Betrayal Knight’s Joyful Faith - Chapter 424



Only Noblemtl

The Cheerful God of Betrayal Chapter 424

After Arendt’s story ends.

Ain, who had been silent for a long time, finally opened his mouth.

“You bastard, are you serious?”

Unlike Ain, who was deeply shaken, Arendt simply shrugged her shoulders calmly.

“If you don’t believe me, then show me some evidence. My colleagues will find out soon anyway. Even if it comes a little earlier, I don’t mind.”

“For what reason… … .”

Ain, who had been mumbling in a hurry, suddenly closed his mouth. He realized that the question he had just asked was meaningless.

Arendt von Eckhart has already stated her purpose several times.

“Why on earth would you do such a thing? Do you wish to snatch the world from their grasp? Do you have some great sense of mission, to give freedom in exchange for protection and grace?”

“A sense of mission? That’s an interesting statement.”

Arendt burst into laughter and rested her chin on her hand.

“On a side note, you’ve lived a long time, haven’t you? You’re half-elf, so you’re probably older than you look.”

“… … .”

“Have you ever looked at this world objectively?”

It was still a word that had no meaning. Instead of saying anything in response, Ain just looked at him quietly.

Arendt continued speaking slowly.

“Think of this place as a well-made chessboard. Two gods are competing for the world, using saints, heroes, and their followers as their pieces. The stakes are probably their own existence.”

An unusually clear voice resonated clearly within the narrow barrier.

“The chosen ones, no. The chosen ones each have their own mission and role and fight hard in their given positions. Even their areas of activity are limited. Nikephor and the Saintess can’t kill me, but… … .”

Arendt tapped her chest with her fingers.

“Roger, who exists as the strongest weapon in Chernion, can stab me with his sword without hesitation.”

This battlefield had its own rules.

And as an outsider to the world, Arendt, who grasped them faster than anyone else, made full use of them in the fight that ensued.

“The person wielding the weapon against the enemy, the person commanding, the hero, and the hero’s comrade… … Everyone is struggling in a small space. It’s ridiculous.”

Arendt, who was counting on her fingers one by one, smiled faintly.

“You are a consumable weapon. Then what am I?”

“… … .”

“It seems like Luce wanted me to be the hero’s assistant.”

As I stood facing the apprentice knight, I felt like my throat was burning.

It wasn’t because of real thirst. My body, trained by divine power, was insensitive to physical pain.

So this must clearly be due to psychological factors.

‘This is me… … .’

I had no choice but to admit it.

He said that he was now intimidated by the momentum of that young apprentice knight.

“Unfortunately, being a meek piece on the chessboard is not my style.”

A calm voice and golden eyes that seem to be carved from ice.

And a gentle smile on her beautiful face.

“I don’t think it would be fun. There are more enjoyable things than that, so why would I?”

There was an indescribable madness in it all.

“Do you know what the funniest thing in the world is?”

“… … .”

“It’s like turning a well-made board upside down and causing trouble.”

Arendt, who burst into laughter in front of Ain, who was at a loss for words, leaned back in her chair leisurely.

“Doesn’t this feel authentic enough?”

“… … .”

“Leave the rest to your trusted superiors, and you just have to make one last desperate move against Luce before you die.”

Ugh.

The sound of Ain gritting his teeth loudly was heard.

It was an effort to somehow calm down my boiling insides, but it was impossible to calm down while staring at the expressionless face right in front of me.

Blood oozes out from his burst gums and soon drips down Ain’s chin.

“I see you’ve made up your mind.”

Arendt, who was watching the scene, said indifferently.

“Come back in exactly one hour. Until then, think carefully about how you can effectively feed Luce some shit.”

“… … .”

Arendt got up without hesitation, put the gag in Ain’s mouth again, and then escaped out of the barrier.

Thud. Crunch.

The door closed with a dull slam and the lock clicked into place.

Ain, who was left alone again, stared at the spot where Arendt had left for a long time.

In the slightly shaking amber eyes, there was a fear that even Ain himself was not aware of.

* * *

Cantares looked surprised at Leo’s report.

“The prisoner opened his mouth? So quickly?”

“Yes, that’s right. I showed my willingness to cooperate, so I interrogated him and received the transcript.”

Lyos nodded and answered calmly.

“It is said that after Arendt personally persuaded him, he was interrogated in the presence of Arthur and Count Stadler.”

“persuasion?”

Laius changed his words at the doubtful voice of the Crown Prince.

“… … Perhaps it would be more correct to call it a threat.”

“That must be the case. Or maybe there was a deal.”

Cantares groaned.

Although they were trying their best to find out something from those captured in the Kingdom of Lucain, they had not yet achieved much.

“I heard that he made a condition that he be allowed to die in peace, without any further unnecessary confinement or torture… … .”

Lyos trailed off with a displeased expression on his face.

I couldn’t believe that he had convinced Ain with that alone.

“Take a good look at him to make sure he hasn’t done anything out of the ordinary. He’s so unpredictable, I can’t live without feeling anxious.”

“… … I will do so.”

Laius, who had been silent for a moment, answered indifferently.

Cantares let out a short sigh and changed the subject.

“Let’s get to the point. Have you already finished reviewing the records?”

“Yes, that’s right. Director Diana, Director Kendrick, and I checked it together.”

Lyos, standing upright, continued his report slowly.

“It is said that the reason for the attack on the Kingdom of Lucain was to destroy the underground temple. After the war, it was completely forgotten, but… … As expected, it was passed down within the Chernion Church. It is said that the Chernion Church referred to it as the hometown where they abandoned the saint.”

“Hometown?”

Cantares asked back, doubting his ears.

“If it’s your hometown, it’s your hometown. What is it that you’ve thrown away?”

“It is said that the saint has existed since the time when the ruins functioned as a temple.”

Lyos, who was choosing his words for a moment, frowned slightly.

“Throughout life and death… … . Even though my body has changed, I have lived with all the memories of each life. Even within the religious order, there is no one who knows exactly how long I have lived.”

Cantares made a weary expression.

“That’s ridiculous. Could it be that she was a saint when that ruin was a temple?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Despite the skeptical voice, Leo simply nodded.

“The ruins were a joint temple for all the gods. The ruins of the Kingdom of Nephele that Nikephor destroyed and the various ruins that Prince Llewelyn discovered afterwards were all similar facilities. Of these, the temple built on the site of the current Lucain Palace is said to have been the largest.”

Up to this point, it was roughly as expected. As Laius continued speaking, the Crown Prince’s expression became increasingly strange.

“After the war started, the temple was closed and the saintess also left there. That’s why the ruins came to be called the hometown that abandoned the saintess.”

But Laius remained indifferent throughout.

“The place Arendt destroyed was the central part of the temple, which was originally… … .”

The hero’s blue eyes looked straight at the crown prince.

“I think Your Majesty would have guessed it even without me saying it out loud.”

“… … .”

He slowly closed his eyes and pressed his temples to relieve the headache that was suddenly surging up.

“Keep going.”

To the short command, Laius gave his answer.

“It is said that this was the space where Chernion and Luce were gathered together.”

“Haaah… … .”

Finally, a loud sigh escaped the crown prince’s mouth.

“They destroyed the traces of the past so that Chernion could one day become the only god. And… … .”

Lyos, who had been paused for a moment, added:

“I was just taking revenge for what Luce had done, and this is just the beginning… … . That’s what the prisoner claimed.”

“… … .”

Normally, I would have taken the claims of a captured enemy as lies and pretended not to hear them.

But now I couldn’t turn away like that.

“According to the captive Ain, before they planned to do anything, they told the people of the Kingdom of Lucain the ‘truth’.”

There is a strange emphasis on the word ‘truth’.

“The enemies started from the very poorest, and attacked the farmers and the poor. It is said that they leaked information that there was a time of abundance in the past, but the world’s balance was destroyed by Luce’s greed.”

“… … .”

“Luce, who unjustly seized power, oppressed even the other gods… … In order to set the world right again, the god Chernion has now stepped forward once again.”

It was enough to agitate people who were not in a position to immediately seek help from the Temple of Luce.

“They have been infiltrating for a very long time and in a very thorough manner, and it is said that in this way the former queen and her consort also came to listen to the Chernion religion.”

“It would have been the same in the Kingdom of Nephele.”

“Yes. And it seems that most of those who were not arrested during the recent Lucain Kingdom incident have now joined the main group.”

They had crossed a river from which they could not return.

Cantares rubbed his face in a complicated manner.

“… … Even if those who originally served Chernion were like that, what on earth do those who are now throwing themselves into it want? Do they want to create a utopia where everyone is happy?”

“His Majesty the First Emperor must have also desired such a utopia.”

At the cold answer, Cantares paused.

After a while, the crown prince raised his head and looked at Laius again.

“What did you just say?”

“A world where everyone is happy without shedding tears… … His Majesty the First Emperor would have taken up the Holy Sword for that.”

Meeting Cantares’ gaze, Lyos spoke again.

Cantares, who had been blank-faced for a moment, burst into laughter.

“Yes. But what you’re saying now sounds like you’re saying that the first emperor failed. There are those who struggle and even throw themselves into evil.”

“I apologize if I offended you.”

Lyus bowed his head.

Although his tone was extremely polite, he didn’t seem to be denying what Cantares had just said.

A deep silence settled between the two men, the descendant of the hero and the one who inherited the hero’s title.

After a while.

The first one to get lucky was Cantares.

“I don’t believe in utopia. But if we pursue utopia, we can create a better future.”

“… … I once believed it. But not anymore.”

After a while of silence, Lyos opened his mouth.

“And I agree with Your Majesty’s words. You also told me, Luce, to do my best to save at least one more person. I took up my sword to follow those teachings. I will not regret my choice either.”

It was something a righteous hero would say.

At the same time, it was also a remark typical of Leo who always pursued justice.

‘what?’

The knight commander, standing with an expressionless face, was the same Laius he always knew.

But at this moment, Cantares felt a strange sense of discomfort from Laius.

Laius turned his horse’s head, accepting the Crown Prince’s subtle gaze.

“That’s all for the record. We haven’t been able to find out where the sect’s core power resides, such as the location of the main headquarters. They say they’ll investigate further, but it would probably be best not to expect too much.”

“……i get it.”

Still unable to shake off his uneasy feeling, Cantares nodded.

“Tell Arendt and Sir Arthur that they had a hard time. And for the time being, don’t say anything about the prisoner’s testimony.”

“Yes. I have already asked Arendt, Arthur, and Count Stadler to keep quiet. I will keep the record stone, and it would be better if there were no separate written records.”

“Okay. Good job. I think it’d be best to keep it top secret until I give you my permission.”

It was impossible to continue hiding like this forever, but it was too dangerous now.

We could not afford to be divided among our allies in the run-up to the battle with the Cernion Church.

“… … Let’s take care of that for now. I have other matters to convey to you anyway.”

Cantares, who had been pressing his eyebrows, opened his mouth again.

“Today, Arch-Chief Lumiel sent a letter to His Majesty and me. He said that the temple’s troops will begin official operations in earnest starting next week.”