Turning Chapter 1100

Chapter 1100

"Hello, Sir Knight. Could you perhaps help us?"

Kiolle, who had been planning to go straight home, stopped when he saw the women who suddenly approached and spoke to him. They all wore veils that half-covered their faces, attached to their hats, and despite being dressed simply, an undeniable elegance emanated from their bearing and manner of speech that couldn't be hidden.

Although he rarely did knightly deeds usually, Kiolle da Diarca was still a knight. A knight naturally had to be kind to ladies. Kiolle straightened his shoulders, repositioned himself so that the sword at his waist was clearly visible, and asked politely in a lowered voice.

"What is the matter, ladies?"

"We are those who have come out to do volunteer work accompanying a noblewoman. The thing is... the noblewoman's health has suddenly deteriorated, so we need someone strong who can help us finish the work quickly, but we lack the manpower on our own. If it's alright with you, could you lend us a small hand?"

Orr noble women had a tradition of occasionally going out to do anonymous volunteer work in the name of God. Of course, most ended with just donations, but those who were especially devout and service-minded often went out far in person. Therefore, the request of these ladies didn't feel particularly strange.

'Of course, I must have looked much more trustworthy than the guys scattered around this street!'

To be honest, he didn't know much about volunteer work because he had never done it before. But could he coldly refuse the request of delicate ladies?

Kiolle cleared his throat and then answered that he understood. The ladies were very grateful and led him to another street. Where they headed, there were an enormous number of barrels filled with chunks of pickled meat, mountains of bread piled up, and a noblewoman who had completely covered her face and hair with a veil much longer and darker than the other ladies.

"We've brought someone to help with the work. How fortunate that a splendid knight was passing by just then."

"Ah, hello. I've come to help for a moment."

The noblewoman looked at Kiolle. She paused for a moment, then raised her gloved hand to her chest and politely expressed her gratitude. It was a gesture far more elegant and flawless than the accompanying ladies.

Kiolle frowned with a strange sense of déjà vu as he watched the back of the noblewoman who retreated with the support of the ladies. Although she didn't say a word, making it unclear if her poor health was true, her way of walking and moving felt somehow familiar.

'Have I... seen this person somewhere before? It feels a bit familiar.'

But thinking about it, that wasn't strange either. As a child of House Diarca, he had seen people from high noble families to the point of nausea, whether he liked it or not.

'Well, the fact that she's familiar to me means she's undoubtedly a real noble, so it doesn't matter! Let's just finish this quickly and go!'

Kiolle stopped thinking further and followed the ladies' call.

The volunteer work the noblewoman had planned to do today was none other than distributing food to the poor. It was the most common and easiest form of volunteering, and as the ladies said, it was also work that required someone strong.

Kiolle began distributing bags filled with food to the poor commoners who quickly gathered. Although many of them had unpleasant odors, he couldn't show his dislike as usual because the ladies beside him kept praising him, saying he was doing well.

"As expected of a knight, you're really doing well."

"Ah... it's nothing."

"At this rate, we'll be able to finish quickly and leave! It's all thanks to you, Sir Knight. How can you be so strong?"

It was hard work, sweaty, and irritating, but with such sweet praise and people who recognized the results of his efforts, there was nothing he couldn't help with. Because he had been dealing with a lot of troublesome things lately anyway, Kiolle was inwardly very happy while pretending to be solemn on the outside.

So he ended up personally doing even the task of moving other people's luggage, which he normally would never have done, considering it work for porters.

"There, I'll move the empty barrels. Where should I take them?"

"Oh my... such a kind person. Thank you. If you go around that alley over there, you can stack them behind the noblewoman's carriage. It's a black carriage, so you should be able to find it quickly."

A lady who had been staggering trying to move the empty barrels left after distribution covered her mouth and thanked him gratefully. Kiolle lifted the box with a heave and headed to where she had indicated.

As he turned the corner into an empty alley, he indeed saw several identical boxes stacked behind a large black carriage.

'Since the noblewoman was said to be unwell, is she resting inside there?'

Thinking this, he was about to adjust the position of his hand holding the box and lift it again when suddenly—

"---!"

A dagger flew out of nowhere, barely grazing the side of Kiolle's head. If he hadn't paused for a moment to change his posture, it would have cleanly pierced the back of his head. He threw down the box and immediately drew his sword. As soon as he did, people with their entire bodies covered jumped down from the rooftops.

'Are they assassins targeting the noblewoman!'

Kiolle shouted loudly towards the carriage while deflecting the weapons flying at him.

"Attackers have appeared, please take cover! I'll somehow handle this side!"

He tried to shout coolly that he would somehow handle it, but his voice cracked as he dodged a weapon that flew at him just then.

'Damn it!'

Hoping the noblewoman hadn't heard, Kiolle continued swinging his sword. It was his first time dealing with irregular attacks that only aimed for vital points, so he was completely flustered. A sense of crisis welled up that he might die at any moment, but strangely, Kiolle dodged better than he thought he would.

Of course, this was thanks to his experience of being subjected to Yuder Aile's merciless use of ability several times, but Kiolle didn't think of it that way.

Following his instincts, he rolled on the ground and kicked off the wall to dodge, while shouting with all his might to buy even a little time for the noblewoman to escape.

"You fools! Do you know who I am?! I am the knight of Diarca, Kiolle da Diarca! If you harm me, my father will never...! Gack!"

At that moment, an assassin who had cut Kiolle's leg sneered at him as he rolled on the ground.

"Yes. That's why we came here well. You little rat."

'...What?'

We came here well? As he somehow rolled to avoid another attack plunging down towards his head, shock and questions filled Kiolle's mind.

'So, these guys didn't come to target the noblewoman, but...?'

"Get out of the way!"

-Bang!

Before that thought could finish, someone suddenly intervened between Kiolle and the assassins, swinging their hand. Because that person pushed Kiolle away mercilessly, Kiolle instantly rolled and flew a tremendous distance.

The back of his head hit something and it hurt terribly. He had lost his sword and was completely disoriented, clutching his head and groaning, when he heard the sound of human flesh bursting and bones breaking dozens of times in an instant from in front of him.

What on earth was going on? He was curious and scared and couldn't breathe well, but all he could see was some brown mass flashing here and there amidst the screams. As Kiolle was sniffling, someone approached, knelt beside him, and patted his head.

"Oh my. You're hurt. But well, it's better than dying, right? This much will heal quickly if you show it to a priest."

"How, how dare..."

In Kiolle's blurry vision as he turned his head, a woman with short brown hair appeared. Kiolle knew who she was. Although she was in civilian clothes, she was clearly...

'The Cavalry Deputy Commander... who was by Yuder Aile's side...'

"Sister Ever! Have you finished cleaning up now? This side is fine! You can tell Her Majesty the Empress that she can come out of the carriage now..."

Who did they say was in the carriage?

Her Majesty the Empress?

Not a noblewoman from an aristocratic family?

Kiolle lost consciousness after thinking that far.

When he opened his eyes, he was in a guest bedroom in the imperial palace.

"...Is this... the imperial palace?"

As he muttered blankly in a hoarse voice, the priest beside him nodded with a grin.

"That's right, Sir Diarca. Because you bravely came forward to save Her Majesty the Empress from an ambush while she was doing volunteer work, His Majesty ordered that treatment be provided here as a token of gratitude."

"...I did? That?"

"Yes. Don't you remember?"

Kiolle's mind suddenly became dizzy and confused.

'The last words I heard... weren't a dream?'

The last moment he remembered. The Cavalry's Deputy Commander had mentioned the Empress. He had thought it was nonsense, but was it really true?

'Something... something is wrong!'