Chapter 39: When I Came to My Senses, It Was a Needlessly Glamorous Hell 2

As Nune and Tine were being dragged away by soldiers in the middle of the street, one thought crossed my mind after the initial bewilderment subsided.

‘Is this seriously popcorn-worthy?’

Witnessing those wenches, who had previously attempted to gloriously stab me in the back, being pathetically dragged around like dogs was quite the entertaining spectacle from my perspective.

“Let go, I said! Do you truly not comprehend the enormity of your actions?”

“We are the Holy Knights of the Pope himself! How dare you treat us with such disrespect! Do you think His Holiness will let this insolence slide?”

The two of them spewed anger and warnings while thrashing about.

Although they were among the more formidable Holy Knights, the area was swarming with numerous armed soldiers.

If they recklessly attempted to use force, they would instantly have bullets lodged in their heads, sending them straight to the Lord’s embrace.

Furthermore, in their current predicament, proclaiming themselves as Holy Knights or invoking the Pope’s name would only serve as a death sentence within the heretical city of Bohemia.

‘Having brazenly advertised themselves as Holy Knights in this heretical city, they have no one to blame but their own foolishness for being captured. Ignorance truly catches people like this.’

Their continued obliviousness and outbursts only reaffirmed my perception of their sheer thoughtlessness.

Of course, from another perspective, one could argue that they possessed the requisite brazenness befitting Holy Knights.

‘Well then, having enjoyed the amusing spectacle, shall we take our leave?’

Although the scene was too entertaining to pass up, if they happened to recognize us, it could lead to troublesome complications.

Thus, Cazeros and I attempted to quietly withdraw from the area.

However…

“! Hey! Over there! Santana! Cazeros!”

“…”

“…”

The next moment, Nune and Tine’s voices rang out, causing us to freeze in our tracks momentarily.

‘Damn… What kind of insane eyesight do they have? Are they mages instead of Holy Knights? They didn’t even use any magical detection, yet they still spotted us…’

Truthfully, the possibility of being recognized wasn’t entirely absent, but the odds were exceedingly slim.

There were dozens of people in the crowd, and those two were supposed to be too preoccupied with being dragged away to be coherent.

For them to detect us, disguised as ordinary travelers amidst the crowd without any special magic, should have been virtually impossible.

Yet, they had accomplished this incredibly unlikely feat.

“Hey! Are you just going to watch? Help us out!”

“Even if it’s us Holy Knights! We’re supposed to help each other in times of need!”

“…”

“…”

The two of them pleaded pitifully.

Of course, we had no reason whatsoever to concern ourselves with those wenches.

‘They’re the ones who got captured due to their own foolishness, and they expect us to help? Not to mention, they even tried to stab us in the back before.’

‘I don’t see any obligation to assist them in this situation. Farewell.’

Not only did I harbor a grudge against them, but Cazeros also had no reason to extend any courtesy in such a place.

Even if we had been on good terms with them, attempting to rescue them now would essentially be akin to courting death, leaving us with no incentive to offer aid.

Thus, Polena and I attempted to ignore them and continue on our way.

However…

“Hey, you there! Are you Holy Knights too?”

“Yes! They’re talking about those fellows over there!”

“There are some Church lackeys over there!”

“Everyone, step back! Unless you wish to be executed for associating with these Church spies, clear the area!”

“…”

Then, an unnecessarily observant fellow among the crowd immediately singled us out, prompting the soldiers to surround us.

Simultaneously, the people around us parted like the sea, leaving just the three of us isolated as the focal point of hostility.

Immediately afterward, the soldiers completely encircled us, their weapons trained upon us.

Witnessing this, Cazeros and I could only stand frozen in shock.

“This… This doesn’t bode well.”

“Master? What should we do in this situation? Put that brilliant mind of yours to use and come up with a plan.”

“But… In a situation like this, what could I possibly…”

Even in the midst of this predicament, Polena maintained a bemused smile as she questioned me.

However, with guns pointed directly at us, I was utterly helpless.

‘Damn it… I had a bad feeling about entering this place from the start.’

As we began to resign ourselves to despair, the soldiers commenced binding us with ropes.

“Kugh!”

“Gah!”

“! After those wenches! Capture them!”

“!”

In that fleeting moment, exploiting the lapse in security caused by us, Nune and Tine swiftly struck down the nearby soldiers and attempted to flee.

Proving their elite status as Holy Knights was no mere title, the two of them effortlessly snapped their bonds with sheer physical might before forcing their way through the crowd and disappearing from sight.

“Damn it! After those wenches! Don’t let them escape!”

“Yes, sir!”

Following their commander’s orders, the soldiers hastily gave chase.

In the ensuing chaos, the sounds of commotion and gunfire reached our ears, but we couldn’t discern what precisely had transpired.

Before we could ascertain the outcome, the male commander issued orders regarding us.

“Take these three to the Lord’s castle. Imprison them securely in the underground cells and ensure they cannot escape during transfer.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Wait a moment! We are not those kinds of people! The… The Holy Knights claim, they merely slandered us to aid their escape! We are simply travelers passing through this region, most certainly not suspicious individuals!”

“Sir! We’ve found a Holy Knight’s insignia! They are undoubtedly Holy Knights!”

“Holy Knight attire was also discovered among their belongings! They are clearly Church lackeys!”

“Ah…”

At some point, the soldiers who had rummaged through Cazeros’s belongings called out urgently, causing her to drop the composed poker face she had maintained until then, revealing profound bewilderment.

“…Son of a bitch…”

As the worst-case scenario unfolded relentlessly, a curse automatically slipped from my lips.

Thus, with the damning evidence discovered within Cazeros’s luggage at the most inopportune timing, we found ourselves in an inescapable predicament.

With the evidence clearly presented, the male commander gestured for us to be taken away, as if there was nothing more to be said.

In this manner, our roles were completely reversed from mere spectators moments ago, as we were unceremoniously dragged off to prison.

‘This goddamn bullshit!!!’

Ultimately, a momentary lapse in vigilance had led us to inadvertently aid those wenches’ escape, only to be captured ourselves. Inwardly, I unleashed a torrent of anguished curses, regretting my decision to not simply bypass this wretched city, even at the cost of starvation.

Simultaneously, I deeply lamented my accursed luck that had entangled me in such a predicament once again.