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From here, we could overlook the surrounding coniferous forest and the paths we had fought along.

In particular, I could see the cave where we had fought the mother spider from a distance.

In the last battle, I had definitely unleashed my sword aura.

Though I am a half-baked swordmaster, my skills had improved nonetheless.

As soon as my body recovered, I wanted to test my sword again.

Out of habit, I scanned the surroundings for any beasts or monsters, but at least in this area, there seemed to be no need for such worries.

Was it because the believers were here and the place was thoroughly guarded?

Thanks to that, I could climb the hill as comfortably as if I were walking up a neighborhood back hill.

“We’re almost there. Are you managing okay?”

“Did you really think I’d hear you ask if I was managing okay?”

“What’s so surprising? Besides, Razen, you’re a patient.”

“I’m not so weak that I can’t walk. On the contrary, moving a bit makes me feel refreshed.”

It was true. I guess I am the kind of person who needs to move my body daily to feel satisfied.

Just walking a little made me feel much better than lying in bed.

My body was already itching, and I almost wanted to exercise a bit before going to bed.

If I did that, I’d probably get nagged quite a bit. Could I do it secretly from Sirien?

I’d have to look for an opportunity later.

“We’ve arrived. This is the place I had in mind. It looks different up close than from below.”

Sirien spread her hands proudly. This was the end of the hill, where it abruptly ended in a high cliff.

Below the cliff, a dense forest spread out in a single view.

Old trees painted the land green like a horizon, merging with the white snow and plains behind them.

There might be a village where people lived far away, but it wasn’t high enough to see that far.

The blue sky blended with white clouds above, and a breeze made the wild grass smile.

“I actually thought about it a lot. I imagined building a splendid palace one day and holding a grand ceremony in front of everyone. Something magnificent.”

“I think I like this place better.”

“Yeah, me too. I prefer keeping precious things to myself. And no one else needs to be involved in our contract.”

“Two spectators would be enough. They might sit there without us knowing.”

“That would be nice.”

Our lives changed the moment we entered this forest. We lost Terion and Hena and fought desperately in this place.

We resented the events that happened in this coniferous forest to the point of death, but we didn’t hate the forest itself.

If Sirien and I were to conduct a knightly ordination or some significant ceremony, it was only right to do it here.

I didn’t need a luxurious palace either. This place, where Terion and Hena’s spirits rested, was far more meaningful than any palace celebrated by the masses.

Sirien sat on a rock at the edge of the cliff. In her small hand, she held a ceremonial sword adorned with intricate designs.

Despite its weight, she had carried it all the way up here herself.

“Shall we begin?”

I knelt on one knee in front of Sirien.

Sirien drove the silver blade straight into the ground.

Hoo.

The sound of a shallow breath. Her long silver hair fluttered elegantly as she exhaled, releasing her tension.

Her blood-red eyes settled into an icy gaze. The priestly robe, a bit too large for her, billowed like a cloak in the wind. Her hands rested on the pommel of the sword. Behind the sharp longsword, the girl had suddenly become a dignified ruler.

Thud.

The blade struck the ground. In a calm voice, she began the ceremony.

“You, Razen Berthus, have come here to become a knight. Do you understand that at the end of this oath, you must bear the weight of conviction and honor?”

“Yes. The oath is but a moment, but its binding is eternal.”

“Then engrave loyalty upon your heart. Swear upon your soul to never retreat before the enemy, never speak falsehoods, and remain brave until your journey’s end.”

The ceremony I had learned long ago came back to me vividly.

I brought my right fist to my chest.

The first tap was an oath to my heart, the second to my soul. Loyalty until either my body or Sirien’s perished.

The conviction I must uphold as a knight would remain until my soul was shattered.

Sirien extended her right hand to me.

I kissed the back of her hand.

Despite her attempts to maintain a dignified expression, I noticed her cheeks subtly flushing.

“...The gods will always watch over your oath.”

After the knight’s vow, it was the lord’s turn. She had to declare the birth of a new knight in her name.

Normally, this would be the moment when the lord would bestow a sword, but we had no suitable sword.

So Sirien had boasted that she would have a special sword made for me someday.

Honestly, I didn’t mind using an ordinary iron sword, but she insisted that it wouldn’t satisfy her, so we postponed it.

“I, Sirien Eilencia, the rightful ruler of Eilencia and the saintess of the Church of god Hibras, declare before all gods that you have become a noble knight.”

Sirien tapped my shoulders with the sword, first on the left, then on the right.

Finally, she touched the sword to the crown of my head.

It was the end of the ceremony. Naturally, a knight’s ordination ceremony wasn’t a long process.

Sometimes dozens of knights were ordained at once, and if the ceremony were too lengthy, it would be dreadful for everyone involved.

A small smile played on her lips.

“As my knight, you shall annihilate enemies with your life. I will reward your bravery with honor and be a witness to your convictions. The loyalty you have sworn upon your heart, I will engrave upon my bones and remember forever.”

Sirien extended her other hand, the one bearing the sacred mark.

“Rise, my noble knight.”

As I took her hand and stood, Sirien embraced me. This wasn’t part of the ceremony.

“Haha. I did it. Now you are truly my knight. No one can say otherwise.”

“Should I call you my lord, then?”

“No. I prefer being called by my name!”

* * *

[Sirien Eilencia]

Even after the knighting ceremony ended and quite some time had passed, my heart still pounded.

My lips couldn’t stop curling into a smile as we descended the hill.

It felt like I had stamped my seal on something that was rightfully mine.

It felt like the world had acknowledged it.

Razen was my one and only knight, and I was Razen’s one and only lord. It felt as though a dream I had vaguely held since childhood had come true.

But before the euphoria could even fade, I had to separate from Razen under the pretense of returning the ceremonial sword.

After that, it felt like the world gradually lost its color. The bright and warm sunlight no longer felt the same. It hadn’t been long since I left Razen, but I already felt a chill creeping over me.

It wasn’t particularly strange. The building I was heading to was in the exact opposite direction of Razen’s quarters.

In this desolate place, the cold air really did flow.

The place I needed to find was a dimly lit basement.

Click. Clack.

The sound of my footsteps echoed off the stone floor. In the basement, I saw rusted iron bars and a man within.

“You’re awake? Perfect timing.”

I opened the cell door and stepped inside. The creaking sound caused the man to lift his head, and our eyes met. I spoke softly as I did my work.

“Listen, today something very good happened to me.”

“...”

“Really. It’s so good that having to come see someone like you is dreadful. So, I don’t want to look at you for long. I hope this ends quickly.”

The man was tied to a shabby wooden chair.

His tendons were already severed, and there were many signs of torture I didn’t want to look at.

The smell of blood hung around him. I didn’t get too close, worried that the scent might cling to me.

I didn’t want Razen to catch even a whiff of such a stench from me.

I pushed aside all the clean blades that seemed prepared just for me.

“Let me tell you upfront, you’re going to die anyway. It’s necessary for the ceremony. They say the god who presides over rest and death requires death in the ceremony. Apparently, the person must be someone tied to fate, and luckily for me, there’s you.”

What I picked up was a branding iron. I placed it on the hot brazier. After a few minutes, the iron turned a glowing red.

They say you should always give a preview of the pain that awaits.

I heard that you must start by branding them at least once.

Without asking any questions, I pressed the iron against the man’s thigh. The sickening smell of cooking flesh rose.

“Be grateful. If it weren’t for you, I’d be in quite a bind. So, I’m giving you this chance to save us both some time. I’ll remove the gag now.”

“Kuh. They said you were like a delicate flower in a greenhouse, but it seems none of the information was accurate.”

“It wasn’t exactly a lie. People change depending on their environment. I’ve just changed a little.”

The betrayal of Count Roxen taught me never to trust anyone. Losing my brother and Hena taught me that my enemies always target my loved ones. I was always a quick learner.

Having decided not to trust anyone, almost everyone became either meaningless or an enemy to me.

I must show no mercy to my enemies. Therefore, I no longer hesitate to harm others.

As expected, Razen was the only exception. I had lost the only other two people who could have been exceptions.

This man was the leader of the pursuing party that had been chasing me.

Under normal circumstances, he would have succeeded in catching me by now, but reality had turned out this way.

The green-haired man, the guardian of this sanctuary, was quite capable.

He had killed all the other pursuers but had captured this man alive.

The reason he was kept alive was because he was needed for the ceremony.

However, I had my own reasons for dealing with him.

Starting tomorrow, I planned to travel around with Razen, so today was my only chance.

“I promise you this: if you answer my questions well, I won’t harm you.”

I meant it. I had no interest in torturing people for pleasure. In fact, such scenes made me feel nauseous.

Even now, it was painful to see the man’s injuries.

But I would do what needed to be done.

“The questions aren’t that difficult. You’re going to die anyway, so there’s no harm in answering. Here’s the first question. What happened to my parents, the Grand Duke and Duchess of Eilencia?”

“They’re dead.”

“I figured as much. Do you know when and how they died?”

“I heard they died in a battle against Eligor. I don’t know if that’s true. That’s all I know.”

“Alright. I believe you. Now for the second question. There’s no direct bloodline left in the Grand Duchy, so how is Count Roxen maintaining his power? He’s not of the main bloodline, just a distant relative.”

“That’s...”

His answer made me frown.

“That’s disgusting. That man definitely needs to be killed.”

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