Chapter 35

Charlemagne's Twelve Knights are the pride of the Holy Kingdom. Knights of the court, also known as paladins.

Their existence is nothing new, and even a clash is within the realm of possibility.

-Boom!

A javelin was thrown, but the strongest knight in the Holy Kingdom rushed forward and caught the spear blade with a swift motion.

The holy javelin, scattering starbursts of light from his hand, clashed with Aria's black sword.

As I watched, I said.

"...Go away, Aria."

Nothing changes.

<Blade Barrier>

A barrier of magically forged blades surrounds me, and I point the tip of my blade at Roland and it shoots out like an arrow.

Before the bombardment of blades, Aria and I locked arms, but Roland quickly moved away while Aria silently sheathed her sword and stepped back.

Only then did I, too, become part of the action, staring straight ahead at my opponent.

"...Hand over the holy spear."

I glared.

"Then we will walk away from here without anyone getting hurt."

As usual, I don't do evil because I like it. I just want no one to die, if possible. I don't have much confidence in my own words, but whatever.

So I'm just being polite.

Words I didn't expect to be heard anyway. A mercy that rings hollow, meaningless.

"...."

But before the words were spoken, Sir Roland fell unexpectedly silent.

"Really, can you promise me that?"

I didn't answer, even after hearing the words return after the silence. Roland was unperturbed.

"That you won't hurt anyone here anymore, and that you'll leave as you came."

"I promise."

I said, and even as I said it, I didn't expect anything from him. He couldn't mean it, and it would be nothing more than a meaningless game of words.

"...Are you sure?"

Roland asked nonetheless.

His voice was so calm and unmoved. It was not the voice of someone who was genuinely curious so I smiled bitterly.

"I don't care what you believe."

It was no different than before.

"I'm not asking for suggestions or favors."

"Then what is it?"

I'm not obligated to address their curiosity.

I didn't have the heart to come all the way out here to talk to them and make a deal, and I couldn't so it made no difference what I could do.

"Mercy."

This was, and always had been, mercy. Literally, unquestionably.

Not all villainous groups are bloodthirsty combat fanatics. At least I wasn't.

I like to avoid avoidable conflicts and pointless fights whenever possible.

"Did you just say, mercy?"

"Yes."

I've always been merciful, no matter who it was, to avoid seeing blood for no reason.

"...."

Sir Roland was silent, not answering. What decision he would make after this silence I didn't know, nor did I want to know. I could only guess.

It was always up to them to reject the mercy I offered.

Those who think that 'accepting' my mercy is an act of submission and bowing to evil.

Those who make grandiose resolutions as if this situation before them were the finale of their lives, when in fact I have no interest or care.

Because I am evil. Because I am the leader of the Black Snake.

Because I am an unforgivable villain, an atrocity deserving of hell. And so, the very ones who should have cherished my mercy the most, rejected it of their own volition.

They rejected my mercy and brought death upon themselves.

─So I killed them.

That was all.

A dog's death that meant nothing to me.

"...Good."

I should have said.

"I'll give you the holy spear."

"─"

In the face of that ridiculously lame answer, I fell silent, speechless.

It didn't make sense to my common sense.

"And, Rain Gray, I accept the 'mercy' that will be bestowed upon you in your name."

"...Do you know the meaning of that word?"

"Of course."

Roland smiled pleasantly at my question, for there was only one price for the mercy I bestowed.

I fell silent, staring at the spear of stars in his hand and unperturbed by my silence, Roland spoke.

"So, please, do not harm my men or the people here."

"That shouldn't be difficult."

I'm just baffled that things are going to be so easy.

Or should I say bewilderment? On the contrary, it's a response that seems perfectly reasonable and common sense to the man in front of me.

I haven't seen common sense in this world for too long.

Roland held the spear upside down and held it out to me. I didn't grab it right away, just stared at his spear in silence.

Pointed upside down at him, the tip of the spearhead bore the scar that Ergo had carved into it earlier in their confrontation.

In other words, it was the holy spear and Roland is not lying.

I watched in silence.

At the same time, the distance narrowed. The <Blade Barrier> protecting me moved within the narrowing distance.

-Kaang!

Sparks flew as the blades clashed, and Aria quickly fixed the hilt of her sword to catch it.

"Stop, Aria."

I called her name, not caring.

Not to ask for her help, but rather to interrupt her actions.

After stopping her, I asked.

"...I thought you were accepting mercy."

"Of course I do, because I'm going to hand over the holy spear."

The strongest knight in the Holy Kingdom said as he steadied himself and fixed the hilt of his spear.

"─along with my life."

"...."

"Only my life, and no one else's."

With the determination to never back down.

It was not an unexpected statement. In fact, in some ways, it was more like it.

"Please take my life and the holy spear in my hand."

There was a determination in his voice, a determination not to back down until the last possible moment.

"It will not be a difficult task for Mr. Rain Grey, leader of the infamous Black Snake."

I couldn't say anything.

In my silence, I suddenly realized that his resolve sounded very 'familiar'.

"Do you think the honor of the kingdom is worth that much?"

"It is not for me to fathom."

The fight was never for Roland himself.

It was a fight to prove himself for what he carried, for what he defended.

I didn't think long since nothing would change.

Mercy is mercy, after all.

"Aria."

"Yes, sir."

"Inform the men. Tell them to keep their hands off the rest of the Paladins."

"...understood."

At those words, spoken softly, Aria bowed her head while I stared at my opponent in silence–along with the several blades circling around me.

A man who accepts mercy, and yet retains his knightly pride to the very end.

There were memories that flashed through my mind but those memories and memorable landscapes that flashed through my mind like a lantern, were never mine.

They belonged to a game I'd seen on a monitor long ago. It was the story of the "most just knight" in the Heroic Age series, who saved players in times of crisis.

Along with him, a named NPC whose likability is essential to learn physical skills, especially the ultimate spear art.

A.k.a. The Most Likable Character of the Heroic Age.

"Ahaha, don't try too hard."

Funnily enough, his meme-like quip has stuck with me throughout the series.

"If you work yourself to death, no one will recognize you."

And yet, there was a knight in front of me, ready to die, even putting his own life on the line, begging for my "mercy."

"...."

Even as he hung his head in shame at my mercy, he refused to give up his knightly pride until the end.

It was the same now.

In a sense, it was more of the same.

So what I had to do was no different.

It is not 'mercy' that I must show him.

It was the utmost respect and honor I could show him.

-Boom!

With that realization, the area I was stepping on warped.

It was a realm that no one but me and Sir Roland could enter or even glimpse.

"<The Labyrinth of the Infinite Corridor>...."

Sir Roland murmured.

"I don't want to be a spectacle for the world to see."

I said.

"Fight me with your life."

"─"

"I will take your life and the holy spear."

I said after the silence and my voice sounded as if nothing would change.

"And if I am defeated, I will grant you your wish."

"You say that as if you know what I want."

"Justice, I suppose."

"Do you know what that word means?"

I said.

"The end of evil."