As result of a fierce competition over a coveted role, there was a lottery held amongst the knights. Lapis won the part by drawing lots and got to throw his glove. He triumphantly entered the Temple Knight’s headquarters, throwing and slapping his white glove against a knight’s cheek.
“I came to claim justice for the sin of harming our hostess. I demand a duel! A battle of knights against knights!”
“What? Is this fucking kid crazy?”
The knight who got hit with the glove spat out swear words.
“How dare you not know your place—a puppy should not provoke a guard dog. You caught me on a good day, I’ll break some bones and send you back where you came from.”
“Wait. Wait one moment.”
However, a fellow knight dissuaded him. They looked at Lapis’ clothes. A black camise was tightly fitted to his body. The hem was a royal blue, and he wore a gold brooch on his chest.
Among the knights rushing out, one recognized the garb. At that moment, they made shocked expressions. Usually, boys are not intimidating, but… … . As he was a Seed of the Black Lions Knights and a young boy… … .
“It’s Lapis, the best magician in the Empire, run!”
“Damn it, is it Lapis?”
At that moment, all the men who had attempted to run away floated in the air.
“Our Lord and leader, the High General, Lucerne, has a message:”
“Ugh! Ahh!”
“When you injure one, be prepared to lose a hundred.”
“… … .”
“I have cut down up to 400 monsters at one time. What about people?”
Lapis smiled softly.
“Let’s set a new record today.”
“Ughhh! Arghh!”
The bodies of the men floating in the air began to bloat and shrink as if they were under the pressure of the air. It was Lapis’ magic.
Bang! Bang! At the same time, as if someone was playing the organ cacophonously, all the equipment the knights were carrying fell to the ground with a pounding thud. The knight who was running to strike Lapis in front collapsed, peeing.
***
The reason Lapis was beating the Temple Knights with a ferocity was simple. Lucerne did not allow the knights to take vengeance and pretended to be indifferent in front of them when he threw the whip Elisha had stolen from her assailant. And Ian took it to investigate it and came in two weeks later, reporting:
‘This horse whip is an old whip that was temporarily distributed to the Temple Knights 4 years ago.’
The knights looked at each other and smiled with ferocity. Thirty knights, including the Seeds, were dispatched to the Temple Knights Headquarters the next day.
“It was Marco,”
Nora concluded.
“Yeah, so what happened to the guy who attacked the madam?”
“He was found escaping to the border. A temple knight with a cross scar on his face. He hid right away, but Ian said he got caught in a bar,”
Corinne informed. Lazri stood still. Soon, a loud noise started coming from the inside of the headquarters, where Lapis entered first.
“Let’s go!”
The knights grinned and ran inside with their swords. Soon terrifying screams rang out.
***
Elisha did not think that Lucerne would really follow her to the temple. The temple was as quiet as a dead mouse; she thought it was bizarre.
“There’s no one in the High Temple today. But it’s always noisy,”
Elisha remarked as she turned her head, observing a gigantic picture of Risralpho at the entrance to the main hall of the new building.
“It’s a day or two before Lunar Day, but the temple is quiet.”
“Well, they say Lunar Day is the most powerful day of the year. So everyone endures with hope until in two days time and goes back to their lives afterwards.”
“Do you believe that if you make a wish on a powerful day, it will come true?”
“No, if the world were that easy, everyone would pray every day. I’m just here because it’s a habit that gives me comfort.”
Elisha wasn’t very religious in the first place. For her, who grew up in a monastery, she dragged her feet when going to the temple.
But still, it put her mind at ease. The days she spent in the monastery was the most peaceful years of her life.
“Are you going to make a wish?”
Lucerne shook his head. He waited for Elisha to tour the temple.
He was such a great and high-ranking person; it was unfamiliar for him to show her patience like this.
In a previous life, people said that Lucerne was a cruel and cold man to everything. Except towards his own people. Elisha was a little delighted that she seemed to be getting closer to becoming one of Lucerne’s cherished confidantes.
