The Former Holy Knight. Having Lost My Job and Childhood Friend, I Decided to Start a Dark Guild - Chapter 36

Leon is alive and wants to meet me. Just knowing that fills my heart to the brim.

I hurried through my work, eager to find the time and place to meet Leon. I haven’t felt this excited since he left.

Deciding it was too much trouble to give orders, I took my closest aide, Lilith, with me and headed to the basement to catch the so-called intruder myself.

“You’re unusually cheerful today,” said Lilith, the female knight and my aide, with a surprised look. “It’s rare to hear you humming.”

Thinking of Leon must have let my emotions show. I made sure to compose my face. “Foolish people exist, don’t they? It’s amazing to think someone would infiltrate the basement of the Giant Stone Castle. It’s like they’re mice in a bag.”

“Indeed. Moreover, the thought of the head of the Cecil Holy Knights herself dealing with the intruder is something they would never consider.”

“Occasionally, it’s not a bad idea to return to the basics and stand guard at the scene.”

I whispered a sacred word, and light illuminated the entire basement. All shadows were eradicated, and light-filled every corner of the space. Good, the visibility is excellent. It’s not merely bright; this also allows for the visual detection of those utilizing stealth skills.

“Commander, your holy arts are nothing short of a divine miracle. It defies the laws of nature to dispel the darkness in such a vast space, and even the shadows.”

“Lilith, no matter how much you flatter, it won’t increase your salary.”

“It’s not flattery. It’s admiration.”

Lilith does not use flattery, so she serves as my closest aide. She might be the knight I trust the most in Leon’s absence.

“Come on, Lilith. Let’s catch the scoundrel with a bang!”

“Commander, your mood is odd today. Please share with me alone what’s making you so happy.”

Lilith kept probing about what had happened, but I didn’t mention Leon. If she found out that I was preoccupied with thoughts of my childhood friend during a mission, I couldn’t imagine the sarcasm I’d face.

Without any incident, we moved from the first to the second basement floor, but there was no sign of the intruder. When we happened upon an armored knight, I asked about the situation. “We have increased the number of knights but have yet to capture anyone.”

“Is that so? Make sure you stay vigilant.”

“Yes, Cecil-sama.”

As the knight started to leave, I stopped him. “Wait a moment.”

The heavy helmet turned towards me. “What is it, Cecil-sama?”

“Just to be safe, could you remove your helmet? I don’t doubt you, but…”

It’s possible, though unlikely, that an intruder could steal a knight’s armor. The knight in front of me took off his heavy helmet without hesitation. There was no mistake. It was a knight under Nadale’s command. But, a question crossed my mind.

“You’re a knight working in Nadale’s special squad. Why are you here in the basement? Did the deputy captain call you?”

“Yes.”

“If it’s not too much trouble, could you tell me what instructions you were given?”

The knight answered emotionlessly, “It would be best if you heard it directly from Nadale-sama. I’ve been ordered not to speak of it to anyone else.”

“I see…”

The knight made an overtly respectful bow before leaving. Before I could speak, Lilith commented.

“Seriously, you’re far more important than the deputy captain, yet that attitude is infuriating.”

“It can’t be helped. I may serve as the commander because I am the Saintess, but that knight is older and more experienced than I am.”

“Age and experience don’t matter. The number of heretics you’ve captured alone could be considered a historic achievement.”

“Complaining won’t solve anything. We just need to focus on the task at hand. In doing so, they’ll understand who’s in charge.”

Arriving at the third basement, the Layer of the Dead, a unique cold air enveloped us. I’ve always felt uneasy coming here. I don’t know why it’s called the Layer of the Dead, but it feels chillingly like the souls of the dead are drifting around. And this thought captures me.

The souls drifting here are those of the heretics I’ve subjected to inquisition, all harboring strong resentment towards me, waiting for their chance at revenge.

Of course, it’s all in my imagination, but I can’t help feeling uneasy here. I noticed I was walking faster. Ahead is only the treasury. I wanted to finish my work quickly and escape the Layer of the Dead.

In front of the treasury stood two knights in full armor. It seems they have not yet caught the intruder.

“Have there been any updates on the intruder situation?”

“Cecil-sama, it appears the alarm was a false detection by the magic device.”

“A false detection?”

“Yes, we’ve searched the entire basement and found no signs of an intruder.”

Old magic devices occasionally misidentify something as an intruder, like a rat. Ideally, we would allocate a budget to upgrade these devices, but that requires Prince Raymond’s approval. The prince has been blurring the lines between public and private matters lately, making various sordid demands. It’s unpredictable what conditions he might set for the budget. For now, we have no choice but to maintain the status quo.

“To be safe, don’t let your guard down.”

Thinking I had finished my tasks and could focus fully on Leon, I was about to leave when Lilith whispered.

“Doesn’t the armor on that knight look oddly sized?”

Sized? Following Lilith’s gaze on the knight, the armor seemed oversized, as if a slender girl was wearing armor meant for a large man.

“Hey, could you both remove your helmets as a precaution? I’d hate to think a Holy Knight had their armor stolen by an intruder.”

What’s going on? As I spoke, the knights looked at each other and froze.

Why hesitate? Could it be that a knight had their armor stolen? Lilith gripped her sword’s hilt, and the tension spiked. I, too, prepared for combat.

“Both of you, remove your helmets now. Or is there a reason you can’t? If you don’t obey, I’ll force you to reveal yourselves.”

With that, I drew my sword from its sheath.