Taking Interest

Late night. Kaikilia was sitting on a throne overlooking the entire central hall. She had been there for a full day, alone, without letting anyone in.

The hall, large enough to comfortably accommodate hundreds of people, was utterly silent, and all the lights were off, creating an eerie atmosphere. Only the moonlight streaming through the massive glass windows barely served as a light source.

Kaikilia crossed her legs, placing her right thigh over her left, leaned back against the red-cushioned, gold-adorned throne, rested her right elbow on the dragon-carved armrest, and stared at something in the center of the hall.

It was the corpse of something that had long since grown cold, something that had once been called her older brother. The black blood that had flowed out had long since hardened. It no longer moved or twitched.

Its life had already ended the moment the Holy Sword was plunged into it, but Kaikilia had another purpose in deliberately bringing the corpse here and watching it for a full day.

“Did you say you know nothing?”

A chilling murmur escaped Kaikilia’s lips.

When she ordered Iris to reveal everything about the new recruit, Iris had replied that she knew almost nothing herself.

At most, she only knew where she had met the new recruit, why she had brought him to the knight order, and what had happened after bringing him to the knight order.

It wasn’t particularly helpful information. Except for one thing: the fact that he had lost most of his memories due to a witch’s curse and all his stats had regressed to rock bottom.

“All his stats regressed?”

The corner of her lips curled up slightly. It was an action filled with clear mockery.

There was no lie in Iris’s words. At least Iris herself, the Knight Captain who had brought in the new knight whose identity was unclear, firmly believed that the explanation she had given was the truth.

“Then, you must have lied.”

Kaikilia rose from the throne. Slowly, she began to descend the stairs, one step at a time. Her feet, encased in black boots, trod across the red carpet.

Her steps halted before the corpse of the half-human, half-demon, impaled by the Holy Sword. A chilling gaze, originating from her golden eyes, which were more golden than gold itself, meticulously scanned its outward appearance.

Horns half-grown on its head. A face with a mouth torn to its ears. Membrane-covered wings protruding from its back. Scales covering its entire body. Arms and legs transformed into reverse joints. Long, extended claws.

And, wounds emitting a faint white light in response to the Holy Sword’s divine power.

“Foolish creature. Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”

The moment Kaikilia saw the demon, who had been her older brother, in the basement, she realized that its entire body was covered in scars etched by holy weapons.

It seemed as though he had thrown the lord to the knight captains to beat him thoroughly, perhaps with the intention of concealing his wounds through the demon’s inherent regenerative abilities, but it was all in vain.

For scars etched by divine power on the body of an unholy being are not so easily concealed.

Compared to the Popes of the Raphaella Holy Kingdom, who were considered no different from goddesses descended to earth, Kaikilia might have been a step below, but she too was someone who could wield the Holy Sword with her own power.

Even if all the holy weapons on the continent were gathered, the Holy Sword was considered a weapon that would overwhelm their power, so it was impossible for someone who could wield the Holy Sword not to discern the scars etched by divine power.

Kaikilia firmly gripped the hilt of the Holy Sword. At that moment, the faint white light emanating from various parts of the demon’s body intensified. The wounds were short in length but had penetrated deeply inward.

It was the trace of a dagger.

“You possess a dagger blessed with divine power, yet you’ve lost your memory and don’t even know who you are? Did you truly think that would be a proper excuse?”

A chilling sneer followed. A human who not only possessed a blessed dagger but could even wield it, yet claimed to have lost their memory and had all their stats at rock bottom?

It was a lie. As long as the scars etched by a blessed weapon remained on this half-human, half-demon body, she could only conclude that the new knight had definitely lied to her.

Aurora was a woman with no combat ability whatsoever. While she had matured in all aspects compared to her childhood, that was merely a matter of appearance and temperament, not combat prowess.

The four Knight Captains of the Silver Dawn Knights were excellent in combat, but they too could not wield divine power.

It was natural. Even if one scoured the entire Empire, no human could use divine power unless they were connected to the Raphaella Holy Kingdom.

However, that person was different. Kaikilia fell deep into thought.

Even if it was a demon so weak that it failed to even possess a single human, to inflict significant damage on such a demon, one would need to be at least an apprentice nun from the Holy Kingdom’s Papal Office.

Even the women called apprentice nuns in the Papal Office possessed enough divine power to lead a large church outside.

Repelling a demon meant that.

“Everything contradicts itself, yet everything fits.”

The more she thought about it, the more maddeningly curious she became about the identity of that new knight.

He could wield divine power strong enough to harm a demon, yet he claimed to have been cursed and had all his stats regressed.

He was knowledgeable enough to have acquired a blessed weapon from somewhere, yet he claimed to have lost all the memories that should support that knowledge.

Nothing about him had been revealed, yet he was acting as if he knew everything.

Therefore.

“The claim of knowing nothing cannot possibly be true, can it…?”

The faintly curled corner of her lips showed no sign of dropping. It felt like a long time, truly a long time, since she had enjoyed such a pleasant dilemma.

If everything about the new knight was a lie, then the contents of the letter Aurora sent were also a lie. Such a skilled individual ‘accidentally’ discovered a book possessed by a demon? Impossible.

“Summon the Knight Captain of the Golden Twilight Knights.”

Kaikilia shouted into the empty air. Immediately after her echo bounced wildly off the walls and pillars and faded, a knight strode majestically through a side door of the central hall.

He was a knight whose entire body was adorned with golden armor, and whose cloak, helmet, and even scabbard were decorated with gold. The knight approached right in front of Kaikilia with precise steps and knelt.

“Did you call, Your Majesty!”

“I shall give you an order.”

“Yes, please tell me anything!”

“Take gold coins and go to Aurora’s domain. Go there, tell the lord that it’s a reward for dealing with the demon in a timely manner, hand over the money, and then find the Silver Dawn Knights.”

As the words “Silver Dawn Knights” left Kaikilia’s lips, the helmeted knight’s body flinched momentarily. Regardless, Kaikilia continued speaking.

“There will be a man who recently joined there. Observe his every action, his every move. I will give you two weeks.”

“What should I do after observing him!”

“Report everything to me without exception. Even if it seems utterly trivial on the surface, that’s fine. Do not omit a single thing.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

The knight in golden armor bowed his head and, with precise movements, turned and exited the central hall. *Thump*, the door closed, and Kaikilia was once again left alone in the central hall.

“Never in my life have I taken such an interest in anything, was taking an interest in something truly such a delightful feeling?”

Kaikilia approached the demon’s corpse and gazed intently at the dozens of scars that still faintly revealed divine power. Then, she firmly gripped the hilt of the Holy Sword that pierced its body and poured power into it.

A light like the sun burst forth from the Holy Sword. *Hwaruruk*, the demon’s corpse was engulfed in white flames and began to burn. It was a purifying flame that condemned only heresy.

The demon’s body soon turned into a handful of ashes and vanished. When Kaikilia, having finished the disposal, released the hilt, the Holy Sword immediately transformed into a bright halo of light. Nothing remained where the corpse had been.

“I will watch you.”

Kaikilia, having finished her task, murmured thus.

She would watch that new knight. She would observe and monitor him, and by any means necessary, she would uncover what secrets he was hiding.

Lying in the letter sent to her? She could overlook that. Hiding his true identity? She could overlook that. Such actions were merely minor deviations.

Only one thing. If that person truly was someone who could aid her ambitions, someone who would become a loyal sword by Kaikilia’s side, then she could easily turn a blind eye to such trivial matters.

“However, if not.”

A terrible killing intent filled her gleaming golden eyes. If not, if he was merely trash that would briefly stand out like countless other idiots before being cast down to the bottom.

He would certainly have to pay the price.

“Therefore, prove your abilities.”

So that this delightful feeling would not crumble away into a cruel end, but would last for a very long time.