Betrayal Knight's Joyful Faith

Chapter 322

“…”Grimson froze, caught off guard.

Arendt didn’t even give him a chance to make excuses before he started talking about something else.

“Sir, have you ever seen a play?”

It was as if what he had just said was just a passing remark.

Grimson, in his daze, couldn’t help but latch on to the new topic.

“You’re talking about a play?”

“Uh huh. I don’t know if someone like you would know properly.”

Arendt, leaning against the table and resting his chin on his hand, continued speaking nonchalantly.

“When you act on stage, you have to be conscious of the audience, so your actions can’t help but be a little exaggerated.”

“…”

It was still something Grimson couldn’t understand.

“Well, to put it simply… even if you’re immersed, acting is just acting.”

This meant that no matter how realistically you acted, there was a limit to how much intention there was in each and every action.

If this were a real stage, this wouldn’t be a problem, but unfortunately, this was reality.

“What do you…”

Grimson’s face began to turn pale.

“I have no idea what you are talking about, Sir Arendt.”

Regardless, the apprentice knight continued speaking leisurely.

“There were a few sloppy parts. Well, it’s not that hard to act as someone who lost their entire family overnight and went crazy… but it’s bound to be awkward trying to squeeze out unexpected lines.”

Having said that, Arendt looked at Grimson again with a quizzical expression.

Actors on stage had to constantly look around while acting because they had to match with their co-stars and deliver their lines clearly to the audience.

That was why Arendt suddenly asked about the number of temples in Count Motier’s estate.

“If you’re not confident in method acting, you should at least be quick-witted. It would’ve been better if you’d asked again or just pretended not to hear.”

A buzzing sound passed through Grimson’s distant and dazed mind.

“And there’s one emotion that should have been expressed. If you were going to play someone who had lost his family and gone mad, you should have shown desperation as well as despair. You didn’t even know if they’re alive or dead, and you didn’t say a single wish for them to be saved.”

“…”

“You remained silent even while we discussed the life and death of your family.”

It was Arendt who deliberately brought up topics like ghouls and homunculi to test Grimson.

Though it was a matter of life and death for his friends and family, Grimson just stared blankly into space, as if it was no longer his burden to bear.

Even then, he didn’t let go of the persona of a man driven mad by the sudden loss of his family and was deliberately playing the fool. But in the end, that very act proved to be his fatal mistake.

“It wouldn’t be difficult to fool someone like our leader or even the Crown Princess.”

A smirk formed at the corner of Arendt’s mouth.

“Well, you know, people of the same kind will always recognize each other.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

Grimson, who had barely come to his senses, awkwardly tried to make an excuse. But at that moment.

!

Something sharp flew from behind him.

“…!”

Before Grimson even had a chance to react, a throwing weapon grazed his cheek and flew straight toward Arendt. But Arendt, as if he had expected it all along, simply tilted his head slightly and dodged it with ease.

.

The weapon brushed past Arendt’s face and lodged in a garden tree with a dull thud.

“Oh my, you’re so impatient. Can’t you see we’re having a conversation?”

His usually refined face crumpled with annoyance.

Grimson reflexively turned his body and flinched.

Only moments ago, there had been nothing, but now, a human-shaped figure stood ominously in its place.

It looked as if the shadow that had been clinging to the ground had risen and taken form.

It was as though the figure had been sculpted from pure darkness, its entire form devoid of light, save for a pair of unfocused, hollow eyes that gleamed faintly.

“…”

The dark magic embedded in the tree turned into a handful of dust and scattered into the darkness.

Grimson froze stiffly at the absurd sight that was unfolding before his eyes.

“Sir, I won’t tell you twice.”

A cold voice penetrated his mind.

“If you want to save your life, duck.”

“…!”

The next moment, Grimson’s survival instinct caused him to crouch down. The shadow, which had grown in size in an instant, flew towards the window where Arendt was.

!

The glass window shattered, revealing the enemy’s massive body.

Arendt jumped back and gained some distance to see the enemy.

“Wow, damn.”

A tired voice slipped out unconsciously.

A gigantic spider, filling the room, loomed over the shattered glass, its legs crunching the broken pieces underfoot.

The human-like appearance it had at first was nowhere to be found.

The pair of unfocused eyes split apart, transforming into eight red eyes, and its body and head swelled into round, bloated shapes. Hanging from it were eight legs covered in thick, coarse hair.

“Ugh, ahhhh!”

Grimson looked back and screamed as if he was going to faint.

“Ugh, that’s in poor taste.”

Arendt was reflected in the spider’s multiple eyes.

The spider, having caught sight of its target, rushed straight towards Arendt, but before the monster could even take a few steps…

!

A sword dropped vertically from above and stabbed into the monster’s torso.

“Keeeeeeeek!”

The spider let out a shriek and twisted its body in response to the sudden attack. But Arthur, gripping his sword tightly, clung persistently to the spider’s torso.

Even so, he did not forget to swear at Arendt.

“Hey, you crazy bastard! You didn’t say anything about this monster coming out! If I had known, I wouldn’t have sent you out alone!”

“Do I really have to spell it out for you? If it was something trivial, I would’ve handled it myself and wouldn’t have bothered dragging everyone else into it. Honestly, you’re so dull.”

Arthur immediately became irritated when Arendt started to criticize him.

“Damn, you shameless brat!”

It wasn’t just Arthur.

Inside the building and in the garden, other knights who had been hiding began to appear one by one.

“It’s so damn big.”

“What kind of twisted mind would even think of creating something like this?”

The knights, grumbling and muttering from all sides, had already assumed their battle stances.

As the number of enemies suddenly increased, the panicked homunculus hesitated and tried to step back.

But behind the monster’s back, Laius was already standing firm.

“…!”

Even with the homunculus’ dull senses, the spider could sense Laius’ massive presence.

The moment the homunculus faltered, the Holy Sword was swiftly drawn from Laius’ waist.

“Slay the enemy!”

“Yes!”

The knights responded loudly to their Captain’s command and rushed toward the homunculus.

Arthur pulled his sword out of the spider’s body, landed lightly on the ground, then kicked off the ground and charged again.

The spider attacked him with its long legs, but Richt, unleashing a slash of sword energy, stepped in front of him first.

!

Richt’s sword and the spider’s leg collided head-on, and a heavy thud reverberated, shaking the night sky.

Arendt, who saw that the battle had begun in earnest, retreated to the back.

“Is that a homunculus?”

Isabella, who had been hiding under the escort of Captain Neville and Llewellyn, approached cautiously.

Arendt nodded.

“Yes. I think it was hiding in that old man’s shadow.”

As he replied, Arendt glanced at where Grimson had been.

In the darkened room, only the shattered window was visible, and Grimson was nowhere to be found.

“What happened to the idiot old man?”

“The Nephele Royal Knights caught him as he was trying to escape. I was just about to confirm that myself.”

Llewellyn provided an answer to Arendt’s question.

Then Arendt nodded curtly.

“Even if they’re weak, they would have managed at least that much. After all, they’re knights.”

“…”

Neville’s face began to turn bright red as he stood next to Isabella. Isabella didn’t look too pleased either.

However, neither of them could express any particular complaints.

It was Arendt who discovered that Grimson was lying, and it was Arendt who confronted him directly and brought out the monster that was hiding in him.

And the ones who were now fighting against a monster that defied common sense were also Laius’ knights.

‘Honestly, it’s a blow to my pride.’

Neville’s face distorted without him realizing it.

Before the incident, Arendt gave instructions to the Nephele Royal Knights.

When Neville first heard those words, he was furious because he didn’t like the way he spoke to them, as if they were ignoring them.

But now that he had seen the homunculus firsthand, Neville had no choice but to admit it.

He himself was not equipped to fight against such things.

Llewellyn read Neville’s expression and smiled bitterly.

“Don’t worry too much, Sister1. And Captain Neville, they’re the ones who are abnormal.”

But his words didn’t seem to be of much comfort.

There was no trace of fear or hesitation in the Third Knights and Laius as they fought against the giant monster.

In particular, Laius was displaying a majesty befitting the title of the Master of the Holy Sword.

“Keeeeeek!”

!

Laius’ sword cut off the leg of the spider that was targeting his subordinates with a single stroke. In an instant, the spider’s huge body lost its balance and staggered as it lost its front legs.

“Now is the time!”

As soon as Richt gave the signal, the knights took advantage of the gap and rushed at the monster, leaving large wounds on its torso.

“…By the way, does Sir Arendt not have to fight?”

Isabella, who had been watching the fierce battle with half confusion and half wonder, suddenly asked.

Arendt stood with crossed arms and his sword was even sheathed.

He looked like a complete bystander.

“Me? Why?”

When he asked back naturally, Isabella was left speechless.

“No, your colleagues are fighting…”

“They’re fighting well, right? Is it really necessary for me to get involved? The seniors should be earning their salary.”

“…”

Neville and Isabella just kept their mouths shut.

This time, even Llewellyn remained silent for a moment, as if he had nothing to say.

Of course, with Laius participating, there was no way the Imperial Knights would be pushed back by the homunculus.

The fight would have been over much quicker if Arendt, with the Frosty Touch, had joined in, but this damned apprentice knight seemed to have no intention of lightening the load for his seniors.

Llewellyn simply changed the subject.

“By the way, where’s Lexion?”

“He’s at Count Motier’s estate. There was something I wanted to find out.”

“…”

It was absurd the way he treated the dragon as nothing more than an errand boy.

At this point, he was starting to feel sorry for Lexion, who had been caught after messing with the wrong person.