The Holy Knight Commander's Autograph Request
Cain clicked his tongue. What the hell is wrong with these people? Maybe he’d gotten too worked up about the hero thing. He glanced at the cardinal, still irritated that the valuable high demon had been snatched away. The fact that the hero had killed it only fueled his rage.
And then you had to go and drop that ‘You like the female lead, don’t you?’ line. He’d nearly thrown his right fist at Sion. The cardinal’s sudden appearance might have actually been a blessing.
If it had been the future hero Sion, things might have been different, but the current Sion would have died for sure.
“That bastard! He still doesn’t realize his own fault and dares to hold his head high! Show proper respect to the cardinal who serves the gods at once!”
These religious types are surprisingly secular. Little brother, why did you only pick the worst traits to write? No, that wasn’t it. There weren’t any commoners among the characters in the first place. Maybe the world-building settings had influenced it?
“Ahem! This insolent fool! Luciel! What are you doing?! The rest of you, prepare to assist Luciel!”
“Yes, Your Eminence!”
The Holy War Knights standing behind him drew their swords. After checking their stances, Cain let out a tiny smile. These weren’t the idiots who only polished their armor and blades.
They weren’t the brats who only craved attention from noble young ladies either. This was the posture of people who had seen real combat. It looked like they had fought quite a few battles.
So the name Holy War Knights wasn’t just for show. If even the average members had skills above the baseline, he was already looking forward to the one sitting in the commander’s seat.
That must be the Holy War Knight Commander over there.
In truth, Cain had already guessed the opponent’s identity even before the cardinal introduced her. The way she stood and the mana she radiated were incredible. The Holy Kingdom’s so-called greatest sword.
In terms of pure combat power, she surpassed the Empire’s Grand General. Unlike the Grand General, who had passed his prime with age, the knight commander was currently at her absolute peak.
On top of that, she was a half-elf born between an elf and a human. Her potential was even greater than the Grand General’s.
…
He could feel it. She was someone who had slain a tremendous number of demons. A very bad person who had stolen his demons. Now he understood why the Holy Kingdom disliked him. Despite being such a remarkable figure, she wasn’t widely known. It was the same situation as with the Grand General. She had been overshadowed by him.
In fact, she had lost even more than he had. Originally, she should have been at least twice as famous by now. But some crazy bastard had swept up all the demons and twisted everything.
Was that why?
Cain smiled.
The way she’s looking at me is no joke. She probably wanted to get rid of him immediately. Just like a sub male lead who had his female protagonist stolen. She was surely losing her mind from rage and jealousy. He felt like playing along. He wanted to have a proper fight with her.
But then someone’s desperate voice rang in his head.
“Please, Cain. Arhen and the Grand General are people of the Empire, so I can somehow handle them, but other countries are really impossible! You said it yourself, didn’t you? The reason you don’t go overboard is so you can go hunt demons on time! If things get too big, that might actually become impossible!!”
Being cursed at or chased was no big deal. But if that interfered with catching demons? That was an extremely serious matter by Cain’s standards. That was why he had held back. He had endured a great deal. And now…
He had no intention of enduring any longer.
I’ve already found the demon collector. If I just shake the female lead of this romance fantasy properly, the demons will come flocking on their own. There’s no reason to hold back anymore.
He roughly shoved aside Wilhelm, who had been saying they couldn’t do this. Facing the knight commander, he provoked her with his eyes. If you’re going to start, stop wasting time and come at me already.
“This impudent—!”
Even the cardinal, who knew nothing of combat, could tell. The knight commander had surely sensed it long ago.
Come on in. Let’s wrap this up quickly so I can finish the hero’s training.
“Your Eminence.”
The Holy War Knight Commander, Luciel, opened her lips. The knights began to half-draw their swords. But her next words were completely unexpected.
“Your Eminence, please withdraw now.”
“…What?”
The cardinal looked at the commander in confusion, his expression asking what on earth she was doing.
“You too.”
But she didn’t even spare him a glance. Looking back at her own knights, she gave the order.
“All of you. Escort His Eminence and withdraw.”
“Commander?”
“It is an order. Leave immediately.”
Their faces showed they couldn’t understand at all. But an order from the commander was an order. They had been trained to obey.
“Commander?! What is the meaning of this?”
Even as the cardinal protested, there was nothing more to be done. The knights quickly surrounded him.
“We will escort you, Your Eminence.”
“What are you doing?! Help the commander instead of me!”
“We prioritize and follow the commander’s orders first.”
If the opponent had been the Holy Emperor, it might have been different. But against a cardinal, the commander’s orders took precedence.
“Commander.”
“What.”
“What should we do about the hero…”
Did she hear the two of them?
Sion’s jaw took a clean hit.
“Kek.”
Sion collapsed unconscious on the spot. No matter how talented a hero he was, this time it hadn’t been the left hand but the right. The current Sion had no chance of enduring it.
“That bastard?!”
Whether the cardinal raised his voice in fury or not, the commander focused solely on Cain’s words.
“Looks like there are no more interruptions now.”
She nodded in agreement. Soon the knights dragged the cardinal away. Their presence gradually faded into the distance. So thoroughly that they couldn’t even interfere.
She’s got quite the strong spirit, huh.
The Holy War Knight Commander before his eyes was clearly a powerhouse. Therefore, she would know better than anyone the difference in their abilities. Both were strong, but a gap definitely existed. Even though she must have felt it clearly, she still wanted a one-on-one fight. He was looking forward to it.
What kind of display would she show? How would she differ from the Empire’s Grand General? Just how impressive was the sword that the Holy Kingdom boasted about?
Step—
The commander closed the distance with steady strides. Then her breathing trembled slightly, as if she were tense. The shaking grew stronger the closer she got.
What the? Why is she like that?
She had boldly sent all her subordinates away, yet now she was getting this nervous? Wouldn’t that make her earlier show of confidence completely pointless?
Is she really someone who has killed high demons?
Just as he was thinking that, the commander crossed into range. A distance where his attacks could easily reach. She was coming straight at him so openly from the front? Had she given up?
Cain frowned.
Swish—
The commander’s hand suddenly moved toward her chest. Was she attacking? But why wasn’t she drawing her sword?
Cain lightly raised his right hand to counter—
“…Lord Cain.”
What she pulled out was not a weapon.
“H-here… this…”
The commander who had been so confident in front of the cardinal just moments ago had completely vanished. All that remained was a face flushed bright red enough to burst.
“P-p-please… sign this for me… I beg you…”
What she held out was a single sheet of pure white paper.
“…???”
Thanks to that, Cain’s brain momentarily shut down.
What was this? Some kind of trick? A new suppression technique? If so, it had succeeded. His cognition had stopped for a second. Something even high demons had never managed. As expected of the Holy War Knight Commander. Such a meticulous scheme…
“I-is it… not allowed?”
“…”
“I’ll treasure it for the rest of my life! I won’t sell it or anything!!”
“…”
Cain slowly released the strength in his hand. Hahaha. Laughing, he looked up at the sky for a moment.
Little brother, what kind of character is this?
“So you are that hero. It’s nice to meet you. I am Luciel Savior, commander of the Holy War Knights.”
The hero, Sion, and the Holy War Knight Commander, Luciel. Their first meeting had been a sort of teacher-student relationship.
“Your real combat experience is decent, but your swordsmanship still needs a lot of polishing. Watch carefully and focus.”
The Holy Kingdom’s holy knight. The hero acknowledged by the Holy Kingdom. The two soon became friends and comrades. Luciel taught Sion everything. True to his title as hero, Sion was overwhelming. Before long, Sion had surpassed her.
“Sion. You really are amazing!”
Overwhelming talent. A sword that slays demons. One who could wield both mana and holy power. Literally chosen by the gods. From then on, Luciel began to admire Sion.
The shining one. The star who will bring hope back to us. Because he is the hero. Because he is the one chosen by the gods. He will surely defeat the demons and save the world.
Luciel believed it without a shred of doubt. And so she became Sion’s fervent supporter. She became a believer who followed him with infinite faith. She laughed and cried over the single name of hero.
“You want me to hold this place? Sion, you… Yes. I understand. If the hero wishes it.”
She fought without sparing herself for the hero’s sake. Meanwhile, Sion didn’t even notice that he only had eyes for Estelle. He simply thought, of course, that he would save the world.
“Haa… haa…”
Even in the final moment, Luciel believed in Sion. If she held on just a little longer, their hero would come. The shining one. The sword that destroys demons. He would definitely, definitely come.
But Sion never went to his comrades. Instead, he ran at full speed to save Estelle. All he did was shed tears, saying he paid respect to their noble sacrifice and that he would never forget them.
That was the end of Luciel’s story in the ‘original work.’ She was never mentioned again.
So what future had she met?
“Ugh…!”
Luciel was eventually captured alive by the demons. She who had once killed more demons than the hero himself. Naturally, the demons’ hostility toward her pierced the heavens.
“Aaaaaagh!!—”
Luciel suffered brutal torture at the demons’ hands. Even in that horrific pain, she did not yield. She believed that the hero—Sion—would surely come to save her.
But no matter how long she waited, Sion never came. And so she died. Miserably. Tragically. While Sion was laughing after rescuing Estelle. Betrayed by the person she admired and trusted most.
—That was the original fate that had awaited Luciel.
But that fate no longer existed.
“Demon Slayer… you said?”
The demons Luciel should have killed.
“God’s Right Hand?”
The demons that had captured Luciel alive.
“What exactly is his name?”
The demons that had tortured Luciel.
“Cain…!”
The demon that had ultimately murdered Luciel.
All of them. Without leaving behind even a scrap of flesh. The one who had literally devoured them greedily.
Luciel had heard every single story about Cain. He was an overwhelming man. An invincible man. Even when he charged alone, he possessed military-level power. The one who annihilated every demon before his eyes.
He was not a knight. He was not a noble. He was literally nothing at all. Yet that nothing accomplished everything. He established justice on this land and eradicated evil. He protected good and purified the filthy.
“Oh my god… someone like this exists…!!”
It would not be an exaggeration to call it the descent of a war god. Some might dismiss it as baseless rumor, but Luciel was certain every word was true.
“I want to meet him.”
She had come to admire him. More intensely than anyone else. She wanted to meet him. She wanted to see what kind of person he was. She wanted to stand before him and say, I want to become like you. Cain. I am working hard to follow in your footsteps. She wanted to hear his answer!
And finally, the opportunity has come.
Demon Slayer. God’s Right Hand. The invincible Cain. The one who left not a single demon behind. Just as the rumors said, he was an overwhelmingly powerful man. Her chest tingled. Her heart pounded wildly.
There were so many things she wanted to say to Cain, but her lips refused to move properly.
Say something, anything, quickly!!
For the past several years I’ve heard every story about you. You’re so cool. You’re so amazing. I admire you so much. Someday I definitely want to fight alongside you. I want to kill demons with you and save the world together. Could you give me that opportunity?
“H-here… this…”
But her thoughts and body were operating on completely different wavelengths.
“P-p-please… sign this for me… I beg you…”
Her voice trembled violently. Her hands shook even worse. Cain looked at the paper she barely managed to hold out.
“…”
Was it too sudden? What if he refused? This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. The meeting she had dreamed of wasn’t like this! Was asking for a signature the end? Are you crazy right now? This was the encounter you wanted so desperately! Aaaaah!
“Uuuu…”
At that moment, the unconscious Sion twitched. True to his nature as a hero, he had already regained consciousness.
“…”
Cain took the paper and pen. Then he scribbled something down.
Become My Accomplice
📍 Terms: Assist in demon hunting and world reform
🎁 Reward: The chance to fight by his side
“Accomplice…?”
Luciel read the contents of the paper aloud. Cain nodded and turned away.
“C-Cain. I will never give up on my first love…”
Sion was knocked out again.
Cain looked at Luciel and pressed a finger to his lips.
“Ah.”
Luciel unconsciously copied him. Shh.
Cain gave her a thumbs-up. Then he grabbed Sion by the back of the neck and disappeared.