# 14. Third Companion. As always, the moment of choice arrives.
The banquet hall's lighting was dazzling.
Massive chandeliers, nobles dressed in splendid attire.
The variety of food laid out on the tables was considerable.
I picked up a dessert cookie and popped it in my mouth.
Sweet.
"The taste is pretty good too. They must have prepared a lot."
The Empire Grancia's knight orders are divided into two branches.
The Black Crow Knights, who value traditional knighthood.
The Sylvester Knights, who change with the flow of the times.
The Black Crow Knights insist on the tradition that "the knight order has no need for magic."
The Sylvester Knights push the opinion that "as magic develops, the knight order also needs magic."
Since their opinions ran to opposite extremes, their relationship wasn't good either.
"A banquet from those traditional Black Crow Knights... I'm curious what there'll be."
Though the most important thing is the Hero's companion.
I grabbed a simple welcome drink from nearby and drank it.
It was sweet alcohol without a high proof.
Then I moved to a corner where I could see the entire space at a glance.
*If I observe people from here, a Hero Party member should appear.*
The location selection wasn't bad.
However, perhaps because there were quite a few people who preferred quiet spaces over noisy ones, even the corner had a crowd.
And among those people, there was a figure familiar to my eyes.
It was that person I'd had a connection with in the past.
"Irina."
"Jun?"
The silver-white knight stuck in the corner.
Sylvester Irina with silver hair approached me.
A person who had been in the same party as me in the past, someone I'd often seen in photos.
She, unchanged from the past, came toward me.
"Jun, it's been a while."
"Yeah, it has been a while. Was Aden Village the last time?"
"Probably, we haven't met since then. Have you been well?"
"In my own way."
I'm living well enough.
Irina let out a relieved breath and said.
"Still, that's fortunate. I'm so glad you're alive. You seemed to be in a lot of pain after that day, but it looks like you've pulled yourself together now, Jun."
"...Well, yeah."
Rather than pulling myself together, it would be more accurate to say I tried to forget as much as possible.
Since I'm living without recalling that incident now.
Irina's words were correct in that sense.
"Just in case, I'll say this, Jun. What happened that day wasn't your fault—"
"Stop, that's enough. That's not for you to judge, Irina."
"...I misspoke. I'm sorry, Jun."
Irina closed her mouth.
I didn't want to think about that day anymore.
As if understanding the meaning of my words, regret bloomed on Irina's expression.
An awkward current flowed through the air.
"..."
That's when it happened.
The sound announcing the start of the party began to ring out.
The banquet hall's main door opened, and knights in jet-black armor began entering in formation.
Their movements were precise without a single error, and even to my eyes, they were well-trained knights.
*Are these official knights?*
Not filtered stones like Kyle from the Garbage Dump, but large gemstones.
As I watched the Black Crow Knights' appearance, I heard Sylvester Knight Commander Irina's indignant voice.
"Hmph, they seem inferior to the Sylvester Knights' official knights. Our knight order is far better than those outdated fools. If only that child would join, our knight order would reach the top."
"...Irina. Have you forgotten where we are?"
"Ah, oh no. My inner thoughts slipped out."
A banquet of the Black Crow Knights hosted by the Black Crow Knights.
Naturally, there were many supporters of the Black Crow Knights around.
"That silver knight is slandering the Black Crow Knights."
"Sylvester. They've forgotten tradition and have no foundation. No foundation."
"The Empire's greatest knight order is the Black Crow Knights... Ugh, tsk tsk."
People who heard Irina's voice began to condemn her.
In contrast, Irina's reaction was...
"I have no problem with it."
Iron block.
She held her head up stiffly as if nothing was wrong.
But why were her clenched fists trembling?
I decided not to ask.
*...Irina's personality is still the same.*
Anyway.
After the official knights passed by neatly, next came the apprentice knights in formation.
Those representing the future of the Black Crow Knights.
Once again, Irina added her commentary.
"Hmph, only one seems useful. If only that child would join the Sylvester Knights..."
"Be quiet, Irina."
"...Alright. Hearing that from you somehow feels like I've gone back to the past."
"I said be quiet."
"..."
At my cold words, Irina shut her mouth.
However, there was a reason I told her to be quiet.
One of the apprentice knights had caught my attention.
Even at a glance, her atmosphere was on a different level from the other apprentice knights.
Mainly, in terms of her Core.
Unlike knights who use refined mana to momentarily generate power,
the mana flowing from her body was the high-purity mana of a mage.
*But why is there a mage in the Black Crow Knights...?*
Traditionally, there are no mages in the Black Crow Knights.
However, right now, a woman wearing neat knight's attire with neat, long black hair.
A woman with sanpaku eyes that gave off a dreamlike yet eerie feeling was clearly a mage, not a knight, to anyone who looked.
At that moment, a problem from Minerva arrived, as if stamping a correct answer on my thoughts.
[You're not very surprised this time? An expected Hero Party member has appeared! A mage at that! I don't know who to thank, but it's truly something to be grateful for, isn't it? Now, how will Lee Jun-woo act!?]
[1. Kidnap her today.]
[2. No. Don't kidnap her.]
Today or tomorrow.
There was no need to deliberate.
I hadn't used the answer key even once today.
I could just check both.
*Show me the answers for options 1 and 2.*
At that moment, two futures began to unfold before my eyes.
...
Future of option 1.
Not bad.
I kidnap the mage, and she works hard for the party, eventually defeating all the Demon Kings.
However, after that.
*...*
The day after saving the world.
On the day of the festival in the Empire.
The mage hangs herself alone in her room, ending her life in solitude.
The reason wasn't shown in the answer key.
There was no solution process.
The answer key moved to the next page.
...
Future of option 2.
Even if I don't kidnap her, the mage later joins the Hero Party.
She performs excellently with outstanding skills in the process of defeating the Demon Kings, ultimately achieving perfect victory over them.
However, amid the cheers of victory, the mage was expressionless.
*What's so fun for all of you?*
Eyes terribly empty of emotion.
An expression unable to feel any emotion at all.
The mage couldn't feel any emotion even after defeating all the Demon Kings.
Perhaps that's why.
*I'm not having fun.*
She began gathering the fragments of the Demon Kings scattered in the air and absorbing them into her body.
Black mana moved toward the mage, and uncontrollable corrupting mana dominated the space.
Overwhelming mana, an inescapable gaze.
In that storm of demonic energy, a new Demon King was born.
It was the exact same scene as "that day" I had experienced.
*Why did you make this choice!! Saten..!!*
*...*
Eventually, the mage is subjugated by her companions.
But even on the verge of death, she said nothing.
The reason she became a Demon King was completely unknown.
...
*No matter what I choose, the mage dies...*
In terms of killing all the Demon Kings, that problem is correct.
But the mage dies regardless of which option I choose.
That fact doesn't change.
Still.
*It's better to die as a human than become a Demon King. And staying at my house rather than remaining with the knight order.*
There might be even a 0.1% chance that Saten won't kill herself.
For Saten, both problems are wrong answers.
But my finger moved toward option 1, which wasn't a complete wrong answer.
After the knight order's departure ceremony ended.
The daughter of the Black Crow Knight Commander.
Cecilia Saten was changing from her knight's uniform into a dress.
It was because she had to shine at the party as a member of the family.
"Mary. Isn't it trash-like of those adults to change their minds and break down those solid walls when they're a knight order that valued tradition?"
"Y-yes... Miss's words are always right..."
The terrified maid Mary answered to appease her.
She was terrified as if there were a demon before her eyes.
*I haven't done anything "yet."*
Saten didn't like that reaction.
"Mary. Look at me. Look at my eyes."
"May I dare to look..."
"Hurry. I like people who understand what I say at once, Mary."
"I-I understand, Miss..."
Mary met Saten's bewitching eyes.
Sanpaku eyes where the iris is positioned upward, so unlike normal eyes, three areas of white surround the iris.
A cool and dreamlike gaze penetrated Mary.
Saten smiled with amusement watching the trembling Mary.
"What are you so afraid of, Mary? It's not like I'm going to kill or hit you... If you keep trembling like that, it makes me look like a criminal, Mary."
"I won't trem—"
"You trembled again."
Slap—!
Saten struck maid Mary's cheek with her gloved hand.
It was after confirming there were no people around.
"I wasn't going to do anything. But Mary kept trembling and made me into a bad person. Apologize, Mary. You're smart, so you understand what I mean, right?"
"...Yes, Miss. I'll... apologize..."
Slap—
The sound of slapping cheeks echoed through the room.
Saten was putting on her dress by herself.
Slap—
Yet the sound continued to echo.
After putting on the dress and checking in the mirror, Saten said to Mary.
"Thank you for understanding at once, Mary. Do it just 10 more times. Don't come out until the party ends. You can't appear at the party looking like that. Right?"
"...Yes, Miss."
Slap—
Mary continued to strike her own cheek.
Saten said that and left the room indifferently.
Heading toward the center of the banquet hall, she muttered in a cold tone.
"How interesting. When I said I'd study magic, they treated me like filth, but once I showed results, they broke a 500-year tradition and started wagging their tails."
Saten, who possessed genius magical talent that might appear once in a thousand years.
Ironically, she was born into a traditional knight family.
Naturally, her childhood with her magical talent wasn't smooth.
And it was progressively becoming harder to live in the present.
To the point where she wouldn't know if she ended her own life right now.
Click. Click.
Her expression as she headed to the party venue was terribly expressionless.
As if her emotions had died.
As if they had disappeared.
It was a cold face that had lost its color.
The party proceeded successfully.
After showing the future of the knight order, the morale of the nobles following the Black Crow Knights had risen.
"This class of knights is very reliable."
"Indeed. Hehe. I'm thinking of increasing my investment amount this time... What do you think?"
"After hearing the announcement, I'm thinking of raising it by 20%..."
"I've already put in my entire fortune!! The knight order's stock will definitely rise!! Ah, don't say you should have bought it then!! What are you doing not putting it in quickly!!"
This stock will definitely rise.
People turning their happiness circuits saying such things, laughing heartily.
Their voices became quiet in an instant as the door opened.
Creak—
The door opened and the Cecilia family of the Black Crow Knights entered.
Behind family head Cecilia Lennon, his son Lenen, the knight commander, and Saten entered.
Lennon, standing in the center, began speaking in his characteristically emotionless voice.
"We sincerely welcome all of you who have come. How did you find the future of the Black Crow Knights?"
"Very good! The future is as bright as the Empire's sky! Haha!!"
"That's quite fortunate. I'm very grateful that you view our Black Crow Knights' future positively."
Could that be the face of someone grateful?
The expressionless Lennon bowed his head slightly toward them.
Very slightly.
It was the arrogant gaze the Cecilia family possessed.
"First, before this atmosphere continues. Many of you must be curious about our knight order's future. Whether we'll become solid by valuing tradition, or fall behind the times by not abandoning our stubbornness."
"Wh-what do you mean...?"
Murmur murmur—
People began murmuring after hearing Lennon's words.
When such a preface came before something significant, it meant a shocking story was coming.
They were exchanging opinions with each other.
"Enough."
Silence—
Controlling the noise with one word, Lennon continued.
"There was much deliberation. Whether to preserve our Black Crow Knights' tradition or move forward. However, if tradition ultimately holds our legs, shouldn't we deal with it cleanly?"
To get to the point!
Lennon shouted very strongly at this part.
"We! Plan to recruit mages! Into the knight order!! The first step! Is our family's genius mage Cecilia Saten! Based on this! The Black Crow Knights will soar! To even greater heights!!"
"Oh, ooh...?"
"Waaaah—!!"
Genius mage.
Along with the cheers introducing Saten.
The lights went dark and the banquet hall was engulfed in darkness.
"Hmm, there must be some introduction. They turned off the lights!"
"I'm really looking forward to it!"
Thump thump—
People thought it was stage direction.
After the lights went out, they'd turn back on and ta-da! Cecilia Saten would appear.
Wrapped in such anticipation, they expected the Black Crow Knights' leap forward.
However.
When you have expectations, disappointment comes even greater later.
Click—!
The lights turned on and vision brightened.
The balcony where Cecilia Saten should have appeared.
There...
"What, Saten suddenly disappeared...? What do you mean..!!"
"Wh-what? She disappeared...?!"
"My, my stocks!! Aaaah!!"
The Black Crow Knights' genius mage Saten.
She had already disappeared, taken by someone.