Betrayal Knight's Joyful Faith

Chapter 303

Cantares, who had been listening quietly, asked again, doubting his ears.“…We should have a victory celebration?”

“Yes.”

Arendt nodded blandly.

Cantares was starting to feel a headache coming in.

He was already so busy with work that he was almost dying, but Arendt came to visit him suddenly and said this out of the blue.

“I have so many other things to say, but first, . You haven’t even officially returned yet. Where the hell have you been hanging around, and why are you barging in all of a sudden and saying something like this?”

“Does that matter now?”

Arendt replied defiantly, crossing his legs leisurely in front of the Crown Prince.

“Don’t you think it’s a miracle that I’ve been so quiet until now?”

“What should I do with this shameless bastard?”

Cantares muttered in confusion.

Jereon, having set down teacups in front of the Crown Prince and the apprentice knight, cautiously chimed in.

“Well… it is a fitting time. We have won the battles in the Everan Kingdom and Great Temple, and Captain Laius has been chosen by the Holy Sword.”

“ that’s true.”

Cantares pressed his temples.

As Jereon said, the timing was right.

The Great Temple, which had been in disarray, was beginning to be restored, and the posthumous procedures for those who died in battle have all been sorted out.

Captain Diana and Captain Kendrick were also returning after leaving the clean-up to the respective royal families, so they were expected to arrive within the next week.

The same was true of the elves who left with them.

‘There was no proper welcoming ceremony when the elves came to the Empire.’

It would have been right to prepare an event, if only as a courtesy.

It wouldn’t be difficult to hold a banquet within the Empire to celebrate the victory in the first large-scale battle against the Evil Cult.

Arendt picked up a snack and continued speaking leisurely.

“I just thought it was about time we started bringing things back to order. You agree too, Your Highness, don’t you? The palace has been far too chaotic lately.”

“That is true, but…”

Cantares glanced up and asked Arendt with an accusatory voice.

“You little punk, what are you up to now?”

“Why are you saying that? If someone were to hear you, they’d think I’m always plotting something.”

“So you’re saying that you don’t have a hidden agenda?”

“Of course not.”

“…”

It was truly an unbelievable level of shamelessness.

Cantares looked up at the ceiling with bewildered eyes.

Regardless, Arendt continued to say what he wanted to say.

“We invite the guests to a place where good food and drinks are served and tell them that there’s something great to see.”

“Good drinks and food aside, what else is there to see?”

Arendt spoke in response to Cantares’ question.

“Why are you asking such an obvious question? It’s the hero chosen by the Empire’s First Sword, the Holy Sword.”

“…”

Jereon and Cantares’ mouths snapped shut in unison.

Arendt was now saying that he would treat Laius like the dragon remains on display in the palace.

Cantares, who had been pressing his temples, opened his mouth again after a while.

“Hey. Just in case, have you discussed this with Captain Laius?”

“No. This is the first time I’m saying this. Is there really a need to consult him?”

Words that should never come out of an apprentice knight’s mouth while speaking about the captain came out.

At this point, he was starting to feel sorry for Laius.

Jereon let out an awkward laugh.

“I don’t think he’ll refuse, but I don’t think he’ll be too happy about it.”

“I guess so.”

Cantares also agreed reluctantly.

It was hard to imagine Laius rejecting Arendt’s offer now.

With the perfect excuse of being a life-saver, Arendt certainly wouldn’t just let Laius off the hook.

Jereon muttered faintly.

“Captain Laius, you’ve had a hard time too…”

It must have been hard to deal with Arendt in the past, but somehow he had a feeling that the hardships would get even worse in the future.

Cantares opened his mouth, sending deep condolences to the captain of the Third Knights.

“You’re not wrong. It’s a place where you can comfort people and share situations, so it’s necessary once in a while. But…”

The Crown Prince, pausing for a moment, pointed out.

“Are you included in the spectacle you mentioned?”

“Well, what do you think?”

But Arendt’s response was lukewarm.

Cantares frowned slightly at the unexpected answer.

“Surely you’re not saying that because you don’t know. Right now, you’re getting as much attention as Captain Laius.”

That was the exact reason why the Holy Sword had not been brought up as a topic yet.

As Laius and the Holy Sword were praised, Arendt’s name would also be mentioned on people’s lips along with the grace of God Luce.

Jereon also expressed skepticism.

“It would be a good idea to not show up at the banquet hall, but… that would only arouse unnecessary curiosity. And from Lord Arendt’s perspective, it’s not like he can continue to stay in seclusion.”

He had been deeply involved in the fight against the Evil Cult so far and will continue to do so in the future.

Cantares gave Arendt a knowing glance.

“You have no intention of retreating to the rear, do you?”

“No way.”

Cantares burst into a weak laugh at the immediate answer.

“I was wondering if something like this might happen after everything that went down, and sure enough. Is suggesting a banquet your way of thinking about the future?”

“I don’t like the fact that my name and the captain’s name are next to each other.”

Arendt picked up a snack and raised an eyebrow.

“To be exact, I’m dissatisfied that the attention that should be given to him is being given to me. That’s frustrating, but it’s also frustrating that my activities are being restricted.”

The one who gets the most attention on stage had to be the main character.

It was truly a stage accident that all eyes were drawn to a supporting actor who was not supposed to appear.

While the lead actor recited his wonderful lines and performed his role, the supporting actor had to quickly go backstage and prepare for the next scene.

For that reason, the main character had to stand out as much as possible under the spotlight, while the supporting actor had to blend in quietly into the shadows.

Arendt added plainly.

“It’s a self-rescue measure, in a way. To put it simply, it means using the captain as a shield.”

“…I understand up to that point, but what exactly you plan to do, I’m still not sure about.”

It would have been unreasonable for Arendt to completely disappear.

The moment he stepped out in front of people to explain it, if he was lucky, the situation would either remain the same, but if not, it would get worse.

As Laius’ name grew, Arendt was bound to receive attention as evidence that God had performed a miracle.

Cantares, who had been silent for a moment, spoke honestly.

“To put it bluntly, it looks like a no-win situation to me. The only way I see out of it is if you willingly take the attention. Honestly, it’s not such a bad thing. Your voice would carry more weight with it.”

“Your Highness.”

Cantares shut his mouth at Arendt’s short words.

As always, a smile appeared on the lips of the apprentice knight who had been looking this way indifferently.

“Don’t you know who I am?”

“…”

A chill ran down his spine.

It seemed the same was true for Jereon as well.

Cantares muttered, grabbing the stiff sleeve of his aide.

“Jen, my stomach hurts a little. Do you have any digestive medicine?”

“It’s the same for me, Your Highness. I will prepare it immediately.”

The smell of a major accident was already in the air.

The news that the Crown Prince was holding a victory banquet spread like wildfire throughout the palace.

The palace was suddenly abuzz with preparations for an unexpected banquet.

After days of raids on the Great Temple and fighting along the borders of each kingdom, the Crown Prince finally announced an official victory.

Preparations for the banquet also went smoothly.

A proclamation informing the allies of the victory was sent out in the Emperor’s name, and invitations were sent out to the nobles.

The palace became busy preparing to welcome the distinguished guests, with merchants also beginning to actively come and go, bringing in luxurious ornaments and food.

However, there were still places where people rarely visited.

It was the Crown Prince’s palace and the Crown Prince’s private training ground.

In the training ground, isolated from all the noise, Arendt was finally able to get his sword and the Frosty Touch back.

“You’re really persistent, Captain. How many times have I told you I’m all better now, but you still insisted on holding them for a whole week?” Arendt grumbled slightly.

“I don’t want to hear that from you. It’s ridiculous to be holding a sword when you’ve only just recovered.”

“Captain, you tend to be overprotective too. Or is it that you don’t trust dragon magic?”

Lexion, who was watching from a few steps away, said with a pitiful look on his face.

“That is absolutely not the case.”

“Then just leave him alone. I can guarantee his physical condition. He’s good enough to fly right now.” Chapters fırst released on Nov3lFɪre.ɴet

Lexion waved his hand in response to Laius’ answer.

But the concern in his gaze toward Arendt never left.

“I’m glad you asked for more vacation time, but is there a specific reason for it?”

“It’s going to be a bit noisy for a while because of the banquet, so I don’t want to get involved in any annoying things.”

“That’s the problem.”

Arendt gave the answer readily, but Laius looked incredulous.

“You don’t want to get involved in trouble? I don’t think that’s something you should be saying, since you’re the one who creates accidents out of nothing.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“It’s not a compliment,” Laius pointed out calmly.

Regardless, Arendt spoke indifferently, pulling on the Frosty Touch.

“I’m really going to be quiet this time. I have reasons to be.”

“Because of the rumors from the palace?”

“Yeah, well. I’m just going to keep quiet on the surface for the time being.”

Although the word “surface” was a bit jarring, Laius decided to leave it alone, because he had a gut feeling that if he dug any further, he would find out something he really would not want to know.

“So, Captain, you can just stand with your shoulders straight and walk around the palace as you normally would, with a serious expression on your face. For now, it’s helpful to let go of your worries.”

“…Okay, I understand for now.”

Laius nodded, still looking uneasy.

Arendt, who had finished preparing for the duel, raised his sword.

Laius also raised his sword and prepared to fight back appropriately.

Before moving his body in earnest, Arendt suddenly asked.

“I’m asking just in case, but that’s not the Holy Sword, right?”

“No way. I stored the Holy Sword separately. This is a newly issued sword.”

“Why?”

As Arendt took a stance and raised his eyebrows in question, Laius answered calmly.

“I can’t control my strength very well. I might end up destroying the training ground by accident.”

“…That makes sense.”

Arendt, with a weary expression on his face, took a stance.

Lexion, who had been staring at them blankly, opened his mouth.

“Hey kid. Have you ever used your magical powers since you recovered?”

It was a somewhat random question.

“No. Without a sword or an artifact, there’s no way that would happen.”

“That’s good.”

A strange smile appeared on Lexion’s lips as he spoke like that.

His face was so handsome that it was pleasant to look at, but there was something about it that made the observer feel uneasy.

“Then it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try it now.”

“What? No wonder why my body feels light. Did you do something to me?”

Arendt let the sword hang down as he asked, his tone filled with displeasure.

“Why are you here in the first place?”

He came to the training ground with Laius to get his sword back and to relax for the first time in a while, but that dragon suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Lexion asked curiously.

“Do you have any complaints? I saved someone who was dying, so isn’t it only natural to see how things go?”

“I don’t have any particular complaints.”

Arendt tried to ignore the discomfort and used his magic.

The Frosty Touch immediately responded, freezing the sword white.

“…?”

Arendt felt a little uneasy then, but his body was already taking a step towards Laius, and he thrust his sword forward.

Laius’ expression was filled with confusion as he raised his sword to defend.

“Uh?”

There was a moment when a foolish sound came out of Arendt’s mouth.

!

The two men’s swords clashed head-on.

The air stirred and a blanket of pure white frost blew in, obscuring his vision.

After a while, when the cold slowly subsided, Arendt was able to see the scene unfolding before his eyes.

A large area of ​​white frost had formed around the spot where Laius and Arendt had stood.

The only place where the ground was left in its original form was where Laius had stood on both feet.

“….”

A chilling cold rose from the frozen ground.

Both Laius and Arendt were at a loss for words.

It was a power that was previously unimaginable.

Lexion smiled proudly as he saw the two people who were standing there blankly.