Virgin Knight Who Is the Frontier Lord in the Gender Switched World - Chapter 134

I felt that my heart, filled with jealousy, seemed terribly ugly.

The reason was clear; Lord Polydoro was unusually kind to that so-called Samurai—although, he had also shown a gesture as harsh as kicking her head with an iron boot. However, a knight’s kindness does not lie in not injuring his duel opponent.

If it were a serious match, even if the opponent were my lord, I would have to strike her down.

As warriors, both sides paid the utmost respect to each other, and that was the result of their duel.

Frankly, they were in a world of their own, and they saw me and Yue-dono as nothing but nuisances.

It was irritating.

I too wished to be thought of by Lord Polydoro in that way.

Lord Polydoro may not be aware of my feelings, but I want to create a small family with you.

It was frustrating that such a fragile heart could not be revealed.

However, the duty of a referee must be fulfilled.

Lord Polydoro, Yue-dono, and I left the samurai behind and started walking together again.

Naturally, we came across a superhuman again.

This superhuman was different from the previous foreigners, seemingly a compatriot from the Holy Gusten Empire.

Or rather…

“Köln?”

I muttered inadvertently.

She was not wearing a helmet.

She was a beautiful person with sparkling silver hair.

Her breastplate was engraved with the Cross and Circle emblem.

It’s an emblem that all followers of the Cologne Sect are permitted to use.

As you know, the Cologne Sect is insane.

There aren’t many knights who would willingly use such an emblem.

Normally, a knight would engrave her shield with her house’s emblem or a slightly modified version of it.

If someone were intentionally displaying the emblem of the Cologne Sect, it would mean…

“Are you a knight from the episcopal territory of the Cologne Sect?”

Lord Polydoro asked before me.

As you know, Lord Polydoro is also a follower of the Cologne Sect.

The answer came quickly.

“As you say, Lord Polydoro.”

The Cologne Knight replied.

“There are no other followers in the ‘Knights of the Mad Boar’ besides myself. Therefore, I am called ‘Köln.’ We only know each other by the names given or received from the likes of Duchess Temeraire or affectionate nicknames.”

A rather unusual order of knights.

And they gathered quite a number of eccentrics.

However, how is the Cologne Sect church mobilizing knights?

I wondered what their involvement was.

Lord Polydoro speculated first.

“Could it be that Duchess Temeraire is a follower of the Cologne Sect?”

The conversation seemed too far-fetched, and as much as Duchess Temeraire is a reckless person, she would not do such a thing.

A lord’s conversion affects not only himself but also his retainers, subjects, and even foreign relations.

It’s not something to be taken lightly.

However…

“Yes, as you surmised, she converted to the Cologne Sect about three years ago.”

Just as Lord Polydoro said.

Confusion appeared on my face.

What is Duchess Temeraire doing?

“I have not met her personally, but it was during Lord Reckenber’s lifetime. I still remember. Duchess Temeraire visited the bishopric of the Cologne Sect, consulting about her conversion and the reforms of her territory.”

The “Knight of Cologne” intertwined her fingers and muttered as if hiding the Cross and Circle on her breastplate.

“The catalyst was not because she sought a superhuman like myself, or someone who had been disowned or a samurai like you faced. Duchess Temeraire desired military reforms in her territory. She said that if we are to face the impending disaster, we must have the best military equipment of our era, and she would not hesitate to convert herself for that.”

I thought about what the disaster might be, but only one thing came to mind.

The nomadic horsemen nation that Lord Polydoro had sworn a geas about throughout Anhalt.

At the time, Lord Reckenber was alive, and according to Queen Katarina of Virendorf.

—Still, Duchess Temeraire and Lord Reckenber were connected.

Were Duchess Temeraire and Lord Reckenber worried about the western expedition of the nomadic horsemen nation three years ago?

It’s highly likely.

These thoughts were unstoppable, leaving me behind as Lord Polydoro and the Cologne Knight continued their conversation.

“You say she desired military reforms. Specifically, what?”

“The symbol of which is artillery. Duchess Temeraire desired the introduction of artillery as a military branch, using canister shots developed by the Cologne Sect, which are anti-personnel weapons, and the artillerywomen who fire them. The Falcon gun, which fired back at you, Lord Polydoro, is also one of the results.”

The state of firearm development by the Cologne Sect is something I, Alexandra, also know about.

In Anhalt, truly only a handful are aware of it.

Her Majesty Queen Liesenlotte, Her Highness Princess Anastasia, Duchess Astarte, and I, Alexandra, the captain of the First Princess’s royal guards, are truly only those who can influence the fate of the country.

Even the Second Princess, Lady Valiere, does not know about it.

However, as Duchess Temeraire is a central noble of the Holy Gusten Empire, it would be natural for her to know.

She must be more eagerly acquiring and utilizing central information than Anhalt or Virendorf.

If she is the source of information in the imperial capital, Lord Reckenber must have known everything.

“I believe you should ask Duchess Temeraire directly for details. I am not in a position to know everything. Most likely, she won’t answer you straightforwardly.”

Duchess Temeraire and Lord Reckenber.

Three years ago, what were they thinking, what were they trying to do?

I must find out somehow.

However, it would be difficult to obtain more information in this place.

After all, we must defeat that stubborn Duchess Temeraire.

“Then, I would like to ask about you. Why are you serving under Duchess Temeraire? From what I’ve heard so far, it doesn’t seem you were directly recruited.”

Lord Polydoro had given up on extracting any more military information. Instead, he shifted to uncovering her background.

“That’s correct. I wasn’t recruited; I came on the orders of the Cardinal of Cologne.”

“By the Cardinal’s orders?”

“Yes.”

Her voice was firm, devoid of any hesitation—a confident affirmation.

“I was born into a retainer family of the Cologne bishopric as a superhuman, and due to my abilities, I was knighted by the Cardinal. I was a knight to defend our lands and a clergyman of the bishopric—but I scolded Duchess Temeraire, who spoke only of worldly gains. She arrogantly demanded guns and cannons in exchange for money and conversion.”

Well, that was just like her. As much as she was dealing with a sovereign, any decent clergyman would likely take offense to her attitude.

“However, she retorted. ‘What else is there to need besides worldly gains, you rotten monks? I wouldn’t come to such a place willingly, you idiots, if you weren’t hoarding the formula for gunpowder. Do you not understand how others view the Cologne Sect? You maniacs who would twist even the words of the Holy Scripture!'”

In a way, Duchess Temeraire’s point was also valid. It was indeed valid.

“Where in the scriptures does it say, ‘The Redeemer shall crush heads like fruit and stop hearts forever with a punch, performing miracles’?” Duchess Temeraire was clearly in the right.

Where’s the fault in that? Lord Polydoro seemed perplexed, bewildered.

He was completely brainwashed by the Cologne Sect’s clergy.

“She spat in the cathedral and cursed our sect. ‘Hand over the cannons, you maniacs! It’s for the protection of the empire. I’m swallowing my pride to convert.’ That’s what Duchess Temeraire said, so the Cardinal made her investments in conversion and added one demand.”

“And what was that?”

“To assign a watchdog. That’s me.”

The Cologne Knight gestured to herself.

You, with no tragic past like the “Disowned” or the “Samurai”?

Probably not.

“Essentially, I’m not sworn in absolute loyalty to Duchess Temeraire like my colleagues in the ‘Knights of the Mad Boar.’ I’ve never met Lord Reckenber. I am somewhat perplexed by the current situation.”

Firmly, the Cologne Knight declared she held no particular loyalty. Her voice was cold, without any hint of doubt.

Ah, I see.

“My role as a watchdog is to kill her immediately if there is any falsehood in her words about ‘protecting the empire.’ No matter how much I might be chopped up by my colleagues, I must fulfill my duty.”

The knight before me was, in a way, insane—sent by the Cologne Sect as an executioner for worst-case scenarios.

If it meant eliminating the sect’s enemies, she would do anything necessary.

Yet…

“So, I’d like to say there’s no reason for me and Lord Polydoro to conflict.”

True to the Cologne Knight’s words.

If that was the case, there was no reason for us to be in conflict.

Yue-dono and I exchanged glances, signaling Lord Polydoro to move on. But…

“That won’t do. I wish to perform the ‘Heart Punch Ritual.'”

Out of Lord Polydoro’s mouth came the name of some clearly deranged ritual.

Yes, I had a bad feeling.

I’d had a bad feeling ever since I saw that Cross and Circle emblem of the Cologne Sect.

“As a knight of the Cologne Sect, you wish to perform the ‘Heart Punch Ritual.’ Very well, I shall accommodate you.”

They were moving the conversation forward on their own.

I didn’t want to hear it.

I really didn’t want to hear it.

“Lord Polydoro, what is the ‘Rite of Heart-Striking’?” I ended up asking.

There it was—I asked it. Yue-dono gave me a look that screamed, “Really, you’re going to ask that now?”

As witnesses, it would be troubling to start something we knew nothing about.

There seemed to be no other choice.

“It originates from a biblical anecdote. As you know, Alexandra-sama, the Savior had many disciples. One day, one of those disciples doubted the Savior’s miracles, claiming that once a person is dead, they cannot be brought back to life. I have heard that the Savior had resurrected people before, but she insisted that such things were impossible.”

Was there really a story about a disciple who doubted? I hadn’t read the entire Bible, so I couldn’t say for sure.

“In front of many senior disciples and people, the Savior responded, ‘If you cannot believe, then I will show you here and now.’ She then struck the doubting disciple’s heart very forcefully. The disciple fell backward, her heart stopped. ‘Striking the heart can stop it forever,’ the Savior demonstrated this miracle right there. The disciple died.”

Lord Polydoro seemed to believe it, but that wasn’t a miracle—it was simply violence.

“Next, the Savior said, ‘She has stopped breathing. Her eyes are rolled back. Check if the disciple is truly dead.’ The people checked and confirmed that she was indeed dead, just as the Savior had said.”

That wasn’t really the time to be checking.

“The Savior then declared, ‘Let me resurrect this heretic who doubted God.’ She shouted, ‘Disciple, I say to you, rise!’ and struck the disciple’s heart forcefully again.”

That sounded more like he was beating him again.

“The disciple did not get up.”

That was expected.

“The Savior said it was a joke. Then, he shouted once more, ‘Disciple, I say to you, rise!’ and hit her heart hard again.”

Yue-dono muttered, “I don’t think that’s something to joke about,” but Lord Polydoro ignored her.

He was utterly serious.

“The disciple didn’t move.”

Was that really written in the Cologne Sect’s Bible?

“The people began to murmur, and even the senior disciples looked doubtful. ‘Can she really be resurrected?’ The Savior said, ‘Let me be clear. The third time will always succeed in resurrection. There’s a trick to it, trust me.’ The Savior then shouted for the third time, ‘Disciple, I say to you, rise!’ and struck the disciple’s heart forcefully.”

It didn’t seem like a matter of technique.

“And what do you know? The disciple was resurrected. Her stopped heart began beating, she started breathing, and tears flowed from her eyes which had rolled back. The Savior indeed performed a miracle of resurrection. The resurrected disciple apologized for doubting the Savior’s miracles.”

By now, everyone wanted to say it was not so much that “the Savior had brought the disciple back to life” but rather that “the Savior had nearly killed her disciple by mistake.”

“This tale teaches that God will forgive her followers up to three times for their doubts, welcoming and raising them up again if they repent. It’s indeed a moving story of the merciful Savior.”

I couldn’t care less how insane the Cologne Sect was, but that aside.

“So, how does this anecdote relate to the ‘Rite of Heart-Striking’?”

I had to ask, not that I wanted to.

“It essentially originated from this anecdote. It’s a ritual combat practice among the knights of the Cologne Sect, who, if forced into conflict, strike each other targeting the heart. If one dies from the heart stopping, there are no hard feelings. Simultaneously, the victor must wholeheartedly attempt to resurrect the fallen opponent.”

This must be their way of minimizing damage among the faithful.

At worst, only one person would die.

I understand the rationale, but I still had to say it clearly.

“Is the Cologne Sect out of their minds?”

Before I could speak up, Yue-dono voiced it out.

And neither Lord Polydoro nor the Cologne knight paid us any heed.

“Let’s go, Knight of Cologne!”

“Come at me, Lord Polydoro!”

Ignoring our cries to stop, the duel began.

Within a minute, Lord Polydoro’s iron fist plunged into the chest armor of the Cologne knight, striking right over the heart.

And then—the Cologne knight fell backward.

Yue-dono and I rushed over in a panic to try and resuscitate her.