The story of the black silk female knight

Her rosy face was full of energy, her voluptuous figure stood tall and proud, and her delicate skin was as white as milk. She looked like a newlywed noblewoman who was not yet thirty years old, but she was actually about the same age as the king. She had used many expensive alchemical products to preserve her beauty and youth.

The person closest to the King and Queen is also a member of the royal family.

Seated to the King's left was the Crown Prince, who had given gifts to Valensa and Tia on New Year's Eve. He had already seen Valensa's arrival and gave her a friendly smile.

Sitting opposite the Crown Prince was Princess Elsers, who was also the first openly gay woman in the kingdom to do so in high society.

Her relationship with Valensa was clearly closer than with the Crown Prince; she even winked at Valensa when no one else was looking.

Next in line are the kingdom's high-ranking officials who are not members of the royal family, and Valensa doesn't know many of them.

Among them was Tia's father, Valensa's future father-in-law, the strategist. However, the strategist remained very calm, exchanging only a glance with Valensa before looking away, without conveying any further information to her.

Besides the strategist, another important minister of the kingdom that Valensa could recognize at a glance was a very burly man with a square face and a big beard.

This man was none other than General Pude of the Kingdom, who was also nominally the number one figure in the military.

However, compared to actual influence within the military and family power, the strategist's family, the Britannia family, still holds a significant advantage.

Because the main task of the Britannia family is to fight against the invasion of the northern wild beasts, which is also the biggest external enemy of the Kingdom of Fran, most of the actual military power is in the hands of the strategist, and his trusted subordinates are mostly battle-hardened soldiers.

Admiral Pude's sphere of influence was mostly in the south—the entire naval fleet of the Kingdom of Fran was under Pude's command, hence many people also referred to Pude as an admiral.

The Kingdom of Fran has no powerful enemies from the sea. The Four Islands Alliance, which is also a human nation, is Fran's best maritime shield. Therefore, Fran's navy is not large, and most of the time its mission is to escort missions and fight against sea monsters that have attacked humans many times.

Valensa knew this square-faced, bearded admiral because of her grandfather... Her grandfather and the previous generation's Pud were very close friends. After passing their positions to their respective sons, they called on several other friends to go on an expedition at sea, and their whereabouts remain unknown to this day.

Chapter 19 The King's Gift

Just as Valencia was about to look around to see if she recognized any of the other ministers, the King finally interrupted the two ministers who were arguing:

“I understand what you mean. We can discuss this matter later. Now it’s time to commend this young lady knight who saved the capital.”

The heated debate quickly subsided, and everyone's eyes in the council chamber immediately focused on Valensa.

Valensa showed no stage fright and gracefully knelt on one knee with the respect due to a knight to a king:

"Valenza Bader greets His Majesty the King, His Highness the Queen, His Highness the Crown Prince, and His Highness the Princess, and sends her regards to all esteemed guests."

"Haha... Get up, child."

The king was clearly in a good mood; even his dark circles, which had appeared to be from overwork, suddenly brightened.

"I can't believe it... It's only been a few years. The playful girl that Lord Wilson used to talk about, who only knew how to run around all day, has grown into such an outstanding knight... It's a pity that you gave up your right to inherit the Baldr family, otherwise the Baldr family might have returned to its peak under your leadership."

"Your Majesty, thank you very much."

Valensa replied humbly:

"In fact, it was precisely because I was free from the troubles of family affairs that I was able to focus on my cultivation and gain the ability to turn the tide in events."

If I really choose to inherit the Baldr family, I'll most likely end up like the other students, a sacrifice offered to the evil god.

"Give up complicated family affairs and focus on cultivation... Hmm."

The king nodded:

"I used to think that your decision to give up your responsibility as heir was an act of escapism, but now it seems that you have made a choice and realized your mistake, which is good."

You can't have your cake and eat it too. That's often how it is in life; you have to know when to give up in order to achieve success in the area that best suits you.

"Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty."

Valensa replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"By the way, can you tell me how you did it?"

The king then changed the subject:

"I read in the report that Valensa's strength should only be at the Pearl level, while the cultists you faced were a Star Glory and five Beacons, yet you managed to kill them all... This extraordinary achievement that completely defies common sense can only be described as a miracle."

The crown prince, the princess, and the ministers all cast curious glances at Valensa.

"My achievement is naturally related to the favor of Her Majesty the Goddess..."

Valensa chuckled and explained her victory in detail once again.

This time, however, she didn't mention her evil god bloodline. Instead, she focused on Moon Kiss's abilities, her precise control over the timing of her attacks, and the artifact bestowed upon her by the Sun Goddess.

"A divine artifact and a pseudo-treasure, and precise timing? Good!"

The king was overjoyed once again and did not hold back his praise:

"The fact that you were able to remain calm and make the right judgment even when the enemy's strength was so overwhelming is enough to prove the results of your year of training in the elite troop department of the War Academy! When you graduate, you will surely be another sharp sword that can cut down all evil!"

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty... It is my duty and honor to be the Sword of Fran."

Valensa quickly responded in a very enthusiastic manner.

"very good."

The king nodded with great satisfaction and finally got to the main topic of the day:

"Although Lady Valensha, you have given up your right to inherit the Badr family, it would be a great pity for such an outstanding young nobleman as you not to have a title."

Since its founding, the Kingdom of Fran has always adhered to the principle of meritocracy... It is precisely because of this that we have been able to stand firm and continue to grow stronger amidst various crises such as natural disasters, monsters, cultists, and revelers.

Those who have made contributions should be rewarded, and those who have talent should also be rewarded. Queen Valencia has both talent and merit. If she does not receive the reward she deserves, it would be a sign of my incompetence as king.

Valensa, you possess a face more beautiful and radiant than any flower, a chivalrous spirit as radiant as the sun, and a devout follower of the Sun Goddess…

Well then, I'll bestow upon you the title of Duchess Sunflower, granting you the same power and status as a Baron.

Furthermore, the royal family will bestow upon you a mansion in a prime location in the capital as your residence... What does Lady Valensa think?

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty. I will certainly fulfill the duty of the Sword of Fran and cut down all traitors and villains who disrupt the order of Fran!"

What could Valensa possibly say? Of course, she'd express her gratitude with pleasantries.

A duchess, a title equivalent to a baron, may not sound high, but it is actually quite good.

Because formal titles of nobility all come with fiefs, and the land in France is limited, so even a baronship is quite rare.

It's important to understand that even an outstanding soldier like Lambert, who fought on the battlefield for over twenty years, achieved countless merits, and suffered numerous injuries, only received a baronial title in the end, with his fiefdom being one of the most remote places in the kingdom, like Sergin Town.

Valencia's ability to obtain a formal knighthood through a single major achievement was primarily due to her status as a Knight of the Temple.

If she were just a commoner paladin, the king might reward her with more wealth, but he would never so easily grant her a title.

But... the king didn't seem to mention the fiefdom?

Didn't they say that duchesses and barons had the same rights and status? There are still differences!

While she was thinking to herself, Valensa naturally didn't show it on her face. In any case, even if the king really granted her a fiefdom, she wouldn't have time to manage it now.

If not, then there won’t be.

Valensa quickly composed herself and planned to leave after saying a few words of thanks.

But the strategist, who had been deliberately keeping his presence to himself, suddenly spoke up at this moment:

"Regarding the Sunflower Duchess's fiefdom, what are Your Majesty's plans for its arrangement?"

"Well..."

The king's expression visibly stiffened for a moment.

However, official titles are hereditary and come with fiefs. He had just said that Valensa, as a duchess, had the same power and status as a regular baron. Going back on his word now would be tantamount to slapping himself in the face.

However, after so many years of establishment and the granting of fiefs to so many nobles, the land has long been distributed, and even a baron would find it difficult to find a suitable fief now.

Left with no other option, the king resorted to stalling tactics and made a promise:

"Considering that Lady Valensa is currently still studying at the War Academy and should have no time to manage her fiefdom, that's why I didn't mention the fiefdom before."

However, I assure Lady Valensa on behalf of the Royal Family that once Lady Valensa graduates, or when a suitable fiefdom becomes available, I will make proper arrangements for her fiefdom.

So, what does Lady Valencia think?

Chapter 20: Leave a trace everywhere.

I don't really care!

Valensa thought to herself, then secretly exchanged a glance with the strategist.

After all, it's the strategist who's helping her get benefits, so we should stick to the strategist's opinion.

The strategist nodded slightly to Valensa.

It's fine to advocate for the younger generation's rightful benefits, but excessive pressure on the royal family will undoubtedly worsen the relationship between the Britannia family and the royal family, which would be counterproductive.

A personal promise from the king in front of so many important ministers is enough.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. You may decide everything."

Valensa understood immediately and answered obediently once again.

"it is good."

The king's slightly stiff expression immediately softened, and he smiled again.

"Then it's settled."

After that, there was another round of pleasant pleasantries between the monarch and his subjects, and Valensa had nothing more to do in the council chamber.

She quickly took her leave and declined the escort of the royal guards, leisurely strolling alone from the palace toward the Adventurers' Guild.

With the royal gift of a residence, Melina no longer needed to live in the staff dormitory, and Valensa no longer had to worry about her voice being too loud when she came to stay with Melina on her days off.

The residence bestowed by the royal family must be quite large, and it would certainly feel empty for Melina to live alone, and it would also be very troublesome to maintain.

So Valensa now plans to go to Melina, give her half of the gold coins she earned from the Nora Merchant Guild, and hire a few maids to manage the mansion.

Perhaps we could also include Suzuran, who is still living in a single apartment or sleeping directly in the lab, and just say that she is a private doctor we recruited. That would make more sense.

Furthermore, now that we have the intelligence privileges of the Inner Knights and a stable share of profits from the Nora Merchant Guild, there's no need for Melina to work at the Adventurers' Guild anymore. It's time for Melina to return to her proper profession and settle down as her personal maid.

With that in mind, Valensa quickly went to the Adventurers' Guild, called Melina out of her office while she was working, told her about these things, and asked for her opinion.

"Just do everything according to Miss's wishes."

Melina naturally had no objections, and after accepting the gold coins from Valensa, she confidently stated:

"Miss, please leave the affairs of the mansion to me. After I finish the handover of work here, I will immediately go and connect with the people from the royal family."

"In ten days at most, I will definitely arrange the mansion to Miss's satisfaction... By then, Miss's new school term should have started, and she can invite her close friends over to play on her days off."

"Well, once the house is finished, I'll definitely invite my friends over for a party, but..."

Valensa glanced around, and seeing that no one was paying attention to this corner, she suddenly giggled and wrapped her arms around Melina's slender waist:

"Compared to playing with friends, I prefer having fun with you, Melina, in the mansion... This is the first place that belongs to us, and I will definitely leave our traces everywhere in the mansion, such as by the windows, the stairwell, the kitchen, and the rooftop."

"...This is a public place! Please be mindful of your manners, young lady!"

Melina's face turned red. She first gave Valensa a stern reprimand before whispering:

"Yeah, I'll be looking forward to it."

Valensa wanted to strike while the iron was hot and get intimate with Melina again, but she was rejected.

"Of course I also want to serve you well, Miss."

Melina's face was still flushed, but her tone was very serious:

"But the more important thing now is to quickly contact the royal family... It would be impolite of us to wait for the royal family to come to us."

"Young lady, you wouldn't want to be fast asleep with your maid when royal envoys come knocking on your door, would you?"

"Gulp... Alright then."

Valensa had no choice but to give up, handing over the affairs of the mansion entirely to Melina before returning to the Church of the Sun.

When Valensa met Rika in Rika's office, she didn't hide anything and recounted everything that happened when she was summoned by the King.

"Pfft... This king is really cunning."

When Lika heard the king's promise to Valensa regarding the land grant, she immediately smiled.

"Why is His Majesty being so cunning, Sister Lika?"

Valensa asked, somewhat puzzled.

"And you claim to be from a legitimate noble family... how come you don't even know this?"