Re-summoned

‘What happened, you ask.’

I pondered how much I should explain to Aurora-nim. If it were just my own business, it wouldn’t matter, but now Minerva-nim was also involved. I had to choose carefully.

“Where would you like to hear from?”

“If possible, everything from after you went out with Minerva-nim. Every single thing is full of questions.”

I had expected that.

After calmly replying that I understood, I unfastened the Wingless Nightmare from my waist and placed it on the table. The eyes of the Knight Commanders who saw the new weapon were filled with curiosity.

“First, this is why I briefly went out with Minerva-nim.”

“That sword?”

“Yes.”

I first told them about going to Ceres’s house. Since my blood-stained sword had broken, I needed a new weapon, and that’s why I went to find Ceres, who lived in the remote regions of the Empire.

“Delta, you said the blacksmith you visited was named Ceres, right?”

“Have you heard of her?”

“No, she’s someone I don’t know. If she retired over ten years ago, that means she stepped down when I was much younger, and no matter who I am, there’s no way I’d know someone who went into seclusion that long ago, right?”

“It seemed like you knew something, though.”

“It’s not that I knew, but that I tried to know. Because of that weapon. I was wondering if additional requests might be possible later, you see.”

‘…Could you even put in a request to that NPC to make a weapon?’

As far as I remembered, it wasn’t possible, but it was also vague to definitively say it was impossible.

Even if it was a dream that would soon disappear, if it was now, while I was fully enjoying the effects of the Pung-yuhwan, I wondered if it might be possible to ask for a weapon to be made.

Minerva-nim had said that a permanently lasting Pung-yuhwan wasn’t entirely impossible in theory, so I figured I could just get the materials later and have it made.

I thought about it a bit more, and in the end, I only gave a fundamental answer.

“I don’t know either.”

“Well, I suppose so. A woman who secludes herself in the mountains by her own will isn’t just any ordinary eccentric, is she?”

Aurora-nim had an expression that showed she didn’t care at all. It seemed she hadn’t expected anything from the start.

The explanation continued after that, moving past the holy water imbued with light and the Pung-yuhwan, and when the deal to find the Crystal Scroll that had been between Minerva-nim and me was mentioned, Aurora-nim snorted.

“A Crystal Scroll? No wonder there was a reason for them to do such crazy things as a group? They were all acting like they were high on drugs, but there was a reason for it all. It really was like they were on drugs. Because for mages, ancient scrolls must be treated that way.”

“Still, I never imagined they’d do such a thing in front of people.”

“Me too. Even if Minerva-nim’s Magic Tower is a gathering of magic-crazed eccentrics, how could they think of fighting and telling others to step over them, especially not anywhere else but in the Imperial Palace?”

The explanation concluded with Aurora-nim’s exasperation. Everyone seemed to have understood what had happened.

‘There’s still something I haven’t said, but…’

I didn’t particularly want to say it out loud. She herself seemed not to care whether she did it or not, as her mind had turned into a flower garden, but I cared.

It was all for Minerva-nim.

How could I reveal here and now the fact that Minerva-nim, unable to contain her joy upon discovering the Crystal Scroll, had reached climax, gushing clear liquid between her legs?

“…What is this about, Lord-nim?”

“Don’t ask me, I don’t know either. Aunt-nim must have had another whim.”

The very next day after bringing the Crystal Scroll, upon the thunderbolt-like news that we had to have an audience with the Emperor from the morning, we hastily finished our preparations and headed to the Central Hall.

But there were prior guests ahead. It was the Golden Twilight Knights.

At the very front, the Knight Commander, clad in dazzling golden armor, took his place, followed by the Vice Knight Commanders and regular members.

The rest, excluding the Knight Commander, were not in armor, but in uniforms tightly fitted with sports bras and leggings. Thanks to this, their faces were fully exposed. They seemed to not know why they had been summoned here either.

Since we couldn’t disobey the order to wait in front of the Central Hall because there were prior guests, we took our places next to them, with Aurora-nim at the forefront. The Golden Twilight Knight Commander’s head turned towards us.

The Knight Commander, who had been staring intently at us, especially me, for a long time, opened his mouth gruffly.

“Why are you here?”

His voice was openly displeased, and his tone clearly showed he was trying to belittle us. It was easy enough to guess the expression inside his helmet.

It wasn’t that I couldn’t guess why he was suddenly acting like that.

Even in the game, that guy showed a strict and solemn demeanor during the first encounter, but the more the player accumulated achievements, the more he revealed his jealousy and inferiority complex.

From the start, he was the guy who, annoyed that the Silver Dawn Knights were doing better than his own, conspired with the former Lord to disband the Silver Dawn Knights. His true nature hadn’t gone anywhere.

Considering he had just been staring intently at me, it seemed he felt an inferiority complex about the rumors circulating that I had fought against a dragon.

‘I doubt it, but…’

Even for me, I wondered, ‘Could his personality really be that hopeless?’ but recalling his actions in the game, the possibility was high enough.

And if he couldn’t fix that personality until the end… he would die by my hand.

Because that’s how the story went.

“Who do you think you are, picking a fight from the morning-“

“Wait a moment, Claudia.”

Hearing that, Aurora-nim stopped Claudia, who was about to step forward with an indignant expression. Then, she crossed her arms below her chest, shifted her weight to one leg, and glared at him.

“You certainly speak interestingly. Don’t you think?”

“…”

Perhaps it was awkward for him to argue with Kaikilia’s niece, so he subtly turned his head back. But Aurora-nim was not one to let that slide easily.

“Why are you turning your head again? I’m talking. Are you ignoring me?”

“…No, I’m not.”

“Then look this way. Quickly.”

He looked at Aurora-nim again. Although I couldn’t read his expression due to the golden helmet covering his head, it definitely wouldn’t be a pleasant one.

“What did you just say? Did you say, ‘Why are you here?’ Is that right?”

“…Yes.”

“Interesting. Are you trying to commit treason against Aunt-nim?”

“What are you talking about?!”

At the sudden logical leap that tried to brand him a traitor, the Knight Commander almost jumped from his spot, vehemently denying it.

Not only us, who were quietly listening from behind, but even the Vice Knight Commanders and regular members had their eyes wide open, but Aurora-nim continued speaking without batting an eye.

“Why? I didn’t say anything wrong. Why else would we be here? Is there any other reason besides His Majesty the Emperor summoning us? But what did you just say? ‘Why are you here?’ That means you’re doubting His Majesty the Emperor’s decision. Am I wrong?”

“…”

It was an absurd logic.

However, considering Kaikilia’s capricious personality and Aurora-nim’s special position as a member of the imperial bloodline, one’s head could truly be cut off even with such absurd logic.

Didn’t they themselves have a record of practically disbanding the Silver Dawn Knights with absurd logic? Even if they had the help of the former Lord.

Aurora-nim also knew that fact, so she was openly picking a fight and being unreasonable. In a way that said, ‘Can you really endure this without apologizing to us, even after all this?’

“…That was absolutely not my intention. I am sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing to me? Isn’t there someone else you should apologize to?”

In that instant, his tightly clenched fist trembled. Rije, who was next to me, chuckled.

“…I’m sorry. That was not my intention.”

“Alright. You can go now. Be careful with your words from now on.”

“…Yes.”

He apologized to us as well, and Aurora-nim waved her hand, as if granting a favor, sending him away. As soon as the Knight Commander turned his body, Aurora-nim let out a snicker.

“That guy, he’s the one who came to monitor Delta before, right? He’s got some nerve saying such things right in front of the Central Hall. How many people in the Empire’s history have lost their heads for saying one wrong word?”

Just as the Knight Commanders nodded and were about to say something, a dull thud, `ppaak-`, accompanied by a short scream, was heard. Wondering what it was, we turned to look at the Golden Twilight Knights.

“We’re about to have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor, and you’re breaking formation? You idiot!”

One of the Vice Knight Commanders was swaying. His left cheek was swelling red, as if he had been slapped. A trickle of blood flowed from between his tightly pressed lips.

“I am sorry, Knight Commander-nim.”

The Vice Knight Commander, who had been unexpectedly slapped, bowed his head deeply and returned to his place. The atmosphere on their side instantly froze. They rolled their eyes around, trying to gauge their Knight Commander’s mood.

‘That guy was completely insane, wasn’t he?’

The nominal reason was that he had broken formation, but I clearly saw it. The Vice Knight Commander was standing perfectly still in his place, but that guy couldn’t control his anger and took it out on just anyone.

Honestly, when I first saw that guy at the castle, I thought he was just a muscle-brained brute whose stats were all dumped into strength, unlike in the game. Because he really did follow me around 24/7, saying he had orders to monitor me.

But now that I see it, his behavior at the castle was simply because he thought he was superior and didn’t need to reveal his true personality, and his true nature was still that of a rotten bastard.

“Doing such dog-shit behavior in front of the Central Hall is also an action that could get your head cut off. What a shame.”

And Aurora-nim muttering that was a bonus.

How long had the atmosphere of that knight order been chillingly frozen, when, despite no one touching them, the doors of the Audience Chamber slowly began to open on both sides.

As if this was a silent signal to enter, the Knight Commander of the Golden Twilight Knights first stepped inside. The Vice Knight Commanders and the rest of the knights followed him.

Next was our turn. Aurora-nim was first, and the Knight Commanders entered in order from Claudia to Erica. Naturally, I was the very last.

I stepped forward as carefully as possible.

‘…’

My eyes met with Kaikilia, who was blatantly staring at me.