Lucas opened his eyes.

He was greeted by the sight of an unfamiliar, low, and dirty ceiling.

"...!"

As he jolted upright, a sharp pain surged through him. Upon inspection, he noticed hasty bandages wrapped around his upper body.

"Where am I...?"

Lucas mumbled, bewildered.

"Ah, you’re awake!"

The voice of a young child filled the room.

Turning, Lucas saw a scrawny boy carrying a water jug and a towel, walking into the room.

"Are you okay, Sir Knight? You lost a lot of blood."

"You are..."

Lucas soon recognized the boy’s identity.

It was the same boy who had locked eyes with him earlier while fighting Mason.

Just before landing the finishing blow on Mason, Lucas had noticed the boy watching him through a basement window. Realizing that his sword strike would also devastate the boy and the house he was in, Lucas had changed the direction of his attack at the last moment.

Because of this, he had failed to finish off Mason and had instead been struck down himself.

However, his actions had spared this home and its inhabitants.

"I only managed some basic first aid. But you’re really tough, Sir Knight! I thought you were dead!"

The boy smiled innocently.

Suppressing a grimace, Lucas pressed his hand against his blood-soaked bandages.

Mason’s greatsword had aimed precisely for Lucas’ heart and had ripped through it. Mason, believing Lucas was dead, had then left.

However, Lucas had the passive skill [Man of Steel].

A near-miraculous ability that blocked fatal damage once per stage.

That had saved his life.

But that was it.

His sword was shattered, his armor was torn, and while he had avoided death, the residual damage was still there. He felt a dreadful fatigue and pain throughout his body.

’But I have to go.’

Ash is in danger. I must act before it’s too late...!

"Where is... my lord..."

As Lucas struggled to rise, muttering to himself, the boy hurriedly spoke.

"I saw it."

"Huh?"

"I saw where the scruffy guy you fought went."

Lucas’ eyes widened, and the boy explained.

"He headed towards the Northern Ruined Village. People in the neighborhood have been talking a lot recently about strange folks hanging around there."

"The Northern Ruined Village..."

Nodding, Lucas gently patted the boy’s head.

"Thank you, kid."

The boy looked up hesitantly at Lucas and stammered.

"Um, I know. You lost because of me, right? If I hadn’t distracted you, you would’ve won, wouldn’t you?"

"..."

"I’m sorry, because of me..."

With a rueful smile, Lucas shook his head.

"It’s not your fault. I lost because I was weak."

Yes, he was weak.

Why couldn’t he harden his resolve?

Why couldn’t he properly judge what was more important?

He should have killed Mason. There were ample opportunities. He should have even used his beast transformation.

If not, even if it meant this boy would be swept away, he should have swung his sword and severed Mason’s life.

But he hadn’t.

He couldn’t bring himself to hate Mason enough. Nor was he audacious enough to risk an innocent boy’s life.

He hesitated, wavered, and failed.

In the end, due to his weak spirit, Ash was in danger.

Isn’t that a disqualification even as a guardian...?

"I’ve... become weak."

As Lucas muttered to himself, the boy shook his head vigorously.

"No, Sir Knight, you’re strong!"

"Huh?"

"You tried to protect me, someone you’ve never even seen before, didn’t you?"

The boy clenched his small fist.

"So, Sir Knight, you’re... strong!"

"But I lost, how am I strong?""It’s your heart that’s strong!"

In the boy’s eyes, a light of admiration flickered.

"You fight to protect people, just like the knights in fairy tales!"

Lucas blinked blankly.

To protect people...

’Kill monsters, protect people.’

Ash’s words, which he had heard like a hammer to his head, suddenly circled in his mind. Lucas slowly repeated them.

"Kill monsters, protect people..."

Why did these oft-repeated words suddenly feel so foreign?

He had just been following what Ash had ordered.

Had he ever genuinely understood and deeply executed that grand principle?

Even though he had been so close to Ash, had he just been mindlessly...moving according to his commands?

’Because I’m a Knight, is that enough?’

If it wasn’t enough.

Then what...

What do I actually want to do?

"Sir Knight?"

When the boy inquired uncertainly, Lucas finally snapped back to reality.

Quickly donning his upper-body armor that lay in the corner of the room, Lucas spoke to the boy.

"Go to the Silver Winter Merchant Guild branch immediately and request reinforcements. The prince has been kidnapped, and the culprits are believed to be in the northern ruins."

The troops from Crossroad were currently deployed to a forward base.

Even if they asked for reinforcements, it would be too late given the urgency of the defensive situation.

However, the Silver Winter Merchant Guild had troops prepared within Crossroad. This was the quickest way to request reinforcements.

The boy nodded his head and urgently asked,

"And what about you, sir?"

"I have no time to waste; I’m heading to the ruins right now."

"But..."

The boy glanced at Lucas’s shattered sword.

"You don’t have a weapon, do you?"

Lucas also looked at [Karma Eater] lying shattered on the floor. What used to be a beautiful sword was now just jagged pieces.

He had no other weapons at hand, and stopping by the forge would be a gross waste of time.

Lucas clenched his fist tightly.

"...I have to go, regardless."

"Um..."

Then, hesitating for a moment, the boy rushed out of the room and brought something back.

"Could you use this?"

What the boy offered was a wooden sword.

Examining it, Lucas found that while it was short and crudely made, it had decent tensile strength. It could withstand most iron swords.

"Um, I also dream of becoming a knight..."

The boy scratched the back of his head, looking awkward.

"It’s the sword I usually practice with. Please borrow it!"

"...Thank you. I will make good use of it."

Although it couldn’t compare to the famed swords he had used before, it was better than nothing.

Expressing his gratitude to the boy, Lucas finally donned his round helmet and left the basement room.

A harsher snowstorm was raging outside. As Lucas trudged through the snow, the boy shouted toward him.

"Sir Knight!"

"...?"

"Please save our lord!"

Turning back, Lucas saw the boy smiling at him.

"Because you’re as amazing as they come!"

Letting out a faint laugh, Lucas began moving northward again.

"...I will."

Even if it costs me my life.

Muttering to himself, he gathered his magic power and kicked off the ground, starting to run as if flying.

Whoosh!

Watching his figure recede into the distance, the boy turned and began to run toward the center of Crossroad—toward the Silver Winter Merchant Guild branch.

***

Mason, who had injected me with succubi hypnotic serum in my neck, carefully removed the syringe.

My eyes opened hazily. My mouth slightly agape, drool dripping. Hehehe.

"Hypnotic serum test. Can you hear me, Your Highness?"

"Ah... I can hear you very well...""Please state your name, age, and occupation."

"Ash... Ash ’Born Hater’ Everblack... 23 years old... The lord of Crossroad..."

I wondered if I would have said, ’A devoted... 3N-gen... game streamer...’ if I had really fallen for the succubi’s tricks. Just imagining it gave me the creeps.

"Please stand up."

I slowly lifted myself from the chair.

"Turn left once. Turn right once."

I spun around.

"Jump in place. Three times."

Thump! Thump! Thump!

"Lastly, scream for three seconds towards the front!"

"Aaaaaah!"

"Hmm, success it seems."

Mason nodded, appearing satisfied.

Externally, I grinned, but internally, I gritted my teeth. This damn kid! Does he think this is a Marine Corps camp?! You’re way out of line, you little shit!

’Thank you, succubi legion! Thank you, Salome!’

Thanks to your descendants making such crappy potions, I can deceive this punk! I am sincerely grateful!

’Next time we meet, I’ll give you a hug, Salome.’

Though I’ll follow that up with a headlock and an armbar!

Feeling grateful for Salome and the succubi legion, Mason sat me back down in the chair and asked with a serious face.

"From this moment on, please answer my questions truthfully."

"Of course... I will... not tell... a single... lie..."

Just the thought of fooling him had me salivating.

"Firstly, how does one enter the Lake Kingdom?"

"You must... purchase an entry ticket... 60,000 Adel for adults, 48,000 Adel for children..."

Damn, those tickets are surprisingly expensive.

"And where can one purchase these tickets?"

"The place where... the red roots of the earth... barter with each other..."

But you can get it cheap at the second-hand market.

"... Could you explain it more straightforwardly?"

"Discounts are available on site... you seem like you qualify..."

"Huh? What does that mean?"

"You could get a pregnancy discount... judging by your belly, you could easily fool them..."

Mason’s eyes narrowed. Yikes. Time to stop messing with him.

"At the main gate of the Lake Kingdom, a secret knock will... open it immediately..."

Mason’s eyes lit up at my words.

"A secret knock?"

"You perform a specific pattern of knocking... they hear it and open the door..."

I was just saying anything that came to mind, and it was comical how seriously Mason was taking it.

Mason even pulled out a notepad and prepared to take notes.

"What’s the pattern?"

"Well, you see..."

What should I make the secret knock?

I hesitated for a moment and then knocked on the table next to me.

Knock. Knock-knock. Knock.

Once, twice, once.

I didn’t know why such a simple pattern popped into my mind, but I ended up doing it that way.

Mason slowly nodded.

"Hmm... I see. So, just knock, and it will open..."

Heh, idiot. Go ahead and knock on the gate by the lake. By the time you’re back, we’ll be ready to counter-attack.

I was internally celebrating when...magic

"However, I’ve heard there’s a shortcut within this city."

Mason suddenly leaned in closer to my face and blurted this out.

"During the last festival, we gathered intel that guests ’appeared’ near the lord’s mansion."

"..."

"There’s a shortcut leading to the Lake Kingdom within this city, isn’t there? Exactly where is it?"

Mason asked in a menacing tone, the corners of his mouth twisted cruelly.

I tried to maintain a foolish expression, but a bead of cold sweat trickled down my back.

This guy...

He’s no ordinary opponent.

"What’s the matter? Why are you hesitating?"

Meeting my trembling gaze, Mason’s eyes narrowed like a predator.

"Could it be that the hypnosis didn’t work?"

--TL Notes--

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