Chapter 1: Preparing for Innovation

The Captain of the Royal Guard, Ludwin Arcs.

Though only in his late twenties, this excellent man was the captain of the Royal Guard, charged with leading the 40,000-strong Forbidden Army in times of crisis.

Ever since the Kingdom’s Forbidden Army and Army, Navy, and Air Force had been dismantled and reorganized as the National Defense Force, he’d been seen as the next in line to become Supreme Commander. He was currently training under the current Supreme Commander, Excel, as her second-in-command.

He was a handsome man with straight blond hair who came from a good family. He was also highly popular with the maids who worked in the castle. However, despite all that, there were never any rumors of him becoming involved with a woman, and he had once become troubled when weird rumors started to spread that he might swing the other way.

Speaking of weird rumors about Ludwin, there was one more: the rumor that his family finances were difficult.

That came from the fact that Ludwin, for some reason, was always eating at the cafeteria for the maids and guards who worked at the castle, as if he were trying to keep his expenses to a minimum. He came from a good family, held an important position, and received a good salary, so it was hard to imagine; but from time to time Ludwin was spotted eating the cheapest bun that the cafeteria offered.

In response to this, many theories were offered.

“He wants to share his men’s joys and sorrows by eating the same things they eat,” or “By being frugal, he is preparing himself for a time of crisis” were some of the more positive interpretations. But...