The Former Holy Knight. Having Lost My Job and Childhood Friend, I Decided to Start a Dark Guild - Chapter 45

Nadale’s forces split into two strategic groups: Nadale led a contingent to the western lakeshore, while another was dispatched to the Loser’s District.

Nadale personally led a select team of just five elite knights to the western lakeshore, whereas the squad dispatched to the Loser’s District was considerably larger. It’s puzzling why Nadale would allocate so many people to a slum area.

I know a small Dark Guild called the Michino Family in the Loser’s District. Perhaps he intends to conduct a forced investigation. And I have no idea why Nadale himself went to the western lakeshore.

A sense of foreboding prompted me to take only Lilith with me to the western lakeshore. That place holds memories of Leon and me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that Leon had chosen the lakeshore of the west as our meeting spot.

“Why on earth should the blunder, initially caused by the deputy captain’s knights losing their armor to intruders, suddenly become a matter of the captain’s responsibility?”

When I relayed the incident in the audience chamber, Lilith, riding alongside me, expressed her dissatisfaction.

“Nadale is acting on his own without informing the captain again today. Knights burdened with the work of Nadale’s faction are filled with grievances.”

“Nadale’s faction?”

When I asked her about the unfamiliar term, Lilith looked embarrassed. “Right now, the knight order is divided.”

What Lilith shared was mostly within the realm of my expectations.

Rumors of my marriage to Prince Raymond were circulating within the knight order, and speculation was rife that I would soon retire. Naturally, Nadale is seen as the next Holy Knight commander. With her typical directness, Lilith explained how knights keen on advancement are now fervently seeking Nadale’s approval, causing my influence within the order to wane swiftly.

“Lilith, are you okay with this? You’ve been my subordinate all this time.”

“After you join the royal family, I intend to serve you as a royal guard, so I’m not interested in the knight order’s power struggles.”

I shook my head.

“It’s a waste to keep someone of your caliber confined within the court. I could recommend you for any position now, so don’t hesitate to tell me.”

Lilith’s expression darkened.

“We’ve known each other since knight training school, so I can guess what you’re thinking.”

“Oh? And what do you think I’m thinking?”

“You’re still preoccupied with Leon, aren’t you?”

Her sharp observation caught me off, guard.

“Don’t be ridiculous! I’m not thinking about Leon at all!”

Lilith sighed once before speaking.

“I fully understand your difficult situation right now, Lady Cecil. But please allow me to say this: you are an indispensable presence in the Holy Knight Order.”

Indeed, there’s a reason for our long association. Lilith truly seems to understand what I’m thinking.

We rode in silence for a while until the western lakeshore came into view. It was deserted, but six horses were tied to a tree near the lakeshore.

Dismounting, I approached the horses tied to the tree. One of the horses had an arrow stuck in its belly and appeared listless.

I pulled out the arrow and healed the horse’s wound with holy magic. As strength gradually returned to the horse, I breathed a sigh of relief.

The remaining horses undoubtedly belonged to the Holy Knight Order. It seems Nadale had indeed been here.

“Lady Cecil! Please come here!”

When I went over to Lilith, I saw a man lying on the ground.

“A corpse? And this pattern on the neck…”

The man lying on the grass had a pattern on his neck resembling plant vines, similar to the bodies I had seen at the monastery where Nina Nightsky had been. Since there was no rigor mortis, he hadn’t been dead for long. What on earth had happened here?

As Lilith examined the body, she pointed to the man’s arm and said,

“Lady Cecil, this man appears to be a heretic.”

His heretical skill was “Izayoi’s Clone,” a powerful skill listed on the wanted posters.

“That seems to be the case. We must call for additional knights.”

I blew a whistle to summon the messenger bird Minerva and wrote a note asking for ten knights to be dispatched to the western lakeshore.

Holding the quill, I looked around to grasp the situation. Given the still-warm bloodstains scattered about, the people here couldn’t have gone far.

“We will follow these bloodstains.”

The bloodstains on the ground led towards the forest.