The day after the attack, I was told that the two golem legs were the Prince's toys.
While thinking, What kind of toy has legs as big as an adult's? I couldn't help but feel confused. Watching the pair of legs being taken away by the Prince's maid, I muttered,
"Even this is more appropriate to be called golem legs..."
When she saw that the maid had gone far enough, Brunhild suddenly remembered something and said,
"Oh yeah, I forgot..."
She immediately ran toward the commander's room.
When she arrived, she knocked on the door, entered, and said,
"Commander!" while giving a knight's salute.
Kruger looked up toward the door, and when he saw it was his daughter, he said,
"Yes... my daughter, no need to be so formal. Come, sit down," while gesturing to the chair in front of his desk.
Brunhild hesitated a little.
"No, that—" she began, but then sighed.
"Okay, Father..." she said, finally sitting down.
After she sat, Kruger smiled and asked with interest,
"How was your trip with the Queen?"
Brunhild pouted.
"Boring..." she replied in a tired tone.
Hearing that, Kruger, with a slightly curious expression, said,
"Heh... what's the problem? And why did you only come back after more than two years?" His tone was confused.
Brunhild sighed and leaned back on the bench.
"Because of the war," she replied in a lazy tone, her face looking extremely tired.
"It happened everywhere we went... we even had to turn back several times."
Kruger nodded.
"I see..." he said with a serious tone.
"As the King feared, the Federation is divided... and war has broken out between them."
At the mention of the word "King," Brunhild immediately asked,
"Where is the King? I didn't see him last night," her voice puzzled.
Kruger sighed, then looked out at the scenery outside the window.
"He left... about three years ago," he said.
"He received an impromptu invitation to a meeting with the Federation of Kingdoms. So, he took a small unit of troops with him. And... well, considering his strength... you know how the King is," he added in a tired tone.
Brunhild placed a hand on her forehead and sighed.
"Even though he was a comrade and a former adventurer... he's still a King now..."
Kruger quickly changed the topic.
"Let's put that aside," he said in a serious tone.
"Brunhild, you're going to be appointed as the new Commander of the Royal Guard. I'm stepping down."
Brunhild froze.
"Huh?" she said in confusion.
After a few seconds, as the words sank in, she stood up, still shocked.
"What do you mean, Dad?!!" she shouted.
Kruger winced and covered his ears, frowning slightly.
"Can I finish what I was saying first?" he said, waiting for Brunhild to calm down and sit again.
Once she sat back down, Kruger continued seriously,
"You know... the power of the King and Queen is far greater than mine, right?"
Brunhild nodded in agreement.
Kruger continued,
"Since the Queen already has her own personal guard, and the King doesn't need one... it's better if I step down as Head of the Palace Guard," he said in a relaxed tone.
Brunhild looked slightly confused.
"What about the Prince? Doesn't he need a guard too?"
Kruger sighed, then smiled and nodded.
"That's exactly why I'm resigning. I'll become the Prince's personal guard."
Brunhild looked at him with a worried expression.
"Are you sure about this, Dad?"
Kruger smiled brightly and replied,
"Well... at least it's more fun than guarding an empty palace all day," he said cheerfully, laughing,
"Hahaha!"
Brunhild could only sigh.
"Okay..."
A few days had passed.
Tomorrow, the King would arrive. Since my father was retiring, he had handed over all the responsibilities within the castle to me.
As I walked through the training grounds on my way to the Commander's office, I caught sight of my father training the Prince. I paused, watching their sparring session from a distance. The Prince's strikes were wild—swinging left and right with no clear form—but they were strangely accurate. Occasionally, he mixed in kicks and hand strikes. I couldn't help but wonder, Is he really practicing sword techniques?
After exchanging several blows with my father, the Prince suddenly noticed me watching from afar. He halted mid-action and raised his hand with a cheerful wave. "Sis Brunhild!" he called out with a smile.
I couldn't help but smile back and wave in return.
A short while later, the Prince began to tire and eventually collapsed onto his back on the training ground. Holding up a hand as if signaling a break, he said, "Kruger, I think we're done for today," between breaths.
My father, hearing the Prince's words, immediately gave a knight's salute and replied, "YES..!" before turning around and walking toward me.
Meanwhile, the Prince stood up and waved. "Bye, Sis Brunhild!" he called cheerfully.
I returned the wave, and watched as he quickly left the training ground, excitedly grabbing an object shaped like a short spear—blunt at the tip—with both hands. He raised it triumphantly above his head and shouted, "YuuHuu… finally, I can try this coilgun!!" Then he dashed off toward the rear courtyard of the castle, with his personal maid following close behind.
"Come on," my father said to me as he continued walking toward the commander's office.
"Yes, Father," I replied, falling into step behind him.
Once we were inside and seated across from each other, he pulled out a stack of documents that I would need to review. "I think this is everything…" he said while rummaging through the desk cabinet, checking for any other important paperwork.
While reviewing the documents, I came across the growing stockpile of weapons—almost like hoarding—and said, "Father, isn't this a bit much?" as I handed the paper over for him to see.
Looking at the sheet, Kruger noticed it was a report on the weapon stockpile. He replied in a serious tone, "Yes, that's correct. The King said that sooner or later, war will come across the Federation—and even this Kingdom won't be spared. So he ordered me to stockpile weapons, potions, wheat, and also Mid-level magic cores—for enchantments."
Nodding, I said, "So judging from this report... it looks like everything has been gathered already, right?" as I glanced at my father.
"For weapons, armor, dried food, and potions—there's no problem," Kruger said. But then, hesitating slightly, he averted his gaze and added with a sigh, "But for the magic cores... it seems we fell behind on the order. You know how it is with the Adventurers' Guild these days…"
Seeing Brunhild simply nod, Kruger continued, "Moreover..."
That caught her attention. She immediately turned to look at him, as if urging him to continue.
Kruger hesitated before saying, "The Prince also requested a stockpile of mid- and high-level magic cores."
Brunhild's thoughts came to an abrupt halt. "Huh?" she blurted, clearly surprised. Refocusing, she followed up in a sharper tone, "For what?"
Kruger let out a sigh. "He said it was for communication and illusion... I don't know, I'm confused too," he said, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
Nodding, Brunhild asked, "Has the Prince's creation been mass-produced yet?" as she recalled the exo-leg of Paul's armor that had fallen off.
Kruger responded, "You mean the armor?" When Brunhild nodded, he explained, "It's true that it can be mass-produced, but the Prince said it requires high precision and user control. And... it's still not secure—too vulnerable to espionage. So, he doesn't agree with mass production," he said with a gloomy expression.
Brunhild let out a sigh. "Even though it would be incredibly useful on the battlefield."
Kruger nodded. "Yes… especially after what we witnessed. That armor is terrifying when it's active."
Brunhild simply nodded again and went back to reviewing the stack of documents in front of her.
After the King's Return
Once the welcoming ceremony concluded and everyone had returned to their respective rooms, a few hours later, Brunhild was summoned to the King's office.
After knocking on the door, she entered, gave a knight's salute, and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, Your Highness."
Inside, she saw King Louis and Queen Cecilia already seated and waiting. Her father, Kruger, was also present, sitting before them.
Louis and Cecilia both nodded in acknowledgment, and King Louis gestured to the empty seat beside Kruger. "Please, have a seat."
Once Brunhild sat down, Louis spoke, "Brunhild, since Kruger has informed me that you'll be inheriting his position, I will now relieve you of your duties as Head of the Queen's Guard."
Brunhild nodded in acknowledgment, silently accepting the decision.
Turning his gaze to Cecilia, Louis asked gently, "You don't mind, do you, dear Cecilia?"
Cecilia smiled warmly and replied, "Of course not, my dear. Besides, I won't be going anywhere for a while."
Louis gave a satisfied nod and then turned back to Brunhild. "Here are your appointment letter and your badge," he said, placing them on the table in front of her.
After Brunhild took her letter and badge, King Louis spoke in a firm tone,
"Once you return to your office, begin increasing our stockpiles—more weapons, dried food, potions, and especially magic cores."
Hearing that, Queen Cecilia looked at him with concern.
"Is the Federation really that dangerous, dear?" she asked anxiously.
Louis simply nodded in response.
Understanding the urgency, Brunhild rose from her seat and said,
"Then, Your Majesty, Your Highness... I'll return to the office and begin preparations immediately."
Seeing her eagerness to carry out the task, Cecilia nodded approvingly, and Louis said,
"Very well. Return to your office."
Brunhild gave a sharp knight's salute.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
She turned and began walking toward the door.
Just as she reached it, Louis seemed to remember something.
"Ah—one more thing, Brunhild," he called out in a lighter tone. "Make sure Paul gets everything he needs."
Brunhild glanced back at him with a serious expression.
"Understood, Your Majesty."
Then she exited the room.