Marine withdrew her sword from Captain Besar's decapitated head. Calmly, she swiped the air with her sword, shaking off the vestiges of blood and brain matter stuck to her blade.
The entirety of the mess hall was silent. The royal knights were frozen, mouths agape, writhing in stunned disbelief over the cruelty displayed against their fallen captain.
The captain of the royal knights was not some lofty position granted based on seniority alone. It was rigorous position of merit that was highly vetted, assigned only to those who had demonstrated their skills and valor over years of service. It was a title only second to the sword masters within the Kingdom of Sol.
Despite that, Captain Besar had been slaughtered in a blink of an eye. Their late captain didn't even put up a fight—unable to even remove his sword from his scabbard before his head was taken.
The infamy of the Marine Houshou grew in everyone's mind.
The royal knights were not oblivious to the rumors about Marine fending off Duke Calon. But those were just that—rumors. Amidst the chaos during the mission to escort the princess to Fort Nyak, no one had actually witnessed her skills in action. This insane act of cruelty was the first time any of these knights had seen her ferocity up close.
Monster. Devil. Fiend.
Those words echoed in their heads as they trembled in her presence.
Marine scanned the mess halls. The royal knights were all eyeing her with fear. Hands shook. Teeth bared. Eyes quivered, struggling to hold their composure.
Not bad. None of them started screaming or fleeing yet.
Captain Besar wasn't the only casualty. The few soldiers that attempted to strike her down had all been turned into mangled corpses. In just a brief confrontation, the mess hall was transformed into a scene of horror.
Marine suddenly stomped the ground. The knights immediately flinched on the resounding impact.
"As per the laws of Sol, I've struck down Captain Besar for treason and dereliction of duty. Does anyone have any objections to my actions?" she asked, turning the hilt of her sword to make her point clear. Her question was met with blaring silence.
"Good. Then with the authority granted to me by Her Highness Princess Kobo, I will temporarily take command of this battalion," she stated. A wave of stunned eyes rippled through the knights in the mess hall. "Does anyone have an objection to that?"
Marine scanned the mess hall. Each knight that she made eye contact with immediately shrank or averted their gaze. There were no signs of insubordination, no hostility, no attempt to challenge her usurpation of Captain Besar's authority.
"Good." Marine returned their obedience with a ferocious grin. "The honor of the royal knights was sullied by Captain Besar's cowardly actions. But worry not. I'll give you all a chance to redeem yourselves."
She stomped the ground with a resounding cry, "As the temporary captain of the royal knights, heed my orders! We're taking back control of the Fort Nyak's courtyard from Duke Calon's wretched grasp."
Marine raised her sword skyward. "Show me your resolve! Prove to me your loyalty to the crown! And answer me this—is your title as a royal knight just a farce?" Her question rang in the air as she smirked at the grimacing knights. The indignation in their eyes screamed as their pride and honor were being put to the test.
"Or will you prove to me why you deserve this honorable title?!"
The royal knights immediately straighten their backs, falling in line with their new chain of command.
YOU ARE READING
A Distant Reverie
Fanfiction"Careful now. Try not to move too suddenly, alright?" Vesper Noir wakes up one day in a foreign land with gaps in his memories...and a sharp blade pressed against his throat. His assailant? A beautiful, self-proclaimed female pirate with a sweet voi...
