The Former Holy Knight. Having Lost My Job and Childhood Friend, I Decided to Start a Dark Guild - Chapter 53

A man with Nadale’s face said,

“What are you talking about? Leon Stein.”

Without any hesitation, I thrust the tip of my sword at the man’s throat.

“I’m in a bad mood. Give me a foolish answer, and you’ll die unceremoniously. How did someone like you infiltrate the Holy Knights? Answer me! Capone’s mad dog, Grittz!”

The man let out a faint smile.

“How did you figure it out? We haven’t even met.”

“You have no right to ask me anything. I’m seriously going to kill you.”

“Oh, scary. Alright, I got it.”

As he said that, the face that was Nadale’s twisted grotesquely. I’ve seen this scene through a mirror many times before. It’s the same as my sub-skill, “The Other Face.”

I observed the face of the man who had appeared for a while. Just as I imagined, the man before me was indeed Grittz.

Kneeling before me was Capone’s mad dog, Grittz. Grittz, with a lively laugh, said, “So, I finally realized it, too! Your true identity!”

“To think that you would catch me off guard, Don Michino! What a failure. If things had gone well, I could have taken control of the Holy Knights and gotten rid of the saintess by pairing her up with that stupid prince! I never expected you to make a deal with the LeBlanc family!”

Grittz said this with a gleeful laugh.

“But don’t get too carried away. Now, you and the Capone Family are officially at odds. Along with the Gambino, you’ve made enemies of two dark guilds. You understand what that means, right?”

I pointed my sword at Grittz’s throat.

“The heretic that you are has killed numerous knights. Even if the Capone Family has the backing of nobles, you can’t escape the death penalty if brought before the heresy inquisition. I just have to hand you over to the knights.”

“Listen here. If you deliver me to my family, the feud can be avoided. Of course, I won’t propose to absorb your family anymore. It’s a partnership. If you and I join forces, we can take over not just La Bohème but all of Pornai’s interests. Your family could be happy, too.”

“There’s no way I would ally with someone who has killed so many knights!”

“These guys all treated you like a fool and mocked you. Just think of it as me taking revenge on your behalf.”

“No matter how much they mocked me, they were comrades who shared meals and slept together for a long time. Since when? Since when have you been deceiving the knights with Deputy Captain Nadale’s appearance? Where is the real Nadale? Answer me!”

The Nadale, I remember, the deputy captain of the Holy Knights, was never involved in villainy but was a person who loved justice. There was always a slight discomfort in his behavior when he was expelled.

And when Nadale led the knights to the Michino Family’s mansion, the sight of the ancient characters floating above confirmed my suspicions. Nadale’s original skill was that of a Holy Guardian. He couldn’t possibly have a heretic skill.

I had noticed that the shape and density of the mist were similar to Grittz’s.

Grittz said,

“That man was a foolishly honest Holy Knight, like you and the saintess. He wouldn’t agree to Capone’s deal at all. The deputy captains of the past also served as intermediaries with the dark guilds.”

“So, where is Nadale?”

“It’s obvious. I got rid of him. He kept interfering with our plans.”

My grip on the sword’s hilt tightened. I desperately suppressed the urge to kill Grittz right there.

At that moment, a cry echoed from the sky. Looking up, I saw Minerva, the messenger bird kept by Cecil, spreading her wings in the air. When heading to dangerous locations, Cecil would often assign Minerva the role of a scout. Through Minerva’s cries, Cecil could grasp the situation in distant places.

It must have been upon receiving a report from Lilith that Cecil herself decided to come. Indeed, this gruesome scene could only be handled by Cecil. It seems like it’s time for us to withdraw as well.

Just then, Seneca returned, carrying potions and capture cords, with a figure of a Holy Knight behind him.

“Seneca! How did it go? Are the treatments done?!”

“Yeah! Thanks to the high-grade potions found in the cave, everything went smoothly! I was able to treat several knights as well! Here, take a potion, Aniki!”

Catching the potion Seneca tossed over, I drank it down immediately. It wasn’t just any high-grade potion; it had a holy blessing attached, making its healing power incredible. It was likely handcrafted by Cecil herself.

With these knights here, it seemed like transferring the Grittz to Cecil would be easy. I received the capture cord from Seneca and securely tied Grittz up. Even Grittz, in his critically injured state, couldn’t resist being captured.

Grittz glared at me with a sharp look. “Are you planning to hand me over to the Holy Knights? How does that benefit your family? Depending on the negotiation, you could even extract money from Capone.”

“I’ve decided to leave your fate to the Holy Knights and the law.”

“You’re playing the hero now? You’re not just dipping a toe. You’re soaked through with the underworld. Maybe you should use your head a bit more!”

I didn’t respond; I just looked straight at Grittz’s face. The smirk had vanished, replaced by desperation. This man filled with madness was still a human.

A senior knight, now recovered thanks to the potion, asked me, “Leon, who is this man? Where’s Nadale?”

The senior knight was taken aback after I explained the situation and the man’s identity. “Leon, you, a former junior knight, captured Grittz? That’s impossible for someone as inept as you. Moreover, the fact that a heretic was impersonating Deputy Captain Nadale is a serious matter.”

Unable to discuss it further, I remained silent until a knight, revived by Seneca’s potion, spoke up. “I saw it… my consciousness was hazy, but I saw Leon defeat that man. Without Leon, we would have surely been annihilated.”

The knights surrounding me were stunned. “Leon, you should come back to the Holy Knights. It would be a huge advancement if Captain Cecil heard you’ve captured a Capone executive. You might even receive a medal from His Majesty.”

“I am not someone who can return to the Knights. Please let someone else take the advancement in my place.”

I said to Seneca, “Let’s go home.”

As Seneca and I were about to leave, the knights shouted, “He still seems to have some fight left in him!”

Turning around, I saw vines writhing around Grittz again. Could he still resist in this state? As I was about to draw my sword, Grittz laughed and shouted, “As per Capone’s code, I can’t allow myself to be captured alive by the Holy Knights! Leon Stein! Capone’s blood will seek revenge on you! The family won’t let you go! Enjoy your taste of hell!”

The vines wrapped tightly around Grittz’s neck, squeezing tightly. Grittz let out a filthy groan before collapsing to the ground. Though he writhed in agony, Grittz’s movements gradually ceased.

Even when Seneca told me later, “Aniki, there’s a light shining on your left arm,” I couldn’t think of anything.