Although they wanted to claim they were Ed's subordinates, their basic understanding of the World of Disorder quickly dispelled the idea.
As a newly emerging power that has only appeared in the last six months, the Second Holy See's reputation has undoubtedly not reached the isolated Klaf City.
Moreover, judging from their tone, it seemed they were blaming their superior.
Although he was indeed sent by Ed, he couldn't let Ed be blamed for this...
Judging from the old man's nearly tattered clothes and the discrepancies in their style, which seemed to differ from those of the Tree Worship Church, he was probably not a member of the Tree Worship Church.
The players exchanged glances, and the [ Retreat Drum Player ], who had a better understanding of the plot, began to think rapidly.
A dungeon erased from existence for decades, an old man withered and emaciated to the point of being almost skeletal, weapons engraved with intricate runes, a rigid personality, and a tone of voice vaguely belonging to the upper class...
Everything about the swordsman seemed to point to one fact—
He doesn't belong to this era.
So...
[ The Retreat Drum Player ] stepped forward and asked in a very serious tone:
"Are you a knight from Klaf City?"
The old man was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, seemingly never expecting to hear such an answer.
His nearly bald eyebrows furrowed, and he asked in a questioning tone:
"Isn't Klaf City long gone? What's wrong with you all?"
"Um?"
The players were all in a state of confusion.
Although they didn't speak, they had already sent many messages in the chat channel, and [ Retreat Drum Player ]'s reasoning was accepted by the vast majority of players.
Hearing that the other party refuted their reasoning almost without hesitation, the players couldn't help but fall into deep thought once again.
[ The Retreat Drum Player ] wasn't embarrassed at all. Since he hadn't guessed correctly, he stopped guessing and instead went straight to the point:
"Perhaps it's different from what you think, we are an adventurer party from the Second Holy See, not what you're referring to as... reinforcements."
" Second Holy See?"
The old man plunged his longsword into the ground again, leaned back wearily, and pondered for a while before saying:
"Never heard of it."
As expected...
[ The Retreat Drum Player ] thought for a moment and asked in return:
"What about the Tree Worship Church? You must have heard of Tree Worship Church, right?"
This time, the old man didn't think for long; instead, he gave him another look as if he were looking at a fool.
"Who doesn't know about the Tree Worship Church?"
"Okay, then you can just treat us as members of the Tree Worship Church."
"If you had said so earlier, I would have understood."
The old man snorted dismissively.
The [ Retreat Drum Player ] softened his tone considerably:
"And you, knight, may I ask where you are from?"
Unsurprisingly, he received another eye roll in return.
"Since you've already recognized me as a knight, why would you ask such a question? In this world, where can you find a truly orthodox knight?"
[ The Retreat Drum Player ] paused for a moment, then said, somewhat incredulously, the answer that had long been on the tip of his tongue but he had always found hard to believe:
" Eternal Domain?"
"What else?"
The old man once again provided the answer with a rhetorical question.
Upon hearing this answer, the players' facial expressions remained unchanged, but the group chat erupted in chaos:
"Another knight from the Eternal Domain? Their combat strength is indeed considerable."
"Is combat ability a problem? Isn't the biggest problem his physical body?"
"What's the problem with having a body? Are you suggesting that his body is actually a puppet, and his true form is the greatsword in his hand, named A..."
"Dude, you really haven't seen Xilǐ'er's encyclopedia?"
"I know Xilǐ'er, isn't he the Knight of the Eternal Domain? What happened to him?"
"He... he's just a shell of armor! He's an armor that's come to life, but it's empty inside!"
"Huh? I didn't really look closely. The two days I created my account were around the same two days Xilǐ'er left the Second Holy See, so I didn't see that NPC in person..."
"So, you think this old thing should also be an armor shell?"
"What else? Xilǐ'er's file clearly states that he was once part of Amber Dragon's collection before the Demonic Tide, and only regained his freedom after being liberated by the Twin Kings. There are many people like him."
"That's not right, brother. Xilǐ'er is a knight, and he is indeed part of Amber Dragon's collection, but that doesn't mean all the knights in the Eternal Domain are part of Amber Dragon's collection, does it? The Twin Kings can't have gone so many years without bestowing a title upon a single person; that would be too stingy."
"That... makes sense. So, this old man has a physical body, which means he's actually Xilǐ'er's junior in some way?"
"Wow, Xilǐ'er seems to be quite the veteran."
"Yes, the thought of an old man like him calling Xilǐ'er' senior' makes me realize how abstract this world is."
"..."
The players chatted amongst themselves, while the old man leaned against his longsword, clenching his withered hands into fists and beginning to tap his equally emaciated legs.
Seemingly guessing the reason for the players' silence, he spoke as he typed:
"Look at you, so unsophisticated! You haven't read many church scriptures, have you?"
It's not just that he barely read anything; he didn't read a single book.
Retreat Drum Player silently grumbled to himself, then nodded rather humbly.
The old man said with some emotion:
"You lot, you've only read a few books and you dare come here? Do you think Klaf City is some kind of safe place?"
"I heard that the Tree Worship Church has abolished the aristocracy. I say that won't do. Look at you all, how could you possibly have the strength to penetrate deep into Klaf City?"
"I know that you outsiders think that nobles and knights should perish with the old era, but that's not the case in the Eternal Domain."
"It was the Twin Kings who created this pure land, and it was the nobles who fought tirelessly outside to maintain the normal operation of the Eternal Domain. As for you ordinary people, as long as you don't leave the Eternal Domain, you will never come to such a dangerous place in your entire lives..."
After massaging his legs, the old knight lowered his trouser leg, which was practically useless, and stood up again, saying:
"You'd better leave quickly; going deeper into Klaf City will only make things more dangerous."
After saying that, he turned around, drew his sword, and prepared to leave.
You're a really nice person, aren't you?
[ The Retreat Drum Player ] felt that although the old man was arrogant, he had the ability to back it up.
Moreover, the other party had saved them, so even though their attitude was somewhat condescending, it was really hard to dislike them.
But since we're already here, wouldn't it be a joke to send them back?
He thought for a moment and said:
"Sir, we came here on a mission, and we will not go back even if we die here."
"On the contrary, you don't seem to be in very good condition either. The exit we came in through is nearby, so why don't we take you away from here?"
[ The Retreat Drum Player ] wasn't exactly a pushover, but the old knight had indeed done them a favor, and repaying him wouldn't be a bad idea. It would be even better if they could take this opportunity to get to know him.
Good deeds, in World of Disorder, are called building trust; in the real world, they're called forming a good connection.
Unexpectedly, the moment the words left his mouth, the old man stopped and turned around, his fierce eyes fixed on the [ Retreat Drum Player ].
Seeing that he truly didn't mean to say that, the old man's gaze softened somewhat, but his tone remained restrained and serious:
"Until he receives the decrees of His Majesties, the Knight of Conquest, Silvis, will not leave Klaf City."