Before heading to the castle, there was something I needed to do first.
I asked the man again.
"Is Priest Andrew at the shelter?"
"Oh, he's probably there."
"Thanks for letting me know."
"No, not at all...! If you weren't the successor, we would all have died. Besides..."
He was talking about the warp incident.
The man continued.
"The words you spoke for the fallen knights were a great comfort. If you weren't the successor, the city would still be in deep sorrow."
500 knights had joined the grand expedition and died.
But their deaths were quietly buried.
Some believed they were still alive, while others gnashed their teeth, calling it a dog's death that no one knew about.
If I, who claimed to be the successor of the Knight King, hadn't personally comforted them, the city would still be in deep darkness and sorrow.
"It was something I should have done."
"But even that obvious thing, no one did. Anyway, don't worry about the soldiers. I'll hide them in a place where no one can see."
The man, who bowed his head, dragged the unconscious soldiers.
The commotion in the city.
The residents of the residential area, who confirmed my presence, opened their windows and bowed their heads quietly.
This was an implicit agreement that the matter would pass without anyone knowing.
At least the residents were on my side.
'First, I need to find Priest Andrew.'
Going to the castle was never part of the plan.
The reason I returned to the Knight's Garden was solely to meet Priest Andrew.
Andrew was Andrew, but there was something more important.
'The Platinum Box.'
The reward given only to the one who sealed the dimensional rift!
I managed to get it, but I couldn't open it.
'Only a priest who can recite the hymn can open it.'
For some reason, only 'honorable high priests' were designed to be able to open the Platinum Box.
And the only 'honorable high priest' I knew was Priest Andrew.
That's because the truly honorable ones all died during the grand expedition, leaving only the dishonorable ones.
*
On the way to the shelter.
Isaac had a look of incomparable complexity.
'Successor? Successor to whom?'
He couldn't figure out Randolph's identity at all.
At first, he thought he was just a corpse crow.
Beyond simple disguise or transformation, he was just a corpse crow.
How could the being who passed through the Hall of Mythic Mysteries, caught the attention of all the monsters in Kramdel, became a lord, and grasped the stars, making even the star guardians envious, be human?
'...He was human.'
Unbelievable.
He was really human.
He still couldn't tell if this was a dream or reality.
Clearly human, and Isabella, who was beside him, was also human, but the shock of being a corpse crow was too strong.
Suddenly, he teleported to the city, the 'Knight's Garden,' and was revered as a 'successor.'
The way the city's residents looked at him was not ordinary.
'Respect, admiration, trust.'
The residents' eyes had all three.
'Is he the successor of a noble who rules the city?'
No matter how he thought about it, nothing else came to mind.
He was so curious he wanted to go mad.
He barely held back the urge to speak.
The Knight's Garden.
What kind of place was this?
Wasn't it once the highest 'knight training ground' in the former Balan Kingdom?
It was the best among the 13 major cities of the Balan Kingdom.
A place where many powerful knights were produced, and to have such a presence.
Even if he were the owner or successor of the city, it would be hard to gain such trust from the people.
Was he well-loved?
"...... Successor. You've finally returned."
When we arrived at the shelter, Priest Andrew came out to greet us.
He looked around and cautiously guided us.
"Let's go inside first. There are many people watching."
"Alright."
After confirming our group, Priest Andrew led us to a secret room inside the shelter.
Then he lowered his voice.
"Hero Maxim is causing trouble in the city. If the successor shows up now, it will create a lot of problems."
Trouble.
If he openly claimed to be the successor of the Knight King, he would inevitably clash with Maxim, known as one of the 8 Heroes.
Perhaps Maxim already knew that the successor of the Knight King had visited the city, though he didn't know it was me.
"I know."
"But your group seems to have grown."
"Hmm."
When we first came to the city, it was just Isabella and me, two people.
Now there were four.
To be precise, five including Ahram, but Ahram was currently trapped in the leather bag Isaac was carrying.
So, three new members.
I slowly removed the helmet of the Dullahan who was following behind.
"Wait. No way?"
Andrew's eyes shook wildly.
"A, Andasar?"
The face of the one following in armor was familiar.
Andrew's hands trembled as he reached out to Andasar's face.
"My God......! Andasar......!"
Tears streamed down Andrew's eyes like a waterfall.
His pale skin was as cold as a corpse, but.
It was definitely his long-lost daughter, Andasar.
Despite not really expecting it, he had truly kept his promise.
Andrew bowed deeply.
"Successor of the Knight King, thank you. Thank you. How can I ever repay this kindness......!"
"Cough! Cough!"
At the same time, Isaac let out a fake cough.
He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
'Knight King? Could he really be the successor of the Knight King Wilhelm?'
The only one called the Knight King is Wilhelm.
The northern king's recognized lord being the successor of the Knight King Wilhelm.
...... What kind of nonsense is this?
*
After a long time, Andrew, who had been holding Andasar's hands and face, turned his still emotional gaze.
The successor of the Knight King.
He was skeptical, but if he had brought her from Kramdel, he couldn't help but believe.
But there was still something he couldn't believe.
【Reputation 724】
【Sin 27】
Priests can see the reputation and sin of a person.
But the successor's reputation had risen to an unbelievable level since his return from Kramdel.
724!
'Isn't this higher than even the most honorable knights?'
Not just knights, but such a high value is rare even in the Church of the Goddess.
Perhaps only a few cardinals.
What could he have done to gain such reputation in such a short time?
His sin had slightly increased, but it was negligible compared to his reputation.
"Is there anything I can help you with?"
But he put aside all his doubts.
Andasar. He had brought his daughter.
Though she had become a Dullahan and her memory seemed incomplete... he must not let her go from now on.
"Open this."
If he was ready, there was no need to waste time.
I immediately took out the Platinum Box.
When Andrew saw it, his eyes began to waver.
"Is this... a holy relic?"
"Holy relic?"
"Holy relics can appear differently to different people. But this is definitely a holy relic of the Church of the Goddess. Moreover, it seems to be sealed for some reason."
"Can you unseal it?"
"Normally, it should be done by the Holy King... but yes, I think I can do it."
Andrew nodded with a determined face.
If he was given this task, he had to do it, no matter what.
Not just to keep a promise.
He was an honorable man and deserved the respect.
"Thankfully."
I was worried it might not be possible.
Anyway, a sealed holy relic.
I handed the Platinum Box to Andrew and added.
"And I need one more pardon."
"...... Another pardon?"
Already the third one.
Andrew, who was looking at me with a puzzled expression, was asked for the last pardon he could use.
"One was for you, one for Andasar."
"Ah...... then the last one?"
"I plan to use it for myself."
"But your sin isn't that high. Compared to your reputation, there's no need to use a pardon......"
He shook his head.
Andrew's words weren't wrong, but.
Looking at the castle, I said softly.
"I think I'll need to use it soon."
*
A young man with short red hair.
Maxim, one of the 8 Heroes, sat in the lord's chair with his legs stretched out on the desk.
"Hey, Duke Wiser. How long do you plan to hold out?"
"...... I will personally negotiate with Duke Sain."
And Duke Wiser sat in the chair for receiving visitors.
It was humiliating, but he had no choice.
Maxim was the messenger of Duke Sain and the officially recognized successor.
Moreover, since he had broken the promise, he had to endure the humiliation.
"Duke Sain has already paid the price. Don't you know that if you don't keep the promise, the peace of this territory will be lost?"
"Just a little more time......!"
"Hey. Not only Hudson, but also the sudden change in your attitude, do you really think I don't know?"
"......"
"If this fact reaches Duke Sain's ears, everyone here will be exterminated. I hope you consider that I'm showing some leniency."
Duke Wiser closed his mouth.
'Indeed, I can't say anything.'
It had been a week since he arrived in the territory.
Maxim had already figured out everything about the territory.
'That Hudson, he's definitely deeply connected to the White Knight.'
At first, he thought Hudson was just a wealthy merchant, but he was sure after seeing the way he looked at the White Knight Seringetti.
There was something between them.
And if this fact reached Duke Sain's ears, the city would be destroyed.
'Too valuable to let it disappear, I'll take it for myself.'
So, Maxim changed his mind.
He decided to take advantage of this weakness and take over the territory.
He had already inherited a city as part of his training as Duke Sain's successor, but it wasn't enough.
Maxim planned to become the king of the Balan Kingdom, surpassing Duke Sain.
Until recently, he was just a mercenary leader, but the world is unpredictable.
'I'll take over this city before the Round Table meeting starts. Then no one will be able to ignore me.'
Maxim was subtly ignored by the other heroes.
But if he becomes the lord of two cities, they won't be able to ignore him.
He planned to firmly establish his position at the upcoming Round Table meeting and exert significant influence in the world.
Just thinking about it, just imagining it, made him shiver.
He could see the scene of putting down the noses of those who had ignored him.
"My day's wait is worth a million gold. It seems the money you prepared is running out. What will you do, Duke?"
Maxim, with a relaxed attitude, twirled the dagger he had been playing with and stuck it into the lord's desk.
For someone called a hero, his behavior was no different from a neighborhood thug.
It was hard to understand how such a person could be one of the 8 Heroes.
But Duke Wiser, biting his lip and clenching his fists, could do nothing.
Seringetti had just recovered.
If he regained consciousness, he wouldn't have to suffer such humiliation.
'I shouldn't have borrowed money from Duke Sain.'
Duke Wiser deeply regretted his decision.
But it was too late.
A more ruthless person had entered the territory.
He had no choice but to give up the territory or Seringetti.
At that moment.
"Kuaaah!"
"Cough!"
"Sa, save......!"
The outside became chaotic.
The sound of soldiers falling like leaves filled the castle.