亚洲综合一区二区三区四区五区

Chapter 19

Translator: FusionX

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

A secret doesn’t end just by knowing it.

The moment you learn a secret, you inevitably get entangled with that secret.

That’s why secrets are not secrets for no reason.

Especially if you get involved with a heavy secret, your future might be in danger.

Moreover, the fact that the expedition of the Royal Knights had failed was a very, very heavy secret.

As I said before, the Royal Knights were the first united order of knights selected regardless of race or class.

Since they were selected so radically, their skills naturally went without saying.

In fact, they had achieved many significant accomplishments.

Of course, there were some exaggerations among them.

The fact that the Royal Knights were the heroes and hope of the continent was something that even those who disliked the Royal Knights could not dare to deny.

But those Royal Knights had been defeated?

And that too, at this point, not long after they had set out on the expedition?

If this fact became known to the people, it was obvious that it would cause tremendous chaos.

That was the weight of it.

“Why are you telling me this first thing in the morning?”

A question arose here.

Why was he revealing such an important secret to me, a mere security guard?

No matter how I looked at it, it seemed like something a security guard shouldn’t know.

But Clarence, who came to me first thing in the morning and told me about it, was definitely a damn bastard.

At least that was the conclusion I reached.

In response to my question, Clarence answered as if it were natural.

“You already knew, didn’t you?”

“???”

“Let’s continue this conversation inside for now.”

He said I already knew?

How on earth did he come to that conclusion?

Could it be that he knew I had possessed this body?

Confused by the unexpected answer, my mind fell into chaos.

Taking advantage of that gap, Clarence naturally entered.

By the time I barely sorted out the confusion and came to my senses, Clarence had already taken a seat inside. I glared at Clarence.

But only for a moment. I went and sat across from Clarence.

Of course, I knew about the failure of the Royal Knights. It was openly revealed as the story from the start of the game.

[In the past, the name of the Royal Knights, who had shone brilliantly, fell to the ground. Their foundation no longer remained even a trace.]

[You are the only legitimate successor and leader who has officially inherited those Royal Knights.]

[From now on, rebuild the Royal Knights.]

But I had no intention of getting involved in that problem. Even if I used time stop, it was just that the ability was strong.

My actual skill was only at the level of an average soldier.

Moreover, wasn’t it because I lacked strength that I couldn’t even completely exterminate the Togui I had encountered before and had no choice but to let it go?

And I was getting involved with the Royal Knights?

Even ten lives wouldn’t be enough.

I sighed. Anyway, it was a fact I already knew, so I wasn’t that surprised.

So, there shouldn’t be anything more surprising here.

Just as I thought that, at that very moment,

“Let me formally introduce myself again.”

“Huh?”

“My name is Clarence Avarice. I am a knight belonging to the royal guard directly serving His Majesty the King.”

The royal guard. The king’s direct order of knights who ruled the kingdom.

Naturally, they boasted tremendous military power.

In the original work where the Royal Knights were annihilated, they were treated as virtually the strongest order of knights.

Of course, the kingdom was practically the only place that operated an order of knights after the Royal Knights were annihilated.

But to think Clarence was a member of that royal guard.

Was that why he was so strong?

“But what is the royal guard doing in a refugee camp?”

“I was carrying out a secret mission under the orders of His Majesty the King.”

“A secret mission?”

“Yes. But that helmet…”

Clarence carefully asked, and I finally realized that I was still wearing the helmet.

The fit of the helmet was so good that I had forgotten about it.

“Wait a moment. Right…”

“What is this secret mission?”

“I apologize. We were having an important conversation.”

“That’s true.”

At Helia’s words, who suddenly interrupted, I sat back down.

Clarence’s story was more important than the helmet right now.

Clarence, realizing that fact, continued.

“My mission was to find candidates for the Royal Knights.”

“Candidates for the Royal Knights? Weren’t they selected based on skill?”

“Yes, that’s correct. That’s why the position of us humans has diminished.”

“The position of humans has diminished?”

This was the first time I heard about this.

What did the Royal Knights have to do with the position of humans?

Anyway, the Royal Knights were an order of knights selected to crush demons, not politicians, right?

In fact, although it was vaguely implied that the previous generation of Royal Knights was great, the setting had never been fully revealed.

So I wanted to properly learn about it this time.

“That’s right. It’s because of the status of the Royal Knights.”

The Royal Knights were strictly selected based on strength alone.

Naturally, compared to powerful races like dragons and elves, humans were inevitably at a disadvantage.

Moreover, with the death of the two members who originally belonged to the Royal Knights, humans became the first race to have not a single knight belonging to the Royal Knights.

Was that so…?

Come to think of it, in the original work, there were no human knights among the Royal Knights members except for the protagonist and Helia.

For some reason, I started to have a bad feeling.

“The Royal Knights are the first united order of knights in the history of the continent. Moreover, now they have risen to a position virtually no different from the saviors of the continent.”

“That’s true.”

“And that means that one or two members of the Royal Knights can use their status and position to give privileges to their own race or country.”

“???”

So, in a word, the races belonging to the Royal Knights were using their position and the status of the Royal Knights to benefit their own race or country?

Of course, it wasn’t like that from the beginning.

Initially, it was established to save the continent from the hands of demons.

But as time passed, they started receiving privileges one by one.

And with the confrontation of races that originally didn’t get along well, and the collision of factions that emerged from within, it had now literally become the ultimate political arena.

“In a word, it means politics.”

“Yes, you could summarize it that way.”

“It’s rotten. With enemies right in front of us at this very moment.”

It was absurd.

In a situation where there was a common enemy right in front of them, they were playing politics among themselves?

Right then, a thought flashed through my mind like lightning.

“Is that why the Royal Knights were annihilated?”

“As expected, you knew.”

Oh my god!

During the 2 years it took from early access to the official release of the game, the previous generation Royal Knights’ setting, which was never fully revealed, was being resolved like this?

And through politics?

“They dare to call such things heroes.”

Putting aside the sense of futility as a fan of this game, from my perspective of having to bear the full brunt of the damage caused by the annihilation of the Royal Knights, I couldn’t help but be angry.

[As expected, you have the same thoughts as me, Sir Hans.]

“This voice…?!”

“Calm down, Helia. It’s a voice coming from the crystal ball.”

[I didn’t expect you to see through it this far.]

Of course, I hadn’t actually seen through it.

I had just guessed based on seeing a similar scene in the game.

But if I said that directly, I would definitely be treated as a madman.

Clarence silently took out a small orb from his pocket.

That small glass orb was transparent like water. And inside it, there was something like a shadow.

He spoke in admiration.

[Moreover, you’re even wearing a helmet without letting your guard down in the village. Truly a model knight.]

“No, that’s not it…”

[Before that, let me express my gratitude first, Sir Hans.]

“Gratitude?”

The voice coming from inside the crystal ball sounded quite excited.

I tilted my head.

This voice sounded familiar.

I couldn’t remember where I had heard it.

[Thanks to the information you provided before, our kingdom was able to gain proper speaking power for once.]

“Because our kingdom was the only one that anticipated the failure of the Royal Knights. It’s all thanks to Sir Hans.”

“???”

I provided information?

When?

No, wait a minute.

There was one thing I could guess.

When I heard that the Royal Knights were going on an expedition before, I had unconsciously muttered something.

[…So that’s how they get annihilated?]

[Captain.]

[?!]

No matter how much I thought about it, if it wasn’t that time, there was no reason for me to receive such gratitude.

Then, did Clarence hear those words at that time and directly report to that person?

Thanks to that, they ended up predicting the failure of the Royal Knights, and naturally, the kingdom’s speaking power rose?

I closed my mouth.

I shouldn’t rashly say no here.

[I didn’t mean it that way.]

[Then how did you know the Royal Knights would fail?]

[Ah.]

Right now, it was a sensitive situation with the Royal Knights annihilated. And if I said something suspicious there?

I could be arrested for treason if I made a mistake.

So, let’s just stay still.

If I stayed still, I would at least get an average result.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇