Chapter 282 : Snake, Horse, Frog, Wolf

The Hilden Kingdom, a vassal state of the Holy Hilka Empire, was, of course, a holy kingdom.

Therefore, it was a form that mixed the cult and the royal family.

In other words, the Hope Cult was the royal family of the holy kingdom, and the royal family was the temple and the cult.

"Come here!!"

The guards, wearing pure white armor and guarding the entrance to the royal palace. They looked at the holy knight in pure white armor who had appeared so boldly.

A helmet that was dented on one side, and the blood-red eyes that flashed from within.

A red cape that looked like it had been torn from a carpet.

The senior guard looked at him for a moment and then took a step forward.

"Are you from the main branch?"

Here, the main branch meant the papacy.

The mysterious holy knight nodded.

"That's right."

The senior guard looked into his eyes for a moment.

No matter how he looked, it was not the gaze of a faithful holy knight, but he had heard that when one was deeply engrossed in the doctrine, it could sometimes be expressed as a kind of mad gaze.

Because faith was blindness.

Perhaps the holy knight in front of him was of that kind.

The senior guard said in a calm tone.

"Would you please present your identification."

Then, the holy knight in the red cape answered boldly.

"I lost it on the way!"

"...Is that so?"

"That's right."

"Then do you have anything else to prove your identity?"

The holy knight answered in a solemn tone.

"The power of a holy knight is the depth of his faith. Is not the faithfulness to the cult and the father the proof itself?"

"That is so."

"I will prove it with this."

The holy knight gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist.

"I will draw my sword for a moment for proof, so do not be alarmed."

"I understand."

Nevertheless, the senior guard, in preparation for a possible incident, gestured to the other guards and took a step back.

Soon, what came out of his scabbard was...

"Hmm?"

It was a straight sword that was broken in half.

The senior guard blinked for a moment.

"What kind of proof are you talking about?"

At that, the holy knight brought a finger to his lips.

"Shh."

"...?"

"Can't you hear the whisper of the sunlight?"

He reverently held up the broken straight sword in front of his chest, and then, with his eyes closed, he muttered a spell softly.

"The light will guide the way."

Then.

Swoosh—

A sparkling white light formed on the broken blade, and then it gradually spread upwards.

The dazzling light that filled the cross-section of the broken sword stretched upwards like a growing tree branch, and soon it formed the shape of a complete sword.

"...!"

The guards' eyes widened.

Their faces were filled with shock.

It was a sword of light.

"Ooooooh!"

They couldn't help but be amazed.

To think that there was such a level.

'He must be a holy knight from the papacy!'

And among them.

He must be one of the nine swords that assisted the Hero of Light, a Paladin.

'How faithful must one be to reach such a level.'

He couldn't even guess.

Only now did he understand his seemingly insane gaze.

One had to be that faithful. Literally, fanatically.

The red cape fluttered in the wind.

The holy knight looked at the senior guard with the sword of light in his hand.

His voice was filled with a dignity that could not be approached.

"Brother, do you believe me now?"

Thump!

The senior guard knelt, and following him, the other guards also knelt.

"We have been rude...! How can a mere firefly block the holy sunlight? Paladin, you may enter!"

Saaa—

The holy knight sheathed the sword of light and said in a gentle voice.

"Ah, do not mind it. Are we not all faithful servants of the midday?"

And then, he walked toward the Hall of Light.

The guards who had been blocking his way all knelt and watched his procession.

The Paladin smiled softly.

The menacing smile that bloomed on his lips was more suited to darkness than to light.

'Infiltration successful.'

* * *

"A Paladin from the papacy has come!"

"What? Is that really true?"

The news spread quickly.

"A Paladin has come?"

"That's right!"

Bishop Trout came out in a hurry to greet the Paladin who had been dispatched from the main branch.

The Paladin in question had just entered the royal palace and was carefully looking up at the pillars that supported the inner walls and ceiling of the building.

Bishop Trout hurriedly approached him and greeted him.

"Paladin of Light, I am Bishop Trout of the Hilden branch."

He looked at him, and then, with his hands clasped together as if in prayer, he greeted him.

"Nice to meet you, Bishop Trout. I am Banshua."

"...Banshua?"

"What is it?"

"Ah, excuse me. I've never heard that name before..."

There was no name of Banshua among the nine swords of the Hero of Light.

The nine Paladins.

At that, the holy knight in front of him gave a dark smile.

"That's right. When others went to the light, I was in the shadow that fell behind them."

"...Pardon?"

The holy knight in the red cape muttered in a nonchalant tone.

"Where there is light, there is shadow."

Bishop Trout's eyes widened.

'Shadow? ...Don't tell me?'

Shadow.

It was a word that hinted at the dark side of the papacy.

When running a huge organization like the empire, it was not always possible to be clean.

But the midday sun must always shine brightly.

The sun was a holy celestial body. A perfect thing.

There could be no blemish.

Therefore, a group was needed to handle the sunspots, and that was what was commonly called the 'shadow'.

The papacy's direct subordinate, the dark side, which handled all sorts of dirty things.

The holy knight's following words confirmed his thoughts.

"I am the tenth sword, hidden by the light."

"...!"

Bishop Trout's face was filled with shock.

A hidden tenth sword?

His hands and feet trembled.

"Ah, of course. All of this must not be known to the outside. If you reveal it, the shadow will swallow you."

"...!"

"Just as the light reaches everywhere, the shadow also leans everywhere. Do you understand what I mean?"

"O-of course!"

"Shh. Lower your tone."

"Yes, yes!"

Trout calmed his trembling legs and pulled himself together.

This was no ordinary matter.

As he was slowly looking at the holy knight in front of him.

Something strange caught his eye.

"Uh, Paladin."

"That's too holy. Just call me Sir Banshua."

"Ah, yes. Sir Banshua."

"What is it?"

"Your helmet... may I ask how it got dented?"

"Ah, this. On the way here, some madman ambushed me, falling like rain from above. I barely dodged it."

"What a relief. What kind of madman would dare to ambush a Paladin."

"I know, right."

Bishop Trout, who had been looking at him for a moment, said.

"You came without any notice, so our hospitality was lacking. May I ask for what purpose you came?"

"Of course. Who would announce an audit in advance?"

"...Pardon? An audit?"

He ran his hand over a slightly indented part of the wall, and then showed it to the bishop.

"What is this?"

"Uh... it's dust."

"Do we worship the god of dust?"

"Ah, no."

"Wasn't our father the midday sun god, Hope?"

"I will correct it!"

The holy knight blew the dust off his fingertips, and then, with a grin, he patted the bishop's shoulder.

"Let's do a good job, Bishop Trout."

"...!"

Only one thought crossed the bishop's mind.

'I'm screwed.'

Sir Banshua entered several rooms, looked around, and pointed out all sorts of things, wiping the dust.

And Bishop Trout bowed his head each time and repeated that he would correct it.

Every time he pointed out everything he saw and turned it upside down, a commotion arose.

Every time his thunderous scolding fell, the person in charge came out and bowed his head.

"I-I have committed a mortal sin!"

"Do you think your life in the cult is over just by saying that?"

"No!"

Trout followed Sir Banshua, sweating profusely.

He searched every room without leaving a single one, and he turned it upside down every time.

"Oh. Look at these? Is this how you manage the finances?"

Rustle, rustle—

The documents that Banshua had thrown flew around.

"I will correct it!"

The audit continued until night.

* * *

Night came.

Lyle headed to the place where the underground fighting arena was held.

A dark back alley where even the moonlight did not reach.

Swoosh—

People gathered one by one.

They were all wearing various masks, and that was as good as an admission ticket.

"...Was it here?"

Lyle, who had been peeking at the entrance of the alley for a moment, saw the people with masks gathering and nodded.

"This is it."

Lyle also put on the mask that Shushuruta had gotten for him and naturally walked to the entrance.

Lyle was wearing a rabbit mask with a little blood spattered on it, and a person wearing an animal mask meant they were a participant.

"I'm here."

The gatekeeper, who was guarding the entrance with a black mask on, stared at Lyle blankly, and then, without a word, opened another door.

Lyle went down to the underground through the stairs.

Soon, Lyle was surprised by the thunderous cheers coming from inside.

It was large for an underground.

Inside the dark interior, there were several cage-like arenas, and countless people were clinging to the cages, shouting something.

They were like beasts.

The beasts trapped in the cages, the beasts trapped outside the cages.

—Hit him! Hit him!

—You idiot! You can't even dodge that?

—Do you know how much I bet on you?!

A match was in progress in the cage.

The sound of hitting flesh and the sound of tearing, screams, teeth flying, and blood splattering.

Realistic violence.

"Whew... it's brutal."

Lyle whistled.

It was so different from the white and reverent daytime that he wondered if this was the holy kingdom he had seen.

"You damn moths. How have you been holding back all this time?"

As he was looking around blankly at the sight that was so different from the daytime.

"Hey, rabbit."

Someone called him.

When he looked, a participant wearing a bear mask was looking at him with one corner of his mouth raised.

"You came back without running away. Your courage is commendable."

Lyle tilted his head.

He didn't know for sure, but it seemed the owner of this mask had shown a rather poor performance.

The bear mask grinned.

"I'm sure I told you you'd die if you came back."

The other animal masks looked at the rabbit and added a word each.

"You look tender and delicious. You chose a good mask."

"Did a noble knight who was rolling on the street come?"

"This is a very rough place for a young master to come."

Chuckle, chuckle.

A flood of ridicule poured out.

Lyle blinked for a moment at the ridicule that was pouring down on him.

A smile bloomed on his lips.

"...Look at this?"

Is this why they say the world is wide?

How long has it been since he had been treated with such disrespect?

Shiver, shiver—

A thrill ran down his spine.

Shiver, shiver—

His whole body trembled.

"Keuk, keuk, keuk. Look at him laughing."

"The corner of his mouth is trembling."

"He's trying hard to act tough. How cute."

"The match-up is out, right? Who's his opponent?"

The bear mask said.

"It's me."

"Oh, congratulations."

"You're lucky. An easy win."

"Haha, teach that herbivore what this place is like."

Just then, an announcement calling for the rabbit and bear participants came out.

The bear mask grinned and said.

"Let's go, young master. I'll be gentle."

Lyle followed him and muttered softly.

"Bear, snake, horse, frog, wolf."

Soon, the bear mask and the rabbit mask entered the cage.

The spectators immediately started betting.

—It's the bear!

—Isn't that the guy who went up to the semi-finals last time?

—10 silver on the bear mask!

—50 silver on the bear mask!

—75 silver on the bear mask!

—Boo! Just trample that rabbit!

Even then, Lyle was muttering softly.

"Bear, snake, horse, frog, wolf."

The huge bear mask cracked his shoulders and slowly approached Lyle.

"Young master, what have you been muttering about since earlier?"

The animal masks that had followed to watch chuckled and ridiculed him.

"It seems he's gone crazy from fear."

"Hey, bear! Be gentle!"

The bear grinned and then suddenly rushed at the rabbit.

It was a body slam that felt like his whole body would be crushed.

The match started the moment they entered the cage.

"Bear, snake, horse, frog, wolf."

Lyle's muttering eyes flashed with a blue light, and then.

Swoosh—

He appeared from behind with his sword drawn.

Crash!

The bear mask, which had rushed forward crudely, hit his head on the iron bars as if he had fallen, and then slid down.

His eyes were already rolled back.

The strong man who had gone up to the semi-finals had been defeated in an instant.

"..."

At the unexpected result, the area around the cage, which had been noisy, became quiet.

As he wiped the blood off his blade with a cloth.

The rabbit mask muttered softly.

"Snake, horse, frog, wolf."

(End of Chapter)