Hero's Coffin Chapter 72

Chapter 72

"This is why uneducated ones are..."

What kind of rock bottom of humanity was this?

As he raised his head in bewilderment, he saw a group of people behind the man in a white uniform.

Numbering about ten, they had arrived later than the assembly time but were quite brazenly complaining to the servant, saying, "Is this where you're guiding us?" They seemed uncomfortable with the idea of precious beings like themselves waiting with ordinary mercenaries.

All of them were dressed in uniforms, looking more like knights than ordinary mercenaries. They must have been quite famous, as the servants were flustered before them, and the atmosphere in the backyard was greatly stirred.

"What? Did Sidon really come?"

"I heard the lord was serious about this subjugation, but...!"

Sidon. Somehow that name felt familiar, and as the memory flashed in his mind like lightning, he barely held back his shock. He had completely forgotten it since hearing it so long ago, but it was definitely...

'The Commander of the Holy Order of Sidon, which protects the Holy Empire of Solares, and the First Sword of the Order.'

It was in the introduction when he first met Harenir. In other words, Sidon was the name of the Holy Knight Order.

Gasp, he hurriedly pulled his robe's hood down deeper. Just then, as Harenir approached, thinking it was a warning that he should quickly distance himself from them, he quickly stood up. However, only after standing did he realize a hand had been extended in front of him.

...Had he been trying to help him up? As he looked down at the hand awkwardly, the holy knight who had collided with him sneered.

"Such touching camaraderie."

"A black robe, are you perhaps trying to imitate 'that guy' in front of us?"

Not just him, but those standing behind also threw out comments as if his presence bothered them. In fact, if they were only mocking him, he would have been immune to it and wouldn't have cared, but it seemed they were about to mention an incredibly significant being, making him break out in a cold sweat.

S-stop! He sent an urgent message inwardly, but the deed was inevitably done.

"These nobodies always cover themselves in robes and get drunk on their own atmosphere, tsk."

"The guy next to him is carrying two swords? Usually, those who can't even use one sword properly go around like that."

At the scene of these outrageous remarks, Kalterik quietly ground out "The discipline of these bastards..." from the other side, and tension could be seen in Mela's jaw. Noi trembled all over as if shocked.

And Harenir... he just smiled gently.

He felt a chill at the sight of the light red lips curving into a smile under the hood. Ah, was it the lives of those holy knights he should have been worried about, not the possibility of his companions being discovered?

He just rolled his eyes. He had thought all holy knights were kind and righteous, but was that not always the case? Of course, thinking of the three holy knights with him, he would have to reconsider the adjective 'kind', but at least they wouldn't pick fights with random people they bumped into on the street.

No matter how much he was wearing a black robe, the holy knights' attitude seemed closer to bullying an easy target rather than 'antipathy towards Isaph'. Moreover, hadn't they been displeased earlier, saying how dare they place precious talents like themselves in the same place as mercenaries?

No one among those gathered in the backyard could stop them. Considering the sacrifice of the previous Holy Knight Commander and the title given to the current Holy Knight Commander, Sidon's authority must be sky-high, which might be why they were so arrogant.

Although they were misbehaving in front of the very being who had established that authority, Harenir just shrugged his shoulders once and was about to retreat, perhaps exercising the hero's mercy. He gestured with his eyes for him to go back too.

But unfortunately, the holy knights threw out their last lifeline.

"Are you ignoring us now?"

"How dare mere mercenaries..."

Whoosh! One tried to grab Harenir's arm, and another approached him threateningly. Harenir murmured quietly, "It would be better not to cause unnecessary commotion..." His tone was rather regretful.

Of course, these holy knights' approach was not allowed in the slightest.

"Hand."

"These guys..."

Mela tightly twisted the holy knight's wrist, and Kalterik stepped in front of the other holy knight, blocking him. Though he just stood in front of him, the intimidation from the difference in size made the other flinch. The one caught by Mela tried to pull his hand away, but unable to escape at all, his wrist gradually turned blue.

They had approached instantly from a distance, and confusion settled on the holy knights' faces as if they hadn't even sensed them approaching. Noi, also quite surprised by this situation, shouted loudly.

"W-why are you doing this! Holy knights should maintain their dignity..."

It was an exclamation full of shock at the fact that they had tried to touch Harenir, and bewilderment towards them flaunting the authority of holy knights in a space where many people were gathered.

The tension in the space instantly became taut.

Everyone in the backyard was looking this way. The holy knights were indignant, as if unable to believe they had been subdued by mere mercenaries, and thinking they shouldn't be pushed back in front of so many gazes, they slowly moved their hands to their sword hilts.

And Kalterik and Mela, united in their loyalty to Harenir, seemed like they absolutely wouldn't let this insubordination slide. It was a situation on the brink of a fight breaking out at any moment.

Just then, one holy knight suddenly tilted his head.

"Wait, that small one's voice sounds somehow familiar..."

The outburst Noi had impulsively let out earlier seemed to sound familiar to the knights. His voice was particularly clear, making it hard to forget once heard.

At this, Kalterik inhaled sharply and covered his mouth with one hand. He was probably worried they might have recognized his voice too, but that action ended up drawing attention instead. He was always a bear clumsy at acting.

He inwardly sighed at the situation taking a strange turn. He didn't know what the hierarchy in the Holy Knight Order was like, but there was nothing good about them clashing among themselves and drawing attention. Harenir must have judged the same and tried to let it go, but now it was too late to quietly retreat.

After wracking his brains, he closed his eyes tightly at the solution he came up with. He really didn't want to do it, but this was the only way.

"Stop it."

He stepped forward one step, speaking as calmly as possible.

"Don't worry. The seal on my arm won't break from a mere clash like this."

"...?"

"That dark and dangerous guy won't rampage, so everyone, lower your guard now."

He deliberately raised his left arm and shook it slightly. There was no need to even intend it. In fact, just spouting such words was so shameful that his whole body trembled. He gripped that arm with his right hand and even let out an "Ugh" sound.

His companions all turned to look at him with puzzled faces. It was a gaze that said 'What strange act is this all of a sudden?', and Noi asked dazedly.

"Isa-, no, Saiph? What are you talking about..."

"I said stop. This body is fine."

His mind wasn't fine, but fortunately, the act shone. It was a great help that Noi had called him by his alias 'Saiph'.

In an instant, the holy knights' faces changed to disgruntled looks.

"Ah..."

"So they were that kind of guys..."

"Saiph, huh, I've heard there are guys who take that kind of play seriously."

They had already been mocked for imitating 'that guy' just by their attire, but now that he was actually displaying that he was drunk on that sentiment, their reaction was one of disgust. No matter how much they might mock the darkness of darkness, the black dragon of the left arm, they lose even the energy to respond in front of the 「real thing」!

And along with it, he lost his dignity.

"..."

The holy knights left, avoiding his vicinity by a wide margin. They moved away as if not wanting to touch him, and all the gazes of the mercenaries that had been focused here scattered.

But sadly, all his companions were just staring at him. He had tried to smooth things over since he had bumped into them while stepping back, but he felt miserable that this was all his brain could come up with as a solution. Unfortunately, it was a method proven effective since he had silenced his companions with such sentiment-drunk answers before.

Harenir spoke as if sighing.

"Really... I can't figure you out."

Kalterik was still letting out strange "Huh, huh" breaths as if the shock from earlier hadn't faded, Mela sighed in a subtle way, and Noi was scratching his arm vigorously. He tried to make the best defense he could.

"...They wouldn't know my voice, right?"