Volume 5, Chapter 10 – Harmless To Man And Beast

The next day.

As the sun first rose, all of Storm City had already fallen into bustling activity.

Inside the Paladin Temple, whose doors had long since been thrown open, many people could feel a sacred, vast Throne-tier aura shrouding the sky above it.

“Fisiel… you’ve got to do your best today!”

The doors of the Paladin Temple now stood wide open, and that also signaled the start of the King of Knights election.

After following Fisiel outside the Paladin Temple, Tianyin quietly cheered her on.

“Mm… my lady, this time I definitely won’t let that outsider Yunchou’s plan succeed!”

Having her own lady cheer her on left Fisiel very moved.

“Pfft! It’s not just about blocking Yunchou’s plan! You also have to properly inherit the King of Knights’ power for me!”

“Mn, it’ll definitely work out!”

Honestly, Fisiel did not want to dampen Tianyin’s spirits, so her reply to Tianyin was just a vague response.

Of course, since Fisiel, as a Paladin, had come to the Paladin Temple, the other Paladins would also come to the temple.

So when Fisiel stepped into the Paladin Temple, the hall was already filled with Paladins standing in ranks.

“It’s her!”

“Wasn’t she stripped of her name? Why is she here!”

“Don’t say that. She’s still a Legendary after all. Maybe she was invited here just to watch the election?”

As Fisiel arrived, the Paladins in the temple all unconsciously turned their gazes on her.

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“…”

With all the Paladins present staring at her, even though Fisiel had steeled herself beforehand, she still instinctively felt a bit ill at ease.

“Fisiel? You okay?”

Walking at Fisiel’s side, Tianyin also felt the gazes of the surrounding Paladins, and could not help worrying about how Fisiel was holding up.

“It’s nothing serious, my lady, I’m just a little uncomfortable being stared at by so many Paladins…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine, Fisiel, you just need to think of them as big cabbages!”

“…”

As time passed, more and more Paladins slowly walked into the Paladin Temple.

Of course, it was not just Paladins; there were also some natives who had been granted permission to enter and watch this election, along with a few players mixed in among the natives.

And as the numbers grew, elderly Legendary-tier Paladins also entered the Paladin Temple one after another.

Every appearance of a Legendary Paladin set off a fresh round of cheers from the Paladins present.

Thanks to those Legendary Paladins, the gazes that had been occasionally fixed on Fisiel were all drawn away to them.

So Fisiel, this “traitor” among the Paladins, no longer drew anyone else’s attention.

As the Legendary Paladins gradually all arrived, the sun in the sky had just about climbed to its place overhead.

When it was about time for the official start, a Paladin of Epic-tier strength walked to the very center of the Paladin Temple.

“Everyone, today is the day of the election for the next King of Knights. The time is just about here. By order of the current King of Knights, I will now announce the names of the King of Knights candidates.”

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“Next, Paladins whose names are called, please bring your swords and step to the front of the crowd.”

After sweeping his gaze around, this Paladin took out a sheet of paper covered in names.

“I will now begin reading the list.”

“Legendary Paladin Uther!”

“Holy Light be with you!”

The Legendary Paladin whose name had been called strode forward with firm steps and came to stand before everyone.

Seeing the Legendary Paladin step out, the Paladins present all shouted in unison, “Holy Light be with you.”

After that, as the Epic-tier Paladin read out the names one after another, Legendary Paladins stepped out before the crowd, each one calling out “Holy Light be with you.”

“Next, Trai…”

At this moment, a doubtful look appeared on the face of the Epic-tier Paladin who was reading.

However, after pausing for a moment, this Paladin still continued reading.

“Next, Trainee Paladin Yunchou!”

“Oh, oh, oh, Yunchou, Yunchou!”

“Boss Yunchou!”

Unlike the solemn atmosphere when the Legendary Paladins had appeared, the moment Yunchou’s name came up, the players who had been quietly watching the election in the temple all turned excited.

But surprisingly, after Yunchou’s name was called, no one answered.

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A few seconds later, seeing no response, the Epic-tier Paladin announcing the list raised his voice and called again.

“Trainee Paladin Yunchou!”

But a few seconds later, there was still no response.

“Trainee Paladin Yunchou!”

Still no one answered.

Finally, after calling again and again with no success, the NPCs and players present all began whispering among themselves.

“What’s going on? Where’s Yunchou? Where is he?”

“No idea. Think he realized he couldn’t compete with the Legendary Paladins and just didn’t come so he wouldn’t embarrass himself?”

“…”

“Silence!”

After the whispers in the temple had gone on for about ten seconds, the Epic-tier Paladin reading the list shouted loudly, his face dark.

“Trainee Paladin Yunchou, due to failing to respond after being called repeatedly, it is now determined that Trainee Paladin Yunchou forfe—”

“Wait, wait… I’m here, aren’t I?”

Just as he was about to get the last word out, a slightly flustered voice rang out from within the crowd.

“Make some room, make some room, everyone, let me through, I’m in a hurry here.”

As the voice sounded, the crowd rippled with commotion.

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A few seconds later, a delicate-featured boy wearing armor that did not fit his build at all, with an ordinary knight’s sword on his back, appeared before everyone.

“Uh… well, I, I got up a bit late, so I’m running a bit late. Please don’t mind it, everyone.”

Looking at Yunchou, who had entered her field of vision with an ingratiating, harmless-to-man-and-beast smile on his face, Tianyin’s eyes were full of doubt.

And in her mind, Samael’s voice also slipped out without control.

「Th-this is Yunchou?」

A voice filled with bafflement.

Of course, it was not just Samael; even Tianyin looked completely at a loss when she saw Yunchou.

Because the Yunchou in front of her was very different from the image the Light Orb of the System had described to her back then.

The feeling this Yunchou gave Tianyin was just plain ordinary…

Not just ordinary, but the kind of ordinary you could grab by the handful off any random street.

“Could it be that this Yunchou isn’t that Yunchou?”

Tianyin, puzzled, came up with this possibility.

But when she remembered that player IDs in the game were set to be unique, Tianyin shot down that notion and grew even more confused.

Staring at the harmless-to-man-and-beast boy before her.

Tianyin even started wondering if the Light Orb of the System had been lying to her this whole time.