Betrayal Knight's Joyful Faith

Chapter 359

“…So, you turned Sir Arthur into you and came here?” Having heard the whole story, Llewellyn asked again in disbelief. Arendt shamelessly nodded.

“He’s the quickest to catch on among the dull-witted seniors. It’s just for show anyway, so there won’t be a problem. I’ve filed it as medical leave, and he’ll be holed up in the dorm the whole time.”

“This is absolutely insane.”

When Llewellyn let out a hollow laugh, Lexion shook his head.

“If there’s a prize for outrageous ideas, it’ll easily be second to none.”

“I’m not sure you’re the one to talk, Lord Lexion, considering you actually go along with all of it…”

“It’s less of a hassle to just go along with it than to argue. Besides, it’s definitely an effective method.”

Lexion, who answered like that, also looked different than usual.

Lexion, who had always maintained the appearance of a man in his thirties, had now transformed into a young man who looked even younger than Llewellyn.

With his ubiquitous, plain-looking face and poor-quality cloak, he looked like an adventurer.

Llewellyn asked with some embarrassment.

“Even so, isn’t it true that Nikephoros’ eyes can’t be fooled?”

“There’s nothing we can do about that. I told you before, it’s just a way to buy time.”

Arendt, who answered in a blunt manner, had the appearance of a blond kid of similar age to Seton. Disguised by Lexion’s magic, Arendt looked like nothing more than a young servant to anyone.

Even if they went to the palace together, it was obvious that he would be perceived as nothing more than an errand boy who Llewellyn had taken on an adventure for fun.

Llewellyn looked at Arendt, who was putting another snack in his mouth, in puzzlement.

“You really look like a brat when you do that. Who would think you’re a knight of the royal family…”

“I really am just a kid, Your Highness. Where would there be anyone as impressive as a royal knight here?”

Watching Arendt tilt his head with an innocent expression as he asked that somehow made him feel nauseous.

“I’m sorry, but please don’t call me that just yet, for the sake of my mental health.”

“Royalty sure are weak.”

Arendt returned to his sullen expression in an instant and once again grabbed a snack to eat.

Although they left the Empire in a hurry and came to the Lucain Kingdom, that didn’t mean they could go to the palace right away.

The three agreed that it was necessary to observe the atmosphere within the kingdom and prepare eyewitness accounts from within the kingdom in advance.

So, for now, they were sitting at a crowded restaurant in a busy area and killing time.

“By the way… it’s too peaceful.”

Arendt looked around as he popped another snack into his mouth. Llewellyn nodded as well.

“It doesn’t seem like anything happened in particular, does it?”

The passing of a king was a major event for the nation. Yet, the people on the streets were simply faithful to their daily lives.

There was no sign of mourning, not even a commotion.

Even in the bustling streets near the palace, there was no sign of preparations for a state funeral, making this peace seem even more strange.

“The news hasn’t spread yet… or maybe the fact that His Majesty has passed away is a lie.”

Llewellyn countered Arendt’s statement.

“But the obituary had Crown Prince Victor’s signature on it. I looked at it myself, and it didn’t look like it was forged at all.”

“Then there is a possibility that the Crown Prince lied in order to gather the leaders of each kingdom. He may be in cahoots with Duke Middleton…”

Arendt, sipping orange juice, looked towards Lexion.

“What do you think, Lexion?”

“You guys figure it out yourselves. It’s annoying. You should be grateful that I even followed you here.”

Lexion waved his hand dismissively. Then Arendt put down his glass of juice and said indifferently.

“If that’s the case, then there’s nothing we can do. We can only make things worse by going around and messing around without knowing what’s going on.”

“…”

“It’s possible to make a fuss right now. Should we try it? The evil cultists who were hiding might come pouring out.”

Lexion and Llewellyn both shut their mouths at the same time.

Regardless, Arendt simply threw another crunchy snack into his mouth.

Llewellyn gently tugged at Lexion’s sleeve.

“Hey, Lord Lexion, if you have any suspicions, could you please say something? That bastard is someone who really would go that far… he’s a bit scary.”

Lexion, who had been silent for a moment, spoke.

“…I can’t give you a definite answer. There doesn’t seem to be any presence of dark divine powers right now. However, it would be better not to rule out the possibility that the obituary itself was a trap. It’s also possible that the Crown Prince killed the King himself. If you think about it normally, the Crown Prince doesn’t seem to have any motive to kill the King, but if the Crown Prince joined the cult, then it’s different.”

“I thought so.”

Arendt nodded as if nothing had happened.

“Then, we’ll just have to confront it and find out what’s going on.”

Somehow, a subtle strangeness was lingering in Arendt’s young-looking eyes.

Lexion looked disgusted at the sight.

“…Is it my imagination? He feels more energetic.”

“Didn’t you know? That guy finds fulfillment in life when he’s plotting something strange.”

Llewellyn also responded with a look of disgust. Arendt, who had been thinking for a moment, spoke again.

“It would be a bit much to just barge in, so I think you’ll need a reasonable excuse. Don’t you have any close acquaintances in the palace? It doesn’t have to be the Crown Prince. Maybe another member of the royal family, or a noble.”

Although he had the appearance of a young boy, it seemed as if Arendt’s characteristically indifferent face was somehow layered over that appearance.

“Not really. I became close with Sister Isabella when I was in the Nephele Kingdom.”

Llewellyn answered with a slight frown, as if recalling a memory.

“To be honest, before I entered the Caerleon Empire, I hardly ever had the chance to become close with influential people. I was too busy running around.”

“Well, I guess so. You are the famous troublemaker prince of the Everan Kingdom.”

“I’m not going to deny it, but I don’t want to hear you say it.”

Llewellyn growled fiercely at Arendt’s indifferent response, but his protest was, of course, ignored.

Arendt, rolling his big eyes and thinking for a moment, finally spoke up.

“There is just one way that comes to mind.”

“What is it, you bastard?”

Llewellyn asked discontentedly. Lexion also looked at Arendt with clearly uneasy eyes. Without even glancing at them, Arendt responded indifferently.

“There is a very ancient method of infiltration.”

“…”

“Even if you suspect that it might be a trick, it’s a method that forces you to open the door yourself because you’re conscious of the gaze of those around you.”

A sense of unease seeped into the gazes of the two looking at Arendt. Regardless, Arendt clenched and unclenched his unfamiliar hands a few times, then fell into thought.

He seemed to be wondering how to effectively use his smaller body and young face.

And after a while.

Arendt raised his head again and looked at Llewellyn with a bright smile.

The moment their eyes met, Llewellyn felt a chill run down his spine.

“Does this make me look like someone from the Everan Kingdom? I think the tone of voice was something like this.”

Arendt approached him with a lively, boyish smile.

Llewellyn, who had unconsciously leaned back, answered timidly.

“No, that, the tone is perfect, but…”

The thought of that being Arendt von Eckhart made him feel like he was in a nightmare.

Lexion also had a very disgusted expression on his face.

But fortunately, the innocent smile quickly disappeared. Arendt narrowed his eyebrows again and tilted his head, as if he was not satisfied with something.

“This isn’t right. This is way too stupid. Since I’m a servant serving a noble person, I should look a bit more timid…”

After a brief moment of thought, Arendt slowly brushed his face and lowered his gaze.

His complexion, which had been that of a lively boy just a moment ago, suddenly worsened.

“Well, Lord Llewellyn, I’m really sorry to say this, but…”

Then, a timid, almost withdrawn youthful voice came from Arendt. The boy, who had been timidly mumbling with his eyes down, barely managed to grab hold of Llewellyn’s collar.

“I suddenly don’t feel well… c-could we rest a little longer before we go?”

The boy, clutching his stomach with one arm as if his insides were twisting, looked up with pitiful eyes, an appearance that would evoke sympathy from anyone who saw him.

Llewellyn’s face turned pale, as if he were about to faint.

“Hey, wait a minute, can’t you cut me some slack? I’m not mentally prepared yet.”

“I’m sorry, just a little bit… I think I’ll be fine soon. Really.”

Even though he could not have been unaware of this, Arendt did not stop acting.

Lexion, who had been looking at them with eyes that seemed to be looking at something extremely ugly, quietly lifted the sound wave blocking magic that had been surrounding the three.

Then Arendt raised his voice a bit and recited his lines more convincingly.

“I’m sorry, because of me… the schedule… it’ll really just be a moment. I think I’ll be okay.”

At the pitiful, gasping voice, people around began to turn their heads one by one. Sensing their gazes, Arendt fully hunched over the table.

Then he began a one-man show and spoke to Llewellyn, who was so out of his mind that he couldn’t even give a proper answer.

“No, it’s not something to worry about. Really.”

“…Excuse me, are you okay? You seem like a foreigner. Is there anything wrong?”

Eventually, a friendly restaurant worker who had been watching the situation approached with a worried look on his face.

Arendt, who barely raised his head with a pale face, quickly waved both hands.

“No, it’s okay. Really. I can’t get in the way of Lord Llewellyn’s journey…”

“Oh my goodness, what should I do? Should I call a healer? We’ll have to go near the palace. Should I at least make a place for you to lie down?”

When the completely overwhelmed clerk began causing a real commotion, the customers filling the nearby tables also started to intervene one by one.

“Oh my, he’s shaking a lot. He looks like a traveler. Could he have caught a fever crossing the wilderness?”

“Or maybe he ate something spoiled? Someone call the owner! There’s a sick person in the shop.”

When someone urged the worker, the worker nodded and hurried inside.

But the person who was truly on the verge of death now was not Arendt, but Llewellyn.

There were more and more eyes looking at him, but Llewellyn remained stiff, his mind blank.

Finally, Arendt, unable to stand watching any longer, reached under the table and pinched Llewellyn’s thigh hard.

“…!”

!

Llewellyn barely managed to suppress a scream and jumped to his feet.

Then, the gazes that had been directed at Arendt suddenly turned to Llewellyn.

Only then did Llewellyn come to his senses and speak in a panic.

“Oh, no! It’s okay. We’ll take him to a healer. Lexion, no, I mean, Lec! Pick up the kid quickly!”

The line was painfully clumsy, but it seemed to have somehow succeeded in handling the situation.

“All right.”

Lexion answered with a very reluctant expression and carried Arendt.

People looked at them with worried eyes, but did not bother to intervene further.

Llewellyn ran out of the restaurant without looking back, and Lexion followed him.

“You and I are having a talk later.”

Arendt, now on Lexion’s back, replied indifferently to Llewellyn, who growled quietly out of sight of the others.

“If you didn’t like it, you should’ve moved faster.”

The destination, of course, was the royal palace, which was not far away.