– Plan modification. Show Prince Irena extreme power and pretend to be dead to the Death Knight King. We will make Princess Irena the Queen and Saintess with this plan.
Celia’s order was simple.
Necros handed the paper with the order to the Death Knight King.
The Death Knight King confirmed the order and slowly walked out.
It was time to unleash the power he had no choice but to hide.
At that moment, the surrounding atmosphere changed.
“……”
Red clouds formed in the sky.
Lightning flashed between the red clouds, emitting thunderous roars.
Soon, black lightning struck the ground.
The black lightning hit the Death Knight King.
At the same time, a massive dark energy enveloped the obsidian armor. A helmet with pointed horns was visible, and below it, black eyes emitting a red radiance.
The dark energy did not stop there.
Soon, the energy gathered behind his back and unfolded into giant wings.
If a demon just stepped out of hell, wouldn’t it look like this?
Those who saw the Death Knight King’s appearance began to tremble.
“This… is unbelievable…”
Vice Captain Celia could only express her amazement at the scene.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Her heart pounded as if it would explode.
The Paladins who survived the monster’s attack earlier also looked terrified and could barely stand.
They could only hold their swords with trembling hands, relying on each other.
There was nothing they could do here.
Princess Irena’s Knight Order was in the same situation.
They exchanged glances with pale faces and backed away. Someone’s sword and shield clattered to the ground, but they didn’t even have the courage to pick them up.
Even the Paladins of the Church of Evil Extermination were terrified, and the knights were no different.
The fear of death crushed their bodies.
But among humans, only Princess Irena was an exception.
Princess Irena glanced back.
Her eyes fell on the citizens who followed the Knight Order.
But now, everyone was focused on that monstrous appearance. It was clear that they couldn’t even think of escaping in the face of overwhelming fear.
In contrast, Princess Irena’s face remained calm.
This was because she had been informed of the current situation.
Shadows had approached Princess Irena just moments before. While everyone was distracted by the monster, no one paid attention to the princess and the shadow.
The shadow secretly delivered a note to the princess.
The note contained Celia’s words.
The princess’s eyes widened as she quickly read the note.
‘You really summoned a 7-star being…’
The note contained information that the being in front of them was 7-star and its name was Death Knight King.
Princess Irena was genuinely impressed.
She especially paid homage to the great being that Celia always spoke of.
‘Such immense power…’
This was something no nation could do, nor could anyone in the Demonic Realm ever approach. It was overwhelming power.
Irena wanted power.
Wasn’t that why she made a contract with Celia?
‘How powerful is that being?’
Even she couldn’t figure out how powerful the opponent was.
It was truly boundless power.
Princess Irena felt intense excitement at the fact that such a being was helping her.
It was when she was young, before entering the royal family.
Irena, just an ordinary girl, saw a play on the street.
The play showed the love story of a prince and a princess, and how her heart raced.
Like a girl watching a theatrical love story, Irena gazed at the Death Knight King.
The love story in the play was fiction, but what she was witnessing now was all reality.
‘I can’t believe you’ll help me this much.’
Princess Irena had already gained recognition through Arch Lich and Durahan.
When monsters approached Princess Irena, the Knight Order led by her and Maru would eliminate them.
Everything was a pre-arranged script, so victory was always Irena’s.
The citizens, seeing Princess Irena win, cheered her name.
Even up to this point, she had received enough help.
With this level of recognition, she could get closer to the throne somehow.
But it seemed others didn’t see it that way.
‘You want a more definitive situation. Celia.’
That’s why she even brought out the 7-star card.
This was the privilege of the powerful.
The privilege to shape situations in the desired direction.
Princess Irena led her horse and stepped forward in front of the knights.
* * *
“Princess, no! It’s too dangerous!”
Lennon, as her escort knight, tried to hold Irena back, but his resolve could not be broken.
“It’s alright, Sir Lennon.”
Princess Irena reassured Lennon.
“We can do it.”
And she spoke of hope.
Princess Irena, clad in silver armor and leading a white horse, advanced.
At the same time, Maru, following closely behind her, came into Lennon’s sight.
‘Why are you so confident…’
Lennon couldn’t understand.
That being was a monster that they couldn’t possibly face with their current strength.
Would all the nations of the continent, joining hands, be able to capture it?
Fighting the monster with the current forces would only lead to a futile death.
They would surely die.
Yet, Lennon conflicted.
‘Am I… only capable of this much?’
Lennon looked at the back of Princess Irena, who was confidently moving forward.
He saw the princess moving forward without hesitation, and Sir Maru following her with trust.
‘Sir Maru is simply here to help the Princess.’
Even though he had been a Paladin once, Sir Maru was fearlessly stepping forward.
It was a different scene from the terrified Paladins beside him.
‘Is that courage?’
No, this was not born of mere courage.
It was the duty and salvation that came only from those who sought to save humanity.
Lennon clenched his fist.
“Princess! I will join you too!”
And he rushed forward.
He didn’t know what consequences this choice would bring.
It might end in a futile death.
Nevertheless, he made up his mind.
He became a knight as a commoner, but he faced all sorts of discrimination.
Even when he became the princess’s escort knight, the discrimination did not disappear. But Princess Irena was different.
‘I will surely repay the grace the Princess bestowed upon me!’
He would protect the princess, even at the cost of his life.
That was Lennon’s mission.
Princess Irena led the way, followed by Maru and Lennon.
Then, the knights, whose morale had hit rock bottom, raised their heads again.
The situation had been unfolding too easily until now.
The knights, who had let their guard down after repeatedly facing the 5-star Arch Lich.
But with the appearance of an overwhelming being, everyone lowered their heads.
It was frightening.
Some were even tempted to run away.
But look at Princess Irena leading the way.
If even the princess bravely stepped forward, what were they, knights, doing?
Especially the Royal Knight Order.
“R-, right! We still have hope!”
One of the knights exclaimed.
‘Hope.’
Yes, if they retreated here, the Sail Kingdom would perish anyway.
Why did they become knights?
To protect royalty?
No.
Then, to protect the royal family?
No.
Though it might seem so in a narrow sense, that was not the absolute goal and purpose of a knight.
To protect the kingdom.
The happy memories with family.
The days they wielded swords, building friendships with comrades.
They drew their swords to protect the current memories and future daily lives, and swore eternal loyalty.
It wasn’t that there was no hope.
If there was even a sliver of hope, they would act!
The knights picked up the swords and shields that had fallen to the ground.
They were no longer shouting about chivalry, whose memory had faded.
Did not their lord, the princess, take the initiative to protect the kingdom?
Now was the time to show their knightly oath.
* * *
The knights also advanced, their swords raised high in the sky.
The mages began to chant spells.
The bewildered citizens also picked up anything that could be a weapon and followed.
Princess Irena’s fearless actions inspired hope in everyone.
Thump-
Thump-
At that moment, the Death Knight King took a step forward. Each step made the ground tremble.
The surrounding buildings also collapsed as if trembling in fear.
The dust emitted from the collapsing buildings half-obscured the Death Knight King’s appearance.
【Hahahaha! I am death. I am despair. I am the King of Death who will bring you death!】
The monstrous voice heard at that moment made everyone tremble.
Of course, it was not the Death Knight King’s true voice.
Betta, behind the Death Knight King, was speaking in his stead.
As a master of disguise, his acting skills were also superb.
The Death Knight King only unleashed his power as commanded. From now on, Betta would deliver the lines.
【Heh heh heh… Humans, less than ants, struggle to survive! Come! Princess Irena!】
Upon hearing Betta’s lines, Necros turned his head.
Why did the monster that just appeared know Princess Irena?
But the words had already been spoken. Necros simply recorded it in his notebook.
– Plot coherence broken. Betta is getting absorbed in his acting.
However, people did not care.
They only watched Princess Irena bravely advance towards the Death Knight King.
“Princess Irena…”
There was someone who paid more attention to Princess Irena than anyone else.
It was Vice Captain Liana.
She had trembled with fear, as had the Paladins, and even herself.
But the princess’s actions were fearless.
That confident demeanor had a butterfly effect, inspiring hope in people.
‘Shameful.’
Vice Captain Liana felt ashamed for the first time in her life.
She had lived with pride in belonging to the Knight Order.
The Knight Order was her, and she was the Knight Order itself.
To that extent, the Knight Order was a source of pride for Liana.
But now, she was not proud.
Rather, she felt ashamed.
Even an ordinary princess acted like this, so what was she doing?
Even now, Princess Irena was confidently approaching the monster.
‘He called himself the King of Death, didn’t he?’
She would report all the events that happened here to the Church.
And she would have to report about Princess Irena as well.
“I don’t know if we can survive…”
Vice Captain Liana also picked up the sword she had dropped.
It was the Church’s sword, different from an ordinary one.
It was a so-called supply-grade Holy Sword issued by the Church upon becoming a Paladin.
If she gave up here, she would not be worthy to wield this sword.
Vice Captain Liana also stood up.
And she shouted.
“Believe in the Goddess’s light!”
Vice Captain Liana’s voice echoed.
At the vice captain’s words, the Paladins slowly regained their senses.
Although they had lost comrades due to the monster called the King of Death, they couldn’t just stand by.
If they did nothing here, it would be an insult to their fallen comrades.
Vice Captain Liana clasped her hands together.
“Goddess of Light, may your benevolent light descend upon this land stained with sin.”
As she prayed, a light appeared in Liana’s hands.
“Dispel the darkness with truth, defeating evil. Give us hope. Guide us!”
Vice Captain Liana’s power, a wide-area buff.
When the prayer ended, a dazzling light poured down from the sky. It was as if the sky itself had opened through the red clouds.
In the light pouring from the sky, one figure stood out particularly in Liana’s eyes.
It was Princess Irena.
The princess displayed a resolute will, moving forward even in despair.
‘Perhaps true hope lies there.’
Such a thought briefly crossed Liana’s mind.
