The Former Holy Knight. Having Lost My Job and Childhood Friend, I Decided to Start a Dark Guild - Chapter 63

I still can’t grasp why things have turned out this way, even after some time.

Being next to Cecil Wave, one of the most important figures in the royal capital, feels utterly surreal. Ultimately, I couldn’t refuse and got Cecil’s help searching for Kano, who had taken Lady Elena with him.

As we chose the less crowded streets of the royal capital to run through, I said to Cecil, “Cecil-sama, perhaps it would be best for you to return to the mansion!”

“Thanks to your help, we protected the Duke LeBlanc, and I’ve received reports that the rebels have already been suppressed. There’s no need to worry! If Lady Elena is being pursued by heretics as the captain of the knights, I must do something. But are you sure we’re going in the right direction? It’s a troublesome place.”

Yes, the place we were heading to is indeed troublesome. As we ran, occasionally receiving reports from Kano, Cecil and I neared the area known as the District of Divine Will.

The District of Divine Will, a gambling town teeming with casinos, is also under the dominion of the dark guild “Capone Family.” It’s quite a bad decision for Cecil and me to step into that town now.

Two months ago, Grittz, a heretic known as the mad dog of Capone, disguised himself as the deputy commander of the Holy Knights and even went so far as to kill several Holy Knights.

By a twist of fate, I captured Grittz, sparking a conflict with the Capone Family that escalated to what could be termed a war.

As a result, the Holy Knights, led by Cecil, captured dozens of heretics belonging to Capone and sent them to the Inquisition. Naturally, the Holy Knights also suffered several martyrs.

Each time I perused the royal capital’s newspapers, the notion that Cecil had initiated such a vast conflict seemed almost inconceivable. Still, according to an independent investigation I ordered, the internal situation was even more severe than what was reported on paper.

Anyway, from the perspective of the Capone Family, Cecil Wave, the enemy’s leader, has entered their stronghold. If the other side notices us, imagining what might happen is hard.

I stopped in a deserted alley near the District of Divine Will.

“Cecil-sama, it’s better if you go back. Please leave the rest to me.”

“Does that mean my abilities are insufficient for your work?”

“No, no, no one in the royal capital would doubt the abilities of Holy Knight Commander Cecil Wave. I’m saying it’s not good for you to go further into the town from here.”

Cecil looked over the neon-lit District of Divine Will from the alley.

“It’s indeed problematic to go further in our current attire. Let’s change our clothes.”

Muttering a holy word, Cecil was enveloped in light. When the light faded, Cecil had transformed into a thief-like figure with a cape covering their face.

“You too, your armor from the LeBlanc family is too conspicuous.”

Similarly, I too was made to change into an adventurer-style outfit, with my face covered by holy arts.

After changing, Cecil looked straight into my eyes and said, “By the way, do you think the current situation is a coincidence?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, do you think your companions wandered here by accident, or were they intentionally driven to this area?”

That was something I had been considering for a while. Initially, Kano was supposed to move Lady Elena to the Loser’s District for hiding. Somehow, it seemed like we were guided to the District of Divine Will.

I voiced the question that had been on my mind. “Does Capone have a hand in today’s incident at the mansion?”

“Yes, there’s no doubt about it. The conflict between the Holy Knights and Capone is ongoing.”

At that moment, Kano’s voice echoed in my brain. “Don! Lady Elena said she absolutely needed to use the restroom, so we took refuge in an inn!”

I felt a bit relieved at that report. The location of the inn Kano mentioned was just a stone’s throw away from where we were in the District of Divine Will. It seemed we could finally catch up.

I informed Cecil of this and hurried to the inn. However, when we approached the inn, my feet stopped.

(Kano, of all places, you brought Lady Elena to this inn…)

The inn Kano had escaped to wasn’t merely any inn; it was a love hotel. It was an upscale establishment, demanding twenty silver coins for a mere three hours of rest, with dazzling magitech neon lights flickering.

It seemed to thrive, with the joyous voices of men and women engaging in activities faintly leaking out even during the daytime.

A quick glance at Cecil revealed she had also frozen in place. While I, who frequented the largest pleasure district, Pornai, in the royal capital, was used to such buildings, it was clear that it was not a place where Saintess Cecil could casually enter.

“Cecil-sama, it’s better if I handle this alone from here. You should leave this city immediately.”

Cecil remained silent for a moment before she finally spoke.

“No, it’s necessary to protect Lady Elena. So, let’s pretend to be a couple entering such an inn to avoid standing out.”

With that, Cecil entered the inn.

I never imagined a world line where I’d walk into a love hotel alongside Cecil… Undoubtedly, Sofia would have a field day teasing me about this.