Chapter 28

Captain Scott of the 6th Knights stood in the dimly lit bedroom and immediately heard the sound of something slicing through the air. Moments later, a sharp pain shot through the back of his hand. Instantly, he knew it was broken.

He couldn’t see the attacker. He immediately turned and dashed into the hallway, but a sharp pain shot through his right thigh. Although it wasn’t broken, the impact was enough to make Scott fall.

"Who are you?!"

He hid behind the wall using only the strength of his arms from where he had fallen. The attacker was inside the room.

(An attacker—this is the fourth floor, right?)

It was the fourth floor of an apartment building. Scott lived alone, with no roommates. The house was spacious, but he would certainly notice if the front door was opened. So, the possibility of the attacker entering through the window—but the walls were smooth stone, how could they have climbed up?

(And there’s nothing valuable here. No, in general, I’ve never heard of such an attack in the "Noble District"!)

The Noble District was located beyond the 2nd and 1st residential zones in the capital. It was difficult to scale the high walls, and the checkpoints were the strictest.

Various questions swirled in Scott’s mind: "Why me?" "How did they get here?" "What did they throw?"

"...A 'knight' would be shocked to hear this."

A voice spoke.

Scott was startled by the voice—how could they be talking to him?

No.

This voice didn’t belong to an adult—?

"Who are you... Do you know who I am?"

"You’re a knight, right?"

"Do you understand the meaning of attacking a knight?"

"What’s going to happen? Even if a bunch of knights come at me, they can’t defeat me."

"...You’re quite confident. Where does that confidence come from?"

Scott’s gaze wandered. There should have been a magical device in the next room to alert the knights in case of an emergency—.

"Confidence... Yeah, I think you’re not much of a threat when you’re running around instead of counterattacking after being hit."

"Hmm. Was that an attack? It didn’t hurt at all."

Scott dragged his feet and moved slowly.

"Yeah, I held back so it wouldn’t be fatal. —Is there something in the next room?"

"!?"

He had been moving while hidden behind the wall. Being guessed correctly made Scott catch his breath.

"Calling for backup? Go ahead and call. I’m leaving anyway."

"What!?"

At that moment, Scott, enduring the pain, returned to the bedroom.

Peering into the room—there was a figure standing on the window frame.

The moon illuminated the black cloak that seemed to absorb light.

However, the face was silver—wearing a mask of the Sun God.

"Wait, what’s your purpose—"

Before Scott could finish, the boy leaped out the window.

By the time Scott, dragging his feet, reached the window, there was no one in sight below.

All that remained in the room were two stones.

---

The morning sun illuminated the royal castle.

The massive building, constructed with white stone that combined both strength and beauty, turned golden in the morning, shone white during the day, and burned crimson at dusk.

A figure hurriedly made his way to a room deep within the castle.

It was the Knight Commander, Lawrence.

"Knight Commander... What brings you here so early in the morning?"

An elderly chamberlain greeted the Knight Commander in front of a room. Behind him was a door adorned with gold, standing guard as if to protect the person inside.

"I wish to see His Majesty the King."

"But there was no appointment, I believe?"

"It’s an urgent matter."

"...I’m sorry, but you’ll have to leave."

"It’s an urgent matter."

"Is that so? Please leave."

"Chamberlain, I’ve said this much."

"Yes, I understand. But there are many people who claim it’s an urgent matter. His Majesty is a busy man. The time he can take to eat is precious for his peace of mind."

Before he finished speaking, multiple young women’s excited voices came from behind the door.

"His Majesty is resting," the chamberlain seemed to imply.

He glanced at the door, but only for a moment. It was a common occurrence.

"Please, just a moment. Let me see him."

"...Knight Commander, even you, who excel in martial arts and lead the strongest force, the Knights, cannot be disrespectful."

"This is a crisis for the country."

"Yes, His Majesty’s peace of mind being disturbed is also a crisis for the country."

The chamberlain laughed in a creepy voice, and the Knight Commander’s brow furrowed.

"Then I’ll wait here."

"That’s a nuisance."

The chamberlain’s gaze fell on the three guards protecting the King. They were not part of the Knights or the regular army, but rather the King’s personal guards.

Currently, the kingdom had various military forces, and the command structure was quite complex.

The "Knights" were at the core. The regular army was a subordinate organization to the Knights, managed by the Minister of War. While the Knights numbered around 500, the regular army numbered 10,000. The King’s personal guards were a separate organization.

"Do you think three mere guards can move me?"

The Knight Commander turned his gaze, and the three guards flinched. The idea of the King being in danger was "impossible," so they had not received proper training. They were chosen based on their appearance and lineage.

"Knight Commander... Any further disrespect will be reported to His Majesty."

"There is danger!"

The Knight Commander’s voice echoed, and even the chamberlain trembled, losing his composure.

A heavy silence fell—

"It’s noisy this morning."

A girl in her mid-teens walked down the corridor.

Her orange hair, loosely curled, flowed down her back.

Her deep purple eyes, like amethyst, shone with a noble brilliance.

"Good morning, Princess Kujastria."

The Knight Commander immediately knelt on one knee in a show of respect.

The three guards did the same, and the chamberlain, as a civil servant, performed a bow by placing his hands together in front of his chest.

Kujastria was the second child of the King and the Princess of the country. Her full name was Kujastria Ghi Ponsania. She wore a sky-blue dress that looked cool considering the recent hot days. The dress featured a popular lace design, and her orange heels, matching her hair, complemented her well.

"Relax. —What’s the commotion about?"

"The Knight Commander is needlessly claiming a crisis for the country and wishes to see His Majesty."

The chamberlain pleaded. Kujastria turned her gaze to the Knight Commander, who remained on one knee.

"Lawrence, is that true?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Then I will hear you out. Chamberlain, leave this to me."

"...Understood."

Though his face was full of dissatisfaction, the chamberlain could not disobey the Princess.

The Princess led the Knight Commander away from the scene.

"Lawrence, it’s unlike you. Father’s involvement in state affairs is limited to '10 AM to 2 PM.'"

"But it was an urgent matter."

"The chamberlain can’t judge the severity of the situation."

"...Indeed."

Lawrence was impressed by the intelligence of the girl, who was only as tall as his midriff.

Yes, the King only worked for four hours a day.

The rest of the time, he indulged in women.

To declare war in such a state—no, perhaps because of such a state, he had declared war. In any case, the only time to advise the King was during those four hours.

Of course, those who could accompany the King in his "play" didn’t need such trouble.

In fact, the people the King trusted, including the chamberlain, often didn’t show up during the "four hours of work."

"So, what’s the urgent matter?"

The Princess entered a nearby small room and locked the door.

The Princess had no attendants. She deliberately didn’t bring any. She had a brother, the Crown Prince and the legitimate next king.

Around him, nobles who wanted to taste the sweet honey of the next generation swarmed, whispering to win his favor—"Princess Kujastria might be aiming for the throne?"

Kujastria, not wanting to be suspected, decided not to have attendants. Without attendants, she could still handle her duties. In fact, she was handling the detailed state affairs that were being neglected due to the King’s lack of work.

Many thought she should be the next queen. There was a history of queens ruling the country. However, such thoughts were dangerous for Kujastria’s life.

"Thank you for your consideration."

Choosing a nearby small room instead of her own was the Princess’s consideration.

First, she judged that "an urgent matter" should be heard quickly. Also, her room was under her brother’s surveillance, and if he heard, it could cause unnecessary trouble.

"Last night, the Captain of the 6th Knights was attacked—"

Lawrence conveyed the facts accurately. The attacker was likely the same who had attacked East.

"I see, I understand. But I also have questions. —Is this level of urgency? From what I’ve heard, the attacks were on the 6th Knights. Could it be that the 6th Knights made a mistake in a past mission and were attacked out of revenge?"

"If that were the case, I would agree."

"Is that all? There’s more?"

"After the attack on the Captain of the 6th Knights, the Captains of the 2nd and 11th Knights were also attacked. These two were resting in the knights’ quarters outside the castle walls. This means the intruders have penetrated to just outside the castle."

Silence fell.

Even Kujastria needed time to think.

When the Knight Commander heard about Scott’s attack with the investigators last night, he first thought, "Did the 6th Knights do something wrong?" The same as Kujastria.

Was the first attack on East not by thieves, but a test to gauge the knights’ reaction?

Once they realized they could attack without issue, they targeted the Captain of the 6th Knights.

However, during the discussion with the investigators, a second report came in. Two more captains were attacked.

"...What’s the current state of the knights?"

"They are on high alert. I’ve ordered that no one should act alone. Fortunately, only the knights have been attacked, so if we remain vigilant, there shouldn’t be a problem."

"Is there a possibility it will spread to the castle?"

"That’s the issue. In my opinion... probably not, but I can’t be certain. I thought it best to report this first."

"State your thoughts, Lawrence."

"Yes. However, the possibilities are limited. First, we don’t know the attacker’s purpose. On the surface, it seems they have a grudge against the Knights, but their methods suggest they are testing their own strength. They don’t take lives."

"Knight Commander, do you have any suspects?"

"Are you joking?"

"Do I look like I’m joking?"

"...I do have a suspect."

Seeing the Knight Commander uncomfortably shrink his large frame, the Princess smiled slightly.

The Knight Commander, in his youth, had also challenged strong opponents to test his own strength.

"From what I’ve heard, it seems like a test of strength. Otherwise, there’s no reason to attack the country’s strongest force. If it’s a grudge against the Knights, it’s too sloppy—"

"Sloppy, yet precise."

"Yes. They escape cleanly, so they are also precise. —I see, a test of strength. This hypothesis will be proven in the next attack."

"Indeed... you think so too?"

The Knight Commander realized that the Princess’s thoughts aligned with his own.

"The next target will be you, Knight Commander. ...No, Sword Saint Lawrence."

Next: "The 'Stealth' vs. the Knight Commander"