The Knight Who Protects the Weak

Chapter 013: Reunion (4)

“…The code, of chivalry?”

“Yes.”

I straightened my back rigidly.

I regulated even my breathing, consciously suppressing every minor habit that threatened to slip out instinctively.

I wanted Jayden to see me, in this moment, as the epitome of an Imperial warrior.

I hoped my sincerity and spirit would reach him.

I wished, this time, to receive it with a reverent posture, to hold it not in my mind but deep within my heart.

‘One more time.’

I wanted to hear that resonance again.

Just as the resonance he left me in my past life guided me to this one, I believed it would reveal the path I must walk in this life as well.

“Uh, well…”

Jayden blinked. His open mouth looked as if drool might spill out any second.

“…Ahem, I’m sorry. No matter how much I rack my brain, I can’t think of a decent answer to give you.”

“…”

“The code of chivalry… Was there such a thing?”

To say I wasn’t affected at all… that would be a lie.

I let out the breath I’d been holding slowly.

My eyelids and shoulders sank simultaneously.

The Jayden before me now was undoubtedly the Old Knight from my past life.

The only explanation was that this guard captain must have had some awakening in the years leading up to the war between the Empire and the Kingdom.

Ironically, the timing was misaligned.

“By the way, that’s surprising. How does an Imperial swordsman know about chivalry…? Haha, it’s like I’ve been hit over the head with something.”

“Are you familiar with chivalry?”

“Of course. Some washed-up swordsmen like me might have once held chivalry in their hearts. It was romantic, you see.”

“Romantic…”

Who would’ve thought the word “romantic” could taste so bitter?

Fear gripped me suddenly.

What if, just what if…

What if the Jayden of my past life, reciting the code of chivalry and meeting a noble end, wasn’t truly noble? What if he was merely drunk on romance, raving like a madman?

What if it wasn’t Sword Aura, or even Aura, but just my own delusion?

―Damn it―! Snap out of it, Bihen. Light, my ass. All I saw was a crazed old man throwing a tantrum.

…My head throbbed as if it might split open.

‘No way.’

To be shaken by this level of disappointment? How pathetic, Bihen.

“You came to the Kingdom on a warrior’s pilgrimage to learn about chivalry, right?”

Maserin, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up.

I flinched, like someone startled awake from a doze.

Her voice, which would normally grate on me, felt oddly welcome this time.

If she hadn’t spoken, I might have sunk deeper into a quagmire of brooding thoughts.

Jayden, who had been wearing a surprised expression, now looked troubled and furrowed his brow.

“I’m sorry about this. I haven’t been much help.”

“…No, it’s fine. Thanks to you, I was able to organize my thoughts more easily.”

I took a sip of water and, to catch my breath, asked another question.

“Do you have any connection to Ashham?”

Ashham.

The place where, in my past life, Jayden and I fought a life-or-death duel—where he met his end.

It’s quite far from here in Conwell.

How did this man, now just a rural guard captain, end up at the front lines?

‘Perhaps that story is tied to the moment of his awakening.’

Jayden shook his head, his brow furrowed.

“None at all. But why do you ask…?”

“…Ah, I got confused for a moment. Don’t mind it.”

“This is embarrassing. I wish I could give you at least one satisfying answer.”

It might be best to stop talking for now.

The more questions I asked, the more I felt like I was being rude.

At that moment, I felt a gaze from the side.

Maserin, glancing at me, changed the subject.

“Those mages who attacked the caravan earlier. You said they were from the Crimson Flame Cult, right?”

“Ah, yes. It’s definitely them. It seems word of Zephyros’ dealings with the Empire has finally reached their ears.”

“Is there any chance they’ve allied with the Langster Faction?”

Jayden shook his head.

“The Crimson Flame Cult is an extremely conservative sect among the magic schools. They’d likely disapprove of other magic schools in the Conwell region joining hands with the Langster Faction. Rather, they probably see Zephyros, who brought in foreign influence, as the greater evil.”

I looked back and forth between the two, and Maserin spoke up first, as if she’d noticed my confusion.

“Magic schools are, as the name suggests, factions of mages. They usually band together based on shared mana lineage, ideologies, or regional ties. While knight factions are broadly divided into two categories, magic schools are too numerous to count.”

Perhaps realizing I was unfamiliar with the Kingdom’s politics, Jayden chimed in to help me understand.

Rather than a knight’s duty, the Sharon Faction valued honor and appearances, while the Langster Faction emphasized a crude martial spirit and the logic of strength.

In contrast, magic schools varied widely in character and scale, as numerous as they were, according to their explanation.

‘I’d never even heard of the concept of magic schools in my past life.’

In any case, thanks to these miscellaneous groups, presumed to have been wiped out before the war, the Kingdom’s chaos was even more uncontrollable.

I shot Maserin a look, as if to say, “And what about you?”

“Being born with mana doesn’t mean you’re automatically part of a school like some bloodline clan. It’s a matter of personal choice.”

“So, you’re a mage pretending to be a ronin?”

“I’m a bodyguard for the Gunbel Trading Company and a knight of Zephyros.”

“Hah, unbelievable.”

A rootless swordsman spouting sophistries.

Does wielding a sword and being born a noble make one a warrior or a knight?

No. One must have a clear personal creed.

A belief as vital as life itself.

That is the soul that resides in the blade, and only those who possess it are true swordsmen.

A person’s skill level comes after that.

From that perspective, I’d say the Langster Faction knights, who follow their convictions down the path of domination, are better than this greenhorn.

‘In my past life, I, too, was a wandering greenhorn.’

Knock, knock.

A knock came from behind.

The guard from earlier, who I’d seen before, poked his head through the rickety door.

“Uh… Captain, a messenger from Zephyros has arrived.”

Behind the guard, a neatly dressed messenger stepped forward.

His mere presence made the scruffy guard beside him look like a defeated soldier.

“The First Commander has summoned you to Zephyros headquarters immediately, Guard Captain.”

The young man, barely more than a boy, stood with his hands on his hips, head held high.

“…Wow.”

I shook my head. I couldn’t make heads or tails of what was wrong with this Kingdom.

* * *

I arrived at Zephyros’ so-called headquarters with Jayden and Maserin.

Headquarters or not, it was practically a lavish mansion.

Looking at the reception room, where various weapons were displayed like ceremonial ornaments, I came to a conclusion about Zephyros.

‘A gang of thugs.’

To be honest, my first impression of Zephyros had been somewhat refreshing.

As an Imperial warrior, absolute loyalty to the royal family and my house was a given virtue, so I felt both an instinctive aversion to their free-spirited will and a strong curiosity at the same time.

That’s why the conclusion I reached left a bitter taste.

‘…Just a bunch of spoiled nobles craving power.’

At the center of the reception room, which doubled as a meeting hall, stood a large, clearly high-quality wooden roundtable.

Ness Servai, seated opposite the entrance, greeted us.

“Ah, welcome, Guard Captain.”

Next to him, Jewel, sitting with her legs crossed at an angle, wiggled her fingers at me in greeting.

The two men and women I’d seen earlier during the day were also seated.

Jayden bowed respectfully to them.

“Sir Ness, you called for me?”

“Have a seat. Have you eaten?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Pity. It was a good chance to try the Imperial turkey Miss Jewelina brought from the Empire. The meat is quite tender.”

“Is that so?”

Jayden responded and took a seat.

To an outsider, he might seem overly compliant, but to me, I saw the seasoned tact of someone who knew how to handle spoiled brats.

“What about you, Lord Bihen?”

Jewel had been eyeing me with a gleam in her eyes since earlier.

It was almost overwhelming.

“I’m good.”

“When will we ever get to dine together?”

Ness tapped the table lightly, as if to draw attention.

“Ahem, I called the Guard Captain here because of the mages who attacked the caravan earlier. Is it certain it was the Crimson Flame Cult’s doing?”

“Yes, it’s certain.”

Jayden repeated the explanation he’d given Maserin.

Come to think of it, I’d somehow ended up sitting here, listening attentively, as if I were already part of Zephyros.

When Jayden finished, Ness stroked his chin and sighed.

“When I was still with my family before leaving home, I sparred with the Crimson Flame Cult’s top disciple, so I know a thing or two. That school is stubbornly rigid to a fault. What could motivate such people to come all the way to Conwell, far from their usual territory? Do you have any guesses, Guard Captain?”

“As I mentioned earlier, it’s likely because of Zephyros’ dealings with the Empire…”

“No, I think differently. That’s just their surface excuse. We need to look at their true intentions.”

Ness tapped his temple with his index finger.

His already slightly slouched posture leaned further, half-reclining against the armrest.

This time, Jewel spoke up.

“Sir Ness, I’ve said this before, but if our caravan keeps being exposed to this kind of danger, it’ll be hard to promise further support. You know, don’t you? My father was against investing in Zephyros from the start. The only reason this relationship continues is because of my will alone.”

“M-Miss Jewelina, do we really need to discuss such details here…?”

“Yes, we do. I almost died this time, you know? Anyway, whether it’s the Crimson Flame Cult or whatever, deal with it quickly. I don’t have any reason to risk my life to help you all.”

Whether Jewel’s words were true or false, I couldn’t say.

But I was certain that her claim of supporting Zephyros solely out of her own will was a lie.

…Sure enough, Jewel glanced at me and winked one eye.

“Don’t worry, Miss Jewelina. I already have something in mind.”

Ness spoke with a resolute expression.

“Guard Captain, make contact with the Crimson Flame Cult as soon as possible.”

“Me, personally…?”

“Yes. And make our intentions clear.”

I was genuinely curious about what plan he’d come up with.

Ness quietly buried his chin in his clasped hands on the table.

“If they want to negotiate, tell their leader to come to me personally.”

“Pardon? You mean…”

“They act radical under the pretense of rejecting foreign influence, but in reality, they harbor ulterior motives. They, too, have things they want from the Empire.”

“…”

“If we hint that there’s room for compromise, they’ll come crawling on their own. They’re just old men full of greed, pretending to be dignified. We need to coax and placate them appropriately.”

My hand instinctively rose. When I came to my senses, everyone’s eyes were on me.

“Wouldn’t it be faster if you went yourself?”

“…”

Even I thought my comment was like pouring cold water on the moment.

In the ensuing silence, Jewel’s stifled laugh rang out loudly.

Ness’s face grew redder by the second.

A menacing growl escaped through his clenched teeth.

“…Ah, it was Sir Bihen who slew the Crimson Flame Cult mages, wasn’t it? I heard briefly from Miss Jewelina, but… what, you cut through fire magic with a sword?”

“That’s right.”

“When I heard that, I nearly burst out laughing in Miss Jewelina’s face. Cutting magic… I’d like to hear the truth from your own mouth.”

“You want me to explain what happened?”

The man and woman, presumably Zephyros executives, glanced nervously at Ness.

I met Ness’s gaze, undaunted, as if ready for a staring contest, and slowly opened my mouth.

“I’ll move with Guard Captain Jayden.”

“Why would you…?”

“Ask Jewel about that. I still have a contract with the Gunbel Trading Company.”

I’d arbitrarily turned my promise to stick around until I found traces of chivalry into a “contract.”

From what I’d observed, Jewel held considerable authority here, so I planned to use her as a sturdy shield for the time being.

Jewel, who was either thanking me or questioning the truth of my words, merely nodded at

Ness’s probing gaze.

Ness’s jaw muscles bulged as he gritted his teeth to suppress his anger.

“If the Gunbel Trading Company is helping us… we can only welcome it.”

For now, I had no intention of standing by if Jayden got into danger because of the trouble I caused by killing those Crimson Flame Cult mages.

My immediate goal, if I had to name one, was to observe how this guard captain transforms into Cervantes.