Chapter 79: The Righteous Knight
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 79: The Righteous Knight
The day after Nicole was born. In my excitement, I’d had quite a bit too much to drink and ended up waking later than I’d intended. I didn’t have any particular appointments other than meeting with Hakajin to discuss our future course of action, but I still felt a pang of regret. I had learned in my past life that sloth is a poison. I glanced to my side, but Jung Hayeon was already gone, having apparently left the tent.
Breakfast was laid out on the table in the tent. My eyes fell upon a makeshift hangover soup, hastily boiled with wild greens and monster eggs. Any other goblin would have probably just tossed some meat or fruit on the table and left, but Jung Hayeon, having once been human, was thoughtful in this way. This was one of her definite perks.
I moved the pot over the small, crackling campfire inside the tent. Soon, it began to bubble, releasing a fragrant aroma.
Waking up and getting a report from Baek Ahyeon about the city and the surrounding political situation had become a familiar part of my daily routine. So, as if I were reading the morning paper, I connected with her through our link.
[ Baek Ahyeon. ]
[ Yes… Yes! My Savior. I have been waiting. ]
Something was a little off about her voice. The joy in it was the same as always, but there was a definite undercurrent of trouble. I wondered if the Ring of Covenant could sense even such subtleties, but since I’d heard the news I’d been waiting for had arrived, I decided to address my primary business first.
[ Any news from the North? ]
[ Y-Yes! My Savior. There is. A thorough investigation was impossible, but I have… a lead… ]
[ Good. ]
[ It was difficult to pinpoint the whereabouts of the human named Choi… Choi Seulgi, but I’ve heard that a woman named Han So-Hye has been earning a great reputation in the North recently. I was told there is a highly skilled thief serving as an executive in the clan of Han So-Hye, who is known as the ‘Cold Spear.’ I couldn’t confirm the name, but based on a composite of her description and appearance, the conclusion is that she is the Choi Seulgi you are looking for… ]
[ You’ve done very well. ]
[ Thank you! My Savior. ]
I had roughly expected her to be building her strength under the Queen of the North, and it seemed Choi Seulgi had indeed found a sanctuary of her own to grow stronger. She was likely biding her time, waiting for an opportunity for revenge in the war between the Queen of the North and the Sword Saint that would break out in a few years.
Since Choi Seulgi had also returned to the past, I wasn’t overly worried, but hearing that her progress was even better than I’d thought was reassuring.
[ And? ]
[ Ah… The rumors from the jungle are also as you predicted, my Savior. I’ve confirmed that a half-ogre has been on a particular rampage for the past few years. There weren’t many survivors, so it was difficult to get a precise description, but… ]
In truth, this much information was enough. It was something we could have investigated ourselves, but Ragia had been quite busy lately, so I had no choice but to ask Baek Ahyeon. I hadn’t held high expectations, but her results were excellent. It was an undeniable fact that this was the work not only of Baek Ahyeon herself, but also of the ‘followers’ she commanded.
[ You are competent. I am always grateful to you. ]
[ It is an… an honor! An honor, my Savior. ]
[ Report if there are any other unusual developments. ]
[ Yes, my Savior. A-Actually, there is something I must tell you. ]
[ Speak. ]
[ Th-Thanks to you, my Savior, I have recently awakened a unique ability. ]
How very interesting. Her blind faith continued to yield results, so of course, I couldn’t stop playing this savior game. To awaken a unique ability just one year after changing her class to a Pagan was quite remarkable. Within our clan, besides myself, Gark, and his younger brother Hark, no one else had yet awakened an ability.
[ Amusing. ]
[ It is an ability called ‘Martyrdom.’ It allows me to detonate your followers at will, and the greater the follower’s faith, the greater the power of the explosion. The followers are prepared to lay down their lives for you at any moment, my Savior. ]
I had called it amusing, but the function of the ability itself was anything but.
Her explanation sounded full of anticipation, but to put it bluntly, she had created a suicide bomb squad. It was absurd, but it was real. An ability with immense utility. I won’t deny that I had considered Baek Ahyeon a disposable pawn, but this changed things. It was now imperative that I support her with all my resources.
Because of this, I decided to ask about something more personal.
[ It is an ability befitting your faith. However… ]
[ Y-Yes! ]
[ You don’t sound well. Is something troubling you? ]
[ What? Th-That… It’s truly nothing worth mentioning. ]
[ Tell me. ]
[ R-Recently… there’s this human bastard who won’t stop hitting on me. He’s so relentlessly persistent… Just looking him in the face makes me feel as if I’m sinning against you, my Savior… ]
That was a completely unexpected remark. Of course, she couldn’t compare to Ragia or Jung Hayeon, but Baek Ahyeon was certainly pretty enough to be called a beauty. Her small frame was enough to stir one’s protective instincts, and her usual demeanor was quite cute.
For someone to be hitting on Baek Ahyeon, who had been recruited as an official member of the Sky Dragon Guild, he must have considerable status or power. If not, given her personality, she wouldn’t have just stood by and taken it.
Thanks to that, I grew quite curious about the man’s name.
[ Grrrrr. What is the bastard’s name? ]
[ He is from Aia. A human by the name of Jeong Uichang… I heard he’s an executive from the Saint Knights Order, sent to help manage Legius due to its recent population growth. ]
Jeong Uichang. I thought the name sounded familiar, and as I searched my memories, I quickly realized who he was.
The ‘Righteous Knight.’
He was one of the few humans on the continent with a decent reputation. Just as his special class, the Righteous Knight, suggested, his character was impeccably upright. He never turned a blind eye to the poor and always sacrificed himself on the front lines in battle.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him the only clean person in a guild stained by corruption. In short, he was a good man to the bone. The only problem was that he had sworn loyalty to the Sword Saint. He was a powerful warrior who had served as the Sword Saint’s right-hand man right up until my death.
To think a man like that was infatuated with Baek Ahyeon… I felt like I’d caught a big fish without even casting a line.
The gears in my head slowly began to turn. Ever since coming to the West, I had wanted to land a blow on the Sword Saint someday, and for some reason, it felt like that opportunity might come sooner than expected.
[ For the next few days, I want you to get closer to him. ]
[ What…? ]
Her voice, uncharacteristically filled with doubt, came through. It seemed she was getting the wrong idea, so I spoke again.
[ I am not telling you to be with him. A clever girl like you should understand what I mean. ]
[ Ah! Th-Thank you. My Savior. Thank you. ]
In other words, the next sacrifice. Just when I was getting restless, a truly fine piece of prey had walked right into my grasp.
[ Report his every move, his habits, and his objectives to me. I trust you can do it. ]
[ Y-Yes! Please leave it to me. ]
The Righteous Knight, Jeong Uichang, who had made quite a name for himself as a holy knight. He was a prodigy, talented enough to be scouted by the Saint Knights Order as soon as he arrived on the continent. Of course, I didn’t think he would be as strong as he was when I last saw him, but I was sure he was still plenty powerful now. He was likely strong enough to be ranked among the top tiers.
Hearing Baek Ahyeon’s joyful voice, I cut the connection. I needed to discuss what I’d just learned with Hakajin. We already had a meeting scheduled, but this was a topic that couldn’t be left out. Lately, the one I spoke with most was neither Mev nor Jung Hayeon, but Hakajin. I consulted with him on almost everything, if not all matters.
As a result, Hakajin had become the person who knew almost everything about me, except for the fact that I had returned from the future.
I am not a perfect being. I needed someone who could correct me if I ever had the wrong idea or walked the wrong path, which is why I brought Hakajin in. So far, this system has worked without a hitch.
For the Blood Dagger Clan, hunting a strong opponent was a joyous occasion. With a cheerful heart, I headed for Hakajin’s tent.
As I walked, a rather loud commotion came from Mev’s tent. I chuckled, figuring she was giving the female tribe members another round of “mental education,” and then spoke at the entrance to Hakajin’s dwelling.
“I’m coming in, Hakajin.”
“Yes.”
It was a notification, not a request for permission, but he didn’t seem bothered. The clan’s chieftain could freely enter any tent. Inside, Hakajin was, as expected, sitting at his desk, diligently writing something. I couldn’t tell if it was administrative work or if he was organizing military strategies, but as soon as I entered, he hastily cleared the table and offered me his seat.
I sat down where Hakajin had been and looked at him.
“I’ve brought two pieces of interesting news.”
“Have you perhaps decided on our next destination?”
“Something like that.”
The Blood Dagger Clan’s greatest concern recently had been our next move. Should we head to a dungeon? Or should we enter a ‘conflict zone’ and focus on hunting humans? Or perhaps we should hunt monsters to stockpile food or attempt to tame them. There was even talk of building our strength for the day we would become independent.
It was a matter Hakajin and I had been discussing endlessly. The Blood Dagger Clan had just gained momentum in its growth, and we couldn’t afford to put the brakes on it now, so we had to be cautious with our choice.
In this situation, the story of the Righteous Knight was sure to interest Hakajin, so I began to explain.
First, the new ability awakened by Baek Ahyeon, our embedded agent. Second, the existence of a powerful figure in the city who was infatuated with her…
The more I spoke, the more delighted Hakajin’s expression became. Just as I’d expected, his reaction was similar to mine.
“I believe it’s worth a try. If what the woman says is true, we can certainly use this. There are, on occasion, even Green Skins who forsake their honor after falling for a woman…”
I thought it was bullshit, but there was an old saying: men rule the world, but women rule the men. In other words, we could invite the Righteous Knight to a party we had perfectly prepared for him. Of course, I couldn’t say there was no chance of failure, but I was already looking forward to the look on his face when Baek Ahyeon betrayed him.
“What’s particularly striking is her ability. We will need to investigate it more thoroughly. If we assume her ability could also affect our own tribe members, we might be embracing a bomb we cannot handle.”
I hadn’t actually thought of that. It wasn’t just Baek Ahyeon’s followers who were near-fanatics; the members of the Blood Dagger Clan were the same. I realized we absolutely had to confirm whether her ability only affected the followers she had converted, or if she could use it without restriction on anyone who believed in me.
It was unlikely to happen, but if Baek Ahyeon were to ever betray us, then just as Hakajin said, her existence could truly become an uncontrollable bomb.