The Former Holy Knight. Having Lost My Job and Childhood Friend, I Decided to Start a Dark Guild - Chapter 12

This time, the client was not a resident of the Loser’s District but a merchant from the heart of the royal capital, offering a reward of a silver coin. Since that’s enough to cover a day’s worth of food for my family, I had no choice but to put my all into it.

As usual, I changed my appearance to that of a villain using my “Hidden Face” skill. Nina, who came with me, was not in her usual nun’s attire but wore casual clothes borrowed from Kano. After all, a fearsome-looking man accompanied by a nun would certainly stand out, so it was good that Kano’s clothes suited Nina.

After learning about the cat’s characteristics from the merchant, we promptly began our quest. We started by making our way through the district filled with inns, taverns, and general stores, known as the adventurer’s district, and then walked through the craftsman’s district, where the sound of hammers echoed. Searching for a cat meant wandering the streets methodically, but fortunately, having grown up as an orphan in the lower town of the royal capital, I knew the roads like the back of my hand.

It’s strange how, even though I had only been away for a few days, returning to the royal capital felt like coming home after many years. The central part of the royal capital is also famous for its gourmet offerings, so I planned to buy special street food to treat my family if the quest succeeded.

As we approached the most bustling Triumph Square, I noticed something unusual. While the square is always lively, today it was as crowded as during a festival. Moreover, the congestion along Triumph Street leading to the castle was extraordinary, and Holy Knights were deployed everywhere, which was unusual.

Wondering what was happening, I heard people talking about a familiar figure along the street.

“Will we be able to see Cecil-sama from here?”

“I bought the latest magical device just to take a picture of Cecil-sama.”

Looking up, I saw Minerva, Cecil’s carrier pigeon, flying comfortably in the sky.

It seemed that the First Knight Order, led by Cecil, had indeed returned.

I couldn’t fathom why they had returned so early. Was something special happening in the royal capital?

As an outcast and with an extraordinary girl by my side, it was best to avoid the Holy Knights as much as possible. As we were about to leave the crowded street, Nina tugged at my sleeve.

“Don, aren’t we going to see?”

“With our background, it’s better for us to stay as far away from the Holy Knights as possible. If we get caught, we’ll likely be subjected to an inquisition and end up at the stake.”

Nina muttered something strange.

“The King’s protection can nullify the holy magic used by Cecil-sama to detect heretics.”

“What do you mean?”

Nina fell silent in response to my question.

As I was feeling bewildered, a cheer erupted from afar: “It’s Cecil-sama!”

With that shout, more people crowded towards the road, and the wave of people quickly engulfed us.

Trying not to get separated from Nina, I held her hand, but as the crowd surged, we were somehow pushed to the front.

“Cecil-sama!” “Cecil-sama!”

The loud cheers of the citizens filled the central streets of the royal capital. Looking towards the direction of the cheers, I saw the head of the procession approaching.

And then, upon seeing the person riding a white horse at the front, I gasped in awe.

(What is this overwhelming presence…)

Of course, the person leading the knights on a white horse, clad in shining white gold armor, was none other than my childhood friend, the 38th Holy Knight Captain, Cecil Wave. Her glossy golden hair flowed freely, and her jewel-like azure eyes were fixed straight ahead.

“She’s truly beautiful,” “Her dignified face is almost divine.”

Hearing such comments from the people around me, I was sweating profusely. The closer the procession got, the more intense the pressure felt.

So, this was what they meant. Even a weak heretic couldn’t move in front of Saintess Cecil. Having spent a long time with Cecil, I had doubted such claims, but now, as a heretic myself, I could fully understand.

This was the power of Cecil, hailed as the strongest captain in the history of the Holy Knights, who had captured the most heretics. And I realized that Cecil and I had indeed become incompatible.

After staring dumbfounded at the procession led by Cecil for a while, I noticed a cat darting across the street. It was exactly as the merchant had described. The cat quickly disappeared into the crowd.

“Let’s go, Nina. We’ve seen enough of the Holy Knights. It’s time to chase after the cat.”

As we started to make our way through the crowd, a familiar voice echoed through Triumph Street.

“Stop right there!”

The commanding voice silenced the noise of the crowd all at once.

Turning towards the voice, I saw Cecil on horseback, looking at us. The surrounding crowd stared at Nina and me with a vague expression.

Cecil seemed puzzled.

“I’m sorry. It was a case of mistaken identity. You reminded me of someone I used to know.”

Then, Cecil’s gaze shifted to Nina, looking perplexed. Had she sensed something? Despite my fears, Cecil turned to us as if nothing had happened.

“By the way, the long sword on your back is the same as the one I use,” she said, her gaze drifting away. “A smooth-talking junk dealer told us there was a rare pair of twin swords, so he and I bought them together. I never imagined there was a third.”

Cecil faced forward, gave a command, and the procession moved on.

As the Holy Knight Order marched towards the castle amid the cheers of the citizens, Nina and I resumed our search for the cat.

Walking through the bustling royal capital, one thing troubled me.

(Why did Cecil look so sad all the time…)