episode_0015

All holy knights in this world have a true name.

It is to listen to the teachings, abandon their worldly names, and receive a new name.

This true name is said to be determined by the guardian angels.

The guardian angels are those who stand behind and protect, bestowing their protection from behind during battles, and it is said that they accompany the holy knights throughout their lives, leading them to heaven when they die.

Due to the strong belief that these guardian angels are watching over them from behind, the holy knights carry out all kinds of dangerous missions without fear.

No one knows whether they are real beings or merely hallucinations caused by excessive manifestation of divine power.

But that’s not important right now.

To stop the holy knight who spares no effort in performing noble and sacred duties, one must make me believe that the guardian angel has possessed him.

Fortunately, Liverone is a named NPC in its own right.

Several background details have been officially revealed, including the true name Liveronel Betael.

“Liveronel Betael. Haven’t you realized yet?”

“Um, could it be the guardian angel…?”

Liverone, who seemed as solid as a rock, began to stutter.

“Put away your sword.”

After briefly staring at me, Liverone sheathed his sword and extinguished his divine power.

As the overwhelming divine power dissipated, the villagers who had been protecting me all sighed in relief.

“I’m sorry, but please vacate the area. I have something to discuss separately with the holy knight.”

Having cleared the villagers, I gave a faint smile to the silent Liverone.

“Liverone.”

“Oh, y-yes…. Yes….”

“Sit down.”

“Alright….”

With stiff movements, Liverone walked over and awkwardly sat on the chair.

“Ugh… Holy Knight… I’m sorry… I should have welcomed you more grandly…”

Suddenly, the administrator collapsed at Liverone’s feet.

“Please don’t forgive me… There shouldn’t be an incompetent administrator like me… Please punish me severely with that huge sword…”

Avoiding the administrator’s hand trying to grab his foot, Liverone looked puzzled.

In this situation, he’s going to have another mental breakdown.

“Well then, Administrator. What’s going on here?”

I extended a potion bottle that I had just made on the shelf.

“A fresh potion… please hurry….”

The official who had crawled over on four legs knelt down as before and gulped down the potion.

“I’ll bring tea!”

Mirella, who was watching carefully, rushed to the kitchen counter.

While Mirella was bustling about, an awkward silence fell between us.

After finishing the potion, the official leaned against me like a drunkard and Reberone glanced at it with a frown.

“Reberone.”

“Yes, Chief Angel.”

“Let’s start by clearing up any misunderstandings. What did you hear?”

“I heard that there is someone who calls themselves a god and miraculously packages various swindling schemes, and has also created a group of followers called the Knights.”

“That’s it.”

I told Reberone everything.

How it all started by sharing discarded potions with the poor.

How it led to befriending the poor and escaping from the crisis of bandits.

And how it led to the creation of a kind of militia or a self-organized group in the poor village called the Potion Knights.

Furthermore, how it led to the gradual change in the village.

Even the miraculous events caused by the fertilizer potions and feed potions I made.

Sipping the tea Mirella gave her, Reberone silently listened to my words.

“So, Chief Angel, did you come here deliberately to save the troubled village?”

“Well, that would depend on how you perceive it.”

Reberone remained silent, sipping her tea continuously.

Only after finishing her tea did Reberone let out a short sigh and spoke.

“At first, I came here to punish the individual and activities you mentioned. So…”

Reberone looked at the cane she had leaned on.

“You were trying to perform a sacred purification.”

“That’s right. As you know, the sacred purification of a sacred knight is slightly different from that of a sacred priest.”

The purification of a sacred priest is done with sacred power.

The purification of a sacred knight involves physical force.

If I hadn’t known Reberone’s true intention, I would have been in serious trouble.

The holy knight may not be as powerful as a world-class being, but to someone with 100 stamina like me, they are just chicken.

“Sir Holy Knight…”

The administrator interjected cautiously.

“Thanks to Jack, our village has become much better… It used to be a barren place with nothing… But thanks to Jack’s help, now we can at least eat three meals a day without starving.”

“Is that so?”

“If you still don’t believe it… I can prove it to you directly… Everyone, please stand up…”

A woman suffering from depression actively takes action.

Perhaps it’s because she narrowly avoided a major disaster that could have turned the fate of the village upside down.

The administrator took me and Liberone outside.

He had the land registry we had seen earlier tucked into his side.

“Sir Holy Knight… This is the field our village depends on…”

The administrator pointed to the vast farmland on the outskirts of the village.

A bustling scene where many people sow seeds and harvest crops.

“And this is the land status of our village just a few months ago…”

The administrator rummaged through the land registry he had brought and showed it to Liberone.

“Look… all those lands were registered as wasteland… Thanks to Jack’s help in cultivation… with potions…”

“With potions, you say he did all this?”

When the fertilizer potion was sprinkled on the ground, the leaves of the plants that had been drooping perked up.

Liberone observed it closely.

Then the administrator went to the riverside.

People were lowering nets full of fish from a boat.

“Not long ago, the village’s catch was almost nonexistent… Just fishing one or two at a time… This also happened because of the potions…”

When the potion was sprinkled, the fish swarmed together frantically.

Without minding the splashing water, Liberone peered closely at it.

Next stop was the slum.

The poor gathered around, worried about my safety.

“It’s okay. There was a small misunderstanding. It’s all resolved now.”

“Excuse me, Sir Holy Knight.”

A young couple approached, showing a newborn baby in their arms.

“I was born as a premature baby and almost died, but thanks to the potion Jack gave me, I’ve become healthy like this.”

Liberone looked down at the baby blinking its eyes.

Starting from that, the poor people came forward to testify to Liberone.

The only family member, a sick grandmother, was healed with the potion.

It helped erase the scars on her face that made it difficult for her to lead a normal life.

She, who couldn’t read due to her poor eyesight, can now read, and so on.

Even refugees joined in, saying that I appeared just before death and saved everyone.

“Sir Paladin. Jack is not a bad person, but rather someone who is trying to revitalize the village.”

The administrator spoke from behind Liberone, who was still looking at the baby.

“And our villagers are not a brainwashed group, but they were influenced by Jack and rose up on their own.”

The administrator continued.

“Go back to the pulpit and speak. Tell them that in this starting village where no one cares, there is a person with a lofty will, struggling alone. He may be just an ordinary potion shop owner, not a noble or a lord or a knight, but his spirit is nobler than anyone else’s.”

The administrator’s sharp tone and gaze, rarely seen, and his bright eyes.

He used to be that kind of person.

Liberone, who had been silent, quietly spoke.

“Really… there was a misunderstanding….”

* * * * *

Returning to the store, Liberone retrieved the halberd and strapped it to the saddle.

Then, seeing the shattered floor, he took out a few coins.

“I’m sorry, Guardian Angel. I ignorantly damaged your sacred ground.”

“Thanks. I’ll put this to good use. By the way…”

He asked as he received the coins.

“Are you leaving now?”

“Yes. There’s no reason for me to be here anymore.”

“You know, right? You shouldn’t go to the pulpit and say that I’m the Guardian Angel.”

“I know. I don’t intend to cause any unnecessary disturbances.”

If I were to say that I am the Guardian Angel, it would cause a commotion.

I wanted to prevent that in advance.

In fact, I am not the Guardian Angel.

“But how long do you plan to stay here, Guardian Angel?”

“Until this becomes a metropolis.”

“A metropolis, you say?”

Liberone looked around.

Starting village.

A place where users have no interaction other than buying basic items before embarking on an adventure.

So they never come back, and that’s why there’s nothing here.

“It sounds absurd, doesn’t it? But I will definitely turn this into a metropolis. I will make it so.”

“Is that so… I sincerely hope that the great wish of the Archangel comes true.”

Liberone, who was on horseback, looked down at me and said,

“The red-haired girl you are accompanying seems to have the qualities of a great knight.”

“Morella?”

“Yes. Please tell her that becoming the kingdom’s top knight is easier than having the extravagant dream of marrying the Archangel.”

“Haha, understood. I’ll do that.”

“Then I will take my leave.”

Liberone pulled the reins and turned the horse.

“I hope to meet again.”

“Farewell, Liberone. Until we meet again.”

I waved my hand until Liberone completely disappeared into the northern road.

* * * * *

Liberone slowly rode northward.

After about an hour like that.

Liberone touched the breastplate and shook his head.

It was so painful to part with the Archangel.

To all holy knights, the Archangel is a guardian who protects them from behind throughout their lives.

Since they can meet the Archangel after death, holy knights do not fear death.

To holy knights, the Archangel is family, lover, friend, and spouse.

Archangel.

Always longed to meet.

But he cannot stay here.

Liberone is a member of the Holy Knights, and the Archangel wanted to keep his identity hidden.

So he just goes back.

After rubbing the breastplate for a while, Liberone nodded and set off again.