The Villainous Older Sister Who Loves Her Younger Sister Aims for the Guillotine 86

86: A World Where Knights Are Useless

“The blade is blunted, but handle it with care.”

“Yes, Elder Sister.”

My sister took the sword, her hands enveloping mine.

After confirming her grip, I let go.

“…………”

Leticia slowly raised the sword, holding it reverently in both hands.

She raised her gaze, looking at the tip.

While not sharpened, the polished blade gleamed, reflecting the sunlight.

“It’s heavy…”

She murmured softly.

A solemn air settled over the training grounds.

A single sword wasn’t that heavy if you carried it like luggage.

However, wielding it…

Holding it as a weapon, knowing that it could tear flesh, break bones, and draw blood, a tool for killing…

…its weight was completely different.

“—I wanted you to know the weight of a sword.”

The clamor of the joint training exercise seemed distant.

Knight Commander Felix’s words resonated deeply.

“Leticia, you are a noble. But I also believe you shouldn’t wield a sword. You are not a knight.”

The tip of the sword swayed slightly as she maintained her balance.

Felix extended his hand, and Leticia carefully lowered the sword and handed it to him.

Stepping back, he swung the sword as if to dispel his hesitation.

He sliced through the air horizontally, then brought it down in a vertical slash, before raising it again, holding it aloft in both hands, just like Leticia had done.

The tip of the sword didn’t waver.

“Wow…”

Leticia gasped in admiration.

I also heard murmurs of awe from the surrounding knights.

Swordsmanship alone wasn’t enough to earn the position of Knight Commander of the Eustasia Knights—however, Felix was a swordsman skilled enough to be whispered about as having “become Knight Commander solely through his swordsmanship.”

While it was partly due to jealousy of his unusually young age, the fact that even the whispers were a form of praise showed that Felix had overwhelming support, especially from the younger generation he was leading.

While some said he lacked experience, that couldn’t be helped.

After all, no one in the current Kingdom of Eustasia had experienced ‘war.’

Felix’s command during the conflict mediation in the Principality of Ruins was officially a support mission to quell ‘internal strife’… not an interstate conflict.

I felt a little sorry for the Republic of Ruins, which had declared itself a nation.

Despite public opinion favoring the numerically superior and highly motivated Republican Army, the Eustasian forces, led by Felix, suffered surprisingly few casualties—inadvertently raising the reputation of the Eustasia Knights throughout the continent.

Even so, there were casualties.

While it wasn’t an official statement, Felix had called them a disorganized rabble, a “disgrace to the term ‘army.’” And yet…

Our knights had died.

“We are knights. Wielding a sword is our job… Though I don’t want to think of bloodshed… as our job.”

His Majesty had given the order.

…And it was I who had recommended the deployment for ‘conflict mediation’ based on the enemy force assessment I had been ordered to conduct.

And it was the Eustasia Knights, led by Knight Commander Felix, who did the dirty work.

“We… are not familiar with the lives of commoners. But the commoners… don’t know the lives of knights either.”

The knights and soldiers of the Kingdom of Eustasia, a volunteer army, were mostly from commoner backgrounds.

Some joined the military driven by ideals.

However, most chose the military as the ‘most realistic option’ when they reached a certain age.

The requirements were broad. Eustasian citizenship was mandatory, but beyond that, anyone with a healthy body and… a bit of resolve could apply.

That, too, could be considered a commoner’s life.

But the military produced nothing.

“[I don’t truly know the hardships of farming, of hunting in the forest, of sailing the seas—but they, too, probably don’t know the weight of a sword and armor, the burden of wielding a sword… And that’s fine.]”

There was pain in his voice.

It made me realize a moment too late—this was an [Official Line].

“[We’ll be the only ones to shed blood.]”

Heavy words, like the taste of iron.

While it might have been a setting and a line intended to add weight to a love story, he had actually shed blood… the blood of his subordinates and his ‘enemies.’

“[A world where knights are useless… is finally within reach.]”

It might be a fantasy.

Every country had its own circumstances. Not all aspired to eternal peace.

Not all current borders were drawn peacefully.

There were lands soaked in blood, regions where hatred was passed down through generations.

…Even so, the world was currently stable.

There were… unfortunate exceptions, like the Principality of Ruins.

But even if nations were at odds, with tensions simmering beneath the surface, most people preferred that to all-out war.

And the reason the Kingdom of Eustasia, at least today, could gather its army for training exercises, confident that it wouldn’t be engulfed in flames of war tomorrow, was largely due to the strength of its knights.

While much of our land was barren and poor, we had a vast territory, and the very poverty of the land had fostered a culture that valued ingenuity and abhorred laziness.

Peace for Eustasia.

The Eustasia Knights and the Vanderwaals family could find common ground on that single point.

We could both fulfill our duties and pledge our loyalty.

“I’m confident that we, more than anyone, desire peace.”

“No doubt about it.”

“Absolutely.”

The knights exchanged lighthearted banter, and the atmosphere relaxed.

Felix’s booming laughter further dispelled the solemnity—however, his words lingered in the minds of those present.

Leticia and I also laughed, within the limits of propriety for ladies.

My sister was so cute; she could probably make anyone fall in love with her.

“Adelheid, why don’t you try holding a sword again? It’s been a while.”

Felix offered me a sword, blade down.