As I approached the Horse Blacksmith Shop, the number of people passing by decreased. As I entered the alley next to the blacksmith shop run by the grim-looking blacksmith, the atmosphere changed strangely.
“It was called a tent with red tassels.”
“Is that it?”
A red-tasseled walking stick stood in place of a sign in front of a yellow tent wedged between old shacks.
“I think so. Huh? It’s that guy.”
Just then the man who had told me that something bad had happened came out of the tent.
“That guy?”
“Yes. Why? Do you know him?”
I know, I know too well, that's the problem.
“Are you there?”
“I don’t think so. But are you sure you saw it correctly? Is it really a knight?”
“You can tell just by looking at their gait. One of the two guys wields a sword. And he learned swordsmanship from the ground up.”
Were they looking for Erne?
“Could it be that they didn’t come looking for us?”
“Just in case, I’m just saying to be sure. Let’s go over there.”
The sound of footsteps grew farther and farther away. Only after the sound had completely disappeared did Judith quietly let out the breath she had been holding.
“You said they were all dead, but how many of them are still alive?”
What on earth do those Imperial Knights do? Could it be that they died and came back to life like me?
Erne, who had been frowning at the sudden question, quickly grabbed Judith's hand. That question will come later. For now, getting out of here comes first.
“I have to go out now.”
“I missed it. I’m sorry, Sir Roam.”
“No. He was someone you couldn’t catch in the first place.”
Erne wasn't the type to be caught at just this level. Even though he had died once, his speed at grasping the situation and his footsteps as he disappeared into the crowd were the same.
“Did you know him?”
“I know very well.”
Roam, who was the vice-captain of the Third Knights, recalled his memories with Erne. Whenever he tried to give him work, Erne would disappear and slack off, and whenever he was asked to teach his juniors swordsmanship, Erne would make a mess of things.
He was so exceptionally skilled that he couldn't be defeated, and he couldn't be passed on to the 1st or 2nd Knights.
If you're going to slack off, just keep slacking. Why are you messing up the work by being unnecessarily busy right before the event?
"Hmm."
How come you don't have any good memories?
The corners of Roam's mouth, which had been smiling gently, hardened. At that moment, the tent opened and an old man dressed as a medium came in with a troubled expression.
“Sir Roam, the order has been given to cease work.”
“You’re saying it’s going to stop without me even doing anything?”
There was discontent in Roam's voice. The medium also had a bitter expression on his face.
“That’s true.”
“They were clearly followers.”
Followers.
They were a tribe composed entirely of Shartin people and were also a type of cult. They worshipped a distant ancestral God called 'Duharita', and their goal was to overthrow the empire.
Their goal was to overthrow the empire that excluded and despised the Shartins and create a country exclusively for the Shartins.
In the original, the followers were the real masterminds, and the Empress was one of them.
“What are followers?”
“Yes, criminals associated with the Empress.”
Erne gave an answer to Henry's question that could hardly be called an explanation. Judith, who knew the original story, nodded silently.
The reason the group of followers was not well known despite being the real masterminds was because of the original female protagonist.
The female protagonist also comes from a group of followers and enters the palace to seduce the Crown Prince to achieve their goal.
As the story progresses, the female protagonist naturally falls in love with the Crown Prince and makes endless sacrifices for him.
But even now, there are negative views on the fact that the current Empress and the next crowd Prince's mother, the female protagonist, is a Shartin, so what if it was revealed that she was a follower of the rebels?
The current Emperor kept information about the followers a secret for the sake of the Empress. But the original story ended with something like, "We'll get to the root of it, so what?" But what about getting to the root of it?
The Emperor didn't know that traitors were running rampant in the capital. In any case, Judith had to pretend not to know about the followers, so she just clicked her tongue inwardly.
“Are you going to step forward yourself?”
“Me? What kind of investigation would a dead person do?”
It was Erne who used the dead person's identity in the right place.
“Just write a letter to the Marquis of Mosley and he’ll take care of it.”
If they had died and come back to life like him, the reason would also be investigated by Marquis Mosley.
With the support of the royal family, he will be able to identify the cause much faster than if he investigated alone.
“Are you saying that as if I have to do it?”
“Then, Henry, you do it, or should I, the dead one, do it?”
Erne left all the annoying work to Henry.
“But why did the traitor approach your wife?”
“I think it was said that they gathered followers in that way in the past too. Something evil is attached to them, bad luck is attached, things like that.”
Roam was a knight, not a medium. It was more likely that he had been caught by the evil that was attached to Judith than that he had actually seen it.
Henry nodded as if he understood, then looked at Judith with a puzzled expression.
“Then what about your wife? That medium was the one who saved her life!”
“Oh, that’s right.”
Oh, really? It looks like a person is going to get eaten by a bug. Oh, really?
Judith said, gritting her teeth.
“You finally care about me. I’m so grateful I could cry.”
Judith pretended to sob, and Erne and Henry's expressions became bizarrely distorted.
“Oh, ma’am? Are you really starting to cry?”
"Yes?"
Judith wiped her eyes. Bloody tears trickled down the back of her hand.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“I think you should go to the doctor....”
Judith hiccupped in surprise and quietly looked at the back of her hand.
“...Humph.”
And just like that, she fell unconscious.
“It was called a tent with red tassels.”
“Is that it?”
A red-tasseled walking stick stood in place of a sign in front of a yellow tent wedged between old shacks.
“I think so. Huh? It’s that guy.”
Just then the man who had told me that something bad had happened came out of the tent.
“That guy?”
“Yes. Why? Do you know him?”
I know, I know too well, that's the problem.
Erne lifted the hood of Judith's robe and pulled it down, then turned around.
Roam, why is that kid here?
“Are you sure it’s that guy?”
“Yes, I am sure. He said that there was something evil attached to me. Then why are you going back? Do you know him, Sir Erne?”
“He’s not a psychic.”
“Then who is he?”
"Traitor."
Traitor? Why is there a traitor here all of a sudden?
“He was in the same knighthood as me. Let’s get out of here first and then I’ll explain.”
If it was a knight order like Erne, it was the Third Knight Order that protected the Empress's Palace. The Empress and the Third Knight Order, who were the masterminds of the original work, were in cahoots, but Erne wasn't the only one.
The Third Order of Knights was originally a knightly order created by forces who shared the same views as the Empress. However, Erne was expelled from the First and Second Orders of Knights because of his dog-like personality and assigned to the Third Order of Knights.
Because he was not a very cheerful person, Erne did not get along well with his comrades from the Third Order. The other knights did not make any effort to become close to Erne either.
Meanwhile, the Empress planned to kill both the Emperor and the Crown Prince, except for the Crown Prince's child.
After that, the Empress, who had finally gotten her hands on the female protagonist carrying the Crown Prince's child, staged a rebellion.
At that time, the Empress took the female protagonist as a hostage and tied up the Crown Prince's hands. However, Erne, who was in charge of watching the female protagonist, sent the heroine away, and the Empress's rebellion failed.
The Empress regretted until her death that she had not been able to win Erne over sooner.
Except for Erne, who saved the heroine in the ending, the Empress and her forces were all purged.
So why are the people from the Third Knights still alive?
"Ehit."
Erne, who was walking with his arm around Judith's shoulder, suddenly turned around.
“There’s another one alive too.”
No, it clearly ended with a happy ending where everyone was executed and everything was sealed, so why are there so many living criminals?
Judith bowed her head and quickened her pace.
“This way.”
Erne, who was moving from alley to alley, embracing Judith, found an abandoned house and naturally went inside.
There was no place to hide in the cramped house. Erne pushed Judith into the corner between the door and the window and stood in front of her, facing the wall.
“...”
Erne's attention was completely focused on the sound coming from outside the door. The worn-out shutters squeaked and shook eerily in the wind.
Judith, trapped between Erne and the wall, was at a loss as to where to put her hands.
If I go down, it's Erne's pelvis, if I grab his waist, it's the one who's hugging him, and if I go all the way up, it's Erne's chest.
It was also weird to put a hand on his neck or shoulder. Well, that was the weirdest thing.
Finally, Judith placed her hand somewhere on Erne's ribs.
“Stop fumbling. Do you want to do that in this situation?”
Erne's low voice fell into her ear. Judith flinched and curled her hands into a ball. It was as if she was trying to reduce the contact surface area.
“I’m groping because I have no place to put my hands.”
“Good excuse, Miss Harrington.”
Still looking at the door, Erne bowed her head slightly and whispered.
“How does it feel when you touch it?”
“...Hard?”
Is it solid? Honestly, the feeling wasn't bad.
“You’re being honest again in the midst of all this.”
In the midst of all this, who better than someone who is trying to make a joke? Judith wanted to say something, but she shut her mouth at the sound of someone nearby.
“...is.”
"...look."
The voice seemed to be gradually approaching, close enough that she could distinguish its meaning.
“It seemed like it was going in this way.”
Creak-
Roam, why is that kid here?
“Are you sure it’s that guy?”
“Yes, I am sure. He said that there was something evil attached to me. Then why are you going back? Do you know him, Sir Erne?”
“He’s not a psychic.”
“Then who is he?”
"Traitor."
Traitor? Why is there a traitor here all of a sudden?
“He was in the same knighthood as me. Let’s get out of here first and then I’ll explain.”
If it was a knight order like Erne, it was the Third Knight Order that protected the Empress's Palace. The Empress and the Third Knight Order, who were the masterminds of the original work, were in cahoots, but Erne wasn't the only one.
The Third Order of Knights was originally a knightly order created by forces who shared the same views as the Empress. However, Erne was expelled from the First and Second Orders of Knights because of his dog-like personality and assigned to the Third Order of Knights.
Because he was not a very cheerful person, Erne did not get along well with his comrades from the Third Order. The other knights did not make any effort to become close to Erne either.
Meanwhile, the Empress planned to kill both the Emperor and the Crown Prince, except for the Crown Prince's child.
After that, the Empress, who had finally gotten her hands on the female protagonist carrying the Crown Prince's child, staged a rebellion.
At that time, the Empress took the female protagonist as a hostage and tied up the Crown Prince's hands. However, Erne, who was in charge of watching the female protagonist, sent the heroine away, and the Empress's rebellion failed.
The Empress regretted until her death that she had not been able to win Erne over sooner.
Except for Erne, who saved the heroine in the ending, the Empress and her forces were all purged.
So why are the people from the Third Knights still alive?
"Ehit."
Erne, who was walking with his arm around Judith's shoulder, suddenly turned around.
“There’s another one alive too.”
No, it clearly ended with a happy ending where everyone was executed and everything was sealed, so why are there so many living criminals?
Judith bowed her head and quickened her pace.
“This way.”
Erne, who was moving from alley to alley, embracing Judith, found an abandoned house and naturally went inside.
There was no place to hide in the cramped house. Erne pushed Judith into the corner between the door and the window and stood in front of her, facing the wall.
“...”
Erne's attention was completely focused on the sound coming from outside the door. The worn-out shutters squeaked and shook eerily in the wind.
Judith, trapped between Erne and the wall, was at a loss as to where to put her hands.
If I go down, it's Erne's pelvis, if I grab his waist, it's the one who's hugging him, and if I go all the way up, it's Erne's chest.
It was also weird to put a hand on his neck or shoulder. Well, that was the weirdest thing.
Finally, Judith placed her hand somewhere on Erne's ribs.
“Stop fumbling. Do you want to do that in this situation?”
Erne's low voice fell into her ear. Judith flinched and curled her hands into a ball. It was as if she was trying to reduce the contact surface area.
“I’m groping because I have no place to put my hands.”
“Good excuse, Miss Harrington.”
Still looking at the door, Erne bowed her head slightly and whispered.
“How does it feel when you touch it?”
“...Hard?”
Is it solid? Honestly, the feeling wasn't bad.
“You’re being honest again in the midst of all this.”
In the midst of all this, who better than someone who is trying to make a joke? Judith wanted to say something, but she shut her mouth at the sound of someone nearby.
“...is.”
"...look."
The voice seemed to be gradually approaching, close enough that she could distinguish its meaning.
“It seemed like it was going in this way.”
Creak-
The shutters opened. Judith bit her lips to prevent the sound from escaping.
“Are you there?”
“I don’t think so. But are you sure you saw it correctly? Is it really a knight?”
“You can tell just by looking at their gait. One of the two guys wields a sword. And he learned swordsmanship from the ground up.”
Were they looking for Erne?
“Could it be that they didn’t come looking for us?”
“Just in case, I’m just saying to be sure. Let’s go over there.”
The sound of footsteps grew farther and farther away. Only after the sound had completely disappeared did Judith quietly let out the breath she had been holding.
“You said they were all dead, but how many of them are still alive?”
What on earth do those Imperial Knights do? Could it be that they died and came back to life like me?
Erne, who had been frowning at the sudden question, quickly grabbed Judith's hand. That question will come later. For now, getting out of here comes first.
“I have to go out now.”
***
“I missed it. I’m sorry, Sir Roam.”
“No. He was someone you couldn’t catch in the first place.”
Erne wasn't the type to be caught at just this level. Even though he had died once, his speed at grasping the situation and his footsteps as he disappeared into the crowd were the same.
“Did you know him?”
“I know very well.”
Roam, who was the vice-captain of the Third Knights, recalled his memories with Erne. Whenever he tried to give him work, Erne would disappear and slack off, and whenever he was asked to teach his juniors swordsmanship, Erne would make a mess of things.
He was so exceptionally skilled that he couldn't be defeated, and he couldn't be passed on to the 1st or 2nd Knights.
If you're going to slack off, just keep slacking. Why are you messing up the work by being unnecessarily busy right before the event?
"Hmm."
How come you don't have any good memories?
The corners of Roam's mouth, which had been smiling gently, hardened. At that moment, the tent opened and an old man dressed as a medium came in with a troubled expression.
“Sir Roam, the order has been given to cease work.”
“You’re saying it’s going to stop without me even doing anything?”
There was discontent in Roam's voice. The medium also had a bitter expression on his face.
“That’s true.”
***
“They were clearly followers.”
Followers.
They were a tribe composed entirely of Shartin people and were also a type of cult. They worshipped a distant ancestral God called 'Duharita', and their goal was to overthrow the empire.
Their goal was to overthrow the empire that excluded and despised the Shartins and create a country exclusively for the Shartins.
In the original, the followers were the real masterminds, and the Empress was one of them.
“What are followers?”
“Yes, criminals associated with the Empress.”
Erne gave an answer to Henry's question that could hardly be called an explanation. Judith, who knew the original story, nodded silently.
The reason the group of followers was not well known despite being the real masterminds was because of the original female protagonist.
The female protagonist also comes from a group of followers and enters the palace to seduce the Crown Prince to achieve their goal.
As the story progresses, the female protagonist naturally falls in love with the Crown Prince and makes endless sacrifices for him.
But even now, there are negative views on the fact that the current Empress and the next crowd Prince's mother, the female protagonist, is a Shartin, so what if it was revealed that she was a follower of the rebels?
The current Emperor kept information about the followers a secret for the sake of the Empress. But the original story ended with something like, "We'll get to the root of it, so what?" But what about getting to the root of it?
The Emperor didn't know that traitors were running rampant in the capital. In any case, Judith had to pretend not to know about the followers, so she just clicked her tongue inwardly.
“Are you going to step forward yourself?”
“Me? What kind of investigation would a dead person do?”
It was Erne who used the dead person's identity in the right place.
“Just write a letter to the Marquis of Mosley and he’ll take care of it.”
If they had died and come back to life like him, the reason would also be investigated by Marquis Mosley.
With the support of the royal family, he will be able to identify the cause much faster than if he investigated alone.
“Are you saying that as if I have to do it?”
“Then, Henry, you do it, or should I, the dead one, do it?”
Erne left all the annoying work to Henry.
“But why did the traitor approach your wife?”
“I think it was said that they gathered followers in that way in the past too. Something evil is attached to them, bad luck is attached, things like that.”
Roam was a knight, not a medium. It was more likely that he had been caught by the evil that was attached to Judith than that he had actually seen it.
Henry nodded as if he understood, then looked at Judith with a puzzled expression.
“Then what about your wife? That medium was the one who saved her life!”
“Oh, that’s right.”
Oh, really? It looks like a person is going to get eaten by a bug. Oh, really?
Judith said, gritting her teeth.
“You finally care about me. I’m so grateful I could cry.”
Judith pretended to sob, and Erne and Henry's expressions became bizarrely distorted.
“Oh, ma’am? Are you really starting to cry?”
"Yes?"
Judith wiped her eyes. Bloody tears trickled down the back of her hand.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“I think you should go to the doctor....”
Judith hiccupped in surprise and quietly looked at the back of her hand.
“...Humph.”
And just like that, she fell unconscious.
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