"Get out of the way."
Jeston stiffly stepped aside, watching the knights pass by one by one.
No one looked at them.
Only after the last knight in the group left did Jeston breathe a sigh of relief.
His attention was completely taken away, and no one criticized his earlier escape.
Rhine Lab team staff ran over, chattering away, but Jeston felt a deafening roar in his ears.
There was no embarrassment, indignation, or fear as I had imagined...
His heart was at peace.
He could clearly sense the imposing aura of the Silverlances, and he knew clearly that he was no match for them.
Unlike his previous defeat at the hands of Saria, this man, who had always held himself in high esteem, admitted his shortcomings for the first time.
"So there are this many powerful guys...?"
[You have great talent, but that's far from enough for this Daichi. Try to become stronger.]
These were the words Saria uttered when she defeated him, Jeston had always considered them an insult, but now he had to take this advice seriously.
Was he... originally very weak?
"Mr. Jeston, are you even hearing me?!"
Ignoring the staff's urging, Jeston stared blankly in the direction where Silverlance had gone.
"A knight...?"
The sudden burst of silver light into the dazzling lights left the Silverlances looking at their unfamiliar homeland with a sense of disorientation.
They haven't been back for a long time...
The wheat fields in the countryside, the sound of the wind in the wilderness—these things felt much more familiar to them than the neon lights of today.
The light from the advertising screen shone on the silver armor, making it shimmer with iridescent colors.
Passersby pointed and whispered among themselves, but no one recognized them, even though they carried shields bearing insignia.
The knights weaved through the crowds, through the city known as the City of Knights.
But the city does not recognize the knights, just as the knights do not recognize the city.
"Aren't you going to speed up, Captain?"
The knights moved forward steadily, while pedestrians on both sides instinctively moved aside.
The captain didn't even bother to turn his head when his adjutant asked him a question.
"This is not an emergency. Our return from the border is already an exception. Do you expect us to march through the city at breakneck speed?"
Even though they were given the title "Silverlance Pegasi," they were still members of the Campaign Knight and had to obey the laws of Kazimierz.
The team members were certainly aware of this, but they still couldn't help feeling anxious.
"But His Excellency Cyril is about to..."
Use your brain.
The captain sighed, sounding rather disappointed.
"If something really happens to Nearl, the Grand Knight Commander's reaction won't be so calm."
"So Lord Cyril is alright!"
Once the team members grasped this key element, the atmosphere in the whole team became a bit more relaxed, but the captain, with a slight headache, adjusted his faceplate.
The members of Silverlance are all elites carefully selected from knight families, many of whom are even the family's long knights (similar to the eldest son, who will inherit the position of family head in the future).
Logically, they should all be skilled calculators, but perhaps due to years of fighting, the Silverlances are more accustomed to using their hands than their brains.
"That's not the point at all... If it's just about protecting Cyril, we're not needed at all."
The captain tightened his grip on the Silverlance. If it was just a matter of guard duty, Russell had a more suitable option.
Summoning 30 Silverlance to return home seems more like... than protecting Cyril.
"They can't possibly be asking us to quell a rebellion, can they?"
In response to the previous statement, another Silverlance man sneered:
"Suppress the rebellion? Who dares to rebel? The Business Federation?"
An eerie silence fell over the room, and the captain's voice became more serious.
"Speed up a little."
The knights quickened their pace, ignoring the prying eyes.
After a brief moment of curiosity, passersby quickly looked away, assuming it was just a fan club for some knight.
After a relatively short journey, the knights finally arrived at the National Assembly.
Russell, who had already received the news, was waiting at the door, and the Silverlances gave a standard knightly salute.
After a brief silence, the captain cleared his throat.
"Grand Knight Commander..."
You weren't this reserved when you were a child.
"Cough cough!"
The captain was somewhat embarrassed. He had many connections with the ancient knightly family, and the old man in front of him was also his elder.
One sentence broke the knight's facade of seriousness; Russell lowered his guard and smiled wearily:
"Welcome back, knights."
The Silverlances relaxed. Their hometown felt strange, but thankfully, familiar faces were there.
Where is that doctor?
Without much small talk, the knights went straight to the point, asking about the "miracle doctor" in their intelligence that could cure Cyril.
"Right in the lounge."
Russell waved his hand, the secretary gestured for him to leave, and the captain asked in a deep voice.
Is it believable?
"Endorsed by Rhine Lab in Columbia."
"You know I'm asking about people."
Russell's answer did not satisfy the knight, who shrugged indifferently.
"At least the medication has passed testing and there are no problems, so there is a high chance of a cure."
The Silverlances couldn't help but get excited. They were veterans, each having grown up listening to their elders tell stories of Nearl.
The thought of that legend recovering and having the possibility of running with them again...
Their gazes toward the gate grew increasingly intense.
The captain was also somewhat agitated, but he calmly said:
"What are the doctor's requests?"
"He wanted to protect the Infected in Block Zero."
The knights were filled with awe and their goodwill towards their benefactor, whom they had never met, increased once again.
Just then, footsteps came from inside the gate.
The secretary stepped forward first and gestured for them to come back.
The knights felt a strange sense of disappointment as they watched the stern-faced Vouivre woman emerge from the doorway.
But soon, disappointment was overshadowed by a sudden surge of sensory awareness.
Click... Click...
Footsteps echoed from the shadows inside the door, pounding in sync with the rhythm of my heart.
A tall figure emerged from the shadows, his black armor gleaming in the sunlight.
The knights couldn't help but tighten their grip on their lances; their intuition, honed by years of battle, told them otherwise.
The guy in front of me... is terrifyingly strong.
"Calm down, don't frighten our guests."
Russell broke the silence, and laughter eased the tense atmosphere.
"Let me introduce you. This is Mr. Gregor, a favorite to win the championship in the Cavaliers' arena, and also the provider of the drugs for this event."
Hello.
Gregor nodded in greeting.
"Greetings, Your Excellency!"
The knights responded immediately, Russell waved for the convoy to come over.
"Alright, lads, let's talk about this at the Manor."
The knights moved swiftly and surrounded the group's vehicle.
The vehicle slowly started moving, heading towards the Nearl Family's Manor.
The captain approached the vehicle where Russell was and couldn't help but ask:
Is he really a doctor?
Did I say he was him?
Russell countered with a question, and the captain couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.
"Does he really need protection? He's got a stronger presence than my dad, and he doesn't even try to hide it."
"After all, they're young, so it's understandable that they're a bit flamboyant."
Russell shook his head, then casually mentioned:
"As for whether he needs protection... his troops were attacked before they came to the National Assembly."
"..."
A long silence fell over the atmosphere, and the knight's gauntlets creaked.
The area surrounding the National Assembly is Core City; only one side could make a move here... or rather, dare to make a move here.
"How many scumbags have reached out?"
The captain's voice was filled with anger and the bloodshed of the frontier.
The attack's objective was simple: to stop the treatment.
Some people don't want to see Cyril recover, or rather... they don't want to see the Nearl Family's influence return.
Who could it be? It's so hard to guess...
"The investigation is still ongoing; there's no need to rush."
"Do we even need an investigation!?"
The knight's astonished shout attracted the attention of many people.
"If the tumor isn't removed, it will only lead to more terrifying complications. What are you hesitating about?"
"..."
"... I'm sorry, I lost my composure."
The knight took a deep breath to compose himself, while Russell waved his hand to indicate that he was alright.
"I understand your thinking, but the Business Federation is inextricably linked to Kazimierz now, so at least... we can't be the ones to make the first move openly."
The knight nodded, acknowledging his agreement.
"Some of the Campaign Knight have already defected, and their elimination is part of the plan. As for the other families who are still observing..."
Russell continued speaking, then suddenly fell silent.
"... Let's ask Cyril for his opinion once he's fully recovered."
"That's right! That person will definitely be able to give the best advice!"
"Yes..."
Russell responded softly, sounding somewhat tired, yet also relaxed.
Cyril must have a way...
"Such a big show of force?"
From the vehicle behind, Gregor observed the energy reactions of the Silverlances.
There aren't many combatants of this caliber, and with this number, even he would need to put in a lot of effort.
Thinking of this, Gregor quickly shook his head.
No, no, I have no reason to fight them.
Are you nervous?
Saria closed her eyes to rest, not moving an inch as she spoke.
Gregor was somewhat puzzled by how the other person had observed, but he still replied:
"No, it's just that we've gained a new understanding of Cyril's influence."
"That's normal. His story... is occasionally mentioned even in history books from other countries."
Upon hearing Saria's words, Gregor suddenly became worried about the upcoming meeting.
It wasn't nervousness, just concerns about etiquette.
Is that person easygoing? Or rather... easy to get along with?
Regarding this matter, I can only say --
Saria opened her eyes; the Manor was already close by.
"He is the epitome of the word [knight]."
The convoy gradually slowed down, and as the group moved away from the world, a somewhat desolate Manor stood before them.
"Is this the Nearl Family's Manor?"
Gregor was somewhat surprised.
Information gathered from various sources indicates that the Nearl Family is one of the major Grand Knight families in Kazimierz.
In other words, they were nobles.
The Manor in front of us, while sizable and ornately decorated with reliefs, reveals upon closer inspection:
Plants growing in the corner, broken bricks in the shadows...
Although the surface work is done well, signs of desolation can still be seen in the details.
The convoy stopped, and everyone got out of the vehicles and continued on their way.
As if sensing Gregor's confusion, Russell explained helplessly:
"The Nearl Family refused the assistance from the Adeptus Sprawiedliwy. Cyril did have some savings... but he donated them all to the families of his fallen comrades for subsidies."
Gregor understood and felt a greater sense of goodwill towards this [knight] he had never met before.
But another question soon emerged.
"Are there very few people in the Nearl Family?"
They have walked quite a distance, but have yet to see a single person.
The atmosphere suddenly fell silent. Before Russell could speak, a figure approached from afar.
Their eyes met, and both Gregor and the newcomer were taken aback, while Russell had already greeted them with a smile.
"Long time no see, Mlynar. How is Cyril's condition?"
"That's alright. My father even went out for his morning exercise this morning."
Composing herself, Mlynar instinctively prepared to bend over, a loud voice interrupting her.
"Mlynar! When did you get back?"
One of the Silverlance couldn't resist stepping forward.
"Didn't you go off to become a wandering knight? We clearly agreed to join the Campaign Knight together!"
The other Silverlance also wanted to ask, as they were of the same generation as Mlynar and had had some interactions with him in the past.
Everyone assumed the other would inherit Cyril's glory and illuminate the plains of Kazimierz, but when they asked back then...
My light cannot illuminate anything, nor do I intend to follow in my father's footsteps. Besides, isn't there Snitz?
(Snitz: Mlynar's brother, who disappeared with his wife after a secret mission, leaving Mlynar to take on the responsibility of raising his children.)
Seemingly recognizing her peer, Mlynar attempted to respond with a smile.
His lips twitched, but he ultimately couldn't manage a smile.
"I just... came to terms with reality."
"What do you mean...?"
"Alright."
The Cavaliers wanted to ask more questions, but Russell interrupted them, steer the conversation back on track.
"Since Cyril's condition is not bad, let's prepare to begin treatment. Also..."
Russell stepped aside, revealing Gregor behind him.
"This is Mr. Gregor, the one who provided the medicine. You might recognize him; he's the infamous Black Iron Knight these days."
"... I do know him."
The two remained silent. Mlynar extended her hand, Gregor shook it silently.
"Don't worry, child."
Noticing Mlynar's low spirits, Russell tried to comfort her.
"This medication has been tested and has a 70% chance of curing Cyril, and in the worst-case scenario, it can alleviate his condition."
Hearing this, Mlynar's brow relaxed a little, and she thanked Gregor.
"In any case, thank you for your help. The Nearl Family will remember your kindness."
"You don't need to remember it."
Bang--!
Gregor tapped the Ten Percent Off on his head and said helplessly:
"Please get started quickly."
"... plz follow me."
The group entered the Manor's interior buildings, where the three girls stood at the entrance, all looking somewhat nervous.
Gregor sighed.
Mlynar, Maria, Zofia...
There were four members of the Nearl Family present, and he had already met three of them.
Gregor nodded slightly to Maria, whose eyes were shining, and then turned his gaze to the only girl he didn't recognize.
The girl has the same golden complexion as the other members, and her expression is serious and earnest.
"My nieces, Margaret and Maria."
Mlynar introduced herself to everyone, and Margaret greeted them politely. Maria nervously imitated her sister, which made Mlynar frown.
"This is Zofia... their aunt."
Zofia's eye twitched, and she gave Maria a subtle glare as she tried to suppress a laugh.
After the polite introductions, Mlynar raised her hand in acknowledgment.
"My father is in his bedroom on the second floor. Should I call him down?"
"No, the treatment is very simple."
Gregor took out the potion; the blood-red liquid shone with a glaring red hue under the light.
"Just drink it."
Mlynar glanced at Russell, who nodded.
"Then, please follow me."