Chapter 18: The Knight and the Hero

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I practically stumbled and staggered as I ran to Allen’s house.

Like other houses, Allen’s home had also fallen into complete ruins, becoming a pile of stones and logs amid the earth-shaking tremors.

In front of the ruined house, a small group of people stood scattered about, most with grave expressions or sorrowful faces, gathered together talking. Several people lay nearby, and although covered in blood and dirt, their chests still rose and fell slowly, they all seemed to be alive.

I saw Elia and Barry standing among the crowd, and though they were completely filthy, they hadn’t lost any limbs and appeared healthy.

“…Hah——”

I let out a long sigh of relief, my anxious heart finally settling, my legs nearly giving out beneath me.

I had feared they would be like Uncle Dor, forever trapped under the ruins, never to speak to me again.

“Elia, Barry!”

I called out loudly to them.

Hearing my voice, the two turned around with some surprise.

“Sister Syl, are you alright?!”

“Little Syl! Thank goodness!!”

Elia rushed over and held me tightly in her arms.

“You’re safe, thank goodness… I was so scared… We were about to go look for you…”

Elia buried her head in my neck, taking a deep breath as she usually did.

Yes, it was the scent of cloves. And after sweating, the evaporating fragrance had transformed the originally subtle scent into something rich and aromatic, penetrating to the heart…

Elia nuzzled intensely against my neck, nuzzling again and again.

“…Elia, quick, go!”

At this moment, I had no idea about Elia’s little thoughts, my mind filled only with worry about the monsters about to surge forth from the abyss. No one knew better than me just how terrifying those things were.

That was a true natural disaster, and now was not the time for expressing joy. Before it arrived, I had to get as many people as possible to move far away.

At the very least, I needed to get Elia and Barry to go far away, to meet up with Grandma in the neighboring town. That place shouldn’t have been too heavily affected, at least not yet.

Only then could I fight with everything I had.

“…What’s wrong, Little Syl?”

Elia seemed somewhat confused.

“Quick, go! Leave the village. Monsters are coming!”

I shouted loudly to the bewildered people.

“…Monsters?”

Elia, Barry, Allen, and the people gathered nearby all wore expressions of confusion and doubt.

“Little Syl… what’s happened to your home now, why did you bring out the scythe?”

Barry looked at the large scythe in my hand with some confusion.

“Everyone, hurry and go! Elia, get everyone to leave!!”

I was anxious beyond measure, looking desperately at Elia, hoping she would believe me and quickly lead everyone away from here.

Elia saw my anxiety but couldn’t understand my meaning, hesitating for a moment. If everyone left, wouldn’t the people still alive under the rubble be left to die?

“Sister Syl, um…” Allen hadn’t had much contact with me, and now faced with me, he actually seemed somewhat shy, scratching his slightly reddened cheeks as he said, “I think we should try to save as many people as possible right now, why should we leave?”

“There are monsters! Coming soon!!”

At this moment, I extremely hated my ability to express myself. If only I could properly explain what was in my heart.

“Monsters? What monsters?!”

Hearing my words, everyone showed signs of doubt and uncertainty.

“Little Syl, what exactly happened, why do we need to run away now? There are still so many people buried under the ruins!!”

Elia looked at me incredulously, eyes wide as she spoke.

What should I do…

I fell silent.

That familiar sense of closeness was growing stronger and stronger, I knew they had already emerged from the abyssal mire.

How could I get these people to obey me?

…Right, the cloak! Maybe the cloak could help me!

I yanked off the cloak and held it up before them.

“Now, I, Sylvia Labishmers, in the name of the Holy Church, command you to evacuate from the village immediately! Without fail!!”

The Holy Church held quite a high position in this world. I knew this well, which is why I declared to them with righteousness. Although at this moment I was trying hard to keep a straight face to appear full of authority, inside I was actually quite nervous.

The crowd showed moments of surprise and hesitation.

“Little Syl, you…” Elia looked at me with a complex expression.

“I, Sylvia Labishmers, am the highest executor of the Holy Church. Do you wish to defy the Church’s orders?” This was of course my fabrication, whether the title of highest executor of the Holy Church even existed, I deeply doubted, but at this moment there really was no other way.

This was the bearded swordsman’s cloak after all. Someone as fierce as him must hold a high position in the Holy Church, and the complex patterns on the back of the cloak must surely have some special meaning.

“This… this is… this is the Pontifical Knight’s crest!!! I know it! This belongs to the Pontifical Knight!!”

After a brief silence, someone in the crowd seemed to recognize the pattern on the cloak, and these words shocked everyone.

“The Pontifical Knight?!”

“Little Syl is a Pontifical Knight?!?!”

“The Pontifical Knight is humanity’s hero!!!”

Elia and Barry were dumbfounded at this moment.

They knew this was the cloak Little Syl had worn when she arrived, and they had noticed the pattern printed on it long ago.

But they had never thought much about how this tattered cloak hanging in their home every day, with its strange pattern that looked like a flower wrapped in some bizarre texture, held such deep meaning.

Although they didn’t recognize the pattern, they knew about the Pontifical Knights.

Did anyone in this world not know about the Pontifical Knights? No.

That was completely different from Church Knights. The title of Pontifical Knight was only bestowed upon humans who had reached the pinnacle, they were the most mysterious and powerful warriors who only answered to the Pope, they were heroes who slayed all evil.

That was an existence they could never hope to reach.

Little Syl, that girl who appeared so soft and weak on the outside. That girl who couldn’t handle farm work well and needed their care.

Was a Pontifical Knight of the Holy Church?!

Was humanity’s hero!!???

How could that be possible.

Whether it was Barry or Elia, faced with such an absurd claim, they all harbored different degrees of doubt.

It was completely unbelievable.

This girl who had lived with them day and night was actually the Pontifical Knight?!!!

What kind of joke was this.

“Little Syl… what kind of joke are you making…”

Elia’s lips trembled slightly, wearing an expression of disbelief.

“Sister Syl…”

Compared to Elia, Barry, after the initial moment of shock, had started to believe it after some thought.

Although it was indeed incredibly unbelievable.

But that cloak was indeed what Sister Syl had worn when she arrived. He had known from early on that Sister Syl’s identity wasn’t simple, at the very least she must be related to some great noble.

He had even fantasized that Sister Syl was a fallen princess from some ruined country, who had by chance ended up in this small village, and would gradually be moved by his sincerity and eventually marry a poor boy like him.

But he hadn’t imagined that Sister Syl’s identity would be so extraordinary.

She was actually a Pontifical Knight of the Holy Church!!!

That was humanity’s hero, the hero he worshipped even in his dreams.

…………

Pontifical Knight?? What was that??

My heart was filled with question marks, having no idea what a Pontifical Knight was, were they very impressive?

…Well, judging by their reactions, they must be extremely powerful.

So I immediately went along with their words.

“That’s right, in the name of the Pontifical Knight, I command you to leave this area immediately.”

There was almost no time left.

Not far away, that presence was getting closer and closer, stronger and stronger.

“Little Syl… my lady, has something grave happened? Do we really not need to save people?”

“Monsters, attacking. Evacuate, immediately.”

I spoke in an indisputable tone.

“Little Syl…”

Elia still wanted to say something.

“Go now!!”

I glared with round eyes, trying to overwhelm them with presence.

But unfortunately, my features were too soft, and no matter how fierce an expression I made, in everyone’s eyes, it could only be… cute, right?

Damn it, that bearded swordsman, usually keeping me so close, yet disappearing at this crucial moment.

“Elia, Barry. Take as many people as possible. Go, leave this place.”

“What about you…”

Elia said with some worry.

“I… will go save, others.”

The large scythe danced in the air, flashing silver light cutting through space.

“Zing——”

The scythe pointed diagonally downward, the cloak flying up with my hair.

Turn, step, advance.

Come then, let us fight.

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