Imperial Guard - Chapter 40



Only Noblemtl

Episode 40

Rain Knights

The sun is just setting.

Rain walked down the streets of District 4 for the first time in a long while and looked around.

Here, I could feel the desperation of people living day to day.

It’s a feeling that’s hard to feel in zones 1 and 2.

“This place is… still in a bad location. How can you do business if you run a liquor store in a corner like this?”

Squeak-

Rain pushed open the shabby wooden door and went inside.

The interior of the bar was surprisingly clean, but the stained tables and chairs indicated that the place was quite old.

Naturally, there were no guests.

Because my throat was sore here.

Click.

Lane locked the door to the bar and walked inside.

Eric, the owner of the bar who was wiping glasses, finally looked up to check the customer’s face.

“A precious person who shouldn’t be in District 4 has arrived. What brings you here? Rain.”

Rain walked over the dusty floor to the dimly lit bar table.

He raised his right hand and placed it on his heart, showing respect.

“Meet the Grand Duke of the Empire.”

“Hmm. Rain, isn’t there still over a month left until the regular report?”

“I came running here myself when I heard that you had entrusted me with a mission to the Knights of Rain.”

Lane smiled and lowered his hand from his chest.

Although the Archduke and Rain had been close friends for decades, they still had to be respectful as knights.

No matter how shabby the bar is, the fact that he is a prince does not change.

“It wasn’t that big of a deal. If anything, you’d just be drawing attention if you came in person, Rain.”

“I can’t be absent when a loyal knight calls. Besides, I have to check on the person who catches His Highness’s attention. He seems like a very nice guy.”

“It looks like you met Rael.”

“Yes. He had a good personality. You can tell just by looking at the way he interacts with the people at the orphanage.”

“That’s right. Thanks to Rael, many people are living comfortably.”

If you want to know a person’s character, you should look at the way those around him treat him.

When you see Rael’s relationships with the people at the orphanage, you can see that he is living a proper life.

Human to human, Rael was a good guy, and his friend Carlson was a good guy too.

Even Rain wanted to get closer to them so much that he even arranged a drinking party with them tonight.

“But… I don’t really understand why His Highness is interested in him because of my shortcomings.”

But that was it. There are many good people in the empire.

Rain couldn’t figure out why he was getting the Archduke’s attention.

“Rael… I’ll tell you about that child later. Before that, I need to confirm something first. Rain, where are you staying in District 4?”

“I rented a guest room at a daycare center. Thanks to my friend Lael, I was able to rent it easily.”

Rain answered even the most unexpected questions well.

“Did the bed look comfortable?”

“It looked very uncomfortable, but I can bear it because it’s a mission.”

Eric smiled bitterly at Lane’s answer.

Surprisingly, the daycare center’s facilities are the best in District 4.

That’s because Rael had installed something like a bed that he had gotten somewhere.

Still, Lane said the bed was uncomfortable.

The fact that Rain, who doesn’t discriminate between commoners and nobles, feels that way means that there is little information about the lower regions.

‘It also means that the invisible wall between the nobles and the commoners is high.’

The nobility of the empire does not care about the well-being of the common people.

For them, the imperial capital only exists up to District 2.

I don’t even want to hear what’s going on below Zone 3.

This is because most nobles feel that caring about the affairs of commoners is beneath their status.

‘The empire really needs a big change.’

Eric, who had become disillusioned with the reality of the Empire, had many thoughts after coming to District 4.

Among the common people, there are many who do not know what a bed is.

It was common for people to sleep on a cloth in a wooden box, and it was also common to see people sleeping on straw bales.

It was common sense to keep livestock, which were valuable assets, inside the house to prevent them from being stolen, and it was common sense not to have a toilet in the house.

‘In the end, it is the common people who maintain the country.’

The empire has no means of protecting its commoners.

The Knights Templar were the swords that protected the nobles, but the Guards were not the swords that protected the commoners.

The common people below District 4 live with their lives in danger every day.

It was the dirty and ugly reality of the Kamen Empire that ruled the continent.

‘The emperor of the empire… must ascend to the throne of those who serve them.’

The current imperial family is rotten.

The Emperor is in a state of revelry, and the Knight Commander in charge of the defenses wants a crisis.

There is no country in the world comprised solely of nobles.

The Grand Duke of the Empire, Eric, believed that the emperor should be someone who loves the common people.

“Your Highness? Are you alright?”

“Um, sorry. I was just thinking about something else for a moment.”

Eric finished his worries.

The idea of ​​the next emperor became more and more solid the longer he spent in District 4.

This was also thanks to Rael.

“Let’s talk about Rael again. That kid is the hope of District 4. He’s a genius who picked up the sword at the age of 10, but he’s wasting his talent to take care of his people. He’s an amazing guy.”

Eric thought back 15 years ago.

In District 4, there was a genius who had drawn the sword at the age of 10.

At that time, Rael, who every knight wanted to take with him, disappeared without a trace at some point.

“Huh? Are you saying that the genius that was rumored 15 years ago is Rael? Then why is he in the guards…?”

At that time, Rain was still a graduate-level knight, but Rain had also heard the rumors.

Because the genius swordsman who pulled out the sword at the age of 10 was an event that could completely turn the empire upside down.

“Well. I don’t know what happened to him… but he started to hate nobles and knights from then on. I thought he would naturally join the knights.”

As an orphan, you may not be able to rise to high places, but once you join the Knights Templar, your worries about life will be over.

For an orphan from District 4 to become a knight was a great achievement.

However, instead of joining the Knights, Rael took charge of the orphanage and began cleaning up District 4.

There was no need to explain how much easier the lives of the common people living in District 4 had become thanks to this.

Eric really liked that kind of Rael.

Whatever the reason, living a life for others with such great ability was never easy.

“A genius who extracted black energy···.”

And when Lane heard Eric’s words, he thought of Lael’s face.

For a genius who had drawn the sword at the age of 10, no great magical power was felt from his body.

It was just like the unidentified inspector I met in the Celestial Palace.

‘No way…? Wait, I clearly said that Gaksi-taldo was a bounty hunter from District 4.’

Only then did Rain burst into laughter.

A genius who drew the sword at the age of 10 and a monster who can defeat the Sword Master through brute force are both in District 4.

··· What are the chances that those two are different people?

‘Have I made a drinking appointment with the person I’ve been looking for?’

Rain thought of Rael with a dumbfounded expression.

He was looking for the person he was looking for right in front of him, but he didn’t recognize him.

‘If only I could bring Lael to the Knights of Rain…’

A new wind will blow in the empire.

But there was something on Rain’s mind.

‘Isn’t it possible that he is a spy of the royal family or the religious order?’

I don’t doubt the Archduke’s eyes.

However, it was the knight’s job to minimize any possible risk.

Even if he wasn’t hostile, there was a need to look at him.

[Brother Rael. Don’t worry too much. If you look closely, you’ll see that the captain is a good person.]

[I know you’re a good person, but why are you asking me to drink on the first day?]

Knock knock-

Just then, the person I was waiting for arrived.

Rain greeted the two with an indifferent face.

*

Again, Lane looked straight ahead at Rael.

Rain was almost certain that Rael was a falcon.

There just wasn’t any evidence.

Kyaaang-!

And now, at this moment, there is evidence.

The right hand that swung the sword felt cold.

The overwhelming power of an opponent that can be felt when two swords clash.

It was a brute force that could not be explained logically.

“Yeah… That’s what it felt like. Rael.”

Rain smiled brightly with a satisfied look on his face.

The first attempt to get him to tell the truth by giving him alcohol failed, but the second attempt was ultimately successful.

As a knight, he found the answer sword to sword.

‘··· What kind of nonsense is this?’

And Rael looked at Torai, who had been drinking and laughing until just now, as if he was dumbfounded when he suddenly started swinging his sword.

What made me even angrier was the way he was smiling with an expression like, ‘I was right!’

I wondered why these uncivilized people couldn’t resolve this through dialogue.

“··· Captain. What are you doing now?”

“Rael. Why do you think I came all the way to District 4?”

“···.”

Lael frowned at Rain’s serious expression.

I couldn’t bring myself to say something like, ‘I came to guard the orphanage as part of the Knights’ business.’

Actually, there were many strange things.

Even if it was understandable that the Knights of Rain would come to District 4 to protect the orphanage, it was absurd for their leader, Rain, to come in person.

Lael waited quietly for Rain’s next words.

“I met an interesting guy at this Celestial Festival. A bounty hunter from District 4. A guy named Gakshital.”

“okay.”

“To be honest… I wasn’t sure until just now. Your figure was too blurry because you were wearing a mask. That’s why I swung my sword.”

“···.”

Lael looked at Rain with a displeased face.

He was looking at himself with an excited face, wondering what was so good about it.

He’s crazy.

If you get it wrong, you get it really wrong.

‘Things have really gotten messed up.’

The magic of Tia under the mask was amazing.

When I met Rain at the orphanage, I was relieved that he didn’t recognize me, but even if he was a dragon, he couldn’t fool the sword master and even the sword-to-sword conversation.

‘I can’t run away… and fighting seems even harder.’

You’re chasing me all the way to District 4 with something you hit and threw in the sky.

Isn’t the Knight’s equipment too shabby?

Rael had no choice but to slowly open his mouth.

“Chief Rain. I’m truly sorry about what happened back then. But I didn’t run away on purpose. I was so flustered that I just left the place for a moment…”

“···?”

Rain looked puzzled by Rael’s sudden words.

And then he slowly lowered the sword he was holding and said.

“Rael. Do you really think I hold a grudge against you for that?”

“··· Wasn’t it? I heard that if you release the knights and catch them, you’ll be defeated.”

“I just told you to find it. I never said anything like that.”

“···.”

Rael thought of the face of the being that had heard those words.

Then, an elf appeared in front of me, smiling brightly and eating chicken skewers.

Reina, this fucking elf is up to something again.

I was scared for no reason.

“Rael. I won’t beat around the bush. I suspect you of being a secret agent of the Imperial Family or the Church.”

Rain spoke while looking into Rael’s eyes.

Actually, I think it’s more likely that it’s not Rain.

It is said that he was born in District 4 and grew up in District 4.

It was obvious that he had not received any of the education that nobles received, and there are records of him serving in the guards.

‘But… it’s even stranger that such a monster exists without such a background.’

Because Rael’s abilities are so outstanding, I couldn’t understand why he had no background.

Besides, you have to put a burden on the other person to make them tell the truth.

“The religious order and the royal family… they’re both people I hate.”

“How much do you hate it?”

“··· I’m embarrassed to say this in front of you, sir. I come from the streets, so I’m a bit foul-mouthed.”

“It’s okay, just tell me. I don’t really like the royal family or the religious order either.”

Rain was a knight.

Most insults can be laughed off.

“These are the kids who need to be killed.”

“··· uh?”

“The religious sect is a group of idiots who take money while praying to a god that doesn’t even exist, such as Gaia, and they ignore the doctrine that tells us to save the needy and neglect the poor.”

Just thinking about how I had to empty my salary to support the orphanage all by myself thanks to those kids makes me furious.

Even though it was a medieval fantasy, I couldn’t bear to see newborn babies sleeping on thin sheets.

“Rael. Just a moment···.”

“God is omnipotent, but he can’t even stop the threat of the demons. There are still people starving to death on the streets. Why are there so many money-hungry bastards? We need to overthrow everyone, from the Pope to the cardinals and archbishops.”

“···.”

Lane was sure that Rael was definitely not a cult figure.

They grew up in a religious sect from an early age and never doubt God.

No, if you say something like that in the first place, you won’t be able to use your divine powers.

“What, you can curse the emperor in the same way? You can even curse at him.”

Rael said, frowning.

The current emperor is a figurehead.

The Kamen Empire is reborn as a true millennial empire under the reign of the next emperor, Yuri.

They say that even the king is cursed when he is not visible, so it is okay to curse now.

“What is a padrip···?”

“You can even curse the Emperor’s parents. They were the ones who died after eating up the national treasury anyway.”

“···!”

Rain opened his eyes wide.

The imperial family of the empire was like the main deity of the Gaia cult.

To insult the imperial family, especially the emperor’s parents.

If it were not Rain but the Imperial Knights of Kamen standing here, it would have been a serious crime worthy of annihilation, including everyone around Rael.

‘If he was a well-educated assassin… No, it’s impossible for someone who grew up in District 4 to do that.’

Only then did Rain shake off all his remaining doubts.

“Rael. You… have no connection to the royal family or the religious order.”

“Thank you for trusting me.”

Rael, who had been cursing just a moment ago, now looked as if nothing had happened.

Rain, who saw that sight, stared at Rael, then continued speaking.

“But… I can’t understand it even more. Why on earth is a prosecutor with your talents content to be a guard?”

Humanity aside, Rael’s skills could never be denied.

Just by crossing swords, you could tell that he was incredibly skilled for his age.

If Rain were Rael, he would never have been satisfied with a place like the guards.

“Well, I have a place to protect.”

Rael said as if nothing had happened.

He has never regretted his choice.

The orphanage was a haven of peace for Rael, and the reason he joined the Central Guard.

“··· Is that so?”

Rain read Rael’s eyes.

It was a firm gaze that showed confidence in oneself.

‘Did you give up everything to protect the orphanage?’

Only then did Rain understand why His Highness liked Rael.

His mindset was exactly what the Archduke wanted.

‘The new wind of the empire was already blowing.’

Joining the guards to protect the orphanage where the man with the talent to shake the empire was born.

That’s a judgment that even Rain, who likes people, can’t make.

Everyone pursues honor.

The sweetness of fame was so great that there were times when some people valued fame over money.

“··· I can’t bring myself to take you to the Knights Templar.”

If Rael’s talent is real and he has no disqualifications.

Rain did whatever it took to get him into the Rain Knights.

But… Rael was looking at the same place as His Highness the Archduke.

As a knight, he could not treat carelessly those who shared the same thoughts as the person he served.

“I’m sorry.”

“If you were here on the thorny path ahead, you would definitely be a great help… It’s really too bad.”

“Is there anything the Knights of Rain are preparing for?”

Was something important happening to the Knights of Rain?

Since it was never specifically shown in the original, Rael didn’t remember it properly.

“Hmm… Well, I guess it doesn’t matter if you tell me.”

Rael was the Archduke’s favorite.

He seems to have no greed and his mouth seems tight.

As a knight, you swung your sword first, so you can tell me what you deserve for your rudeness.

“The Knights of Rain intend to make the 2nd Princess the emperor. Since she is currently the lowest in the hierarchy, it will be a fight with little chance of success···.”

To overthrow this empire, the wisest one must become emperor.

2nd Princess Yuriel von Grandia.

The Archduke chose him, so Rain simply followed.

“Ahem, this isn’t something to brag about. Just let it go in one ear and out the other.”

Lane coughed and blinked.

Now that I’ve said it, I feel a little regretful.

Even though I got rid of the alcohol, did it still linger?

Or maybe it was because seeing a young man who didn’t pursue honor reminded him of his own past.

The thought that I had been talking for no reason lingered in my head.

‘I guess it doesn’t matter much.’

Rael was a man without greed.

No, even if I was greedy, I wouldn’t benefit from interfering in this matter.

Because no fool would bother to get involved in a fight with a low chance of success.

“··· Captain Rain.”

At that moment, Rael, who had been quiet, opened his mouth.

“huh?”

“Actually, I really like the Knights of Rain. Even if I don’t join the order, there must be a way I can help.”

“?”

Rain looked puzzled at Rael’s sudden words.