The Death Knight Became an Escort Knight for the Saintess

7. The Death Knight and the Saint’s Determination

7.

“…… How did you live on Mount Ethelbeyer? It’s a difficult place to see that there is plenty to eat.”

It was about half a day after I left Sharcot that I heard those words.

Esilia, who had been keeping her eyes closed for a while, wondered if the escort knight’s question might be a little late.

No, it might be natural to ask now. Things have happened that are too natural to ask this very obvious question.

“…… The food we brought ran out in a matter of days. Originally, I also had a bag, but life in the mountains was not nice, so it was torn. I threw the torn bag into a deep hole and took only the money and put it in my clothes. Because it is a garment that receives the blessing of innocence, it does not spoil easily. The lucky thing is that at the time it ran out, it was only a short distance from the top. I survived by eating leaves. I should be able to hold out for about three days.”

Death Knight vomited admiration inwardly when he said that he had endured while eating leaves. As it is now, and even then, it was hard to find any trace of his lady to think that she had been starving for several days, eating only leaves. He was able to realize that she was not called a saint for nothing. But at the same time, Zerfied came up with a thought that contradicted Esilia’s appearance.

Is she okay now?

It is unknown how far the Protection of Purity will affect it. But it certainly won’t be omnipotent. There is no such thing as omnipotence. Wouldn’t the divine protection be able to prevent starvation and even the deterioration of physical strength caused by it?

“Aren’t you hungry?”

At his words, Ecilia let her smile slip. She also thought it would be too late for her to ask.

“Slightly, as it was in Mount Ethelvire, and it is now, I am not very hungry because I have been through so much.”

“…… Let me rest for a while.”

The Horseman of the Headless Horse stopped in the middle of the plain and let Essilia dismount. Even if it wasn’t to the northernmost part of the continent, the territory of the demons, Ethelbayer Mountain was also located in the north when viewed from the standard of the central continent, so the wind blew fiercely where they were located further north than that. Ecilia’s hair was blown away by the strong wind.

It wouldn’t be particularly cold, but looking at her clothes that weren’t even warm enough to be called warm, Jerpied thought it would be better to find a destination or a place to stay as soon as possible. After listening to her story, she could see that the saintess took very little rest to find herself. In Charcot Village, where she tried to rest and eat, she did not.

Zerpied held out his hand to Lady. Eccilia hesitated a little in surprise when she saw her hand held out to her, then she took it. The chill of the ultramarine armor tinged with the morning wind penetrated her skin. Although it was her plain, it wasn’t her treeless level, so Zer Pied led her under one of her trees. Ecilia leaned against the tree and closed her eyes for a moment.

She said she was looking for Zer Peed. She had to sleep curled up in her burrow for several days. Her body was aching, and of course, she couldn’t sleep well. She feels a sudden heaviness in her body, especially after the extreme tension she has been experiencing during the last two days has been released. The Death Knight said to the saintess who lowered her head little by little.

“Keep your eyes peeled, I’ll try to get you something to eat.”

“Yes… ? I’m fine, I’d rather be with…… “

“No, I am your escort knight now. And escort isn’t just limited to fending off enemies. Please rest.”

At the resolute words of her escort knight, Esilia nodded her head. Although she was close to dropping her head from her weariness.

“You don’t have to worry too much about safety. I’ll leave a part of me beside you. But if anything happens, call me.”

Zer Pied pointed at the headless horse with his chin. Eccilia tried to answer with a smile, but because of her tiredness and oncoming sleep she had to content herself with faintly lifting her lips to show that she was capable of anything like a smile.

It was only after she caught sight of her saintess completely lowering her head and exhaling regularly that the Death Knight began to move. The Death Knight crouched down on her slowly. If anyone had been watching him, they would have guessed that the next move would be a leap. The form was very similar to the motion before the leap. And that guess wasn’t too wrong. However, it was just too large to be called a leap forward.

The Death Knight jumped into the air. In an instant, the ground is put into the field of view in a compressed form. In the dizzyingly compressed and distracted movement, he was able to catch a movement. At the moment of capture, his cape – which appears to be a cape but is much closer to his skin – is unfurled. Zerfied squirmed his cloak to the spot where he detected the movement and slowly gliding.

–

Anyway

Awesome

The sound of flesh being torn reverberated loudly. As if he had no intention of concealing it, he tore off the flesh and bones all at once, rather violently. In the process of tearing off the huge flesh, the movement caused a large cloud of dust to rise. Rather than concealing, it is similar to the act of showing off. It can only be, because I had enough ability to do that.

That action was a kind of warning. Not to disturb my meal. Whoever comes, I will make it in the same condition as this meal he is eating. A warning that conveys the full meaning without a word. It split the ribs at once with its beak and ate the fresh intestines with its beak. Smoke filled with warmth flowed in the wind from the recently caught fish.

And the beak was bleeding. He licked the warm blood with his tongue to satisfy his thirst. He sharpened his claws and tore off his hind legs. One of the most fleshy parts. There was no need to savor it little by little. When you pass it into your throat at once, you will be full of satiety. Satisfied, GriffinGriffin Shuddered. How long does it take for a tiger to eat? It’s a pity that I’m a bit young and not grown up, but I still have enough to fill my stomach.

After grabbing him, he immediately let out a roar to let you know he was here. It’s cumbersome to deal with stupid things that smell like blood. Minutes passed after the roar, but with no one approaching, the griffin ate in peace. It was clear to her now that nothing stupid would stand in her way.

Kooung – !

Hearing a loud sound not far away, Griffin stopped her meal and glared at the source of the sound. Did the rock roll down? Contrary to Griffin’s expectations, what came out of the spot where the sound came from was something ultramarine blue.

Cheolkeong – . Chunkyong – .

Those who want to see the situation usually approach cautiously. Because there’s nothing good about knowing that you exist. However, that grotesque sound is openly approaching him. Her apparent willingness to challenge was not to the liking of Griffin.

Besides that, I didn’t like that stupidity that only came after a long time since he roared. It stretched out its bent body to eat and lifted its wings half open. Don’t come any closer If you come any further, I will attack you. If you couldn’t understand it with a roar, you had to inform it with actions.

Cheolkeong – .

The griffin threw her body straight away. She raised her claws and sharpened her beak. It is her claws and beak that can crush even rocks. She had nothing to fear.

“Kaaaaak – !”

With a nimble roar, a giant sword flies in. Two claws and a beak, an attack that flies from three directions. You can never dodge at this distance. Break the bones

-Fall off.

As Griffin expected, there was a cracking sound. And the expectations were spectacularly wrong. It was the broken thing’s own beak.

“…… !”

The beak was broken and the sound didn’t come out properly. The claws he swung with all his might had already fallen out. Bleeding from her feet, Griffin turned her body. For the first time in her life, Griffin must have been terrified by the major injury she suffered. She was never without injuries, but every injury was her testament to her own victories. But this is not it. This injury is a premonition of unconditional defeat.

The griffin spread her wings. Let her soar into the sky If she goes to her own realm, the sky, it won’t be able to chase it.

-Chack!

The griffin fluttered into the air so lightly that her large body was not worth it. Okay, now gradually speeding her up, everything is perfect. If you just go through that pit… !

Yes, as long as you go.

The griffin blinked her amber eyes. The hole she saw is nowhere to be found, and only white dust fills her vision. Griffin stiffly turned her head at the incomprehensible pain in her back. She couldn’t even comprehend the scene before her eyes.

No way, it can’t be. How can it be that my wings are cut so neatly?

Cheolkeong – .

A grotesque sound lingered in Griffin’s ears.

–

Celia couldn’t believe what she was seeing in front of her eyes.

“This is… therefore… ….”

Celia could finally realize what it felt like to lose her sleep. It was partly because she had gotten enough sleep, but she knew for sure that the mind does not succumb to sleep when she sees something quite shocking indeed.

Especially if the first day she encounters a creature called a griffin she only reads in her books is the day she eats it.

“Gryphon. Have you ever tried it?”

“… There is usually nothing to eat.”

“At this point, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to broaden your experience. It tastes better than you think.”

Zer Pied patted her hand once, as if in her accustomed gesture. Immediately, the sides of the griffin’s torso wriggled, and she sucked blood and flesh into his shadow, similar to what she had seen last time.

After a simple meal, he picked up a wide piece of wood and a long, thin branch that appeared to have fallen from a tree. Then he placed the twig perpendicular to the block and then he quickly started rubbing his hands together.

A pretty unorthodox way to start a fire, and Essilia had to burst out laughing.

“Whoops, I’m sure! I thought of lighting a fire all at once.”

“I am not a wizard, though I do have knowledge of magic. It is the role of wizards, not knights, to explore the magic that has spread throughout the world and cause phenomena close to momentary distortion.”

“Are you familiar with magic?”

“To some extent, some of the former contractors used magic.”

“…… I’m envious, it’s hard to even see magic now. According to what the history books say, there were far more wizards in the past than there are now.”

“Are there not many wizards now?”

“I heard that the number has decreased significantly since the Battle of Life and Death.”

As if understanding, Zer Pied nodded his head slightly and threw the dried leaves he had gathered nearby into the flames that rose from the wood block. As dry leaves landed in his mouth, the flames licked his bright red tongue and devour them. Zerfied cut one of the griffin’s hind legs into pieces that Esilia could eat with the fingernail part of the gauntlet, and put them on a tree branch to form a skewer.

The smell of meat being cooked right away wafted along with the smoke. It was difficult to find the noble saintess that was usually seen in Ecilia. She was just a sweet woman who gulped down her saliva while watching the meat. Zer Pied handed her the meat of her cooked griffin to her. Right away she munched that little mouth and chewed on her meat. Although they hadn’t met in a while, Zerfied thought that this was the happiest expression she had seen recently.

“Listen while eating.”

Cilia nodded her head. Zer Pied took a world map out of her bag and scanned it slowly. While looking at her map, he pointed to a place and asked her saintess a question. It was a point farther north than where they are now.

“Do you need anything to enter this country called Diervan?”

“Country?”

The saintess asked while raising her head, which was being driven into her meat. She had soot all over her mouth, probably because she was eating slightly burnt meat. Her almost pure whiteness, as if she were tanned, looked quite unique.

“Yes, it is good to know the laws of a place called Diervan.”

“That is not my country.”

Zer Pied tilted her head.

“Then what?”

“The city.”

“Why are cities that are not even countries marked on the world map? It’s outdated, so the information isn’t reflected properly?”

“There is no country.”

At her words, Zer Pied stopped her gesture.

“What do you mean?”

Escelia wiped her mouth once with the back of her hand. After catching her last breath, she opened her mouth.

“I heard that before her life-and-death battle, there was something called ‘Nara’. There were kings and there were emperors. Now that doesn’t exist anymore. Because all the countries that existed during the War of Life and Death perished, no, not only countries, but all races almost disappeared. They said that all the foundations of civilization were destroyed.

It was written in the history books that the two to three hundred years after the Great War were truly indescribably dizzying times. A time when we struggled to survive without any rules. After that period, little by little, the tribes began to form a community, and a tribal-like group appeared. As time passed, the village… After the village, the city was built as it is today. It took hundreds of years to get from the time of the tribe to the present.”

At Esilia’s words, which sounded like she was sighing, Zer Pied blinked her eyes once. There is no country After being forced to sign a contract, this was the first time since the Holy Demon War. Of course, during the Holy Demon War, the country was not even necessary in the first place. Even though the Holy Demon War was a fairly old event even by his standards, he was not too embarrassed because it was not the first time he had ever experienced a situation without a state.

He only asked two questions that came to mind.

“The foundation of civilization was almost destroyed, but how did religion survive? Wait, didn’t you say you were living in the capital before?”

“It’s a simple reason, because it’s getting hard to live, so you and I started to believe in religion. How strange is it? Religion is weak when it’s peaceful, and it’s strongest when it’s not.

The reason I know so much about history is because of my religion. Among intellectuals who started to believe in religion, there were those who thought that these records must be preserved.

Ah, the capital I mentioned before is just a nickname. In the past, there was the capital of a large country in the place where the city is located. That’s why everyone calls that city ‘capital’. Although the original name is different.”

But Zer Pied still felt his doubts unanswered. Exactly, as soon as the question was resolved, another question arose.

“…… Then how much tax do religions maintain now?”

Esilia looked straight into the Death Knight’s bloody eyes. All her clear eyes are locked in his field of vision.

“We are spreading our business all over the world. It is not limited to any one continent. That’s why I said it was suicidal. Because not only the goddess Rener, but also the religions of other gods are everywhere.

Among them, though, Goddess Rener’s power is the strongest.

…… So it was a shock to see Charcot Village like that. That such criminal groups exist, that brothels exist. I don’t know about it in the past, but it was hard to believe in a situation where religion has spread like this.”

Zerpied nodded slowly. There was nothing else he could do.

“I see.”

“…… Sorry for not telling you earlier…. It wasn’t something I could possibly say.”

“No, it’s more strange to have time to think when you’ve just gotten out of a life-threatening situation.”

He shut his mouth. It is an era in which religion spreads everywhere. Done. He didn’t have to think deeply. Right now, he was an escort knight for the saintess, and there was only one thing he could do.

To protect Saint Ecilia.

“Esilia. Are you okay? Do you not regret choosing to confront the General Church directly? If he just wants to escort you until he dies, even now, he can do that.”

Cilia shook her head. Soft, but sure.

“Did I already do the craziest thing in my life to wake up the knight? Now, that’s not so crazy. After doing something really crazy once, it became rather normal. You can do something crazy once in your life, right? …… I hope the driver is all right… ?”

“…… I’ve done things I shouldn’t have done in my life, but I’ve never done anything crazy. I couldn’t do it while I was alive, so I shouldn’t try it even when I’m not alive.”

Lady burst into laughter at the escort knight’s calm words. A soft smile blooms on her face. It wasn’t long before I knew it, but it was a word worthy of an escort knight.

“Ahahaha-! The knight is down. So, what are you going to do next?”

“Lady Esilia. First of all, if you stay as you are, you will surely fail.”

He calmly pointed out the facts. Not all contractors did, but most had their own powers. It was the complete opposite of that now. It is the same with the first escort knight job, and there are only saints who are in a hurry to protect themselves, let alone power. It was a fact that Esilia was already familiar with, so she also calmly nodded her head.

“Let me ask you one thing. It is an unchanging fact that my most dangerous enemy is the clergy. How do you think I could have met this difficulty before?”

Esilia answered the sudden question. It was something she hadn’t really thought about, so she had to answer with only slightly vague guesses.

“Uh… Because the previous contractors are strong?”

Zerpied was positive.

“You are right. Certainly, unlike now, the former contractors had power and fought against the priests to some extent instead of me. However, no matter how strong they are, it is impossible to deal with all priests. So most of the previous contractors came up with a similar method. Items that can defend the divine power.”

“Something like that… there is… ?!”

Esilia’s eyes widened in surprise at the fact that it was so old and not even recorded in her records. Jer Pied nodded her head and continued her speech.

“It is impossible to block all the holy power as I am an undead, but if I secure it, I will see a breakthrough. So, I have something in mind regarding this.”

Esilia’s body trembled slightly. It seemed to her that the path she had only vaguely seen until now was slowly taking shape…….

Until I heard the Death Knight’s words.

“From now on, we will head to the domain of demons.”