Chapter 100: Only Loyalty
"Good intentions and good deeds certainly ought to be supported, even praised," said Corleon.
"However, I believe that the Principality of Patlin needs their kindness more right now."
"The Principality？" Knight Wolf was taken aback.
He had exchanged words with Nyx upon his return, and naturally knew what had occurred there.
"Is it the Bishop’s intention to send them to the Principality？" said Knight Wolf, then shook his head.
"That is the Marquis’ territory. Without an invitation from the Marquis, dispatching people there rashly would be seen as a declaration of war."
"The Marquis has already sold the territory," said Corleon.
"Deals between nobles and Dark Creatures are never acknowledged."
"The Church cannot simply look on as people suffer without offering aid."
"That is your mercy," said Knight Wolf. "The Lord has ordered me to manage the warriors within the territory, and to guard the homefront. Therefore, I will not let the young men throw their lives away over this."
"However, I will not stand in the way of your mercy either. But I recommend that the Church gather a force and acquire proper credentials before proceeding."
"Naturally," Corleon nodded.
Knight Wolf stood up.
He hesitated slightly, but finally spoke.
"Nyx and I are old friends. When he first arrived in the territory, I was the one who welcomed him."
"Afterwards, he witnessed me being conferred knighthood, and also took part in the Enlightenment Ritual for my child."
"Sometimes he would tell me about things he saw and heard when he was still a novice scholar, and I would share with him the battles I had participated in."
"We are close friends, so I choose to believe his words."
Knight Wolf looked toward Corleon.
"So this time, the most important thing for me in coming here is that I want to see him."
"Of course," Corleon did not hesitate. He stood up and said.
"Thank you for your generosity," Knight Wolf let out a sigh of relief and bowed slightly.
"Please forgive my impertinence. Ever since the Lord left, I haven’t had any contact with him, and I could only obtain news from the South through the Rat Path."
"At times, I even doubt whether the Lord has abandoned this land."
"So please forgive an old man’s frailty. I need something to ease my heart."
Corleon reached out and gestured for Wolf to follow.
"This is not frailty, but the loyalty a knight holds toward his Lord," said Corleon.
"For a knight, only that loyalty is worthy of praise," said Wolf.
"I’ve read your Holy Scriptures, and I also know the truth that Nyx pursues."
"But compared to your lofty pursuit, our loyalty as knights is hardly worth mentioning."
"Loyalty is also a virtue," Corleon replied as he walked.
"Hahaha," Wolf chuckled, then said.
"When I was still a squire, I followed the knight I served to suppress a rebellion."
"That time, the knight led us and killed four hundred and thirty-one people. All the rebels were executed."
"I personally killed one hundred and seven of them."
"Seven of those were slain in battle. The remaining hundred were those rebels who had surrendered after giving up resistance, and were then ordered by the knight to be executed by me."
"When I killed the first person, my hand trembled holding the sword. By the time I killed the hundredth, my grip was steady as stone."
"At that time, the knight told me,『Wolf, you will become an excellent knight.』"
"I remember that moment clearly."
"And I believe that was the most important event of my life. From that moment on, I no longer possessed any virtue described in your Holy Scriptures, other than loyalty."
Corleon walked ahead, while Wolf, like an ordinary old man, rambled on behind him.
"I did not remain loyal to Lord Helvin until the end. That is the greatest pain of my life."
"Of course, I do not regret it. It was precisely because of my compromise that my family continued to enjoy Honor, rather than ending up like that poor woman Terry, expelled from York Town."
"And I also believe that the Lord is worthy of my loyalty. He is a merciful Lord, a generous Lord. He places great trust in me."
"It is a trust I have never felt from Lord Helvin."
"Therefore, I will not allow any threat to befall the Lord’s affairs."
Corleon caught the meaning behind his words and stopped in his tracks.
The two had already walked out of the Church, and from where they stood, they could see the nearly completed Monastery in the distance.
"Weilin is the bravest warrior in the York Territory and the Lord’s personal guard. The Lord values him greatly."
"In this expedition, the eight personal guards of the Lord will be led by him."
"And this war of succession is crucial. You also mentioned that the territory of Marquis Demitri has already been sold to the Werewolves."
"If this war of succession ends in victory, then Marquis Demitri will remain in Greenwood City, and perhaps the Lord’s bloodline may unite with Demitri’s."
"And the Lord might become a Marquis."
Corleon turned around and looked at Wolf.
"What if the war of succession ends in failure?"
"Demitri carries the bloodline of a Grand Duke, and he is a Marquis of the Northern Borders with military merits. Even if he fails in the succession, he will not be executed for it," said Knight Wolf.
"But it is also possible that a minor wound could lead to infection, and he may perish on the return journey."
"Is that the Lord’s intention？" Corleon asked.
"No, it is merely something that might happen," Knight Wolf shook his head.
"Of course, it is still too distant to speak of now. But in war, if the personal guard harbors other intentions, it becomes a danger to the Lord."
Knight Wolf took out a letter.
"Though the punishment of the Lord descended that day, the letter that was already sent was not burned."
Knight Wolf handed the letter to Corleon.
Upon receiving it, Corleon saw that the wax seal had already been broken.
"Though the Rat Path is only a nest of rats operating underground, when it comes to murder and arson, they are capable enough."
Knight Wolf spoke as though with a sigh.
Corleon closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his expression was somewhat complex.
"He would not wish for such things to occur," Corleon said.
"On the night Ando left, he came to see me specifically about this."
"Yes, the Lord did not allow him to partake in such acts that would be condemned as sin in the Holy Scriptures, but allowed him to enjoy peace within the Church," said Knight Wolf.
"He inherited the Lord’s mercy, and thus does not wish for these things to happen."
"He will grow to loathe me because of this."
"But the one I am loyal to is the Lord, not him, and never will it be him."
"In this life of mine, there shall not be a third master."
Corleon sighed.
"And yet you still wish to see him?"
"Of course," Wolf nodded.
"I only need to see him from afar, to know that the Lord has not abandoned this place."