Betrayal Knight’s Joyful Faith - Chapter 380



Only Noblemtl

The 380th episode of The Merry God of Betrayal

Time passed quickly, and it was the night designated by the Chernion Church.

Late at night.

Ember, who was walking in the lead, glanced back. She saw the faces of her comrades who were following behind her, trying to keep their presence as quiet as possible through the darkness.

Everyone was trying hard to look calm, but the anxiety they couldn’t quite hide was clearly visible under the dim moonlight.

‘That makes sense.’

In Ember’s area alone, 30% of her colleagues fled.

After their like-minded servants were dragged out into the marketplace and made an example of, they lost contact with their comrades inside the palace.

And then the Crown Prince made a grand announcement about the King’s condition, and the country was turned upside down.

‘I heard that the chief attendant was arrested for treason… … .’

If that was the case, then other companions in the palace might have already been discovered, or they might have betrayed the god Chernion.

‘You idiots.’

If only I could hold out a little longer, a new world would open up. Even if there was nothing I could do about those who were caught, I absolutely could not forgive those who got scared and ran away.

‘There will come a day when you have to pay the price.’

Ember had no doubt that God would punish the traitor. As she was thinking about this, Jason’s voice suddenly broke into her thoughts.

“Captain, isn’t it around here?”

“uh?”

As Ember stopped walking, those following her also stopped one by one.

“… … It seems like no one is here?”

Someone muttered, slightly frightened.

It was near a cemetery outside the city gates, completely deserted.

It was a place designated by a man who called himself Roger.

“Wait a little longer. There’s still some time left until our appointment time.”

Amber answered, trying to hide her impatience. It was a moonless night.

It was a time that should have been comfortable for those who followed the darkness. However, the instinctive fear as a human seemed inevitable.

Rustle.

At the sound of a field mouse running, Ember shivered without realizing it.

It suddenly occurred to me that no one in the castle knew they were here.

“… … .”

It was natural, since they operated under the principle of keeping secrets. However, Ember could not understand why this fact was considered so ominous.

“uh?”

At that moment, Jason let out an exclamation.

“Yes, there is a person.”

At those words, the group’s gaze naturally turned to where Jason was pointing.

Soon enough, Ember discovered the same thing. A figure stood tall near the bushes by the grave.

‘Are you the author?’

Ember, whose heart was getting impatient, took a step towards him.

Likewise, perhaps noticing their presence, Inyoung took a step out of the bushes.

Even in the pitch-black darkness, a dull glow of metal armor caught my eye.

Crunch.

The sound of metal clashing echoed through the darkness.

The person I clearly thought was one person was not alone.

At that moment, Ember realized something was wrong.

She quickly rolled her eyes and took a step back. Jason, who still hadn’t figured out what was going on, asked bewilderedly.

“Captain?”

“… … This is crazy.”

But Ember couldn’t answer his call.

From the bushes, knights in familiar armor slowly walked out. Only then did the group realize the problem and their faces turned pale.

Creak, creak.

The knights, who had been increasing one by one, completely surrounded them in an instant.

“pitfall…….”

Jason turned pale and licked his lips.

The symbol engraved on the chest armor was clearly the symbol of the Royal Knights of the Kingdom of Lucain.

* * *

– Two people resisted and were executed on the spot. All others surrendered and were imprisoned.

– Of the seven people who remained near the summoning circle, five were arrested. Two of them did not cooperate and were summarily executed.

Viktor sat quietly with his head held high as he listened to the reports flying in one after another.

-We will begin the evacuation operation. We have also confirmed the location of the reinforcements from the Kalion Empire deployed in the surrounding area.

-We will guide people to the designated location.

-We have completed clearing out the resisting personnel. We will now begin the evacuation operation.

The communication ports lined up on the desk blinked endlessly, relaying the knights’ reports.

The inside and outside of the palace were being cleaned up at a rapid pace.

They dig traps and lead people in, and they dispose of those who resist without asking questions.

It was a harsh treatment for civilians.

It was as if they didn’t even see their enemies as human beings… … .

But it was also true that this was the way to save as many people as possible.

‘At least he was arrested before he became a rebel.’

Up until now, it was at a stage where one could make excuses by saying that one had inevitably fallen for the trappings of the evil religion.

The same was true for the dead.

Since the crime of rebellion is punishable by association to the family, it would be better to punish them now before they commit treason.

‘Lord Arendt must have calculated it all.’

Of course, the idea is not difficult.

But putting it into practice was never easy.

“… … .”

It was almost time for the sun to rise.

It meant that there was only one day left until the fate of the palace was decided.

Now, his role as a puppet was also coming to an end.

“ha…….”

Those who have been given orders by the knights will be forgotten by people as if they never existed in the first place.

Even the fact that he died won’t be known.

Arendt’s intention was that their bodies should not be left behind, so that their deaths would not become ‘noble sacrifices for Czernyon.’

He was neither a rebel nor a nameless soldier of the holy war.

They will simply die as ordinary people and disappear from history.

“… … .”

Victor clasped his trembling hands together. He tried to pray to the god Luce out of habit, but soon gave up.

It was because I was reminded of Arendt, who said she wanted to spit in the face of the god Luce.

‘What the hell is he… … .’

Victor still could not properly understand Arendt as a person.

But I decided to at least believe that he had no ill intentions.

‘I told you that the more scared you are, the more calmly you should accept it.’

The young knight, whose expression did not change even while stepping on a puddle of blood, was perhaps born with boldness.

‘Or maybe it was the time of fear he had swallowed up until now that made him like that.’

I didn’t know. It wasn’t an area I could interfere in in the first place.

After a while of letting my boiling stomach settle, all the lights in the communication room suddenly went out.

Come to think of it, I think I heard a report around dawn that most people had finished evacuating.

Before I knew it, dawn had broken, and the sky outside the window was starting to brighten dimly.

Just then, knock knock.

A dry knock was heard.

As Victor raised his head, the door opened without even waiting for permission.

“It’s a bad morning, your Majesty.”

And then came a voice that was still unfamiliar and indifferent.

Victor raised his head with a start and met eyes with the cold-faced apprentice knight.

“Are you ready?”

He had shed his servant’s appearance and was now dressed in the uniform of an apprentice knight of the Kalion Empire.

He was wearing a pair of artifact gloves that he had taken from the evil cult, and a neat sword was tucked into his waist.

I’ve definitely seen him before during the conference, and I saw his original face when I was introduced to Lexion a while ago.

“… … Lord Arendt.”

But for some reason, Victor felt like he was finally seeing his face for the first time.

But there was no time to indulge in sentimentality.

Victor sat up from his seat.

“I’m ready.”

“Let’s go.”

Arendt stepped back to make way for him. Victor nodded nervously and left the office first.

The palace was noticeably quieter than usual, as most of the officials had left and even the servants had been sent away.

Even the remaining people were taking precautions, and even the main palace, which would normally be bustling with people starting their work, was as quiet as a mouse.

“… … Is this the calm before the storm?”

Llewelyn muttered absentmindedly and then closed his mouth.

Now was not the time to be talking carelessly.

Until we reached our destination, no one spoke a word. Fortunately or unfortunately, we didn’t encounter anyone on the way.

After what felt like eons, Victor finally stopped in front of the King’s chambers.

The ornately decorated gate looked unusually plain, as there were no attendants or guards guarding its front.

Victor swallowed hard and slowly opened the door.

A strong smell of rotting flesh wafted through the gap in the door.

Victor frowned, but opened the door without stopping.

The dark bedroom was illuminated by light streaming in from the hallway.

The king, neither dead nor alive, sat leaning against the head of the bed with his mouth wide open.

“……father.”

Victor called out loud to him, but there was no response.

It was always like that. He never answered the voice that called him father. Neither to himself nor to his two half-brothers.

“Brother… … . You don’t have to push yourself too hard.”

“It’s okay, Prince.”

Victor answered calmly to Llewelyn’s worried words.

“It’s something I have to handle.”

There was no longer any fear in his calm voice. Llewelyn handed him the dagger without asking any more questions.

Arendt advised.

“The neck and the heart. Lower.”

“okay.”

Victor took a step towards the king.

The Duke of Middleton, Arendt, and Llewelyn just watched him quietly.

Victor, standing right in front of the bed, drew his dagger. The bright blue blade gave off an eerie light.

“father.”

Victor called out to him once more, but his clouded eyes did not look at him.

But Victor said regardless.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Although he was not able to protect the kingdom as king, he was once a man who ruled the country peacefully.

He was never affectionate, but he was a wise and thorough king.

Although he is now a corpse and has met a miserable death.

“From now on, I will take my father’s place.”

The crown prince carefully laid the king down on his bed and then raised his sword.

He wanted to close his eyes, but he stubbornly did not take his gaze off the tip of the sword.

Woodduck.

The dagger cut through the dry flesh and bone and dug into the king’s heart without resistance. Not stopping there, Viktor pulled out the dagger and plunged it into the king’s neck.

The horrible sensation of a dehydrated cervical vertebra breaking touched my fingertips.

“… … .”

The ghoul who had been the king no longer moved.

I was just lying quietly on the bed.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

The Duke of Middleton said, his voice cracking slightly.

Victor didn’t say anything, just sharpened the dagger, put it back in his bosom, and stepped back.

No emotion could be read from Victor’s face as he stared at the floor.

Arendt took a short breath and stepped forward.

As he lightly used his magic, the dried corpse instantly froze white.

And after a while, the corpse, unable to overcome the extreme cold, turned into silvery ice dust and scattered into the air.

When Arendt turned around, Victor was crying.

Knock, knock. Arendt glanced at the teardrops drawing circles on the floor and opened her mouth.

“Let me ask you one last time. Are you sure that’s okay?”

It was a dry voice, without any consolation or regret.

But Victor showed no resentment or reproach at all.

“I will do it.”

He simply nodded with a determined expression that showed no hint of hesitation.

If there was one thing that held warmth in the bedroom where the cold air of frosty hands was felt, it was the tears of the crown prince filled with sympathy for his father.