Betrayal Knight's Joyful Faith

Chapter 386

Roger slowly got up, standing on the spot he had destroyed.The fierce flames swayed strongly under the night sky as if they were escorting him. Arendt frowned slightly at the sensation of the burning heat.

Arendt snickered as he discovered an arm that looked like a wolf’s paw.

“Hey, you look a little cooler now. Who gave you that arm as a gift?”

“This is also Lord Chernion’s grace.”

When Roger answered in his characteristically dry voice, Arendt burst out laughing.

“Grace… isn’t it just some sloppy prank by some elf kid?”

“An unbeliever like you wouldn’t understand.”

Despite such provocation, Roger simply stared at Arendt quietly from behind the mask.

“It’s not just me, you have become even more grotesque as well.”

“Still handsome, aren’t I? Yeah, I know.”

Roger was silent for a moment, watching Arendt shrug his shoulders.

Although the mask made it impossible to see his face, Arendt could easily guess what expression he was making.

As expected, the answer he had expected came out.

“…You’re unbelievably brazen, even with the one who nearly killed you standing right in front of you. Or is it that you simply don’t remember?”

“No way. I still have a huge scar because of that. Here.”

Arendt smiled and tapped his chest.

“But you couldn’t kill me?”

Roger paused.

His crescent-shaped golden eyes stood out particularly in the darkness.

“I’m the one who wants to ask. The little rat that you let go of is alive and kicking. How do you feel?”

Arendt spread his arms wide, as if to show off, and said with a feigned cheerfulness.

“And haven’t you already guessed it? That I was the one who started this mess. Why didn’t you kill me properly back then? If you had just handled things properly, you wouldn’t have had to go through all this trouble.”

“…You are right. That was clearly my mistake.”

A blunt reply came back. But contrary to his calm voice, the flames surrounding Roger grew even more intense.

The eyes behind the mask held a quiet murderous intent.

“I should have cut off your limbs and cut off your head while you were bragging about how great you were, and presented it to Lord Chernion and the Saintess.”

“I never thought my neck would become this popular. But what can you do if you feel regret?”

Arendt burst into laughter.

“It’s a shame to give it to a pervert mask or a god who’s like a rat. If you want it, go to that damn god yourself and get on your knees and beg.”

Roger’s hand gripped his sword tightly. The murderous intent centered around him grew stronger, but Arendt did not stop talking.

“Well, I won’t give it to you anyway. Since you’ve come this far, I can step on that ugly face with my muddy feet as a gift.”

The smile on Arendt’s lips twisted.

“Hey. Have you ever seen what your god looks like?”

“…It seems like you’ve gone crazy.”

Roger, who had been quietly listening, took a step forward. As the distance between them narrowed, the heat became even more vivid.

“The more frightened a beast is, the more it puffs itself up and barks viciously. Are you scared?”

“Me? No.”

Arendt burst into laughter.

There was an indescribable light in his bright yellow eyes.

“I just hate them to the point of madness. Whether it’s that slimy darkness or that lunatic light.”

“…”

Roger just stared at him for a while, as if he wanted to see through his true feelings.

“Take up your sword, Sir Arendt.”

He spoke again.

“I will end your torment here. Though I’m not sure if a nonbeliever like you can find peace.”

“Peace my ass. I think I’ve heard that one before.”

The apprentice knight’s smile grew deeper.

“My peace is something I’ll find on my own. Who the hell do you think you are to meddle?”

A quiet chill spread, and white frost began to settle around Arendt. Seeing the sword frozen white, Roger no longer hesitated.

Roger’s body vanished in an instant. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance and brought his sword down right before Arendt’s eyes.

But it was not Arendt who intercepted his sword.

It was Richt who had approached them and suddenly intervened.

“…!”

The strong impact caused Richt’s face to wrinkle.

Roger, who was about to counterattack, sensed a sword rushing from behind.

Without hesitation, Roger struck back and swung his fur-covered arm.

His sharp claws and Arthur’s sword clashed head-on.

Arthur grimaced briefly, but instead of forcing himself to endure, he ran over and joined Arendt’s side.

“Are you seriously crazy enough to want to die? Why are you provoking him again and causing trouble?”

“It’s been a long time since we met, so I thought I’d stir things up a bit.”

Richt frowned as Arendt shrugged.

“What a crazy guy… are you saying something like that right now?”

“What did I do?”

“Shut up, you bastard! I’m going crazy from annoyance.”

Arthur shouted.

The memory of almost losing Arendt in the Great Temple was still vivid in both of their minds.

His body temperature fading away, the unusually strong scent of blood, and even Laius, who had completely lost his mind.

However, the person who came back from the dead was not only talking nonsense but also had no sense of crisis, so the two of them couldn’t help but feel angry.

“Anyway, let the small fry deal with the small fry. Let the skilled people deal with the big shots.”

But Arendt still didn’t care.

He grinned slyly as he further intensified the power of the Frosty Touch.

Roger muttered darkly.

“You can’t beat me.”

The flames grew even more intense. But the heat soon met with the pure white frost and died down before it could reach Arendt, Arthur, and Richt.

“Well, you won’t know until you try it.”

At Arendt’s sarcastic voice, Richt and Arthur’s nerves tensed up even more.

At first glance, Arendt seemed relaxed, but his sharp voice clearly reflected the hostility he had toward Roger.

Roger also kept all his senses alert, ready to withstand the attacks of all three at any moment.

But…

“However…”

Arendt nonchalantly spat out.

“Isn’t it unnecessary to experience it firsthand?”

For a moment, Arthur and Richt looked back at their junior with blank eyes. Roger was also dumbfounded for a moment.

Taking in those gazes, Arendt added:

“Unless you’re crazy, there’s no need to suffer voluntarily. I’m leaving first. You seniors can fight or not, do whatever you want.”

And Arendt really did jump down from the wall. He turned his back on the palace without any regrets and leisurely left.

Those who were left behind simply stood there blankly for a while.

But after a while.

“That crazy bastard!”

Arthur cursed aloud as he followed behind Arendt. Richt did the same.

And Roger, who was left alone, sensed an unfamiliar magic a beat later.

“…!”

The moment Roger leapt forward instinctively…

A huge explosion occurred beneath his feet.

The castle walls, which were already battered, instantly collapsed into dust.

“Damn.”

As soon as Roger clicked his tongue and landed on the ground, he quickly swatted away the debris pouring down on his head and raised his head.

Soon, a figure with black wings came into view.

The one who launched the surprise attack on him was Dragon Lexion.

“…”

Lexion looked down at Roger with his bright red eyes.

It was as if he was not allowed to approach the palace.

Roger’s face hardened.

‘Before I knew it…’

The moment he set foot inside the palace, Lexion’s magic would surely strike.

He could also guess why Arendt was able to leave without any hesitation.

With the invasion of the palace completely blocked, Roger was left with only one option.

Roger clicked his tongue in displeasure.

“…What a pain in the ass.”

“You, hey, seriously, stop! You little bastard!”

Arthur, who was following behind, freaked out.

“If you’re going to do something, at least say something beforehand, please!”

But Arendt remained calm.

“What did I even do? And what do you think you are, following me like that, senior?”

“How can a person be this consistently arrogant!”

Richt muttered in a weary voice as the usual nonsense returned.

“Consistently full of yourself, aren’t you?”

“…”

The two decided to keep their mouths shut. Soon after, they felt Roger’s presence in pursuit. Arendt glanced behind and said:

“Lexion will guard the palace. Edgar can now take care of the small fry inside.”

“So you were planning to deal with that monster alone?”

“No way. I don’t have any hobbies like that.”

Arendt responded bluntly.

“I never thought he’d show up here in the first place. Why the hell is he after me instead of the Captain?”

“I think I know why…”

Of course, Richt’s muttering voice was ignored. Meanwhile, Roger was pursuing him with a fearsome momentum. Arendt glanced at him and measured the distance, then muttered calmly.

“Hmm. Did I get caught impersonating him? I was just messing around.”

“Isn’t this bastard seriously crazy?”

“It’s not something you, senior, should be saying. It’s late, but what have you been doing behind someone else’s back?”

Just as the two were about to start arguing, Richt’s irritated voice interrupted.

“Please stop fighting unnecessarily!”

“Okay, fine. Then let’s discuss that later.”

Arendt responded coolly.

‘The palace is left to Salem.’

Lexion would be tied up soon as well. Arendt quickly finished his calculations.

“Hey, go tell your master to head straight to the palace.”

Richt and Arthur looked bewildered at Arendt’s sudden words. But the ones meant to hear them were not those two.

The spirits that were floating around recognized the situation and quickly left.

“First, let’s stop that monster. Though I don’t think we can handle it on our own.”

Arendt slowed down and turned around. Pure white frost swirled like a blizzard, following his every move.

“Don’t you think we can at least stall for time until the great hero arrives?”

Arendt added jokingly.

The moment the words left his mouth, Roger kicked off the ground and charged straight at Arendt.

Flames and frost clashed head-on like a storm.

A cloud of steam rose and swept across the area.

Arendt burst into mocking laughter within the mist that was created.

“Villains are just meant to be the fodder for a hero’s tale. So don’t bother acting all dramatic for no reason.”

The first act ended with the tragedy of the Lucain royal family, and the second act, which would one day be recorded as the hero’s saga, had now begun…

Their stage was just beginning.