46 [46] Pronouncing Judgment on the Evil-Filled Me
The knights' roars echoed through the heavens and the earth.
Bathed in the accusations of the multitude, a smile gradually appeared on the face of the silver-haired youth.
Such a joyful, brilliant...
Chilling smile.
Smile...
Why would he still smile?!
What right does he have to smile?!
Such provocations only fueled the knights' growing anger.
Bathed in the overwhelming fury of the knights.
Gawain felt his momentum rising as if climbing steadily.
The holy sword in his hand erupted with intense flames of anger.
Within the Round Table, everyone was outstanding, possessing exceptional talents. However, all of that brilliance was overshadowed by the radiance of the Red Dragon.
Under this majestic pressure, with the support of the crowd.
Gawain... he further broke through his limits!
Boom~
In an instant, the Knight of the Sun's aura erupted, and the radiance of the holy sword became even more powerful and glorious than ever before!
Like sunlight, sweeping away the darkness.
Bright and radiant, illuminating my heart.
At this moment, he was no longer the tripled Gawain but ten times.
"Excellent! All thoughts are my thoughts, all hearts are my heart. I have understood everyone's killing intent! I have understood everyone's determination! Our spirits are unified!"
"Son of the White Dragon Vortigern, if there is hatred, it is because you have aroused the anger of everyone! This is everyone's disdain and rejection for your villainy and ugliness..."
"This is the final judgment against you, filled with evil!"
Bang~
The brilliance of the sun exploded in front of Alvin's eyes.
The Knight of the Sun raised the holy sword, roaring its name.
"For the expulsion of the seen evil and filth, shine brilliantly..."
"Excalibur Galatine!"
In this inflamed emotional state.
In this multitude's cursing.
In the radiant brilliance brewed by the holy sword.
An incredibly abrupt, panicked and anxious female voice resounded from the crowd, gripping everyone's hearts.
"No, don't! Noble Knight, please stop-"
Alvin, who had raised his sword, hesitated slightly.
Gawain's holy sword, about to descend, also suddenly paused.
The knights' angry shouts were momentarily silenced.
Soon, everyone followed the sound to look at the unexpected intruder.
Not Artoria, whom Alvin was familiar with before revealing his identity.
But... a woman.
An ordinary-looking middle-aged woman dressed in simple peasant clothing, appearing ordinary and common.
Her hands were rough from years of hard work, and her crude farmer's clothes had carefully sewn patches.
Her peasant-like face lacked any delicate features, and her not-so-fair skin was excessively rough.
She seemed like just an ordinary townsfolk.
Some people in the crowd were surprised to call out her name, which was an unusually common surname.
"Anne, what are you doing... come back!"
Because of the knights' fear, a path was cleared.
So, the woman was eventually able to run out from the dispersing crowd, panting heavily.
Facing the burning gazes of the people.
She timidly and shrinkingly moved her neck.
But after swallowing a mouthful of saliva, the woman still gathered courage, nervously and stumblingly walked to Gawain, and made a gesture of praying and blessing towards the radiant Knight of the Sun.
"What do you want? This is not an occasion for you town folks to meddle in! That guy is dangerous! Leave here quickly!"
In a solemn and heavy tone, Gawain spoke.
Not to harm the innocent, this was the most basic knight's code.
However, facing the son of the White Dragon filled with evil, if he took the townspeople here as hostages, it would inevitably lead to a bloody massacre.
Although he seemed to have no such intention for now.
But who could predict for sure?
The silver-haired youth held the sword with a black and lifeless blade, his hands naturally hanging down, seemingly full of flaws.
But even so, the radiance of the holy sword had been swallowed by him, already putting immense psychological pressure on Gawain.
...How this guy went crazy, laughing and cursing, all the knights present had already witnessed. No one could guess his thoughts.
Therefore, some people had already organized the townspeople to start evacuating in an orderly manner.
The woman suddenly ran out from the evacuating crowd.
"This... this must be a misunderstanding! Noble Knight of the Sun! I... I recognize that gentleman. When I heard his name, I finally recognized who he is!"
She trembled, looking at the somewhat dazed Alvin.
Seeing his charming and somewhat strange face from this distance, she became more certain of her guess.
"Sir Alvin, he is... the Silver Star Guiding the Way!"
"He saved my life and my daughter's from the hands of bandits!"
"He, he is not a bad person! There must be some misunderstanding here?! Sir Alvin has done many good things for the town! He saved many people, he even distributed food to us..."
The woman spoke somewhat incoherently and nervously.
The scene fell silent for a moment.
Alvin looked at the ordinary peasant woman in front of him in amazement.
She was the only person today who had truly shocked him.
Alvin did not remember her appearance.
He had rescued many lives from the bandits' stronghold, but how could he remember the face of each one?
But she... remembered him.
Being saved.
So, she gratefully remembered the name of her benefactor.
At this moment, when everyone pointed their fingers at him, risking their lives and facing the danger of being hostile by all the knights, this woman ran out, desperately pleading with the radiant Knight of the Sun.
Her slightly trembling words floated in the wind.
Even the radiant sunlight emitted by the holy sword seemed to become silent and stagnant.
Silver Star Guiding the Way.
As this term spread among the crowd.
The townspeople seemed to start recalling, in a daze, the agile figure of a young knight from years ago.
"Sir Alvin, Silver Star Guiding the Way... it's really him!"
"He hasn't appeared for several years, I thought he had left..."
"He has changed so much in height... almost can't recognize him."
"He is actually the son of Vortigern... no wonder I've never heard of his family background..."
"He used to subdue many bandits... and helped intercept the beast tide for the town..."
"But after all, he is the son of the Vile King..."
"You shut up! When the town was looted, it was Sir Alvin who provided us with food..."
The townspeople began to discuss animatedly.
Their voices, like brushes, depicted the image of a silver-haired youth, one filled with compassion and justice.
The knights' roars gradually faded away.
Listening to those words, they held their swords, their expressions gradually becoming bewildered.
These townspeople, what were they saying?
A good person...?
The son of the Vile King Vortigern, how could he be... a good person?!
Gawain fell into a brief silence.
It seemed like doubt, like interrogation.
He turned his gaze to the woman beside him, raised his hand, and pointed to the dark knight on the opposite side.
"Do you know who he is?"
Gawain spoke sternly, word by word.
"He is the son of the Vile King Vortigern!"
As if lamenting his unfortunate fate and angrily disputing.
His voice suddenly rose.
"Haven't you heard, woman!"
"Don't you know who Vortigern is?!"
"The entire Britain is in such turmoil now, all because of the monstrous calamity caused by that evil-filled Dragon! Even so, are you still going to defend and speak for someone like him!"
"I-I know, noble Knight of the Sunt, I... I heard it all..."
The woman answered tremblingly, her eyes burning with fear under the Knight of the Sun's questioning gaze.
"But he also... saved my life..."
Like a wound-up puppet.
Gawain's expression froze on his face.
This woman.
She didn't understand what the king's selection ceremony truly represented.
She didn't grasp the fighting and struggles involved.
She couldn't even read.
But she knew, very clearly, what the son of the Vile King Vortigern represented.
Even so.
She still stepped forward.
Among the thousands of people, she was the only one pleading for him.
"Sir Alvin, he's a good person..."
Her trembling voice floated in the wind.
Alvin felt like something in his chest was touched.
Crack, it broke.
Something seeped out.
It was the deepest, softest part of his heart.
The handle of the Knight of the Sun's sword creaked as it was gripped tightly, and his holy sword radiated rounds of dazzling sunlight.
He suddenly looked up at Alvin, wanting to question if this was another scheme of the opponent's villainy.
However.
Listening to the discussions and countless detailed memories of the townspeople.
If one person could be bribed.
Then... what about everyone else?
"...You should leave."
The silver-haired youth's gentle voice sounded in front of him.
"!"
Gawain suddenly lifted his head, and the other person had somehow already stood in front of him.
He abruptly raised the holy sword, ready to block in front of him, but... the expected fierce blow did not come.
The other person... simply ignored him.
That person.
He just squatted down, adopting a gaze at eye level, gently, gently took the woman's hand.
"Go back, madam."
He cradled her hand in his palm.
The silver-haired youth said with a smile like this.
Clearly, his armor was so dark, like the dark night.
However, looking at his smiling face.
The woman's timid, nervous, and trembling body, which seemed to shrink due to fear, gradually relaxed and became calm.
"Actually..." Alvin smiled and said, "It's just a misunderstanding."
"Is it... really? Sir Alvin..."
"Yeah, go live a peaceful and happy life with your daughter. Everything will get better."
The silver-haired youth's words were light and airy.
Like the gentle wind of spring, sweeping across mountains, forests, and the lush green fields, comfortable and pleasant.
"Today, the town will continue to be peaceful as always."
He said with a smile.
"I promise you that."
That person.
The one who made countless knights shudder with fear.
At this moment, he was right by his side, less than three feet away.
Without any defenses, his entire body was full of openings.
A swing of the sword, and he could be cleaved in two on the spot?
...However.
Gawain's wrist trembled, his lips buzzing slightly, and sweat started to bead on his forehead.
He had never before, held his holy sword like this, so unsteady.
Until the woman, as a townsfolk, bowed deeply with gratitude and gradually ran away, looking back every three steps.
The person smiled as he watched her go, his figure disappearing from sight.
And all the while, he never... even glanced at himself once.
"You... should all be grateful to her."
The dark knight lowered his iron-gray eyes.
His voice had never been so ethereal.
As if afraid... of waking something up.
"I originally wanted to... exterminate all of you."
He said it so casually.
Alvin raised his head, surveyed the surroundings.
All the knights held their swords as if facing a formidable enemy, extremely tense.
In the end, the silver-haired youth turned his gaze away and looked at the Knight of the Sun in front of him, whose expression was the most nervous and serious.
Gawain held the dazzling holy sword, his taut nerves seemingly on the verge of snapping.
"But now, I've changed my mind."
Alvin spoke calmly, word by word.
"Because I promised her. Today, nothing will happen here."
His voice was gentle.
Like the hand that had been holding the knights' hearts, clutching their throats, was finally released.
"Huu... haa..."
The knights breathed heavily, their eyes filled with lingering fear.
Gawain's hands, holding the raised holy sword, seemed to soften for a moment.
But he still, trembling, held on.
"Do good deeds, and that will cover up your sins?"
"It's just a perfect mask, just hypocrisy, just a heart of false virtue..."
The tip of the holy sword pointed at the emotionless silver-haired youth in front of him.
The Knight of the Sun roared loudly as if using all his strength.
"...Alvin Pendragon, you're just atoning for your own guilt!"
"So..."
Alvin looked at him sideways.
Looking at him with pity, with sympathy.
"...Then, pass your judgment on me, the one filled with evil."
As the words fell.
As if the sun itself fell silent.
The tip of the Sword of Revolving Victory kept trembling.
As if the knight's state of mind, shaken violently.
The other party was the criminal who should be executed.
When this self-convincing reason, finally lost.
What was the purpose of picking up the sword again?
"Well then..."
"Now, have you lost even the courage to aim the sword at me?"
"You are indeed an admirable knight, Gawain. You deserve my respect because you still have principles, a conscience."
Alvin looked up at the high-hanging sun.
The sun was now covered by a layer of dark clouds, emitting a misty, sickly light.
"Look to the sky, O Knight of the Sun immersed in sunlight."
"Your sunlight, has dimmed..."
Clang~
Even the sword could no longer be held.
The dazzling holy sword fell to the ground, emitting a dim light.
