Chapter 210
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 210
Chapter Title: The Fourth Knight -1-
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The early dawn when the sun couldn't raise its head, suppressed by the darkness.
Droplets of misty moisture clung to the windows, waiting for the warm sunlight to return them to the sky.
At such an hour.
The mansion's living room was lit up, casting a bright glow outward.
From inside came the clattering of dishes.
This meal was far too late to call a midnight snack.
Too early for breakfast, but if forced to choose, it leaned closer to the morning meal.
"Roman. Eat this too."
"...I'm good now. You eat, Knight."
"I'm eating fine."
"You've barely taken one bite... Knight, say ah~."
Like this, once the two of us start eating, Eclair sticks right by my side, fussing over my meal.
She doesn't eat properly herself until the food goes cold, so I have to shove bites into her mouth just to wrap things up.
Leaving Rike and Chloe sound asleep in the bedroom, we'd risen early and filled our stomachs to tackle today's requests and duties.
I still had time to spare and could've slept more.
But the reason for these moments was simple.
With people in the mansion, wouldn't it be better to eat together?
"I'm not a kid...! I'll eat..."
When I offer her the spoon, Eclair blushes and turns her head away slightly.
Rike and Chloe would happily open wide, but she always needed that extra nudge.
"My arm's gonna fall off? How's Platinum supposed to handle today's request without an arm~?"
"Fine... just stop it."
With my over-the-top fussing, she lets out a small chuckle and reluctantly accepts the food I offer.
Later, when Rike and Chloe woke up, the roles would reverse—they'd stuff my mouth full.
Rarely, I'd end up having breakfast twice on my own like this.
On days like when Eclair headed to work before dawn.
If someone had to head out alone, I'd get up at that hour and eat together.
For someone like me with a hearty appetite to begin with.
Two breakfasts weren't forced or burdensome at all.
Once preparations were complete.
Eclair, in her uniform at the entrance, gave me a quick kiss and took my hand.
"Roman. Take care."
"Don't worry. I'll stick exactly to the request."
The writ from the Imperial Knight Order read like scholars analyzing the Fourth Knight had been heavily involved.
It detailed even unlikely scenarios.
The sheer volume of examples—enough to feel excessive—was clear proof of just how unpredictable the Fourth Knight was, prone to causing incidents like they were daily meals.
'Whatever.'
I'd made my living off adventurer requests.
No room for carelessness, of course. But stick to the protocol, and even if blood was spilled, there'd be no fallout later.
"If you're running too late, eat dinner first. Might be a late one today."
"See you."
I nodded and waved.
She smiled brightly, then came back for one more soft press of her moist lips against my cheek before turning away.
"I'm off."
'She's just too damn cute.'
The biggest reason for sharing breakfast and seeing her off was that smile.
I watched from the window as she marched out of the mansion with crisp steps, waving again when she glanced back.
Then I headed back to the bedroom, still warm with lingering heat, to hold the two sleeping girls until it was time for the academy.
The sun blazed high in a perfect sky.
No telling what the request ahead would bring, but the weather couldn't have been better.
To keep my adventurer instincts sharp, I chewed on dried fruit and jerky while making my way through the capital's streets to the rendezvous point.
With knights and church priests gathered, the imperial citizens watched curiously but kept their distance.
'No crowd control?'
I passed knights who recognized me and pushed through the murmuring crowd.
Among the church members stood out a woman radiating an especially holy aura.
After first exchanging glances with her attendant and nodding, I approached. Her sky-blue eyes turned to me.
Her gaze was pure, without a trace of hostility, so I spoke first.
"Saintess. Good to see you again."
Her complexion was healthier than at the Adventurer's Guild, though fatigue still lingered on her face.
Her spirit was admirable, volunteering for a perilous duty in that state.
"Brother Roman! Please take care of things today."
"The pleasure's mine."
The saintess clasped her hands wrapped in a rosario in the church's greeting style, and I awkwardly mirrored her.
Perfection wasn't necessary. Mimicking a group's customs anywhere built goodwill.
Like how people lit up when big-nosed foreigners mangled "Hello" with Korean accents.
It was the simplest way to show respect for their group.
A gesture of understanding, easing your foot into their territory.
The reactions around confirmed it landed well.
"Thanks to your help last time, I've ended my wandering. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude."
Recalling the Chloe she'd met in the prayer room, Artura smiled and shook her head.
"I didn't help. True prayer always finds an answer... Perhaps the goddess heard of your brother's compassion in guiding you there."
No flowery rhetoric.
No flaunting of divine power.
Yet her calm voice today carried an immense persuasive force that defied logic.
'Is this what a true believer feels like?'
How many followers had she gathered wandering the continent...?
The church's growth and future might well hinge on her path.
"Well then... until it starts."
The empire's knights in one cluster.
The devout church in another.
The lone free adventurer: me.
Everyone else stood waiting, but I'd laid out a cloth and sat comfortably.
Yawning widely, wishing it'd hurry up and end, I was tempted to just lie down on the spot.
Feeling how sly the human mind could be, I debated actually stretching out for a real rest.
That's when clanking metal approached.
"Adventurer."
The massive woman always glued to the saintess as her guard loomed, casting a shadow.
"Yes?"
Confirming the saintess protected amid the church folk, Mazella lowered her voice and showed courtesy.
"Might I have a word? If it's alright."
"Of course. Care to sit?"
"Excuse me," she said, adjusting her heavy armor before settling down.
Just as the adventurer had shown respect to the church greetings, so did she.
No way she could converse looming over a Platinum, so she joined me on the cloth.
'Where'd she get such a wide cloth, though...?'
A fleeting curiosity crossed my mind.
But Mazella cleared her throat, reminded of the dwindling time and her purpose here, then spoke.
"Adventurer. Sorry to cut straight to it—this is a hypothetical, so even voicing it feels imprudent. But if a clash breaks out between the Fourth Knight and the church..."
I watched her draw a long breath she couldn't exhale, then stretched out my legs for maximum comfort.
"No need to hold back. Speak freely."
"...To my shame, my training is lacking. I lack confidence in protecting the saintess safely."
I knew the church had raided the Fourth Knight's connected territories.
Whether sour mood or grief over lost kin, from her guard's view as saintess's protector.
The Fourth Knight's current state must seem that dire.
"Even so, wouldn't the saintess's power keep her safe?"
Holy spells included defenses; barring ambush, even the Fourth Knight unarmed couldn't easily take her down.
Of course, equipped, he'd outclass most knights.
But bare-handed? Odds heavily against harming the saintess.
Mazella lowered her gaze at my point, pondered, then gave a small laugh and shook her head.
"In a crisis, I believe the saintess would prioritize deploying holy magic elsewhere. This is the heart of the capital, packed with innocent imperials—she surely would."
"Hmm..."
As I mulled the request details with a low hum, she added, sensing it insufficient.
"This is my gut from years by her side. It's kept me alive too."
"What're you getting at?"
I asked to confirm, even if obvious.
…
…
The rebel we'd sliced up in Limno with Eclair—his cadet rival from the Fourth Knight's school days, right?
How strong could he be?
Expectant, I packed away the cloth and rose.
'Here he comes.'
From afar, someone approached without masking their presence.
The saintess remained calmly accepting, but Mazella couldn't hide her displeasure, furrowing her brow.
The Fourth Knight closed in, aura thick with open hostility, mood foul.
Wonder if he knew our stance.
'Not bad.'
That was the impression.
Confidence or innate? He didn't suppress or hide his skill, making it transparently clear.
Thinking of his child, he embodied "like father, like son." The Limno rebel as rival wasn't bravado—it felt earned.
Life-or-death? Power wasn't everything; combat would tell.
But overall, his prowess felt definitively above that man's.
One knight from the group approached the church cluster to re-announce the obvious.
"Empire's Fourth Knight, Viscount Cedric Floyd, has arrived."