Side Story: The Lusanso Knights

(Note: The country where Sato resides is the Kingdom of Grylan. This side story takes place in a different nation.)

The Lusanso Knights

The Lusanso Knights—an elite order composed only of the finest warriors in the Lusanso Republic, renowned even in other nations. They represent the nation’s ultimate military strength, and every child born in the Lusanso Republic dreams of joining them at least once. However, the harsh reality is that most people abandon this dream, unable to keep up with the unforgiving standards required to enter.

Simply being skilled in combat isn’t enough. No matter how much effort one puts in, without innate talent, even standing at the gates of the Lusanso Knights is impossible. This is what it means to be part of the greatest fighting force of the Republic.

Within this elite order, only the most exceptional six knights are appointed as captains. The existence of six captains means that the order is divided into six divisions, and these captains are revered as the Six Heroes of the Republic.

However, becoming one of the Six Heroes does not mean they can rest. These captains are in constant rivalry, leading their specialized divisions across the nation, pursuing achievements in a relentless struggle for supremacy.

The reason for this is simple: among the Six Heroes, only one can become the Vice Commander of the Lusanso Knights. This position is effectively a stepping stone to becoming Commander, granting not only immense wealth, power, and prestige, but also ensuring that their name will be immortalized in history as a legendary hero of the Lusanso Republic.

With such an all-encompassing reward at stake, the Six Heroes have no time for rest. They must constantly prove themselves, sharpening their skills in an unending cycle of competition and growth.

Of course, it’s not only the captains who are obsessed with achieving results. Every knight in the six divisions understands that their fate is tied to this competition. Each time a new Vice Commander is chosen, all six captains are replaced, and the next captains are selected from the knights who have achieved the greatest results within their respective divisions.

Thus, from the moment one aims to join the Lusanso Knights, the struggle is relentless. And even after making it into the order, the real battle has only just begun.

This absolute meritocracy is precisely why the Lusanso Knights are feared and respected across nations.

The Outlier of the Lusanso Knights

Yet, amid this unyielding system, a single outlier emerged.

Throughout the order’s history, there had always been only a handful of female knights. Yet, for the first time ever, one of these women was appointed as a captain.

As previously mentioned, the Lusanso Knights function under a strict meritocracy, so there was no discrimination against female knights—provided they had the skill to back it up.

However, the newly appointed female captain had the worst track record among all knights in her division.

Despite this, she was appointed as a captain due to the strong will of the Commander.

Rumors immediately spread throughout the Lusanso Knights, filled with vicious speculation—whispers that she was merely the Commander’s mistress, or that she was appointed due to growing political pressure for inclusivity. The accusations were endless, and the resentment within her division was palpable.

Naturally, her Second Division was filled with discontent, their discipline crumbling as their morale reached an all-time low.

And yet—they did not lose.

Not only that, but under her leadership, the Second Division consistently outperformed the other divisions in terms of results.

Other divisions gradually began to acknowledge their achievements. However, her own subordinates never accepted her.

The reason was clear: she, personally, had not achieved much.

Her knights believed that their success was purely due to luck, that their division had naturally gathered strong warriors, and they resented the idea that their captain would take credit for their efforts.

With each passing day, their discontent grew, until it finally erupted into a full-blown boycott.

Even then, the Commander refused to remove her from her position.

However, the female captain herself had been enduring this rejection for far too long. The boycott was the final blow. Her spirit was broken.

Even as the Commander desperately tried to persuade her to stay, her resolve did not waver—she resigned from the Lusanso Knights.

“We may have just lost the greatest Commander in our history… This is the price of an unyielding meritocracy.”

The Commander’s murmur went unheard, fading into the air like an unspoken regret.

The Second Division soon received a new captain and resumed operations.

However, their once-impressive results disappeared entirely.

To outsiders, the reason was obvious: their previous captain had been the reason for their success.

And yet, not a single knight within the Second Division realized this.

The Downfall of the Lusanso Knights

Some time later, a new magic order emerged within the Lusanso Republic.

With the rise of magic warfare, the Lusanso Knights quickly lost their status.

Stripped of their former glory, they faced rapid decline, despite their centuries-long history of dominance.

By the time the knights realized their fate, it was far too late.

And so, the once-proud Lusanso Knights—a name that once shook nations—was doomed to fade into history, a mere shadow of its former self.

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