I Helped A Holy Knight (A Dangerous One)

While traveling on the road to Giiv, the royal capital of the Elf Nation Anemosgive.

A knight was being attacked by monsters, so I threw a Repellent Potion and drove the monsters away.

I brought the dragon carriage closer to him, and I climbed down from the cargo bed. Cherge followed behind me with a gun in one hand.

She was probably acting as a guard.

“…………”

“Are you okay?”

Leaning against a tree was a young knight with beautiful blond hair.

He wore silver-white armor and a pure-white mantle. Both were stained with blood now.

And what caught my attention was the pendant hanging from his neck.

It was a strange pendant—a cross entwined with a snake. What an odd accessory.

“U… ugh…”

He still seemed to have a little consciousness. Hm? For a young man, his voice was a bit high.

He was tall, so I thought he was in his late teens, but maybe he was younger than he looked.

“Ah, don’t move. I’ll treat you now.”

“…Treat.”

“Yes. Cherge, the potion.”

The maid robot Cherge took a potion bottle out of storage.

She opened the cap and tried to make him drink it, but…

“…I’m fine.”

“Huh?”

“…More importantly… that child…”

Where he pointed, there was an elf girl.

She was also covered in blood. I see—this knight had tried to protect this elf girl.

Cherge approached the elf girl and scanned her condition. Then she slowly shook her head.

“Unfortunately, she has passed away.”

“…I see.”

Tears fell from him in drops. He was crying because he couldn’t protect a child. What a kind knight.

“Well, it’s fine. If that’s the case, I can still do something about it.”

“…What?”

“More importantly, heal your wounds first. Here, drink, drink.”

He looked confused. If she hadn’t been dead long, revival was possible.

Since I wanted to revive her quickly, I splashed a Recovery Potion onto him.

With a hiss of steam, his wounds closed up before my eyes.

“…What in the world? My injuries healed in an instant…”

“Yeah, yeah. Next is that elf girl over there. Cherge.”

I received one of the high-grade potions from Cherge: a Revival Potion. High-grade potions were also called magic potions. They were special things that required my mana to activate.

I poured the Revival Potion on the elf girl who had just died.

Then the elf girl’s body glowed red…

“U… ugh… Huh…? I…”

“You’re awake? How do you feel—any nausea?”

I received a bottle of plain water from Cherge.

This was Universal Water, essential for making potions.

The elf girl drank the water and exhaled—puhah—in relief.

“Big sis, thanks for the water! It’s like I came back to life!”

Well, she really did come back to life… but she didn’t need to say it like that. I didn’t want people making a fuss.

The knight stared at our exchange.

Then he stood up and knelt in front of me. Huh? What?

“…I offer my sincere gratitude for saving us. However… may I ask one thing?”

“Huh, what?”

“…For the past few days, a suspicious person called the ‘Black-Haired Saintess’ has been roaming around this area. Do you happen to know anything?”

“Black-Haired Saintess~? Never heard of her.”

Sure, I had black hair too, but I wasn’t a saintess.

“…Then, forgive my rudeness, but I must ask—are you the ‘Black-Haired Saintess’?”

“No. Because I’m not a saintess, I’m an alchemist. You saw it yourself—I healed with potions, not a divine miracle.”

He thought for a while…

“…I see.”

And he accepted it. Good, good. Wait—was this the first person who believed me?

Most people didn’t believe me even when I said I wasn’t a saintess.

“…Traveling alchemist-dono. Not only me, but the girl’s life as well—you saved both. I am deeply grateful.”

“Don’t worry about it. I did it because I wanted to.”

“…Oh.”

For some reason, he looked deeply moved.

I only helped the injured person in front of me because I wanted to travel comfortably. If they died, I’d feel awful afterward, right?

“…Those were very expensive potions, weren’t they. With what I have on hand, will I be able to pay enough?”

Saying that, he tried to take out a leather pouch from the bag at his waist.

I pushed his hand away.

“Ah, ah, it’s fine. I don’t need money.”

“! B-but…”

“I didn’t do it because I wanted money.”

Then he started crying again. W-whaaat…

“C-Cherge… did I do something?”

“Rather, there has not been a single time since the start of your journey when you did nothing. End of report.”

This robot maid was harsh.

“W-why are you crying…?”

“…No, I have never in my life met anyone more wonderful than you, milady.”

“H-huh… I see. You’ve lived in a pretty small world.”

Well, treatment was done, and the girl was saved. I had no more business here.

I stood up and tried to return to the dragon carriage with Cherge.

“…Please wait.”

He grabbed my hand. His hand was surprisingly soft and squishy for a knight.

“…I truly wish to repay you. Please, would you come to our headquarters?”

“No.”

“…Huh?”

“No. I’m in a hurry.”

I shook off his hand and headed toward the dragon carriage.

I didn’t need thanks, and I didn’t know what headquarters he meant, but I didn’t want my trip interrupted.

Besides, I was in the middle of dealing with the Gourmets of Venom problem!

“…B-but! You are a treasure created by the gods of this world! Your power surely belongs under the protection of our god!”

“E-eeeh…”

No way… is this…

A sketchy religious recruitment pitch!? Eek! Scary!

“Please! Just once, to our headquarters…”

“Cherge, tranquilizer rounds!”

“Is that acceptable? End of report.”

“It is! Do it, robot maid!”

Cherge sighed, pulled a handgun from storage, and mercilessly fired tranquilizer rounds into his forehead. Three shots.

His body swayed, and he collapsed limply on the spot.

“…W-wait… p-plea…”

“So scary! Before we get spotted by his dangerous people, let’s get out of here!”

“That phrasing is completely that of a bandit. End of report.”

If I left him alone, the dangerous people in his religious group might come recruit me!

I had to run! I wanted nothing to do with recruitment pitches!

I loaded the elf girl who had been attacked by monsters onto the dragon carriage for now, and I hurriedly left the area.

Ah—what a dangerous guy. I never wanted to get involved with him again.

…But now that I thought about it, the armor and mantle he wore, and the pendant hanging from his neck.

I felt like I’d seen them somewhere… where was it?