Chapter 59: The Knight Who Never Removes His Helmet (2)

The dawn's twilight woke Kallin.

Outside the window, the waning moon seemed to illuminate the world with a blue light.

Kallin sighed at the early awakening. It was the same dream again. A bird flew past the window.

Kallin thought of the eagle. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say the dream began from that moment.

'Does death avoidance mean the same thing?'

The death avoidance he saw when accepting the duke's mission a few days ago was different from before.

The world, reversed in black and white, was less vivid in color than before.

The manifestation of death avoidance did not necessarily mean death; it was a warning.

That's why the difference was puzzling.

There were a few hypotheses.

Perhaps it was something that would happen later, not immediately, or the risk of death was lower than before...

There was no way to know the right answer.

But now, thinking of the eagle, another idea came to mind. Perhaps it wasn't about the choice, but the outcome.

'Like turning a bad omen into a good one.'

Kallin shook his head, thinking it was too obvious.

If viewed that way, the warning of death avoidance would be meaningless.

Still, he didn't reject the proposal. It wasn't because it was hard to change his words in front of the duke.

Too much was at stake with the mission.

The goal he had when he first came here hadn't changed, but the plan had changed a lot.

He could see more as he experienced and learned.

If he did nothing, Haisen's decline was a foregone conclusion. If the intelligence chief died in the process...

There was no guarantee he could block Denif's anger.

'The princess is the same.'

Thinking about it now, making the princess, who had left the empire, the empress was almost impossible.

Ruling the empire without a power base was a fanciful dream.

So, whether it turned out well or badly, Kallin had to step forward, even if it meant death.

If his plan failed, a deferred death was waiting for him.

'From the moment I came to this world, I never expected to be safe.'

Kallin judged it was a moment to risk his life.

Frankly, he had lived a much safer life under the duke's protection than he would have otherwise.

If he had wandered alone since he was 13, he might have already become a corpse.

Of course, that didn't mean he wasn't worried. He felt anxious, but he accepted it.

From any perspective, he was the right person for the job.

Mystery, wind.

No one could gather and secretly transmit more information from the imperial palace than he could.

'The problem is that I know too many people.'

The king of Haisen, the intelligence chief, and the head of the empire's intelligence agency...

Especially the last one, Derrick, had a high probability of leaking information.

If that happened, it would be clear he couldn't maintain his position as the princess's bodyguard for long.

The warning of death avoidance might be because of this.

But it was too late to turn back. The flow was irreversible.

In the worst case, even if Haisen declined, he had to leave possibilities for the princess.

He had confidence in the manifestation of death avoidance. Whatever it meant, something remained unchanged.

If going to the empire meant death, it would have appeared just before he answered.

That meant the probability was high, but the death variable was something he could handle.

If a crisis actually occurred, he could guess the form it would take.

There were a few scenarios that could arise because of the head.

But Kallin was confident he could avoid and escape even in the worst-case scenario. He hadn't been idle for the past year.

'There's also Ines's words.'

The fortune-teller, who could see the future in fragments, suggested meeting again. It meant he would survive, right?

Kallin thought this and inwardly smiled.

He seemed a bit more anxious than he thought. His morning musings were too deep.

Still, it was fortunate that he found some peace at the end.

He got up, feeling a bit more sluggish than usual due to the early wake-up.

He was to leave in two days.

He would meet the king of Haisen and go to the empire with the princess. The royal family of Haisen had already agreed.

It was a task that the intelligence chief couldn't handle alone.

'Probably the princess doesn't know.'

In any case, he needed to improve himself even in the short time.

Since Marhan said he would watch, he planned to go out and warm up first.

"Long time no see?"

But the person who appeared at the training ground was not Marhan. Phiri was there.

It wasn't that long. Kallin had met her twice since returning to Haisen.

Phiri often visited the duke in her role as deputy.

"You still look tired."

"What brings you here?"

"Just that. I came because you're going to the empire."

"Are you free?"

Phiri frowned.

"Is my face not welcome at all?"

"Of course not. It's good to see you."

"Phew, okay."

Phiri sighed. Kallin had a pretty good idea why she came.

An important mission. It could be conveyed in writing, but it was better to finalize it in person.

Kallin shrugged after their casual conversation.

"When are you returning?"

"Tonight. I arrived at dawn and I'm exhausted."

"Why don't you rest a bit?"

It was a sincere suggestion.

Phiri wasn't the type to relax, and given the situation, it must have been a tough journey.

"I won't be able to see you openly once you go to the empire, so I wanted to see you."

Kallin was momentarily speechless at her cheerful smile. It was a rare sense of purity he hadn't felt in a long time.

In his current state of worry, it felt even more foreign.

"Let's go out."

"Excuse me?"

"You won't get any rest as the princess's bodyguard. We should have some fun before you go."

Kallin licked his lips. He wanted to train. If this was the case, he wished Marhan had been called...

Phiri, reading his expression, cut him off.

"Just..."

"Listen to me. You haven't had a proper rest since you came to Haisen. If I were you, I would have made you rest long ago."

Phiri criticized the duke. Kallin hadn't been completely without rest, but he kept quiet.

"Working hard is good, but you'll burn out. You need to take some rest."

Was she worried about burnout?

Kallin nodded obediently. He knew he would be dragged along anyway, and it would only be for a short time.

It was probably to help him relax a bit.

A good superior considers the mental health of their subordinates. Hadn't she also taken care of the field-specialized agents?

"Let's go."

Phiri put her hand on Kallin's shoulder.

* * *

The duke's plan was simple.

The empress was bringing the princess's bodyguard from her homeland, Haisen.

The founding emperor was more of a macho type. He had a winner-takes-all mindset.

Half a year ago, he openly told his children to fight among themselves, and the winner would be the emperor.

Thus, the war among the princes had already begun. Real-time intrigue was ongoing.

As far as I knew, the princess had no interest in the conflict, but others would see it differently.

'Just look at how Haisen is trying to use the princess.'

So, this situation wasn't strange.

I would accompany the Haisen princess to the upcoming banquet and become her bodyguard.

What happens after that would depend on my judgment and instructions.

However, regardless of the surface reason, there would definitely be suspicious looks directed at me.

Even if I had been brought from somewhere other than Haisen, it would have been the same.

They were fighting over the emperor's position, after all.

'As long as I don't get caught, it's fine.'

I could eavesdrop and relay information without being caught by anyone.

The probability of getting caught was extremely low, unless there was an internal leak.

My past wouldn't be a problem. Three people can make a tiger, and...

Especially, this was a fabricated history by the intelligence chief of a kingdom.

I knew this knight. I didn't know it would be me.

He started as a mercenary and achieved remarkable feats in a territorial war, becoming a knight.

He gained fame by defeating several renowned knights in duels, and his reputation reached the king.

'It's a bit ridiculous, but...'

This disguise was possible because the knight never removed his helmet.

Most of the duels he fought were also because of the helmet.

The reason the duke gave me the option to refuse was also because of the helmet.

But from the way my height and build were made similar to his, it seemed he didn't think I would refuse.

In any case, officially, I was responding to the king's summons, so I was in front of the king.

I knelt on one knee, placing the tip of my drawn sword on the ground.

"Greetings. Knight Kall Schurtaffen is honored to meet the glorious king of Haisen."

"Welcome! I've heard a lot about you."

The noble who made me a knight was the king's in-law, so it was a staged performance.

Still, many people were gathered to consider the audience.

Naturally, the looks directed at me were not good. A knight of mercenary origin.

It was a perspective one had to endure when rising through the ranks. Not removing the helmet would make it even more noticeable.

In the game, this often annoyed me. Whether it was a character or a player.

Now, it was a nostalgic memory. Boring formalities were exchanged.

'Let's get this over with quickly.'

Listening to things I hadn't done was a chore. Eventually, the conversation came to an end.

Officially, I was to be sent as the princess's bodyguard, and the atmosphere became even more hostile.

A mercenary was to be the princess's bodyguard. The nobles, unaware of the background, were concerned about the kingdom's dignity.

I would face similar insults in the empire. Well, overcoming it with my skills would be enough.

"I am grateful to be entrusted with this honorable position. I will serve with honor."

"Will you be alright? I know you are stubborn, but you won't be able to wear your helmet in the empire."

I bowed deeply.

"I deeply apologize for the rudeness. The helmet is not an issue. I started wearing it because of the prejudice I faced."

I raised my head and met the king's eyes.

"I can remove it immediately if the king approves."

And now, it was time to remove the helmet. As I raised my arm, the princess suddenly intervened.

"Father."

"Why is that?"

"The aunt values skill. Is it alright? Even if he defeated Sir Bern, there are more skilled knights in the palace. It might be disrespectful..."

It was an unexpected situation. The princess's whim. From her expression, she seemed to dislike me.

Perhaps it was because of the rumor that the helmet was due to a hideous appearance.

The king remained calm and smiled. His gaze swept the room, pausing on me for a moment.

I nodded slightly.

"Yes. I see many are skeptical. Schurtaffen, can you show us?"

"Yes."

It was a sudden situation, but I