Betrayal Knight's Joyful Faith

Chapter 499

“…”“…”

A heavy silence fell over the conference room. Llewellyn squeezed his eyes shut under the suffocating pressure. The cause, of course, was the quiet anger emanating from Laius de Winfried, who had assumed the position of Commander-in-Chief in the Crown Prince’s stead.

In a situation where everyone was struggling to breathe, only one person remained calm.

It was none other than Arendt.

“Why are you so angry? All we got was an appropriate response to what we’ve been discussing.”

Arthur quietly clenched his fists. Then, he attempted to strike his junior, who was speaking indifferently.

But Arendt ducked sharply, dodging the blow as if he’d expected it.

“Did I say anything wrong?”

“If you don’t care about what others think, then just shut up, you damned brat.”

“I don’t want to.”

“…”

Arthur quietly grabbed Arendt by the collar and began shaking him

“No, no, wait,” Arendt protested, but Arthur was merciless.

“It seems like they had no intention of negotiating from the beginning.”

Diana spoke, accustomedly ignoring the small commotion in one corner of the conference room.

“Sir Arendt, what do you think?”

“What do I think about how they want to trade me for the hostages?”

Arendt, who had managed to get Arthur away with great difficulty, responded.

“The conditions aren’t particularly unusual. The negotiations went pretty well, didn’t they? They went from saying they’d just hand me over to exchanging hostages at a designated location.”

“…Can we call this going pretty well?”

Finally, Salem, unable to bear it any longer, intervened.

“I thought you had something else in mind when you told me to scan the enemy lines with the spirits, but is this what you ended up with?”

“You should at least check in advance that there are no defects in the item you are receiving.”

He sent Salem to spy on the Great Temple.

Although they were unable to penetrate deep inside due to Iris, they were able to sufficiently confirm the general location of the priests and whether they were alive.

“Everyone, including the High Priest, survived. That’s pretty good. Sometimes, a fair trade isn’t a bad thing.”

“Hah…”

Laius sighed deeply. The captain, who had been pressing his temples several times, began to speak.

“No one on that side would have given it up in the first place. Can you even call that a fair trade?”

“That’s the same for me. I think it’s the same for you, Captain.”

Arendt shrugged.

“At least on that point, the captain, the Saintess, and I agree. Then, isn’t it a fairly fair trade? After all, we’re both hiding knives behind our backs.”

“But, it’s too dangerous…”

Just as Laius was about to refute, Arendt added in a light tone.

“You won’t let me die, will you?”

“…”

“…What, huh?”

When no answer came, Arendt asked back, bewildered. Zakar chuckled lightly, and Diana shook her head in disbelief.

Laius, who was pressing his temples again, spoke.

“Of course I wouldn’t, but it’s strange to hear those words come out of your mouth.”

“What the heck? What on earth do you see me as?”

Arendt grumbled briefly and changed the subject.

“Anyway, this might be our last chance to save the people. And if we do it right, we might even be able to take down the enemy leader. Of course, if we make even the slightest mistake, we’ll be completely destroyed.”

“I guess so.”

Zakar’s expression became serious again.

“So, Sir Arendt, you’re saying you’ll use yourself as bait to rescue the priests. Then, you’ll wipe out the enemies within the Great Temple.”

“It seems a bit greedy.”

When Diana reacted skeptically, Arendt shook his head.

“No. As I said before, this is our last chance. Besides, the enemy is bluffing right now. If we miss this opportunity, and Nikephoros rejoins the battlefield, the rest of the fight will be even more difficult.”

Arendt continued speaking nonchalantly, as he always did.

“Sporadic attacks, homunculi resembling God Chernion, and the hostage crisis in the Great Temple… all are aimed at concealing their weakened military power. The Saintess’ recent public disclosure of her location is also in a similar vein.”

Because the closer they show themselves to be, the more fearful people will become.

“Anyway, the point is this. They’re practically empty shells right now, and to hide that, they’re putting on a show, a spectacle that’s nothing more than a farce. Of course they still have a force we can’t completely ignore, but considering the future, it’s right to crush them as much as possible now.”

“With Roger gone and Nikephoros immobilized, now is the time.”

Laius nodded slowly.

“Above all, Nikephoros might awaken soon. If possible, we must seize this opportunity to settle the matter.”

“…Captain. So, are you permitting this operation? No matter what, I feel like it’s too dangerous.”

Shehkinah spoke with a displeased expression.

“It’s okay. It’s also true that this is the best way.”

But Laius did not change his mind.

“Above all, as Arendt said… I will never do anything that would endanger the lives of my subordinates.”o all this trouble to help you, so you can’t possibly think of failing, right?”

“Are there any detailed plans?”

“It seems like they want to put on a show, so let’s try to match their rhythm.”

Arendt shrugged, slowly surveying the room before settling on one spot. It was where Count Stadler, who had remained silent until then, was seated.

“There’s a first condition for saving the priests: gathering them together. That’s what you said.”

“…Yes.”

Count Stadler nodded, wincing. Arendt, shoving his hands deep into his pockets, continued.

“I’ve replied to the last letter they sent. .”

At least for that moment, all the priests would be gathered in one place.

“The moment we exchange hostages, the enemy will undoubtedly unleash a full-scale attack on me and the hostages. Or they’ll immediately mutate the priests. That moment will be our opportunity.”

“…Wait a minute, Sir Arendt. Could it be…”

Count Stadler, who had been listening quietly, had a strange expression on his face.

“You’re not saying that we should take out all the ghouls in that split second, are you?”

“Can you do it?”

Count Stadler responded with a rare bewilderment.

“Can I do it?”

“So we have to think of another way.”

Arendt shrugged and continued.

“The Count himself said it. There’s a way to get rid of it.”

“…”

By this point, everyone could already guess what Arendt was going to say. Some mouths widened, while others gaped in shock.

“Honestly, this seems just as crazy as that, but whatever. It’s worth betting on something that’s even slightly feasible, right?”

Everyone was stunned and speechless. Arendt spoke calmly, as if he had anticipated such a reaction.

“If we can buy just a little time, I don’t think it’s something we can’t do. What do you think?”

“…”

Her mind went blank. Unable to say anything. Lumiel covered her mouth with a trembling hand.

But even so, the trembling throughout her body did not stop.

“No, there’s no way… that could be possible…”

Her suppressed voice came out cracked.

It was a completely different attitude from the calm attitude she had maintained in front of Iris until now.

Iris smiled at her.

“God Luce sacrificed many things for His own greed. To break old promises and devour this world.”

“…”

Lumiel didn’t respond. Her aged pupils unfocused and wavered. She tried to compose herself, but even that proved unsuccessful.

“God Luce is not righteous. Lord Chernion is not evil. God Luce has no intention of repaying your trust. He’s simply obsessed with a bet with a stranger, and He simply watches as countless people die.”

She didn’t want to hear it, but sweet, poisonous whispers kept digging into her ears.

“The power of God is certainly true… but people often misinterpret His will. Justice, goodness, evil—these things are meaningless.”

Iris laughed lightly and revealed her silver eyes.

“Only the mercy and affection They have for us, Their ambition, malice, and strength, are the truth and the law.”

“…”

“And the poor stranger, seeking revenge for all he has lost, is trying to lead this world to ruin.”

Cold sweat poured down her face, making her dizzy. Iris, who had been staring at her, sat up.

“High Priest.”

Suddenly, a voice came from nearby, causing Lumiel to flinch and raise her head. Her trembling vision was filled with the Saintess’ beautiful form.

“High Priest, even knowing all these things, can you still believe in justice and follow Luce?”

“…”

“Can you truly trust the good intentions of the man who calls himself Sir Arendt von Eckhart? Can you truly believe that his resentment toward Lord Luce and Lord Chernion hasn’t ultimately degenerated into something that threatens the world?”

Lumiel, who had been silent for a long time, barely managed to open her mouth.

“I…”

But her voice scattered without having formed a single sentence.

Instead, tears began to slowly form in her eyes, which were filled with confusion.

“Even if he possesses a kind nature, he’s already more broken than he could possibly be. Far more so than you think, High Priest. Can Sir Arendt, such a person, truly make rational decisions?”

“…I…”

“He must have thought he was acting out of good intentions. He turned his back on the gods for the sake of all, and liberated this world from them. But, High Priest, you know what will become of this land without God. That’s why you care about Sir Arendt, yet remain the leader of the Luce Church.”

Lumiel tried to say something, but Iris didn’t give her a chance.

“Isn’t it true that everyone believes Sir Arendt’s revenge is well-intentioned? Even you, High Priest Lumiel?”

“…”

“High Priest Lumiel, you know very well that what I just told you is not a lie. I am a being who cannot utter words not permitted by God.”

“…”

“Even the one who serves closest to Luce Himself claims a false justice… Will you still allow this world to fall into chaos at the hands of an outsider, High Priest?”

“…”

As if to hide her sorrowful feelings, Lumiel slowly closed her eyes.

Tears she could no longer hold back began to fall, soaking her white priest robe.

‘…Lord Luce.’

Lumiel, who habitually sought God, clutched her sleeve as if she were a lost child.

“Sir Arendt…”

Her trembling lips spoke the young man’s name with a burning heart.