The Strange Holy Knight
The little pond village was abuzz with unrest from the crack of dawn. It all stemmed from the chaos the night before, when corpses had burst from the graveyard. A barbarian passing through had sorted it out, but the mere knowledge of an evil wizard lurking nearby was enough to rattle the villagers.
"Shouldn't we fetch a priest from the next village over?"
"That's what I've been saying. We need a proper church here. …Almighty Sun."
Such murmurs began rippling through the crowd. That's when another visitor arrived.
"Here it is."
A knight clad head to toe in armor. The full-face helmet, embossed with an emotionless visage, was so thick it hid even the wearer's gender. The knight strode toward the village, the clanking of metal plates echoing like thunder.
The villagers had no choice but to stare at this sudden intruder.
"…K-Knight?"
"Oh my, what's all this…."
Unlike the barbarian's arrival, the mood was tense. No one dared approach the knight. They all froze, watching in silence.
And yet, contrary to the ominous air, the knight had no intent to threaten. Pointing to a shabby hut on the village outskirts, they asked,
"Who lives in that house?"
"Uh, well…."
Unfortunately, the villager closest to the knight broke into a nervous sweat. It was the outermost house—the one where the barbarian who'd saved them from the wizard yesterday was staying. Even peasants had their code of honor. The villager hesitated.
The knight set down the two-handed mace slung over their shoulder. A heavy thud followed.
The villager flinched back a step, eyes darting between the mace and the blank visor. He swallowed hard. His dilemma didn't last.
First things first—survive.
"Ah, well, you see—that house is—."
020. The Strange Holy Knight
Eden scowled. Even with his massive frame twisting in displeasure, the visitor remained disarmingly serene.
"Greetings."
Eden couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. What the hell is this guy?
The polite words clashed with the visitor's fearsome gear: thick plate armor, a helmet shrouding the face, a solid-steel two-handed mace. It screamed battlefield-ready.
"Can't say I'm greeting you back."
"Greetings all the same."
Something off about the knight's voice caught Eden's ear. The helmet muffled it for most, but it was unmistakably thin—feminine, even. He kept his reaction hidden and pressed on.
"Fine, greetings. So why're you here?"
He skipped the identity check. The sun-god emblem on the armor said it all. A paladin of the Sun in this backwater? Unexpected.
Because of Neb?
It was the only thing that came to mind. The Sun God was her brother, he'd heard. If he knew she'd returned, dispatching a paladin made sense.
Then why the full battle-rattle?
Eden waited.
"No wrongdoing on your part, so no need for hostility. I'm just here for one item."
"…?"
The paladin kept a grip on the mace's haft and continued.
"No chance you've got anything unusual on you?"
"Like what."
"Something with the power to 'grant wishes,' perhaps."
Eden's mood soured. If he had that, he wouldn't be slumming it in medieval times. He'd be back home.
"…Not here for a person, then?"
"Correct. Just the item. It might be inside, so mind if I take a look?"
Listening, it didn't seem Neb-related. Oblivious to Eden's chilling glare, the paladin rambled on.
"Could be a fancy chalice, odd statue, ancient—."
"Nothing like that here."
Eden cut them off, arms crossed, staring down the paladin. No Neb hunt? No need for courtesy. And who shows up armed to the teeth without doffing the helmet for a chat? Some deep Confucian itch scratched at Eden's soul.
Plus, he didn't have whatever they wanted. Not that he knew of.
The paladin's visor bored into him like a drill. Eden met it head-on.
Go ahead, stare. What're you gonna do?
"I know it's here—His words confirmed it."
"Must've heard wrong."
"Impossible."
Even invoking the god changed nothing. Fair enough—Eden gave the same stonewall to the actual goddess in his house.
The conversation bored him now. Woken mid-dream cola-sip by the knock, his mood was foul.
Punch a paladin, and the church sends hunters.
Probably. He flexed his fists, game memories flashing.
"Go ask Him yourself. Tell Him nothing here's worth finding."
"…You dare sully the Sun's name."
Not really. Eden missed how that landed. The furious paladin crossed themselves.
"Today, I shall school this insolent barbarian. O Sun in the heavens, grant Your mercy."
Trembling voice aside, no bloodlust. They set the mace aside and balled their fists—like Eden.
Eden smirked sharply. Oh, it's on.
No axe for him either. He raised his fists in a boxer's stance.
"Looks like I'll send another soul to the heavens today. Let us pray with pious hearts… Urk!!"
Eden jabbed, then blinked in confusion.
He'd expected a battle cry: 'Come at me, barbarian!'
Instead, the armored figure tumbled like a lie, rolling across the ground.
Eden checked the dented visor. The embossed face was now frog-flat—PEPE-style.
Prone, hands neatly clasped in prayer. No fighting stance.
"Hm."
Only the orphaned mace remained.
Stirred by the noise, Neb appeared behind Eden, rubbing her eyes. She glanced between the fallen paladin and Eden's fist.
"Did you beat another person, Eden?"
Eden had no reply.
A moment later.
"Urgh…."
The paladin stirred, staggering upright.
Raised my hands to pray, and then….
A throbbing pain in the face. Fingertips traced the helmet—caved in like it'd taken a warhammer hit. Steel, yet crumpled.
Fuzzy memories: battlefield? No. Following the Goddess's word to find the evil god's relic, arriving here….
"……."
A flying fist. She kicked in the door.
BOOM!!
The latch rattled like it might shatter. Eden sighed, chewing jerky from a villager.
Up already.
Furious at his nonchalance, the paladin roared.
"To strike so cowardly, with a sneak attack…!"
"Where's the cowardice in a fight?"
"A fight? What do you mean! I sought to prove my faith through prayer!"
Eden shook his head. Then don't suit up.
The paladin hefted the mace.
"Should've known when you hid the evil god's relic…! A follower of darkness—taste this holy mace—."
"Hold up."
Eden raised a hand. Even boiling mad, the paladin paused, set the mace down, and waited.
"…Evil god?"
"Yes, follower of the evil god."
They pulled out an ancient-looking compass.
"Behold—the direction His word points!"
Swishing it for proof.
"…Hm?"
They froze, puzzled. Eden's superhuman eyes tracked it too.
It swung toward Neb every time.
Neb noticed the stares.
"Hm? The goddess's word?"
She mumbled around her jerky.
The paladin whirled.
"You're a heretic worshipper too! Bearing the filthy, ugly Night Goddess's leavings."
"Filthy…? What did you just say."
"Filthy, ugly, wicked evil god!"
Eden sensed the weirdness.
"So, the item you're after is an evil god relic. That one?"
"Yes!"
"And it's on her right now."
"Of course!"
Eden pieced it together, whispering to Neb.
"Looks like your bro hates your guts."
"N-No way!"
Results said otherwise. Explained why 'Neb' stayed unknown.
Neb defended herself. "M-Maybe this paladin's mad! Or devil-worshippers slandered this goddess to dishonor her…."
She grumbled on, but the paladin had enough.
"Enough! No more nonsense—decide. Repent at the nearest church and be reborn, or take the mace's mercy!"
Just gonna smash us, huh.
Eden pondered. Easy to drop her, but not ideal.
What to do.
Neb beat him to it.
"Very well, to the church it is."
"…Hey."
Eden cautioned her. Worst case, bad call. If Sun really branded her evil, every paladin might hunt them.
But Neb stood tall.
"An insult to this goddess demands her personal reckoning. And if doom comes, you'll protect her anyway, won't you?"
"Hm."
"…Why no answer?"
Eden just nodded. Only way: confront Sun directly.
To the paladin: "Decided. We'll follow."
"…For real? I mean, truly?"
Pick a lane—formal or not.
"Yeah. Why the surprise?"
"…Never had real followers agree before."
Made sense. Tell a true cultist 'church time'? They'd bolt. Like inviting a convict to the gallows.
"Closest one's where?"
"…Probably Mordelan."
Familiar name. Sun church intact, yet demon lurks. Sketchy. No plans to go, but now unavoidable.
Oblivious, the paladin cleared their throat, set the mace down.
"Anyway, fine. Cooperate, and I'll show some courtesy."
Nice guy or idiot? Eden sighed.
"I'm Fran, paladin of the Sun. You heretics?"
"Not heretics… Tsk. Eden. That's Neb."
Worried about naming the 'evil god,' but Fran didn't blink.
"Good. Short trip— no funny business, follow well."
Eden eyed the dented visor. Blood trickled through.
Not trustworthy.
Bloody-nosed paladin.
"Got it."
Just days, then done.
Eden sensed this trip with the paladin might drag.
"Monster in the hills behind? I'll handle it. Fear not—the Sun protects you."
"…Thank you!"
Not some open-world fetch-quest. This do-gooder paladin was a headache.