Chapter 51: Human Hearts

The Cathedral of the Lady of the Lake in Bretonnia.

This source of Bretonnian faith always maintains a considerable number of Fairies, and even in these current times of resisting the Green Tide, there are several Fairies in this cathedral responsible for its upkeep.

Pale green Winds of Magic, full of vitality, swirl above the cathedral, representing the sanctity of the Goddess. The candle flames that never extinguish inside the cathedral represent the light of the Goddess. The interior hall, reaching tens of meters in height, and the magical paintings floating on the ceiling depicting the founding of Bretonnia, all represent the sanctity of this area.

And most importantly, there is the sculpture of the Lady of the Lake inside the cathedral, spreading her hands and looking at her people with a loving expression.

This beautiful, gentle, compassionate, and chaste Lady could not bear to see Bretonnia fall into endless civil war and strife, so she walked out from the lake water and anointed the first Knight King.

Her sculpture looks forever holy and beautiful, as if no filth or words could stain it in the slightest. And beneath that statue, tens of meters high, any Knight can sincerely feel that the Goddess's equal gaze does not see them, but rather sees the thousands of subjects of Bretonnia.

Even many Knights who once fled from honor and conviction will choose to fulfill their convictions with their lives under the gentle gaze of the sculpture.

This is the root of Bretonnia, the source of the Knights' faith.

Today, all the Great Knights have answered the Goddess's call, choosing to head to the Badlands with the Fairies to resist the terrifying Green Tide.

That must be a truly great battlefield. The roars and sounds of slaughter shaking the heavens tremble the entire earth; the Winds of Magic cannot even cause any interference. The brilliance of the human spirit and pure malice are dueling on a distant land.

The iron Knights charge toward the massive giants on the vast plains. That roar and light, which almost shook the heavens and the earth, is a scene that everyone who participated in the Green Tide can never forget, a scene forever etched in their hearts. And anyone who has turned their back on this scene must have already lost their heart.

At the headquarters of the Bretonnian Chivalrous Expedition Fleet, Knight Captain Gede is kneeling beneath the Goddess's statue, whispering a prayer for his future.

"Oh Goddess, please forgive my sins."

"Oh Goddess, please pardon my disloyalty."

"I was once taken away from that great battlefield due to poor control of my warhorse. At the very peak of the battle against the Green Tide, my warhorse was startled and carried me away from that scorching hot land; I feel deep sin."

"My faith in the Goddess was unable to restrain a maddened warhorse; I could only kill it and then return to the battlefield. But by then, the war had already ended. I participated in the great war against the Green Tide, yet I alone did not receive honor, only broken scars."

"I swear that I will serve as the commander of the Chivalrous Expedition and never surrender to the enemy."

"I swear that I will retrieve the glory of the Goddess, no matter what form that Holy Grail may take."

"Only the Goddess and Bretonnia have the right to possess the Holy Grail; no madman, no one, can possess that supreme honor."

"I will atone; I will lead the Knights of Bretonnia to bring about an opportunity for the Goddess to wash away her grievances. We will use our lives to take back the Goddess's holy relic."

"Please, Goddess, do not protect our existence, for we have long since lost our conviction."

"This is the campaign for us to reclaim our conviction."

The tall Knight knelt half-way before the sculpture and spoke his oath in a deep voice.

And as that heavy oath was continuously spoken, the magical aura emerging from the Knight's body also continuously weakened.

This brave Knight, who was once watched by the Goddess's gaze and blessed by the Fairies, has now voluntarily chosen to seal his own power. He intends to use his own life and blood to make amends for his sins.

Even though no one thinks he is guilty.

When the light on his body had completely receded, this tall Knight slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

Under the admiring gazes of many Fairies, the Knight who had taken the oath bowed gracefully to all the Fairies who witnessed this oath, and then walked out of the Goddess's church in full armor.

And in front of the church, on the streets of Bretonnia, a man who also looked very much like a Knight in his attire, but for some reason appeared exceptionally gorgeous and radiant, was smiling and greeting the citizens gathering around.

After Knight Gede walked nearby, this bright and beautiful-looking man waved his hand at the surroundings.

"Alright, enthusiastic citizens! We are a Chivalrous Expedition to make amends for our own sins, not cowards boasting on the streets. Now we are about to go and conquer the most terrible evil in this world, so please understand!"

"Lord Joshua! You must kill those beasts who blasphemed the Goddess!" "Lord Joshua will surely become a Great Knight of the next Green Tide!"

"We believe in Lord Joshua!"

Many citizens shouted their support and left the scene in a state of ecstasy. Only that beautiful—yes, now he could only be described as beautiful—man spread his hands with a look of helplessness and looked at Gede.

"You see, Great Knight Gede. I advised you not to bring me along to the Goddess's cathedral to pray. If I were to go in, not to mention what others might think, there would certainly be citizens disturbing the peace of the Fairies. That is why I had to wait for you here. Are you satisfied now?"

"……Hmph."

This flamboyant man possessed an unusual charm.

Knight Gede looked coldly at the man before him, at this man who claimed to have escaped from the Broken Lands and vowed to occupy the entire Broken Lands with a Chivalric Expedition, and felt only distrust and disgust in his heart.

Gede himself was a forced deserter; a true Knight, a Knight who had suffered so much, could not possibly show such a smile after fleeing his responsibilities. Rather, half a month ago, when he had just returned, that Knight who was like a frightened bird was more consistent with the situation.

But now, as the leader of the Bretonnian Expedition Fleet, Gede could not criticize the commander-in-chief of the entire Chivalrous Expeditionary Force.

He could only stubbornly reject Joshua's suggestions and form the expeditionary force with pure Atonement Knights.

Welcoming the Holy Grail was their inevitable duty; not pursuing it at the first opportunity was already their sin. Now, to even want mercenaries and mages as deputies was a disgrace among disgraces.

"Hey, Knight Gede."

Watching Knight Gede, who ignored him and walked toward the harbor without a word, Joshua called out from behind.

"I sincerely advise you, after arriving at the Broken Lands, do not believe what you see before your eyes. Although our plan is very perfect, please also note that we are a team, not a pure revenge fleet."

"……I know."

Gede stopped his steps, turned his head to look at the purple-eyed Knight, and said stiffly.

Meanwhile, on the border of the Chaos Ice Fields, at the edge of Stonehenge, a Knight wearing a sash sneezed.

"Achoo!"

"You can still catch a cold while protected by the Holy Grail?"

"Ah, no, I just suddenly thought of a question, my nose was a bit itchy."

The young Knight twitched his nose and looked at the huge construction site in front of him with some confusion.

This was the place where they once galloped on horseback and defeated the demon army. It contained rich elements of war and the concept of death, making it very suitable as a site for the Heavenly Fortress.

But with knowledge about Fairies turning in their minds, the younger boy Knights, who had not been interfered with too much by the Lady of the Lake, could not help but fantasize while working. They satisfied the wild imaginations they possessed at this age.

"No, tell me, what is the difference between a Fairy and a demon?"

"Don't know, maybe they look better at deceiving people?"

"Can you f*** them?"

"……?"

Brother, you are not right.

The people around looked strangely at the thoughtful boy, the expressions on their faces seeming somewhat awestruck.

(End of chapter)