chapter 14
14. The Third Companion. As always, the moment of choice comes (1)
14. Third mate. As always, the moment of choice comes.
The lighting in the banquet hall was dazzling.
Huge chandeliers, aristocrats in fancy clothes.
The variety of food on the table was also substantial.
I picked up one of them and popped it into my mouth.
it’s sweet
“The taste is fine. You must have prepared a lot.”
The Knights of Empire Grancia are divided into two branches.
A black crow that values traditional knights.
Sylvester changes with the flow of the times.
The Black Raven insists on the tradition that ‘Templars don’t need magic’.
Sylvester is pushing the opinion that ‘As magic develops, the Knights also need magic’.
Their opinions were polar opposites, so they didn’t get along well.
“It’s the traditional raven banquet… I wonder what’s going to happen.”
The most important thing is the warrior’s comrades.
I grabbed a light welcome drink from around and drank it.
It was sweet and not too high in alcohol.
Then I moved to a corner where all the spaces were visible at a glance.
‘If you observe people here, you’ll find a party member of the hero.’
Location selection wasn’t bad.
However, there were quite a few people who like a quiet space rather than a noisy space, so even in the corner there were a lot of people.
And, among those people, there were also figures familiar to my eyes.
It was the guy I had a relationship with in the past.
“Irina.”
“June?”
A silver-white knight tucked away in the corner.
Silver-haired Sylvester Irina approached me.
A person who was at the same party as me in the past and often seen in the photos.
Nothing has changed from the past, she approached me.
“Jun, it’s been a while.”
“Yeah, it’s been a while. Was the town of Aden the last?”
“Probably, we haven’t met since then. How have you been?”
“On my own.”
I’m living well.
Irina sighed as if relieved and said.
“Still, I’m glad you’re alive. I’m so glad you’re alive. You looked very sick after that day, but you seem to be in good shape now, Jun.”
“…Well, that’s right.”
It would be more accurate to say that I forgot as much as possible rather than trying to pull it off.
Now I live without thinking about it.
Irina’s words were right.
“Just in case, Jun. It’s your fault for that day-‘
“Stop, that’s it. It’s not up to you to judge, Irina.”
“…I made a mistake. I’m sorry, Jun.”
Irina shut her mouth.
I didn’t want to think about what happened that day.
Perhaps you could understand the meaning of my words, Irina’s face was filled with regret.
An awkward current flowed through the air.
“…”
“…”
That was the time.
The sound that signaled the start of the party began to sound.
The front door of the banquet hall opened, and knights in jet black armor began to enter the lineup.
The movements were accurate without any error, and they were well-trained knights in my eyes.
‘Are they official knights?’
Large rough stones, not filtered stones like Kyle in the garbage dump.
As I was looking at the black crow, I heard the angry voice of Irina, the commander of the Sylvester Knights.
“Heh, it looks like you have lower skills than Sylvester’s official knights. Our knights are far better than those outdated ones. As long as that child comes in, our knights will be the best.”
“… Irina. Have you forgotten where this is?”
“Oh, this. Words came out of my mind.”
The banquet of the Knights of the Black Ravens was hosted by the Knights of the Black Ravens.
There were, of course, many sides of the Black Crow Knights around him.
“That silver knight slanders the black crow.”
“Sylvester. There is no root that has forgotten tradition. the root.”
“The best knights in the empire are the black crows… Eh, tsutsuk.”
People who heard Irina’s voice began to swear.
In contrast, Irina’s reaction…
“I have no problem.”
iron ingot.
He kept his head stiff as if nothing had happened.
But why are the hands that clenched into fists shaking?
I decided not to ask.
‘..Irina’s personality is still the same. ‘
Anyway.
Official knights passed neatly, followed by apprentice knights in a line.
They represent the future of the Dark Raven Knights.
Again, Irina spoke with her.
“Heh, I think only one person is useful. If only that child were to join the Knights of Sylvester… ”
“Noisy, Irina.”
“… I get it. Hearing things like that from you, it feels like you’ve come to the past.”
“Because it’s noisy.”
“…”
Irina shut her mouth at my harsh words.
However, there was a reason for telling her that it was noisy.
Because one of the apprentice knights caught my eye.
At first glance, her atmosphere was different from that of other apprentice knights.
Mainly, in terms of core.
Unlike knights who use refined magical power to generate instantaneous power,
The magic flowing from her body was that of a high-purity wizard.
‘But, why is there a wizard in the Knights of the Black Raven…?’
Traditionally, there are no wizards in the Order of the Ravens.
However, now, wearing a neat knight’s uniform, a woman with neat black long hair.
The woman with three hundred eyes, which gave a dreamy or eerie feeling, was not a knight, but a wizard.
At that moment, Minerva’s problem arrived, which seemed to give me a stamp of correct answer.
[Aren’t you surprised this time? The expected heroic party member! A wizard appeared too! I don’t know who it is thanks to, but that’s something to be thankful for, right? Indeed, how will Jun-woo Lee act!?]
[One. Kidnapped today.]
[2. not. Do not kidnap.]
today or tomorrow
There was no need to worry.
Because I never used the answer today.
Both had to be checked.
‘Show me the answers to questions 1 and 2.’
At that moment, two futures began to unfold in my eyes.
…
One future.
not bad.
kidnapping the wizard, she
The wizard worked hard for the party, and eventually defeated all the demon kings.
However, after that.
‘…’
The day after saving the world.
The day of the festival in the Empire.
The wizard ends his life by hanging alone in his room alone.
The reason was not stated in the answer sheet.
There was no solution process.
The answer went to the next page.
…
Two futures.
Even if she doesn’t have to kidnap her, the wizard will later join the hero’s party.
In the process of defeating the demon king, he played an active part with his excellent skills, and in the end he achieved a perfect victory over the demon king.
However, amid the cheers of victory, the wizard was expressionless.
‘What are you guys having so much fun?’
Eyes that are so empty of emotion.
A face that doesn’t even show any emotion.
The wizard felt no emotion alone in the situation where he defeated all the demon kings.
Is it because of that?
‘I’m not having fun.’
He collected the fragments of the Demon King scattered in the air and began to absorb them into his body.
Black magic moves toward the wizard, and the power of corruption that is out of control dominates the space.
Overwhelming magic power, an inseparable gaze.
A new demon lord was born in the storm of magic.
It was the same scenery as ‘that day’ that I experienced.
‘Why did you choose this?! Saten..!!’
‘… ‘
Soon, the wizard is subjugated by his colleagues.
Right before she died, she didn’t say anything.
He had no idea why he became the Demon King.
…
‘No matter what you choose, the wizard will die… ‘
In terms of killing all the Demon Kings, that question is correct, though.
The wizard dies no matter which one I choose.
That fact does not change.
still.
‘It’s better to die as a human than to become a demon king. Rather than staying with the Knights, staying at my house is better.’
There might even be a 0.1% chance that Saten won’t die on its own.
Both questions would be wrong for Saten.
My finger pointed to number 1, which was not a completely wrong answer.
***
After the knights’ launching ceremony.
The daughter of the leader of the Black Crow Knights.
Sicilia Saten was changing from her knight’s uniform to a dress.
It was because he had to shine at the party as a member of the family.
“merry. The knights, who valued tradition, changed their minds and destroyed the strong wall. Aren’t they garbage adults?”
“No, that’s right. What she says is always right.”
Terrified, the maid, Mary, answered to please her.
She was terrified, as if she had a demon in front of her.
‘I haven’t done anything ‘yet’.’
Saten didn’t like the reaction.
“merry. look at me my eyes.”
“I, if I dare look at it… ”
“hurry. I like someone who understands everything at once, Mary.”
“Oh, I see. miss… ”
Mary met Saten’s alluring eyes.
Unlike normal eyes, there is a black eye on the top, and three places on the white surround the black eye.
A cool, dreamy gaze pierced through such Mary.
Saten looked at Mary trembling and smiled as if it was fun.
“What are you so afraid of, Mary? I’m not going to kill or hit Mary… Shaking like that makes me feel guilty, Mary.”
“Float, I won’t tremble-”
“I trembled again.”
slap-!
Saten slapped the maid Mary’s cheek with her gloved hand.
It was after making sure that no one was around.
“I was trying not to do anything. But, Mary kept falling and making me a bad person. Apologize, Mary. Mary is smart, you know what I mean?”
“… yes, lady. I apologize.. I will..”
slap-
A slap on the cheek echoed through the room.
Saten was wearing the dress herself.
slap-
Still, the sound continued.
Saten, who put on the dress and looked in the mirror, said to Mary like that.
“Thanks for getting it right, Mary. Just do it 10 more times, Mary. Don’t come out until the party is over. You can’t show up at a party like that. Right?”
“… Yes, lady.”
slap-
Mary continued to slap her on the cheek.
After saying that, Saten left the room as if indifferent.
Heading towards the center of the banquet hall, she muttered in a cold tone.
“Well, that’s interesting. When I said I was studying magic, I was treated like filth, and when I showed the results, I would break a tradition that had lasted 500 years and wag my tail.”
Saten, who possesses a genius magical talent, is expected to appear once in a thousand years.
Ironically, he was born into a traditional knightly family.
Naturally, her childhood, which was born with a magical talent, was not easy.
Living in the present progressive tense was getting more and more difficult.
I don’t even know if I can kill myself right now.
again. again.
Her expression on the way to the party was as expressionless as it was terrible.
It was as if the emotions were dying.
seems to have disappeared.
It was a cold face that had lost its color.
***
The party was a success.
After showing the future of the Knights Templar, the morale of the nobles following the Dark Ravens increased.
“These riders are very reliable.”
“That’s it. haha. I’m thinking of raising the amount of investment this time… What do you think?”
“After listening to the announcement, I’m thinking about raising it by 20%… ”
“I already put all my fortune in!! The stock price of the Knights will unconditionally go up!! Oh, don’t shout because you’ll live then!! What are you doing without putting it in quickly!!”
This stock will inevitably go up.
People who say the same thing and turn the happiness circuit hahahoho.
Their voices fell silent in an instant as the door opened.
kiik-
The door opens, and Sicilia, the family of the Black Crow Knights, enters.
Behind the lord Sicilia Lennon, his sons Rennen and Saten, the commander of the knights, entered.
Standing in the center, Lennon began to speak in his characteristic emotionless voice.
“Welcome to all of you. How was the future of the Black Crow?”
“Very good! The future is as bright as the imperial sky! Haha!!”
“It’s very fortunate that you are looking at the future of our Black Crows positively. I am very grateful.”
Is it the right person’s face to say thank you?
The expressionless Lennon glanced at them.
He bowed his head very slightly.
It was the arrogant gaze of the Sicilian family.
“First of all, ahead of this atmosphere. There will be a lot of people who are curious about the future of our knights. Whether we will become strong by focusing on tradition, or whether we will not be able to give up our stubbornness and become behind the times.”
“Uh, what is that…?”
murmur-
The people heard Lennon’s words and began to murmur.
When you’re talking about something important, if this kind of introduction comes out, it’s that much of an unconventional story.
They were exchanging opinions with each other.
“stop.”
quiet-
Adjusting the sound in one word, Lennon continued.
“There was a lot of thought. Whether to keep our tradition of the Black Crows, or whether we should move forward. But, in the end, if tradition catches our leg. I thought we should do it neatly.”
To the point!
Lennon shouted very strongly at this point.
“We! We’re going to recruit wizards for the Knights! The first step!! Our family’s genius wizard, Sicilia Saten! The Raven will use this as a basis for it! It will soar to a higher place!”
“Oh, oh..?”
“Wow–!!”
genius wizard.
With cheers introducing Saten.
The lights went out and the banquet hall was engulfed in darkness.
“Hmm, I see what kind of introduction you have. Turn off the lights!”
“Are you really looking forward to it?
Doubly-
People thought it was stage directing.
After the light is turned off, the light turns on again and Sicily Saten will appear.
Surrounded by such anticipation, he looked forward to the advancement of the Knights of the Black Ravens.
But.
Expectations will lead to greater disappointment later.
fault-!
The lights turned on, and the field of vision brightened.
The balcony where Sicilia Saten should appear.
At that place…
“What, Saten suddenly disappeared…? What are you talking about..!!”
“Wh, what? It disappeared..?!”
“My, my stock!! Ahhh!!”
Saten, the genius wizard of the Knights of the Black Raven.
She had already disappeared by someone.