Volume 5, Chapter 12 – Sword And Shield

From the knight girl Fisiel’s point of view, what she said could indeed stand.

After all, just as Fisiel had said, her Holy Light had not disappeared, and her faith had not wavered.

Like this, she was still a Paladin.

And if she denied her own identity just because of other people’s opinions, could she still be called steadfast in will?

Thinking back to what her own lord, Tianyin, had told her before, the thoughts in the girl’s heart unconsciously grew even more firm.

“So what if I betrayed the Kingdom?”

As her heart grew more resolute, the girl’s eyes became all the more stern.

On that already heroic face, there was now also a sharp aura like the edge of a sword.

“In my hands, in Fisiel’s hands, the Northern Fortress was not taken by the Beastmen. Do you Paladins really not understand how important the Northern Fortress is?”

Looking at the Paladin Temple gradually falling silent, the girl’s tone became utterly serious.

“I’m sure you understand the importance of the Northern Fortress better than anyone, don’t you?”

“The people of the Kingdom can afford to ignore the loss or gain of the Northern Fortress, but for us Paladins, do you really not understand what it means if the Northern Fortress falls?”

“If the Northern Fortress ends up in the Beastmen’s hands, then in the future, with no pass left to block the Beastmen armies, all the ordinary folk under the Kingdom will have to guard every moment against the Beastmen army’s raids.”

Rеaⅾ оո КatReαⅾіnɡСаfе

“Do you really not understand that?”

The Paladins of the Paladin Temple fell into a rare silence.

Yes.

Setting aside Fisiel’s betrayal of the Kingdom, just the fact that she held the Northern Fortress was something most people could not have managed.

After all, the Paladins were not like those blindly loyal knights under the ones in power, they had thoughts of their own.

The Northern Fortress could not be lost, but back then, most of the Paladins could already see that Paladin Fisiel had been made a sacrifice.

At that time the Paladins had also voiced their anger and grievances, venting their dissatisfaction and standing up for Paladin Fisiel.

But once they heard that Fisiel had betrayed the Kingdom, betrayed the Paladins, and joined the newly risen Dawn Faction, all the sympathy they had felt for Fisiel was blown away by that one piece of news.

Fisiel betrayed the Kingdom.

And handed over the Northern Fortress.

Even now, the overwhelming majority of Paladins were still furious at Fisiel’s act of betraying the Kingdom, and still filled with resentment toward her for offering the Northern Fortress, so important to the Kingdom, to Dawn.

Paladins were people too. Once their eyes were clouded by anger, all that remained in them toward Fisiel was outrage at her betrayal.

However…

Rеаԁ оո ΚаtRеαⅾinɡСαfe

After hearing Fisiel’s words, the Paladins present could not help falling into thought.

“…”

Of course, the reason they were thinking was not that Fisiel’s words were so irrefutable, but because they had begun to doubt the conviction they had held before.

“Correct.”

Just as a strange silence had settled over the temple, a firm yet dignified voice rang out.

“Paladin Fisiel, in my eyes, you are a qualified Paladin. It was only because of certain reasons that I was forced to strip you of your name. But to be able to hold to yourself under a blow like that… Fisiel, for that alone, you are far more outstanding than the other Paladins.”

As the voice fell, in everyone’s sight, a Paladin shrouded entirely in Holy Light stepped forward through the air.

「That is the Holy King of Knights, Xiaoyin.」

Tianyin also saw the man wrapped in Holy Light, and at the same moment she saw him, Samael’s wary voice rang out in her mind.

『The Holy King of Knights? Eh, why does he look like some fake mystic putting on an act…』

He really did give off the feeling of someone putting on a show.

In Tianyin’s eyes, aside from being wrapped in a mass of dazzling Holy Light, this Holy King of Knights did not give her the sense of a Throne-tier being at all.

And the feeling this Holy King of Knights gave Tianyin was completely different compared to the former Undead Great Lord Sagus and Heavenly Father, the leader of the Sanctuary.

Rеаԁ οո ΚαtRеαdіոɡСafе

「Don’t underestimate the Holy King of Knights, Xiaoyin. We Blood Knights are descended from the Paladin class, so if we face the Holy King of Knights, we’ll be at a great disadvantage.」

『Wuu… is that how it is?』

Tianyin felt a bit dejected.

Before this, Tianyin had always thought that Blood Knights were much stronger than Paladins, but now, with Samael’s reminder, she had no choice but to face this painful truth.

「Well… this isn’t something you need to worry too much about, Xiaoyin. The reason Paladins counter us Blood Knights is because Blood Knights are good at offense and not defense.」

「Paladins, while not bad at attacking, are still better at using the Holy Light for defense.」

『So it’s like the relationship between a sword and a shield?』

「Mm… you can basically think of it that way.」

“…”

Hearing this, Tianyin only silently looked into the distance at the Holy King of Knights that had appeared before everyone, the figure completely obscured by a mass of blinding Holy Light, his features impossible to make out.

“King of Knights!”

While Tianyin and Samael were talking, all the Paladins present, aside from the few King of Knights candidates, without exception performed the proper knightly etiquette toward the appearing Holy King of Knights with utmost solemnity.

“Enough, there’s no need for so much ceremony here in the Paladin Temple. Besides, the reason I came this time was because I heard the commotion in the Paladin Temple and had to show myself.”

Reаⅾ оո KаtRеаԁiոgСafе

As he spoke, the Holy King of Knights turned his body, as if sweeping his gaze over the surrounding Paladins.

With his words, every Paladin present showed an ashamed expression.

“Alright, I don’t want to bring up what just happened any further, and I don’t want to hear you questioning Paladin Fisiel again. Just as Paladin Fisiel said, the Holy Light she believes in is still with her, and her belief in herself as a Paladin is still there. That means she is still a Paladin.”

“So everyone is not to question Paladin Fisiel’s candidacy again.”

“Yes!”

The Paladins present answered in unison, their voices echoing like thunder.

“Good.”

The Holy King of Knights seemed quite satisfied. After a brief silence, he turned and left.

“The election will continue. I will wait behind the Paladin Temple for the one who is chosen.”

Leaving these words behind, under Tianyin’s gaze and the gaze of all the Paladins, the Holy King of Knights departed just like that.

What none of them noticed was that Yunchou, who looked harmless to man and beast, had the corner of his mouth curl into a strange arc.