I Thought No One Was There
I thought no one was there.
“What?!”
The answer to the Stigma Knight’s question came not from Juhan, but from the other holy knight standing beside him.
“Guardian, what in the world are you suddenly…?”
The subordinate holy knight’s face was filled with pure bewilderment. It was written all over him: What kind of nonsense is this?
“What do you think?”
“G-Guardian, sir.”
It wasn’t that the knight’s reaction was hard to understand. Asking someone to become a holy knight was nothing like offering them an ordinary job.
It was a position that demanded an oath of loyalty to the order, years of rigorous verification, and recognition of one’s talent, faith, and character before a person could even be considered a candidate.
Yet this Stigma Knight was suddenly asking a young man he had just laid eyes on whether he had any interest in becoming one.
“......”
Perhaps it was because Juhan simply stared back without answering.
“Ah, I haven’t introduced myself yet.”
Clank. Thud.
The Stigma Knight removed his helmet and extended his right hand, as if inviting a handshake.
The face that appeared belonged to a middle-aged man. His deep brown hair and the scar near his eye spoke of the long years he had endured.
He continued, “My name is Belkras Leota. I hold the position of Stigma Knight within the order, though I am hardly worthy of it.”
The hand Belkras offered was steady, and his eyes showed no flicker of doubt. They declared that his choice was flawless and that he would never regret it.
Watching him, the first thought that rose in Juhan’s mind was…
This man is insane.
A perfectly, properly crazy person.
Weren’t you the one turning the guild upside down looking for someone just moments ago?
Juhan didn’t even match the description of the young man they had been searching for. Yet Belkras seemed completely unconcerned by that fact. He simply offered a small smile, as though gently urging for an answer.
And now you’re suddenly telling me to become a holy knight.
He had burst in, investigated people without warning, suddenly asked about religion, and now this? Asking a complete stranger if he wanted to become a holy knight?
Has the religion become this open? None of this makes sense.
To Juhan, the entire flow of events was utterly incomprehensible.
“Guardian, no matter how you look at it, we don’t even know his name…”
“That’s right. We should at least run a basic background check…”
The holy knights beside him were already far more horrified than Juhan himself.
“Hehe. You don’t seem particularly interested.”
Yet Belkras only smiled wider, as if Juhan’s wary attitude pleased him even more.
The impression he had felt when their eyes briefly met earlier still lingered vividly in his mind.
Clear.
That had been Belkras’s very first thought.
Eyes untouched by desire, fear, or ambition. Pure, unclouded eyes.
Of course, no human could be entirely free of negative emotions. But in this young man, Belkras saw none of the venom or impatience so common in people his age.
Moreover.
Even though the young man clearly knew who he was, he hadn’t grown overly tense.
A Stigma Knight was a figure ordinary commoners might never encounter in their entire lives. Yet rather than shrinking back or trying to escape, the young man carried himself with quiet resolve, completely undaunted by status or appearance. He already possessed the highest virtues a holy knight could hope for.
Of course, all of it was nothing more than Belkras’s own delusion.
The person receiving such glowing evaluation was, at that very moment, thinking only I just want to go back to the inn.
But Belkras, unaware of this, only grew more pleased.
He’s unshaken. As expected.
Surprised, yes, but that was all. He wasn’t overwhelmed by the position, nor excited by the offer.
He doesn’t seem greedy, either.
Even though he must have understood exactly what it meant to be a holy knight of the order—a position that granted incomparable honor and power simultaneously.
If anything, he looks annoyed.
Belkras swallowed a quiet laugh.
People like this were the only ones truly worthy of being entrusted with power.
“Guardian, this seems far too…”
“Hasty?”
“…Not exactly, but we know nothing about him—his name, his age, nothing at all.”
“That’s why I’m asking now, isn’t it?”
“Even so, we should at least conduct a proper investigation…”
“We can handle that later.”
“......”
Belkras’s answer was firm. In the end, the subordinate holy knight could only close his mouth tightly, unable to offer further protest. He knew all too well that once Belkras made up his mind, nothing could change it.
Does he really like him that much?
No matter how he looked at it, the young man seemed perfectly ordinary. What exactly had the Guardian seen in him to wear such a satisfied expression?
Meanwhile, Juhan’s own assessment was simple.
He’s definitely crazy.
His evaluation of Belkras had already been set in stone.
Yes. Age, position, gender—none of it mattered. Setting everything else aside and looking only at the being known as Juhan…
I’m the one you people call the Great Catastrophe.
And you want to recruit someone like me into the heart of the order?
It was only natural for such thoughts to surface. Of course, Belkras had no way of knowing that.
No, he really doesn’t seem to suspect anything…
In fact, Belkras’s behavior had made Juhan suspicious in return. Perhaps they had already identified him and were trying to lure him to the center of the order to dispose of him there.
“What do you say? Will you accept my offer?”
In the end, there was only one thing Juhan could say to the Stigma Knight.
“No thanks.”
“......”
You can do it yourself.
“Hmm. Was I too hasty?”
“......”
The young man who had introduced himself as Juhan. Having been forced to let him go, Belkras stroked his chin with a deeply regretful expression.
He had definitely been talented. At least, Belkras’s eyes told him so.
“Guardian.”
“You really shouldn’t offer the position of holy knight to someone you’ve just met.”
“That’s why I only mentioned becoming a candidate.”
“…That’s the bigger problem.”
“Hmm.”
Belkras simply wore an expression of genuine confusion. The holy knights around him secretly swallowed their sighs.
“More importantly.”
Perhaps trying to shift Belkras’s attention, one of the subordinate knights glanced around and lowered his voice.
“When will she be arriving?”
“Shh.”
Belkras’s face turned serious in an instant.
“Do not speak of that so carelessly.”
“S-Sorry.”
“There are too many ears here.”
Belkras scanned their surroundings briefly. After confirming that only he and a few of his men were nearby, he spoke carefully to the subordinate who had brought it up.
“She has already arrived.”
“Already arrived…?”
“Shh. Keep your voice down.”
“But the carriage is still…”
“That was a fake.”
“......”
The subordinate holy knight could only stand there with his mouth hanging open. They had all seen it themselves.
The splendid carriage she had been riding, escorted by dozens of holy knights, should still have been waiting in the previous village…
Yet Belkras was saying it had been a fake. It seemed he had decided it was safe to speak now.
“But there wasn’t even the slightest trace of a presence…”
“You don’t need to know that much.”
Belkras cut his words short there. Continuing the conversation would benefit neither of them.
A holy relic.
The item specially created to protect the Saintess. It had completely erased the carriage’s very presence. There was no need to explain any further.
“In any case, maintain strict vigilance.”
“Yes, sir.”
After the conversation ended, what kept rising in Belkras’s mind was strangely neither the Saintess, the inspection, nor their mission.
“Hmm.”
It was only that young man he had seen earlier that day.
“This won’t do.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll have to try persuading him one more time.”
“......”
He didn’t specify who he meant. Yet for some reason, the subordinate holy knights immediately understood exactly who Belkras was talking about.
“A person’s heart can change quite easily, after all.”
“…Guardian.”
“Besides, I didn’t explain myself properly. There were parts where I was too hasty.”
At Belkras’s monologue, the surrounding holy knights were already clutching their heads. They wanted to ask if he had any self-awareness at all.
“Does anyone know where that young man named Juhan is staying?”
Belkras now began asking for Juhan’s lodging information without hesitation. Seeing the expressions on his men’s faces, he added with a wounded tone, “I’m not trying to burden him.”
“......”
“I simply want to speak with him one more time.”
Naturally, none of the holy knights believed a word of it.
This man clearly intended to take the young man named Juhan back to the Holy Kingdom by any means necessary before leaving the town of Enton.
And so the search operation began.
Dozens of holy knights, unable to sleep properly in the middle of the night, began frantically searching everywhere for the young man called Juhan.
Meanwhile, at that same moment.
Juhan, who had already sensed the chaotic atmosphere, was perched on the roof of his inn, quietly observing the surroundings.
“These people are actually crazy, aren’t they?”
He truly meant it.
Holy knights roaming through every corner of the village. The name “Juhan” occasionally drifting up from their conversations.
It’s only a matter of time before they come here.
Why him, of all people?
He thought he had refused quite firmly, but apparently it hadn’t sounded that way to them.
“This is even scarier…”
Juhan frowned. As expected, even if he didn’t like it, slipping into his isolated space for the night seemed like the wiser choice.
Shwooo…
He summoned the space. Thinking he had no other option, he reached out to enter it when…
“Hm?”
His gaze suddenly locked onto an old carriage parked in the distance.
They aren’t going anywhere near it?
For some reason, none of the holy knights were approaching that carriage or its immediate vicinity. The only thing that gave him pause was that it was parked near the temple.
Maybe I should hide my presence and slip inside there instead?
After all, he had firmly declared he had no interest in becoming a holy knight. No one would imagine he would hide near the temple.
And it really feels like no one’s inside.
He sensed no presence whatsoever from within the carriage. Not even a small mouse seemed to have taken shelter there.
Having made his decision, Juhan slowly made his way toward the carriage.
It really does seem empty.
For now, he would hide inside. If the holy knights came this far, he could always enter his isolated space then.
I really don’t want to go into the space if I can help it.
Clack.
Whether it was an abandoned carriage or not, the door opened without resistance. All he had to do was close it behind him and his plan would be complete.
Thud.
Juhan closed the carriage door and stepped inside.
“What the…?”
The interior he saw after turning around was vastly different from what he had expected.
Did they cast space magic on it? What is this?
Unlike its shabby exterior, the inside was decorated with incredible luxury, as though a master craftsman had poured their heart into every detail.
It was also much larger than it appeared from outside, thanks to the space magic. It looked even more spacious than the inn room where Juhan had been staying.
A carriage like this was just abandoned? And there’s no one inside?
It was only natural for such questions to flood his mind.
Whoa…
Without realizing it, Juhan began looking around the interior as if sightseeing. His eyes took in the scene one piece at a time.
An antique painting. A splendid chandelier. A plush sofa. And the woman sitting on it…
“......”
“......”
For a moment, time seemed to stop. A heavy silence filled the carriage.
The woman sitting on the sofa and staring directly at him was clearly…
Is… is that a person?
If Juhan’s eyes weren’t playing tricks on him, she was definitely a living, breathing human being. Never mind the fact that her beauty was easily level four or higher.
And the very first thought that rose in his mind was—
Why is there a person here?
When he had checked for any presence earlier, he truly hadn’t sensed anything at all.
That was probably why.
Without thinking, Juhan asked the question. He spoke to the woman who had been inside the carriage first—the woman who was most likely its owner.
“Who are you?”