I, reincarnate as the leader of the villainous knight order

Chapter 109: Eleanor’s Smug Face

The vanguard role is taken by the Holy Knights from the Great Temple. And right behind them, the Holy Knights of the Holy Kingdom are guarding the two carriages. Incidentally, the two carriages carry high-ranking priests, the saintess, and female priests who are here as attendants. But, the expression on the saintess’ face as she got into the carriage was like that of someone being taken away by a human trafficker.

We, the Third Knight Order, are tasked with guarding the rear. A carriage provided by the royal family is also accompanying us. Naturally, Jeanne and Jest are riding in that carriage.

The royal carriage is soundproofed, so we can’t hear their voices, but the two visible through the window seem to be having a great time talking. There are times when Jest gets bored of the carriage. So sometimes he sits in front of me and travels while swaying on Eleanor.

The journey to the Holy Kingdom takes about a month and a half by carriage, and we’ve been on the road for about half a month now since leaving the royal capital. With this many people, some of us inevitably have to camp outside the villages. That kind of hurdle naturally falls on us, the Third Knight Order.

Some of the Holy Knights also camp outside, leaving a few guards behind in the village. While the squire knights are preparing dinner, each of us takes care of our horses. A figure comes staggering from the direction of the village where the saintess and the priests are staying.

“Captain Justin~…”

It’s Saintess Eleanor. She looks quite gaunt compared to when we first set off. Following her from behind is Holy Knight Captain Axel, looking concerned. So, it doesn’t seem like she slipped out on her own.

“What’s wrong? It’s about to get dark soon, so shouldn’t you stay in the village? You haven’t had dinner yet, right?”

“That’s it! That’s the problem! I want to eat here… I can’t complain about the food provided in the village, but I’ve almost said several times that I want to cook during the journey! But I can’t say that! And in the carriage, it’s always difficult discussions about gods and the Holy Kingdom! I want to ride in Jest’s carriage…”

The Holy Knights are camping on the opposite side of the village, so they can’t hear her and she’s saying whatever she wants. Axel, who knows about the saintess’ cooking skills, is smiling wryly but nodding slightly. He probably feels the same way.

“If only I could ride Captain Justin’s horse even once every few days like Jest. He always looks so happy, I’m envious… Eleanor here also looks happy being taken care of by Captain Justin every day.”

Saintess Eleanor looks up at my beloved horse, Eleanor, enviously. My horse’s snort in response makes it look like she’s wearing a smug face.

“Well, Eleanor has been working hard every day walking long distances. I need to reward her properly.”

When I stroke her muzzle, Eleanor nuzzles her face into my chest affectionately.

“Ugh… I want to be pampered too…”

“Looks like she wants to be pampered, Captain Axel. Good luck.”

“Huh? What? Eh!?”

I’m already busy pampering Eleanor and Jest, so spare me from pampering the saintess too. Leaving it to Axel, who is usually with her, should be the right decision. But being a Holy Knight, it’s clear he’s not used to dealing with women.

“Oh, right, Captain Axel. After you part ways with the Third Knight Order led by me, try to have Jeanne and Vice Captain Orel accompany the saintess as much as possible. Since Jeanne is also a woman, the saintess won’t be left only with people from the temple. Tell the folks in the Holy Kingdom that Eleanor wants that too.”

Perhaps because I referred to her as the saintess, she looked a bit disgruntled. So, I tried to call her by her name. It seemed to work, as she nodded with a normal expression.

“Understood. But I haven’t really talked much with the Vice Captain.”

“Then start getting used to it now. Don’t worry. Although he’s had a failed marriage, he’s a noble and knows how to escort a lady. Orel! Come here for a moment.”

I called Orel, who was putting away the horse grooming tools into his magic bag.

“What’s up? With the saintess and Captain Axel here, did something happen?”

“They came to complain about the bad food and the priests during the journey.”

“Captain Justin! …Well, you’re not wrong.”

“Haha, if you’re used to cooking with herbs, the meals during the journey must be tough. And if you cook yourself, it’s even harder because the food you make tastes better, right?”

“Exactly! Oh, please call me Eleanor!”

“Then I’ll call you Lady Eleanor. Please call me Orel. After the captain heads to Frales, feel free to reach out to me if you need anything. I’ll help with whatever I can.”

“Thank you so much!”

It seemed that Eleanor was impressed with Orel’s relaxed and natural demeanor. She must be tired of everyone treating her with excessive formality because she’s a saintess. By the way, Frales is the name of the town we’re heading to for monster extermination support. We’ll take a different path just before reaching the Holy Kingdom.

After a while, our meal was ready. So I told Eleanor to return to the village. She took a deep breath, savoring the aroma of our cooking, then trudged back.