episode_0050

Oh, that’s right. We decided to walk together in the lead.

Glenn took her hand. This, this is like… a newlywed couple leaving a church after their wedding… No, no! No fantasizing! No fantasizing!

Hwa-ak, my face was hot, but my expression didn’t change. Heh, I won’t act rashly with such absurd fantasies anymore. I feel like I could fly away at any moment, but, the environment makes people familiar! Hahaha!

Glenn, who was trying so hard to deny his own condition, and the saintess, who looked calm, opened the door and went out of the building.

And the two could see. The main gate of the cathedral was open, and the monks and priests were waiting for them, lined up on either side. They could see the line of people standing all the way from the building to the main gate.

Glenn felt that it was okay to look flustered now. What the heck. And at the end of the line, the bishop was waiting, dressed in a splendid robe no less than a saint.

‘This is too much. None of our guild adventurers should see this sight. If they do, they’ll be killed!’

Glenn was a little nervous, because he had never imagined that the beginning of the inauguration would go through such a process. He thought that if he got it wrong, people might think that the saint was marrying someone.

However, soon, when he saw his own attire, that of a saint, and the priests and monks standing on either side of him, bowing their heads and clasping their hands, such thoughts disappeared. Ah, this is truly a sacred ceremony.

The two soon arrived before the bishop. The saint stepped forward and bowed her head.

“I hope you are well, Bishop Abraham. Today, before Saint Milicia Airgrants sets out on her pilgrimage, she wishes to appoint a ‘Knight of the Guard’ to guard her. She asks for your permission.”

The bishop nodded as if he had made a promise. Oh. For a moment, I felt like I had blinked at Glenn.

No way. No way, right?

“Saint Militia Airgrants. There is no one who does not know your devotion and love for the Airgrants Church. We dare to declare that there is no one in the Airgrants Church who would object to your pilgrimage journey. Therefore, we fully grant your appointment as our escort knight. This is the will of the entire Airgrants Church, and it is the will of Heaven.”

“I will hold those words in reverence.”

“I will hold you in reverence.”

A large crowd of people, many of them Airgrants, stood behind Glenn and the saint, repeating the saint’s words.

Finally, the saintess raised her head. The bishop slowly moved to the side. Finally, he bowed his head to Glenn and the saintess. The saintess took a very small breath and moved her feet.

With a cane in one hand, he walked toward the palace. Next to him, or rather, slightly to the right, Glenn walked along slowly as if he had been told beforehand. His gaze was firmly directed straight ahead, toward the palace.

Little by little, people began to notice the crowd of Air Grants followers walking towards the castle. People who had been busy since morning stopped what they were doing and watched the scene.

There were a few who stood in front, but some monks and priests came forward from behind and politely asked them to step aside. Soon the crowd formed a line on either side to watch the procession.

“Wow, so beautiful…”

“Seo, it’s the saintess…”

“Please look upon us with kindness…”

Some were even kneeling on the floor and praying. Yes, towards the saint. Most of them seemed to be devout believers. I realized once again that I had become too close to the person who symbolized love, devotion, and consideration. I realized once again that I had to carry the weight of this important relationship.

Well, from the very beginning, I had a vague understanding of the saint’s request, so I have no regrets. However, I just didn’t know that I would be walking at the forefront of this march. I just didn’t know that I would be standing in a position where I would receive the attention of so many people, second only to the saint. And…

‘Huh.’

Glenn, who was walking slightly behind the saint, noticed the gaze once again. It was the gaze he had felt when he had headed to the cathedral at dawn. But this time, his senses were warning him that it did not seem to be a gaze with the purpose of simply watching.

Glenn rolled his eyes. He finally caught it. Among the crowd, he could spot someone who was giving him a look of hate. That was…

‘I had a hope, but it was as expected.’

Although he was wearing a hood to prevent those around him from recognizing him, it was easy to figure out who he was. He was the one who had been defeated so badly by the saint a while ago. His eyes were bloodshot. It was so obvious that even from this distance, you could see what he looked like.

He looked at me with a lively gaze, gritting his teeth. However, that was all, so Glenn decided to leave it alone for now. In the first place, it is not good behavior to suddenly run out in the middle of a march. As it happened, the saintess noticed the strange gaze and spoke in a very small voice.

“Please ignore me, Glenn. After all, they can’t harm us carelessly. Interfering with this sacred ritual could be dangerous for the entire family… and you’re here.”

That’s right. Glenn’s heart raced again at the sight of the saintess calmly whispering without turning her face. The saintess’s faith in Glenn seemed to be truly solid.

Because you are here.

It was a faith that was hard to put into words, a straight faith. In a moment that could be dangerous, you can hold on to yourself because there is someone there. This is really…

‘I will never betray you. Never.’

Glen nodded and continued walking forward. Soon, the outline of the castle began to take shape. From Glen’s perspective, it was the first time he had seen the castle in a long time. After all, it was the first time this year.

Gulp, I swallowed my saliva. The road leading to the palace was more quiet than I had expected. Perhaps the guards guarding the palace had already taken action.

Soon, the gate located in the middle of the huge royal castle walls began to open little by little.

Creak.

With a huge and eerie noise, the wooden planks that formed the great gate creaked. Soon, Glenn and the saint entered through the slightly opened gate. The priests and priestesses who had followed no longer entered. Only the saint and Glenn entered the castle.

Soon, the two of them walked down the hallway to the audience room, guarded at intervals by several soldiers on guard duty.

Step, step. The path was surprisingly quiet, and no one was visible except for Glenn, the saint, and a few knightly men who were guarding them. The knightly men were standing on either side, wearing helmets and holding spears, doing their duty. Most of them did not even glance at Glenn and the saint.

‘Hmm, this is evidence of a lot of training. How can you be so calm even when such an incredible person as a saint walks down the hallway?’

However, Glenn could clearly hear a slight murmur coming from where he and the saint had passed.

That guy is a knight? That little kid?

Shh! They say he blew away dozens of knights belonging to the Bronchost family. And he’s a high-level adventurer.

What? But, I haven’t heard of such a small guy?

I don’t know, maybe it got smaller. Something like that.

still…

Talk as much as you want. Once you enter the audience chamber and reach the King, you will never hear such nonsense again.

Soon, the door to the audience room, embroidered with splendid decorations, came into view. The pattern seemed to be a more splendid version of the royal family’s pattern. On either side of the door, two knights stood guard. Oh, these two looked familiar. One of the knights seemed to have focused his eyes on Glenn. Oh, he recognized me…

But he could no longer pay attention to the guard. He turned over the parchment in his hand and made a noise, and in front of the two of them, the man who had delivered the edict to Glenn, dressed in the attire of a high-ranking official, appeared. Glenn was easy to remember because he had met him not long ago. His name was definitely Nicolò.

The saint cautiously stepped forward and reached the man named Niccolò. Then, in a quiet, yet powerful voice, she spoke.

“I hope you are well. Saint Milicia Airgrants, I have come to perform the ceremony of ordination as an escort knight to fulfill your mission.”

“Secretary Nicolò, I have confirmed your statement. I will open the door. ”

The man, speaking as if he had prepared in advance, gestured to the two knights. The knights took hold of the doorknob.

The door opened with a bang, and Glenn and Milishia were able to clearly see the scenery inside.

And as soon as he stepped into the audience room, Glenn witnessed an incredible sight.

The audience room was not much different from the one I had visited before. It was still spacious, and the floor was covered with golden carpets. At the end of the central hall was a large staircase, and three thrones were placed three steps up the staircase.

The king sat in the very center, to his left was the queen, and to his right was the first princess. The royal family’s emblem, which was decorated as a background behind them, was very large.

Glenn was a little nervous at the sight of the King, but that wasn’t what made him nervous. No, it was the eyes of the crowd that had gathered on both sides of the throne room that made both Glenn and Militia nervous.

Even to an outsider like Glenn, there were more than a few people wearing luxurious clothes. They were really colorful and diverse, from the old to the young. Some were wearing armor with unique patterns. They were nobles and their children, those serving in the military, and famous knights.

Here, influential ladies and young ladies of high society looked down from behind the railings of the second floor audience room.

As Glenn took in all of this in a split second, he heard Nicolo speaking from behind him, almost shouting.

“Your Majesty the King! Saint Milicia Airgrants has come here to perform the knighthood ceremony to fulfill her mission! I ask for your permission!”

“Permitted.”

The king answered in a loud voice from his seat, without changing his expression at all. Wow, it’s been a long time since I’ve heard that. His Majesty the King’s voice. It was still deep and thick, befitting his age. He was a man so tall that he could treat Glenn like a child, even just by sitting tall.

However, his expression was quite blunt and he didn’t seem to be very interested in the situation.

Well, that would be so. The appointment authority itself lies with the saintess, and the king, as a representative of the royal family, only gives formal permission after hearing it. This appointment ceremony itself is more of a formality. Since it is a product of tradition, no great feelings are attached to it.

As soon as the conversation between Nicolo and the King ended, the saint walked forward. Glenn followed slowly behind the saint on her right, just like before. Never before had his steps felt so unfamiliar and tense as they did now.

Of course. It’s a lot different from three years ago when I went to see the king in fancy clothes! Back then, there were five of us, and we were the smallest so we didn’t even stand out, but now… even if I don’t want to, I stand out.

“That guy, Glenn with the red eyes?”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. I think it was a bit bigger when I requested it last time…”

“Hmm. You’ve been gone for over a year and now you’re finally showing up…”

“Didn’t he die? He died in that incident…”

“Is that little guy really the saint’s bodyguard knight…?”

I can hear you all! You guys!

The whispering voices in the crowd were much more audible than the palace guards had been whispering earlier. As befitting nobles, they were whispering stories with various political implications.

In particular, someone was muttering, ‘If that guy’s power is real, then later on, I’ll become close with the saintess and be able to utilize that guy’s power.’ Oh, don’t dream big. If you want to utilize me, bring me at least 1 million gold.

Glenn laughed inwardly, then rolled his eyes and saw it. It was Guildmaster Rashford.

Oh, but the attire was so different from usual. It was a uniform, but it was a luxurious outfit that was not much different from the surrounding nobles.

What is that? That old man. Was he a nobleman? Glenn felt strange because he was acting like that, even though he never showed any signs of it.

However, there was no time to think about why the guild master was looking like that among the crowd.

Before they knew it, Glenn and the saintess had arrived before the king. They climbed the stairs with a clanking sound and stood before the throne.

The saint bowed her head to the king. It was a gesture of respect. Glenn also carefully knelt on one knee and showed his respect.

The King raised his hand from where he sat and declared:

“I, Teius di Regnum Alcrea, rightful heir and ruler of the Kingdom of Alcrea, hereby declare the investiture ceremony. Arise, Red-Eyed Glen.”

Hearing that, Glenn slowly got up. Still keeping his head down, he spoke his lines as he had rehearsed them beforehand.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I am Glen the Red-Eyed, an adventurer who has been in your grace.”

“Tell me why you are here today.”

Don’t make a mistake, Glenn! After swallowing hard, Glenn spoke out loud as slowly as he could.

“Yes. God, the high-level adventurer, Red-Eyed Glen, has been appointed as an ‘Escort Knight’ to assist the pilgrimage of Saint Milicia Airgrants. Therefore, I dare to stand here to ask for permission from His Majesty the King. ”

“Saint, tell me why you are standing here.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I am Milicia Airgrants, a saint of the Airgrants Church and a lowly girl who has been granted the power bestowed by God. Today, I stand here to receive permission to perform my duties as a knight escort to the high-ranking adventurer, Red-Eyed Glenn.”

“The two men understood why they stood before the rightful ruler. The king was ready to grant it. Perform the investiture ceremony.”

“Yes.”

Glenn turned carefully, knelt down before the saint, and bowed his head.

“Red-eyed Glen, with my inadequate body, I stand here to fulfill the burdensome duty of being the escort knight of the great saint Milicia Airgrants. Please, receive the word of God and serve you, and I ask for the baptism of blessing.”

“Red-eyed Glen.”

After Milishia had said that, she lifted her staff. Carefully, slowly, she lowered it, letting it touch Glenn’s left shoulder. And then, soon, she let it touch his right shoulder.

Finally, after the staff touched Glenn’s forehead, it slowly returned to its original position.

“I, Saint Milicia Airgrants, hereby appoint you as the ‘Knight of the Guard’ to assist the Saint on her pilgrimage. From now on, you must keep in mind that you must not leave my side even for a moment until the moment I complete my journey. And I hereby appoint the same position to the six high-level adventurers of the kingdom who are not present at this moment.”

At those words, a slight murmur could be heard from the crowd. They began to whisper in serious tones, which made it clear that this was indeed a tremendous declaration.

That’s right. There were many stories of high-level adventurers becoming nobles, but it never actually happened. So, with the help of the cathedral, he was granted the title of honorary knight. It was a major event that only happened once every few decades.

But, little by little, people’s voices began to die down. It was as if everyone had suddenly become speechless at what was unfolding before their eyes.

What, what is it? Glenn still couldn’t raise his head. Normally, the next step would be for the saintess to say something like, “I appoint Glenn as my escort knight. I ask for permission,” and for the king to give permission before he could raise his head and stand up.

Something, something wrong? Something feels suffocating. However, Glenn suddenly experienced the magic of his anxiety disappearing.

Before he knew it, the saint had begun to move closer to him.

‘Millie? What are you doing?’

Slightly, slightly, he raised his head, rolled his eyes that were almost closed, and checked the appearance of the saintess who had approached him. Oh, he could only see the jawline and lips. What, what, so close…

But her lips were moving. It seemed like she was mumbling something. To be exact, she seemed to be conveying a message to Glenn by moving her lips without making a sound.

‘I’m sorry? What are you suddenly…’

side.

Oh, oh. What is that sound now? Glenn confirmed the contact he felt in an instant. It was not a contact through hands or feet. It was the sound of contact with the mucous membrane called lips.

Oh, just now, lips touched my forehead? Whose lips? Why? How?

But Glenn realized he knew the answer.

No, you have to know.

The only one capable of doing that was Saint Militia Airgrants.