The Former Holy Knight. Having Lost My Job and Childhood Friend, I Decided to Start a Dark Guild - Chapter 104

“Divine punishment to the witch, Cecil Wave!”

The enraged voices of the Sun’s People echoed across the Hill of the Sun. It was clear that the path of reconciliation Cecil had envisioned was now closed after a Holy Knight wearing the armor of the Bernard Holy Knights had slashed Glenn Deeth during the wedding ceremony.

It was only natural for the Sun’s People to believe that this heinous act was carried out under the orders of Cecil, the head of the Bernard Holy Knights. Their deeply rooted resentment toward her had now intensified, engulfing the entire wasteland.

Lilith and I raced through the Hill of the Sun, filled with hatred towards her, chasing after Nadale. While handing over Nadale’s head to the Sun’s People wouldn’t prevent the impending disaster, it seemed that Lilith was intent on doing what she could to mitigate the situation.

As she ran, Lilith spoke.

“If they want my head and body, then I’ll gladly give it to them. If that can save the lives of tens of thousands, it would be my honor.”

She then glanced at me.

“Don Michino, you’ve done more than enough. I’m truly grateful. You should take Kano and leave the Hill of the Sun. Return to the capital and prepare for the new Dark Guild conflicts that will arise now that the power of the Saintess has diminished.”

“No, my work isn’t finished yet. My job ends when you and the Sun’s People reconcile. And I won’t hand you over to them either.”

Lilith looked puzzled. “At this point, it seems impossible to achieve peace without handing me over…”

“Let’s focus on killing Nadale for now.”

I knew Nadale’s intent.

Ever since I heard a year ago that Prince Raymond had ordered the Said Family to investigate Glenn Deeth’s background, I had anticipated that something like this would happen. There was no way that jealous prince would let a man of royal blood live peacefully.

Even if the prince couldn’t issue commands now, his orders from the past still lingered. Nadale, who had been moving in secret under Prince Raymond’s orders, had likely taken action at this exact moment, as Glenn Deeth was about to gain Sia Seiren’s sanctity.

Nadale fled down the Hill of the Sun, into the darkness. The further he ran, the more distant the cries for retribution against Lilith became. However, Lilith’s pursuit was relentless, rapidly closing the distance between them.

As I ran alongside Lilith, I communicated intermittently with Kano, who remained on the Hill of the Sun. The situation was changing quickly, and everything needed to be handled simultaneously.

When we reached the area known as Death’s Valley among the Sun’s People, Lilith shouted out.

“Stop! Nadale!”

With a flash of sacred light from Lilith’s magic, the rugged terrain and a figure in the armor of the Bernard Holy Knights came into view. It was unmistakably Nadale, the former Deputy Commander of the Holy Knights.

The last time I saw him was in the District of Divine Will, within the Capone Family’s territory.

Nadale halted and turned to face us, his gaze fixed on Lilith.

“Cecil Wave, for what reason do you pursue me?”

“It’s simple. Your heinous actions have endangered the lives of countless innocents. At the very least, I’ll offer your head as restitution.”

Nadale shook his head.

“I don’t understand. I taught you during our time at the academy that a Holy Knight swears absolute loyalty to the royal family. Surely you know whose orders I’ve been following.”

Lilith unsheathed her twin swords. “You, skulking around the capital like a common criminal, now dare to act as a mentor?”

Nadale spoke with a calm tone.

“I am merely following Prince Raymond’s will. Do you mean to say that I, acting on royal orders, have somehow failed in my duty as a Holy Knight?”

Nadale then pointed his sword at me.

“Cecil, the one you should be capturing is the man next to you. His power grows stronger by the day, and it’s clear he’s a threat to the peace of the capital. Kill him now, while you still can! Cecil!”

Upon hearing his provocative words, I immediately leapt back. A sharp slash followed, and I narrowly avoided it. Before me stood Lilith, her twin swords raised, swinging them as if compelled by Nadale’s orders.

So, Nadale had invoked the King’s Authority.

Nadale let out a laugh as he spoke.

“Prince Raymond has temporarily granted me the King’s power. Furthermore, after slashing Glenn Deeth, that power has become even stronger. Now, even Saintess Cecil Wave is under my control! Listen well, my dear pupil, Cecil! Kill that man without hesitation!”

As if following his command, Lilith raised her swords, shifting into a high stance.

Nadale’s voice echoed through Death’s Valley.

“Cecil! With your most powerful sacred technique, it will be easy to kill him! Kill him! Kill him now!”

Lilith glared at me with a resolute expression, chanting a sacred incantation.

Then, as she unleashed her ultimate awakening sacred technique, a blinding white light engulfed her, and she vanished. In the next instant, she reappeared, unleashing a sharp slash. But the target of her blade wasn’t me.

In the blink of an eye, Nadale’s head flew through the air. That’s right—Lilith’s attack had been directed at Nadale.

As Lilith sheathed her sword, Nadale’s headless body crumpled to the ground with a dull thud.

“Nadale, you’ve grossly underestimated not only me but Don Michino as well.”

Lilith picked up Nadale’s severed head and closed her eyes in regret.

As she held the head, its features began to warp and shift, transforming into a completely different face. Just like when I had killed Grittz in the capital.

“As you can see, Nadale has become a troublesome existence. Even when slain, his true body remains elsewhere.”

Lilith gently placed the deformed head on the ground.

“Don Michino, I’ve decided to hand myself over to the Sun’s People. It’s the only way to negotiate for peace.”

The night was already passing, and the wasteland was beginning to lighten with the first hints of dawn. Lilith stood there, exhausted, her expression worn.

I spoke.

“That won’t be necessary. According to Kano’s latest report, the Sun’s People warriors gathered at the Saintess’s Wall have begun to retreat.”

Lilith stood frozen, unable to speak at my words. Leaving her there, I began to walk back the way we had come.

“My role here is over. You should negotiate with Sia Seiren.”

“Wait! If that’s true, what happened?”

I could only say one thing.

“This conflict was destined to be resolved through bloodshed, Saintess Cecil.”

To the now-silent Lilith, I delivered my final words.

“We’ll likely never meet again in peaceful times.”

As the morning sun illuminated the Bernard territory and the frontier lands, the events of the previous night became known to a select few.

In short, the battle had been decided while Lilith and I were chasing Nadale.

When word of the attack on Glenn Deeth reached the Saintess’s Wall, the fury of the Sun’s People reached its peak. The wall trembled with their angry shouts, and they launched volley after volley of fire arrows. The Bernard Holy Knights could only defend, but suddenly, the Sun’s People’s assault stopped all at once.

Even the knights defending the wall had no idea what had happened.

Looking down from the wall, they saw that the eyes of the Sun’s People were all fixed on a certain object placed atop the Saintess’s Wall.

It was none other than the severed head of Count Bernard—the man who had harbored ambitions of placing Glenn Deeth on the throne and brought unnecessary conflict to this land. His face, twisted in agony, was now exposed to the people.

As the night progressed, more heads of nobles and merchants from the Bernard territory, who had earned the Sun’s People’s ire by enslaving and abusing their women, were placed atop the wall. Of course, it was Seneca and Nina who had carried out these executions under my orders.

With each head that appeared on the wall, the Sun’s People gasped. Years of accumulated hatred began to dissipate from the wasteland.

In the temple on the Hill of the Sun, the heads of the Heretic Inquisitors, including the Chief Inquisitor of the Bernard territory, were thrown inside by Kano.

The Sun’s People gathered in the temple were stunned. According to Kano, they looked on with reverent faces, as though they had just witnessed a miracle from the Sun God.

Seizing this perfect moment, Sia Seiren, the chieftain of the Sun’s People, declared triumphantly before the elders.

“Our prayers have been heard by the gods, and our long-held grievances have been avenged. The battle is over. Without spilling the blood of our young, we have won.”

A great cheer erupted, shaking the temple, and the Sun’s People’s reverence for Sia Seiren deepened. In that moment, the young chieftain was finally accepted by her people.

Amidst this victory, however, one man was forgotten.

Barely clinging to life after being treated, Glenn Deeth was quietly taken away by the Michino Family.

And no one, except for the former commander Cisia, even noticed this seemingly trivial event.