Betrayal Knight's Joyful Faith

Chapter 466

‘Light’, sitting alone in the huge theater, looked down at the stage with an expressionless face.“Hmm…”

His pure white fingertips stroked His shining blond hair.

This was really unexpected.

“So, you mean you’d rather break than bow your head.”

Luce’s soliloquy echoed throughout the empty theater.

Luce slowly retraced the scenario that had unfolded so far.

It was clearly him who brought him here.

Was it Lee Soo-hyun or Arendt von Eckhart?

Now, the name didn’t really matter. What mattered was the role the child played in this world he described as a stage.

“It must have been this body that assigned the role…”

It certainly was that way at first. But at some point, something started to go terribly wrong…

A lot of things began to change.

‘That’s unlikely, though.’

He wondered if there was any part where He made a mistake in judgment.

‘No.’

He had always chosen the best option. So, the situation now beyond His control could only be attributed to that impulsive child.

“Ha ha ha…”

Luce burst into a light laugh.

“That’s quite presumptuous of you.”

He just wanted to have a little fun. But that arrogant brat wasn’t satisfied with tearing up the script; he was even trying to destroy the rules that centered around the Caerleon Empire.

“So arrogant… so incredibly arrogant.”

Luce couldn’t help but feel somewhat displeased by the developments He didn’t like.

Judging by the way he made a mess of the stage, it seems that simply choosing a hero wasn’t enough.

Moreover, even Nereid, who had remained silent for a long time, began to take his side and move.

A hint of displeasure was evident from the fingertips that stroked his hair.

There was no denying it.

Until now, it had been only a small sign, but it was a significant change in a world that had been quiet since the Great War.

A stone was thrown onto the surface of the water, which had been quiet for quite some time by human standards.

‘Should I just clean it up now?’

Luce rested His chin on His hand and thought. But He couldn’t.

It was not difficult to dismiss Arendt von Eckhart from the stage, but he was like a wedge in the new world that was being written.

Chernion was desperately trying to reclaim the world he had previously failed, so eliminating him would undoubtedly turn the tables in an instant.

‘Besides, Chernion’s Saintess inherited the memories of the fragments.’

The moment there was even the slightest weakness in the hero’s side, irreversible events would occur.

‘It’s too early to start over again…’

It was too dangerous. The world was already in tatters. Any further pressure on the current situation could shatter it.

If that happened, even the gods would fail to carry on their legacy.

The moment that thought crossed His mind, His fingers, tangled with golden hair, stopped moving.

“It seems I lost the bet with that newbie, brother.”

A nasty, scraping sound, like the scraping of iron, was heard. Luce rolled his eyes and looked in that direction.

A strange being, seemingly made of the abyss, was looking towards the stage from the audience.

The appearance that rippled from time to time seemed to resemble Luce’s at first glance, but then it would return to its original ugly darkness, repeating it over again.

The only thing that could be recognized was a pair of eyes that were meaninglessly sucking in the darkness, as the facial features were not even properly defined.

“You have been betrayed by heroes, and even the most insignificant creatures have begun to turn away from you…”

A strange voice laughed.

“Nothing lasts forever, brother. You tried so hard to deny it, but now you’re experiencing it for yourself.”

“To speak so boldly looking like that…”

The corners of Luce’s mouth curved slightly.

“I’ve never failed, brother. Unfortunately.”

Of course, Laius’ betrayal was unexpected.

“Nothing is over yet.”

Not being able to personally deal with the fools who turned their backs on him, including Arendt, of course, didn’t sit well with him.

If He punished them right now to appease His spirit, the frightened creatures might desert His side.

However…

“Most people know very well how precious the kindness I’ve shown them has been.”

Everything that humans had enjoyed until now had belonged to Him.

“A child is muddying the water, but most people know who their master is…”

Surely everything will turn out the way He wants it to.

Even if Nereid interferes, there’s not much She can do with Her weak power alone.

“Brother, watch with those ugly eyes until the very end. Watch as you lose for the second time.”

Luce spoke, feigning amusement.

The Darkness, Chernion, did not answer.

Far from showing any displeasure, He didn’t even laugh.

He remained silent, staring intently at the other side of the stage, as if there was something very interesting there.

It seemed like He no longer cared about His own twin.

“…”

After a long silence, Chernion spoke again.

“Brother. You didn’t seem to notice, so I’ll tell you myself.”

“What?”

“Your light…”

Chernion, still staring at the stage, added:

“Your light is gradually fading, like the waning glow of a late afternoon sun.”

Luce didn’t respond for a while, apparently not understanding what Chernion was saying.

A beat later, Luce’s brow furrowed.

Looking over the letter that had just arrived, Kendrick sighed slowly.

“So it’s come to this in the end…”

Several sheets of paper contained the Temple’s official statement regarding the events in the imperial palace, along with the full account of what Laius and Arendt had revealed during the meeting.

‘I cannot dispute the decision of His Highness the Crown Prince and His Majesty.’

Kendrick, too, had encountered the evidence Arendt brought.

He had personally verified that they were all valid and could not be ignored.

And he was well aware that Laius and Cantares were listening to the reckless apprentice knight.

‘But…’

As an elder, he had kept his feelings to himself in front of the younger generation, but he could not help but be overcome by anguish at every moment.

Because he had been loyal to God Luce and the imperial family his entire life.

‘It feels like the world has been split in two.’

He felt like a child who had to choose between two parents.

And now, Kendrick also felt like a father who lost a child.

“Phew.”

Kendrick put down the letter and turned his gaze back to the papers he had turned his attention away from for a moment.

It was already late, and the only light on the desk was a flickering candle.

It was a document that had to be completed by morning, but Kendrick had only written the first few words.

The fallen soldier was Benjamin Parviz, the youngest knight of the First Order.

From this point forward, Kendrick, as the captain, was tasked with inscribing Benjamin’s name on the official notice and drafting the letter to inform others of the loss.

But even now, with the ink on the topmost page fully dried, Kendrick still hesitated.

Kendrick, furrowing his brow, picked up his pen again.

‘This too is a fate that the living must bear.’

But who, truly, could offer comfort to a young knight fallen on the battlefield?

The world had become one where even heroes denied God.

At that time, .

Someone knocked cautiously on the door.

“…Come in.”

As he answered without even checking who it was, the young knight cautiously entered the room.

It was Luke von Franz of the First Knights.

“Sorry to bother you at this late hour, Captain.”

Even in the darkness, his eyes were reddened. He had just come from mourning the death of a junior who had just finished his apprenticeship.

Kendrick had no choice but to put down his pen again.

“If it’s the news from the palace, I’ve heard it too.”

“…This is ridiculous.”

Luke let out a sentence he had been holding back.

Showing up out of the blue and blurt­ing out something like this to the captain was certainly deserving of a scolding.

But instead of scolding him, Kendrick just stayed silent.

Luke knew well that what he was about to say were things he couldn’t bring himself to say in front of his grief-stricken juniors.

“Sir Arendt, the apprentice knight, is known for his irreverence, so that’s understandable. But shouldn’t Captain Laius be above that?”

Luke’s eyes began to redden once again.

“Then what are we fighting here? We risked our lives to protect the glory of Lord Luce and the Empire.”

“…”

Kendrick still didn’t answer. Luke took a step toward him.

“Benjamin said the same before setting out. He wasn’t afraid of death if it was for Lord Luce and the Empire. But Captain Laius, the hero, said that?”

A deep sense of betrayal began to seep into the young knight’s voice. After a brief silence, Kendrick asked.

“Do the other guys think the same?”

“…No one is saying anything.”

He couldn’t even bring himself to speak. The moment he uttered a single word, it felt as though the emotions he had been holding back so tightly would burst forth.

Luke continued to speak haltingly.

“Did Captain Laius make that judgment because he owed his life to Sir Arendt?”

“No, he’s not that kind of person. As you’ve seen and heard, the evidence presented by Sir Arendt was quite convincing, and Captain Laius made his judgment based on what he, as a hero, has experienced.”

At Kendrick’s firm answer, Luke asked again.

“Then what do you think, Captain?”

“…”

Kendrick, who was about to say something, closed his mouth.

A brief silence fell in the room. Luke urged his captain, his eyes reddening.

“Do you agree with Sir Arendt’s opinion, Captain? Like Captain Laius, who was excommunicated from the temple?”

“…”

Kendrick remained silent for a while longer.

.

It sounded quite forceful.

But in reality, it wasn’t that important to Laius or the Third Knights.

‘Because Lexion is here.’

With the dragon right beside them, the Third Knight Order had hardly received any support from the temple lately.

High Priest Lumiel must have known this fact well and made that decision.

Aside from being the target of criticism, the Third Knights would not suffer any real disadvantages.

‘No. Maybe…’

Rather, it could have been Lumiel who gave Arendt a push.

Thanks to the High Priest’s declaration, Arendt’s claims likely spread not only throughout the entire Empire but also to allied nations.

‘Perhaps it was a sign to leave behind the shackles of the temple and finally soar freely.’

Starting with Arendt, the Third Knights were slowly moving away from the temple.

‘Perhaps the same applies to the imperial family.’

The very person responsible for the terror caused by this absurd situation was imagined right before Kendrick’s eyes.

‘Which one is right…?’

If Luce was justice, then Laius would be a traitor.

But if Luce was truly evil, then they would be heroes in the true sense of the word.

As he pondered this meaningless weighing, he remembered something the reckless apprentice knight had once said.

‘Didn’t he say that the world cannot simply be divided into good and evil?’

He never expected that he would personally demonstrate it in this way.

The sight of his subordinate looking at him with anxiety made him feel a bit bitter.