Betrayal Knight's Joyful Faith

Chapter 297

Richt left to report to the Crown Prince and Laius, and Arthur stayed in the room to briefly explain the situation.Arendt asked, buried in bed.

“What happened in the Everan Kingdom?”

“There was quite a bit of damage, but Prince Llewellyn is safe. I heard he managed to protect the artifact as well. A homunculus did appear, but Shekhinah and Captain Diana took care of it.”

He also omitted the fact that they were seriously injured and were recovering, because it didn’t seem like something he should say to a guy who came back from the dead.

Arendt asked again.

“What about Jin?”

“They say she suddenly teleported away while facing off against Prince Llewellyn and abandoned the ghouls that were attacking the walls and ran away by herself. It probably had something to do with Roger’s sudden disappearance…”

Arthur glanced at Arendt for a moment.

Arendt met his gaze and frowned.

“Did you miss him?”

“He suddenly disappeared even though he was clearly beaten by the captain and was unconscious.”

“Then it seems like he was smuggled out from the outside. Jin must have realized that the situation was serious and took him away. So in the end, the captain got his hands on the Holy Sword?”

Arthur’s eyes widened as Arendt spoke indifferently.

“…What, how do you know that?”

“I can guess just by looking at the circumstances. Do you think I’m as dull as you, senior?”

As always, a sharp retort came out.

Arthur frowned and muttered something, but didn’t say anything further.

“Anyway, as you said, the captain took hold of the Holy Sword… and cornered Roger.”

Arthur’s face distorted as he recalled that moment.

It was the first time he saw Laius lose his composure to that extent.

It was a situation that warranted it, but it was a sight he never wanted to see again.

Arthur, who had been silent for a moment, looked at Arendt as if nothing had happened.

“…You’re in big trouble now.”

“Why?”

“Are you asking because you really don’t know?”

Arthur responded harshly.

“Even though you kept talking about dog deaths and such, look what happened. Do whatever you want. I don’t care.”

“…”

This time it was Arendt’s turn to be silent.

The apprentice knight’s face became pale.

“I’m asking just in case, but is the captain okay?”

“Do you think he’s okay? You know the captain’s personality better than anyone.”

That alone was answer enough.

Arendt put his hand on his forehead and sighed deeply.

“Ha…”

He had thought that would be the case.

He never expected that he would see the protagonist of “The Blue Knight of the Holy Sword” pour out his resentment towards Luce.

“Didn’t the Holy Sword cause any trouble?”

“It wasn’t just trouble. But since the captain is in that state, no one can show it. On top of that, His Highness wasn’t in a good mood either.”

As Arthur muttered irritably, Arendt tilted his head in curiosity.

“Why?”

“Why, are you serious?”

Finally, Arthur let out all the frustration he had been holding in.

“Imagine a guy who left fine and came back half dead. Who would feel good about that?”

When the nagging started to really pour out, Arendt just covered his ears.

“Okay, I get it, so don’t yell. It’s annoying.”

“Stop talking like it’s someone else’s business! You almost died and came back to life, right? It’s a miracle that you’re still breathing. Why did you do something so ridiculous…”

“It was just a little detour, I guess.”

Arendt waved his hand dismissively.

“I should have just run away without looking back. The captain is such an monster, he would have done better on his own.”

“Listen seriously when someone is talking. You talk so well but never even had any intention of doing it in the first place. You damn fool.”

“Okay.”

Arendt dismissed Arthur’s nagging and changed the subject.

“There’s something you haven’t told me yet. Why did they put me here? And why are you guys here?”

“…”

Arthur bit his lip with an annoyed expression.

It meant he wouldn’t say anything.

Arendt glanced at him and continued speaking indifferently.

“Looking at the fact that you came in right away, I think you were probably in front of the door… if you came to visit, you would have been in the room.”

“…”

“Were you standing guard? Doesn’t that seem a bit unnatural? Even High Priest Lumiel, who would be the target of your escort, isn’t here right now.”

As Arendt’s speech grew longer, Arthur’s expression grew more and more surprised.

“You damn bastard… did you already figure that out?”

“Then that means the person being escorted is me. Senior Richt came because of the shift change, right? Judging from the quiet surroundings, it seems like they’re restricting entry and exit. Isn’t that too extravagant of treatment for a mere apprentice knight?”

“…”

“The Holy Sword has moved, and that alone will cause an uproar in the Empire… but that’s the captain’s job, not mine.”

Arthur looked down at him with weary eyes.

Arendt continued:

“And for official missions, it’s standard to work in pairs, but the fact that you and Senior Richt moved separately means that it was an unofficial mission. If you were worried about an attack by the Chernion Cult or another force, there’s no need to move in secret… right now, I’m being threatened by an unexpected force, not by any of those forces.”

The voice that had been speaking calmly at first gradually began to take on a cold and sharp tone.

“It doesn’t sound like something that Senior Richt said to me without thinking, but is there a reason why I shouldn’t go out?”

Arendt stared at Arthur with eyes that seemed to invite an answer.

Arthur found it increasingly difficult to bear the sight of those golden eyes that seemed to pierce through people.

Arthur, who had been silent for a long time, looked down.

Just when he thought he would get an answer, a firm response came from Arthur.

“I won’t tell you.”

“…”

Arendt frowned at the unexpected reaction.

“What did you say?”

“It’s up to the captain and His Highness to take care of it. It’s none of your business, so just rest. What’s a guy who can’t even move properly talking about?”

Arthur would normally have given in, but this time he didn’t back down even one step.

Arendt was starting to get increasingly irritated.

“I’ll find out soon anyway. What’s the point of hiding it now….”

“Rest now! When people talk, listen, you bastard!”

Arthur cut him off with a scolding tone.

“It’s the same for me, and for the other seniors. Just try to move recklessly. I’ll tell His Highness and have you locked up somewhere.”

Thanks to Arthur’s decisive statement, Arendt was momentarily speechless.

It was because he knew full well that these crazy guys were the kind of people who would actually do it.

Aside from that, it was still frustrating.

It was clear that something unusual had happened that was separate from the Holy Sword incident.

But if Arthur was in this state, it was obvious that Cantares and the other knights would keep their mouths shut.

At the moment when Arendt was going to stubbornly try to ask again.

!

The door opened as if it were going to fall off its hinges.

Arendt reflexively turned to look towards the door at the sudden loud noise and soon found himself at a loss for words.

“…”

Laius stood there, frozen stiff, still holding onto the doorknob in the same posture he had when he entered.

His usually neat blue hair was disheveled and a mess, as if he had been running frantically.

His hastily put-on uniform coat was wrinkled here and there, and his usually calm eyes were shaking without any mercy, unable to hide his feelings of confusion and surprise.

“Wow, damn…”

He was so shocked by Laius’ appearance that all his worries disappeared for a moment.

Arendt, who had opened and closed his mouth a few times, muttered faintly.

“This is really fucked up.”

“I told you, didn’t I? You figure it out.”

Arthur spoke obnoxiously from the side.

Before Arendt could even answer, Cantares poked his head out from behind Laius.

The Crown Prince met Arendt’s eyes and smiled.

“Hey, it’s quite a sight to behold.”

“…”

It was clearly a teasing remark.

Arendt unconsciously clenched his bandaged hand into a fist.

It was so annoying that he really wanted to hit him.

Despite showing up looking quite disheveled, Laius surprisingly didn’t say much.

Laius first questioned Arendt about his physical condition, then watched closely as Lumiel and the healer returned and examined him.

And then, after hearing the assurance that everything would be okay, he left without saying anything else.

Arendt sensed that something was seriously wrong from the way Laius didn’t even bother to nag him.

‘It’s totally messed up.’

He didn’t think things would be okay, but the situation was more serious than expected.

Several days passed and Laius didn’t show even a trace of himself.

Only the knights or Cantares who came in shifts occasionally told Arendt about the captain’s recent activities.

“I heard that most people don’t even think about going near him. The others are too busy avoiding eye contact, let alone try to strike up a conversation.”

It was the words of Rider who came in to replace Glenn.

“It’s not that strange. He already has a naturally stern impression, and he’s been exuding such an intense aura lately.”

“Nothing much was said at the meeting?”

Arendt asked, putting the snack Rider had brought into his mouth.

Rider waved his hand.

“No way. This is the first time the Holy Sword has moved since the era of His Majesty the First Emperor. The nobles are also increasing their private armies and causing chaos.”

Rider grumbled at Arendt’s question.

Arendt’s brow furrowed again at the mention of the Holy Sword.

“What’s the atmosphere like?”

“It’s a mess, isn’t it? Captain Laius, who was chosen as a hero, has been in a foul mood… and the fact that the Holy Sword has moved means that a full-scale war is about to begin.”

Rider grumbled, leaning back in his chair.

Arendt frowned slightly.

“Is that all?”

“Then what more do you want? The patient should just eat well and sleep well.”

“…”

“Do you need more snacks? I heard that Aide Jereon has prepared a lot of things for you.”

Even with the pointed remark, Rider deflected to an unrelated topic as if unaware.

His attitude was that he had nothing to say.

“… I’m going crazy.”

Laius, for his part, hasn’t shown a glimpse of himself, and the knights have been like this for days.

As Arendt sighed, Rider clicked his tongue.

“Just give up. The captain said that if we let you take a single step outside, we would all be screwed.”

“…”

“Oh, there are also books and snacks that Prince Llewellyn sent. They’re in the dormitory, so I’ll stop by later and ask Arthur to send them to you. By the way, I heard that Lord Neumann sent something too. Now that I look at it, you really have some special connections.”

When Rider continued to ramble on and on, Arendt simply stayed silent.

Judging by the situation, it seemed that they had even blocked the entry of the servants.

The necessary items were brought in by rotating knights, healers who came to check on the condition, or priests.

Arendt tried getting angry and even threatened them, but this time everyone seemed determined and nothing worked.

‘These annoying people, seriously.’

Even High Priest Lumiel, who occasionally visited, avoided answering with an ambiguous smile, telling him to focus on his recovery for now.

Even if he tried to run out, it was impossible to jump out the window in his current situation, and the door was guarded by knights all day long.

As a result, Arendt was forced to live in luxurious confinement for several days.

‘I’m going crazy.’

It was even more painful because, except for the pain here and there in his body, he was still completely conscious.

Moreover, whenever he tried to organize his thoughts on his own, his colleagues would suddenly appear and start talking to him, making it impossible to do that.

Everyone moved in such unison, so it seemed like they had planned it out in advance.

‘The person who gave the order was probably Captain Laius.’

He was getting really annoyed, but since the person in question didn’t even show up, it was impossible to counterattack.

In the end, Arendt had no choice but to chew on snacks while vowing revenge.

Arendt was able to get unexpected clues from an unexpected place.

And then he realized that things were much worse than he thought.