Ch.24079. Grind Your Teeth (2)

# The Sixth Saint Edmila

Commonly known as the Knight of the Blue Rose, the Saint of Governance received the news just moments ago.

While engaged in a private conversation with the bishop on parish matters in Feisran, the urgent report she received was… simply unbelievable.

“A knight of unknown identity… infiltrated the royal palace alone? So what? What exactly happened?”

At first glance, it seemed like nothing significant.

There was no apparent threat, and it hardly seemed worth rushing over with an urgent report… but.

The fact that this intruder not only entered without permission but also single-handedly defeated the guards and subsequent armed forces… was something that could not be taken lightly.

She moved immediately.

The holy knights under her command gradually joined her, and those who couldn’t meet her here were likely already heading toward the royal palace ahead of them.

“What’s the specific situation?”

Edmila strode through the corridor of the cathedral in an area still under construction.

The black-haired woman walking beside her calmly reported.

“As I briefly mentioned, the intruder is causing a disturbance alone. Specifically, there’s a girl, a vagrant, and what appears to be a summoned beast or magical construct serving as a mount. There are three in total, but… if we’re talking about the actual invasion force, it’s just the knight in black armor.”

“…And yet they broke through? What were they doing?”

Edmila mounted the horse waiting outside the cathedral entrance.

“I only know what was reported to me.”

“…Sounds like the damage is not insignificant.”

Hya!

As the horse galloped through the streets, the female knight who had maintained silence for a while suddenly raised her voice.

“That’s! Not entirely true!”

“…?”

At those words, Edmila calmly slowed her pace until their horses were side by side, as if asking for an explanation.

“The knight suddenly demanded to see the king. That led to conflict when they tried to expel him… and when he refused, they attempted to restrain him as a suspicious person, which is what started this whole mess.”

“Did I ask for every little detail? Don’t you understand the point?”

“To put it simply, there was combat, but no one died.”

“No one? How is that possible?”

“With overwhelming force, he knocked everyone down and is simply attempting to enter.”

“…What about His Majesty? If the target is His Majesty, the first priority would be to secure his safety by evacuating him.”

“Well…”

The female knight hesitated again.

“You, did you eat something wrong today? This is an emergency! What reason do you have for this hesitant attitude?!”

“I apologize. According to additional reports… the king, His Majesty, for whatever reason, refuses to leave the throne room.”

“Why not?!”

Unable to reason with a deranged child! What an absurd failure!

“I’ll see it with my own eyes and stop this! Let’s go! No more talk, move!”

Even words of rebuke like “I’ll deal with you later” had to be swallowed and set aside for now, given the urgency of the situation.

Hya!

The horse kicked off and began galloping rapidly through the streets.

—-

What is happening?

Raymond couldn’t make sense of the current situation.

By the time he noticed, a battle was already underway.

When that man entered the royal palace, it initially seemed like he might have had some arrangement.

But that wasn’t the case.

Then some problem arose, and suddenly soldiers surrounded him.

Even then, Raymond had been uneasy.

But the man knocked everyone down single-handedly.

Like sweeping dust with a broom, the forces were mercilessly swept away.

That aside.

He may be strong, but what about us? What about our safety?

Grrrr!

This issue was resolved by the mysterious warhorse.

The extraordinary mount took on the role of protector for him and the girl.

After witnessing it kick away or ram through four or five soldiers without effort several times, everyone became too intimidated to even approach the warhorse.

After seeing the warhorse bite, chew, and crush metal armor, helmets, and weapons whole, any normal person would be too weak-kneed to come near.

Moreover.

“Ugh!”

Thud!

The man leading the way was causing havoc by himself, despite not appearing threatening.

Even bare-handed combat seemed difficult for his opponents, but he would seize their weapons and use them to thoroughly subdue his adversaries, sending them flying in their armor or beating them down.

With shields, spears, swords, and blunt weapons alike.

If he had truly wanted to kill anyone, he could have done so hundreds of times over.

But he easily repelled them with clearly overwhelming strength and agility alone.

Perhaps because of this.

Everyone began to succumb to fear, as if doused with cold water, in the face of his unbelievable prowess.

Death is frightening, but.

Pain is equally terrifying.

Acknowledging one’s powerlessness or weakness seemed trivial in comparison.

Witness each strike sending human bodies flying through the air like lies, crashing to the ground like toys, even bouncing away.

If that isn’t frightening, what in this world could be?

“Aaaagh!”

Even when some formed tight formations in ranks.

He moved through them like a massive bear attacking a flock of sheep, unstoppable.

Standing in his way didn’t make him stop, so their will to resist and morale could only plummet further.

“Who is this bastard! What kind of place does he think this is!”

Just then, magic swordsmen and warriors stationed there rushed in, and some even challenged him to duels.

But they too were beaten all the same.

‘What is this?’

Everything felt like an unfunny joke.

“Watch carefully, you piece of trash.”

“…?”

And this girl, for some reason, was fiercely glaring at Raymond.

“With overwhelming power like that man has, there’s no need to kill or resent anyone.”

“Overwhelming… power?”

“For trash like you, this is more efficient than explaining a hundred times with words. That’s probably why he brought you here at this point.”

The girl, Delica, kept throwing dissatisfied glances at the impressive scene unfolding before them, despite her irritation.

There was no awe, respect, or fear in her eyes.

“Why are you telling me this?”

More importantly, what is that man’s purpose in doing this?

Could he possibly be seeking revenge on my behalf?

That can’t be right?

Does he even have someone to take revenge on in the first place?

“…How would I know what that man is thinking, you piece of trash.”

“Why… do you keep being so hostile toward me?”

“Shut your mouth, you stink like sewage, you bastard. Did you forget trying to rape me on the street before that man cut off your arm? This is why trash like you can’t even be recycled!”

“…That was you?”

Her appearance was so different from back then.

Of course, she was in a very shabby state at that time, but…

‘….’

Now I’m the one in that state.

Raymond was still confused.

The situation unfolding before his eyes was confusing, but.

“Aagh!”

“Guhk!”

The Knight in Black.

He relentlessly, unstoppably knocked down those who weren’t even considered enemies, treating them like obstacles.

And the monster-like warhorse that seemed to resemble its master was protecting him.

But before that.

The girl whom Raymond had once foolishly and ignorantly directed malice toward was now berating him as if threatening him.

Everything was confusing.

“Just block them! Don’t let them approach!”

As a follow-up measure, archers were continuously firing, but.

The arrows didn’t even penetrate, merely bouncing off his armor upon impact.

Even the shower of arrows aimed at Raymond and the others was effortlessly blocked by the warhorse.

“Yes. It’s only you after all, Caligula.”

When Delica touched the metal breastplate, the warhorse shook its head as if displeased.

“Except for your attitude being stuck in the gutter.”

With gritted teeth and a forced smile with just her eyes, she looked as if challenging him to a contest.

Kyaaak!

Boom!

The chaos continued at the front.

The count had long since exceeded a hundred.

Now even those who had been shooting arrows picked up scattered weapons to throw as projectiles, and even their numbers were dwindling.

…At this rate, he might truly achieve a bloodless conquest of the royal palace, of the kingdom’s interior.

More importantly…

I remember this place originally had magical barriers and protective formations unparalleled on the continent.

Why… are both he and we passing through here so easily?

This is truly the royal palace now, isn’t it?

“Ugh, ugh…”

The number of those sprawled on the ground, still unconscious, was truly numerous.

…Some were bleeding from being hit, but even so, this could still be considered a bloodless conquest.

At the very least, there didn’t appear to be any fatalities.

—-

Tremble, tremble…

“Y-Your Majesty! Why are you doing this?”

Unlike usual, he who so despised this audience chamber, this throne room, was now clutching the throne tightly with both hands and arms, as if leaving it would be a greater nightmare.

With white hair and skin drained of all color.

He had grown a little taller, but had become much thinner, and in his two eyes was nothing but sheer terror.

“H-h-he… he’s… c-coming, c-coming, he’s coming, he’s coming…”

Incoherent babbling.

This wasn’t the first time he’d been like this, but this time the seizure symptoms seemed unusually severe.

If it were just a seizure, they could carry him away from here.

But now he was clinging with clear consciousness and even purpose.

Even when strong men clung to him begging forgiveness for their rudeness, he wouldn’t let go.

As if possessed by a demon.

And what made it worse:

“F-forgive my rudeness! Please forgive this lowly one’s disrespect! U-urgent news! The unknown knight has reached the inner palace entrance! W-we should evacuate now!”

“Oh my…”

The king’s chamberlain and high nobleman felt like he might faint.

What a disaster in his twilight years.

Blendur had vacillated between lingering attachment and loyalty after all the ministers died and the high nobility was halved.

Eventually, he had no choice but to return to the palace following the Empire’s suggestion.

But the situation showed no signs of improvement.

‘Is Feisran, is this country truly at its end?’

The Mado King was a half-insane, crazy child, and his closest advisors were all either sycophants or degenerates influenced by the Empire and the Church of Irenis.

‘Even so…’

If they could just survive, if they could just maintain their lineage… somehow things would work out.

In any case, their long history could never be erased.

Wasn’t Mado’s growth achieved in the same way, bearing fruit in this era?

“That’s enough! Enough!”

“Lord Blendur?”

“His Majesty wishes to confront him!”

…Though he appeared to be trembling in fear.

The young king, at least, didn’t seem to be throwing away his throne or crown.

Whether he instinctively knew, or whether despite his inability to reason, things were coincidentally falling into place…

“Uuuugh.”

But the young king’s reason for clinging to this place wasn’t without cause.

He had appeared in his dreams and foretold it.

-I will come. You must remain at your throne.

If you are not there when I arrive.

-Your end will be somewhat hastened.

The young Mado King feared death.

Death could never be a salvation or redemption… he had dared to glimpse and experience that fact.

It was he who had picked him up by the head and thrown him into this position.

Though his appearance had completely changed, the Mado King’s soul was crying out in fear.

It’s him. It’s him.

A being who made even the great demons of hell seem trivial, who defeated even greater entities.

He was clearly neither a demon nor an evil person, so why was the king so terrified of him?

“Uugh…”

He didn’t know.

He wasn’t sure, but…

Boom! Thud!

Gaaah! Guuuugh!

Irregular commotion.

Such sounds gradually approached. Drew closer. Surged in.

And then.

Clank! Clank!

The sound of metal pressing down on the ground, as if about to crush it, became rhythmic like footsteps for a moment.

From the entrance of the audience chamber, slowly, a dark and deep shadow, darkness itself taking form, invaded the space.

Clank!

“……”

Hwooo.

The heavy breathing alone seemed to freeze the space.

“……”

Clank! Clank!

Boom! Boom!

Black feet striking beyond the ground onto the carpeted floor.

The knight in black full-body armor, unarmed and bare-handed, thus reached his destination.

“King of Feisran. What kind of appearance is that?”

At the foot of the steps leading to the king’s throne.

From there, slightly raising his head, he cast his heavy voice.

But why was his tone and content like that?

Blendur, the royal chamberlain and now the greatest elder of the royal court, exclaimed in shock.

“Where did you learn such rudeness! Do you, appearing as a knight, directly contradict chivalry?!”

“……”

The black knight didn’t even glance at him.

“Foolish one who was swayed by desire and met ruin. I ask again. What kind of appearance is that?”

“This man! Even after being addressed like that, you maintain such an attitude?!”

“You should shut up and just watch.”

“T-this man truly…!”

Blendur was about to shout some rebuke.

Suddenly his breath was cut short.

‘W-what kind of pressure is this…’

Even a dragon breathing killing intent right in front of him wouldn’t be this intense.

Though Blendur prided himself on being just short of a grand magician, if not one himself.

…For some reason, he felt this man could effortlessly crush even someone like him, such was the terrible pressure he exuded.

“Was the lesson insufficient?”

When Blendur turned his gaze to the Mado King, the king was still just trembling pitifully.

However.

Whatever it was, this knight seemed to know the main circumstances that had brought the country to this state.

Blendur himself, having been called back belatedly, had no way of knowing what had happened.

He could only vaguely piece together what he heard.

Since that garbage who had positioned himself as regent fled and sought asylum in another country, this nation’s standing had been poor in many ways.

He knew well that the Empire wasn’t staying in this land out of goodwill.

But without even that now, Feisran would be torn to pieces by foreign countries.

The reason Feisran was safe was simple.

…The Empire was watching its back.

The wariness of not wanting to pluck scales from a sleeping dragon was the fundamental reason why Feisran could now manage its internal affairs.

Even that was only for five years.

After five years, the Empire would withdraw and officially declared in the Emperor’s name that they would not interfere in internal affairs under any circumstances.

“…?”

But why is it suddenly so quiet?

Strange.

The black knight’s silence was highly suspicious.

Almost, almost as if.

Isn’t he waiting for something?

“Insolent one! Don’t move a single step from there!”

From the entrance of the audience chamber, from far away, a voice rang out as if shot, and Blendur felt a complex mix of emotions, whether relief or anxiety, he couldn’t tell.

‘Has he come.’

Perhaps the strongest force that present-day Feisran possessed.

But.

Why, despite his arrival, does the anxiety not fade?

Rather, the anxiety intensifies.

Almost as if.

What if that suspicious knight had foreseen this situation?

And what if his scheme was to defeat such a person here, to completely shatter the Mado King’s composure?

‘No. The young king is already insane now. Witnessing such a thing wouldn’t cause him to waver or…’

But why?

Even though his presence, which usually felt so reassuring and filled with pride, had rushed through the audience chamber entrance and into this interior.

Now, for some reason, he looked like a small animal placed before a giant tree, his existence appearing infinitely shabby.