Chapter 224: The Shame of a Knight
“Whose bloodline did Richard make a pact with?” Marl was very concerned about this question.
Saint Zecel and Darks had traded with the Original Sin of Gluttony, which was why this so-called Theocracy came into being—a nation he found utterly deformed.
Ronnie shook his head and said, “I don’t know. But Elbert once told me that Richard is the future. Even if all of us die, Richard must not die.”
“Ah, right, I haven’t introduced myself to our guest.” Ronnie gave a slight bow. “I was once Knight Elbert’s squire. After Knight Elbert’s death, I retired and returned to my family.”
“So, you still remember Knight Elbert’s promise?” Marl asked.
“Yes, of course.” Ronnie nodded, then continued, “This territory can no longer be defended. That is why Earl Raul ordered us to stop you here, hoping that you would take Richard away.”
“The Earl has read the Church’s Holy Scriptures and knows of the Church’s mercy. Therefore, he hopes Richard may receive the Church’s protection and not be implicated by the lord of York Territory. After all, that lord is rather…” Ronnie found himself unable to put it into words and simply changed the subject.
“Richard grew up listening to stories of Knight Elbert. He admired Knight Elbert. So he too, like Knight Elbert, helps the weak, upholds justice, and drives out darkness. He has never done anything against the Church’s teachings. Even though Earl Raul had conferred knighthood upon him, Richard has never killed a single person.”
Marl couldn’t help but laugh.
He could barely believe the earlier words, but to claim that a knight in his twenties had never killed anyone—it was laughable.
Yet Ronnie’s expression remained deadly serious as he looked at Marl.
Marl’s smile gradually faded.
Ronnie then continued, “Perhaps it sounds strange to you, but this was what the old Earl instructed when entrusting Richard to Knight Elbert.”
“To keep Richard’s nature pure, never to taint his hands with innocent blood, to make him beloved by the people, to make him a knight who raises his sword for the weak, to make him a knight of justice.”
“So we only had Richard learn swordsmanship, horsemanship, archery, and how to aid the weak commoners, to become a messenger of justice.”
“We could not understand how such a person could become a knight, but this was the old Earl’s demand. We could only obey, even if Richard became weak from never undergoing the training of killing.”
“In truth, even the stories Richard now reads about Knight Elbert are fabricated. Knight Elbert was a true knight. Once, in a one-sided slaughter, he killed a thousand men for the old Earl. That was the deed Knight Elbert was truly proud of—not the image of a knight who raised his sword for commoners and upheld justice.” Ronnie’s tone was calm as he spoke these chilling words, and he even politely bowed slightly to Marl in apology.
“Of course, that is the knight we revered. The Church’s knights naturally have their own standards. But it is precisely because we know the Church’s demands for knights that we have decided to entrust Richard to its protection.”
Marl remained silent. He did not respond. Everything was just Ronnie’s words—who could tell whether there were lies mixed within? After all, Ronnie was now local gentry, and such gentry did not regard lying as sin, nor did they uphold the Holy Scriptures.
“Earl Raul has no heir. After his death, Richard will be the first successor to this territory.” Ronnie continued, “Moreover, Richard carries the bloodline of the Grand Duke’s eldest daughter.”
Hearing this, Marl finally made up his mind and said, “If Richard truly needs the Church’s protection, then he can go to Light Port. That is a place under the Lord’s shelter. There, he may join the Honorary Knights Order. If he truly is as you claim, then yes—but of course, to join the Honorary Knights Order, he must possess sufficient valor.”
“Even if he cannot join the Honorary Knights Order, as long as he abides by the Lord’s teachings and lives according to the Commandments, he shall receive the Lord’s shelter.”
“We bear a mission. We must advance to the front lines, to guard against the onslaught of the Fishmen. We cannot turn back for Richard’s sake, especially now, with Earl Raul near death.”
Ronnie fell into stunned silence.
The Lord of York Territory was attacking south like a madman. The Church of the Sanctuary left behind in York was not particularly honest either. From the information provided by the Rat Path, in just over a year they had seized actual control of York Territory, swallowed Marquis Demitri’s lands, and even crossed the great wall built under the leadership of Viscount Youn to begin their invasions here.
Just look at poor Sir Morn. His lands were to be seized by the Church of the Sanctuary. They bewitched the minds of the commoners, plundering their very souls—it was so very invasive.
Thus Ronnie believed that Richard’s bloodline, if received by the Church of the Sanctuary, would give their territorial claims legitimacy. He thought the Church would crave this, and furthermore, that Richard’s bloodline and his claim to the restoration of the Principality of Patlin would be of great importance to the Church.
He truly had not expected Marl to give such an answer.
Marl rose to his feet and said, “The situation at the border is urgent. We cannot linger here. We must hasten to Mist Fortress.”
Ronnie stood there dumbfounded, unable to react.
Marl directly led the Temple Warriors away. Ronnie’s guards looked at each other but dared not speak.
More than thirty fully armed elite warriors— even the guards at the village gate dared not provoke them. Without reporting to either Ronnie or Richard, they simply opened the gate.
The Fishmen were not Dark Creatures, and so they did not blot out the sky when invading. Under the glow of the White Star, Marl and his men had no trouble marching through the night.
But they had not gone far before they heard the clatter of hooves. Soon after, Richard’s proud voice could be heard.
“I heard from Oliver that you had left before I was done, so I rushed over.” His voice grew nearer until he had reached Marl.
The Temple Warriors grew wary.
“Weren’t you supposed to leave your bloodline behind and kill a hundred Fishmen?” Marl asked.
“Hahaha! Though Uncle Ronnie always says I’m foolish, I am not foolish at all. With my little corner fief, the Fishmen would never bother much with it.” Richard laughed proudly.
His laughter echoed far into the night.
“And since I was twelve, Uncle Ronnie has been asking me to leave my bloodline behind. Yet even to this day, not a single one has conceived—whether young maidens or women who already bore children.”
“Uncle Ronnie just doesn’t want me to go to the front lines. I already guessed that long ago. So, when our guest left, I followed.”
“Of course, I left Oliver behind to tell Uncle Ronnie that I’ve gone to the front lines, so he won’t worry.”
Richard’s armor was somewhat old and ill-fitted, clearly thrown on hastily before he rushed out.
“How did you get out the gate?” Marl asked.
Though knights often smashed through the gates of small villages, based on Ronnie’s description of Richard’s abilities, he should not have been capable of breaking down the gate.
Richard grinned and said, “They seemed to have forgotten to close it. Perhaps they were too eager to report to Uncle Ronnie after you left.”
So, Ronnie permitted it?
Marl frowned, unable to untangle Ronnie’s intent.
After some hesitation, Marl said, “Your Uncle Ronnie wants you to accept the Church’s protection. I agree. You struggled even to kill a single Fishman. On the front lines, such strength would be a burden. I suggest you return to the village now, and when the Morning Star rises, head to Light Port.”
“Hahaha! I said I’m not foolish.” Richard laughed loudly. “I know everything. My heart tells me that I must go to the front lines. That is where my battlefield lies.”
Marl hesitated. He considered asking a Temple Warrior to explain to Richard just how weak he truly was.
“Besides, I have a horse. Though weaker than a true warhorse, it is enough to keep up with you.” Richard seemed to see through Marl’s thoughts. “And ahead, we will encounter knights slaughtering Fishmen. If conflict arises, that would not be good. But as a knight conferred by Earl Raul, they will at least not treat me as an enemy.”
Will they really not treat him as an enemy?
Marl had his doubts.
But Richard’s earlier point was true—he had a horse, while Marl and the others were marching on foot, burdened even with carrying the Lord’s Throne.
So finally Marl said, “If you wish to follow, that is your choice. I cannot persuade you. But know this—we go to the front lines with the resolve to embrace death.”
“Hahaha! You are true knights!” Richard laughed heartily. “I admire you. But do not underestimate the knights of Earl Raul!”
Marl shook his head, smiled faintly, and waved his men forward.
Whether it was truly because of Richard’s presence or not, they indeed encountered no obstruction along the way.
The knights merely turned away at the sight of them.
But as they advanced, traces of the Fishmen grew more and more apparent. Unlike Richard’s fief, where the fields still yielded wheat even after being trampled, here the fields looked gnawed bare, leaving only the soil.
Even the earth itself bore gnaw marks.
The Fishman Servants were carnivores, but when starved, they could survive on water, soil, and roots.
It was precisely for this reason they could pass through Mist Fortress without concern for supply lines, unlike human armies.
Only when Mist Fortress came into distant view did they finally face obstruction.
Two knights stood there with their squires and fifty warriors.
One knight said, “Warriors of York Territory, the Earl is aware of your presence. But Mist Fortress has no room left to receive you. Please head south. There lies another abandoned Fog Fortress, where you may camp.”
His words carried a faint hostility. The warriors gripped their weapons tightly. Marl felt that if he insisted on seeing the Earl, these knights would attack immediately.
Too strange. This earldom was far too strange.
Richard urged his horse forward to speak, but the knight cut him off sharply. “Richard, shame of a knight. The Earl has no wish to see you. You know the road to Fog Fortress. Lead these warriors of York there.”
With that, the knights spurred their horses and rode away.