CHAPTER FIVE

The hymnal chorus echoed throughout the cathedral, accompanied by a waft of the sweet smell of frankincense.

It was not only townsfolk who had found themselves in a gloom, unable to attend mass for a long while as the church doors remained shut. The priests and other clergy who came from neighboring areas almost looked like the guests who returned to Nyohhira to soak in its waters after a whole year as they stepped foot into the building and inhaled deeply.

Archbishop Yagine welcomed these priests to the special chapel and made certain they were all safe. The clergy were also immensely moved by Wintshire’s presence, exchanging firm hugs. They held their breath in the churches within the kingdom, because they themselves were in a very similar position to the old knight.

Col and company watched from a distance, waiting in the hallway like merchants who were on good terms with the cathedral. They could see from the gaps in the door the high-ranking clergy kneeling on the floor of the chapel, their long robes swishing as they moved. Yagine took the scripture in hand and glanced in their direction through the gaps in the door. Wintshire exited into the hallway a few moments later, and a young priest quietly closed the door as Yagine began to pray.

The old knight turned back to look at the shut door and said, “This is an oasis of faith in the desert to them.”

It was not long ago that those of the cloth could not openly walk around within the city of Rausbourne.

Col himself had been hauled off by the tax collectors’ association the moment he entered port.

“Can you not say something to make the kingdom open even more churches?”

“Please forgive me, because my answer is that I once thought the exact same thing. However, when considering how the pope might interpret that act…”

Col trailed off, and Wintshire hummed deep in his throat.

On the other hand, he recalled that when he talked about this with Hyland, he had a feeling that he had been on the verge of coming up with a breakthrough. He groped around in his mind, wondering what that might be, but Wintshire spoke.

“He would see it as an attack from the kingdom, yet if the clergy were to open the doors on their own accord, then they would be turning their back on the pope’s suspension order…You have opened the doors of two sanctuaries thus far, but I fear that may be the limit.” The old knight sighed and shook his head “No, I mustn’t dwell on the impossible. We have precious little time.”

“Heir Hyland is waiting for us in another room,” Col said, and walked off; the guards proceeded ahead of him and opened the door to another room.

“Sir Wintshire.”

“I am sorry to have kept you waiting.”

Hyland and Wintshire exchanged a handshake and they took their places at the round table.

“If I may get right to the point, we have but to put together the main points of the proposal.”

Hyland gave a glance as a signal, and another guard, who had been standing in wait, placed a stack of papers before Wintshire.

“In essence, we want to gather the people’s attention by way of a public catechism held by you, the knights, and Sir Col, then turn it into a debate with Father Yagine mediating the discussion. We are also planning on inviting the local nobles through the city council to make it a more grandiose affair.”

Wintshire gazed at the documents Hyland had placed on the table, and asked, “Will you not ask them to participate?”

He was pointing beyond the wall. He was talking about the clergy who had come from neighboring areas.

“We knights do not want more people on our side. They, too, have been laying low, fighting alone and unassisted. I want to share with them the solace of having been able to join the fight.”

Though their very existence was on the line, they were still constantly considerate of those around them.

Hyland nodded, impressed.

“The more that join, the more dignified the event. What do you think, Sir Col?”

There was a hint of mischief to her question.

“I am all right with that. The winner of a catechism is not determined by how loud one’s voice is, after all.”

Both Hyland and Wintshire’s eyes went wide.

They both flashed troubled smiles.

“If only you were our ally.”

Col was about to say that he was indeed their ally, but he stopped himself. He would never be able to be their ally in the truest meaning of the word, and he was a central cause for their dire predicament in the first place.

It was Hyland who spoke up for him before his silence became too apparent.

“Regarding the catechisms, we are hoping to choose topics that would be easy for the city folk to understand.”

“I see that. You found a good one—the angel’s sword and scales, gifted by God. I believe it’s perfect for a city with so many merchants as this one. It would be easy to appeal to the masses that we are figures of justice with our swords, and neutral in the face of God’s faith.”

They were neither friend nor foe to the kingdom—simply protectors of faith.

“How do you plan on questioning me?”

This was not a pleasant symposium about interpretation of the scripture.

He was one who rallied under Hyland, the standard-bearer of a reformation that fought back against the Church.

“The kingdom objects to the Church’s levying of the tithes to begin with. Because it was meant to be a temporary tax collected for the war against the pagans.”

When Col said as much, Wintshire seemed to understand.

“We are indeed the blades maintained by that very tax. That is a sore spot.”

Knights were military power, and they were symbols of battle. Once a war was over, they were nothing more than tools that no longer had use. The pope was so coldly abandoning Wintshire and his men because the war with the pagans was indeed over.

“The city folk may be seized by feelings of repulsion. I hate to say they will be arguing this in the taverns, but they will at least be excited about it.”

They may earnestly want to support the knights, but also harbor irritation toward the Church who keeps levying unfair taxes.

Wintshire ran his hand through his silver hair, which was unlike Myuri’s—a hair color reserved only for the elderly.

“Oh ho. I will need to put my all into this, otherwise we may lose.”

Col could not tell him that was not so. Though as presumptuous as it sounded, he was confident he would win.

Because both justice and the ways of the world were on his side.

And he considered just how cruel that was.

As he stood before Wintshire, he estimated there were about thirty, even forty years difference between them. The older man, who wore a wry smile on his face, most certainly experienced fighting against the real pagans when he was young—a real knight who survived protecting the Church’s faith with his life.

He had refined his faith in the world outside of books, much like Col himself. He most certainly lost many of his comrades and faced unspeakable tragedy in his life. And they emerged victorious in their battle with the pagans.

And so the current was set, and the pagans were chased away. When Col was a child, the war was an event that was but a husk of what it used to be—an annual event that others called an expedition to the north. And that finally came to an end ten years prior, and the world was now at peace.

Had Wintshire imagined such a thing like this would happen back when the pagans were a real threat? Did he not think that it would be the knights, above everyone else, who would bask in their renown once the pagans were defeated and peace came to the world?

There was no doubt that he never imagined that he and the other knights would one day be of no more use.

“But a battle is more interesting in a disadvantageous position. My men will work better together that way.”

The way Wintshire spoke was somehow in defeat, almost in relief.

Eve had commented on the old knight, saying that he had no hope for the knights’ position.

Perhaps it was because he said my men as opposed to we. Wintshire thought of himself as a traitor that was playing up to the enemy—a man who was no longer a part of the Knights of Saint Kruza.

“Twilight Cardinal.” Wintshire looked to Col. His eyes shone brightly, freezing Col in place. “I do hope you pull no punches in our exchange. We can fight back and assert our position to the best of our ability for your best efforts. My men feel their footing is unstable, like sand. The sky is clouded over, and we no longer know the way forward. But so long as we have a foe, a clear direction, then they will work together. They can maintain their bonds through this storm.”

Though this whole thing was nothing but a falsehood, it was much better than the entire unit drifting apart.

“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the first fight in many years.”

The man’s carefree smile stung Col’s eyes.

The debate would be happening the day after next.

The condition was that there would be no retaliation from the king, and Hyland assured them nothing of the sort would be happening.

“But the day after tomorrow, hmm,” Wintshire suddenly said as they were making their final good-byes.

“Is that not convenient for you?” Hyland asked, and Wintshire shook his head in a fluster.

“No. To tell you the truth, I sent messengers ahead when we arrived in the kingdom in search for a place that may take us in. It was no guarantee that the cathedral here would take us, you see. One of them has yet to return.”

“That is…indeed a worry. I will send someone out posthaste to search for them.”

“Oh no—”

As Wintshire began to speak, Col and Myuri exchanged glances, and Myuri spoke up.

“Are you talking about Rhodes?”

Wintshire looked at her in shock.

“We found him on our way to the Brondel Abbey. He was staggering along and had fallen face-first into the mud, but he made it there safely.”

Wintshire covered his eyes with his hand when Myuri spoke of the mud, but it looked somehow like a sign of affection.

“What an embarrassment for a knight…But it is quite like him to collapse in a forward-looking manner,” he said, then sighed with a smile. “He is a trainee that values the ways of the knighthood so much that it even embarrasses me. He would be reliable in our camp in the event of battle, however.”

The way he spoke was much like an old man speaking of his grandchild. The debate between Col and the knights would undoubtedly be a great event that would remain in the annals of Rausbourne’s history. And since this would be an opportunity for the knights to stand in the spotlight once again, it would certainly be a pity if Rhodes was not there to join in.

“I will send out a fast horse immediately. I am not sure if it will make it in time, however.”

“Oh no, oh…How disgraceful of me to trouble you with such a matter.”

“It is not a problem at all.”

Hyland seemed instead deeply touched by Wintshire’s kindness.

Knights joined the religious order of the knights when they became a part of the organization, and they vowed to fight for one another with their very lives.

Their bond was said to be like that of family, and Col sensed now that it was not an exaggeration.

With that thought fresh in his mind, he told himself again that he must do all he can so that they may maintain their relationship into the future.

But when he wondered if Wintshire would still be in the picture, something akin to a black snake took hold of his chest. It slithered around his heart and bit into him, causing him pain. Yet he stood firmly on his two feet, knowing that he must not let the knight’s resolve go to waste.

Wintshire later left the room to join with the other knights; Col and company met with Yagine to briefly confirm how the day of the catechisms would go, and then they left the cathedral.

It was another lively, peaceful day in Rausbourne.

“Brother.” Myuri pulled on Col’s sleeve as they made their way back to the manor. “Can we eat something nice before we go?”

Col could tell that this was not her typical begging for food.

That must have been evident on his face.

“What would you like to eat?”

“You’re letting me choose?”

Whatever Myuri found most delicious would most certainly taste the most delicious.

Despite that thought, Col quickly added, “Anything besides fried fish bones.”

“Aww, but that was good.”

Just looking at it gave him heartburn.

Myuri eventually settled on a very reasonable dish—fried egg and a piece of cured meat in between two pieces of bread.

But the bread was apparently made by Rausbourne’s most skilled baker, so it was an arduous task to purchase it while being jostled by the swarm of eager customers.

But it was most certainly worth it—the bread was soft, perfectly balancing the saltiness of the meat. It was delicious, as expected.

“You’re so nice, Brother,” Myuri said as they sat on some crates placed in a corner of the busy harbor. “So, was that enough to let you keep fighting?” As she munched on her bread, she asked him, almost an accusatory tone in her voice. It was strange; she was the one all despondent on their way home after hearing about Wintshire’s plan.

When Col pointed that out to her, she made a face like he had brought up a time long ago when she wet the bed, and she bared her fangs.

“I get it now that this is the only good option. I couldn’t help getting all worried about it. The worst thing you can do in battle is”—Myuri bit into her bread, her right cheek puffing out like a squirrel’s—“hesitate. Don’t work hesitation into your blade. It doesn’t just give the enemy a chance to take advantage of you. It also brings needless pain to your enemy.”

The enemy should be cut down in a single breath.

“Your decisiveness scares me sometimes.”

The wolf girl, with hair the color of ash mixed with silver flecks, beamed with a charming smile.

“The top knight guy seemed like he wanted to speak his mind at the end, so you should say whatever you like, too, Brother,” Myuri said as she ill-manneredly reached into her mouth to pull out a piece of meat stuck between her teeth. “Get all red in the face, spit flying everywhere, lots of yelling. I bet that’ll be really exciting.” She hunched her shoulders and grinned, drawing up her legs to fold them on the crate.

As she did so, she looked exactly like a company’s cheeky little errand boy.

“I think that’s perfect, though. A quiet battlefield isn’t much of a battle, is it?”

This would likely be Wintshire’s last battle. They had to make it as lively as possible, one that would make even Col forget that it was all a sham. When he imagined the scene, the smile that crossed his face was a mix of nerves and sorrow.

He would certainly grow nervous simply raising his voice among a crowd, and he would be facing a real-life, battle-hardened knight in the moment, with rows of formidable warriors waiting behind him.

The Knights of Saint Kruza—a faithful group with tradition, history, and fervent pride.

Someone like himself going up against them certainly made him feel like a woodcutter encountering a sleuth of bears in the mountains.

But he need not succumb to his fears. He simply needed to stay calm and keep looking around.

Because surely, by his side would be a silver wolf, the one he could rely on whenever and wherever.

“If only…”

“Hmm?”

Myuri, who saw Col was once again lost in thought and attempted to use the opportunity to sneak a piece of his cured meat from his bread, looked up.

“If only we had our crest done in time.”

“…”

As she pulled out the cured meat, the fried egg slid out, and she caught it with her mouth. She held the odd position and blinked.

“It would have been a nice place to put our crest on display to the world.”

Myuri swallowed the egg, licked the remains of yolk and fat from the meat off her fingers, then smiled with glee.

“You’re much more of a dreamer than I am, Brother.”

He smiled faintly when she pointed that out.

So long as he was with her, he believed that they would be able to face any foe. Their crest was meant to express that relationship of theirs, so he believed that they would need an appropriate occasion to debut the design.

He imagined them both wearing it, not putting it up on a wall out of sight.

It was a scene from an adventure tale, one that almost made him smile.

In that moment, words that described his and Myuri’s relationship suddenly took form. But like a snowflake that drifted off when one attempted to curl one’s hand around it, it slipped out from between his fingers.

He desperately chased after it, but unconsciously reached back into realty.

“Brother?” Myuri asked curiously, and Col sighed in defeat.

“My apologies, I thought I had just come across a word that described our relationship…”

“Wife.”

“No.”

As they bickered, what he had been chasing completely vanished from view.

“Oh, and now it is entirely gone.”

Myuri hopped off the crate and said with delight, “It doesn’t really matter. Anything’s fine.” She placed her hands on her hips and looked out to the sea. “Even if that old knight quits the order, he’d still be a knight.” The breeze rustled her silver hair. “Just like how that boy was more like a knight than anyone else I know, even though he’s still in training.”

Myuri was kind and strong. It was only in the beginning that he found it embarrassing to be talked into a corner by the young girl he had raised as his little sister.

Col almost said to her, “As are you,” as she stood there gallantly, but his mouth froze in place.

The answer he thought he had lost sight of came back to him all too easily.

It was his relationship with Myuri.

The word was the perfect fit.

“What is it?”

Myuri turned around dubiously, and Col slowly closed his frozen mouth.

And it then stretched into a smile.

“It is nothing.”

“What? No way, you look like you’re hiding something!”

Col decided that he would tell her when things calmed down.

She would certainly be happy about it.

“Arghh!”

They walked back to the manor in order to get ready for the event the day after the next as Col skillfully handled Myuri. For a while, she hit and tugged on his arm, but she finally gave up and came to hold his hand with a pout.

Though he could not seek perfection, he would still follow his ideals to the best of his ability.

He would not go easy in the discussion in the next coming days.

It was as he refreshed his feeling on the matter as they walked.

“Hmm?”

Myuri suddenly came to a stop and turned around.

“What is it?” Col asked.

They stood still, and at some point a stray dog had come up to them; it was looking at Myuri.

It bumped Myuri with its nose on her side.

“Hey, hey, that tickles. What is it?”

“Ruff.”

The stray gave a quiet bark, then trotted off. After a moment it paused and looked back at them.

“It seems it wants us to follow.”

Myuri shrugged and walked off toward the dog. The dog then started off as well, entering an alleyway from the main avenue; they eventually exited the alley and came to another big street.

Myuri looked up at Col, tilted her head, then chased after the dog.

The dog entered another alleyway that ran beside a company trading house, then barked at the area deeper into the alley.

“If you just hid some bones, then I’m going to shave your tail,” Myuri said before slipping through the piles of crates, heading further into the passageway.

Col could tell that she froze in place out of shock.

“…What are you doing here?”

Sitting there, face swollen from crying, was Rhodes.

The stray had realized the knight crest sewn onto Myuri’s sash matched Rhodes’s scent and brought her here. It looked up to Myuri, begging for a reward, so she patted its head and it wagged its tail.

But when Col exchanged glances with the bewildered girl, there came a voice from behind them.

“Who’re you? You know the kid?”

It was a portly merchant with a scruffy, stiff-looking beard, who frankly did not look very kind.

But in his hands he held a wooden plate that on it had a piece of bread and a steaming hand towel.

“Let me through.”

“Oh, of course.”

Col and Myuri stepped aside to let the man pass, and what he held was indeed for Rhodes. He placed the bread at the boy’s feet, and roughly scrubbed the towel over his face.

“Boy, didn’t I tell you a man shouldn’t break down crying so easily?”

When he was done wiping Rhodes’s face, he forced the piece of bread into his hands.

“Um…what happened to him?”

It was difficult for the man to stand again, but he sighed when he did.

“I found him when I went out to buy wool. We came back not too long ago, but his cryin’ was so annoying I couldn’t bring him into the company house. I won’t be able to sell my goods!”

“Were you at the Brondel Abbey?”

The merchant was surprised when Myuri spoke, but he immediately shrugged. Col was also dressed as a merchant, so perhaps the man thought they had passed each other in purchasing the same wool.

“Dunno what happened, but heard the guard there literally chucked him out. Asked the boy and he said he wanted to head back to Rausbourne, so I put him on my cart and brought him here…then he started sobbing on the way back. Pointless. If you know him, couldja take him home with you, please?”

Despite how fed up the man sounded, he had indeed taken the few days to bring Rhodes back to Rausbourne and even prepared food and a hot towel for him to wipe his face with. One must not judge a book by its cover.

Just as the man was about to return to the building in exasperation, Rhodes suddenly shot up.

“Th-thank you!”

The man peered over his shoulder, huffed, then left. Tears poured again over Rhodes’s freshly wiped face, and he rubbed the hand that gripped his bread over his eyes.

“Uhh…What happened?” Myuri asked, and Rhodes seemed to finally realize that Myuri was there. His eyes widened in surprise.

He then burst into tears again.

“The knights…”

“Hmm?”

“The knights are finished…”

It took quite a while to finally calm Rhodes down as he sobbed.

It was only the first day at the abbey that he had been treated courteously, he explained. Those traitors, he wailed as he ate the bread he had accidentally crushed.

“After that, their manners were polite, but they interrogated me one after the other. They asked every little detail about the knights…They even asked what sort of meals we ate on the island.”

Though it was likely to confirm that they were truly impoverished, it sounded like Rhodes had other reasons to be angry with them.

“What do you mean by traitors?” Myuri asked, and Rhodes rubbed his eyes with his sleeve before speaking.

“I…thought they would help, so I told them about the distress we are in. Yet after I told my whole story, they asked me, ‘So does that mean the Knights and the Twilight Cardinal are working together?’ That would never happen!” Rhodes spat, and the dog snoozing beside Myuri woke in shock.

But Col was just as surprised.

“They said…the Twilight Cardinal?”

“Yes. I cannot understand why. No matter how many times I told them, they would never listen…instead they kept asking me if I had a hidden letter, and even stripped me down. Why would they do such a thing?!”

Myuri stole a glance at Col.

Though they would not go as far to say that having Hyland write a letter for them was a failure, perhaps it would have been best to wait and arrive at the abbey a little after Rhodes. The monks of the abbey were certainly wary of a visitor who bore a letter from Hyland, just as Huskins had been. Even if they did not imagine Col to be the Twilight Cardinal himself, it was natural to think that someone related to him had come to the abbey to inspect for corruption.

That Rhodes had been treated courteously on the first day was also consistent with that theory. They warmly received the messenger from the Knights of Saint Kruza, but it was not long after that people bearing a letter from Hyland appeared. It was much too meaningful for it to be a coincidence. It was normal to suspect they were related somehow, even more so considering Rhodes was likely to have mentioned up front that their group helped him.

“After they so rudely interrogated me, they shoved my letter requesting aid back at me. They said they would listen to my story again if I could prove I was not working for the kingdom. I—I…embarrassingly, was spurred on by anger, and flew at them. The guards immediately poured in and held me down. Then those traitorous monks mocked me. They said…that the Winfiel company would soon be disbanded, that we were a group with no further use.”

And when he had been tossed out of the abbey like an animal, the merchant arrived. Perhaps Huskins had mentioned a thing or two when he handed over the wool, but either way, the merchant took him in and brought him back here.

But what the monks told him, that his order of knights would soon be finished, did not leave his head the whole way back.

“I hate to admit it, but…everyone knew that…”

It was a long journey from the island of Kruza to the kingdom. They must have stopped at many ports along the way and spoke to many merchants and townsfolk. Though they may have been welcomed everywhere they went, plenty of word of other things must have gotten out as well.

More than anything else, they themselves knew very well that they could train and train, but there was no longer an enemy for them to defeat.

“Our company was not the only one struggling,” Rhodes said absently. “The whole island of Kruza was having difficulties. Every company was receiving fewer donations from their home countries. We even received less of an allowance from the pope. They foresee no war, so it’s a given.” Rhodes gazed at the ground, his tears now dried up. “With less people, at least we would each get more allowance from the pope. They must have thought about that, at least. Feuds with people who harassed both openly and privately never ended, and we could not call the island a place we could trust in. We decided we would rather leave than simply rot there.”

It was also likely that with donations from the kingdom stopped, they could not even muster the courage to fight back.

“People treated us so well along the way, and we acted much more like knights once we left the island.” Rhodes finally smiled, as though thinking back on those events. “But whenever we left the welcoming stopovers and headed out to sea, I was always met with terrible anxiety. As we bobbed along the vast sea, I felt like we were simply floating in our own hearts. Everyone was asking himself what would become of us. It was hard to imagine that the king would welcome us with open arms. Even if we all went home, there are a lot of us that don’t even remember what our parents look like.” He had not even known what the seasons were like in his home region. “On that boat, under that vast, irritatingly blue sky, I thought, The only people I can rely on are the people here with me.”

They were his family.

He wore few, thin layers, walked along a muddy road as the snow melted, and desperately pressed forward despite approaching death’s doorstep all for his fellow knights. And Wintshire, the one who had sent him off, worried over his late return, worried that he might not be able to take part in the activities the day after tomorrow.

Not only were they bound by faith, but they also had strong bonds tying them together as individuals.

It was not just the order of knights, but the Church also had a way of addressing one’s compatriots within the organization:

My brothers and sisters.

With Rhodes speaking about that before her, Myuri’s eyes widened and she froze. She seemed to even forget to breathe. She was a smart girl—she most certainly realized what this was about. It was the crest that only the two of them could use, and the question of what relation most aptly defined theirs.

They were not siblings nor lovers, not even master and student. Yet their bonds were strong enough that one would risk their life for the other. And he was Brother.

Then came the difficult question of what word could describe their strange relationship, and there was one. And it had been right under Col’s nose the whole time. She was a reliable companion who stood beside him, always wary of their surroundings; someone who relied on him at times, someone who occasionally pulled him forward and opened the way for them.

A knight.

Was there any other word that better described the noble and beautiful wolf girl, whose body was encased in fur the same color as a suit of armor?

But when he finally breathed and stopped Myuri as she was about to cling to him, it was not because Rhodes was in their presence. It was because if he was to commit the word knight to his relationship with Myuri, then he would not be able to abandon the boy in front of him.

Even a knight-in-training like Rhodes feared for the future of his company, and in a position of partial defeat, Wintshire still commanded his men and came to Rausbourne. There he thoroughly investigated the city’s situation, put his wits to work, and singled out faint possibilities that could lead to the continued survival of their group.

The plan was to use their enemy, the Twilight Cardinal, as leverage that would bring their company back into the spotlight. He must have also thought of the easy choice, which was working together with the second prince, and lined up with their grudges. Perhaps that choice may have been more satisfying for them.

But Wintshire chose a plan that would allow his knights to remain true knights. He was certain that he was the only one who could play the fool and play nice with his enemy, something that completely went against the knights’ path.

Col had chosen Wintshire’s plan because it was better than his other options. Wintshire likely felt the same. Col had made a calm and rational decision, one that would impress even Eve.

It was not the best choice, however. It was not an option that would leave everyone laughing and smiling as the curtains were drawn. He could certainly calm Rhodes here, see him again the day after tomorrow as though nothing had happened, and take part in the catechisms with a serious face.

But once he had a hand in such deception, would he still be able to ask Myuri to be his knight? Would it be okay to introduce such deceit into the crest and all its special meanings he was preparing for the girl who once cried that she was all alone in the world?

Hyland would say that was not right, and he was inclined to agree.

Col had left Nyohhira believing in his ideals. If he were unable to help Rhodes, then it even felt as though his journey would end here. There was no choice for him to not travel with Myuri, and if their own coat of arms alone lit the way for them, then he had to trust in it. He had to trust that there was a way.

And above all, Col thoroughly disagreed that the knights were useless tools. While the pagans themselves may have disappeared, it was not as though those corrupting the faith were gone as well, and he could see them as agents for bringing people back into faith when they began to lose it.

All he had to do was recall Wintshire embracing the priests in the cathedral. The knights were undoubtedly a sturdy pillar that supported their weakened hearts.

Just like the Brondel Abbey, who beat up the boy, there were plenty of priests who only thought of profit for themselves and made matters of faith a secondary concern. They had forgotten about proper faith and worshipped gold—at that point, were they not pagans themselves?

They were exactly who the knights, protectors of faith, should be fighting—

“Should…be fighting?” His thoughts took form in his mouth, and his eyes opened wide. “Ah!”

At that moment, he heard the cathedral bells ringing, and it felt like a key fitting snugly into its keyhole. Something he had only caught a glimpse of as he spoke with Hyland and Wintshire abruptly took form.

There was an enemy.

There were millions of an enemy that only the knights could fight against!

“…Brother?”

Col looked at Myuri, who peered up in worry at him, then looked back to Rhodes.

The knight-in-training was every bit as bewildered as Myuri was.

“Carl Rhodes, was it?” He said the boy’s name, and Rhodes timidly nodded. “My name is Tote Col.”

“What? Brother?!”

Col disregarded Myuri’s shock and continued.

“You may also know me as the Twilight Cardinal.”

Rhodes smiled, thinking it was a joke. But when he realized the look in Col’s eyes, his smile vanished.

He must have at least heard rumors about the Twilight Cardinal’s looks and personal appearance somewhere.

The moment he looked between him and Myuri, it seemed as though his close-shaved blond hair stood on edge.

Wintshire had laughed when they told him how the boy had fallen face-first into the muddy street, noting how like him that was.

Rhodes was most suited to be a knight. He was a stronger knight than anyone else.

“It’s your fault we—”

Just as anger flared up in the boy, blood rushing back into his face, Col spoke.

“I want you to save the knights.”

The stalwartly biased boy was just as stubbornly convinced, perhaps even more so, that he was backed by faith.

Col stared straight at Rhodes, who snapped forward so far that Myuri almost stepped in to stop him, and remained still. Even if the boy did punch him, he was confident that he would not look away.

“I want you to save them. I am in a difficult position. But you will be able to do so.”

“Wh-what are you—you’re, you’re the—”

He was on the verge of tears because the one who had saved him was his worst enemy.

Or perhaps his emotions were reacting first to the plea to save the knights quicker than his logical mind.

“Yes, I am the Twilight Cardinal. I have been called the standard-bearer for the Church’s reformation. But there is something even a minor knight such as yourself would have heard of, no?”

“Wh-what do you…?”

There was a bewildered look on his face, unsure if he should be angry or cry, yet he replied with courage.

Col said to the strong boy, “The story of before the Winfiel Kingdom was founded, when the knights fought against the savages here on this island to reclaim their faith.”

“…”

Perplexment had won over the boy, but Col continued.

“You are much more suited for chasing away the corruption of faith from this country than I am. I want you and your company to fulfill this lost role of the knights.”

“…How could—”

“You can,” Col declared, and stood.

He looked down upon the crying boy, crouched in this desolate alleyway.

He extended a hand to the boy.

“Stand, holy knight. You will be the ones to eradicate evil and save both faith and this kingdom!”

Rhodes, still bewildered, stared at his hand.

Myuri then grabbed Rhodes’s hand and said, “Knights don’t cry!”

Rhodes squared his shoulders and rubbed his eyes with all his might.

He was stubborn, honest to a fault, and would get back on his feet over and over again, never knowing when to give up.

The boy had all the qualities of a knight; he defiantly grasped Col’s hand and stood.

“Us knights would never court an enemy.”

A picture of Wintshire’s face came to Col’s mind.

“But a knight must also be generous to the enemy.”

There were very few young men out there who were so well suited for the creeds of a knight.

Myuri was smiling at Rhodes; the boy could even put Wintshire to shame.

“I will hear what you have to say, Twilight Cardinal.”

Crossed swords before the crest of the Church.

That was the perfect symbol for the boy.

Knights had a path they could take an active part in. The enemy they needed to defeat had already been there for years.

There was, of course, a reason why no one had dared touch the enemy thus far, and in order to overcome that reason, a just argument that anyone would flinch away from was absolutely necessary. And there was no one else who could use that argument as a shield as the Knights of Saint Kruza.

When Col told Rhodes of his plans, Rhodes made a face that looked like he had seen a toad reciting verses from the scripture.

At the same time, he was vexed that he had not thought of the very idea himself.

Common sense and the ties of obligation always clouded people’s vision. One needed the courage to wield the logical option whenever someone said with a frown, Logically, yes, you may say that, but…

But Rhodes said that the plan was a perfect fit for him and the knights.

There were things one could do precisely because they existed in an undefined space, as an ally to no one, drifting about as though on a ship with no anchor. There were things that they had to do.

“Should I tell the commander about this plan, then?”

Rhodes was impatient, but the older Col had to be the one to calm him down a bit here.

Carrying out a big plan required behind-the-scenes negotiations, so they needed to ascertain just how appropriate their plan was.

And so they decided to ask a certain person who would certainly have a thing or two to say when it came to wicked plans that silenced people in the name of reason, and headed for Hyland’s manor.

“…Your brother reminds me a lot of your father sometimes.”

“Really? I don’t think Brother and Father are anything alike, though.”

“Despite how empty-headed they seem, they are actually looking at a whole lot more than you expect. And once they’ve made up their minds, they don’t bend. Just like a ram.”

Eve and Myuri were bickering about things in one of the rooms in Hyland’s manor.

Rhodes was also in the room, and he turned to speak to the two of them with impatience.

“So, what are we doing? I don’t think there is any problem with the plan at all.”

He was so desperate to carry out justice, and Eve hummed in a teasing manner in response.

“You knights are like cows. You can only see in front of you.”

Just as Rhodes, embarrassed, was about to say something in response, Col cut in.

“I got the idea from the grape story Miss Eve told us. I believe she is very skilled at telling those sorts of stories.”

The plan he had come up with weaponized this righteous argument to an unpleasant degree. It was so honest that one might conversely call him dishonest for using it. And there was no one superior to Eve when it came to that sort of thing.

Eve then said with a sigh, “That story was about a larger power using a smaller group as a pawn to drag an opponent into the ring of negotiation. What you’ve just told me is about a smaller group pulling a larger power around by the nose. I didn’t think I’d ever lose to you when it came to vicious scenarios.”

Eve made a show of her shrug.

“And all your profit’ll come to nothing, too.”

When Myuri said that, Eve turned to Col with narrowed eyes.

“Exactly. All the groundwork I laid with Yagine will go to waste. Just as I thought I’d finally be getting some easy money.”

“I believe you have made more than enough money.”

“Ha!” Eve barked, then looked at Rhodes. “You’re a knight-in-training, right?”

“Yes, precisely.”

Despite how overwhelmed he looked, Rhodes straightened out his posture and replied.

“You be sure to give the people who made a fool of you all a swift kick in the rear,” Eve said.

Everyone there understood what she meant.

It meant that even she thought this plan would work.

“There will be no kicking of rears. But it is time we re-tail-iate.”

Eve raised her eyebrows, Myuri laughed, and Col took delight in the joke.

“I’ll be. There is still darkness where there is a light is a great phrase. I bet Hyland will feel conflicted about this.”

“You won’t tell the king about us, right?”

Both the Winfiel king and the pope would scowl if they caught wind of this plan. The only one that would want to carry out justice at will was Wintshire and his knights.

That is why they needed to make it seem as though it was Rhodes who came up with the idea. If the king learned that Col was the one who came up with this plan, then he would surely loathe him and declare the Twilight Cardinal an enemy of the kingdom.

“That’s why they say the best medicine tastes bitter. Even if it does cure the illness—there’ll still be some lingering resentment. It’s safest for you to stay behind the scenes.”

When Eve said that, Rhodes looked doubtfully at her.

“That is what I don’t understand. We will chase out the source of the kingdom’s disease, which would be an honorable result for the pope. Why are you talking about it as though it’s a bad thing? Is it nothing but just?”

Rhodes asked this question because he was straightforward, not because he was a simple child who still lacked experience.

It was right to do what was right, was how he saw it. And the kings and popes who questioned that simple truth were in the wrong.

“Cattle like you that move straight toward justice are my natural enemies,” Eve said, and stood. “Go now. I’m busy counting my gold here.”

The umbrella girl followed Eve as she left, and gave a smile before leaving the room.

Rhodes seemed discontent about Eve dodging his question, but when Myuri successfully calmed him, he reluctantly laid down his arms.

And whether or not Rhodes thought this was a valid plan was beyond question to begin with.

They never had the option to not do it, and how Eve showed no opposition to it was much more important.

“Does this clear your worries?” Rhodes asked, still excited to tell Wintshire of this plan as soon as possible.

“Yes,” Col replied. “What I still need is a little more negotiating, and your cooperation.”

“I’ll do what I can to help for the sake of my company. Tell me what it is.”

Eve had called Col a ram, and Rhodes a cow.

While he was strangely fascinated that it was an apt description, it was also promising.

“So when we get to the cathedral, this is what I would like you to do…”

Rhodes confirmed what his role would be many times, then gave word of his understanding.

Then, as he was about to leave Hyland’s manor, he suddenly straightened his posture and looked at Col.

“…You might be the pope’s enemy, but I don’t think you are an enemy of faith.”

Col was unsure how to answer.

But he believed that words were unnecessary.

He smiled in response, and Rhodes courteously lowered his eyes before wheeling around.

His cape fluttered in the wind, and they watched him set off to the cathedral before them to put their plan in motion, and Myuri wore a slight smile.

“He sure is a knight. Overwhelmingly so, almost.”

It was her way of complimenting Rhodes.

“Do you like him?”

Col brought it up first, and Myuri pounded her first on Col’s hip, saying, “I’m thinking.”

The pair then set off for the cathedral and went around to the side gate. Col stated they had urgent business with Hyland, and they were allowed inside. As they walked through the hall, encased in cold, stone walls, he took several deep breaths.

“I don’t think Blondie will be mad at all,” Myuri said, having noticed how nervous he was.

Their plan would render all of Hyland’s hard work moot, considering all she did to turn Wintshire’s plan into reality. Not only that, but it was very possible that she would be thoroughly scolded by the king in the future.

The king certainly thought that if he could deftly control the knights, then events would progress in a manner that would benefit the kingdom the most. That would mean Hyland let a perfect chance to further the kingdom’s interests escape from under her very nose.

Of course, Hyland would quickly realize what future would be waiting for her.

“Well, whether or not she gets angry, I’ll go apologize with you.” Myuri almost sounded like she was talking about a prank they were pulling, and it nearly made Col laugh.

Myuri was the sort to suggest that God was actually a bear, so perhaps everything operating at this level was in the realm of some minor mischief for her.

“It’s all right. Heir Hyland is not the sort to get angry over this kind of thing.”

When he took Hyland’s side, Myuri immediately frowned.

He continued, “After all, Sir Wintshire and the others would most certainly act like the gallant knights they are. It will be wonderful enough that anyone would be willing to let go of their anger, no?”

Myuri looked as though she was about to miss a step on the stairs and gave him a vexed smile.

“Yeah. You’re right.”

She must have imagined Wintshire and the knights putting on a brilliant display. She sighed, giving in to relief, and sniffed.

Col smiled slightly at her response, and she pinched his side.

They made their way toward Hyland’s room, and as she looked at them in bewilderment, wondering what the matter was, they told her the outline of what happened. She dropped the response letter she had from the king in her hand.

“…Impossible.”

That was the first thing she murmured, and she whipped her hand up to her forehead as though she was hitting herself in the head.

“Impossible…Oh, why didn’t I think…”

She cradled her head in her hands. Myuri seemed proud, for some reason.

“…To think something so ironic would happen. What on earth have I been concentrating on?”

Hyland placed both of her hands on the table and fell silent for a few moments.

As a person of status, she must have gone over untold numbers of possibilities.

“As a vassal of the king, then I have an obligation to advance this plan in favor of the kingdom, if it is true.”

That was the first thing she said when she lifted her head.

That option did exist. They could strike fear into the pope’s heart with a terribly advantageous, preemptive strike.

But that would still leave Wintshire and his knights in an uncertain position.

This plan was the only, and likely last thing Wintshire and his men could do to grant themselves a firm position among the vying factions of the Knights of Saint Kruza.

“But I am a servant of God before I am a vassal of the king,” Hyland said, standing with such force that it almost knocked her chair back, and she boldly walked toward Col.

She then gripped his hand with both of hers.

“I will happily take on any grievances the king may have. I do not wish to see someone as wonderful as Wintshire slandered as a traitor.”

“Then we shall proceed as planned.”

“Indeed you will!” Hyland exclaimed. “The Knights of Saint Kruza have marched into the kingdom. They then knock on the doors of rotten churches to make them repent. I could not think of a better idea!”

That was the plan Col had come up with.

Though the kingdom and Church were in conflict, there were of course parts of the Church organization within the kingdom.

Among them were those whose history was longer than the kingdom itself, or those who had enormous riches, just like the Brondel Abbey. Originally, Col would want these unjust practices exposed and brought to light, but that would force the pope to act in order to defend his organization.

As the kingdom stood and watched from the sidelines for that reason, the second heir was selling off tax collection permits as a roundabout way of targeting the Church’s assets. And that, of course, sowed discord between the kingdom and Church, and brought them to the brink of a war.

Then came the Knights of Saint Kruza.

The Knights of Saint Kruza were originally the blade sitting at the pope’s right hand, and normally having this unit step foot into the kingdom would certainly mean war. But the ones who had come were all Winfiel natives, and it was because they had lost their place within the knight order. That said, they were not here to surrender to the kingdom, and it was still unclear if they were friend or foe.

Col knew that aspect of the knights could be put to good use.

His plan was to have a group that could be either ally or enemy to both the king and the pope expose the corruption of churches within the kingdom, another group who stood in an ambiguous position in the greater struggle.

Those in power would surely ask, It is not clear whose side the knights are on; who are they doing this for? It made no sense to answer for one side or the other, yet there was one answer that would make both sides fall silent.

For faith!

Neither the King of Winfiel nor the pope could complain about that.

“It would certainly be a mixed blessing for the pope. If the knights go on to right the Church’s wrongs, then the people would surely sing their praises, and the pope, who left these knights to their own devices, would surely come to think it correct. The pope has a debt to the knights for treating them so coolly, and if this is enough to open the doors of the kingdom’s churches, then the service suspension order, the tactic to starve us of faith, would also come crashing down,” Hyland said with glee, but she sighed at the same time. “It might give the king a post-nap headache, too. It would be splendid if the knights would expose the corruption in the churches at his feet, and then have the churches go on to open their doors, but he would not be happy if the pope’s approval goes up alongside the knights’ popularity. And considering how we were supposed to right the kingdom’s churches’ corruption ourselves, it’s a bit of a shame.”

There were good points and bad points for both camps.

Not only that, but Wintshire and his knights never tried to clarify if they were friend or foe.

That is why, for both the king and the pope, they would be unsure if they should either admonish or support the knights for their selfish endeavors, and simply wait and see. They would certainly support Wintshire if he turned out to be a friend, but it would cause irreversible damage if they supported the knights and they turned out to be the enemy.

The ambiguous position had caused much pain for Wintshire and the knights.

Then perhaps it would be all right if they used that ambiguity to give their masters a hard time.

“Thus, the knights will chase corruption from the kingdom’s churches as representatives of God. The people of the kingdom will once again make their way to our churches and receive God’s mercy. That would give the king a reason to approach the Church aggressively.” Hyland counted on her fingers the effects that the knights might cause. “And then the knights will gain renown as bearers of proper faith. The pope will have no choice but to praise their achievements. Because they marched into the enemy camp on their own, heightened the reputation of the Church, and had their way with the people’s admiration!” she exclaimed, forming a fist as though grabbing the outcome of the whole ordeal. She paused to take a deep breath, perhaps because she had gotten a taste of the comfortable bitterness that came with such an ironic plan. “I swear,” she sighed. “What a tricky little plot. Not even God would have thought of this.”

Her exasperated smile was her praise.

But if the plan were to go well, then it would be due to the knights’ way of life.

“Everyone believes that Sir Wintshire and his knights would genuinely conform to faith and do the right thing. This plan would not come to fruition without that trust,” Col said.

They had no malice. Therefore, no one could blame him.

Only the most noble of knights could straightforwardly say what was right.

“But if there is one thing I am uncertain about”—Hyland’s face, flushed with excitement, clouded over as she spoke—“it is if this trainee knight to whom you’ve entrusted this plan is trustworthy.”

This plan balanced name and substance in a delicate situation.

Anyone could easily turn it any direction they pleased by saturating it with malice.

If Rhodes put his mind to condemning the Twilight Cardinal, or even going as far to crush the kingdom, then he could most certainly execute the plan for the sake of the pope by harming the kingdom.

“He’ll be okay.”

It was Myuri who answered.

“What proof do you have?” Hyland asked, and Myuri shrugged.

“Because he likes me.”

It was one of the very few phrases in the world that could hold such persuasive power.

“I trust the Rhodes boy, but I also trust Sir Wintshire,” Col said.

When the old knight hears about the plan from Rhodes, he may suspect it was originally the Twilight Cardinal’s suggestion.

He knew that they once crossed paths, and it was hard to think it natural for the boy to suddenly come up with a plan like this.

But Col was not worried.

“Sir Wintshire is a knight among knights.”

He simply did the right thing in the proper fashion.

“Ah, that’s right. You’re right. I mustn’t be skeptical about that.”

Col and Hyland exchanged glances, and they nodded.

There were trustworthy people in this world.

They were confirming that to one another.

“Okay, great, then it’s settled!”

Myuri cut in, pushing on Col’s chest to widen the gap between him and Hyland.

“I’m gonna let that boy know that we’re putting the plan in motion. Okay?”

Rhodes was waiting in a corner of the cathedral for their signal.

Once he got the signal, he would go straight to his fellow knights.

“He is not that boy; his name is Rhodes.”

“That boy is fine. He’s a crybaby.”

Myuri coolly drew up her shoulders.

As both Col and Hyland smiled wryly at each other, Myuri grabbed Col’s hand to drag him out of the room, but she suddenly turned back to look at Hyland.

“Oh yeah.”

“Hmm?”

Hyland looked at her vacantly, and Myuri said, “Brother and I talked and we decided on what our relationship is for the coat of arms.”

“Oh!”

Hyland’s face lit up, and Myuri said proudly, “Tell them I’m his knight.”

“…”

Hyland’s face was perfectly frozen, too perfect for even a witch’s sneeze. Myuri ignored the reaction to open the door, pushed out Col, and only left her face in the room on her way out.

“Also, you can use our crest, too. Just for you!”

And she closed the door. Col could only imagine what sort of face Hyland might be making, but he did not forget to give Myuri a thwap on the head.

“It is by Heir Hyland’s bestowal of privileges that the coat of arms will be ours, and ours alone. You know that, right?”

“Owww…Sheesh! I know that!”

“Do you, though? I swear…”

They returned to the hidden passage that looked out over the nave.

Myuri immediately plastered herself against the barred windows and looked down at the crowd below.

“Is he there?”

“Hmm…Oh, yeah.”

She stepped away from the window for a moment, then slowly peeled off her top layer of clothing and took her sash in hand.

“Mm…Hey, it’s not coming off—!”

They were supposed to use the crest Rhodes gave Myuri as the signal, but it seemed to be sewn rather tightly onto her sash. She eventually gave up and took her entire sash off.

“Brother, keep my bottoms up.”

“What? H-hey—”

She ignored his flustering as she wrapped her sash around her hand and stuck it through the bars in the window.

Rhodes would certainly notice it right away.

Because it was the promise of reunion that he gave to the girl who saved him when he lay at the side of the road.

“…I doubt they would ever think that I am doing something as foolish as this behind the wall…”

Myuri paid no mind to Col as he kept her trousers from falling; she wildly waved her hand about.

It was as though she were urging bulls to run.

“Oh, I think he noticed,” she said, and finally drew her hand back in. “Heh-heh, he was so enthusiastic.” She sounded like an older sister as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Col wished she would mind her trousers instead of doing that.

“Does everything seem all right?” he asked, since he had been unable to see from his vantage point.

She squinted in the sunlight that streamed through the barred windows and replied, “He’ll be fine. He’s a strong boy.”

Col could not do much else but force a smile; Rhodes would be subject to all sorts of things in the future.

“Hey, Brother, did you know?” Myuri turned around to face Col, her face a brilliant smile. “Knights are so cool.”

“I know that.”

Still keeping her trousers up with one hand, he used the other hand to take the sash from her.

He then put his hand around her slender waist, rewrapping the sash.

Once he finally bound the excess fabric at her hips, he looked at Myuri as she obediently stood there.

“And I hear that you are my knight.”

No matter what sarcasm he directed toward her, she still smiled ticklishly and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Yes. I pledge my loyalty to you.”

This arrangement was exactly the opposite of what it was like years ago, when he would embrace her as she cried.

Though she seemed grown up, he figured that she had simply become more cunning; but either way, she had undoubtedly matured in many ways.

He sighed and hugged her back in a perfunctory manner.

She seemed somewhat displeased with that, but Col made sure to mention, “A knight’s creed includes going to bed early, waking up early, temperance, and diligence, you know.”

“What?”

If he gave the banner alone to the freewheeling girl, then she would run around with a big smile on her face and vanish into the distance. He had to rein her in properly.

Myuri pushed on his chest to separate herself.

“You’re so mean, Brother!”

She bared her fangs and growled at him, and he replied, “Then will you be returning to Nyohhira?”

Her red eyes widened, then she immediately narrowed them.

“Grr.”

She growled at him, then looked away in a huff; Col confidently thought with a smile that there truly would be no better crest than that of a wolf looking away.

As they talked, they started a hear a different kind of buzz coming from the nave below.

Col came to stand next to Myuri at the window and peered down, where he saw Wintshire’s knights gathered, some occasionally pumping a fist in the air. Rhodes stood next to Wintshire; the older knight resting his arm on the boy’s slim shoulders. Rhodes was right in the center of the circle as an important member of the knights.

Whenever Wintshire explained something, it seemed as though the knights’ morale flared up, a decisive will apparently forming around the group. Even though all the knights wore serious expressions with their lips drawn taut, some seemed as though they were about to cry; Col wondered if that was his imagination.

“They say that’s the bonds of knights,” Myuri said, grasping Col’s sleeve.

The nave then filled with keen sounds ringing out because the knights had finally drawn the swords affixed to their hips.

They held their blades up above their heads and brought them together, raising a rallying cry.

Myuri grip tightened as she watched the knights come together anew.

Perhaps the slightly sullen look on her face was because she was jealous of them.

“Are we not every part a knight as they are?” Col asked, and Myuri turned to look at him and grin.

“Obviously!”

Just as the aroma of frankincense began to tickle their noses, the cathedral bell began to toll.

The knights, now with a map detailing their path forward, began to march on Wintshire’s command. Col thought he saw Rhodes glance up in their direction

May God grant them a blessing that suits their faith.

As he prayed quietly to himself, Rhodes and Wintshire began fervently exchanging words with the other knights. This was the perfect kind of relationship for the Knights of Saint Kruza and the Twilight Cardinal.

Col grasped Myuri’s hand.

When he felt her grasp his hand back just as firmly, they left the cathedral together.