Summoned by the Heretics – Even in Another World, the Zealot Who Worships Death Remains an Outcast

He dressed up.

Contrary to his usual demeanor, Sukui was surprisingly adept at this sort of preparation.

He styled himself in an outfit that exuded luxury without crossing into ostentation.

“Not feeling up for this?” Horo asked, watching him with a hint of unease.

As he slipped on his jacket, Sukui smiled.

“No, it’s necessary.”

Sukui had attended countless gatherings with nobility, but today’s meeting felt different.

“One of the other ducal houses in the City of Onus—the head of that house, Akiten Gascogne. He’s the second most powerful person here, after the lord. Since he’s willing to meet with us, we should consider ourselves fortunate,” Sukui explained.

“That’s true…” Horo replied.

But that wasn’t quite what Horo wanted to say, and Sukui sensed this.

The discussion with Duke Akiten would likely revolve around military power and religion.

In terms of military strength, he rivaled the lord. The letter had openly stated his intention to recruit Sukui, likely impressed by his role in dismantling the organization.

Then there was the matter of religion. Like many nobles in this city, Duke Akiten was a devout follower of the god of love.

While this devotion wasn’t inherently concerning, its closeness to the bishop was. Among the nobles, it was well-known that Duke Akiten was particularly close to the bishop who led this love-centric faith.

The Rose Knights, a group under this religion, served essentially as Duke Akiten’s private militia, and they were rumored to be far more skilled than the lord’s Hen Knights.

Today’s discussion would likely focus on recruiting Sukui. Today’s meeting was with Duke Akiten and Bishop Mistol Gnus, the head of that religious order.

“It’s no different from Bainte. We’ll politely decline their invitation and keep further involvement to a minimum,” Sukui said.

“That sounds wise.”

Of course, Horo’s concern went beyond mere recruitment.

Sukui held little regard for other religions. As a devout follower of death, he viewed love and similar ideals as sources of inequality among the living.

While he didn’t dismiss other religions entirely, he wasn’t particularly fond of them, either.

And the feeling might be mutual.

Rumors of Sukui’s devotion to death had circulated among the nobility. In a world where most people worshiped gods representing various virtues, his belief in an abstract concept, rather than a deity, was seen as peculiar. Nonetheless, those who knew Sukui generally respected him.

Sukui was an outstanding young man, as long as people didn’t challenge his beliefs in death.

This time, however, he was meeting not just a noble but a bishop of a different faith.

And Duke Akiten didn’t have the best reputation.

“Religion itself isn’t bad. But some people misuse it,” Sukui would often remind Horo, trying to keep his perspective clear.

For Horo, it was a complicated subject.

He was a devout follower of the god of love, so committed that he had even received the deity’s blessing. With Sukui’s permission, he visited the church regularly and held the people he met there in high regard.

At the church, children would eagerly study doctrine and pray, and the clergy praised them warmly, impressed by their devotion.

While the teachings on self-sacrifice had, over generations, been twisted by those in power, the core tenet—living for others—remained intact.

The followers of the god of love were by no means bad people.

Given Horo’s past as a slave, his devotion to love had saved him, much as Sukui’s faith in death had saved Sukui.

Horo hoped to avoid seeing Sukui come into conflict with the bishop.

“I’ve heard negative things about Duke Akiten, but Bishop Mistol has a reputation for high character. Despite the rumors of corruption, I don’t think we need to worry about an outright confrontation,” Horo said, attempting to lighten the mood.

Though he felt some nerves at the prospect of meeting these prominent figures, Sukui approached the encounter as he would any meeting with nobility. He wasn’t here to forge connections, as he sometimes did; in fact, he intended to keep his distance.

Noticing Horo’s concerns, Sukui offered a reassuring word as they left their inn together.

The inn was quiet today. Mei and her father had recently spent more time at Sukui’s estate than at the inn.

Due to the distance, they were temporarily staying there to help with the village’s reconstruction. Mei’s father, considering relocating, seemed to be weighing his decision and getting accustomed to the place.

They boarded a reserved carriage and made their way to Duke Akiten’s residence.

Arriving at the mansion, Sukui was greeted by the expected retinue of servants. He returned their welcome with seasoned poise.

He had already memorized the layout of the mansion and the number of attendants. Sukui was nothing if not thorough.

As he passed through the grand entrance, he noticed a single man standing amid the attendants.

The man, likely around fifty years old, was short and portly, with a face and belly that suggested even walking might be a burden. He surveyed Sukui and Horo with an appraising gaze, then greeted them with a surprisingly gentle smile that didn’t quite match his rugged appearance.

“Welcome, and thank you for coming,” the man said.

It was Duke Akiten himself.

Sukui hadn’t expected him to be waiting at the door and was slightly taken aback, though he kept his expression controlled, raising his brows in mild surprise.

“I didn’t expect such a personal welcome. I appreciate the gesture,” Sukui said, bowing his head.

“No trouble at all,” the Duke replied with a satisfied smile.

Sukui’s reputation as a proud yet capable man didn’t quite align with the figure before him.

After acknowledging Sukui, the Duke turned and began walking further into the mansion without waiting for them to follow. Sukui walked alongside him, with Horo positioned to his other side.

An attendant opened a door, revealing a path through the courtyard.

It seemed they would pass through here. Sukui had intended to admire the well-maintained plants, but something else caught his attention.

“Are those the Rose Knights?”

The courtyard was lined with rows of knights in crimson armor, standing motionless.

They didn’t step onto the path but stood along its edges in an impressive display.

“Yes,” the Duke replied.

He wouldn’t have needed to say, “I know them well.”

Duke Akiten’s demeanor made it clear that he assumed everyone should be familiar with his personal knight order.

“This is the knight order under my patronage, part of the love religion. Their skill far surpasses that of the Hen Knights,” he boasted, his ample belly shaking with pride.

Having met the Hen Knights a few times at the lord’s request, Sukui thought to himself:

They’re in a different league.

In fact, the duke’s words weren’t an exaggeration—not only for Sukui but even Horo sensed the considerable gap in skill.

Even though the Rose Knights stood motionless in their armor, the mere sight of them spoke volumes to Sukui.

He couldn’t help but smirk inwardly, noting that these knights were also better equipped than their counterparts.

The Hen Knights were merely trained to serve the domain and held a far narrower concept of combat.

“You’re absolutely right.”

“Oh? Is it that obvious, even to a hero like yourself?”

“To be honest, comparing them would be an insult to the Rose Knights.”

At this, Duke Akiten let out a hearty, pleased laugh.

“Indeed, indeed! It would be offensive to liken them to those mere decorations.”

“Exactly. Even decorations should meet a certain standard of quality.”

As Sukui agreed, the duke’s laughter abruptly stopped.

For a moment, he seemed to consider something, and Sukui, observing him, revised his impression.

This man isn’t foolish, after all.

“You speak of decorative quality, but does the hero deem them mere decorations?”

By praising the Rose Knights while likening them to the Hen Knights, Sukui had subtly suggested that both orders were essentially ornamental.

While Sukui appreciated the duke’s perceptiveness, this wasn’t the point he was driving at. Nonetheless, it would likely become the focal issue.

“Indeed. The love religion, and by extension, Duke Akiten’s authority, can find good use for them as ornaments.”

Horo, a bit tense, hoped this wouldn’t be taken as an insult, but the duke seemed amused, laughing heartily.

“So you consider the Rose Knights purely for show?”

Despite Sukui’s subtle belittling of the Rose Knights, Duke Akiten seemed pleased.

“Well, as their patron, I can’t remain silent if they’re dismissed as mere decorations.”

With that, Duke Akiten clapped his hands.

Horo felt a sigh coming on. So it had come to this after all.

Yet he realized that this situation would likely have arisen even without Sukui’s provocation.

Duke Akiten undoubtedly wanted to witness Sukui’s strength and show off his own forces.

With these two goals in mind, a confrontation between Sukui and the Rose Knights was inevitable.

Sukui had anticipated this and, by subtly steering events, had wrested some control from the duke.

The exchange of words and power had already grown complex and nuanced. Horo remained silent, thoughtfully observing the situation.

“Well, I’d like to clear the tarnished reputation of my ‘decorations,’ though even the strongest among them wouldn’t pose much of a challenge to you.”

As if pondering a decision already made, the duke folded his arms in mock deliberation.

“Should I face multiple opponents, then? A knight order’s strength lies in numbers, after all. I could go barehanded if you prefer.”

The duke, slightly surprised by Sukui’s willingness to handicap himself, turned to one of his knights for input.

The knight spoke up, as if recalling something prepared in advance.

“Yes! I believe the hero had a ‘slave’ who supported him in that fight.”

The moment the knight uttered the word “slave,”

Before Horo could even react,

The knight, clad in his red armor, was blasted across the courtyard, colliding with a distant fountain. His armor shattered into pieces.

No one could process what had happened.

Only after seeing Sukui’s fist still extended to where the knight’s face had been moments before did they realize Sukui had struck him.

“My apologies.”

Taking out a handkerchief, Sukui casually wiped his hand.

“My relationship with her is one of equal comradeship. We are both here as the duke’s guests, or so I thought?”

There was no reason to regard her as a subordinate or a slave.

Sukui’s stance was unmistakable.

He would not yield on this point.

Duke Akiten’s gaze betrayed a faint trace of fear as he took in Sukui’s piercing eyes, though he quickly masked it.

Outwardly, the duke showed no reaction to Sukui’s sudden display of force.

However, he thought to himself, This won’t be an easy opponent.

“You’re correct. My subordinate misspoke while intending to honor both of you as heroes.”

The duke added that he would ensure the offending knight apologized later, revising his assessment of Sukui.

He noted that Sukui displayed more loyalty to his comrades than expected.

Sukui also considered the knight’s choice of words.

Had the term “slave” been used merely because Horo had played a supportive role? Or had the duke’s people discovered that Sukui had taken Horo from a slave market?

They both had much to ponder, but the task at hand was clear.

“By the way, it seemed as though your knight was about to suggest a match with Horo-san. Perhaps he had a friendly spar in mind?”

Hero Sukui and his partner, Horo.

If the Rose Knights could hold their own against Horo, whom Sukui regarded as an equal, Sukui might reconsider his stance on the order.

“Oh, that’s an excellent idea!”

Having anticipated the suggestion, the duke summoned a few of his knights.

“There’s no doubt about Horo-dono’s strength, given his role in dismantling that sinister organization alongside the hero.”

The match would be framed as an entertaining diversion.

The duke would watch alongside Sukui as their respective companions displayed their strength.

“I do hope it’s an exciting spectacle,” the duke said, considering the rules.

Ignoring him momentarily, Sukui turned to Horo.

“Think you’re up for it?”