Episode 197. Real Followers (2)
A night in Safern, when the sun sets and the moon rises.
A retired knight was sitting in front of the small candlelight flickering on the table.
The text written in the middle probably caught his eye so much that his eyes could not move on to the next page.
At this, a knock sounded outside the room.
“Jereon, may I come in?”
“of course.”
When permission was given, a middle-aged man carrying a knife came inside.
It was Mark, who was Gereon’s adjutant during his active duty days.
After seeing that he was reading, Mark frowned slightly and asked.
“Did you find something that satisfied you?”
“What can be called satisfaction? “I’m watching it to see if there’s at least something I can salvage.”
Jereon, who felt bored after reading for a long time, ended up yawning excessively.
“That man… … Was it okay if I sent it as is?”
“Why would you ask such a question if you know? Didn’t everyone feel it, not just you? “If they hadn’t sent us away, we might all have been killed.”
Mark couldn’t bear to deny it.
“This is it, I guess I’ll have to return the knights’ emblem as well. Who would have thought that we, who were not afraid of even high-ranking magicians on the front line, would retreat after facing just one young man? “I will lose face in many ways.”
“Why did the man obediently hand over the book?”
“I guess my story was interesting. So, why did you come in?”
Mark cleared his throat and answered as if he was remembering something he had forgotten for a while.
“The meeting with the abbot has been successful.”
“already? “I caught it sooner than I expected. So, when can I go?”
“I think you can go right now.”
“now?”
“yes. They say the faster the better… … .”
After hearing the unexpected news, Jereon frowned but immediately got up from his seat.
“I understand. “Let’s go right away.”
They headed straight to the monastery in Sapern.
The moment we reached the main gate, the abbot and monks who had been waiting came running out in a huff.
“welcome! I’ve been waiting! “Precious Commander of the Knights of Light!”
“You were waiting for me?”
It wasn’t like some imperial noble family had come, so what reason would there be to wait for him, a retired knight?
Jereon immediately realized that it wasn’t a very good reason.
“I will take you this way.”
The abbot led Jereon and his companions inside.
“When I first heard it, I couldn’t believe my ears! The famous Executor of Light, Captain Jereon Alkin, is visiting our monastery! “I am once again reminded of Rumendel’s words that light always exists by our side!”
Starting with his eloquent praise of Jereon, the abbot began to ramble on about the history of the monastery and his own deeds.
Jereon listened to his whole story with a serious expression and closed eyes without any response.
“Oh my gosh, I was so excited to have such a precious person here. “I don’t know if you were displeased.”
“… … .”
“Je Leon?”
“ah! I’m sorry. “That story was so boring that I dozed off without realizing it.”
Jereon finally stretched out his arms.
“I think it’s almost over, so now I’ll start my story.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The abbot spoke, trying to hide his nervousness with a smile.
“Actually, I stopped by the monastery earlier during the day.”
“… … !”
The abbot’s face, unable to control his expression for a moment, became subtly distorted.
“That’s right! I didn’t know you at all! Did you come to pray to Rummendel?”
“Well, let’s just say it’s a combination. More than that, the number of followers of the fog has been increasing throughout the empire recently. So, I was checking around my various cities.”
Instead of being embarrassed, the abbot tilted his head and then cautiously asked:
“that… … “Did Jereon not know?”
“As you can see, I am no longer a knight. “What do you know when there’s no one to tell you?”
The abbot was left speechless by Jereon’s calm attitude.
Like a person who has revealed something that should not be revealed.
“It seems like something I don’t know about was secretly going on in the empire.”
“What, is it something you don’t know? “How would a mere monk like me know such a thing?”
“Well, you’ll know when you check.”
Jereon took out a book from his arms and held it out as if showing off.
“… … !”
The abbot, who checked the book, was so shocked that he could not close his mouth and could only groan.
“It’s embarrassing for me to look like a dead man who lost his country like that.”
“Well, that’s not it… … .”
Contrary to his desire to get out of this place as quickly as even a second later, the abbot’s body hardly moved.
It was as if his muscles had stiffened under the intense gaze of the retired knight who had not yet become dull.
“Tell me this. “Everything you know.”
——————
faqwiki.us
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
* * *
[By the way, I always fight like I’m going to start a fight at any moment… … .]
“There’s no way I can do anything good for you. “Kayram.”
[You must be foolish. master.]
Kayram shook his head and looked away.
If you read any further, there will only be content that will make you laugh, so I don’t think there’s any need to waste your time reading it.
If there are people who need more, wouldn’t it be right to give it to those who need it?
I didn’t just give it to you out of fear of getting into trouble.
[so. Where are you going now?]
“To the person who can solve my current curiosity… … .”
Kayram was about to ask who it was, but immediately closed his mouth.
He seemed to know who I was visiting.
I entered the dark alley with a small smile.
Then, as soon as I turned the left corner, I saw a wooden door that appeared,
-Squeak
I went inside without hesitation.
A short-haired woman reading a lonely book with a flickering red candle as her friend.
Without any hesitation, I went forward and sat down in front of her, and soon her eyes turned towards me as she closed the book.
“Isn’t it too shabby for a research lab?”
“If you look so pitiful, why don’t you give me something big as a disciple?”
“It must be difficult because I am not a successful student.”
The woman raised her eyes sharply, as if she knew that would happen.
It was my teacher, the head of the Sirika family, who came a long way to help his unsuccessful student.
“I was wondering how they could proceed so quietly, but as soon as they arrived, they did something right away.”
I realized at once that it was daylight.
“It was a coincidence. Who would have thought that a retired knight commander would come to that bar?”
Although I tried to dismiss it as purely coincidental, the head of the family’s distrustful gaze toward me did not go away.
[what? I didn’t instigate it!]
Including Kayram behind me.
“Are the Knights of Light unaware of this incident?”
“I’m not sure yet. The man you met, Jereon Arkyn, was the leader of the Knights of Light for a long time. Even though he has been retired for a long time, it can be said that most of what happens in the Order of Light reaches his ears.”
Although the actual leader was a saint, it was probably the man who led and commanded the knights.
“After retirement, he was quietly spending the rest of his life in his hometown, but I hear that he began to move due to the events that occurred in the Kingdom of Garam along with the fake believers.”
Suddenly, the old man’s words about wanting to check the truth came to mind.
Did you say that you wanted to check whether the path you took for the rest of your life was the right one?
It dawned on me that if I continued like this, it wouldn’t be long before I ran into him again.
“… … ?”
I immediately made that(?) gesture in front of the head of the family.
“What are you doing?”
“Wasn’t this Mist’s new hand signal?”
The head of the family looked at me with very pitiful eyes.
Feeling a little embarrassed, I pursed my lips.
“It seems like a secret hand signal that has spread among those who volunteer to become followers of the fog. “They took people who knew these hand signals to their places and worked to educate them.”
“I heard a similar story, but I had no idea it was such a ridiculous move. So, have you been to that place?”
“There was a gathering of crazy people.”
I conveyed to the head of the family the content of the sermon they were reading, including the abbot’s sermon.
It mainly focuses on praising the spirit of Aer.
“These guys are out of their minds.”
She nodded as if she agreed with what I said about them being crazy people.
“I don’t know anything else, but I’d like to check that it’s that edict. “Do you have it now?”
“Ah, I gave that to the retired leader.”
“why?”
“Uh, should I say it’s a reward for telling an interesting story?”
“… … .”
For a moment, there was a cold silence in the room.
The head of the family held his forehead as if he had a sudden headache.
There was a lot he wanted to say, but he seemed to be holding it back.
“There was no title written, but the author was written down.”
“Okay, at least say that.”
“Do you know Dio?”
“D.I.O? Don’t you know just the name? “Wasn’t your last name written down?”
It was written down.
When you add your last name, your first name is… … .
“Harpenkers. It was Dio Harpenkus.”
“… … “Hafenkus?”
The head of the family’s eyes changed strangely.
Judging by the reaction, it seemed like I had heard of it somewhere.
“I don’t know.”
She flatly dismissed the world.
“I’m not relaxed enough to remember the idiot who records such crazy thoughts.”
The head of the family immediately stood up and prepared to leave.
“Are you leaving already?”
“I didn’t come here to meet you in the first place. I just happened to stop by while passing by. “I will go to the imperial castle this way.”
“Are you here to investigate whether this matter is related to the imperial family?”
“Well, let’s do it together. “She goes not as the head of the Mist family, but as the eldest daughter of the Nigriti family.”
Why does it sound like I’m bragging because of my mood?
Going somewhere in the name of the family, not just the name.
It was something that could no longer be accomplished for me.
“I wouldn’t tell you to be particularly careful, but… … .”
Eventually, the head of the household opened the door and was about to leave, looking back at me once more and saying.
“Take care and eat well. “Her face is half cut.”
“I will listen to the engraving.”
The head of the family left the room after saying those words.
* * *
After finishing her private conversation with Xian, Silica immediately walked towards the imperial castle.
However, when I sensed a familiar energy coming from a corner of the alley, I turned around.
-Ttogak ttogak
With the sound of seductive footsteps, a black-haired woman appeared in a pitch-black space covered in strange night fog.
Silica didn’t seem particularly embarrassed, as if she had expected this.
“Why did you summon me?”
[I’ve never called you out before? Didn’t you just come because you were numb?]
“How could I just leave after seeing that rare look in Kayram’s eyes?”
Scilica smiled leisurely.
“I guess the name Harpenkus bothered you a bit.”
[Don’t climb up, the head of the family. If you don’t want to be called a silent assassin by your peers.]
Kayram’s tone was somewhat heightened.
“I don’t know the name Dio. However, I cannot say that I know anything about the name Harpenkus.”
[Even if you don’t know, you have to pretend not to know. You probably don’t know why I’m warning you even though I’m alone with you, a bitch I don’t want to see, right?]
“Just because I don’t tell you, it doesn’t mean Kayram’s secret will be hidden forever.”
[That’s not your concern.]
Kayram flatly dismissed Scilica’s advice.
“As a follower of Aer, I have no intention of revealing Mr. Kayram’s secret. but… … .”
Scilica’s eyes became sharp once again.
“If it were to harm the successor, the story would be different.”
[…] … .]
“Then rest in peace.”
With her final greeting, Scilica turned around.
[It’s annoying… … .]
Kayram, who was left alone, was spitting out vicious curses that he could not bear to contain.
(Continued in the next part)
fantasy,
