Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen: The Knight and the Hero

I nearly stumbled as I ran to Allen’s house.

Like other houses, Allen’s home had also crumbled into ruins amidst the earth-shaking tremors, reduced to piles of stones and logs.

In front of the dilapidated house, a few people stood scattered, their expressions mostly grim or sorrowful. They were gathered together, talking. A few others lay on the side, though covered in blood and dirt, their chests still rose and fell slowly, suggesting they were still alive.

I saw Alia and Barry among the crowd. Though dirty all over, they seemed unharmed and quite healthy.

“……Ha—”

I sighed with relief, my heart finally dropping from where it had been hanging high. My legs felt weak, almost unable to support me.

I was afraid they might be like Uncle Doyle, buried under the rubble forever, never to speak to me again.

“Alia, Barry!”

I shouted loudly at them.

Hearing my voice, both turned around with a mix of surprise and joy.

“Sister Hill, are you okay?!”

“Little Hill! Thank goodness!!”

Alia rushed over and hugged me tightly.

“You’re safe, really good… I was so scared… I was ready to look for you…”

Alia buried her head in my neck, breathing deeply as usual.

Hmm, it’s the scent of lilacs. And after sweating, the fragrance becomes more intense, refreshing…

Alia rubbed her head against my neck repeatedly.

“……Alia, we need to go quickly!”

At this moment, I wasn’t aware of Alia’s thoughts; all I could think about was the monster about to emerge from the abyss. No one knew how terrifying it truly was.

That was the real calamity. Now wasn’t the time to express joy. Before it arrived, I had to get as many people away as possible.

At least, I needed Alia and Barry to leave, to meet up with grandma at the neighboring town. It should have been less affected, at least for now.

Only then could I take a chance.

“……What’s wrong, Little Hill?”

Alia seemed puzzled.

“Quickly, leave the village. There’s a monster coming!”

I shouted loudly at the bewildered people.

“……Monster?”

Alia, Barry, Allen, and the people around them all wore expressions of confusion.

“Little Hill… what has happened to our home, why do you have a scythe?”

Barry looked at me, holding the large scythe, somewhat confused.

“Everyone, let’s go quickly! Alia, lead everyone away!!”

I was anxious, looking at Alia, hoping she would believe me and lead everyone away quickly.

Alia sensed my urgency but couldn’t understand my meaning, hesitating momentarily. If everyone left, wouldn’t those still alive under the rubble be doomed?

“Sister Hill, uh…” Allen, who didn’t know me well, seemed shy facing me, scratching his slightly red cheek, “I think we should try to save as many people as possible. Why leave?”

“There’s a monster! It’s coming soon!!”

At that moment, I deeply regretted my inability to express myself clearly. If only I could convey what was in my heart.

“Monster? What kind of monster?!”

Hearing my words, everyone looked uncertain.

“Little Hill, what exactly happened? Why are we running away? So many people are still buried under the rubble!!”

Alia looked at me in disbelief, her eyes wide open.

What should I do…

I remained silent.

The familiar sense of familiarity grew stronger; I knew they had emerged from the mud of the abyss.

How could I make these people listen to me?

……Right, the cloak! Maybe the cloak could help!

I tore off the cloak and held it up in front of them.

“Now, I, Sylvie, Lapis Hermes, command you in the name of the Holy Church, to evacuate the village immediately! No mistakes!!”

The Holy Church held a significant position in this world. I was well aware of this, thus declaring it with a stern demeanor. Although I tried to appear authoritative, my heart was actually quite nervous.

There was a moment of shock and hesitation among the crowd.

“Little Hill, you…” Alia looked at me with a complex expression.

“I, Sylvie, Lapis

Sihemus was the highest executor of the Sacred Church. “Do you wish to defy the Church’s orders?” This, of course, was fabricated by me. I doubted the existence of such a title as the highest executor of the Sacred Church, but there truly seemed to be no other way.

This is the cloak of the Bearded Swordsman. Such a fierce human being should hold a high position in the Sacred Church. The complex patterns on the back of the cloak must have some special meaning.

“This… This… This is the emblem of a Papal Knight!!! I know! It’s the great Papal Knight!”

After a brief silence, someone in the crowd recognized the patterns on the cloak. This statement shocked everyone.

“Papal Knight?!”

“Little Syl, is she a Papal Knight?!!”

“The Papal Knight is a hero of mankind!!!”

Alya and Barry were bewildered at this moment.

They knew this was the cloak Little Syl wore when she came, and they had noticed the patterns on it long ago.

But they never gave much thought to it. This tattered cloak hanging at home, with patterns that looked like flowers wrapped in strange textures, held profound meanings they couldn’t fathom.

Though they didn’t recognize the pattern, they knew about the Papal Knight.

Was there anyone in this world who didn’t know about the Papal Knight? No one.

That was completely different from the Church Knights. The Papal Knight was a title reserved for the peak of humanity, obedient only to the Pope. They were the most mysterious and powerful heroes, slayers of all evil.

They were beings they could never reach.

Little Syl, that seemingly fragile girl, who struggled with farm work and needed their care.

The Papal Knight of the Sacred Church?!

A hero of mankind?!!

How could that be?

Both Barry and Alya, facing such absurdity, harbored varying degrees of doubt.

It was simply unbelievable.

This girl they lived with every day was actually the Papal Knight?!!

What a joke.

“Little Syl… What kind of joke is this…”

Alya’s lips trembled slightly, her expression one of disbelief.

“Syl sister…”

Unlike Alya, after the initial shock, Barry began to believe it with some reflection.

Although it was indeed incredible.

But that cloak was indeed worn by Syl sister. He had known from the start that Syl sister’s identity was not simple; she was at least a relative of a great noble.

He even fantasized that Syl sister was a princess from a fallen kingdom who, by chance, ended up in this small village, gradually moved by his sincerity, and would eventually marry him, a poor boy.

But he never imagined that Syl sister’s identity was so extraordinary.

She was, the Papal Knight of the Sacred Church!!!

She was a hero of all humanity, the hero he admired even in his dreams.

…………

Papal Knight? What on earth is that?

I was filled with questions, having no idea what a Papal Knight was or how impressive it was.

… Well, judging by their reactions, it must be incredibly powerful.

So I immediately followed their lead.

“Yes, I command you under the name of the Papal Knight, to leave this area immediately.”

There was no time left.

The aura nearby was getting closer and denser.

“Little Syl… Sir, has something serious happened? Do we really not need to save anyone?”

“Monsters are coming. Evacuate immediately.”

I said with an unshakeable tone.

“Little Syl…”

Alya wanted to say more.

“Go now!!”

I glared fiercely, trying to overwhelm them with my presence.

But unfortunately, my appearance was too gentle. Even if I made a fierce face, in everyone’s eyes, it could only be… cute?

Damn it, that Bearded Swordsman usually followed me closely, yet he was nowhere to be seen at this critical moment.

“Alya, Barry. Take as many people as possible and leave here.”

“What about you…”

Alya said worriedly.

“I… I’ll go save the others.”

The large scythe danced in the air, its silver light slicing through the air.

“Clang—”

The scythe pointed downward, the cloak flipping back her long hair.

Turn around, step forward, move on.

Come on, let’s fight.