have a problem with that?"

"Father Andreas allows just about everything, except walking around naked."

He’d even permitted people to walk around in trousers, which the Church frowned upon. During Mass it was still forbidden, of course. But even that much made Father Andreas a remarkably progressive clergyman.

"My name is Angela von Euznirk, Lady Streit."

"You’re the one who’s come to be Lily’s handmaid, right? I’ve heard about you."

I’d already told Hilda that Count Euz had arranged for Angela to be placed as Lily’s handmaid. Typically, a noblewoman’s handmaids were commoners, but royalty was permitted attendants from the lower nobility and above.

And Angela would hold the highest status among them—potentially even a candidate to succeed the head handmaid of the royal palace. A prince’s daughter carried that much influence.

"I’ll take care of introducing her to Lily, so please go rest."

I left Angela in Hilda’s hands. Hilda was a good wife who immediately recognized what I needed most. Yes, all I wanted right now was to strip off this stinking armor and take a bath.

Even though I’d used the medical service, the sweat and grime soaked into my armor had quickly made me filthy again, and the smell was overpowering. Anyone who caught a whiff of this would keel over. I was used to it by now, but still.

A bath was desperately needed.

Angela peppered Hilda with questions.

"Lady Hilda! Is it true you were called the Valkyrie?"

"That was an embarrassing nickname from before I was married."

Fortunately, the two seemed to hit it off quickly.

It had been worth bragging about my beloved fiancee at the banquet after the Euz-Épinay war ended. Hilda was embarrassed by the Valkyrie nickname, but Angela seemed quite fascinated by it.

"Hans, this one’s an important prisoner too, so keep a close watch on him."

"Yes, sir! I’ll guard him thoroughly."

I handed over Baron Valent and five of his knights. The remaining common prisoners were sent to the makeshift prisoner camp outside Feuzen. I’d stationed a reserve unit of Gale Knights there, and manpower had since been replenished.