Chapter 130
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: A Knight's Dark Secret
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Olivia felt a sudden surge of tears and bit her lip hard.
What was even more unbearable was the fact that she could have prevented Chris’s suffering and death.
Chris was not the seed of a demon.
Olivia knew that well.
But she had been powerless to save him.
If only she’d had the strength.
No, if she had just tried to uncover the truth, couldn't Chris have been saved?
The thought filled her with endless self-reproach.
*‘I couldn’t even save the person most precious to me. What kind of saintess am I?’*
With such thoughts, she had neglected her duties as a saintess, but the time had come to rise again.
For Chris.
*‘…I will uncover the truth about my brother, no matter what.’*
She made a firm resolve.
It was the only thing she could do for the late Chris.
“In any case, I will cooperate fully in resolving the Black Death, as we discussed. In return, you must keep your promise to clear my brother’s name.”
“You need not worry about that. I will be sure to reveal the truth.”
Chris answered without hesitation.
After all, by the end of this incident, all truths would be revealed.
“But will it be alright?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that the others in the Law Nation are not likely to approve of you, a princess, cooperating with a Majin.”
Olivia was worried about that too.
There would be strong opposition.
“…Still, I have to try.”
“Hmm.”
Christian crossed his arms.
“If it becomes difficult, I will help you.”
“…Help me? How can you, a Majin, interfere in the internal decisions of the Law Nation?”
Olivia’s reaction suggested she found it absurd, but Chris just grinned.
“In my own way. However, please understand that it might be a little rough.”
It was a cryptic remark.
* * *
And so, their agreement was made.
However, things did not proceed smoothly.
It was due to the opposition of the Law Nation’s vassals.
“This is absurd! Her Highness the Princess intends to work with those Majin scum?!”
“It's unthinkable!”
“We never should have let those Majin in in the first place! Let's drive them back to the Dark Magic Houses at once!”
Olivia wore a troubled expression.
She had expected it, but the opposition was fierce.
“This is for the people of Gold Cross. Though they are Majin, they must have extensive knowledge of curses, so they will be helpful in resolving this crisis.”
But her argument was not accepted.
“It seems Your Highness is still too young to understand how wicked those Majin are.”
“It must be because Your Highness is so benevolent that you see even the Majin with warmth. But those fiends are worse than beasts. They cannot be trusted.”
They seemed to be denouncing the Majin, but they were subtly undermining her by pointing out her youth and inexperience.
In fact, it was always like this.
*‘I have no power.’*
She was revered as the saintess who had awakened the Holy Blood, but she was still young.
Whenever something happened, she would step forward as the representative of the Law Nation, but it was merely for appearances; she held no real authority.
“His Holiness the Law King has been in seclusion for a long time receiving revelations from the Constellations and could not attend this meeting, but he would surely oppose this as well.”
“That's right. Please consider how heartbroken His Holiness would be to learn that the princess has allied herself with Majin.”
Olivia bit her lip hard.
“People are dying from the Black Death even now, and you want to stand by and do nothing simply because you dislike Majin?”
“It is not for such a simple reason.”
One figure rose from his seat.
A handsome, tall man.
It was Miek, the representative holy knight of the Law Nation, who had clashed with Chris before.
The Law Nation was not a country that engaged directly in battle, so its military was weak and strong knights were rare. Miek was a precious asset, like a beacon for the nation.
Thus, he held significant power within the Law Nation.
“We are doing this entirely out of concern for you, Your Highness.”
Miek strode toward Olivia.
Then he knelt on one knee and kissed the back of her hand.
“As your Paired Knight, I must also object.”
Paired Knights.
It referred to a knight paired with a lady.
Olivia coldly snatched her hand away.
“Sir Miek, I have never granted you the position of my Paired Knight. Do not be so rude again.”
At the cold rejection, Miek's face stiffened for a moment.
*‘This damn bitch. How dare she.’*
But he couldn't let his inner thoughts show.
Miek harbored ambitions of winning her heart and becoming the second-in-command of the Law Nation.
His playing the role of a hypocritical holy knight, which didn't suit his nature at all, was all for the sake of power.
*‘Damn that arrogant bitch. I’ll have to go back and relieve some stress today. I just happened to acquire some good ‘merchandise’ through a slave trader.’*
Miek thought of the secret hideout he had prepared and smiled a ghastly smile inwardly.
Outwardly, he spoke with feigned nobility.
“My feelings for you, Your Highness, are always sincere. Please, reconsider working with those abominable Majin.”
“Please reconsider!”
The vassals shouted in unison.
Olivia bit the inside of her cheek.
It was a demand she could not refuse with her power alone.
*‘No. I have to do something.’*
While she was lost in despair, countless people were being sacrificed.
It was already far too late; as a member of the Law Nation's Star Clan, she had abandoned her duties.
Above all, she had to cooperate with that Majin to clear Chris’s false accusations.
*‘I have to go, even if it means secretly escaping the Law Nation. But how?’*
She was not someone who could travel alone.
Guards followed her everywhere.
They were no different from wardens, restricting her freedom.
Most importantly, the knights of the Law Nation were under Miek’s control, making escape difficult.
“I am thinking only of you, Your Highness. I hope you will understand my heart.”
But just then.
An unexpected voice came from outside the meeting hall.
“That's a novel way to spout bullshit.”
“…What?”
*Kwaang!*
The doors to the hall burst open, and the vassals of the Law Nation stared wide-eyed at the figure who appeared.
“A-a Majin?!”
Dark black hair, blood-red eyes.
An infuriatingly arrogant impression.
It was Christian.
“How dare you set your filthy foot in here?!”
“Ah, my apologies for intruding on a gathering of the Law Nation's noble figures, but I've come because I have something to say.”
“What! Get that fiend out of here at once—!!!”
“Enough! Everyone, be quiet!”
A sharp cry echoed.
It was Olivia.
She glared fiercely at those around her before speaking to Chris.
“What business brings you here?”
Chris surveyed the people in the hall.
“I heard you were arguing because you couldn't trust us Majin. So, to help you trust us, I will offer the Law Nation a bit of assistance.”
“…Assistance?”
The vassals of the Law Nation murmured in confusion.
“What kind of help are you suddenly offering?”
“It's nothing much. I just happened to witness a horrific crime taking place in the Law Nation. I will inform you of the details.”
The people in the hall looked at one another.
They seemed bewildered by Chris's words.
An elder shouted as if to say, "Stop your nonsense."
“What crime is taking place in our nation?! Our Law Nation is under the protection of the great Law King and the Constellations!”
“For a nation under such protection, a truly horrific event is taking place. I myself never imagined I would witness such a disgusting sight in the Law Nation.”
Olivia asked.
“…What exactly are you talking about?”
“The illegal trafficking and abuse of child slaves.”
“……”
For a moment, the hall fell silent.
Olivia blinked.
She hadn't fully understood what Christian meant.
“I… what did you say?”
“I said, the illegal trafficking and abuse of child slaves.”
“!!”
The hall was plunged into shock.
Everyone raised their voices in disbelief.
“What nonsense is this?!”
“You fiend! Are you insulting our Law Nation?! How dare you spew such horrific lies just because you have a mouth—!!”
Just then, an unexpected person burst in.
“E-everyone, please calm down! This man's words are not a lie!”
It was Young Count Roy.
“You are from the County of Brusen? Weren't you monitoring those Majin? What do you mean it's not a lie? What are you saying?”
“It is exactly as I said. That Majin's story is true. I saw it with my own eyes.”
“!!”
Young Count Roy hurriedly explained the circumstances.
Christian's party had been searching the Law Nation for clues to the curse's true nature. In the process, they sensed a suspicious trace of black magic and, upon tracking it, witnessed a horrific scene.
“…S-such an unbelievable thing?”
The vassals of the Law Nation wore faces of disbelief.
But they couldn't raise their voices like before.
Young Count Roy, the heir to the County of Brusen, was not someone they could ignore.
“Who in our Law Nation would do such a terrible thing?”
“Well, I suppose you'll find out if you check for yourselves.”
Chris crossed his arms.
Then, he turned his gaze to the man who had been pale-faced for a while.
“Isn't that right, Sir Miek?”
“!!”
Miek swallowed hard.
*‘This damn bastard. How does he know my secret?’*
That was right.
The horrific scene Chris had discovered was Miek's secret hideout.
The reason Chris could uncover Miek's secret so easily was thanks to his knowledge of the future.
*‘It was quite the scandal back then. To think the representative holy knight of the Law Nation was committing such devilish acts behind the scenes.’*
Chris spoke provocatively to Miek, who stood stiff and speechless.
“To do something so horrific while wearing a human face. Even we Majin wouldn't stoop to this. Sir Miek, do you happen to have a suspect in mind?”
“…I do not know.”
Just as people were giving Miek strange looks for his odd reaction.
Chris twisted his lips into a sneer.
“You don't know? Then I wonder what this is.”
“!!”
It was an emblem worn by the holy knights of the Law Nation.
Moreover, it was a crest signifying a knight of the highest rank.
At present, there was only one active knight in the Law Nation who had been granted that crest.
Miek.
“I found it where the victims were being held captive. Don't you think an explanation is needed as to why this was there?”
“……”
A deathly silence fell over the hall.
No one could speak in the face of the terrible, shocking truth.
Miek's eyes became bloodshot.
*‘No! At this rate, I'm finished. I have to fix this somehow!’*
There was only one way.
“How dare you frame me like this. Just like an abominable Majin.”
The one fortunate thing for Miek was that the one who had exposed him was a Majin.
In the Law Nation, Majin were absolute evil.
All he had to do was frame this entire affair as a conspiracy hatched by that wicked Majin.