The Former Holy Knight. Having Lost My Job and Childhood Friend, I Decided to Start a Dark Guild - Chapter 84

The long night gives way to dawn. As the sunrise illuminates the streets of the capital, scavengers begin to collect trash, and boys start distributing newspapers throughout the city. In half a koku, the bells of the great cathedral will rouse the rest of the citizens, and the lively cityscape will return.

At first glance, it seems identical to the day before, yet many of the power brokers already sense that a seismic shift occurred overnight.

Who would believe that I, once called the “incompetent knight,” am now involved in these great shifts of power among the holy knights of old?

Standing silently at the pier of the eastern port, staring at the sea, Sofia Glacier tugged at my hand.

“Don, we should leave soon. It would be bad if the holy knights catch wind of us.”

I agreed, “Yes, you’re right,” and turned my back on the sea. The passenger ship carrying Lily and her parents had long since disappeared over the horizon. All I could do now was pray for the happiness of the Ludwig family.

Sofia and I boarded the carriage we had kept waiting, and I took a deep breath. As the carriage started moving and the fresh morning air circulated around us, the tension that had been stretched tight finally snapped, and fatigue weighed heavily on my shoulders. It was understandable, given that we had just narrowly averted the collapse of the nation.

Even now, the horrific scenes come to mind.

Lily, drugged by the prince, had lost control of her heretical skill, Dream Magic.

Terrifyingly, the holy knights, true to the prince’s orders, had begun attacking the nobles as Cecil left Raymond’s room. If I hadn’t managed to control Lily with the newly freed Tyranny of the King, order in not just the capital but the entire kingdom would have collapsed.

Prince Raymond Valderion, the crown prince and once my liege, is undeniably a man of extraordinary and dangerous madness.

After some time watching the capital through the carriage window, Sofia spoke up.

“How do you feel?”

“How do I feel?”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it? You, now the head of the Michino family, have already captured a third of the capital’s commercial sector. More importantly, you’ve thwarted Capone’s plans and forced them into a painful compromise. I was wondering how a man who has accomplished such a historic task feels.”

As we traveled a short distance, we passed several buildings bearing the emblem of the Ludwig Trading Company. It’s hard to believe these buildings are now under my control.

Sofia continued, “Moreover, you killed the inquisitor Torquemada, picked a fight with the Papacy, and forced the crown prince to drink a deadly poison. It seems to me you carry more madness than Prince Raymond.”

She was right. What I had done was a grave sin.

I remained silent, looking out the window, as two holy knights on horseback passed by. Judging by their armor, they appeared to be young knights on an early morning patrol.

As they passed, the knights glanced briefly at Sofia and me, but rode away without a second look.

Sofia, watching them from the corner of her eye, remarked, “The holy maiden must be incredibly busy. She has to explain herself to the court, the Papacy, and other dignitaries.”

Indeed, Cecil’s future challenges are immense.

An unprecedented event had occurred: the entire Giantstone Castle had been put to sleep. The appearance of the demon king Manina and the disappearance of Torquemada Slobodin, a prominent inquisitor, would surely raise questions.

It’s only a matter of time before Cecil realizes the Michino family’s involvement in all of this. When that happens, her attitude towards me, Don Michino, will not be as friendly as before. A fierce confrontation is inevitable.

And that is the natural course of events. The image of Torquemada begging for his life in that dark tunnel comes to mind. Stabbed repeatedly by the woman he wronged, he knelt before me, tears streaming down his face, pleading, “Please save me. I’ll do anything.” In the end, it was I who delivered the final blow to that pitiful man.

Sensing my thoughts, Sofia asked, “How do you plan to handle the enmity with the Papacy?”

“The Papacy won’t easily move against us. We hold all the evidence of Torquemada’s misuse of heretics against the nobles. However,” I added, “including helping the special heretic Lily escape abroad, it’s unlikely that Cecil, leading the holy knights, will overlook this.”

Sofia sighed, “That’s why you’ve been looking so down.”

She gently pulled my head towards her shoulder, “Hold your head high. No matter how many sins you’ve accrued, the fact remains that you, former holy knight Leon Stein, saved the nation.”

Three months have passed since that unprecedented night when the entire Giantstone Castle fell asleep due to a single heretic’s actions. The details of the incident remain within a select group of nobles and the Order of Holy Knights, unknown to the general populace. However, various rumors have been swirling throughout the capital.

First, Prince Raymond has not been seen in public since that day, leading to much speculation. Some say he was involved in an incident and was seriously injured, while others whisper that he is suffering from a grave illness.

In theological circles, debates about the resurrection of the demon king have been revived. Reportedly, several knights have sighted a girl resembling the legendary demon king Manina within the castle.

Rumors even suggest that this girl demoralized the Capone family’s heretics, who had taken the sleeping nobles hostage, in an instant.

Cecil’s response has been puzzling. Despite evidence suggesting a connection between Manina and the Michino family, Cecil testified at the highest council of the Papacy that the girl she saw that night bore no resemblance to a demon king.

Yet, Cecil sent me a letter:

“I am truly grateful for your involvement in the Giantstone Castle incident. However, regarding the matter concerning Leon, it seems we need to have a thorough discussion.”

It’s clear that trouble is brewing, but the moment of my interrogation by Cecil has not yet arrived.

Meanwhile, another situation that could destabilize the order of the capital is unfolding.

Far to the west of the capital, beyond the Wall of the Holy Maiden that guards the border, lies a frontier beyond the reach of royal and papal authorities.

Recently, an unprecedented uprising has occurred in this borderland, and consecutive attacks have been launched against the holy knights stationed there. Such a massive uprising is beyond the control of the local lords, and recently, a detachment of the capital’s holy knights was dispatched. Despite this, the rebellion continues, and rumors are circulating that Cecil herself may soon take command.

Though I am busy managing the rapidly expanding Michino family and only occasionally glance at the capital’s newspaper, I find this case intriguing.

According to reports, the uprising is led by a woman named Shia Siren, who claims to serve “the King of Heretics.”