A golden lion, symbolizing unbreakable courage, roared bravely.
The knights, clad in armor that glittered with a faint golden hue, walked along the road with their backs straight and their shoulders wide, looking dignified.
The horses they rode were all big and sturdy, and among them was one that was as majestic as Caliban.
The knights arrived at the wall and dismounted, quietly looking around.
The people were injured and limping everywhere, but their eyes were full of vitality.
The leader of the knights, who was wearing a helmet, tilted his head slightly, as if he was surprised by this.
No one had the guts to face the courageous knights head-on, so they all moved aside discreetly.
This naturally created a strange scene where Ruon and Colin, who were sitting on a supply box, were confronted by the knights.
In the suffocating atmosphere, Colin also quietly left his seat, leaving only Ruon behind.
He took the half piece of potato that Colin had left on his seat, dipped it in salt, and put it in his mouth. Then he looked at the knights with curiosity.
The three-dimensional face mask, shaped like a lion’s head, hid their expressions, but he could feel their gaze from behind the two eye holes. They looked like wicked bastards.
As Ruon smiled fiercely and faced them, the lord of the castle started to come down the stairs of the wall.
“The knights of courage have arrived!”
He was so eager that he almost tripped over his own feet several times, but he somehow managed to balance himself and approached the knights.
The tense atmosphere eased as the lord appeared, and the people breathed a sigh of relief.
And they snickered. It was supposed to be a meeting between the heroes who defended the city and the knights who came to protect them, but why was it so fierce?
“You’ve had a hard time coming all this way.”
The lord raised his fist to his left chest and bowed his upper body slightly, showing respect. The knight who seemed to be the representative also took the same posture.
Without taking off his helmet, let alone his face mask, the knight answered.
“The Order remembers the sincerity that you have shown for a long time. And we know very well that what El Tigre needs most right now is courage.”
The lord smiled brightly at his words.
“That’s a good thing to say. Since Mercy has saved us from despair, if we add courage on top of that, there will be nothing to fear.”
He said that and looked alternately at Ruon, who was sitting behind him, and Kyle, who was stuck to the wall.
Whether the lord intended it or not, the soldiers around him soon began to chant Ruon and Kyle’s names.
As the noise subsided, the knight spoke.
“As you said, we need some rest because we ran without stopping. The battle seems to be in a lull, so can you give us a place to talk about the situation?”
The lord nodded his head readily at the polite request.
“My mansion is too big and there are still empty rooms. You can relax there.”
The lord winked, and a man who looked like an officer stepped forward.
“Follow me.”
As the officer led them, the knights walked away slowly, and the crowd began to buzz.
It was a buzz of excitement and relief, sharing the fact that they had seen the famous knights of courage up close and that they had one more ally.
Then Colin, who had been far away, came to Ruon’s side.
“Are we going to live under the same roof with them now? They won’t kick us out of the guest room, will they?”
The answer was not from Ruon, but from Kyle, who had come down from the wall.
“Do you like the guest room that much?”
“A clean and soft bed is all I need.”
Until then, Ruon, who had been watching the knights go away, turned his head and asked.
“Do you feel anything?”
Kyle, who seemed to understand the point of the question, stroked his chin and thought for a while, then shook his head.
“I can’t tell from the outside. It may sound obvious, but I didn’t feel any evil aura like I did with Belthuzias or Yoram.”
“I see.”
That was the same for Ruon.
He didn’t have a good first impression because of the various circumstances that smelled fishy, but they didn’t look like the masterminds who instigated the Great Demon. At least not for now.
He had no choice but to go and see.
Ruon brushed off his seat and got up. He couldn’t find any great answers by sitting here and rolling his eyes. As always, he preferred to confront them directly.
“Let’s go in, too.”
***
Contrary to Colin’s worry, the party was not kicked out of the guest room.
The lord gave them the whole annex attached to his mansion for the convenience of the knights, who were close to thirty in number.
The lord treated the knights of Gannicus with sincerity, but at the same time, strange rumors began to spread.
The rumor started from the mouths of the servants who were assigned to the annex.
The knights don’t take off their armor even inside the building. Not even their helmets.
It was cumbersome to put on and take off the armor, and in this wartime situation, it was possible to wear it at all times in case something happened, but it was definitely strange not to take off the helmet.
Moreover, they refused to be served and drove the servants out of the annex, so the rumor grew faster.
The rumor that the knights were acting strange soon led to the conclusion that they were monsters impersonating the holy warriors. It took less than half a day to reach that point.
“How dare you ruin the mood with such nonsense?”
The lord, whose anger reached the tip of his head, severely punished those who spread the rumor, but it was too late to stop the word from spreading.
As the day turned to night.
In the quiet night where even the insects held their breath, Ruon, who was standing on the balcony as usual, saw a knight walking out of the annex across from him. As the servants said, he was still fully armed and looked like the person who had talked to the lord.
Did he feel the gaze on him?
The knight slowly lifted his head. The face mask that resembled a lion was pointed right at Ruon.
In the cold silence, the two stared at each other. The first to act was the knight. He stretched out his arm and snapped his fingers twice with his iron glove, then disappeared into the darkness.
What?
Ruon smiled faintly at the provocative gesture of his opponent and jumped off the railing.
After that, he walked along the ground that was paved with gravel and hardened, and saw a splendidly carved fountain. Around it, there were fragrant trees that had taken root, but they looked out of place and isolated.
The knight, who was leaning against one of them, said to Ruon, who was approaching him.
“Isn’t it ridiculous? Installing a fountain outside in such a cold region. You won’t be able to use it most of the time, except for the summer.”
Ruon shrugged his shoulders as he glanced at the frozen water in the fountain.
“I guess he has a lot of money.”
The knight nodded at the dry retort.
“That’s right. Lord Kemer owns two mines that are famous for their rich iron ore. And he is a well-known person who invests his wealth without sparing it. Thanks to him, El Tigre might still be holding on.”
Ruon chuckled.
“You talk more than I thought.”
The knight, as if he had been waiting for that, drew his sword from his waist. Then he said.
“Warrior, I ask you. Did you truly give Belducius eternal death?”
By then, Ruon was feeling a sense of incongruity. He felt respect, not hostility, from the person who pointed his sword at him.
That’s why he answered without knowing it.
“…Yeah, I killed him.”
As soon as the words were over, the knight slammed his sword to the ground and bent one knee.
What is he doing?
Ruon frowned at the unexpected situation, and the knight said.
“O you who have slain the first traitor. I thank you on behalf of the silent order.”
He thought he might jump up and swing his sword like a madman, but there was no sign of that from his politely bowed head.
Feeling something complicated, Ruon scratched his head and said.
“Get up first, huh? We have something to talk to each other, I guess.”
Then the knight got up and dusted himself off. He looked around for a moment and said calmly.
“This doesn’t seem like a place to have a conversation. If you don’t mind, can I go to your room?”
Kyle, who was wiping the dirt on his armor with a dry towel, was startled and shouted when Ruon and the knight came in as the door opened.
“How did the person on the balcony get in there? And what did you bring behind you?”
Colin, who was lying on the sofa and drinking alcohol, also got up quickly.
“I thought I could rest comfortably now… What’s going on?”
Ruon ignored the two’s words and casually sat down on the floor. The knight who followed him also took a seat on the floor without a word. Kyle and Colin scratched their heads and approached.
The first to break the silence was the knight.
“I apologize for coming in at such a late hour.”
Kyle made a nervous expression at the polite tone.
“It sounds like Igor would be under the helmet… The dissonance is too strong.”
Then Ruon said abruptly.
“Skip the small talk. There are two things I’m curious about right now. The first traitor and the silent order. I need an explanation for these two sentences. Can you tell me?”
The silent knight nodded.
“I can. But before I answer, I think it’s right to introduce myself first.”
He raised his fist to his chest and said.
“My name is Aslan.”
Not someone from somewhere, but a plain greeting. The others also said their names and finished their introductions.
After that, the knight, Aslan, looked at Colin, who was sniffling his nose, with an awkward expression.
“Can I trust this person?”
Ruon looked at the deserter who was swallowing his saliva and said.
“He’ll listen.”
“…Why are you putting so much weight on me?”
“Well, the great demon?”
Colin slapped his forehead with a thud and muttered.
“Yeah, it’s not strange to be with people like you.”
He nodded his head as if he had made up his mind.
“Life is too short to hesitate. We have fought back to back, so why not go all the way?”
Ruon gave a shrug to Aslan.
“I see.”
Aslan seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if his answer was not enough, but then he opened his mouth.
“Then I will answer your question first. The first traitor refers to Belducius. He was the one who betrayed Ganax first, and he was also the priest of the Order.”
Ruon and Kyle nodded quietly, as they already knew this, but Colin gasped involuntarily and quickly covered his mouth.
The story continued.
“The silence of the Order is literal. Ruon, Kyle… Even though you cleared our shameful past, Ganax will never be grateful.”
Kyle asked.
“Did Ganax already know? That their priest had forsaken the god and become the great demon?”
Aslan shook his head. A gloomy voice came from inside the iron helmet.
“Not everyone knows. It’s a long history.”
Then Ruon, who had been rubbing the carpet with his palm, muttered to himself.
“I don’t understand why they left him alone, even though he was once the priest of the Order and became the great demon. Is silence the courage that your god cries out for?”
At that, a low laugh came from inside the helmet. The rumbling sound was like a wounded lion’s growl.
“It’s more precisely the courage to see the truth. The Order likes to call it that. Would you believe it if you saw this world as a lie as your faith in him deepened?”
There was a strange madness in his sarcastic murmur. Soon he said.
“…I turned my back on him willingly before it was too late. Burning all the divine power I had accumulated in my life.”
Aslan took off his helmet as he finished speaking.
Everyone’s faces hardened as they saw his bare face.
There was a man’s face twisted grotesquely.
