The Crown Prince Who Raises a Side Character-Chapter 71: Phantom Thief Dauphin (15). If You Lay a Hand on My Little Guard

It all began, unmistakably, as a trivial clash of pride between two lords.

If just one of them had taken a single step back.

Or if the state of the nation had been even slightly more functional—if someone had existed who could mediate between them—then this petty quarrel could’ve ended easily.

But once blood began to spill, it demanded more, and as pride, vested interests, and grudges became entangled, the two lords began to rampage as if the word “brake” didn’t exist in their vocabulary.

Young men were forcibly conscripted. Taxes soared under the guise of war levies. Food supplies, which barely allowed a family to scrape by each day, worsened to the point that families had to give up one of their own just to survive.

The youths of two neighboring villages, who used to laugh and chat together, were forced to raise spears against one another simply because they were under different lords. And those who questioned why they had to fight were either beaten into silence by the lords’ private soldiers—or, worse, killed outright.

It became too painful, too unbearable to go on like this. So, clinging to even the faintest hope, the people approached him on their knees and begged.

O knight of the lowest rank.

True knight who fights for the people.

Please, save us.

Please, stop this senseless war we don’t even understand.

Wearing shabby clothes, emaciated and hollow-cheeked, they bowed their heads and shed tears. The knight couldn’t bring himself to turn away from them.

Word spread that a people’s knight had risen to protect them, and the commoners under the lords began, one after another, to raise their hands in rebellion. As always, the lords tried to crush this with violence, but they failed—because the knight was powerful.

Of course, that didn’t mean the people were unharmed.

No matter how strong the knight was, he was only one man. And in the places he wasn’t, the people had to shed much blood.

But unlike before, the commoners didn’t fall so easily.

In the past, if one in ten was made an example of, the other nine would bow their heads. But now, instead of submitting, they chose to fight.

Because the knight was there.

Because he had shown them that it was possible to stand against nobles, against rulers.

Because they had learned that their oppressors were not untouchable, godlike beings, but merely people with power.

The knight went to the two lords and declared:

That their cruel governance had left the common people in unbearable suffering.

That they must stop the fighting and fulfill their duties as lords by caring for their people.

But instead of accepting his counsel, the lords chose to rally other noble families to their side. Enraged, the people cried out to the knight.

O knight of the lowest rank.

People’s knight who fights alongside us.

They’ve rejected the hands we extended in peace. Now there’s only one path left—cut off their heads.

We must return the pain they’ve given us to those wicked tyrants.

There are so many in this wretched country suffering like we are, too afraid or powerless to fight back. But if we show them our will, and what we’ve accomplished, we could truly change this nation.

If we’re going to spend the rest of our lives suffering anyway, then we’d rather lay down our lives for this greater cause.

The knight was shaken.

He had only wanted to help the weak, to save the neglected, swinging his sword in their defense. But now he realized what kind of fire he had ignited in the hearts of the people by standing at their side and aiming his blade at the nobility.

If he had been just a little more ruthless.

Or if he were the type to accept small sacrifices for a bigger dream.

Then perhaps he would have led the people as they wished and plunged the country into full-scale war.

But he had fought his whole life for the weak, and even if his cause was righteous, he could not bring himself to choose a path where countless lives would be swallowed in pools of blood.

Nor could he abandon those who had followed him, choosing instead to flee with just his daughter.

As he wrestled with his dilemma, a royal envoy—sent by the old king, who still retained some clarity—came to him with an offer.

If he would give up only his life, then before the greater war broke out, and before more blood was spilled, the crown would guarantee that no one else would be held accountable.

Turning away from his sobbing daughter, the knight raised his sword—

***

"─Captain of the 8th Platoon, Dahlia. You are under arrest for colluding with the thief Dauphin!"

Sarnos Knight Order.

The moment the vice-commander shouted his declaration, the entire guard headquarters was thrown into chaos.

"What? Colluding? The 8th Platoon Captain?"

"What kind of nonsense is that?"

Boom!

When a dozen knights advanced at once, the shockwave shook the floor like a boulder had fallen from the sky. The ruckus in the guard station instantly fell silent.

Everyone instinctively flinched from the thunderous sound.

Dahlia furrowed her brow but kept her composure as she responded.

"Colluding? That’s absurd. I’ve done no such thing."

"Deny it all you want. We’ve already uncovered your plan—leaking internal guard intel to Dauphin to assist his crimes, and in return, he pretends to lose to you to boost your standing."

"And on what basis are you making these accusations?!"

"There was testimony from inside the guard."

"What?"

At the vice-commander’s gesture, several guards from the corner stepped forward and opened their mouths.

"I saw the 8th Captain let Dauphin go when she had the chance to end it!"

"I saw Dauphin, who attacks others without hesitation, go easy only on her!"

"Even after the knights arrived, I saw her talking to a man presumed to be Dauphin in the middle of the night!"

Sometimes, when you're completely dumbfounded, words just... don’t come.

As Dahlia stood stunned, her lieutenant raised his voice in her place.

"Don’t spout crap!! You guys used to kiss up to the Captain, and now you’re licking someone else’s boots!?"

That’s when Dahlia realized who these guards were.

Originally, Dahlia had always been a bit of an outsider within the Guard, but ever since Dauphin appeared and she started standing out, many of them had suddenly flipped and began treating her with respect.

But there were still those who never accepted her—who now stood with the knights and spewed fabricated testimony.

"You don’t have to listen to them, Captain!! They’re trying to dump the blame on you to save their own reputations!!"

"Hmph. As expected of low-born dogs, your manners are filth."

The vice-commander scowled, and one of the knights stepped forward, reaching toward the lieutenant.

The knight curled his lip in contempt as the lieutenant didn’t even realize the attack coming.

Crack.

"─Do not lay a hand on my subordinate."

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Before the knight’s hand could touch the lieutenant, Dahlia’s fingers clamped down tightly on his wrist.

Startled, the knight tried to shake her off, but no matter how violently he struggled, Dahlia didn’t budge an inch.

"Wha—Uwah?!"

The lieutenant belatedly realized what was happening and stumbled back, shocked. The vice-commander’s brow twitched.

"Are you seriously resisting?"

"The Knight Order isn’t even the Guard’s direct superior. And even if you were, there’s no law that says you can strike a subordinate with unjustified violence."

"Don’t be ridiculous. I was simply disciplining an insolent cur who dared to interrupt a superior. That’s a crime punishable by death for insubordination."

"That kind of—!!"

That’s not a proper law.

At least, it was miles apart from the laws she had once discussed with him—the world he spoke of.

But Dahlia couldn’t bring herself to say those words aloud.

Even if she had formed her own sense of justice and law within her heart, such ideals held no weight in the real world.

The vice-commander spoke.

“Whether these suspicions are true or not, we’ll find out through investigation. Will you comply quietly, or resist to the end, Captain of the 8th Platoon?”

Dahlia hesitated.

She might’ve been strict by nature, but she wasn’t so naïve as to believe that quietly allowing herself to be taken away would lead to a good outcome.

But if she refused?

Dahlia glanced over at her fellow 8th Platoon members.

Every one of them gripped their spears tightly, gazes fixed on her with resolute eyes.

As if to say—if you fight, we’ll fight with you.

And at the same time, Dahlia realized something.

Their slightly trembling legs. The cold sweat beading down their faces. Their ragged breathing. ƒreewebɳovel.com

Despite their resolve, their bodies were already overwhelmed with fear.

Of course they were.

Even though the 8th Platoon was one of the most skilled units in the entire guard force, very few among them had any real control over magic.

The physical difference between someone who had trained their body through proper internal energy arts and someone who hadn’t was like that between a wild beast and an ordinary person. And their opponents were walking weapons—trained in swordsmanship, clad in proper armor, able to unleash sword aura at will.

If a fight broke out, no matter what happened to her, her platoon would not survive.

And that... was not something Dahlia could accept.

With a quiet sigh, she released the knight’s wrist.

The knight swiftly stepped back and glared at her, clearly humiliated at having been restrained by a mere guard.

Dahlia turned her head toward the vice-commander of the knight order.

“I’ve never colluded with Dauphin, but I will comply with the investigation.”

“A wise choice.”

“However, I have conditions.”

“...Conditions?”

“Declare here, in front of everyone in the guard, that no harm will come to the rest of the platoon. And allow me to have daily visits with one 8th Platoon member of my choice.”

The vice-commander’s face twisted with irritation.

“Do you really think that’s appropriate, coming from a criminal?”

“But just earlier, didn’t you say it yourself? ‘Whether these suspicions are true or not, we’ll find out through investigation.’ Wouldn’t it be premature to call me a criminal before the investigation’s even begun? Unless, of course, you’ve already decided the outcome and plan to make the evidence fit.”

“You insolent wench! Are you mocking me?!”

“That wasn’t my intent, but if that’s how it felt, I’ll offer my apologies.”

As she watched the vice-commander’s face flash through a rainbow of emotions, Dahlia thought absently—

Since when did I get so good at talking?

There was no need to search for the answer. It was obvious.

It had to be the result of all those endless conversations with him, that slippery serpent.

Even in this bleak situation, just picturing his face somehow lifted her mood a little, and Dahlia gave a bitter smile.

“You little...!”

The vice-commander looked deeply conflicted.

To accept her conditions would be a blow to his pride.

But forcing her to comply through violence would be risky—he couldn’t ignore the way she had just effortlessly restrained a knight.

In the end, he clicked his tongue and spoke as if chewing on a roach.

“Fine! I’ll grant your petty demands. Now comply with the investigation peacefully!”

Dahlia held out her hands. The knights bound them and began to escort her away.

The members of the 8th Platoon tried to stop her.

“Captain!”

“It’s fine. Just keep visiting. We need someone checking in from outside.”

They all looked like they had so much more to say, but seeing how composed she appeared, they had no choice but to nod.

That afternoon—

A strange rumor began to spread throughout Lebruk.

“Hey, did you hear? The Captain of the 8th Platoon got arrested.”

“What? Why?”

“They say all her success was because she was secretly working with Dauphin. That they planned it all together.”

“No way. That can’t be right.”

“Well, think about it. Isn’t it weird? How could a lowly guard captain do so well against Dauphin when even the knight order couldn’t catch him? It makes sense if she was faking it to raise her reputation. And now that the knight order’s involved, they say she started leaking info to sabotage them.”

“Hmm... yeah, I guess...”

“Honestly, I was always suspicious. If she was that capable, how come she never made a name for herself until after Dauphin showed up?”

The rumors were wildly skewed in favor of the knight order and distorted key facts about Dahlia. But once conspiracies started spreading in sync across various places, people began casting doubtful eyes, whether they believed it fully or not.

And upon hearing this news—

One man ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) muttered quietly.

“Well now. That’s quite the amusing little joke.”

But despite the words, his lips held no trace of a smile.

And watching from the shadows, the archdemon thought—

Ah. He’s pissed.