Even as rain began to fall suddenly, no one suggested seeking cover to continue the conversation.
Dark clouds covered the moon, and the surroundings grew rapidly dim.
Moments ago, the divine light and brilliance filled the area, making the darkness feel even heavier by contrast.
But no one immediately summoned any divine light to brighten the view.
No one had the leisure for that.
In this moment, the Holy Knight opened his mouth to speak.
"Perhaps it was around that time."
The falling rain soaked the old Knight's hair and eyebrows.
His silver eyes seemed lost in memories as they gazed into the empty sky, where rain cascaded down.
If the divine light had wiped out the twilight earlier, now the rain was doing the same. Darkness was setting in. Soon, an even denser darkness would wrap around them, making the surroundings pitch black.
Amidst the creeping shadows, the faintly glowing eyes of the Holy Knight added a mysterious atmosphere.
"It was then that I felt I had finally perfected myself as a warrior. But when I looked back, I saw that the apple tree I had nurtured my whole life bore not apples, but poisonous fruits. Can you imagine how I felt at that moment? Can you guess?"
When Encrid first saw him, Overdeer appeared middle-aged, but now he looked every bit the elderly man his words reflected.
Reflecting on the past made him appear even older. His appearance didn’t change drastically, but somehow he seemed more aged.
It was curious how attitude and speech could alter a person's perceived age.
The rain began to fall harder. Though it wasn’t yet the season for snow, the rain was certainly cold enough.
"Back then, this old man realized he couldn’t uproot that apple tree and felt the smallness of his strength."
Was this the sort of thing a Holy Knight who had defeated his opponents would say?
Encrid thought this as he watched.
Overdeer didn’t stop talking.
He spoke on about how he then decided to wander the continent, unable to distinguish between wholesome and poisonous fruits, as if resigned. But there were flaws in his story.
At least, Encrid felt so, he wasn’t swayed by Overdeer’s apparent remorse.
Instead, he sensed an awkwardness in Overdeer’s behavior. It was similar to how Krais acted when he took from Krona.
Not that the words were false, but they lacked sincerity.
Regardless, there were some visible gaps in his tale.
For instance:
"With monsters and beasts appearing endlessly across the continent, there needed to be someone to confront them. In the end, this old servant had no choice but to step forward."
Such statements felt somewhat forced.
Holy Knight Overdeer had originally been part of the Holy Nation’s forces, defending a region of the Demon Realm. If he decided to wander, it meant he abandoned his post. The excuse was fine, but the truth was that he’d simply passed his responsibilities to a Junior-Knight and fled.
"A pilgrimage to cleanse the continent."
It sounded noble, a ‘purification pilgrimage’, but wasn’t it simply a journey of his choosing?
Encrid didn’t bother to point out the intent behind his words.
Anyone listening with attention would understand the hidden meaning.
Audin held his breath and said nothing, while Sinar appeared uninterested.
Unknown to Encrid, Sinar now believed she could overpower Overdeer if they fought again.
Though it seemed unlikely that would happen.
Moments ago, they’d fought fiercely, but now both sides had put aside their animosity.
Few species sensed such subtle changes as well as Fairies.
Sinar intuitively understood that the battle was over.
In truth, neither side had fought with extreme malice.
One had acted out of his own values, and the other had done so because he deemed it necessary.
Encrid was the former, Overdeer, the latter.
They exchanged blows, and in the process, Encrid sensed something from Overdeer’s mannerisms.
'He was definitely willing to take me down if necessary.'
But he hadn’t harbored any malice.
"This old servant was waiting for a revelation."
By this point, the Holy Knight’s words didn’t carry much weight.
If he had been waiting for a revelation, why did he keep an inquisitor like Bert as his associate?
And why did he keep him flanked by priests and Crusaders?
The intent behind this setup wasn’t entirely clear, but it was obvious there was a purpose.
"Then the revelation guided me here."
This man was as slippery as a snake.
The old Knight continued speaking with a smile, saying he’d followed divine revelations all along and would continue to do so, dedicating the last spark of his life to purifying the Order.
His words were vague and lacked specific details, yet he didn’t seem to have come here without reason.
Though his words were unspecific, there was enough to glean his intentions.
It seemed this old Knight named Overdeer was traveling across the continent, recruiting members of the Order.
The reason? Hadn’t he already stated it was for the ‘purification of the Order’?
Hearing all this, Encrid couldn’t help but think,
'Is this really a revelation, or just a plan?'
Even without him, a similar situation could have arisen.
Wasn’t Bert simply planted to observe and evaluate the character of Order members?
When he deemed one beyond redemption, he crushed their head.
'Didn’t he treat me the same way?'
Yes. He might not have killed him, but he’d certainly intended to leave him half-crippled. Though that resolve had since faded.
Did he have a habit of testing people? Perhaps.
A person’s status or profession didn’t guarantee their character.
Likewise, being poor didn’t make someone virtuous, nor did wealth make someone evil.
Obvious truths, but many people lived forgetting these realities.
The fact that he was a Holy Knight didn’t mean Overdeer was to be idealized.
Nor was it necessary to define the person before him in absolute terms. One couldn’t understand another’s entirety based on a single aspect.
'What about the Saint Child ?'
He hadn’t once mentioned the Saint Child.
Judging from his mannerisms and words, he clearly had a plan.
'It seems he’s decided to let her go cleanly for now.'
If that was the case, then it wasn’t worth interfering.
One thing was certain.
The intent behind his desire to purify the Order was clear and resolute.
Each time Overdeer mentioned it, his gaze left no room for doubt.
In some ways, he appeared to share a purpose with Audin.
Though their paths might differ slightly.
Swoosh.
The rain began to pour harder. The sound of the falling rain changed, and even as Knights, they couldn’t shield themselves from it.
That went for Holy Knights, too.
Encrid, wiping his wet hair away from his face, spoke.
"Perhaps we should seek shelter from the rain while we talk?"
He raised his tone. It was difficult to view the man as an enemy, especially after learning he was over a hundred years old.
"Apologies, but I must go. A new revelation awaits me."
In other words, he had another plan and no time to spare.
"A busy man indeed."
Sinar threw out a comment, though it wasn’t meant as a compliment. The tone implied annoyance—why come all this way just to cause a ruckus if he was so busy?
Of course, Sinar hadn’t said it to start an argument.
She’d simply been annoyed from being outmatched in the earlier fight.
Overdeer maintained his smile.
"Only living as the revelations guide me."
So he had a lot of work in purifying the Order.
That was how Encrid understood it.
Overdeer, prioritizing formality, addressed Sinar politely.
"So, I’d like to ask if I may request assistance from both of you, this old servant?"
And with that, Overdeer shared part of his plan, without waiting for their permission. Of course, he disguised it well under the guise of ‘revelations’.
"Thanks to the revelation, I can’t just leave him alone."
Starting with such words, he explained that he intended to assassinate a high-ranking archbishop, a master of divine magic.
He mentioned that the archbishop’s divine magic was incompatible with his own and that he wouldn’t be able to kill the entire Crusader squad that followed the archbishop.
"But, sharing all this..."
Bert, who had been listening, muttered in shock.
Overdeer gestured to silence him and continued. In short, he was planning an assassination.
"The revelation guides me."
Given the way he spoke, it seemed less like an assassination plan and more like a ‘revelation of assassination’.
That seemed accurate enough.
"Captain Brother."
Before Encrid could respond, Audin called to him.
"May I take a short leave?"
Encrid looked at the light that shone around Audin’s entire body. He recalled something Audin had once told him.
Wasn’t he trying to escape from the prison of illusions? Then what was that light?
Could it have been the chains that had bound him?
Had Audin now escaped from that prison?
Was he stepping into the world?
What was the first thing Audin, now free of that prison, would do?
It was a fleeting thought. Encrid nodded.
"Yes."
"It won’t take long, Brother. And when I return, please convey a message to Brother Barbarian and the others."
"What message?"
"Tell them to prepare for my return. I’ll be giving them a lesson, and there’s no need to make me the elder brother just because I’m older."
He intended to spar with them, to see who would come out on top as the elder brother.
Encrid understood and nodded.
"Yes."
The same answer twice, in the same tone. Encrid was calm. He hadn’t expected this situation, but he accepted it without question.
To Overdeer, Encrid’s calmness seemed extraordinary.
Wasn’t he called the Iron Wall Knight? He must be a man of a different caliber.
That’s what he thought.
"Let’s go together then, Holy Knight Brother, whose true intentions remain unknown."
Sometimes, Audin couldn’t hold back his words.
This was actually a common flaw among the entire Mad Knights.
'People should know how to hold back sometimes.'
Encrid occasionally worried about this tendency.
Naturally, he lacked this particular trait compared to the others.
His inability to hold back from telling Alma off earlier was a different issue.
It wasn’t as if he could just hold back the news that Count Molsen had already tried his Knight-making experiment and gotten beaten.
Even if his opponent didn’t understand a word of it.
"Your choice of words is impressive. Are you feeling well?"
Overdeer didn’t mind such remarks. If he could get rid of the Order, he’d endure insults for years.
"I’ll recover as I walk. But what about where you were struck? I’d hate for your old, sick body to be further worn down."
Audin had a habit of being needlessly snarky, and every word poked at Overdeer’s nerves.
Asking if he was okay after beating him was almost a provocation.
But the seasoned Knight took it in stride.
"I’m fine. This body may be old, but it can still walk without issue."
They were just about to finish that exchange when—
"Wooah! Deutsche Pullman reporting for duty!"
A spirited shout rang out. The city’s owner, Deutsche Pullman, the man of honor, arrived with ten of his soldiers.
Everyone had heard approaching footsteps over the rain, so they weren’t surprised.
Only Inquisitor Bert flinched.
In the absence of moonlight, ten soldiers arrived without torches.
Sinar, with Fairy sight, recognized them, and the rest accurately sensed their positions and intentions.
But Deutsche Pullman, unable to see, simply charged forward.
Despite the heavy rain obscuring his vision, he had come.
He feared his benefactor might be in danger.
Of course, he knew his strength was insignificant. But if his help could turn the tide, however slim that chance might be…
Obviously, that might not be the case, but it wasn’t enough to hold him back.
'I’ll help!'
That was his resolve. The others recognized this in Deutsche’s reckless charge.
"I want to commend your courage, Deutsche Pullman."
Overdeer spoke first, followed by Encrid.
"The situation’s resolved. Instead, could we trouble you for a warm bath, a meal, and a place to rest?"
Deutsche had risked his life, but that didn’t mean he wished for death.
Relieved that the situation was over, he noticed that things seemed well-resolved.
Though he peered around in the dark, he could barely make anything out.
"Ah, yes, of course."
After assessing the situation, Deutsche lowered his weapon and responded, and Audin placed a hand on the shoulder of Overdeer’s planted agent.
"Inquisitor Bert, was it?"
"Yes? Yes, that’s correct."
Bert tensed. He knew that the hand on his shoulder could crush his neck at any moment.
And if Overdeer was the Overdeer he knew, he wouldn’t save him.
After all, a few deaths meant nothing in the pursuit of purifying the Order.
"Have you recently heard of anyone recovering quickly from a serious illness or injury?"
The question was unexpected, but Bert’s job was to gather information while traveling the continent. After rolling his eyes a few times, he replied.
"Yes, I’ve heard of such cases."
"Could you follow the latest rumors and find someone for me?"
"Who exactly?"
"Look for wealthy individuals who suddenly recovered from a severe illness and ask those who’ve been swindled out of a fortune. You’ll find a trail. I don’t know his name, but if you find the right city, go to the largest inn and ask for the Father of Audin. If no one’s been swindled, search the slums. Though he’s called the Ragged Saint, he might not actually wear rags."
"…What?"
Bert tilted his head in confusion.
Encrid, listening nearby, was equally perplexed.
Did he just say “father”?
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