Chapter 162

The incident in Valentine City was over.

Strictly speaking, it wasn't completely over, as there was still some cleanup remaining.

"Can't you examine properly? You're so drunk."

"What are you saying! How much does His Grace even know about medicine!"

"This is seriously..."

The cleanup wasn't Leandros's responsibility, but that of the poor supporting characters who remained.

And Arenheit had become one of those supporting characters, busy waking the others.

Of course, he wasn't doing the waking himself. Verde, who had emerged staggering after being beaten several times by Leandros over there, was fulfilling that duty.

Verde, who had barely received a black leather vest after begging Leandros and was wearing only loose pants barely found in a nearby bush, checked the condition of the collapsed people with his spirits thoroughly dampened.

The most important ones were Amelia and Russel.

Amelia hadn't suffered any injuries other than a light stab wound, but her body temperature was extremely low.

Whatever had been done to Amelia in the mansion, it certainly wasn't anything good.

Leandros, who had gathered the unconscious heretics and bound their hands and feet, returned to report.

"Your Grace, I have completed it as you instructed. I intend to interrogate them as soon as they wake up."

"What's left inside the mansion."

"Nothing."

Those who had been inside the mansion were now gone.

When they first arrived, the place where the most presence was felt was the basement. However, the things imprisoned there were human yet no longer human.

What was found in the place that served as both prison and storage were people who, led by distorted desires, had clumped together to form a massive ball.

A sight that could only be named a "human sphere" in the literal sense.

It wasn't even worth trying to save them.

They had already been placed under Shub-Niggurath's influence and lost their meaning as human beings.

Even if their flesh and bones were forcibly separated, it was uncertain whether they could survive as normal people.

Lumps. Massive spheres of combined flesh, bones, joints, and blood vessels.

People who had become beasts serving the Great Whore of Babylon and ended up being pierced by the sword.

It was maddening. Even just thinking about it made him nauseated.

"Yes. ...I don't know what to do since Valentine is empty."

It wasn't their fault.

Strictly speaking, they were closer to victims who had been caught up in the Valentine incident.

But they had to fulfill the request of the Gallo people.

They also had to find the representative.

How should they explain to the guards outside the city what had happened inside?

If they weren't careful, wouldn't they also be branded as heretics?

It seemed almost all the city's people had disappeared, so who would testify to their innocence?

Nothing was easy from beginning to end.

While holding the still sprawled snowman and pressing his throbbing temples, Verde came running from afar in a hurry.

"Your Grace!"

"Have you already seen all the patients? That can't be possible."

"That's not it! I came to tell you that the blond guy has opened his eyes!"

"Opened his eyes?"

He was talking about Russel.

As soon as Arenheit heard this, he gestured to Leandros.

"Leandros. Lend me your ear for a moment."

* * *

Was he already dead and had come to the deity's side?

But if he were dead, his head wouldn't be splitting with pain like this.

Russel lay still and began to breathe deeply.

It was to calm his dizzy mind and assess the current situation.

Footsteps stopped beside Russel's ear.

"Is he really conscious?"

"I'm telling you he is! I wouldn't make a pointless lie to bother you! It's not like I'd gain anything."

"If your intention was to bother His Grace, you'd have succeeded."

"N-no, that's not it! You seriously don't trust what people say!"

Someone was shouting angrily.

Despite the shouting, Russel barely opened his eyes as someone gently tapped his cheek.

The shadows that entered his vision fluctuated dizzily, first three, then merging into two.

As they finally merged into one, Russel could see a somewhat familiar outline.

"My Lord!"

"?"

Russel suddenly sat up and firmly grabbed the man's hand.

The man, who was dazed by the speed reminiscent of a Venus flytrap, couldn't even pull his hand away.

But regardless of whether the man was bewildered, Russel asked in a trembling voice.

"Was it you who broke through the wall for me? Into the den of evil teeming with heretics?"

"...I don't know if it was a den of evil, but yes, I did break through the wall. Let go of my hand."

The deity was real.

When he had been struggling in deep pain and begging the deity for mercy, the deity had granted him salvation in a truly appropriate way.

He felt infinitely hateful toward himself for having slightly resented the deity.

The deity who guided this foolish lamb and bestowed boundless magnanimity.

And the messenger sent by his deity was right before his eyes.

The deity's mercy, manifested as a man with an extremely cold and chilling impression, felt purely sweet to Russel.

"By the way, where is this? Those heretics..."

"The leader of the heretics is dead. Let go of my hand."

"There is a lady who was captured with me. She was in the room with me, held by that wicked woman. Have you seen her?"

"I don't know who you're talking about. I said let go of this hand."

"Ah, there she is! That lady over there! She's the one who endured harsh suffering with me. Thank you, truly, truly thank you for saving us. I also extend infinite gratitude to the deity who sent you."

"It was His Grace who sent me. How many times do I have to tell you to let go of this hand?"

Faced with Russel who kept expressing his gratitude, Leandros was scraping together every bit of patience.

If his Duke hadn't earnestly asked him to 'treat him well,' he would have knocked him out with a blow to the head right away.

Leandros looked over the newly awakened man with a gaze containing a bit of contempt.

Slightly disheveled but refreshing wavy blonde hair, blue eyes that smiled brightly while serving whatever divine glory, white teeth, and well-balanced features.

But such things weren't important to Leandros.

What Leandros was curious about was why His Grace had asked him to treat this loose-screwed fellow well.

His Grace had been pale-faced and fretting since the temple, even going so far as to raid the mansion.

Moreover, he seemed to already know this fellow...

Even as Leandros was racking his brains to understand Arenheit's intentions, Russel was busy deifying Leandros.

"Are those bound heretics over there the ones you've restrained on my behalf, Sir?"

"That's right."

To show mercy by restraining them instead of taking their lives, even in such a perilous situation!

So there was a warm heart behind this cold face.

Russel asked with a moved expression.

"Did you save their lives? How can you be so merciful?"

"They need to be interrogated about the incident in the mansion. The punishment is not my concern."

Russel immediately changed his thinking.

Yes, come to think of it, killing them right away didn't make sense.

The incident in Valentine needed to be properly investigated, and the instigators had to receive appropriate punishment.

That's right, that's how it should be. Russel nodded several times.

"I don't know how to repay the kindness I've received. If you wish, I will be a witness to this incident."

"I would appreciate that."

"That much is easy. And if possible, I would like to serve you for the rest of my life, accompanying you on your journey and repaying the kindness you've shown by saving my life."

"What did you just say?"

This was right.

From the moment Russel saw Leandros, he had anticipated this outcome.

A strong knight who was rational and possessed humility, not boasting about his achievements.

"If you would allow it, I, Russel Nabilov, will devote a lifetime of loyalty to you and share in your joys and sorrows."

"You're talking nonsense. Of course I don't allow-"

"Oh? You'll share in his joys and sorrows?"

When Leandros turned around, Arenheit was already standing there, supported by Verde.

Verde was pointing alternately at Leandros himself and this crazy fellow named Russel, as if he found it hilarious.

Should he break that finger?

Leandros naturally pushed Verde aside and supported Arenheit himself instead.

He didn't particularly care that Verde staggered and fell as a result.

"This wasn't a conversation Your Grace should have heard."

"No, I think I should hear it. If someone admires you and wants to be with you, shouldn't I, as your master, know about it?"

"That's."

...That's right.

As Leandros remained silent, Arenheit looked down at Russel.

Russel, after seeing Leandros yield to the red-haired youth, naturally knelt on one knee and paid his respects.

"I am ashamed to meet you in such a disheveled state. As a humble servant of the deity, I bear the name Russel Nabilov. If I may be so bold, might I ask the name of my lord?"

"I already know your name. You have a reputation for excellent knighthood and devout faith in the Holy Knight Order."

"You knew of me? I was merely doing what should be done as a faithful servant of the deity."

"Too much modesty becomes poison. My name is Arenheit Hartmann."

"If it's Hartmann..."

Something began to creak and turn in Russel's mind.

The reason he had stopped by Valentine.

The letter sent from the Hartmann ducal family had stated that due to demonic beasts that had increased with the breeding season and insufficient forces, those with deep faith were suffering.

So they had asked to please appeal to the knights, the sword of the deity, to help eradicate the evil demonic beasts appearing in the Dikenter Mountains.

And the Central Temple had appointed him as the person to go to Hartmann.

So the client of the temple and the person he was supposed to meet was this young man standing before him.

Russel's mouth naturally opened slightly.

Not much was known about the young Duke of Hartmann.

The only recent rumor was that he had started selling the Dikenter Mountains to Eastern merchant groups.

So this was his first time seeing him in person, and truly...

He looked weak.

It wasn't just because of the injuries the Duke had now.

Just literally, he looked pale and frail, as if he would collapse if Russel just pushed him.

This person was leading the ducal family? He seemed likely to die young.

But Russel had to care for and protect people weaker than himself.

That was his duty and his only hobby.

"So you are the Duke. I apologize for not recognizing you earlier. I am Russel Nabilov of the Holy Knight Order. Please address me comfortably."

"I'll call you Sir Nabilov. Originally, we weren't planning to meet here."

Duke Hartmann, Arenheit Hartmann, spoke with uncharacteristic friendliness.

Leandros, who was on high alert, asked.

"Your Grace, did you know this person?"

"Of course. I asked Amelia to make the request. Did Amelia know?"

"Why didn't I know about it?"

"You didn't know? Didn't I tell you? I thought I did."

"You didn't tell me."

Arenheit was silent for a moment.

Then, as if he hadn't heard Leandros's answer, he spoke to Russel nonchalantly.

"So Sir Nabilov wants to accompany my escort knight?"

"Your Grace. You still haven't answered me."

"Just as you heard, Duke Hartmann. He is a strong person with the character and skill befitting Hartmann's lofty reputation. Moreover, he saved my life, so I want to repay him in some way."

"Your Grace. I don't need any knight to serve me."

"Hmm. The method of repayment seems a bit unusual, is that okay? You haven't even set a time limit, and Sir Nabilov clearly belongs elsewhere."

"Originally, the task ordained by the temple was to help Duke Hartmann eradicate demonic beasts. You didn't set a separate time limit for the request, did you?"

"That's true."

"Your Grace. Haven't you been acting as if you can't hear me since earlier?"

"But as Sir Nabilov knows, the ducal forces consist only of my escort knight, so it seems his approval should come first."

"If Duke Hartmann would allow it, I'd be happy to demonstrate my skills!"

"Are you now blatantly ignoring me?"

"That's what he says. What do you think, Sir Leandros?"

"Regardless of anything, are you telling me to keep that thunder nudist with me?"

"Then why don't you two have a match later? If his skills are good, it wouldn't be a loss to have him along."

"...Are you serious?"

"I did it! Wonderful! Thank you, Duke Hartmann!"

Leandros glared deadly at Russel Nabilov, who was cheering and raising his hands in celebration.

Of course, no matter how much he glared, Russel wouldn't drop dead on the spot.

The four people, including the fallen Verde, remained in the garden of the ruined mansion until Amelia finally woke up.