Bishop Akenar (3)

Unlike the King’s Church, the Rescue Knights Order did not have any particular blood feud with the Emperor’s followers.

Of course, since every member was from Hubris and the Order’s talent pool was mostly Hubris nobles, they all despised the Emperor’s messenger. Personal hatred and official doctrine were separate matters.

But the Emperor’s followers had attacked Vthuma and Korasar, carried out mass slaughter, summoned Nagas and other monsters, and utterly destroyed the kingdoms—so the Rescue Knights Order could not simply pretend the Emperor’s messenger didn’t exist.

“You were truly knighted by Sir Plank? He should be a Death Knight by now.”

“Yeah.”

“Astonishing. I thought he would no longer be capable of reason. If what you say is true, then you are our brother—a Hospitaller.”

“Y-Your Grace.”

“That’s impossible!”

Those listening to the bishop panicked.

An Emperor’s messenger being a Rescue Knight was unthinkable. Even if the King’s Church and the Rescue Knights Order followed different doctrines, they were still people of Hubris.

Accepting an impious being who killed the Yaegas God tribe triggered an instinctive revulsion too strong to ignore.

“Sir Plank is dead. After becoming a Death Knight, he’s nothing but a shadow of who he was. Besides, after he died, didn’t a new Virtue Knight get chosen?”

“This man is the Emperor’s messenger. He’s part of the evil lot that already destroyed two of the Eight Kingdoms—how can we trust anything he says?”

Yet Bishop Akenar, wearing her silver noblewoman’s mask, stepped closer to Azadine despite the objections.

“If it’s true Sir Plank knighted you, does that mean you accepted becoming part of the Rescue Knights Order? Even though you’re the Emperor’s messenger?”

“Yes.”

“May I ask why?”

“Because Sir Plank wanted it… No. Because I’ve believed in the Trinity Archangels and their devotion for a long time.”

Azadine started to use Sir Plank as an excuse, then gave up and spoke his honest feelings.

He had lost Aldis, who had been everything to him. He hadn’t even reconciled with Arael before sacrificing her.

And yet—because he still had faith even after losing everything—he accepted Sir Plank’s knighting.

“Heh.”

“Pfft.”

“Is that bastard even in his right mind?”

The reactions varied.

The surrounding knights sneered at Azadine’s words, glaring with contempt. Unfiltered hatred poured onto him.

Of course it did. They had just heard an Emperor’s messenger—an impious, “soulless” thing—claim he had faith, when even they could not be certain of their own.

“I understand. Then I may assume you want to become a member of the Rescue Knights Order?”

“Yes. At least, as long as it isn’t an organization that abandons comrades to run away, or persecutes and plunders the weak.”

“Then very well. In the name of Bishop Akenar of Coxhall, I appoint you as a Hospitaller-Errant. There’s no need for a formal knighting, is there? You’ve already received one.”

“What?!”

“Your Grace! What are you—”

“Then shall we head to Coxhall first? I have many things I’d like to ask on the way—will you ride in my carriage with me?”

Bishop Akenar gestured to her carriage.

Sharing the same carriage with her was an honor an ordinary trainee knight would rarely experience—though Azadine didn’t really understand that.

“Alright. I’ll ride.”

Azadine accepted her offer and moved to board the carriage.

But then his gaze fixed on Jan. Jan’s mouth moved soundlessly, as if he were saying something without a voice.

‘She’s a target too.’

Bishop Akenar was also one of the Northern Aragasa’s attack targets. Well—if she was the bishop of Coxhall, of course she would be.

‘We need to be careful.’

Keeping Jan’s warning in mind, Azadine climbed into the carriage.

“Um, e-excuse me….”

The villagers approached Azadine and the carriage.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

The bishop’s guards shoved the villagers back.

“Ah— we just wanted to say thank you.”

“Thank you?”

“Yes. Thank you for saving us, Sir Knight.”

“Hahaha! That’s only natural. It’s a paladin’s duty! Right!”

“…….”

The villagers were thanking Azadine, but the Rescue Knights who had arrived late puffed themselves up instead.

The villagers smiled awkwardly and played along. To them, the Rescue Knights Order had been nothing but nuisances who got in the way of catching the fleeing lizardmen—but spearpoints and blades were right in front of their faces.

“Right. It’s a paladin’s duty.”

Before boarding, Azadine waved to the village child—the one who had mimed sword-fighting like him.

The child lit up at being recognized and cheered with both hands raised.

‘Cute little brat.’

Azadine fixed the child in his mind and boarded the carriage. Inside, the bishop’s carriage was lavish, adorned with red silk.

Bishop Akenar, wearing her silver noblewoman’s mask, offered Azadine the seat across from her.

“This fine carriage will get dusty. Ah—now that I’m officially part of the Rescue Knights Order, should I be using honorifics with you?”

When Azadine asked that, the driver—also acting as an escort—snapped in irritation.

“You insolent bastard! Do you even know who she is? If you’re just a trainee knight, you should naturally revere her!”

“Hm. So you’re acknowledging me as a trainee knight—a Hospitaller?”

“Ghk.”

“Of course. I, Bishop Akenar, acknowledge you. Those who do not regard you as a knight are mocking my honor.”

When the driver fell silent, Bishop Akenar herself stepped in and declared it—loudly, as if making sure the words carried beyond the carriage.

‘No idea what she’s thinking inside, but she’s refreshingly direct. Even if a venomous viper is waiting, she’s far more to my taste than those petty paladins.’

Azadine decided he would show her respect.

“Understood, Your Grace. Then I’ll gratefully accept your offer.”

Azadine brushed off his clothes and sat across from her.

“Hehe. There’s no need. Speak comfortably. I’m nothing more than a living widow who inherited an undeserved rank because of bloodline.”

“A living widow?”

“Yes. Can’t you tell from this mask? Then I suppose I should begin by explaining why I became the bishop of Coxhall.”

Coxhall was a coastal city on the Arangi Inner Sea, famous as a trade port with Vthuma.

It was a trading city that generated enormous tariff revenue as a harbor that brought in sugar and spices from Vthuma and moved them inland. For that reason, Arangi’s kings had managed it directly for generations—it was practically a second capital.

In fact, Arangi’s kings had attempted multiple times to relocate the capital to Coxhall, but every attempt failed because there was no way to move the Quartz Throne.

Instead, they established a royal villa and frequently visited Coxhall to administer it. As a result, both the King’s Church and the Rescue Knights Order established dioceses in Coxhall and worked zealously to spread their teachings.

The Rescue Knights Order’s bishop of Coxhall was a woman named Akenar: a high-ranking noble of Chitai, and the former queen of the Kingdom of Arangi.

She had been beloved by the people as a beautiful and wise queen, but she never bore a child with the King of Arangi.

In the end, the King of Arangi declared an annulment and remarried a princess of Ausander. The former queen, Akenar, entered the Rescue Knights Order and took up the office of bishop of Coxhall.

“Astonishing.”

Azadine was surprised that Bishop Akenar’s status was even higher than he’d expected.

He’d assumed she was no ordinary woman, but he hadn’t imagined she was a former queen who had renounced the world.

“It’s a shameful story, but if I want to hear your story sincerely, then I should have nothing to hide. Then—will you first tell me about Korasar and Vthuma?”

“I will. Ah, but before that, may I ask one request?”

“What is it?”

Bishop Akenar tilted her head, puzzled by Azadine’s request.

“I’d like you to leave trustworthy people in this village so the lizardmen can’t attack again. The cavalry can travel with the carriage, so infantry would be better.”

Azadine said it out of concern for the villagers.

The lizardmen wanted human sacrifices; it wasn’t impossible they would attack again a village they’d already looted once.

He should have inflicted heavier losses when he fought them earlier, but the Rescue Knights had gotten in the way, preventing him from doing so.

But the driver-escort bristled at the suggestion.

“You want us to split our forces?”

“No. He’s worried about the villagers. Yes—we’ll do that. We’ll leave the diocese’s infantry behind to secure the area and handle the aftermath.”

“Thank you.”

With courteous formality toward Bishop Akenar, Azadine began his account.

The Curse of Servitude placed on the messenger bloodline; the leader Hathir, who tried to make himself emperor by exploiting it; Arael’s rebellion against Hathir; Korasar and Vthuma being attacked amid that struggle; the death of Vthuma’s Golden King, Manza-Jadek; and the fall of the messenger bloodline—Azadine told it as briefly and quickly as he could.

“My goodness. Then does that mean you’re the only Emperor’s messenger left now? Sir Izmilla was fortunate. Or perhaps this is the guidance of fate.”

“Guidance of fate?”

“Yes. Do you know the prophecy placed upon Sir Plank?”

“No. I don’t. What prophecy?”

“They say the one he knights last becomes the flower of chivalry.”

“What?”

“Up until now, the last knight Sir Plank knighted was Cohen Rioneir—the King of Ausander. So there’s also a reckless rumor that Cohen arranged Sir Plank’s accident on purpose, to claim the prophecy for himself.”

“…….”

Azadine knew—he had heard directly from Sir Plank—that the one who killed him was Cohen.

It wasn’t a reckless rumor. At the very least, Cohen truly believed in that prophecy, and he had taken action with his own hands to make the destined fate his.

‘Damn that old man. He should’ve told me that. Cohen’s going to try to kill me.’

If word spread that Azadine had been knighted by Sir Plank, Cohen Rioneir would never sit still.