Chapter 73
The Holy Knight Order directly under the White Kingdom, the [Twilight Knight Order].
Led by their commander, Garuel Monzasi, they had swept across countless battlefields, slaying demons and healing the wounded, giving the Twilight Knight Order and their White Kingdom a strong image as ‘a nation of virtuous men’.
‘……It was definitely like that.’
Lumen made a strange expression while looking at the back of ‘Garuel Monzasi’ who was driving a horse in front of him.
His pure white hair was disheveled and his gestures swayed freely with his horse's movements. No matter how Lumen looked at him, with one hand on the reins and the other clutching a flask of wine, taking gulp after gulp, he portrayed an image of being a lout of the noble family.
The procession naturally stretched, led by the slow commander. Lumen, who could not withstand the frustration, eventually hit the reins lightly.
Garuel nodded his head as he glanced at Lumen, who had approached him.
“Please hurry up a little. As I explained, the villagers are not in good condition.”
A black patch under his white hair covered his left eye, but the exposed right eye was enough to tell Lumen his lack of motivation.
“Ah! That's right. I was absent-minded.”
A languor that could be described as absent-minded. Lumen smiled a dignified smile, barely concealing his creeping contempt. Garuel, who smiled back, reached for the flask and barked orders to the men behind him.
“The village is just around the corner! Speed up!”
A thunderous reply rang in his ears. He heard the sound of the reins being hit here and there with the shouting of ‘Giddy up!’, and Lumen also tried to speed up.
“……Aren't you running?”
Garuel, who had actually given the order, was busy shoving the mouth of the flask into his mouth. A bewildered gaze reached out over his tilted head. Looking back at the Knight Order who were moving in perfect order to avoid himself and Garuel, Lumen revealed an absurd feeling that he could not hide.
“My men are enough for the villagers' treatment, Sir Lumen, for they are such outstanding figures. To be honest, I didn't even have to be mobilized.”
“You haven't checked the condition of the village yet, have you? Moreover, it is the work of the demon. Clashes with the demon can't be avoided, so don't we need Sir Garuel's power?”
“Alas, well……. That's possible.”
Garuel shook the already finished flask, peering down at the bottom. He chuckled and tossed the empty flask to the ground.
“Then please call me then. I'll be waiting in Hachellan Town.”
“……Pardon?”
“It hasn't been long since I went on an expedition, so fatigue is piling up. Do you know that there is a famous dancer in Hachellan's tavern, Sir Lumen? I stop by whenever I think of her…… As expected, she’s flexible as she dances well. It's fun to make love with her because she can do many poses.”
Lumen was tempted to drop his dignity and picked in his ears for a moment. What did he mean by making love? Were those the words that would come out of the mouth of a person who was said to be the commander of the ‘Holy Knight Order’? In fact, had the new Holy Knight Order changed its policy?
While Lumen was still recovering from the shock, Garuel stopped talking and corrected the position of the eyepatch covering his left eye.
“Then, if there's an emergency, send my men to Hachellan Town. For other miscellaneous matters, the vice commander, Modeleine, is at your disposal.”
Then he swung his horse to the other side of Baskin Village and struck the reins vigorously. Lumen's expression mercilessly crumpled at the back of Garuel, who was moving away so fast that the delay from a moment ago was unbelievable.
* * *
Baskin Village.
Arriving first, the Twilight Knight Order split into groups to heal the survivors and search the village. Lumen's gaze shifted as he watched the organized movement.
“Leader moved first?”
After explaining the general circumstances, Van put his luggage on his back.
“He's gone with Lydon. Since the reinforcements are here, we'd better join them right away.”
“And the location?”
“This will let me know.”
Van's ring finger rose proudly. Lumen, who frowned at the hand movements that reminded him of a swearing gesture, belatedly noticed the existence of the ring.
“What's that?”
“It's my couple ring with Commander.”
“……What?”
“The red thread of fate tells us where each other is, and we can even tell the other's condition by the trembling of the thread, making us the perfect couple in more ways than one―”
“Ah, a mundane artifact. Leader has got something useful on his hands.”
Lumen, who lightly ignored Van's elated expression, turned his head. Then Van glared at Lumen with fierce eyes.
“It's a couple ring.”
“A couple ring is a coupe ring when a couple wears it. If you have to ask, it's technically a subordinate ring.”
“Hmph, a guy who isn't even a subordinate can't even wear a subordinate ring. Anyway, this is a couple ring.”
Come to think of it, they hadn't talked about joining since the leader's ‘bathroom incident’. He would try his luck again once this case was resolved.
Thinking so, Lumen pushed Van, who kept emphasizing the ring, and moved on.
“They’re waiting. I'll ask for people to move with us.”
Garuel said he had delegated all authority to his vice commander, Modeleine, while he was off to the tavern to get laid with a woman.
No matter how much Lumen thought about it, it wasn't something the commander of the prestigious Holy Knight Order would do. Perhaps he was a fake. A stand-in for some reason.
Lumen, who still couldn't get out of the shock left by Garuel, found Modeleine with complicated thoughts. Modeleine was a man with a sincere impression, and whether it was because the work was hard or because his superior was like that, dark circles were hanging under his eyes. He had been exploring the village with his men when he spotted Lumen and came straight to him.
“The situation is much more serious than we've heard. Do you have any guesses about the whereabouts of the demon that is the cause of this?”
“That's what I'm here for. My captain has been tracking the demon, and I'm hoping the Knight Order can lend a hand. I'm sure he's close to the demon, as he's accompanied by a well-informed subordinate.”
“That's great to hear, so let's split up and start working on the…….”
Unlike his superior, Modeleine was a fast worker, and as he was about to make an immediate plan to follow up, an urgent voice called for Lumen from behind.
“Lumen! We need to move now!”
It was Van. He lunged at him, grabbing him by the shoulders. Lumen’s gaze shifted instinctively as he met his unsteady gaze before he could recognize the strange sensation.
Van’s ring. An ominous resonance emanated from the ring Cadel had handed him.
“This is…….”
“The thread is vibrating. It means that Commander is in danger.”
Lumen's eyes widened, and he looked back at Modeleine.
“The situation has become urgent. I will move first, and Sir Modeleine will gather those who can move and follow.”
“Pardon? I think it's better to move together―”
“Thank you, please take care of it.”
Before Modeleine could finish his answer, Lumen turned around and moved to the place where the horses were tied up with Van. As soon as each of them got on the horses, they struck the reins without delay.
Modeleine, who had been watching the two for a while, belatedly summoned his men in a hurry.
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