A Powerful Martial Artist Reincarnates as a Nun Knight

As Sophia approached, the altercation was more or less as follows: The carriage’s identity was none other than the tax collector’s carriage traveling the territory. When the entire territory fell to the plague, the lord had abandoned his castle and fled. Upon hearing rumors that this village’s situation had stabilized, he dispatched the tax collector who had fled with him to collect maintenance fees.

The issue was that just a few months prior, under the pretext of defending his territory in a neighboring succession dispute, the lord had already collected this year’s taxes. Moreover, with the entire territory ravaged by the plague, this was the only village capable of properly paying taxes after being treated by Sophia.

“This is unacceptable! Where is the precedent for collecting taxes twice in one year? Furthermore, until just recently, none of us could properly work due to the plague! Even if you demand taxes now, it is impossible for us to pay the full amount by the deadline!”
“That’s your concern. Tax collection is the lord’s legal authority. But you just mentioned this village fell to a plague, so what is this scene before my eyes? You all look quite healthy? And you claim you cannot afford taxes while holding such a feast?”

The tax collector had not even disembarked from the carriage, leaving the confrontation to his coachman. This coachman was dismissively ignoring the youths’ protests, instead sneering as he observed the festival celebrating the village’s recovery from the plague.

It was an utterly disdainful gaze, openly mocking the villagers’ protests. Incensed by that look, the youths’ eyes blazed with killing intent, but it was instantly quelled before the soldiers escorting the tax collector’s carriage and the knight seemingly commanding them.

No matter how strapping, these unarmed youths could not overpower trained soldiers. And even if they opposed the soldiers, they would ultimately be powerless before the knight’s superhuman might.

It was then that Sophia, wineglass in one hand, came stomping over and coldly mocked the tax collector’s group:

“Kukukuk, you mutts are really yapping up a storm.”

Stunned by the sudden torrent of insults, the coachman was momentarily dumbstruck before his face flushed red as he shouted at Sophia:
“Who are you?!”
“Rude boy, sticking out your chin and talking back to your elders. It seems your manners need a refresher first.”

In an instant, Sophia’s figure leapt out from the darkness like a falcon, appearing before the coachman. Her revealed hand was already atop the coachman’s head, forcibly slamming his chin into the ground as she pinned him down.

This happened too quickly for the escorting soldiers and commanding knight to react. In Sophia’s other hand was still the wineglass filled with wine, the liquid sloshing within the cup but not a single drop spilling out.

“You can take some time to reflect in that position.”

After immobilizing the coachman’s musculoskeletal system with dimension strike, Sophia slowly rose and straightened her back. Only then did the knight and soldiers realize the situation, taking defensive stances as they shouted:

“Who are you?!”
“You dare obstruct the lord’s envoy?!”
“Fooling around, are we? Even the lord himself cannot presume to behave arrogantly before me, yet his petty retainers dare put on airs?”

Sophia laughed uproariously, as if truly amused. It was then that the commotion drew the tax collector himself to open the carriage window and look out.

“What is all this ruckus? Are these village bumpkins refusing to meekly accept the tax collection?”

As the tax collector scanned the area while speaking, his gaze suddenly fell upon Sophia. Though the sun had set, leaving only torchlight, lanterns, and the moon’s reflection as illumination, the beautiful female knight’s figure still seemed to emanate an aura in the darkness.

It just so happened that the tax collector was rather lecherous, which proved his undoing here.

“Hohoh, what an uncommon beauty for a village like this! You lot! If you offer up this woman in addition to the taxes to my lord, I shall put in a good word so he may show some leniency.”

Believing tax collection was a form of authority, the tax collector spoke so brazenly. The village youths instantly froze upon hearing those words. Suddenly, the tax collector seemed like the world’s greatest jester to them.

They knew of Sophia’s esteemed status in the Order. By their understanding, bishops and lords held comparable ranks, difficult to distinguish which was higher.

In other words, this mere retainer of a lord had impudently run his mouth towards someone of at least equivalent rank to a lord in the Order’s upper echelons.

“Hohoh.”

An intrigued smile played across Sophia’s lips – the cruel, sadistic smirk of one who had gained legitimate justification for violence, which none could object to.

In the next instant, before the knight and soldiers could react, the tax collector was seized by the collar and dragged out of the carriage. Despite his immense, corpulent build, Sophia lifted him by the collar with one hand as she took another sip from her wineglass, still that murky, sour flavor.

Unable to touch the ground while held by the collar, the tax collector choked and flailed as he struggled to breathe. Sophia frowned.

“You stay still. Your spittle and the dirt from your shoes are getting into my wine.”

With those words, Sophia shook the tax collector she had seized by the collar. Shaken while held aloft, the tax collector let out a pig-like shriek of anguish.

“This mad woman! I was merely offering favors for your lovely looks, yet you assault a lord’s retainer? Do you think you can get away with this?!”

The more one saw him, the more appallingly stupid he seemed. Shouldn’t he have sensed something was off by now? With average intelligence, he should have grasped Sophia’s identity from her attire and other hints, yet he was so dimwitted one doubted how he had even served as a tax collector thus far.

Sophia glanced towards the village youths, wondering if she had perhaps misunderstood something. The youths vehemently shook their heads, indicating they did not wish to be associated with this imbecile. No matter how rural and ignorant they may be, being treated like this fool in this moment was too insulting.

‘In common parlance, someone lacking any sense of propriety or self-awareness.’

Just as Sophia was about to teach this senseless, clueless pig his place, the knight leading the escorting soldiers suddenly stepped forward.

“That’s enough. If you attack the tax collector further, the lawful envoy sent by our lord, we cannot remain still.”
“Oh? And if you don’t remain still, what will you do?”

With those words, Sophia kicked the tax collector, sending him flying like a soccer ball to roll along the ground, wiping it with his body as he let out grating, pig-like shrieks.

“Regardless, the tax collector is still a lawfully appointed retainer of our lord! I may not know who you are, but you cannot treat him so brazenly!”
“Is that what you think? I don’t think so. To begin with, the current lord’s legitimacy itself was already due for separate review. In that case, this wretch dared run his mouth to me, so do I not have the authority to hold him accountable to this degree?”

As the situation escalated beyond what he had imagined, the knight’s eyes widened in shock. He furiously protested:
“What audacity is this…?!”
“However! All of you are permitted to attack me together. I shall allow that much. And I will fight without putting down this wineglass in my hand. If even a single drop spills from the glass, I shall concede the duel. How’s that, is it not quite fair now?”

Sophia’s words, cutting off the knight’s objection, momentarily halted his rebuttal as he contemplated deeply.

Certainly, he had felt some trepidation about facing the famously powerful Paladin knight one-on-one. But for her to say she would take them all on alone, and even impose the absurd handicap of fighting with a wineglass in hand? The knight thought her utterly foolish.

‘If she says she’ll fight with a wineglass in one hand, don’t we have a decent chance if we all charge her together?’

This was a thought he could have precisely because he had always believed the Paladin knights’ reputations were greatly overinflated hype. He believed that with his own strength, he could somehow stand against even a Paladin knight.

Completely forgetting that none of them had properly registered the instant when Sophia had subdued the coachman and dragged the tax collector from the carriage, nor that not a single drop had spilled from the wineglass in her hand amidst that.