This Church Needs a Champion (3)
Gasping for breath, Morgina burst into the room.
"That's enough secret talk, right? Guide me through the Champion resignation process already!"
"We were just getting to that. I offered Sir Kriel a choice."
'Sir.' It felt like a strangely foreign title. On the Western Front, he was mostly seen not as a 'knight' in the chain-of-command sense, but as an individual with overwhelming martial prowess. Like when they'd dispatched him to take down Orishin. He suited rampaging alone with a sword in hand far better than taking orders or giving them. He was a knight, sure, but a Dark Knight at that—one who hadn't received any formal investiture anywhere.
"A choice? To Kriel? Grandma, don't tell me…!"
"You interrupted before I could explain. It's simply whether he'll carry the Champion's insignia or not. You weren't planning to give it to anyone but Sir Kriel anyway, were you?"
"……."
People close enough to call him by name tended to skip formal titles like 'Sir' and just use 'Kriel.' He couldn't recall Morgina ever calling him 'Sir,' even when she was play-acting weakness.
"No obligations, and I can use it only when needed?"
The High Priestess nodded leisurely.
"I gratefully accept. I'll do my utmost not to tarnish the honor and prestige of the Eve Kaha Order."
Jackpot. For the first time since becoming a Dark Knight, he'd finally gotten a proper ID.
Morgina grumbled at Kriel.
"If you're just gonna accept it outright, why'd you refuse me so stubbornly?"
"A Champion is a heavy mantle by nature. It should go to someone truly worthy and qualified."
Ha. Morgina clicked her tongue. There couldn't be a knight more fitting for Champion than this skirt-chaser.
"The High Priestess even said that even if I resign, you won't appoint anyone else. Since I'm just a wandering vagrant without even an ID badge. I'll lend it out until you find someone better."
His flippant tone—saying to return it anytime once she found a proper candidate—made something boil up inside Morgina.
"…Hey, hold on."
She tilted her head. She recalled the duel-trial fiasco Kriel had stirred up, and how the Western Front commander had shown up to negotiate some deal with him to wrap it up.
"Didn't you have a position like chief knight of the commander's direct independent ranger unit or something?"
"It vanishes once I discharge."
"You can't discharge?"
Kriel turned away from Morgina. Anything he said on this topic would just boomerang back as a wound. Treating the chief knight spot like it was nothing. She thought his personality was pretty weird too as she spoke up.
"You planning to head out like this?"
"I've finished everything I needed to do at the Eve Kaha headquarters."
This was the place he'd planned to visit to relinquish the Champion title from the start. Tuon had tangled him up in extra business, but that had gotten a 'no immediate issues' verdict too.
"Tch… Wait just one day. We've got plenty of pilgrim rooms. Crash here."
Kriel chuckled. Worrying about the weirdest things.
"What, scared 'cause it's getting dark outside? You know better than anyone my night vision's sharp."
[Gonna show you something good…]
Orishin suddenly cut in. Flying right between Kriel and Morgina, it let out a spirited "Hah!"
[Glow-in-the-dark unicorn!]
And it began sparkling brightly.
It was a first even for Kriel.
[The horn changes color too?]
Morgina silently grabbed Orishin's horn and chucked it far away.
[Physically attacking a ghost? That's cheatingggg──!]
Its essence was bound to the horn-sword anyway, so it could return anytime it wanted, no matter how far. Morgina judged coolly and turned to Kriel.
"Not worried about that. You lost your armor this time, right? I'll make you a new one, so wait."
"Oh."
"Even if it's temporary, you're my Champion. Can't have you looking shabby out there."
Kriel accepted her kindness. Custom armor would cost a pretty penny. He might get one for free back at the Western Front base, but he had no intention of returning to barracks just yet.
It was the next day.
"Guh!"
Kriel got a faceful of water. The chill, like a midwinter morning breeze, forcibly yanked him from sleep.
'What the hell? Is this the Eve Kaha Order's daily routine? Splash water if you can't wake up on time?'
No wonder Morgina's personality had warped. Sighing over the order's merciless discipline, Kriel turned his eyes. There stood Tuon, holding a water bowl with a smug, triumphant look.
"…What're you doing."
The ash-gray-haired girl sparkled her blue eyes and declared,
"I've overlooked it so far out of consideration for your camping conditions, but a knight's dignity stems from his bearing. Rise with the dawn, wash away the night's filth, and greet the new morning with a composed mind!"
[Damn. Kriel. A maid-sword that handles your daily routine. Is this demon sword okay?]
"Shut it."
Letting out a massive sigh, Kriel first took the towel Tuon offered. Better wipe his dripping face and think.
"…You can't wake people like that."
"Why not?"
"Why not? Common sense says splashing water on someone sound asleep is rude, right?"
"No."
What wasn't? For a moment, Kriel pondered if this sword even grasped the concept of common sense.
"Since when was a Dark Knight a person?"
Kriel squeezed his eyes shut.
"Can't it be?"
"Impossible. Just as demonkin aren't treated as people, Dark Knights aren't human."
Kriel knew Tuon was right in Tirnanog RPG game-system terms. The moment NPCs learned his Dark Knight identity, they usually screamed "Die, abyss spawn!" and shunned him. Abyss-aligned Dark Knights were naturally disqualified from humanity.
[Whoa… I used to be the local nutjob. Guess an acquired abyss polluter can't match the pure madness of a natural abyss spawn?]
Ignoring Orishin's nonsense, Kriel stated firmly,
"I'm not abyss. I haven't accumulated demonic essence so far, and I won't in the future."
"Is that so… If my master says it is, then it is."
Her somehow infuriating tone made Kriel revert Tuon to sword form. Ever since confirming the phantom sword skill materialized as 'Yugeom' in his inner constellation, he'd instinctively known how to handle her. He'd avoided linking with Tuon to guard against abyss corruption before, but now that the High Priestess had assured him there was no direct tie between using Tuon and the abyss…
Rematerializing the sword spirit back into sword shape was a power he could wield without hesitation. The blade hummed in fierce protest, but Kriel's will was ironclad.
Knock knock knock.
A cheerful rapping at the door. Kriel opened it. There stood Morgina, exhaustion plain on her face from an all-nighter.
"Hey. Come on."
"You okay? You look rough."
Morgina normally had the stamina to shrug off a day or two without sleep. Her honed physique plus divine power's fatigue recovery. This was the first time she'd looked this drained since forging the horn-sword with Orishin's soul—i.e., when she'd burned both stamina and divine power. That had taken three days; this one-night feat must've drained her even worse.
Hearing Kriel's concern, Morgina flashed a deliberately casual smile.
"Champion armor's traditionally forged by the appointing saintess. My job. No worries."
Even amid exhaustion, her smile was refreshingly bright. Her usual hot-blooded edge dulled to softness. Refreshingly out-of-character—in a good way.
Kriel let her lead him deep into the cathedral. It seemed to be where blood drawn from outside pooled. The bloodwaters converged into a round well-like pit. Blood falling in there cycled back out to the outer moat.
Morgina began pulling out plate armor from the well—clank, clank.
"Try it on. Should fit perfectly… just in case."
Kriel brushed over the antique ink-black plate. Gold-trimmed edges—perhaps for style or structural blessings—prevented it from being pure black.
After a bit, he finished trying on the horned helmet last. He flexed each joint from fingertips to toes. Perfect fit, no snags anywhere.
"Fine armor."
Rare sincere praise for Morgina. But her expression was odd.
"Uh…."
"What's wrong?"
He couldn't fathom her awkward look.
It was the highest-quality armor he'd ever worn.
Orishin popped out and whispered,
[Teacher, ever thought of joining the demon king's army?]
Kriel moved toward the mirror.