Ch.209EP.47 – Knights’ Night March (3)

“……Why is there no one here?”

After struggling to swim for 30 minutes, Ihan Turtle successfully infiltrated the temple and blinked his eyes in confusion.

One might think he should just be glad he made it in, but remembering how strict the security was outside the temple, he found the absence of guards rather puzzling.

‘Did they reduce internal personnel, trusting the outer defenses?’

Does that make sense?

While Ihan tilted his head in confusion, he also considered it fortunate.

He had expended much of his energy swimming while maintaining the Ghost Technique, and subduing giant alligators and water snakes along the way.

Seriously, why were there so many alligators and snakes in this river?

Concerned about blood spreading in the water, he could only subdue them rather than kill them. With the Ghost Technique active, it was arguably one of the most difficult battles he’d faced recently.

So the absence of people was strangely pleasing.

It meant he had a brief moment to rest.

Well, even so.

‘Where would I find time to rest?’

He had no time to spare.

The night was almost over, and even resting time felt precious.

However, there was a small problem…

“Where exactly am I?”

…To reiterate, even the royal family didn’t know much about the Grand Temple, and not even the king knew its interior layout.

He had broken in, but finding his way meant starting from scratch.

The lost knight wandered around for a while, facing the challenge of first figuring out where he was.

…To reveal now, the reason he secretly infiltrated the temple wasn’t to assassinate anyone.

He came to commit “righteous theft,” just as he had prayed to the fairy.

What he needed was…

– [Holy Relic].

Specifically, it was a holy relic meant to serve as an indulgence for Ihan, and the source of this information was…

‘What would be a good gift for Father Raphael?’

Father Raphael.

The old man whom Ihan considered the only true adult in this medieval barbaric society, and the benefactor who provided this information. Thanks to him, Ihan learned about the holy relic intended for him and planned to steal—no, temporarily “borrow” it before returning it.

Incidentally, the one who planted the seed for this plan was also…

– Brother, hypothetically speaking, what do you think would happen if the holy relic meant for you suddenly disappeared from the Grand Temple?

– …Pardon?

…Surprisingly, it was Raphael.

– Hoho, there’s nothing to be surprised about. It’s just a “hypothetical,” a hypothetical. Don’t take it seriously, just consider it the ramblings of an old man, hoho.

– ……

…As if he could dismiss it as mere ramblings.

At first, he couldn’t believe his ears.

It sounded like Raphael was indirectly suggesting, “Have you considered stealing the holy relic?”

Why would someone who was about to be appointed as the next Holy King make such a suggestion?

Could he be planning some kind of indirect murder because I made a mistake somewhere…?

This was a reasonable suspicion.

His confusion soon turned to doubt, and perhaps his face betrayed these thoughts, as Raphael continued while still emphasizing that it was just a “hypothetical.”

– Haha, this too is merely hypothetical, but if the holy relic designated for you were to disappear, there would likely be much confusion within the temple. Although the Grand Temple has many holy relics, each one holds priceless value. Whether historically significant or containing mysterious powers, all holy relics are precious. Therefore, the most important duty of the Grand Temple is to [protect them] with their lives. Protecting relics of the past is the covenant that allowed the temple of the Light of Radiance to take root in the South. But what if the Grand Temple, with such a duty, loses a holy relic? …This would shake the authority of the Grand Temple.

– !?

For a moment, it was as if lightning flashed through his mind.

He seemed to understand why Raphael would mention a plan to steal a holy relic.

He was now…

– Then if a holy relic disappears…

– First, the entire temple would go into lockdown for a while. There would be a thorough investigation for heretics. Especially since it’s “coincidentally” the holy relic “designated for you” that disappeared, and only I and a few cardinals know this information. We would likely face a rigorous investigation.

– ……

…Like his counterpart, he was planning to flip the board.

Through drastic means.

– …Are you sure about this? At your age, if you’re dragged to the basement for questioning, you might not make it back…

But it was quite a dangerous attempt.

Not for him, but for Raphael…

In reality, if a holy relic disappeared, Raphael would be the most suspicious person.

He knew which holy relic was meant for Ihan and was the only one following an independent path different from the current Grand Temple.

If the holy relic disappeared, he would face severe interrogation from the Inquisitors using this as a pretext.

– This seems a bit…

Ihan was about to express his reluctance…

– Ah, don’t worry about that. This insignificant old man happens to have an [indulgence].

– ……

– Having lived long enough, I was undeservingly granted such a thing. Hoho.

– …Ah.

Come to think of it, this man was a “living legend” of the temple, wasn’t he?

– Hoho, I’m just saying such a thing exists. I haven’t done anything, and you haven’t done anything either, so why would there be any need to use an indulgence? Isn’t that right?

– …Ha.

No wonder he had survived in the temple for over a century.

It wasn’t just diligence; he knew how to play the game.

– You have it all planned out, don’t you?

– What do you mean?

– …Ah, yes, I understand. Well, let me also ask hypothetically, is it okay for such a thing to happen? It might be satisfying for me, but you could automatically become the Holy King if you just stayed put? …This is just a hypothetical question, not implying anything. I’m just talking about the risks if such a thing were to happen.

– I understand, oh ho ho!

To Ihan’s curious question, Raphael laughed cheerfully and without hesitation…

– What good is becoming such a thing if it can’t save even one lamb?

He dismissed the position of Holy King as “such a thing.”

…With an intensity that left even the knight speechless…

– I prefer to be a shield for the lambs with these two legs of mine, rather than sitting and stamping documents or meeting people.

– ……

– If I can continue to spread the teachings of the Light of Radiance until these two legs can no longer walk, and then collapse to become nutrients for the soil… I think I would have no regrets.

– …Isn’t that a bit too cool?

– You don’t need to flatter this old man’s face with gold.

– No, I really mean it.

He was sincere.

…Once again, Ihan found himself respecting this old man.

And now.

“Ah, so the structure is roughly like this?”

Ihan was methodically working through the steps to steal the holy relic.

It wasn’t just for Raphael. He was doing it of his own will.

Hence, there was no dissatisfaction on his face, and he spared no effort.

“━━!”

A lion’s roar.

But rather than a deafening boom that could tear eardrums, it was an incredibly subtle resonance that spread throughout the vast space.

The sound wave technique he had used when fighting the Holy Knights the day before.

In technical terms, it would be called “Echolocation.”

He had acquired an unusual skill by his own admission, but what mattered was that he had another tool at his disposal.

Ihan repeatedly emitted sound waves that reflected off surrounding structures, allowing him to understand the layout around him.

Where structures were, which paths led where, and whether there were any traps.

“…I roughly understand now.”

However, he couldn’t know everything, only a very general outline—simply put, just where the available paths were.

It seems there’s quite a difference in difficulty between using this for combat and for detection.

Still.

‘If I search all suspicious places, I’ll eventually find something.’

He wasn’t sure if this counted as a specialty, but what Ihan did best wasn’t combat or assassination.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve done repetitive work.’

Ihan prided himself on being better at tedious grinding than anyone else.

* * *

At the same time, while the knight was diligently grinding away, there was a gray-haired boy busily scribbling on a desk.

While some people were running around in the field, others were working hard at their desks, using their brains.

This meant that Derrick Pendragon was also doing his best, no less than his master.

‘Who could it be?’

The desk was covered with papers totaling over hundreds of pages, each densely filled with countless writings.

Derrick had written down all the information he knew until his wrist ached, and he kept reviewing it to see if he had missed anything.

…But despite these efforts.

‘…I don’t know.’

The lack of meaningful results was giving him a headache.

Finally, Derrick gave up on identifying the mysterious schemer his instructor was looking for.

“Haah!”

His sigh contained deep stress.

80% self-loathing, 20% despair…

If his instructor had seen it, he would have said Derrick was “losing his luck,” but Derrick would probably have given a typical science-oriented response: “Research shows that sighing deeply can lower stress levels.” To which his instructor might have replied, “Shall I give you acupressure as many times as the first 100 digits of pi?” in a kind tone while picking up a club.

“…Heh!”

Thinking about his master momentarily erased his gloom, bringing a smile to his face.

After all, he was the most cheerful person Derrick knew.

At the same time.

‘I don’t seem to be much help…’

The feeling that his usefulness was coming to an end quickly wiped the smile from his face.

It felt like all the information he possessed was becoming irrelevant.

“…Now.”

Let’s admit it.

‘…Most of the information I have is no longer useful.’

The decisive blow that made him feel his usefulness had ended was none other than the appearance of Heize Roche.

His instructor had said he thought Lady Irene Windler was the duke’s hidden daughter, but when he saw her the day before, Irene Windler made him tilt his head in confusion, thinking, “That’s not her.”

This meant that the girl’s information had also mostly become irrelevant.

And in Derrick’s case, it was the same.

‘There’s no female protagonist…’

It was all completely useless.

The female protagonist.

That is, the main heroine and the center of the world.

The character who should have started unfolding the main story from Derrick’s second year was nowhere to be seen…

For Derrick, who had been quite expectant about the female protagonist’s appearance since “falling into” this world, this was like a bolt from the blue.

If it had been him a year ago, he might have panicked at the fact that there was no female protagonist, his face turning pale…

‘It’s fortunate that I have my instructor.’

A hero class like an Irregular.

And his most trustworthy master and guide.

Because of him, Derrick might be confused but wasn’t despairing or disoriented.

Also.

‘Honestly, I might have anticipated this somewhere in my heart?’

…He might have predicted it.

That there might not be a female protagonist.

After all.

‘I can’t remember her face…’

She definitely existed.

But her face and name didn’t clearly come to mind.

As if shrouded in fog…

‘Was the female protagonist deleted from this world because she was too much of a convenient existence?’

His instructor often said:

Don’t treat this world like a game; this world is where real humans live and breathe.

If this is true, then the existence of a female protagonist is certainly a [bug].

Just by existing, she disrupts the ecosystem and turns the world’s genre into [romance].

But with such an existence disappearing…

‘This isn’t a romance fantasy anymore?’

Is only “fantasy” left?

‘…No, maybe we should add [dark] or [dystopia] in front?’

Derrick knows.

What results would follow if the story progressed like this, and the female protagonist—who was both a buffer and problem-solver—disappeared.

─The formula of romance fantasy. Without the female protagonist, it becomes no less than an apocalyptic horror fantasy.

And if that happens.

“…Should I really emigrate with the instructor?”

Thinking about the bleak future ahead made emigration seem appealing.

Wouldn’t the world be more livable anywhere but the South?

As he was thinking this…

“-Are you having strange thoughts again, Derrick?”

“…Lady?”

“It’s not bad to contemplate deeply, but don’t get too absorbed. It will only torment you.”

“……”

“Fufu, how is it? Do you feel better now that I’m here like this?”

“T-That’s…”

“Well, you may look innocent like a rabbit, but you’re still a male after all, fufu.”

“L-Lady?!”

…Derrick’s face turned bright red at Karin Alencia de Guinevere’s teasing, which instantly blew away his worries.

However, she continued.

“Ah, now you’re making a face that’s more like Derrick. I prefer you looking naive like that rather than being so serious. It’s cute.”

“……”

“And didn’t I tell you to call me Karin? You really don’t listen, do you?”

“Umm….”

Derrick swallowed hard, thinking that her prim expression was “pretty.”

…He had to give up on emigration.

Though he had briefly dreamed of becoming an immigrant, he abandoned the idea.

After all, she would never abandon this kingdom.

So, he too…

“Derrick, are my lips that tempting? Your gaze is so intense.”

“N-No, that’s not it…!”

“Come here, quickly. There’s something I want to try.”

“W-Wait a moment…!?”

…would have to steel his resolve.

Children are born even during war.

Similarly, no matter how bleak the future might be, “romance” always exists.

Of course…

“-What’s this? Why do I suddenly feel so disgusted?”

…While some were experiencing romance, others, like a certain knight, were grinding away in the middle of the night as if putting on a live show.

The knight’s instinct suddenly wanted to beat up a gray-haired boy, and he tilted his head in confusion, wondering why he felt this way.