27 The Knights Redemption

Hearing those words coming out of the knight's mouth who bowed before them made them confused and Lina's flame flickers for a bit but regaining her composure she shouted as her crimson flames roared

"Why are you kneeling?? No kind of persuasion will make me give up my baby!!!"

Snow too emitted her mana creating pressure on already bowing knights and the leader of knights the one sitting in the middle spoke in a lowered voice

"Lady Viscountess please ease your flame for once and listen what we have to say, if you find it a bit displeasing you may burn us and turn us into ashes"

Saying till here he looked a bit behind seeing solid resolve in every one of theirs eyes he continued speaking

"We have resolved ourselves before bowing, we are ready to be burned"

Hearing this Lina calmed down and told Snow to calm as well. After looking at all of them for once she said while looking wary

"I will calm my flame for once, but if you try taking my baby or harm anyone of us be assured you will be burned to ashes"

A synchronized gulp was heard from the group of knights and getting on his knees Knights leader started speaking

"Viscountess we know we have lost your and Rivera's Family belief as soon as we wielded sword against you"

Saying till her he and all the Knights stabbed all of their swords in the ground. He continued with a sad and apologetic look

"We are the Knights that were trained by Lord Viscount themselves, we know the young master is not evil. But we couldn't do anything else other than following church, we all got family and if we go against church, we didn't want to see our family facing punishment. We apologize for our inability to stand beside the lord"

Seeing them like this with conflicted emotions Lina asked them with a troubled expression

"Why are you apologizing now, why did you come from the opposite direction from the town" they began explaining, as soon as Cable informed the High Priest and The Holy knight about their escape plan, they stationed these Knights inside the forest in case we really do escape into it and the knight continued

"We all made a secret plan within their order, to apologize for our sins and also give Viscountess and Lord everything we could if they reach till here, we knew you will be in trouble here. So as an apology we gather as much as we could" saying this Knight threw a small bag toward Lina. It was no normal bag it was a magic bag that can store up to 8 kg weight in a small space easily.

Receiving it Lina checked its contents it was food items that could last for a few days and there were also a small number of silver coins. Lina knew about the situation of knights and how they will be declared heretics if they side with them even knowing this, she was still feeling angry towards them because if they have warned just a bit earlier Ralph would still be with them here. Looking as such Lina the head Knight continued

"This magic bag is the only one our group of knights was given for carrying emergency items. And the food and stuff are collected in secrecy so we couldn't collect anything better Lady Viscountess, we know no number of things could get you to forgive us now that lord is not here" he wiped a tear coming out of his eyes he continued

"We have come up with a plan to make Holy knight give up on Young master"

"Speak what is it," said Lina with a confused but still somewhat wary expression

"We will tell we were chasing you then we encounter rare monster of Ethel Forest and he killed you all and we can only save our life while being wounded, but for making it creditable we need something from you," Knight said with a resolved look

"What is it?? If it means we will not be followed or searched for further I'll give anything" Lina speaks with an unwavering voice

"Blood, it will take Viscountess blood and the necklace you wear. We can show your necklace with your dried blood as proof of your and Young Master's death" as soon as he said this maids and snow all reacted

"No, Viscountess mam you did not need to give the necklace away if it takes death, I am ready to die," Lana said with a sad and grim expression and Hina followed

"No need to bleed or give the necklace, I will go myself and say anything they want" even snow was shaking her head in rejection but what happened next shocked all of them Lina pulled the necklace out of her neck which make marks appear on her otherwise scarless neck and giving Ryu to Snow she went towards knight and move her hand over Knights sword which was stabbed in ground. The blood that was coming out of her hand she pours over the necklace and handed it over to the knight.

"Why, why Viscountess mam!?" Hina couldn't believe what Lina did easily because this was the necklace given to Lina by Ralph at their wedding and now that Ralph isn't here this must've served as his last souvenir but looking at such Hina Lina answered

"Hina, you know this necklace is not Ralph's last souvenir, it is the baby who is his most important gift and souvenir. For his protection, the necklace meant nothing" as soon as she said this all the knights clench their teeth hard, they all were thinking 'if not for our family, we could've helped lord'

Then after they apologize once again to which Lina just answered them in a powerless voice

"I am in no state of forgiving anyone, just leave"

And then they all leave. Lina and others sit on the ground as soon as knights left as if power is taken from their legs knowing they won't be chased further and that they have food which might if eaten cautiously can last them all for several days made them feel so relieved their legs lose strength.

The Brightest star was still in the sky. Lana woke up Aiena and give her the bread piece all of them were eating too they had decided to continue walking once they finish eating. They were grateful for the meal they finally got their legs were feeling powerful again.

They were walking again the Brightest star would be gone in half an hour it seems like but something happened which shook Lina and others to the core, they started running fast towards the town because something totally unexpected had happened not even in their wildest imagination they had to think this had a chance of happening.

They were being chased by Flame bolt wolfs, a type of monster that is resistant to fire and also too fast for the type of magic snow caste. Ethel forest is known for the least number of monsters but the ones that live in it are all dangerous to even highly skilled adventures. While escaping from these monsters Lina was looking at Ryu in her arms who was dreaming a few moments before he was crying in the dream but while they were running away from the monster and were in life-threatening situations he was crazily laughing in his dream.

Being chased by monster her baby laughing these kinds of things made Lina thought

'What is happening, why is nothing going well tonight, why is baby laughing when we are in danger is Goddess really against us'

And then Hina who was running while carrying Aiena fell the monster was just a bit behind them slowed by the glyph traps Snow was drawing by her shoes as she runs but now going to save Aiena and Hina is impossible they are already nearer to monsters than Lina, Lana, and Snow.

Thinking about how monsters are soon going to attack Aiena and Hina how she couldn't save them because flames do not work on these wolfs Lina felt as if the whole world was against them and Ryu still laughing in her arms made her think of a possibility, she wants to deny with her whole being but she couldn't hold it in anymore

"WHY!!?? Goddess what is happening to our festival night, is my baby evil are we being punished for having a baby tell me then why did your orb not reject my baby….What is happening please answer me!!! Is my baby evil do you want to destroy him is this why all of this is happening to us!!??"

She shouted while looking at the Brightest Star and a miracle happened suddenly a light shot out of the four stars surrounding the Brightest star and fall upon the monster, they died with nothing of their body remaining as if erased from existence and then as Lina was looking towards monsters Lana pointed upward and Snow felt it through mana something which is way beyond them is coming, they both spoke at same time

"Viscountess mam The Brightest Star!!!," Lana said while looking shocked

"Viscountess, up," Snow said with eyes wide open

And when Lina finally looked up she saw as If part of Brightness was being separated from The Brightest Star and solidifying soon that Orb filled with Brightness come towards the ground near them and when they could finally see what is the identity of the thing looking as Orb from a distance they were all shocked, because they had seen it many times in The church and paintings although not looking exactly they could all tell that the one levitating before them surrounding by heavenly light was. Lina said before others with a feeling of awe and surprise

"The Light Goddess!!"