Betrayal Knight’s Joyful Faith - Chapter 418



Only Noblemtl

The 418th episode of The Merry God of Betrayal

“… … The saint has appeared?”

After a moment of silence, Kendrick groaned.

“Then it would have been impossible to know why the saint appeared there. The only one who had contact with her, Lord Arendt, was silenced.”

“Yes. Arendt seems to be acting cautiously, because she doesn’t know what will happen if she breaks her contract with the saint.”

As Leo nodded, Diana answered with a complicated expression.

“I can’t blame Lord Arendt… … . The Saintess’s withdrawal of troops was also due to Lord Arendt’s decision. What are Your Majesty’s intentions?”

“I think the same. A guy who wouldn’t suffer any loss even if he came back from the dead made that choice. I guess there was no other way.”

Somehow, the Crown Prince’s tone seemed to have some serious meaning, so Laius, who had been silent for a moment, asked cautiously.

“Surely not that guy again… … .”

“Surely that’s how you catch people. This time, you took a lot of them.”

The crown prince, with his arms crossed, answered blankly. Laius, who had been keeping his mouth shut for a long time, nodded.

“I’m sorry.”

“Okay. I already gave up.”

Cantares waved his hand in a relieved tone.

There was no way he wasn’t consistent.

Lyos squeezed his eyes shut and placed his hand gently on his sore throat, while the other two captains just gave awkward laughs.

“The conversation has gone off on a tangent. That’s what I’m curious about. It might be a bit of an extreme topic, but I think it’s worth touching on at least once.”

Cantares frowned and changed the subject again.

“Why did the saint let Arendt live?”

“… … .”

“If Rider Sir and Salem could have been neutralized in one fell swoop, then eliminating Arendt wouldn’t have been difficult. Is there some other reason?”

The three captains shut their mouths at the same time.

“Instead of keeping his mouth shut or making a bothersome deal, I would have chosen to kill him and destroy the relics. Arendt is clearly a person of interest to your sect, so wouldn’t that be much more beneficial?”

In the quiet conference room, only Cantares’s displeased voice echoed.

“Is it because the dragon can’t kill Arendt? Because Arendt survived thanks to Luce’s grace? But it doesn’t seem like the same restrictions would apply to a saint.”

Moreover, rather than being grateful for having survived, Arendt began to show even more aversion to the god Luce afterward.

Their gaze naturally fell on Leo.

Lyos spoke calmly in response to the eyes demanding an answer.

“I don’t know either.”

“The lies have increased, Commander Lyos.”

Cantares, who had his chin held high, burst into laughter, but Leos made no reply.

The crown prince, who had been staring at him silently, turned his horse’s head.

“Let’s skip that part for now. That’s not what’s important right now.”

Laius bowed his head slightly in gratitude. Diana, who had read his intentions, brought up a different topic instead of asking further questions.

“Reports of missing persons have finally begun to arrive at the police station. Most of them are from the palace, distant areas, and areas outside the jurisdiction of the nobles’ estates.”

“I wanted to discuss that anyway. The number of missing people that the Khan Union has been reporting is also increasing.”

Cantares nodded.

The Khan Union had been consistently reporting to Cantares by gathering information on missing person reports from the information exchange above Neumann.

“That’s true. It increased rapidly before and after the Lucain Kingdom incident.”

“The defenses we’ve taken so far have clearly been effective. But there must be a reason why this has suddenly happened.”

Kendrick crossed his arms and frowned.

“There must be a reason why the public sentiment of the Kingdom of Lucain suddenly turned around and even the former queen and concubine fell.”

“The royal family is actively investigating, but so far, no significant results have been produced.”

“Returning to a blank expression,” reported Lyos.

“It was curiosity, I was promised a reward… … Most people testified in this way, but I don’t think the probability of it being true is very high.”

They wouldn’t be so stupid as to dare conspire against someone for something like that.

However, it is not as if the Lucain royal family did anything that would provoke a backlash from the people.

Diana nodded with a sullen expression.

“I guess it’s reasonable to assume that the Chernion Order did something about it.”

“There are some parts that make sense.”

After a while of silence, Lyos opened his mouth.

“I think it might be related to the reason they invaded the Kingdom of Lucain anew.”

“If there’s a cause, it’s the ruins that remained underground. Arendt destroyed them.”

Cantares frowned, his chin raised.

“I said it was likely the same facility that I was investigating with Prince Llewelyn. And that was… … .”

The ending of the speech naturally became blurred.

Evidence that may reveal the dark side of the God Luce.

Perhaps in the past, Chernion and Luce were on equal footing, and it might not be meaningful to distinguish between the two as good and evil.

Arendt has been making dangerous claims of this kind consistently since ancient times.

‘Now, evidence is gradually appearing that proves that what he said was not wrong.’

The crown prince naturally took on an uneasy expression.

“… … Did the enemies spread rumors disparaging Lady Luce? No, that can’t be right.”

Swallowing the bitter taste in his mouth, Cantares let out the words he had been holding back.

“Rather than putting them down, I think it would be better to say that they have exposed their true colors. At least that’s how they see it.”

“majesty?”

Diana sounded somewhat surprised.

But Cantares did not take back his words.

“I know it’s blasphemous. But when you put together the evidence that guy presented before my eyes, that’s the only conclusion you can come to.”

“… … .”

Silence fell in the conference room.

“I say this again, because I trust you too. It’s not something you can just say out loud. And now, to deny this hypothesis… … .”

The crown prince, who had been mumbling to himself, smiled bitterly.

“He’s done too much so far. Or have I been fooled by his eloquence and my judgment has become clouded? If that’s the case, I’d appreciate it if you could give me some sincere advice. I’ll listen.”

“… … .”

But there was no answer. Kendrick and Diana remained silent, their faces revealing their complicated feelings.

Among them, Laius, the only one who knew something, simply remained silent.

After a while, Kendrick slowly started crying.

“If that is true, what choice will Your Majesty make?”

“what?”

Cantares asked curiously at the unexpected question.

“Truth and reality are completely different. No matter what Luce’s backstory is, the fact remains that the current Kalyon Empire has prospered under his grace. And Your Majesty is the sole successor to the Holy Empire Kalyon.”

Kendrick continued, looking at the young prince.

“No matter what decision you make, we will forever be the sword and shield of the Kalion Empire, your Majesty, and your Highness. However, please do not forget where you stand now.”

“……yes.”

Cantares, who had been silent for a moment, frowned slightly.

His single word carried the same weight as the lives of all the people of the empire.

When I’m joking around with someone, I often forget that fact.

Kendrick smiled wryly.

“I apologize for my presumptuous remarks. You may dismiss them as mere old man’s concerns. However, I feel that if not now, there will be no opportunity to offer advice.”

“No. I understand it well. And it is an issue that will have to be addressed at some point.”

Cantares answered slowly.

Diana also started crying with a displeased expression on her face.

“No matter what Luce’s intentions are, the fact remains that we have been saved by him. Under Luce’s protection, we have been able to enjoy peace and prosperity for a long time.”

She paused for a moment before adding,

“Even right now, there are more than a few people who have saved their lives thanks to Lady Luce and the temple.”

The belief in Luce was so deeply rooted among the people.

Helping the poor, taking in the homeless, and caring for the sick. Up until now, the priests have performed many good deeds in the name of Luce.

Even the power of the empire was obtained simply because it was closest to the god Luce.

‘The current Kalion Empire and the God Luce are inseparable.’

Cantares was also one of those who considered that fact an honor.

“… … So in the end, I have to make decisions that put the safety of the empire first. Thank you for your advice.”

The crown prince, who had been silent for a moment, slowly nodded. However, Kendrick and Diana’s expressions were still not very bright.

“First of all, the priority is to destroy the enemy in front of you.”

At that moment, Laius’ clear voice penetrated between the three people.

They naturally raised their heads and looked at the hero.

“With the ruins of the Kingdom of Lucain as the last, they have succeeded in erasing all traces of the past. And if the hypothesis I just mentioned is correct, it means that public sentiment is also quite shaken.”

Accepting their gazes calmly, Laius continued speaking.

“The civil war in the Kingdom of Lucain is only just beginning. The enemies now seek revenge for the humiliation suffered by their god… .”

Even with those chilling words in his mouth, Laius remained calm.

“And we will launch an offensive to punish the descendants of those who survived under Luce.”

Kendrick, who had been silent for a long time, groaned.

“Captain Rios is right. It seems they’ve given up on trying to destroy it from the inside… … .”

As the Knight Commander trailed off, Cantares added coldly.

“Then all that remains is an all-out war.”

It is now not long before the entire continent is engulfed in the flames of war.

“ha…….”

Cantares slowly wiped his face and let out a deep sigh.

“I have received word that there will be a public execution of criminals in the Kingdom of Lucain tomorrow. Two days later, Crown Prince Victor will hold a simple coronation.”

Cantares, leaning back in his chair, spoke with a dark face.

“The formal ceremony will be held after all wars have ended, so we ask for your understanding as allies.”

It was a decision to prepare for war and join the battle as quickly as possible.

“So we too must prepare to face the enemy.”

Cantares said to himself.

“Use everything you can, so you don’t get fooled around like an idiot.”

It was something the cheeky apprentice knight often quipped.

I used to think that was an incredibly arrogant remark, but now I feel like I understand its true meaning.

‘Even if it’s an ugly god… … .’

In the end, in order to fight against evil, we have no choice but to use what currently exists as good.

And perhaps that is what Luce truly wishes.

The longer the war lasted and the more difficult it became, the more the powerless would turn to God.

As crown prince, Cantares had a duty to look after them.

To do that, you will have to carry the name of a god on your back, just like the hero Khan did in the distant past.

‘What a headache.’

Cantares slowly closed his eyes and pressed his temples.

Kendrick and Diana were also lost in their own thoughts and did not say anything.

In a conference room, everyone is lost in thought.

The hero chosen by the god Luce just watched them quietly with his blue eyes that could not read any emotions.