Betrayal Knight's Joyful Faith

Side Story 9. Wide World

“So, how was Captain Laius’ villa?”Llewellyn asked, grinning. Beside him, Salem exclaimed in admiration.

“A villa just to imprison Sir Arendt? That’s impressive in its own right.”

“It’s really unnecessarily spacious. There are even live-in servants.”

Arendt, sitting cross-legged in front of them, grumbled in displeasure.

“It’s really absurd. It’s not like he’s bragging about his wealth, so what’s the point of this?”

Its existence was now quite well-known within the Caerleon Empire’s palace.

“The most amusing part is how well Lord Lexion cooperates.”

Llewellyn chuckled teasingly. Arendt gave him a disapproving look.

“Next time, you should definitely be locked up too. I’m sure you’ll like it, right? It’s a bare valley. It’s perfect for digging up dirt.”

“Sorry, I have to decline. I’m an explorer, not really into leisure activities. Besides, Captain Laius made it especially for you, so I wouldn’t dare invade.”

Salem laughed awkwardly, listening to their childish conversation.

“How on earth did Captain Laius come up with something like that?”

“What can I say? Salem, you know how much trouble this guy caused Captain Laius.”

Salem nodded, convinced by Llewellyn’s playful response.

“Well, it seems like not much has changed…”

“What did I do? Ah!”

Arendt, who had been grumbling irritably, suddenly let out a scream of annoyance and waved his hand. Llewellyn’s eyes widened.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“This damned idiot…! Why don’t you leave?”

With the words that followed, Llewellyn understood the situation.

Luna, who had been particularly prone to taunting Arendt, was once again clinging to his shoulder, nibbling at the ends of his hair.

Ray sat quietly on its master’s lap, observing the situation.

The two spirits, once the size of a homing pigeon, had grown to the size of a hawk or an eagle.

Salem smiled sheepishly.

“I guess Luna doesn’t like Sir Arendt.”

“I can tell.”

After a few vigorous swats, Arendt was finally able to get Luna off him.

Luna flew up, hovering briefly around Arendt with a hint of regret before returning to Salem.

Llewellyn, watching in bewilderment, began.

“You know, if you don’t like something, don’t you usually try to avoid it? Rather, shouldn’t we assume it actually likes him?”

He couldn’t see the spirit, but he was able to grasp the situation well enough by seeing Arendt wrestle with the air.

Salem patted Luna and replied sheepishly.

“Luna’s trying to get a hit in somehow.”

“I thought it just got bigger, but it also got mean.”

As Arendt grumbled, Llewellyn muttered teasingly.

“Even a spirit wouldn’t want to hear you call it mean.”

Of course, he soon received a cold glare and had to fall silent.

As the atmosphere grew tense, Salem abruptly changed the subject.

“This isn’t the time. Sir Arendt, we’re only staying for about three days before we leave. So, I have a proposal…”

“Oh, right.”

Salem nodded, and Llewellyn, suddenly coming to his senses, said.

“Would you like to come with us?”

“What?”

Arendt frowned slightly.

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Honestly, even I think it’s a bit out of the blue…”

Llewellyn scratched his head sheepishly, paused, and glanced at Salem.

“There’s been a lot going on at the palace, so don’t you want to rest a bit? But it wouldn’t suit you to just stay cooped up in Captain Laius’ villa and do nothing.”

“I was wondering if you might want to travel with us. Sir Arendt, you don’t seem to mind wandering.”

Salem added. Arendt, who had been listening quietly, tilted his head with an indifferent expression.

“From what I’ve heard, it doesn’t sound like we’re going to hang out together for a few days. Should I take a leave of absence?”

“Since nothing major has happened recently, I think Captain Laius would understand. I think he’ll welcome it with open arms.”

Llewellyn spoke with a feigned seriousness.

“When we leave the Empire this time, we’re planning to go to the Elf Kingdom. We’re planning to stay for a while and come back, so it’ll probably take a few months. Would you like to come with us to clear your head?”

“So, why all of a sudden?”

“You’ve barely rested since the war ended. You’ve been cleaning up the remnants, suppressing the rebels…”

Arendt asked coldly, and Llewellyn responded in an uncharacteristically subdued voice.

“You’ve done too much. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to step away for a bit and then come back.”

“Just consider it, Sir Arendt.”

Salem also sat down beside him and chimed in. Arendt couldn’t help but feel a twinge of unease as two pairs of eyes stared intently at him.

After the conversation with Llewellyn concluded, Arendt went about his work and then returned to the dormitory.

On the way back, Arthur, walking alongside him, asked in passing:

“What did you talk about with the prince? It seemed like you had quite a long conversation.”

“He said he wants me to take a leave of absence and travel with him.”

Arendt spoke. Arthur’s eyes widened.

“What? All of a sudden?”

“Isn’t it sudden? Trying to make someone unemployed out of nowhere.”

Arendt grumbled, putting his hands in his pockets. Arthur, about to say some more, paused for a moment and fell silent. Just as Arendt was starting to get puzzled by the silence that followed, Arthur spoke again.

“…It’s not a bad idea, is it?”

“Why are you suddenly acting like his, senior?”

Arendt frowned slightly. Arthur, however, replied in a serious tone.

“No, seriously, honestly, you’ve been so busy. If it were me, I would have taken a leave of absence and disappeared the moment the war ended.”

“That’s because you’re too soft.”

“What?”

Arthur immediately glared at him fiercely. Arendt didn’t even look at him, and said coldly.

“Enough. I have a mountain of work to do right now.”

“That’s true, but…”

Arthur muttered uncomfortably, then added.

“Still, think about it. You’ll only be taking a few months off and will come back. I’m sure His Highness and the Captain will give you permission.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

Arthur didn’t add anything further to Arendt’s curt words.

After all the work was done, Arendt changed clothes and went to bed.

Everyone except the early morning duty personnel was asleep. The whole place was silent. The only sound was the occasional buzz of insects outside the window.

Curled on his side, Arendt’s thoughts naturally drifted in the darkness.

‘A trip…’

It was certainly not a bad suggestion, as Arthur had said.

There was no need to insist on being a knight now. He could always return, and Laius and Cantares likely wouldn’t object.

‘Honestly, there’s nothing more for me to do here.’

The aftermath of the war wasn’t completely over, but the remaining tasks could easily be handled by others.

But even so, the reason he still felt uneasy…

Perhaps it was the inertia of being weighed down by all the events of the past.

At least in this generation, Luce and Chernion wouldn’t be able to intervene as actively as they once did.

Chernion had lost all of His senior members, including the Saintess, and Luce’s continent-wide influence had been slashed by more than half.

‘Even now, Luce’s followers are steadily dwindling.’

This world was no longer a stage or anything.

Therefore, he didn’t need to be concerned about his role, and he could be free.

Arendt tossed and turned, facing the ceiling. Only the moonlight filtering in from outside the window shimmered on the darkened ceiling.

‘It’s a wide world.’

Just like the old world, this world must be vast as well.

Throughout the play, as he traveled across the continent, he experienced this, if only indirectly.

“It’s a good proposal.”

He could leave or return freely.

As Llewellyn and Arthur had said, no one would object. If he said he was going to rest, they might happily push him forward.

“In the end…”

It meant he didn’t have to insist on staying.

He was freed from the shackles and obligations he was forced to shoulder.

Even after the war, after Lumiel and Laius discovered he was an outsider, he hadn’t dared to leave. He felt he still had much work to do.

But with everything settled, he felt he might change his mind.

“Perhaps now is the chance.”

Even that relaxed thought seemed to prove the peace.

But he probably wouldn’t change his mind.

Because…

Arendt closed his eyes, not bothering to resist his weariness.

“So, in the end, you declined.”

Salem said regretfully, preparing to leave.

“Sir Arendt, the shadows were increasingly asking me to guide you through the village.”

“There’s plenty of time. There’ll be another opportunity.”

Llewellyn offered some consolation. Ironically, Llewellyn, the one who had actually made the offer, seemed unfazed, and Salem found himself puzzled.

“You were rejected. Llewellyn, aren’t you a little…?”

“It’s a shame. Going on an adventure with Arendt would definitely be memorable. But…”

Llewellyn gave a sly grin.

“You knew this would happen, didn’t you? You said so yourself, Salem. He’s not the type to easily follow suit.”

“I know.”

Salem nodded.

“Sir Arendt seems to enjoy his work too much.”

“Well… everyone has their own way of taking a break, I suppose.”

As he finished loading his luggage, Llewellyn glanced at the Third Knights’ dormitory. Even though the two were leaving on a long journey, Arendt had no schedule to see them off.

It was because he’d been suddenly called out to the sudden commotion outside the castle walls and left in a hurry.

“I guess he knows where he belongs. For some reason, this might be the most comfortable moment for that guy.”

Before the war ended, Arendt seemed to have never been able to find a foothold anywhere.

But now, he’d settled in.

Somehow, Arendt felt like he’d finally returned home after a long journey.

It wouldn’t be right to urge such a person to leave and accompany them.

“You’re right. Anyway…”

Salem meekly agreed and looked in his pocket for a small leather package.

It was the item Arendt had given him before his hasty departure.

“That’s an unusual request for Sir Arendt. To dedicate this to Lord Nereid’s staff. It’s the pearl Sir Arendt wore as an earring.”

“Oh, Salem, you didn’t know?”

Llewellyn, who was tidying his horse’s saddle, widened his eyes.

“That pearl, it’s said to be Lord Nereid’s holy relic. It was found it in the Lucain Underground Staff.”

Salem nearly dropped the package. Hurriedly holding the pearl in both hands, he stammered, “What is this? A holy relic?”

“Yes. He doesn’t need it anymore, so he’s returning it to its owner…”

“What on earth…?”

Salem sighed deeply at Llewellyn’s answer. He stuffed the package containing the pearls even deeper into his pocket.

Llewellyn grinned at him.

“Are you ready? Shall we go?”

“My heart aches a little from the shock… But let’s go now.”

Salem nodded, deliberately placing a hand on his chest.

The two men mounted their horses and spurred their horses on. Soon, the two horses began to gallop, quietly leaving the palace.