The Former Holy Knight. Having Lost My Job and Childhood Friend, I Decided to Start a Dark Guild - Chapter 78

Lily’s skill “Dream Art” didn’t directly affect me, but I was nonetheless bewildered by the situation.

Hiding in the depths of a giant closet used by Prince Raymond, I rested my head on Lily’s lap, being lulled to sleep with a lullaby.

“Leon-san, please entrust yourself to me,” Lily whispered faintly during the lullaby, and I awaited sleep. According to her, unlike others, she couldn’t forcibly send me to the space called the Dream World. I had to fall asleep on my own to dive into the Dream World where everyone else was trapped.

However, it was impossible to sleep peacefully knowing that Cecil was at Prince Raymond’s mercy and that Duke LeBlanc was on the verge of being murdered. But as Lily stroked my head, sleep gradually began to overtake me. As her singing voice faded, a nostalgic scene unfolded before my eyes.

I found myself in the hallway of the Holy Knight Training School, with a view of the daily training ground and the knight’s dormitory filled with memories from the hallway windows.

Lost in the nostalgia, I forgot myself. The school had been destroyed in a battle with heretics after our graduation and no longer existed in the real world.

I shook my head and began walking through the school. There was no time for sentimentality. I needed to find Cecil and return to the real world.

Walking through the familiar school, I occasionally saw the figures of nobles, all looking dazed and wandering aimlessly around. In this deep sleep, they seemed to be half-asleep even in this Dream World.

Meanwhile, I hadn’t yet seen Holy Knights like Kano, who should also have been put to sleep. As I pondered what was happening in this world, I was suddenly called by name.

Turning around, I saw a familiar figure—Bumpy, a fellow Holy Knight. Unlike the nobles, he seemed fully conscious.

“Hey, why are you here? I heard from a senior knight that only those who were put to sleep at the Giant Stone Castle that night are supposed to be here,” he said.

“Due to circumstances, I got involved too,” I muttered evasively. “Bumpy, do you know where Cecil is?”

“Leon, are you still hung up on Cecil-sama? She’s busy trying to find a way out of here with the top knights. You’d better not bother her. There’s no role here for a former incompetent knight.”

From Bumpy’s words, I understood the situation. Although asleep, the knights were trying to find their way out. That made things simpler.

“Anyway, tell me where Cecil is.”

Instead of answering, Bumpy smirked in his usual sly manner. “Well, I don’t mind staying in this world a bit longer.”

“What do you mean?”

Bumpy explained, “Listen, this is a world of dreams,” as he approached a woman in a red dress. She was Anastasia, a lady who had just announced her engagement. Without hesitation, Bumpy embraced her.

“Heh, I finally found you, the unreachable flower of the social world, Anastasia-chan,” he said as he reached for her dress. I quickly pulled his hand away. “Hey, stop that foolishness.”

Bumpy shook off my hand irritably.

“Leon, you’re still so uptight. This is a dream. Here, we can do anything without consequences. We can do things like fondling Lady Anastasia’s breasts—things we could never do in the real world.”

I didn’t voice the obvious objection that it wasn’t behavior befitting a Holy Knight. Why should I, who leads many heretics in the Dark Guild, preach morality to a knight? Instead, I warned him.

“What if the lady remembers? What if her fiancé hears about it? You won’t get off with just a disciplinary action.”

Bumpy grinned. “Relax. According to a Holy Knight who was put to sleep by this heretic skill before, they remember nothing from while they’re asleep.”

He then began to lift Anastasia’s dress again.

I decided to ignore Bumpy and resumed searching for Cecil. Interacting with him never led to anything good.

But Bumpy had mentioned something concerning.

“Oh, by the way, that elf girl Kano, who was with you in the Loser’s District’s bar, got caught.”

I stopped and turned back. “Kano was caught?”

“She’s Don Michino’s woman. Though Cecil doesn’t admit it, many knights think Don Michino is involved in this scheme. They’re interrogating Kano to uncover the full plot.”

According to Bumpy, Cecil was sure Prince Raymond was the mastermind, but most knights believed Don Michino was pulling the strings.

“No wonder Don Michino, who should have been at the party, hasn’t been found in the Dream World yet.”

“Besides, senior knights have a real advantage. Calling it interrogation, they can do all sorts of things to a cute elf girl. In the Dream World, it doesn’t count as defiling her, so they’ll have their way,” Bumpy said with a disgustingly pleased smile. “You’re a pathetic guy. I was so annoyed seeing you with Kano-chan, but in the end, she was taken by a big shot like Don Michino. Not much a wimp like you could do against a guy who has Sofia Gracier as a mistress.”

Annoyed by his endless mocking, I cut him off.

“Where is Kano being held?”

“In the underground warehouse. But you being a former Holy Knight, it’s best if you stay out. It’s better to enjoy picking up girls here instead.”

Bumpy said this as he reached for Anastasia’s chest again. “If only Cecil-sama were in this state, how perfect that would be.”

I noticed the terrified look in Anastasia’s semi-conscious eyes.

“Well, it seems neither of us is upholding what we learned at this training school.”

“Hah, what are you talking about?”

I punched Bumpy squarely in the jaw. He instantly went cross-eyed, moaning as he collapsed to the ground.

Once sure that Bumpy was completely knocked out, I headed towards the warehouse where Kano was said to be held, continuing my search for Cecil.