Right next to the imperial capital of the Andras Empire, a separate small castle was designated for the Holy Knight and a select few of his direct subordinates.
In the training grounds of that castle, Holy Knight Bryden was once again engrossed in his training, swinging his sword from early morning.
However, unlike his usual smooth and refined movements, his sword strikes today were heavy and fierce, as if filled with emotion.
Thud!
A straw scarecrow, having reached the limit of its durability, burst apart with a dull sound under Bryden’s strike.
As if venting his frustration, Bryden kicked at the scattered straw on the ground.
Lately, his mood had been far from pleasant.
It all started when, during the Holy Knight appointment ceremony—an event watched by the entire world—his sacred sword failed to shine.
The Empire had tried to downplay the incident, claiming,
“This has happened from time to time throughout history.”
But as far as Bryden knew, there had been no such cases in recorded history.
Others also seemed skeptical of the Empire’s statement.
Since that day, noblemen had been looking at him with scrutinizing, evaluative gazes.
Bryden despised those looks.
He had been perfect in every way since birth—not only in martial prowess but also in character and appearance.
He was always the one who judged others, not someone to be judged.
Before the ceremony, those same people had been eager to flatter him, offering their hands in friendship.
But now, they seemed subtly hesitant, as if keeping their distance.
That change infuriated him.
Fortunately, it wasn’t long before an opportunity arose for him to prove his worth.
An unusual phenomenon had occurred in Mount Presia, causing an abnormal surge in gargoyle appearances.
As soon as Bryden heard the news, he informed the imperial court that he would personally handle the situation.
No matter how many gargoyles appeared, he was confident he could defeat them all.
If he displayed his full power, it would silence those who questioned his worth.
To ensure he had reliable witnesses, he brought along members of his direct subordinates, The Goddess’s Sword, and, under the guidance of an imperial mage, climbed to the mountainside.
But what he found was a completely cleared-out gargoyle nest.
More than a hundred people had mobilized for this mission, including his lover, Celine.
Yet, instead of a glorious battle, they had merely taken a pointless hike up the mountain.
Since that day, even his subordinates seemed to view him differently.
Rumors began to spread. “Perhaps he has been abandoned by the Goddess,”
“Maybe the Goddess refused to grant him power because he is an unworthy Holy Knight,”
“He just wanted to take credit for an easy victory and dragged his men along for nothing.”
As whispers grew behind his back, Bryden became increasingly stressed, and naturally, he took out his frustration on the training scarecrows.
“Bryden, your sword is too rough.”
The one person who remained a source of comfort was his lover, Celine—an apprentice knight of The Goddess’s Sword.
She was a striking young woman with a strong presence, her long crimson hair resembling burning flames.
Though technically still an apprentice, she had only recently joined the order.
Even so, her swordsmanship was already among the best in the unit.
What made Celine truly terrifying was that she excelled in archery as well, leaving her with no apparent weaknesses in battle.
Immediately recognizing the excessive force in Bryden’s strikes, Celine approached him.
“Is it because of the rumors going around?”
“…Yeah. No matter how much I try to ignore them, it’s easier said than done.”
“Don’t let it get to you. I know better than anyone that those rumors have nothing to do with the real you. Isn’t that enough?”
“That makes me happy, but it’s not enough. If my reputation falls, people will no longer find reassurance in the name of the Holy Knight. That means I must always be exceptional—flawless in every way, both in martial and scholarly pursuits. And I am the only one capable of bearing that burden.”
“At this rate, you’ll exhaust yourself. Take a break sometimes. I’m right here with you.”
“Celine…”
The two lovers shared a soft kiss.
Celine, her face slightly flushed, smiled as she gently cupped Bryden’s cheek.
“Still, nothing beyond a kiss, huh?”
“Mmm… Sorry. I can’t help but wonder if the reason my sacred sword didn’t shine during the ceremony was that the Goddess is punishing me for having a lover despite being a Holy Knight.”
Although Bryden knew that past Holy Knights had lovers, wives, and even children, the recent rumors had made him more self-disciplined than ever.
“Haha, I’m just teasing. I’m not upset. Anyway, it’s only a matter of time before everyone realizes you are the true Holy Knight. When that time comes, you’ll have to make up for it by holding me tightly, okay?”
“I promise.”
The two continued their affectionate moment.
Just then, the administrator in charge of The Goddess’s Sword’s operations hurriedly entered the training grounds where Bryden stood.
“Sir Holy Knight, there you are. I have urgent news. The Kingdom of Pratea has secretly requested the deployment of the Holy Knight and The Goddess’s Sword.”
“The kingdom? What’s happening that they need both the Holy Knight and The Goddess’s Sword?”
“You’ve heard of the city of Liberta, haven’t you?”
As Bryden and Celine nodded, the administrator explained the situation.
“Recently, a noble lady from the kingdom led a group of mercenaries to Liberta, demanding that the residents vacate the area as part of a purification project.”
“A Liberta purification project? The kingdom has attempted those before. That doesn’t seem particularly unusual.”
“That’s just it… The Liberta residents fought back, slaughtering the mercenaries and causing the noblewoman to go missing. Fewer than five of her men survived. The kingdom, enraged, has now labeled Liberta as a rebel faction and is preparing to crush them with military force. However, mobilizing the royal army would alert the opposition, so they’ve opted for a smaller, elite force—hence, their request for your deployment.”
Bryden placed a hand on his chin, deep in thought.
“The Kingdom of Pratea has a deep faith in the goddess. The nobles there are said to be recognized even by the goddess herself, so attacking the kingdom’s nobility is tantamount to attacking the goddess… That is sufficient justification for us to take action. But you say the kingdom’s noble lady is missing? What is her name? Are there any clues?”
“According to witnesses, three assailants were seen abducting the lady. Given the circumstances, it’s highly likely that the rioters from Liberta kidnapped her to demand ransom. The missing person is Lady Lenis Valentine of the Valentine Count’s family—”
“What?!”
Bryden and Celine shot up from their seats and shouted in unison.
They exchanged panicked looks before Bryden urgently barked orders.
“We are setting out immediately! Celine! Gather the troops! We must go to Liberta!”
“Understood! I’ll notify them right away!”
Spurred on by Bryden’s intense urgency, the Holy Sword unit was assembled in an instant, and without any delay, they set off for Liberta as discreetly as possible.
After nearly ten days of travel, we finally reached the outskirts of Baron Vector’s territory.
Fatigue had built up significantly during the journey, leaving not only Lenis but also Ravi and Elfin visibly exhausted.
“F-Finally, a city… We can finally get some proper rest…”
Ignoring Lenis’s emotional outburst, I took the lead and handed her the mask and hood I had used back in Liberta.
“Lenis, wear this.”
“Huh? Why should I wear something like this? This is my own country!”
“Publicly, you’ve been declared kidnapped by us. If you walk around with your face fully visible, we’ll be mistaken as kidnappers and thrown into a dungeon before we can even gather any information.”
“Mistaken? I get why Ravi and Elfin would be, but you actually are a kidnapper. How can you say that with a straight face—”
“Just put it on.”
I forcibly pushed the hood and mask onto Lenis and started moving toward the city.
Since Ravi and Elfin also had rather eye-catching appearances, they, too, pulled their hoods low before following behind me.
Baron Vector’s territory was unfamiliar to me, but at least the city itself had existed in the game.
I made my way to a reasonably sized inn, took a seat at a table in the first-floor dining area, and ordered food.
As the innkeeper brought the food, the three of them ate with their hoods still on, while I stopped the innkeeper for a moment.
“Hey, innkeeper. I have a few things I’d like to ask. I’m a traveler, but it seems like there’s been a lot of buzz lately.”
I slid a small amount of money toward him across the table, and he immediately caught on.
“Haha, well, rumors never stop circulating. What would you like to know?”
“It sounds like Liberta has been in turmoil lately. Did something happen there?”
“Ah, Liberta? Oh dear, don’t even get me started. I heard there was a massacre there recently.”
“A massacre?”
“From what I’ve heard, the young lady of the Valentine family led troops there, but those crazy bastards in Liberta kidnapped her and slaughtered all the soldiers. Only two or three of them managed to survive, apparently…”
Freeze.
Lenis, upon realizing that the soldiers she had led were almost entirely wiped out, stopped eating, her hands trembling.
“I see. A tragic event indeed. So, what happened to the Liberta culprits responsible for the massacre? Did they all escape?”
“Huh? Oh, you’ve got it mixed up. The massacre wasn’t just about those soldiers dying.”
“…?”
“After that incident, our Baron Vector recommended to the royal court that they dispatch the Crusaders and the Holy Sword unit. The royal court accepted his request, and they sent them to Liberta…”
It must have happened in the few days we spent traveling from Liberta to Baron Vector’s territory.
Unlike us, who had been traveling on foot the entire way, they likely had access to teleportation, which would have made their arrival much quicker.
“Apparently, the Crusaders completely burned Liberta to the ground and killed everyone there. Our Baron even actively assisted them at the scene. Thanks to that, that damned Liberta has finally been wiped off the map!”
“…The Crusaders erased Liberta? And the Baron assisted them on-site?”
None of us continued eating.
Ravi, Elfin, and Lenis all exchanged shocked glances, their faces pale.
The one who had urged Lenis to go to Liberta in the first place was Baron Vector.
Yet now that Lenis had gone missing, instead of feigning ignorance, he had proactively suggested to the royal court that they send the Crusaders—and then personally assisted in the massacre?
He hadn’t even confirmed whether Lenis was truly dead.
If she was alive and told her father everything, he’d be implicated immediately.
He said he wanted to use this for his own advancement, but his actions didn’t match his words at all.
At that moment, my suspicions turned into certainty.
There was definitely something off about Baron Vector.