"Hiss!"
The Novice Knight who had been struck was so furious he nearly burst a blood vessel on the spot.
Hold it in!
I have to hold it in!
He frantically repeated those words in his head, feeling as though he was about to grind his back teeth to pieces.
After disciplining his subordinate, the Knight Captain took a deep breath.
When he turned back toward Ilyena, that same insincere smile had returned to his face.
"Please forgive that embarrassing display, honored Priest."
The Knight Captain bowed slightly, his tone so polite it bordered on obsequious:
"After the six of us received the plea for help saying Fog Town was under siege by the Cultists, we raced here for all we were worth, not daring to rest for even a moment!"
"We feared arriving too late and leaving this land to be slaughtered by the Abyss."
He glanced at the intact barrier, feigning relief, and even made a prayer gesture before his chest:
"But thankfully, you actually managed to repel those vicious Cultists through your own strength!"
"Bless the great Lord of Winter and Contracts!"
"What a relief that you're all safe!"
At this point, the Knight Captain changed tack, adding a hint of grievance and helplessness to his voice:
"Ah... but to be honest."
"You really have been rather disrespectful toward reinforcements who came all this way, full of eagerness to help!"
"Granted, the long journey meant we arrived a little too late."
"But we came to save everyone in Fog Town, after all!"
"Yet the moment we entered town, all we received was your hostility."
"That's why my young, inexperienced subordinates felt wronged and became so angry."
The Knight Captain delivered his speech with heartfelt conviction, lowering himself while simultaneously claiming the moral high ground.
He even conveyed