Vol 2 Chapter 47 – The Thief and the Corrupt Knight【Vol 2 – The Condemned Knight Edition】

“Thanks, nee-chan!”

With those words, the little girl left with her now-found mother.

Miriam watched them go, a gentle smile on her face.

Well now, I’m just glad they were reunited safely.

“Miriam-san, you were a great help. If you hadn’t been here, she might have been crying for ages.”

“…It was nothing. Erik was here, too…”

Miriam answered curtly in response to Eleonora-san’s praise.

But having been with her this whole time, I could tell immediately that she was just embarrassed.

“No, no, it was thanks to Miriam’s kindness. Thank you.”

“Erik, you too…”

Miriam puffed out her cheeks and glared at me.

How adorable…

“Just what I’d expect from the partner of the Altruistic Charity Hero.”

“…It’s not like I’ve always had this personality. I was just influenced by Erik.”

She says that as if helping people is my creed.

I only act to satisfy my M…

If anything, I wish she’d berate me instead of praising me.

“Thief—!!”

Just as we were having a pleasant conversation, a loud shout cut through the air.

The one yelling was a man who looked to be a stall owner.

And then I saw him—a man running, clutching merchandise to his chest.

“Outta my way! I’ll kill you!!”

“Aaaahhhhh!!”

He pulled out a dagger, swinging it wildly as he ran.

He didn’t actually manage to cut anyone, but screams erupted from the people nearby.

“Tch…! The crowd…!”

Eleonora-san seemed to try and draw her weapon to apprehend him, but the crowd was so thick that even that was impossible.

As the criminal ran toward us, people were desperately trying to flee, but their panic was only causing more confusion, preventing a smooth escape.

“Move it, knight! I’ll kill you too!!”

The man must have spotted Eleonora-san, because he closed in, brandishing his dagger.

She gave up on drawing her weapon and instead took an unarmed combat stance.

A woman unaccustomed to battle might have run away, but as expected of a knight, she had no intention of fleeing.

“Erik-san!?”

However, you can leave this one to me!

I leaped in front of Eleonora-san, facing the approaching man.

Did you really think I would let this perfect M-opportunity pass me by!?

“Then you can die first!!”

With that, the man swung his dagger.

…But he’s slow! This movement is completely amateur!

Having recently engaged in close-quarters combat with a formidable opponent like Brecht, this man’s weakness was all the more glaring.

Damn… It’s impossible to get seriously injured from this.

I moved my body, filled with regret.

“Tsk…!”

But I didn’t dodge completely. That would be a waste.

The dagger sliced into my cheek, and blood flicked through the air.

The man’s face twisted into an ecstatic smile, but honestly, for someone like me who’s been beaten to a pulp by an ogre and lynched by a horde of Biriel’s private soldiers, this barely made me hesitate.

…Well, not that I hesitated before diving into those fights either.

Because he was an amateur, the man froze after his swing. I slipped into his guard, swiftly drew my sword, and drove the pommel hard into his stomach.

“Gehoohh!?”

The man vomited a little of his stomach’s contents and collapsed to the ground.

H-His defenses are weak, too…

To go down from a blow with my level of strength… well, he’s just a thief, so it was foolish of me to expect much.

Still… hmm, I was hoping he’d rough me up a bit more…

“Whoa! That guy took him down!”

“Isn’t that… the Hero-sama?”

“It’s the ‘Guardian’!”

“Thank you! Altruistic Charity Hero-sama!!”

The people around me began to stir, having recognized me.

…As I thought, being called by such a grandiose title doesn’t feel very good…

I’d be much happier if they called me a traitor or a selfish hero.

That said, this isn’t the time or place to be showing off my predilections.

For now, I just put on a smile and bowed my head.

“Are you alri—”

“Are you alright!?”

Before Miriam could even rush over to me, Eleonora-san thrust her face close to mine.

Wh-Whoa…

“I’m fine. It’s not a problem.”

“But your cheek is cut! Let me see the wound.”

Eleonora-san leaned in even closer, inspecting the gash from point-blank range.

Her frantic state left both me and Miriam a bit overwhelmed.

I mean, it’s really not a serious wound, and Miriam is here, so it’s fine…

Well, Eleonora-san is a knight, after all, even if she is a woman. She’s probably an expert at treating injuries.

I’d be grateful if she did, but I’d rather savor this pain for a little longer…

Just as I was thinking that…

“Nn… It tastes like iron.”

A warm, slick sensation spread across my cheek.

My cheek was being licked by Eleonora-san.

Her bright red tongue darted out as she furrowed her brow.

…Huh? What is she doing?

“Wh-Wh-Wh-What are you doing!?”

Miriam asked the very question I wanted to ask.

She seems incredibly flustered. Is she okay?

“What, you ask…? There was a wound, so…”

“So!? Are you a vampire, Eleonora-san!?”

“Of course not. I am purely human. I was just taught that you should lick wounds to disinfect them… Saliva is said to have healing properties.”

What in the world kind of unit does Eleonora-san belong to…?

“That effect is minuscule! And I’m here, so there’s no need for licking!”

Miriam rushed to my side and cast a healing spell.

Ah, that stings a little…

“I see. With you here, Miriam-san, I can rest assured.”

Eleonora-san offered a faint smile, devoid of any sarcasm.

This seemed to deflate Miriam’s anger, who could only choke out a small “Ugh” in response.

It seems she was genuinely worried about me.

“Erik-san. The skill with which you neutralized that ruffian was magnificent. I am a knight of justice, yet you had to protect me. I am truly ashamed.”

Eleonora-san bowed her head to me.

For someone from a noble family, she really is a humble person.

“Please, don’t worry about it. It was nothing.”

“No, no, that’s not true. Until now, you and Miriam-san have solved everything with your strength. From now on, I will do my best, too!”

Eleonora-san clenched her fist, her expression resolute.

She has a strong sense of responsibility…

“That’s right! You saved us, Hero-sama!”

“Thank you, as always!!”

The people in the market called out to me cheerfully.

If you’re so grateful, I’d rather you just curse me.

The atmosphere was growing rather uncomfortable, so we decided to leave the area.

◆

“Hih…! P-Please, stop! Don’t kill me!!”

Under the midnight moon, a man begged for his life, having fallen onto his rear.

He had been fleeing without any thought to his route and was finally cornered in a place utterly devoid of people.

At this point, no one would come to his aid even if he screamed.

Convinced of this, the man looked at the knight who had cornered him.

A short, bobbed haircut.

Formidable armor.

And what was particularly eye-catching were the enormous gauntlets.

They didn’t just cover the fists and arms with iron; they were also fitted with painful-looking metal spikes. The mere thought of being struck by them was enough to make one ache.

That was why the man, tears welling in his eyes, pleaded for his life, but the female knight showed no sign of stopping.

“Damn it! What did I ever do!?”

“Oliver. A knight sworn to protect the peace of the Royal Capital.”

The woman, who had not responded to any of his words until now, spoke for the first time.

Hearing his own name—Oliver—and occupation, the man trembled.

“Your duty is to devote yourself to the people.”

“Th-That’s right! That’s why, until now, I’ve—”

“—However.”

Oliver’s words were cut off.

No, the woman had no intention of listening in the first place.

In her mind, his fate was already sealed.

“You conspired with Klet Laboy to commit great crimes, living as you pleased off the profits. You disposed of citizens who reported you on your own authority and controlled the flow of information to prevent it from reaching the Royal Castle.”

“……!!”

A jolt ran through Oliver’s body.

He was all too familiar with the woman’s accusations.

“You are evil. As a knight of justice, I shall deliver your punishment.”

“Hih…! N-No, please stop!!”

He scrambled backward, crying, but the woman’s steps did not falter.

Slowly, but surely, she closed the distance.

“I-I’ll tell you everything. That Klet guy, he’s involved in human trafficking, snatching up slaves from poor villages! That’s why he has so much funding and was able to grow so fast…!!”

“I see.”

The woman didn’t stop walking even as Oliver spoke.

“Wh-Why!? I told you everything, didn’t I!?”

“I wasn’t listening, nor did I say I would forgive you just because you talked. Evil will be destroyed. There are no exceptions.”

“Whaaa!?”

Oliver’s mouth opened and closed, gasping like a fish, but no words came out.

He understood now that no matter what—whether he shouted in anger, screamed in terror, or even begged for his life—she would not save him.

“S-Someone! Someone, help meeeee!!”

If that was the case, his only choice was to scream for help.

He yelled with enough volume to echo across the night sky.

But…

“No one will come to help you for screaming in the middle of the night in such a deserted place. Even if someone heard your voice, they would surely pretend they didn’t, not wanting to get involved in trouble.”

How many people would truly come to help if you cried out for it?

Especially in a dark, deserted place like this, where something was clearly wrong.

Could anyone rush to the aid of a complete stranger when their own life might be in danger?

Most people would surely shake their heads.

And unfortunately for Oliver, it seemed only those kinds of people were here.

“You fiend, Oliver. As a knight of justice, I shall punish you. Continue to regret your actions in the next world.”

With those words, the woman raised her fist, clad in its enormous gauntlet.

Even with that slow movement, Oliver couldn’t flee, only shed tears and shake his head in denial.

“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!”

A scream, far louder than his pleas for mercy, echoed into the night sky.

The woman, her cheek spattered with fresh blood, twisted her lips into a warped smile.