<Chapter 71>

“J-just what…! What is Kei doing there?”

“That guy was eliminated in the preliminaries!”

“Where does someone who ranked 51st out of 52 get the audacity?!”

“Cesare! Do you know anything about this?”

“I don’t know anything either!”

The retired knights glared daggers at Kei, who was standing confidently next to Inosensia, their gazes filled with envy and spite.

But the moment Kei drew his sword, revealing its blade enveloped in pure white divine power, they instantly realized what had transpired.

“You mean… he is the Holy Hnight they were talking about?”

“That scoundrel! Eliminated from the tournament, then runs to the chapel to become a Holy Knight?!”

“This is cheating! Absolutely unacceptable!”

Regardless of their protests, Kei stood proudly on the platform, showered in cheers, applause, and even Inosensia’s praise.

While the public adulation didn’t bother the retired knights too much, Inosensia’s favor left them seething with envy to the point of tears.

Before they knew it, the narrative in their heads had shifted. Kei was now seen as Inosensia’s closest aide, following her wherever she went, handling her errands, and even rescuing her from peril.

“…I want to.”

“Huh?”

“I want to become a Holy Knight too!”

“Hey, hey! That’s not something you can just decide on a whim—”

“If that guy, who ranked 51st, can do it, then why can’t I, who ranked 38th?! Dear God! I beg of You! Let me serve the Saintess as a Holy Knight! I promise to give my utmost!”

“…W-wait a second. Hey, hey! Look! The light’s descending! Did he really just become a Holy Knight?!”

“What? Then me too! Dear God! Grant me the honor of becoming a Holy Knight as well! I will devote my body and soul to serving the Saintess!”

“I am the most qualified! I’ll bark like a dog if I have to! Woof, woof!”

If Kei could become a Holy Knight, there was no reason they couldn’t.

Whether out of desperation, faith, or jealousy, their earnest pleas reached the heavens. And in the eyes of God, their pure-hearted desire to protect Inosensia was deemed worthy.

By the evening of that day, a report containing unbelievable news landed in Temenos’ hands.

*  *  *

“…Forty-three out of fifty-two retired knights became Holy Knights? Are these numbers accurate? Are you sure?”

“Yes, Madam personally confirmed it herself.”

Temenos glanced at David’s face and then back at the report in his hands. No matter how many times he blinked, the words and numbers written on the paper didn’t change.

In the end, Temenos let out a dry laugh.

He had always suspected these fanatics would cause trouble someday, but he never imagined their idea of trouble would involve nearly all of them becoming Holy Knights.

‘Since when was becoming a Holy Knight something you could decide en masse just because you felt like it?’

Lacking detailed knowledge about the Great Temple’s traditions, he could only chalk it up to their eccentricities.

“So, while forty-three of them were busy becoming Holy Knights, what were the other nine doing? Why didn’t they become Holy Knights?”

He had meant it as a joke.

Yet David, with an unusually serious expression, responded as though there was a significant reason behind it.

“Well, Madam was so impressed watching each knight become a Holy Knight that she started personally giving them advice on how to reach God.”

“…She stayed by their side?”

“Yes. Some even became Holy Knights thanks to her guidance. However, those nine deliberately stalled, hoping to prolong the time they could spend receiving her advice.”

“Ban those bastards from entering the estate.”

How dare they? Harassing the Duchess like that.

Of course, I understand their reverence toward the Saintess, but how could I ignore the possibility that some might harbor unclean thoughts about a young and beautiful woman like her?

Even I am not immune to such feelings myself…

“Ahem. Anyway, what’s this about disputes concerning the escort unit?”

“Ah, yes. Since most of the retired knights have now become Holy Knights, there’s a debate about revising the eligibility requirements for the escort unit.”

One faction argued:

“Madam is the Saintess. To guard her properly, only Holy Knights should be eligible. And the selection should be based on the amount of divine power one possesses!”

The other faction countered:

“Most of us are already Holy Knights. Those who aren’t can be excluded, but the ongoing tournament must continue as is. Even if the competition is based on divine power, it should be among ourselves!”

Kei, the poster child for knights who had been eliminated but became Holy Knights, led the first faction. The knights who had yet to be eliminated supported the latter faction, asserting their fairness.

It was pure chaos waiting to erupt.

“These damn fanatics…”

The escort unit hadn’t even been properly formed yet, and it was already this noisy. Temenos couldn’t fathom how much worse it would get later.

“Proceed with the tournament as planned. The winner will take the position of captain and maintain order among the others. If they fail, we’ll strip them of their rank and give it to the runner-up.”

“Understood. And what should we do about the knights who were already eliminated?”

“Tell them to stay put and wait quietly.”

One way or another, these fanatics need to be united. That’s the only way to handle their inevitable mishaps.

‘I’m already thinking about how to deal with their future messes…’

How did I end up shouldering such a massive headache?

Sending the spontaneously generated Holy Knights to the Great Temple wasn’t an option either.

‘They’d just defect and return to the North eventually.’

Perhaps leaving them under Inosensia’s supervision would keep them in line.

‘No, absolutely not.’

These fanatics would latch onto her even more. There’s even the chance I might lose my wife to their obsession. Under no circumstances could I allow private interactions.

‘I need to warn Inosensia about this too.’

How many people in the world worry about their subordinates stealing their spouse?

Temenos clicked his tongue at the absurdity of his predicament and moved on to another matter.

“…Wait, what’s this? Someone presented a Black Iron badge at the gate to the capital?”

“Yes, sir. Wasn’t it someone you dispatched?”

“I never send out Black Iron knights solo. They always operate in pairs.”

David’s expression grew tense at that.

“Shall I send someone to investigate?”

“…Hold on a moment.”

The Black Iron badge was a rare identifier given only to the most trusted and skilled knights of Winstein, personally selected by Temenos himself.

Fewer than ten existed, and it was impossible for someone to steal one.

That left two possibilities:

Either someone had killed a Black Iron knight to obtain it, or…

‘Wait a minute. This date… Could it be related to the time Ferry supposedly lost his badge?’

Recalling Ferry’s uncertain demeanor when asked about the badge, along with the day he returned empty-handed after trailing a mysterious man, Temenos pieced things together.

‘He said he caught the man but then let him go.’

Perhaps, moved by his gratitude toward Inosensia, Ferry released the man because she called him “brother.”

‘We don’t even know for sure if that man is her brother.’

Now that I think about it, isn’t it about time for the first report from the capital to arrive?

Temenos immediately inquired.

“Has the Great Temple sent any updates?”

“Well… The first report has arrived…”

David hesitated, looking uncertain as he handed over a small envelope.

“Please, don’t be too upset.”

Temenos didn’t have to read far to understand why David had said that. By the time he finished the first page, his face was completely devoid of expression.

<To be continued>

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