The Wise King
“Uh……”
He couldn’t help but be flustered. ‘Where did it all go wrong?’
He’d thought everything was perfect, even luck was on his side. But now, words failed him in his bewilderment, his mouth hanging open. As if reading his mind, the king smiled again and spoke.
“No need to be so surprised. When you’ve held this seat as long as I have, you pick up all sorts of useless knowledge.”
“Pardon……?”
“For instance, the fact that even a drop of elven blood ensures no black hair ever appears.”
“Ah!?”
Just like that, so anticlimactically?
“Don’t look so shocked. It’s knowledge known only to our royal family here in the western continent. Who knows? Black-haired humans are rare enough on this continent as it is.”
Tiny was so thrown off that he couldn’t even close his mouth, but the king continued calmly.
“What you’ve accomplished is impressive, and you’ve even been seen by a spirit, so there’s no doubting your character. But among the information you provided, your bloodline turns out to be false. I had no choice but to arrange this meeting, did I?”
There was a fatal flaw in that reasoning, but since it worked in his favor, Tiny let it slide. He quickly composed himself and bowed his head.
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”
“I’m not after an apology, Tiny ‘knight’.”
The old king’s gentle smile carried an undercurrent of pressure.
‘Tch…… Well, in a way, this is for the best.’
Tiny had felt uneasy lying to someone treating him with such goodwill. With a sigh, he cast aside any lingering attachment to his facade and revealed the crucial truth.
“……I’ve been pursuing demon worshippers.”
“……What!?”
“More precisely, I came to stop what they’re planning here.”
The king’s eyes widened as he stared at the bowed Tiny for a moment.
“I learned they stole the relic, Humanitas, and plan to unleash disaster on Ortus. That’s why I came—to prevent it.”
The response far exceeded expectations, leaving the king dumbfounded. After a long pause.
“Hah……”
The Wise King, Emerd von Karon, shook his head with a hollow chuckle and a sigh.
“Where did you get that information?”
Under the king’s sharp gaze, Tiny flinched but had no choice but to fabricate once more.
“……From Duke Valentia’s house in the Aslan Empire. The territory lord under them was recently exposed as a demon worshipper.”
“The Empire…… Hah, the Empire……”
Though Carun claimed neutrality, it was effectively part of the kingdom alliance, and the king’s tone held no fondness for the Empire. But sometimes, that negativity could be helpful.
“……I see. So that’s why you hid your identity. It makes sense. I wouldn’t have believed it without evidence if the Empire just claimed it outright.”
The king nodded repeatedly, sighing.
“So, what exactly are these pests of humanity planning in my kingdom?”
“Beyond stealing the relic…… nothing yet.”
“Hmm……”
As the king pondered, Tiny hesitated.
‘Should I mention the Kraken?…… No, no.’
It was something even the Sword Emperor and he himself were only half-convinced about. The Kraken was a legendary sea monster on par with a Demon King Army legion commander. Unlike other beasts corrupted by demonic energy in the mid-realm, its origins were mythical, mentioned only in legends.
And according to the Sword Emperor:
— It’s a beast fated as the ruler of the deep sea. A monster, sure, but it feeds on the demonic creatures born in the ocean depths—practically a cleaner for the unreachable abyssal horrors. It actually helps maintain the world’s balance.
If demon worshippers could control such a Kraken, even if Argon had figured out how to distinguish black mages, they wouldn’t have been subdued so easily. The logical conclusion was……
— Either they had a way to lure it temporarily, or the disaster after the relic vanished was pure coincidence……
— ……Or your thick skull misremembered everything!
One of the three…… no!
‘One of the two! That damn geezer, treating me like an idiot!?’
He ground his teeth involuntarily, drawing the old king’s gaze again.
“……There’s something you’re not telling me.”
The circumstantial evidence was clear. Unless they’d lured the Kraken, what were the odds of such a freak natural disaster coinciding perfectly? But there was no proof.
“It’s uncertain. It might only confuse Your Majesty’s judgment.”
“Is that so…… You could’ve made up a lie and I wouldn’t know, but that makes it more believable.”
“You’ll believe me?”
“I was weighing the risks of believing versus not. The latter seems minor, so I’ll trust you. Besides, a spirit sorcerer like you wouldn’t collude with demon worshippers.”
The king’s logic was simple and clear. Assuming all spirit sorcerers were good was prejudice, but their enmity with demon worshippers was truth…… or fate. Even a wicked one like Raphtan aside, it was the nature of spirits—the essence of mana—to reject demonic energy, making alliance impossible.
“……I’m relieved.”
Believing him was a bit disconcerting, but the outcome was better than hoped. With the king’s help, stopping the relic’s theft and hunting the worshippers would be far easier.
“Then, could you assign me to the Relic Guard?”
“Not difficult. But their goal bothers me.”
“Pardon?”
“The relic is just a symbol now. Its great beast-sealing barrier barely extends beyond these walls, and everyone knows it only repels monsters.”
He wasn’t wrong.
“For centuries, it’s our Carun army, not the relic, that’s protected Ortus.”
“……True.”
“And those with demonic energy can’t even approach it. How do they steal it? And then what?”
“I…… don’t know.”
He had no solid answers to the king’s probing.
“Yet you seem convinced they’ll steal it.”
“……Yes.”
“Why?”
The aged but wise king’s eyes pierced his chest sharply. In this situation, he couldn’t say, ‘I saw it in the future.’
“……I can’t give a satisfying answer, Your Majesty. Only that Duke Valentia and I are certain.”
“You and Duke Valentia? As if you’re on par with the duke?”
……Are you for real?
‘Why chew over every word like that!’
The problem was how piercing each rehashed question was.
“Hm, well…… I don’t mind.”
“Pardon?”
“With that talent at such a young age, some arrogance is warranted. Though aiming to match an imperial duke is a stretch.”
Tiny winced awkwardly at the sting.
“You’re hiding much, which is concerning…… but fine. I’ll trust you this time. No loss on my end.”
The king, who’d been pressing relentlessly, dangled an enticing offer.
“You’ll join the Relic Guard. But you won’t be bound by their duties. I’ll grant you independent operational authority and inner castle inspection rights.”
“Pardon?”
“Inspection rights limited to demon worshippers. Interfere elsewhere, and this conversation never happened. You understand?”
“……Of course.”
How could he refuse? The terms were suspiciously generous.
And moreover.
“……You’re clearly young, yet don’t seem it. You’re a fascinating one.”
The king’s gleaming eyes only burdened Tiny further.
‘Please dial back that interest.’
Different from the Sword Emperor, but equally intimidating to converse with. Ironic that such a king would end up as the last ruler of a fallen kingdom in his previous life.
As Tiny mulled complicated thoughts, the king waved casually, looking relieved.
“Good. You may go. The announcement will be made today.”
“……Is that really all?”
“Need something else?”
“I’ll take whatever you give……”
“……Your brazenness appeals. I hate empty formalities. Speak freely if there’s more.”
“Ah, one thing.”
“What?”
“Among those scheming here, a leader named Husel. I hear it’s a name used by beastkin or orcs……”
For the first time, the king’s face hardened.
* * *
The knight who dealt with the demon worshippers has been appointed a royal knight and assigned to the Relic Guard.
He will also undertake the mission to root out demon worshippers hiding in Carun.
The king’s proclamation rippled through the inner castle. Appointing a foreigner as a royal knight was unprecedented, but his ambiguous status tempered outright backlash.
“The Relic Guard is a dead-end post……”
“Acknowledging the merit without real power, eh?”
“As wise as ever, His Majesty……”
Most thought that way. But some dissented fiercely.
“Here’s Sir Tiny, the star of those rumors about slaying demon worshippers. From today, he’s dispatched to our Relic Guard with independent operational authority. Welcome him.”
“Huh!? That kid?”
“No way……”
The knight’s words turned the training grounds—lined with soldiers—into an uproar. Given Tiny’s appearance, it was understandable.
“He’s half-elf, so don’t judge by looks—show respect. He skipped the grind straight to knighthood, a most excellent one.”
The introducing knight’s sarcasm fueled the chaos.
“Serve him well! He even has inspection rights over demon worshippers. He’ll handle his duties, so don’t interfere! Cross him, and you might get labeled one.”
The words dripped with thorns. Plenty of them.
‘……Feeling threatened, huh.’
The Sword Emperor’s words rang true—the Relic Guard was a sinecure. From his intel, knights there were screw-ups or stagnant has-beens.
‘At least the other knights didn’t show. They all dumped this on him.’
This knight was likely the youngest in the Guard. A junior arriving with flashy titles like independent authority and inspection rights must feel like a rolling stone dislodging the barely rooted ones. That anxiety fueled the prickliness.
‘If I had time, I’d wait for misunderstandings to clear. But……’
About four months from now…… Though “four months” was vague; he only knew the relic vanished around then, with the Kraken attack by year’s end. He needed to sort this quickly.
“Sir Mahon, was it?”
“Y-Yes……? Sir Tiny. You’re young and may not know, but knights have strict seniority. Independent authority or not, seniority……”
Boom.
“Grrrrrrrrr.”
A casual step cratered part of the grounds, and the massive wolf spirit looming behind fixed a menacing glare on Mahon. The noise vanished instantly.
The knight Mahon, who’d meant to school the insolent junior, clamped his mouth shut.
“I don’t know about seniority, but I know hierarchy. Good, you spoke up. I needed a demon worshipper for a show execution—surely not you?”
If they wanted to treat him like a villain, he’d play one beyond imagination. Thick killing intent overwhelmed Mahon, barely at early 2nd rank.
Mahon paled.
“N-No, absolutely not!”
His mocking sneer gone, he instinctively saluted crisply, like a fresh recruit. Tiny meant to pat his shoulder but couldn’t reach, so he slapped his butt instead.
“Good. Let’s get along, Mahon.”
For some reason, Mahon yelped “Eek!” and jumped forward, bowing awkwardly with a forced smile.
“Y-Yes, please take care of me.”
Tiny didn’t care if his face rotted.
‘Better lock down the other knights first.’
As he planned, their final exchange replayed in his mind.
— Husel…… Damn troublesome.
— Pardon?
— Solid intel? Choose words carefully. It could shatter our fragile trust.
— From a near-5th circle beast tamer, spat out as his head exploded.
— ……Leave me. I need to think on this.
Exiting the hall, Tiny clearly heard the king mutter “Damn it.”
That reaction confirmed it.
‘The king knows who Husel is.’
And that Husel inexplicably held the king’s great trust. Naturally, it weighed on Tiny too. He couldn’t just beat it out of him.
‘Either it unravels easily, or twists impossibly. One or the other.’
All Tiny could do was pray the Wise King, Emerd von Karon, made the wise choice.