Rondan's Knights
I'd run into Rondan's knights before, after dodging the Observer. Of course, they hadn't burst in like this—they'd shown up after I'd fully escaped the underground prison.
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The community was full of fans of Rondan's knights. They even joked that the Snow Castle's core was this knight order, with comments like "they show up like gallery admins lol." The uploaded pics always showed them looking cool and sleek.
From what I recalled, yeah—Rondan's knights were this stylish group that killed Outer Gods and equipped weapons and armor made from them.
"…?"
This? This was Rondan's knights as I knew them?
Sure, with Super Coward Mode, it made sense that knights geared in Outer God equipment looked cute. The badass Outer God armor turned into teddy bear costumes, the sleek dual swords became plastic toys, and the heavy, imposing axes shrank to playthings.
At least in my eyes, the old Rondan knights were long gone. It felt more realistic to say they'd raided an amusement park for toys to play knight dress-up.
I was so dumbfounded that now I just wanted to laugh.
"…Why's this guy grinning like an idiot?"
"R-Really? Has he achieved enlightenment or something…?"
Thinking it over had accidentally made me chuckle out loud. Come on, who wouldn't laugh at a bear-masked guy striking such a stern pose? Sure, it was just me seeing it that way.
"Hey, cut it out."
"Eek!"
Meanwhile, Agartha tried sneaking away quietly, only for a knight to press a plastic sword to her and stop her cold. She paled and backed off, trembling. To me it looked like a toy, but to her it must've been terrifying.
Cognitive dissonance central.
The woman in the white mask whispered in Agartha's ear.
"Don't move. One twitch and I'll slice your soul clean out. This blade feeds on souls."
"…Hic."
It must've been genuinely threatening—playful Agartha was even hiccuping. Plus, Hunter had already dropped her gun, hands up, signaling she wasn't fighting.
That was the normal reaction, sure… but this damn mode kept my brain from grasping the gravity.
As I spaced out scanning the scene, the hooded girl with the toy axe tapped my shoulder.
I turned carefully, and she said, shivering,
"P-Please stay still… I'm, I'm pretty strong, y'know? If you resist, I'll have to hurt you…."
No matter how I looked, she held all the cards—why was she acting like the scared one? Just super timid, I guess. She'd seemed introverted in the game too, but up close she looked even more shriveled up.
Wanna join my Super Coward Club? Not that I'd share the mode. Couldn't if I tried.
"Please don't do anything."
Even if the toy axe wasn't scary, getting actually chopped would hurt like hell, right? It looked so fake you'd think running your finger along the blade wouldn't draw blood.
Honestly, I'd been lucky so far. Without those wall carvings and community posts, I never would've made it here. Hate pain, so time to play nice.
"Yep!"
I answered extra peppy, which just startled her into more shaking—her build screamed tough, but her heart was fragile.
How'd she survive in a place crawling with Outer Gods with that personality? I only knew their surface from the story; no deep lore.
Meanwhile, the bear-masked man stepped forward with a paper.
"Contamination by Outer Gods?"
"Purification rite done. No issue."
Looked like a prisoner roster read-out.
"Prisoner: Agartha. Charges: theft x3, blackmail x2, gambling x7. Numerous suspected attempts."
Agartha flushed like it'd been embarrassing dirt, sneaking glances at me and Hunter.
Whoa. Theft, blackmail, gambling? Total scumbag.
I gave her a cold stare, and she shot back eyes screaming, Now's not the time?!
No joking around.
As she scratched her head, the masked woman with plastic dual swords appraised her.
"Agartha, huh? Alias, then. Thieves have ranks, and only top-tier ones use fakes like that."
The timid girl heard the masked woman and nodded blankly a couple times before forcing out,
"Y-Yeah. Um, r-right."
Agartha's shoulders started shaking. Sensing the convo going off-rails, she babbled desperately.
"No! I'm a total good thief, I swear! Huh? If you just let me out, I can get you anything…!"
"Next."
The bear-masked man neatly cut her off and turned to Hunter.
Agartha's pupils shrank comically—funny, but also kinda pitiful…. Karma, though.
The bear mask in front of Hunter squinted at the paper.
"Prisoner: Hunter. Failure to execute public duty, solo Outer God hunt… defying Princess's direct order?"
He spat "defying Princess's direct order" with real fury. Showed top-tier loyalty to the Princess.
I'd heard this before. Defying the Princess—one of Rondan's (and beyond) absolute powers—took massive guts. You'd be headless before you could complain.
"Hunter. Heard the name. Erased it to dodge Outer God targeting? Famous in other cities."
The masked woman sized Hunter up thoroughly. Hunter tsked, annoyed at the background check, and whipped her head away.
"S-Scary person…."
I thought she was just teasing, but the axe girl eyed Hunter's height and legit shivered in fear.
You're the one enforcing duty—why so scared? …Honestly, even I felt overwhelmed at first by her presence. Living with her, she was just a grumpy old-timer vibe.
"Summary execution."
"Vice Captain, that's not why we're here."
Bear Mask fumed, but White Mask's tone was ironclad.
"Hunter's skilled. Still useful."
Bear Mask glared murderously but tsked and closed his eyes.
"Tch, damn Hunter."
White Mask wasn't just a squad member—Bear Mask grumbled but obeyed. Probably squad leader vibes.
Bear Mask sighed and approached me. Knowing I was last, he sighed again.
Yup, my turn. I'd hoped maybe they grabbed me without a name, but nope. Oh well.
Fine, let's hear why. As long as it wasn't Agartha's naked streaking or public indecency crap, I'd be good.
As I pondered, his mouth moved slowly.
"Prisoner: Leydan Tantun."
Please be something tame. If big treason popped up, Hunter and Agartha might side-eye me. Could mean instant death here.
No thanks! Beaten by plastic swords? Spoon murderer much?!
But life loves opposites, so dread it was.
Finally, Bear Mask continued.
"Mental delusion, Outer God… attempted rape?"
"…Huh?"
The shock hit harder than expected—I blurted out loud. My voice echoed, silencing everything.
All eyes on me. Knights gaped in shock, Agartha looked at me like a monster, Hunter oozed disgust.
Unsure if he'd really said it, the timid axe girl trembled, stammering in panic.
"W-Woah…."
Fuck, no that's not it.