Chapter 262 You Shouldn't Take Advantage Of A Maiden's Heart
"The hunting tournament is over, so I guess it's about time to go back to the main residence."
Sara said quietly while sipping her herbal tea.
"I heard the royals will return to the capital tomorrow, but there are still nobles who want to stay connected with the Sophia Merchant Guild and Sophia, right?"
"Who knows? Staying here costs a lot, so not many people can stay for long."
Upon hearing this, Scott and Blaze looked worried and tried to convince Sara to stay.
"Why don't you just live with us all the time, Sara?"
"That way, you'd be safer, right?"
But, of course, that wasn't possible.
"I'm not Sir Jeffrey's child, so I can't just stay here forever. I'm still only 8 years old, so maybe people will let it slide for now, but it doesn't look good for a single woman to live with 3 single men who aren't even related to her. Or should I become your sister? Wait, maybe becoming a mother is an option too?"
"Ugh..."
"That's true, but..."
Jeffrey was watching the kids with a smirk.
"From a safety perspective, Maiden's Tower might be better right now. They have golems watching 24/7."
"Those golems are great. They really shine in the capital. Should we train together with the knights soon?"
"Sir Jeffrey, please don't add them to your forces. The golems are just private soldiers."
"They're just too capable."
"I understand how you feel, but that's not allowed."
She said it firmly.
"At least let them be training partners for sparring."
"They are working to drive away anyone who enters the premises without permission. Unless they are attacked, they won't even take a defensive stance. Are you planning to order a preemptive attack on a golem that isn't even ready against the knights?"
"Hmm... Since it's training, can't we just tell them to get ready or something?"
Even though it's training, attacking an unprepared opponent seems to be a matter of pride for the knights.
"Golems basically move in a way that doesn't harm people or animals. Even if they are attacked, they prioritize the safety of the opponent as much as possible. In the first place, golems only monitor suspicious targets until they enter the premises. To be more precise, even if someone illegally enters, they are cautious enough to observe without moving for a while. If someone approaches, they will call out, but you know they won't attack until the opponent strikes first, right?"
"Yeah."
Jeffrey nodded.
"I fear that creating exceptions like training mode will lead to them acquiring skills to accurately harm people. I don't want to teach golems that it's okay to attack first or hurt people just because it's training."
"They're smart, so they should understand, right?"
"Of course, they will understand. I believe they can be operated correctly."
"Then that's good, right?"
"No. In this matter, I trust humans even less. Especially those in power or military roles, I will 'absolutely' not cooperate with them. Even if it's Sir Jeffrey, it's the same."
"Why?"
"After training, it's easy to predict that orders will be given to hurt people because 'it's an emergency.' With just that one command, those kids will turn into extremely skilled and terrifying weapons. They will continue to slaughter the enemy without hesitation until they are destroyed themselves. I don't want them to become like that."
Jeffrey couldn't deny Sara's point.
"That's true. Knights are just killers after all."
"Father!"
Scott was furious at Jeffrey's statement.
"Knights exist to protect the weak. They are definitely not killers."
"Then, are you saying that if a war breaks out, you won't kill the enemy?"
"You shouldn't hesitate to eliminate those who stand in your way. That's not what I'm trying to say."
"No, that's exactly what I'm saying. If we get orders from the lord or the king, we would burn even the wheat that could feed the enemy. Even if we know that the enemy's people will starve afterward, we have to do it."
"What!"
Then Blaze whispered in a voice that seemed to fade away.
"The mercenary group I was in burned down a village where innocent people lived on orders from some knight group. I really hated it, but I was made to help carry firewood and oil. I didn't kill anyone directly, but I know I was part of a group of killers. But if I hadn't done it, I might have been the one getting killed."
"Scott, war is not pretty. The purposes of war are various, but we must carry out our given missions with the least damage possible. If individual knights violate orders based on their own sense of justice, the survival rate of the entire knight group will drop significantly."
Scott made a face as if he had bitten into something bitter.
"I don't mean I can't understand. I've learned about what happened in past wars too. But, Father, what is the purpose of chivalry?"
"The answer is as many as there are knights. I believe what makes a knight is up to them, but you have to find your own answer."
While looking at Scott, who had slumped down, Sara spoke again to Jeffrey.
"That's why I don't want to send golems to the battlefield. If I order those kids to burn something down, they will carry out the mission without hesitation. They won't suffer from guilt like Blaze does. The golems know about chivalry as knowledge, but if given a high-priority order, they would kill without hesitation, even a baby. However, it is humans who turn them into such weapons. I firmly refuse to accept that situation."
"I see. I understand Sara's feelings."
"Thank you for understanding. If possible, please tell that to Grandfather as well. After all, it was Grandfather who suggested joint training with the golems, right?"
Jeffrey slowly exhaled.
"Did you figure it out?"
"Your method isn't very Sir Jeffrey-like. Still, I don't quite like Grandfather's way. Using the hearts of girls who admire Sir Jeffrey..."
"Did I upset the princess?"
"Just a little angry. So, Sir Jeffrey, I will write a letter to Grandfather, so please deliver it."
"Is there a message?"
Sara asked a maid to bring writing materials and quickly wrote down the message.
----
"I will lower Grandfather's priority regarding the Elma brandy that is about to be shipped.
Also, I will withdraw the golems that are in the main residence."
I have decided not to return to the main residence and will continue living in Maiden's Tower.
Sara Grandchester
----
"You're really angry, aren't you?"
"Not really. Just a little bit."
"Anyway, I understand that I shouldn't make you angry. Maybe Your Excellency Marquis Grandchester will come flying in."
"Come on, there's no way my grandfather can enter Maiden's Tower. He'd just be carried by a golem like a princess."
"You really don't hold back."
"I get told that a lot."
Sara smiled brightly.
"Well, I'm not even at Maiden's Tower today. I'm going to meet Mrs. Paracelsus."
"Huh? Mrs. Paracelsus is still alive?"
"I heard he remarried a very young wife, and she still reigns as the elder of the family. So today, I'm going to her family's home with Alicia."
"I see. Is the guard the same as usual?"
"I think it should be fine. Just in case, I'll bring my own weapon. Teresa delivered it to me."
"Oh, in that case, let's have a match soon."
"That sounds good. How about we do it with Sophia?"
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it."
"Ah, I want to fight Sara!"
"I'm pretty strong now too!"
It seems that the Jeffrey residence is full of muscle-headedness today.
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