–Vice Commander of the Second squad, Order of the Sacred Knights.
This position is not a light one.
The second squad guards the sacred city of Schmerz, the capital and the heart of the holy nation.
To get a commanding position, you need not only connections but also skills and a proven achievement record.
Leo William Disfrender is serving in such a position at the young age of twenty-five.
It’s biased because Leo has everything that makes him a worthy deputy commander.
A recommendation from the former second squadron commander, outstanding combat skills, and a track record worthy of serving as deputy commander.
And…
◆
Leo kicked in the door and appeared in the room.
Supporting Kyrie with a gentle hand, Leo pointed the tip of his sword at Marx.
What’s all this about?
On the luxurious carpet a worm cut by Marx is buzzing around.
Marx answered Leo’s quiet question with a bitter look.
“You… why are you here?”
“I received a letter saying that you’re using your men for more than dubious affairs.”
When Leo finished his daily knight’s service, he noticed that he had received a certain letter.
It explained in detail that Marx’s men were going to attack a child in an orphanage.
But if that was all, Leo wouldn’t have made a move any time soon. It would have been far from sufficient as a motive to take any action against the knight commander.
What’s more, it is common to receive such letters as harassment.
“But when he saw the name of one of the women listed, Leo couldn’t help but make a move.”
“It’s those two! They want to throw troubles my way.”
I don’t know what their intentions are, but I’m sure it was those two guys.
Marx’s teeth grind as he realizes the identity of the sender.
“I ask again, including the letter. What does it mean !”
Leo’s question while keeping his sword at the ready.
Leo goes out of his way to say that if Marx makes a careless move, he will cut him down.
“Ugh…”
“…Leo. This person is tormenting a lot of people in his mansion.”
On behalf of the silent Marx, Kyrie exposed his wrongdoings.
The power of [Holy Hearing] that even he was not aware of.
Kyrie told Leo everything she had heard in this house.
There a lot of demi-humans had been killed in this mansion.
Many women were used as playthings by Marx and his men.
The use of a drug that has been banned.
That and even right now, many women were trapped in the basement of this mansion.
“Kyrie, that’s…”
At Kyrie’s words, Leo couldn’t help but gasp in thought.
It’s unbelievable.
No, he didn’t want to believe it.
However, there was no reason for Kyrie to lie in such a situation.
Leo saw that Marx was trying to attack Kyrie.
“… fffu.”
Marx let out a loud sigh as Leo was thinking.
While appearing quite annoyed, he stroked the area where tentacles had sprouted.
“Oh dear! You’re really starting to get on my nerves, Disfrender.”
“Snort. Yes, I admit it.”
Snorting, Marx readily admitted what he had done.
“…”
Marx continued in a calm tone, with no sign of anger:
“I can’t tolerate that this city allows subhumans to infiltrate it. This is the Holy City. It’s not a place for uncivilized wild dirty beasts to enter. That’s why we’re thinning those guys out.”
So you’re saying that they capture demi-human women and use them as toys before killing them.
Leo and Kyrie laugh at Marx aggravating his mood.
“I will soon be the captain of the first squad. I’m going to use the Knights of the Exclusionists and Priests to get rid of subhumans from this city once and for all. Those beasts would fit better in some kind of cesspool or something.”
“…”
“I don’t need anyone who won’t cooperate. The knights and priests who disagree with me are better off dead. As a sacred knight, I have the duty to cleanse this holy city from these mindless beasts.”
Marx’s words remind Leo of the results of the investigations he made a while back.
There had been several missing cases in the city before.
And these incidents have risen significantly since Marx came to the city as the captain of the second squad.
The perpetrators of the missing cases are believed to be George and Lily, based on the large number of bodies found at the orphanage.
But … that was just the tip of the iceberg.
“So… you’re doing this to keep the demi-humans away.”
“Oh, no.”
Marx’s expression broke into a wide smile, a look of delight rarely seen emerged on his face.
“Do you think I’m working for such a troublesome reason?”
Marx easily overturned his earlier words.
“I simply don’t like demi-humans. They’re an eyesore. These vermin blatantly thinking of being human’s equals. They’re the same as slaves, or at best they can serve as sexual outlets.”
“Wha…”
“Those who disagreed with me were killed simply because they were meddlesome. Who do you think you are when you say no to me when I’m the one letting you be one of us? The value of life? Ah, don’t make me laugh! The moment you get in my way, you lose any worth you might have had.”
With his hands outstretched, Marx speaks eloquently, as if it were a matter of fact.
Anger welled up in Leo’s chest.
The thinking that others are worthless.
As a knight who protects people, or rather, as a fellow human being, it’s an unforgivable statement.
“Peoples are not your toys. I won’t allow you to kill at your convenience.
“It won’t be forgiven.”
To Leo’s resentful remark, Marx sneered, “Naive, so naive.”
“This is my life. I’ll decide what’s acceptable and what’s not.”
To Leo’s dismay, Marx continues.
“Think twice? We’ve only got one life, what’s wrong with doing what you want?”
Marx ran with his fingers along hisnlong mustache.
“I want money. I want to eat good food. I want to have good women. I want to make those I don’t like disappear. I want to be great. I want to be respected. I want to take what others have and make it my own. I want to be the happiest I can be. I want to see others in misfortune. I want to have more fun than anyone else in my life – those are natural desires if you’re born human, right?”
In a torrent of words, Marx justified his behavior as the norm.
“So, you justify your treason by saying that what you are doing is acceptable.”
What Marx was talking about are certainly desires that people have.
But how many people did this man sacrifice to make it happen?
“Don’t you understand the feelings of others… ?!”
“Are you nuts? How could I know? I can’t use that kind of magic, you know. And you know what? It doesn’t matter if others are hurt or not as long I’m not, okay? This way, I don’t need to worry about anyone else.”
It was no good, Leo realized.
This man is already broken.
If I had to describe Marx in one word, it would be ‘a mass of selfishness’.
A mass of selfishness that can only think of satisfying its own desires without any regard for others.
“… Is that all you have to say?”
“Oh. And you–”
Gurgling.
A damp sound echoed through the room, like a finger puncturing a ripe fruit.
Leo realizes that the sound source is Marx.
The large Marx’s flesh wriggled like clay all over his body.
“Is that all you have to say?”
Neck, shoulders, abdomen, back, and both arms.
Every part swells with a wet sound and a worm the size of a single human appears.
It has a hole, no, a mouth with sharp teeth wriggling and twirling.
“… Freak.”
That abomination no longer belongs to mankind.
Marx spread his arms out in pride of his ugly body.
“Freak? No, no, no, Disfrender! This is the come back of the power of the hero! A usurping power that can devour any attack!”
As if in response to the excited Marx, the worms sprouting from his body rushed over to Leo.
“Kyrie, we’re going down.”
At the same time, while he stands to protect Kirie, magical power erupts from Leo’s entire body.
Immediately afterward, Leo swung down his magical sword with so much magic power that a whirlwind blew out inside the room.
“HA!”
A dazzling slash of magic that seems to cover the entire room.
With just one swing, the worms that were trying to bite Leo turn into lifeless chunks of meat.
A ferocious sword technique suitable for a second-in-command of the second squad.
「――――」
A merciless blow swallows Marx as he stands in the path of the attack.
“…What”
Then the blow was absorbed by his body without leaving a trace.
Leo opens his eyes wide at the sight of his blow disappearing.
“Tastes good, thank you!”
Marx shouts in delight as he withstood a blow that could cut even steel in two.
“Leo, watch out! That person, he has the power to absorb magic!”
“So there you have it, Disfrender.”
“… !”
Marx’s worm-clad body disappears from Leo’s view.
Realizing only the moment after that he ducked into his blind spot, Leo barely defended against the blow.
“Hmph.”
Marx snorted and let the worms sprouting from his entire body rush to Leo.
At the same time, Marx swung his sword, which he had drawn before Leo knew it.
The simultaneous attack of the worms and Marx himself.
“–!”
Waving his sword lightly, Leo slashes off the worms one after another.
Many worms fell to the ground, twitching and then stopping to moving.
Marx’s skills are befitting a captain.
The power that comes from experience and training is beyond the reach of an ordinary knight.
But Leo’s skills outshone those of Marx.
Blood-sweating training and talent.
Thanks to the two combined, even against the worm-manipulating Marx, Leo is still a match.
Leo has the ability to win that match.
However, this is just the case when fighting on equal terms.
By that time the cut off worm had reached the dozen.
The movement of the worm, which had been aimed at Leo until then, suddenly changed.
“Wha…”
They ignored Leo and started aiming at Kyrie, who was backing away.
Kyrie uses sacred magic in an attempt to put up a defensive wall.
To protect Kyrie, Leo quickly tries to use magic.
“[Usurpation of Magic].”
The huge worm that grew from Marx’s back devoured the magic of the two without a trace.
Kyrie and Leo’s bodies, both feel a sense of fatigue as they are forcibly deprived of their magical powers.
“Ora!”
Once again, the worms flooded to Kyrie.
The situation turns into a motionless Kyrie and the knight, Leo, in front protecting her from the attack.
“Disfrender. You’re so naive! I’ll give you credit for your skills! But you know what! You’re too straightforward!”
From there on, the battle was one-sided.
Instead of aiming directly at Leo, the worms aimed ceaselessly at Kyrie.
Unable to use magic, Leo had to stop the onslaught with only his bare physical abilities.
Gradually, the injuries on Leo’s body increased.
The worm eats pieces of flesh and Marx’s blade slashes around his entire body.
After some time, Leo was bleeding from all over his body.
“Leo…!”
Kyrie has no way to fight except through chanting magic.
She can’t even heal Leo’s wounds.
All she can do is watch her childhood friend getting hurt.
“Leo, you…”
Kyrie clenches her teeth at her helplessness.
It’s pathetic. It’s atrocious.
It is always Leo who gets hurt because of her own rash actions.
No matter how much I regret it, I can’t help Leo.
“I’m sorry… Leo-kun, I’m sorry……..”
And so it was when Kirie was about to start crying.
“Don’t cry.”
Leo said to Kirie without turning around, his body covered in blood.
“I can afford it!”
Marx’s attack directly struck Leo.
The worm’s teeth gouged out the flesh of his side, causing fresh blood to spray out of Leo’s body.
Leo turned to Kyrie, who was about to scream.
“I don’t want to see Kyrie cry.”
Saying that Leo smiled just like he did in that forest.
◆
Leo William Disfrender is a coward.
I’m afraid of being scolded.
I’m afraid of being hurt.
I’m afraid of failing.
I’m afraid of being disliked.
I was scared and cowardly and I couldn’t help it.
I was shy, weak, and wasn’t good at talking.
I knew it was because I was afraid of being hated that I couldn’t mingle with the other children in the village.
I couldn’t even say I wanted to play with others.
And before I knew it, I was all alone.
Everyone made fun of me and no one wanted to play with me.
It was then that I got impatient and asked them if I could come along.
“No,” they said. “It’s boring when we’re with Leo.”
“I’d rather go catching bugs than talk to you!”
Rejected.
It can’t be helped, I told myself.
I looked at the other kids laughing happily and gave up thinking that I couldn’t do anything about it myself.
The truth is, I was really lonely.
But I didn’t know what to do.
I’m not as fast on my feet as most people.
I can’t climb a tree like everyone else.
I can’t talk as much as they do.
Even my parents gave me weird looks from time to time. And no one would be willing to talk to someone like me.
I’ve always felt like I was alone.
So.
“There’s something comforting about talking to you.”
“That’s why I want to keep talking to you just like this.”
I was happy when Kyrie told me that.
Someone acknowledged me.
It made me so happy that I wanted to cry.
“It can’t be……………. Did you go into the woods?”
“Is Kyrie still in the woods?
The day we went into the woods to explore.
When we returned to the village, Kyrie was gone.
My mind froze the moment I heard an adult talking about how she’s probably been eaten by a demon.
“Hey, Leo! Where are you going?”
Before I knew it, I was running towards the forest.
I don’t remember what I was thinking at the time.
However, my body was moving on its own, moving forward by itself.
I ran around the forest and went to the back.
There, I saw Kyrie being attacked by a demon.
“RRRrrrr”
–I’m scared.
A howling demon.
Even adults are powerless in front of these wild, scary, bloodthirsty monsters.
My legs were wobbling and I felt like I was going to run away at any moment.
Because I’m a coward.
Of course.
If you go out in front of such a demon, you will be eaten in the blink of an eye.
It will definitely hurt when that happens.
I’m sure I’m going to die.
I’m scared.
I thought with a shudder.
“Help me…”
At Kirie’s words, every thought was blown away.
Demons are scary.
I’m afraid it hurts.
I’m scared to die.
But…
–I’m even more afraid of Kyrie disappearing.
With a wooden stick in his hand, Leo protected Kirie from the demons.
Suddenly, the demon jumped at me.
Of course, I couldn’t defeat the demon.
The wooden stick in my hands was knocked to the ground, and I couldn’t do anything about it.
I’m dead.
Just before that, Leo saw.
The appearance of many knights in blue armor.
Order of the Sacred Knights.
Warriors that drive away and defeat the wicked and protect the kingdom.
The knights who rushed to the scene defeated the demons in the blink of an eye.
Leo swore when he saw his back.
–I’m going to become a knight who can’t be beaten, and this time I’m going to protect Kirie.
◆
“The armor will repel any attack.”
It was a hoarse voice.
“…and the sword will strike down any enemy.”
However, it was a powerful voice that echoed throughout the room.
“… Disfrender, you can’t be…!”
Marx’s complexion changes.
He sprouted the worm from his entire body and tried to steer it towards Leo.
I have a place I want to protect. Because there are people I want to protect.
But it was too late.
I will never, ever give in.
An enormous amount of magic swept through the room.
If Leo’s blow from earlier was a whirlwind, then this magic power is no less than a storm.
Marx, Worm, and even Kyrie can’t get out of it.
“Therefore, we are…”
Sacred Knight – Vice-Captain of the Second Squad.
There’s a reason why he was able to become a second-in-command at such a young age.
It’s biased because Leo has everything that makes him a worthy deputy commander.
A recommendation from the former second squadron commander, outstanding combat skills, and a track record worthy of serving as deputy commander.
And…
“[Invincible Knight].”
Mind magic.
It is because he has reached a place that many knights have not been able to set foot on.
“I’ll protect Kyrie…!”
–Vice Commander of the Second squad, Order of the Sacred Knights.
This position is not a light one.
The second squad guards the sacred city of Schmerz, the capital and the heart of the holy nation.
To get a commanding position, you need not only connections but also skills and a proven achievement record.
Leo William Disfrender is serving in such a position at the young age of twenty-five.
It’s biased because Leo has everything that makes him a worthy deputy commander.
A recommendation from the former second squadron commander, outstanding combat skills, and a track record worthy of serving as deputy commander.
And…
◆
Leo kicked in the door and appeared in the room.
Supporting Kyrie with a gentle hand, Leo pointed the tip of his sword at Marx.
What’s all this about?
On the luxurious carpet a worm cut by Marx is buzzing around.
Marx answered Leo’s quiet question with a bitter look.
“You… why are you here?”
“I received a letter saying that you’re using your men for more than dubious affairs.”
When Leo finished his daily knight’s service, he noticed that he had received a certain letter.
It explained in detail that Marx’s men were going to attack a child in an orphanage.
But if that was all, Leo wouldn’t have made a move any time soon. It would have been far from sufficient as a motive to take any action against the knight commander.
What’s more, it is common to receive such letters as harassment.
“But when he saw the name of one of the women listed, Leo couldn’t help but make a move.”
“It’s those two! They want to throw troubles my way.”
I don’t know what their intentions are, but I’m sure it was those two guys.
Marx’s teeth grind as he realizes the identity of the sender.
“I ask again, including the letter. What does it mean !”
Leo’s question while keeping his sword at the ready.
Leo goes out of his way to say that if Marx makes a careless move, he will cut him down.
“Ugh…”
“…Leo. This person is tormenting a lot of people in his mansion.”
On behalf of the silent Marx, Kyrie exposed his wrongdoings.
The power of [Holy Hearing] that even he was not aware of.
Kyrie told Leo everything she had heard in this house.
There a lot of demi-humans had been killed in this mansion.
Many women were used as playthings by Marx and his men.
The use of a drug that has been banned.
That and even right now, many women were trapped in the basement of this mansion.
“Kyrie, that’s…”
At Kyrie’s words, Leo couldn’t help but gasp in thought.
It’s unbelievable.
No, he didn’t want to believe it.
However, there was no reason for Kyrie to lie in such a situation.
Leo saw that Marx was trying to attack Kyrie.
“… fffu.”
Marx let out a loud sigh as Leo was thinking.
While appearing quite annoyed, he stroked the area where tentacles had sprouted.
“Oh dear! You’re really starting to get on my nerves, Disfrender.”
“Snort. Yes, I admit it.”
Snorting, Marx readily admitted what he had done.
“…”
Marx continued in a calm tone, with no sign of anger:
“I can’t tolerate that this city allows subhumans to infiltrate it. This is the Holy City. It’s not a place for uncivilized wild dirty beasts to enter. That’s why we’re thinning those guys out.”
So you’re saying that they capture demi-human women and use them as toys before killing them.
Leo and Kyrie laugh at Marx aggravating his mood.
“I will soon be the captain of the first squad. I’m going to use the Knights of the Exclusionists and Priests to get rid of subhumans from this city once and for all. Those beasts would fit better in some kind of cesspool or something.”
“…”
“I don’t need anyone who won’t cooperate. The knights and priests who disagree with me are better off dead. As a sacred knight, I have the duty to cleanse this holy city from these mindless beasts.”
Marx’s words remind Leo of the results of the investigations he made a while back.
There had been several missing cases in the city before.
And these incidents have risen significantly since Marx came to the city as the captain of the second squad.
The perpetrators of the missing cases are believed to be George and Lily, based on the large number of bodies found at the orphanage.
But … that was just the tip of the iceberg.
“So… you’re doing this to keep the demi-humans away.”
“Oh, no.”
Marx’s expression broke into a wide smile, a look of delight rarely seen emerged on his face.
“Do you think I’m working for such a troublesome reason?”
Marx easily overturned his earlier words.
“I simply don’t like demi-humans. They’re an eyesore. These vermin blatantly thinking of being human’s equals. They’re the same as slaves, or at best they can serve as sexual outlets.”
“Wha…”
“Those who disagreed with me were killed simply because they were meddlesome. Who do you think you are when you say no to me when I’m the one letting you be one of us? The value of life? Ah, don’t make me laugh! The moment you get in my way, you lose any worth you might have had.”
With his hands outstretched, Marx speaks eloquently, as if it were a matter of fact.
Anger welled up in Leo’s chest.
The thinking that others are worthless.
As a knight who protects people, or rather, as a fellow human being, it’s an unforgivable statement.
“Peoples are not your toys. I won’t allow you to kill at your convenience.
“It won’t be forgiven.”
To Leo’s resentful remark, Marx sneered, “Naive, so naive.”
“This is my life. I’ll decide what’s acceptable and what’s not.”
To Leo’s dismay, Marx continues.
“Think twice? We’ve only got one life, what’s wrong with doing what you want?”
Marx ran with his fingers along hisnlong mustache.
“I want money. I want to eat good food. I want to have good women. I want to make those I don’t like disappear. I want to be great. I want to be respected. I want to take what others have and make it my own. I want to be the happiest I can be. I want to see others in misfortune. I want to have more fun than anyone else in my life – those are natural desires if you’re born human, right?”
In a torrent of words, Marx justified his behavior as the norm.
“So, you justify your treason by saying that what you are doing is acceptable.”
What Marx was talking about are certainly desires that people have.
But how many people did this man sacrifice to make it happen?
“Don’t you understand the feelings of others… ?!”
“Are you nuts? How could I know? I can’t use that kind of magic, you know. And you know what? It doesn’t matter if others are hurt or not as long I’m not, okay? This way, I don’t need to worry about anyone else.”
It was no good, Leo realized.
This man is already broken.
If I had to describe Marx in one word, it would be ‘a mass of selfishness’.
A mass of selfishness that can only think of satisfying its own desires without any regard for others.
“… Is that all you have to say?”
“Oh. And you–”
Gurgling.
A damp sound echoed through the room, like a finger puncturing a ripe fruit.
Leo realizes that the sound source is Marx.
The large Marx’s flesh wriggled like clay all over his body.
“Is that all you have to say?”
Neck, shoulders, abdomen, back, and both arms.
Every part swells with a wet sound and a worm the size of a single human appears.
It has a hole, no, a mouth with sharp teeth wriggling and twirling.
“… Freak.”
That abomination no longer belongs to mankind.
Marx spread his arms out in pride of his ugly body.
“Freak? No, no, no, Disfrender! This is the come back of the power of the hero! A usurping power that can devour any attack!”
As if in response to the excited Marx, the worms sprouting from his body rushed over to Leo.
“Kyrie, we’re going down.”
At the same time, while he stands to protect Kirie, magical power erupts from Leo’s entire body.
Immediately afterward, Leo swung down his magical sword with so much magic power that a whirlwind blew out inside the room.
“HA!”
A dazzling slash of magic that seems to cover the entire room.
With just one swing, the worms that were trying to bite Leo turn into lifeless chunks of meat.
A ferocious sword technique suitable for a second-in-command of the second squad.
「――――」
A merciless blow swallows Marx as he stands in the path of the attack.
“…What”
Then the blow was absorbed by his body without leaving a trace.
Leo opens his eyes wide at the sight of his blow disappearing.
“Tastes good, thank you!”
Marx shouts in delight as he withstood a blow that could cut even steel in two.
“Leo, watch out! That person, he has the power to absorb magic!”
“So there you have it, Disfrender.”
“… !”
Marx’s worm-clad body disappears from Leo’s view.
Realizing only the moment after that he ducked into his blind spot, Leo barely defended against the blow.
“Hmph.”
Marx snorted and let the worms sprouting from his entire body rush to Leo.
At the same time, Marx swung his sword, which he had drawn before Leo knew it.
The simultaneous attack of the worms and Marx himself.
“–!”
Waving his sword lightly, Leo slashes off the worms one after another.
Many worms fell to the ground, twitching and then stopping to moving.
Marx’s skills are befitting a captain.
The power that comes from experience and training is beyond the reach of an ordinary knight.
But Leo’s skills outshone those of Marx.
Blood-sweating training and talent.
Thanks to the two combined, even against the worm-manipulating Marx, Leo is still a match.
Leo has the ability to win that match.
However, this is just the case when fighting on equal terms.
By that time the cut off worm had reached the dozen.
The movement of the worm, which had been aimed at Leo until then, suddenly changed.
“Wha…”
They ignored Leo and started aiming at Kyrie, who was backing away.
Kyrie uses sacred magic in an attempt to put up a defensive wall.
To protect Kyrie, Leo quickly tries to use magic.
“[Usurpation of Magic].”
The huge worm that grew from Marx’s back devoured the magic of the two without a trace.
Kyrie and Leo’s bodies, both feel a sense of fatigue as they are forcibly deprived of their magical powers.
“Ora!”
Once again, the worms flooded to Kyrie.
The situation turns into a motionless Kyrie and the knight, Leo, in front protecting her from the attack.
“Disfrender. You’re so naive! I’ll give you credit for your skills! But you know what! You’re too straightforward!”
From there on, the battle was one-sided.
Instead of aiming directly at Leo, the worms aimed ceaselessly at Kyrie.
Unable to use magic, Leo had to stop the onslaught with only his bare physical abilities.
Gradually, the injuries on Leo’s body increased.
The worm eats pieces of flesh and Marx’s blade slashes around his entire body.
After some time, Leo was bleeding from all over his body.
“Leo…!”
Kyrie has no way to fight except through chanting magic.
She can’t even heal Leo’s wounds.
All she can do is watch her childhood friend getting hurt.
“Leo, you…”
Kyrie clenches her teeth at her helplessness.
It’s pathetic. It’s atrocious.
It is always Leo who gets hurt because of her own rash actions.
No matter how much I regret it, I can’t help Leo.
“I’m sorry… Leo-kun, I’m sorry……..”
And so it was when Kirie was about to start crying.
“Don’t cry.”
Leo said to Kirie without turning around, his body covered in blood.
“I can afford it!”
Marx’s attack directly struck Leo.
The worm’s teeth gouged out the flesh of his side, causing fresh blood to spray out of Leo’s body.
Leo turned to Kyrie, who was about to scream.
“I don’t want to see Kyrie cry.”
Saying that Leo smiled just like he did in that forest.
◆
Leo William Disfrender is a coward.
I’m afraid of being scolded.
I’m afraid of being hurt.
I’m afraid of failing.
I’m afraid of being disliked.
I was scared and cowardly and I couldn’t help it.
I was shy, weak, and wasn’t good at talking.
I knew it was because I was afraid of being hated that I couldn’t mingle with the other children in the village.
I couldn’t even say I wanted to play with others.
And before I knew it, I was all alone.
Everyone made fun of me and no one wanted to play with me.
It was then that I got impatient and asked them if I could come along.
“No,” they said. “It’s boring when we’re with Leo.”
“I’d rather go catching bugs than talk to you!”
Rejected.
It can’t be helped, I told myself.
I looked at the other kids laughing happily and gave up thinking that I couldn’t do anything about it myself.
The truth is, I was really lonely.
But I didn’t know what to do.
I’m not as fast on my feet as most people.
I can’t climb a tree like everyone else.
I can’t talk as much as they do.
Even my parents gave me weird looks from time to time. And no one would be willing to talk to someone like me.
I’ve always felt like I was alone.
So.
“There’s something comforting about talking to you.”
“That’s why I want to keep talking to you just like this.”
I was happy when Kyrie told me that.
Someone acknowledged me.
It made me so happy that I wanted to cry.
“It can’t be……………. Did you go into the woods?”
“Is Kyrie still in the woods?
The day we went into the woods to explore.
When we returned to the village, Kyrie was gone.
My mind froze the moment I heard an adult talking about how she’s probably been eaten by a demon.
“Hey, Leo! Where are you going?”
Before I knew it, I was running towards the forest.
I don’t remember what I was thinking at the time.
However, my body was moving on its own, moving forward by itself.
I ran around the forest and went to the back.
There, I saw Kyrie being attacked by a demon.
“RRRrrrr”
–I’m scared.
A howling demon.
Even adults are powerless in front of these wild, scary, bloodthirsty monsters.
My legs were wobbling and I felt like I was going to run away at any moment.
Because I’m a coward.
Of course.
If you go out in front of such a demon, you will be eaten in the blink of an eye.
It will definitely hurt when that happens.
I’m sure I’m going to die.
I’m scared.
I thought with a shudder.
“Help me…”
At Kirie’s words, every thought was blown away.
Demons are scary.
I’m afraid it hurts.
I’m scared to die.
But…
–I’m even more afraid of Kyrie disappearing.
With a wooden stick in his hand, Leo protected Kirie from the demons.
Suddenly, the demon jumped at me.
Of course, I couldn’t defeat the demon.
The wooden stick in my hands was knocked to the ground, and I couldn’t do anything about it.
I’m dead.
Just before that, Leo saw.
The appearance of many knights in blue armor.
Order of the Sacred Knights.
Warriors that drive away and defeat the wicked and protect the kingdom.
The knights who rushed to the scene defeated the demons in the blink of an eye.
Leo swore when he saw his back.
–I’m going to become a knight who can’t be beaten, and this time I’m going to protect Kirie.
◆
“The armor will repel any attack.”
It was a hoarse voice.
“…and the sword will strike down any enemy.”
However, it was a powerful voice that echoed throughout the room.
“… Disfrender, you can’t be…!”
Marx’s complexion changes.
He sprouted the worm from his entire body and tried to steer it towards Leo.
I have a place I want to protect. Because there are people I want to protect.
But it was too late.
I will never, ever give in.
An enormous amount of magic swept through the room.
If Leo’s blow from earlier was a whirlwind, then this magic power is no less than a storm.
Marx, Worm, and even Kyrie can’t get out of it.
“Therefore, we are…”
Sacred Knight – Vice-Captain of the Second Squad.
There’s a reason why he was able to become a second-in-command at such a young age.
It’s biased because Leo has everything that makes him a worthy deputy commander.
A recommendation from the former second squadron commander, outstanding combat skills, and a track record worthy of serving as deputy commander.
And…
“[Invincible Knight].”
Mind magic.
It is because he has reached a place that many knights have not been able to set foot on.
“I’ll protect Kyrie…!”
