Usually, knight orders only took on quests related to defeating monsters and received rewards upon completion.
Of course, monsters were considered the enemies of the Alain Kingdom, making them a common foe for the knight orders.
However, even in such circumstances, knight orders would prioritize their own interests and sometimes fight each other over monsters.
To prevent such conflicts and maximize their benefits, knight orders would form alliances.
‘It should be fine without Hanette.’
If Hanette were to die before the story begins, there would be no need for the protagonist to get involved.
It meant that even without Hanette, things would go smoothly.
‘Maybe the signs had nothing to do with the Magic Sword.’
At first, he was sure that the signs Hanette showed would lead to a connection with the Magic Sword.
But there was no such connection, and Hanette was becoming stronger.
Perhaps those signs were unique to Hanette alone.
‘I should just keep Hanette by my side and observe the protagonist.’
As a perfect bystander and supporter, all he needed to do was maintain balance.
Just forming an alliance with the protagonist’s knight order would be enough.
The knight order would operate smoothly, and he could step in whenever necessary.
During this process, his knight order would also build its reputation.
‘Even if complications arise… the White Apostle can handle it.’
Enrite was supposed to observe and guide the protagonist’s growth, so he wouldn’t directly join battles.
Moreover, to hide the fact that he was a Magic Sword, he had to focus on healing as a holy knight.
Of course, if the protagonist were in danger, he would reveal his identity and actively fight.
‘Will those beings follow the original plot?’
They were powerful and threatening, but they never targeted the Alain Kingdom, so they were considered neutral monsters.
The Immortal King, one of the three great demon lords, avoided fighting humans and monsters alike.
The Shadow Dragon, one of the four calamities, simply collected treasures and hid them in the shadow world.
‘The Shadow Dragon will probably appear first...’
Of the seven Magic Swords, five had surfaced in this world.
He possessed the Dark Magic Sword, Enrite had the Light Magic Sword, and the protagonist had the Thunder Magic Sword.
The Nether King used the Earth Magic Sword as his weapon, and the Shadow Dragon kept the Wind Magic Sword as a treasure.
‘Since I can’t retrieve the Earth Magic Sword, I have to aim for another Magic Sword.’
Even the Shadow Dragon couldn’t overpower the Nether King.
Thus, he turned his attention to the weaker humans, targeting the protagonist and Enrite.
If he temporarily joined them, three Magic Swords would be gathered, making them an irresistible target.
‘Can I use Exceed Rain for anything? How will it affect the Shadow Dragon…’
“Should I just not go?”
“…You said you would go.”
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to say anything if I meet that person… the Setinos Quasar.”
“Then follow my advice and don’t go…”
“But he specifically asked me to come, didn’t he?”
“….”
Zion remained silent, staring blankly at Hanette.
Hanette was repeatedly struggling with the same dilemma, unable to make a decision.
She seemed to have taken her mistake with Enrite too seriously.
“Should I not go? Or should I? Ugh…”
“You have a tough life, Hanette. It’s okay whether you go or not.”
“Do you think I’m doing this because I don’t know? This is all your fault!”
“Yes, blame me. That’s more like you.”
Zion accepted her words calmly, shaking his head.
It was about time for her to start blaming him and getting annoyed.
No matter what he said now, it would be his fault, and arguing would only lead to a fight.
“You should have just told me! Why did the White Apostle have to hide his face?”
“Now you’re blaming someone else.”
“Do you understand how I feel? I called the Setinos Quasar ‘that woman’!”
“You probably thought she was a noble or a commoner, right? There’s no way royalty would come here. A Setinos Quasar hiding their identity is not common.”
“Haa…”
Hanette sighed deeply, standing up.
There was no turning back now, and her mind was in turmoil.
Blaming others wouldn’t erase her mistake.
But the confusion was so overwhelming that she couldn’t control her words.
“How about we think about it again tomorrow? You’ll feel better after some sleep.”
“…Maybe.”
“We’re in a foreign place. The environment is different, and we don’t know when a battle will start. Your body might be on edge because it hasn’t adjusted yet.”
“That makes sense.”
Hanette, looking uncertain, lay back down.
Zion quietly got up and walked toward the lamp.
“I’m going to put out the light. Sleep well.”
“Okay… you too.”
Zion extinguished the lamp and lay on the bed.
He wasn’t particularly sleepy, and he found himself thinking about Hanette.
“Hanette.”
“…Why?”
“Just sleep. Don’t think about anything else.”
“How do you know what I’m thinking?”
“I can’t help but know. I’ll take responsibility, so just relax and sleep.”
“How will you take responsibility?”
“I’ll kneel and beg for forgiveness.”
“Haha! Do you even hear yourself?”
“I’ll take all the blame. You’re my partner.”
“You’re so silly…”
Hanette cleared her mind and closed her eyes.
Her restless thoughts gradually subsided.
‘This kid is more mature than I am. I feel like the one who’s three years younger…’
Nakmor Fortress, Sylase Knight Order’s Barracks.
Seran dismissed the knights and prepared a private meeting with Enrite.
Since they were going to discuss confidential matters, it had to be well-prepared.
But the purpose of calling him in hadn’t been revealed yet, making him a bit nervous.
“You’ve met both of them, right?”
“We had a brief conversation.”
“…How were they?”
“Zion Laird was the same as always. Hanette Adelaira…”
Enrite recalled the incident from the previous day but quickly pushed it aside.
An unexpected situation had occurred, forcing him to reveal his identity.
The rocky start might make forming an alliance difficult.
“Did something bad happen?”
“There was a small misunderstanding.”
“Oh… did you resolve it?”
“The misunderstanding is cleared, but I don’t know what will happen.”
Seran, about to ask more, turned his head instead.
The Rihines Knight Order had been drawing a lot of attention.
Their background was exceptional, and their skills were impressive.
Of course, with a Setinos Quasar in his order, the Rihines Knight Order would see their value too.
“It should work out. You revealed your identity, right?”
“That’s why I’m not sure. I can let it slide, but the other side might not. If they feel uncomfortable, an alliance won’t happen.”
“But they agreed to come, didn’t they?”
“They probably couldn’t refuse because of me.”
“Oh… right. They can’t say no to a Setinos Quasar.”
Setinos Quasar was a title held by only five people in the Alain Kingdom.
The current king was also a Setinos Quasar, and they were respected regardless of their status.
Considering the fame of other Setinos Quasars, even royalty couldn’t ignore them.
“I thought about postponing it, but we shouldn’t. We might not get another chance like this.”
“…Can’t we postpone it? We could go to them later.”
“Now and later won’t be the same. Think about your knight order. It’s changed a lot in the past few months.”
“……”
Seran, silent, slowly understood his point.
Just as his order had gained recognition quickly, the Rihines Knight Order could go through a similar process.
Though it was just two people, their significant skills would inevitably yield results.
Moreover, if they recruited more knights later, the Rihines Knight Order would naturally expand its influence.
‘We can’t miss this opportunity.’
Enrite was determined to form an alliance with Zion Laird.
He was a human intertwined with destiny, capable of wielding Exceed Rain.
He had believed no one else could do it, but Zion Laird had performed a miracle.
‘I see hope. We might be able to destroy the demons and dragons…’
Knights in armor appeared, approaching the barracks.
Enrite and Seran recognized them and stood up.
“Did you sleep well last night?”
“Yes, thanks to your hospitality, we slept well.”
Zion left the knights behind and entered the barracks.
Hanette cautiously greeted them, avoiding Enrite’s gaze.
“I apologize for not being able to offer much.”
“No need to apologize. We can’t expect luxuries on the front lines.”
As everyone took their seats, a brief silence followed.
After some thought, Enrite spoke first.
“You’re both busy, so I’ll get straight to the point. I’m currently part of the Sylase Knight Order. This is Seran Sylase, the head of the order.”
“Hello, I’m Seran Sylase, the leader of the Sylase Knight Order.”
“……”
Seeing Seran brought back memories for Hanette.
It was the young man who had invited her to join the knight order back in the capital.
He had been so bold and memorable that she couldn’t forget him.
“You remember me, right?”
“Yes… You invited me to join the knight order… didn’t you?”
Hanette awkwardly switched to formal speech, glancing around nervously.
Zion hid his smile, quietly observing.
“Did that really happen?”
“Yes, I invited her before meeting the White Apostle.”
“I heard about it
from the vice-captain. Now it’s starting to come back to me.”
Enrite looked puzzled, glancing between Zion and Hanette.
The three of them had a strange, unclear connection.
This, too, seemed like fate.
“Do you know much about the Sylase Knight Order?”
“I heard a bit while at Teroden Fortress. It’s quite famous around here.”
“What you heard might have some exaggerations, but most of it is true. As the White Apostle, I can assure you, the Sylase Knight Order will grow even more.”
From that statement, Zion understood Enrite’s intention.
It seemed Enrite had the same idea as him.
“Today, I’d like to propose an alliance with the Rihines Knight Order.”
Enrite stated his true purpose, locking eyes with Zion.
Zion quickly organized his thoughts and calmly responded.
“…First, I need to see the Sylase Knight Order in action. Just because Archbishop Serenine is with you doesn’t mean we can automatically form an alliance.”