Chapter 11

After the victory celebration, Elliot was in a room granted to him in the royal castle, staring blankly at the holy sword.

The faint light that enveloped it on the battlefield was now gone, but the beautiful blade, intricately carved with delicate ivy reliefs, shimmered in the moonlight.

About a year ago, as part of a extermination operation, Elliot and his squad of about ten people entered a forest area to carefully eliminate undead beasts one by one. Suddenly, they were hit by a heavy downpour, and the squad became isolated. The blessing of the sword, which had been purified with holy water, disappeared each time an undead beast was defeated. With no way out, they were surrounded by a large number of undead beasts, and everyone prepared for death. At the last moment, the face of Flora, who was in the capital, came to mind, but the memories after that were unclear.

When he came to, he was standing amidst the remains of the undead beasts, and in his hand was this faintly glowing sword.

Relieved to find that his fallen comrades were still breathing, he joined the rescue team that arrived. Everyone called the sword in Elliot's hand a holy sword and cheered.

Since that day, my situation has changed dramatically.

Strangely, the sword became unbearably heavy in anyone else's hands and lost its ability to slay the undead without holy water. Everyone recognized this as proof that Elliot was a holy knight chosen by the holy sword, and he began to lead from the front in battles.

Until just recently, I was a low-ranking knight, but from that day on, I was treated like a high-ranking knight. Thanks to the significant change in the harsh battle situation, I received more gratitude than envy or contempt, which was fortunate.

Even now, I still don't understand why I was chosen...

"You were always dedicated to your training, so perhaps your sincerity was recognized by the goddess."

This was said by one of the high-ranking knights who had always taken a keen interest in Elliot since he joined the knight order.

I've always been clumsy at everything except for swordsmanship, which I was passionate about.

From a young age, I often became so engrossed in training that I lost sight of my surroundings. Elliot frowned and sighed.

Because of this, I missed a lot of things.

Trying to dispel the bitter sentiment, he took a sip of wine when a knock came at the door.

Several high-ranking knights peeked in.

"Deputy Commander Elliot, thank you for your hard work at the victory celebration! There's a report before you retire!"

The one who spoke loudly as he entered the room was Marcus, the youngest of the high-ranking knights present.

He is the third son of a well-known noble family in the capital and joined the knight order two years after Elliot. Blessed with sword talent and a noble background, he quickly rose to become a high-ranking knight. Elliot, who was of lower rank before his ennoblement, was in the same squad as Marcus on the day he obtained the holy sword, and Marcus regarded him as a savior.

Marcus approached the sofa where Elliot was sitting and laid out several documents on the coffee table, listing dates and detailed numbers.

"Here's the interim report on the matter!"

"... It's just a compilation of the information that has come to light so far, not yet verified."

Lloyd, a high-ranking knight, calmly added from behind Marcus. He is the oldest present and, like Elliot, comes from a baronial family but rose to high rank through his own abilities.

Elliot scanned the documents and winced, covering his forehead with his hand.

"A woman claiming to be the holy knight's wife is using his fame to borrow money everywhere."

This news reached the battlefield about half a year ago. Given his ex-wife's character, it was hard to believe. Moreover, by then, he had heard multiple reports of unknown women claiming to be his lover or wife. Initially, he dismissed these as similar cases.

However, within a month, Elliot was driven to despair. A copy of a loan document signed with his wife's name, in a familiar handwriting, was sent to the battlefield. The amount was so large that it could not be repaid with their combined earnings.

At first, I was worried that she might be in dire financial straits...

But the stories he heard afterward on the battlefield were about her buying expensive jewels, dining at high-end restaurants every day, quitting her job to play, and even supporting a lover. Despite repeatedly denying these, the stories gradually eroded his trust.

If it were true, it would be a major scandal, and only a few in the knight order knew about it. However, the seed of doubt grew in his heart, and eventually, it undermined his trust in his wife.

Lloyd, concerned about Elliot's silence, spoke up.

"This list is just a compilation of the testimony of moneylenders in the capital. There's a possibility of fraud or forgery. ... Stay calm."

"But, Lloyd! At least one case has been confirmed by the Deputy Commander, right!?"

Lloyd silenced Marcus with a stern look.

"... Well, unexpected power can drive people mad. Even the most virtuous can be tempted by fame beyond their station..."

However, Marcus, still dissatisfied, pouted.

"First of all, it's thanks to Deputy Commander Elliot and the Holy Maiden. A woman who did nothing shouldn't be able to benefit in such a way!"

"Marcus... stop it."

To calm his young, narrow-minded subordinate, who was overly devoted to the holy knight and the Holy Maiden, Lloyd made him sit down.

Another high-ranking knight stepped forward and laid out more documents on the coffee table.

"This is a record of how the money was spent. Only the records that exist."

He is named Richard, the second son of a marquis family that has produced many royal guards. He is a young knight, almost a contemporary of Marcus.

The document presented is a record of donations to the church, dating back to just after the knight order's deployment.

"Even after she started borrowing money, she continued to make small donations. It seems rather cunning. Perhaps she accepted the divorce because she realized the situation?"

Richard sneered.

"His Majesty the King has declared the marriage invalid, so she will have to deal with it herself. Whether she can pay or not, I don't know."

"Didn't she run away from the capital? Is that okay!?"

"Leave her be; the moneylenders will chase her."

Lloyd sighed at the two young men's definitive statements.

"The Crown Prince is also conducting his own investigation. Don't jump to conclusions."

Richard snorted at Lloyd's advice.

"Is it that shameless Crown Prince? He's probably desperate to find fault with Deputy Commander Elliot."

"Enough, that's disrespectful."

Given that they were in a room in the royal castle, Richard finally fell silent but still looked displeased.

"If we're talking about disrespect, it's that woman. I agree with Marcus. Not only is she using Deputy Commander Elliot's fame, but she's tarnishing the Holy Maiden Emily's achievements."

"That's right! If it weren't for the Holy Maiden, we might not even have the holy sword!"

Marcus, agreeing, raised his voice again.

Elliot, who had been listening silently, clenched his fists on his knees, trying to suppress the rising emotions.