Act 73

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“Is that true?” 

As his low voice filled the room, the one reporting flinched.

Gérard did not hide his displeasure.

He had thought the connection between the “Nameless Gang” and the “Black Knight” was merely a rumor.

“Yes. Yes… I saw someone near Baran’s cabin who I believe was the Black Knight.”

It was somewhat proven to be true.

“Baran, this fool, what unnecessary things has he done…?”

He himself had created the “Nameless Gang.”

Originally, the plan was to secretly integrate the useless “Nameless Gang” under the Dawn Society, to build his own reputation, but that became difficult.

The Black Knight.

This outlaw, who had suddenly appeared, was the reason.

The Archbishop was grinding his teeth at the Black Knight for disrupting the harmony of the Dawn Society.

Meanwhile, it was not hard to imagine what would happen if the Dawn Society discovered his connection with the “Nameless Gang.”

Even if he had washed his hands of it by now.

“I must somehow eradicate the Nameless Gang. If not…”

‘Or perhaps hand over the Black Knight’s head to Tenellon.’

“How was it?”

“……What?”

“When you saw him. What do you think of his level?”

“That, that’s…”

Seeing Gérard snapping at him, the soldier’s lips quivered.

The energy flowing from his body was sharp enough to tear a man apart on the spot.

“Speak quickly, before I blame you for fleeing in front of the ‘Black Knight.'”

Yet, even then, the soldier swallowed his saliva in Gérard’s calm tone.

As he trembled, just as he was about to speak,

“Ha-ha, Gérard. Perhaps we should hear this story later?”

Suddenly, another voice interjected.

Gérard, who loathed being interrupted, showed no displeasure to the person who had interjected.

“Dantes, you’ve finally arrived.”

The owner of the voice was Dantes, like him, a noble and a ‘Bishop’ of the Dawn Society.

“Listening to a story in a state of fear might inflate the information. You know that, don’t you?”

With a tone filled with friendly intent, Gérard’s sharpness softened a bit.

Convinced by his words, Gérard waved his hand to dismiss the soldier and then turned his gaze towards Dantes.

“Well thought. If you are to be the next ‘Archbishop,’ you should know how to control your emotions.”

As if it was a foregone conclusion, Dantes’s comment seemed aimed at flattering him.

“Exactly as you say.”

Gérard played along with his sweet deception.

In the world of nobility and in the Dawn Society, ‘Dantes’ was one of his few allies.

Even so, Gérard did not trust him completely.

In the complex world of politics, there are no eternal allies.

“Yet, I cannot say for sure that I will become the Archbishop even if Sir Tenellon assumes the position of the Grand Archbishop.”

“Why is that?”

“Julian, that damned man.”

Gérard mentioned the name ‘Julian’ with distaste.

“The most recent to wear the bishop’s mantle, but Sir Tenellon’s favor towards him is extraordinary.”

As he said this, Gérard touched his neck.

The mark left there from when he was grabbed by Julian at the Godric family’s ballroom.

The shape was still clearly visible.

“Haha, that’s right. But isn’t that justifiable?”

At Dantès’ unhesitating words, Gérard slightly furrowed his brow.

“Lord Tenellon has always despised the nobility of the sword saint, but he acknowledged his swordsmanship. However, Julian is a man who ‘cut through that nobility.’ Moreover, he even sided with the Dawn Society.”

‘I know the reason.’

He wanted to say this, but Gérard kept his mouth shut.

The issue now was not the reason for Tenellon’s ‘favoritism’ but the problems it could cause because of that ‘favoritism.’

‘Julian, if that guy takes the position of archbishop, it will be a headache for me.’

It wasn’t completely antagonistic, but recalling the matters within the Godric family, Gérard did not think his relationship with Julian would improve.

‘Just a royal hound…’

The reason he had provoked Julian, not outright provocation, was not just competition for the ‘archbishop’ position, but also an inexplicable instinctual repulsion.

To climb to a high position, one might think of using or even collaborating with enemies, but that wasn’t possible for him.

Due to many events beyond his intentions, Gérard was frustrated.

Moreover, the problem was not just one.

Outside, ‘the Black Knight’

Inside, ‘Julian Crypart Frasson.’

‘These two guys… are really annoying.’

He had considered ways to deal with both at once, but couldn’t come up with anything.

“By the way, it’s starting to take shape.”

“What do you mean?”

Lost in his thoughts until a moment ago, Gérard was brought back to reality by Dantès’ words.

“Hayden Reich. That noble sword saint. Why he left the capital and went to the Holy Nation, it’s vaguely starting to take shape.”

Curiosity began to fill his eyes that had been deep in thought until a moment ago.

“Really? What’s the reason?”

“The star of the Adratan Empire, hailed as a sword saint, lost his nobility.”

“I’m not so fond of mysteries.”

At his words, Dantès coughed awkwardly a few times before continuing.

“It seems the sword saint is preparing to seek asylum in the Holy Nation.”

“What?”

Gérard was quite startled by Dantès’ words.

Asylum…

Many thought that Hayden Reich was favored by the royal family, but in reality, that was not the case.

Sword Saint, the name borne with a feat so great that it challenged the royal family’s own eminence.

However, the royal family didn’t just watch it happen.

Every time they thought his fame surpassed theirs, they gave him difficult, dirty, and dark missions.

This tarnished his honor, which had risen greatly, and conversely, the royal family solidified their stronghold by showing kindness.

“So, played by the hands of the royal family, he has finally come to his senses?”

“Yes, I think so too. His ‘nobility’ was broken.”

“It wasn’t noble; it was foolish.”

Gérard scoffed.

“If this information is true, Lord Tenellon might be furious. The sword saint he wanted to kill has fled.”

“Haha, just as you say. Lord Tenellon would surely think so.”

Seeing Dantès’ hearty laughter, Gérard thought to himself.

If only Julian, that guy, would also go to the Fernand Holy Nation.

Gérard was well aware that this thought was naive.

Whether the ‘Black Knight’ or Julian…

The right answer is to eradicate them with his own hands.

‘For now, excluding the Black Knight, who has no other solution, I must find a way to check Julian.’

***

“Gérard must be thinking this,” I thought to myself. “Even if he tries to leap, he’s just a flea.”

Already equipped with enough background knowledge to know the story from beginning to end, Gérard’s schemes seem obvious to me. A person with a strong desire for power will see me as a thorn in his side during his quest for the ‘archbishop’ position. 

‘It’s obvious to anyone that Tenellon likes me.’

It was truly ironic. Here I am, struggling to thwart his intentions.

Anyway, I have no interest in that ‘position’, but those eyeing the ‘archbishop’s’ spot will surely scheme to counter me. Moreover, given his nature, it’s likely he’ll act covertly from behind.

It would be clearly bothersome. If it were a direct confrontation, I could handle it with my physical strength, but if it’s done in secret, that would be difficult. 

‘So, it’s better to move first and cut off his limbs in advance.’

Damn, what a trouble this is. Somehow, as events unfold, things seem to roll in an odd direction contrary to my expectations. It still feels like I’m in control, but whether I can handle what comes next is uncertain. 

‘They should have just made me the youngest son of a prestigious family.’

Ah, now that I think about it, ‘Julian’ is sort of like the youngest son of a prestigious family, even if he is a bastard.

***

“Ah…”

With a headache, Aileen closed the book she was reading. She knew she was denied by the main family because she was from a collateral branch, considered impure, and thus despised. “Still, this is annoying.”

Aileen moved her gaze to the paper she had placed on the desk. “I never imagined my paper would be rejected.”

Her research on ‘Soul Stones’ was the first of its kind, and even Aileen hadn’t anticipated it would be postponed like this. But upon reflection, she could understand the outcome. 

‘Our noble Lord Aiden must be quite uncomfortable.’

Aiden, who is mentioned as the next head of the Donasien family, has a terrifying obsession with the family’s secrets and is a man of extreme ‘pureblood’ ideology. The similarity between the ‘Soul Stone’ she is researching and the family’s secret ‘Elixir’ is a well-known fact to anyone who reads her paper a bit.

It seems he is quite uncomfortable that the results could potentially come from the hands of someone from a collateral branch. 

‘Isn’t this too much!? If it’s for the advancement of the family, you should endure anything!’

Blood purity doesn’t necessarily yield results!

‘The Magic Tower too! How can they listen to just one family’s opinion, no matter how much the Donasien family has contributed to the Magic Tower!’

After all, they are merely one of the founding families of the Magic Tower, and one of the ‘Gold’ elemental factions, the ‘Donar School.’

All they did was donate a lot of money and make efforts to expand the magic department at Bayer Academy…

‘Ah…! Now that I think about it, it was worth listening to.’

Suddenly feeling the power of the family, Aileen murmured as she realized why the Magic Tower rejected her paper.

At the same time, a needless pride swelled within her. “I am also a member of that Donasien family!” Of course, she felt a sense of self-loathing too.

“Don’t think I’ll be taken down by something like this.”

Aileen muttered to herself, biting her lip, ‘If they refuse to acknowledge me in this way, I’ll just have to bring even greater results!’

While speaking, Aileen sensed something was off. One of the security spells she had set up in her mansion had been deactivated.

Zing!

At the same time, an alert spell was triggered. Aileen quickly stood up, struggling to comprehend the situation. ‘The security spell was disabled, but it triggered the alert spell?’ The order was strange.

Usually, the intruder would encounter the ‘security spell’, which causes physical harm, before triggering the ‘alert spell’. The security spell was more covertly hidden and harder to disarm. Typically, even if the ‘alert’ was deactivated, one would still be caught by the security spell. ‘It’s the opposite.’

Feeling this, Aileen sensed cold sweat running down her back. ‘Are they trying to lure me out?’ Puzzled by the intruder’s unclear intentions, Aileen began to move towards the location where the security spell had been deactivated.

“Show yourself.”

Upon reaching her destination, Aileen spoke in a low, sunken voice. Although she couldn’t be sure how many intruders there were, this was her own mansion. On her home ground, she was more capable than most fifth-tier ‘Righteous’ class magicians.

“…Who are you?”

However, Aileen was quite startled by the appearance of the person who revealed themselves. A menacing figure shrouded like the night itself. Despite being an intruder, the integrity emanating from his body seemed to argue that he wouldn’t harm her.

“Do you know who I am?”

As he spoke, Aileen nodded. “The Black Knight.” The subject of rampant rumors that had stirred the system.

“Why are you here?”

Aileen continued in a slightly brusque tone. “Unlike others, you do not fear this mask.”

The heavy voice of the Black Knight, colder and more sunken than the night air, chilled her, but she was not frightened by his appearance. And why should she be? ‘Why? Isn’t that mask stylish?’

Aileen felt that the ‘Black Knight’ had a better sense of aesthetics than she had anticipated.

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