The Former Holy Knight. Having Lost My Job and Childhood Friend, I Decided to Start a Dark Guild - Chapter 1

I had two prides in my life.

The first was the honor of belonging to the esteemed Royal Holy Knights, tasked with safeguarding the capital’s peace and apprehending vile heretics, a privilege bestowed only to those clad in platinum armor.

The second was my childhood friend, Saintess Cecil Wave, who also served as the captain of the Holy Knights.

I never imagined that this irreplaceable pride would slip from my grasp simultaneously.

I had a bad feeling ever since Deputy Captain Nadale summoned me. When I arrived at the appointed office, Nadale was waiting for me alone.

“Seventh Battalion, Leon Stein, reporting!”

Even after my introduction, Nadale, seated, remained silent, scrutinizing me. Finally, when he spoke, I did not miss the semblance of a smile on his cheek.

“Leon Stein. I hear you’re an old acquaintance of Saintess Cecil, our Holy Knights’ captain.”

“Yes. We have known each other since childhood.”

“I’ve heard rumors that you and Saintess Cecil are secretly in love. Is that true?”

It wasn’t a question that could be answered with a simple yes or no, leaving me at a loss for words. Naturally, one must take a vow of chastity upon joining the knights. This vow essentially forbids any romantic engagements while serving as a knight. Of course, Cecil and I made that vow on the day of our induction ceremony.

Yet, Cecil had personally told me she wished to marry me once my service as a knight was concluded, a proposal I had accepted. I didn’t want to lie, but I was at a loss for words.

Nadale then turned his attention to a piece of paper on the table and asked another question.

“Leon Stein, how old are you?”

“Nineteen, by count.”

“I’ve heard you have yet to manifest any abilities. Is that true?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

Nadale snorted at my response. “So, you’re incompetent.”

There was no denying it.

Even if not to the extent of Cecil’s saintly skills, it is a world rule that everyone manifests some skill by age sixteen. The emergence of these skills, also known as God’s Blessing, significantly enhances a person’s abilities, and one is considered a full-fledged adult only when their skill name is inscribed on their left arm.

Conversely, those who do not manifest skills are scorned as incompetents. At nineteen, with no skills displayed, I was relegated to menial security tasks typically assigned to newcomers.

“As you know, our Holy Knights are an elite group comprising the nation’s finest. I find it puzzling why someone as incompetent as you can don platinum armor. Is this perhaps due to Saintess Cecil’s consideration?”

“While I may be incompetent, I believe I have diligently fulfilled the duties assigned to me.”

Nadale’s demeanor changed abruptly, slamming his fist on the table.

“Answer only what I asked, you incompetent. It seems you’re not aware of the situation you’re in.”

The deputy captain then pulled out a photograph from his breast pocket.

“This should not be shown to the likes of you, but the prince has expressly wished for you to grasp the reality of the situation.”

The prince himself? Wondering what he meant, I took the photograph from Nadale.

The castle has several spatial memory-type magic devices that allow for remote surveillance. The photograph was a saved image from one of these devices.

The photograph showed a luxurious bedroom, likely belonging to royalty, with a lavish bed. The next figure to appear was Prince Raymond, the first in line to the throne. The woman he led by the hand was in her undergarments, her beautiful golden hair cascading down to her waist. My heart raced at the sight. The woman Prince Raymond coaxed onto the bed on all fours was my childhood friend, Cecil Wave.

When Prince Raymond’s hand moved towards my friend’s lower half, the image ended, and the photograph turned black.

“As you can see, that’s Prince Raymond and Saintess Cecil. Their relationship is exactly as you witnessed. Prince Raymond wishes Saintess Cecil, the holy maiden, to bear his heir.”

“Wait! Cecil is the captain of the Holy Knights. She must uphold the vow of chastity!”

Nadale dismissed my concern with a laugh.

“Such an outdated vow holds no meaning. Not many knights adhere to it. Besides, with Prince Raymond as the other party, Cecil had to comply. I’ve seen the rest of the footage, and let me tell you, watching the saintess scream until she fainted was quite the spectacle.”

Nadale’s candid remarks utterly dumbfounded me.

“Furthermore, Prince Raymond has expressed deep concern upon hearing rumors about you. It’s imperative that Cecil, who is to be the future queen, remains unblemished. He demanded your immediate expulsion from the Holy Knights and banishment from the kingdom.”

Nadale’s words echoed in my ears as if from a distance. The expulsion from the knights and banishment from the kingdom meant losing everything.

I had trained relentlessly since childhood, dreaming of joining the Holy Knights alongside Cecil. But now, with my expulsion and banishment, all those dreams were shattered.

As I stood in shock, Nadale’s voice brought me back to reality.

“Leon Stein, you are stripped of your rank as a Holy Knight and banished from this kingdom. You are to leave the capital by sundown. If you fail to comply, you will be executed as a traitor. This is the prince’s decree.”

With those final words, Deputy Captain Nadale dismissed me.