57. Interlude: The Name of Happiness
*
Shield, the Great God of Light. One of the three main deities of the Temple of the Gods, corresponding to the state religion of the Dane Kingdom. Veiltein, a priest of Shield, was a capable individual who rose to the position of parish priest at a young age.
– Knock knock.
“Priest Veiltein. It’s Albert.”
“Ah, Knight Albert! Please, come in!”
Veiltein put down his tea and smiled, clasping his hands together. Soon, the old wooden door creaked open, and a stoic young man entered. His eyes, hardened by rough and grueling training, were strong. Yet, his delicate features, befitting his noble lineage, made him a slender and refined young man.
Veiltein remembered the deeds of this devout knight. He had heard that Albert rescued a caravan kidnapped by demon worshippers, fought and defeated a demon single-handedly, and dealt with monsters threatening nearby roads. The sight of him that Veiltein had witnessed firsthand…
‘Truly, the epitome of a knight…’
His willingness to risk his life to save a farmer in a mountain village, and his march into a forest teeming with undead, embodied noble sacrifice and justice. He was the very model of chivalry. Veiltein smiled warmly at this devout knight.
“You summoned me?”
“Ah, yes. Knight Albert. Have you heard that Lord Baimeer is staying in this city?”
“I’ve heard rumors from merchants, but…”
“After hearing about you, Lord Baimeer has taken an interest. Do you have any thoughts on the matter?”
“It would be a great honor to meet a knight of the Round Table.”
Fernandez couldn’t help but laugh at how smoothly the conversation was going. The fact that a member of the highest political group, which essentially ruled the Dane Kingdom, was interested in him…
‘An audience with the king must be close at hand.’
The current king, Helga III, was rumored to be a tyrant. Though, rather than the present, it was the judgment of future generations that labeled him as such. The current peaceful reign was likely due to the power of the Round Table. Maintaining the kingdom’s strength under the arrogant and despotic Helga III was proof of the Round Table’s competence.
In contrast, during the reign of Vicente II, a renowned king from a past life, the strong royal authority left little political influence for the powerful knights of the Round Table. But now, the Round Table was practically the ruling body of the Dane Kingdom.
– I shouldn’t think of the Round Table from my past life. These guys are more like politicians than knights.
‘And they’re ‘competent’ politicians at that. Competent politicians are easier to handle than competent knights.’
Fernandez chuckled inwardly as he took a sip of the tea Veiltein handed him.
*
Kirhas was staring blankly at a butterfly fluttering over flowers. The city, governed by Count Zest, was well-maintained and peaceful. From the perspective of a torchbearer, or as a vassal of Fernandez, peace meant nothing but boredom.
“Yawn…”
Kirhas’s tail swayed lazily in a gentle curve. Watching butterflies flutter in the warm sunlight was enjoyable, but there was nothing else to do. Her life had recently been dictated by Fernandez’s exploits.
“Bored, are you?”
“Ah?!”
Kirhas’s ears perked up. Abel had appeared behind her without a sound, sitting down gently beside her with a soft smile. Kirhas glared at Abel, her ears twitching.
“Don’t look at me like that. I came to hear more about that village.”
“But Your Excellency has already said everything, hasn’t he?”
“Fernandez. Hoho, that boy always hides so much. That’s what makes him interesting.”
Dragons love riddles, after all. Abel stroked Kirhas’s hair and smiled. Kirhas narrowed her eyes slightly. Telling adventure stories was fun. And, annoyingly, Abel was a good listener, making her a pleasant conversationalist.
“Your Excellency… caught a ghost!”
“Ah, yes. A cannibalistic tribe, wasn’t it? How horrifying.”
“Of course! And they hung people on poles…”
Kirhas paused mid-sentence. Stories of people being sacrificed as offerings touched on her trauma. Abel smiled warmly.
“It seems you’ve been through a lot. We all have. But Kirhas, look.”
Abel plucked a small flower bud from beneath Kirhas’s feet and placed it in her hand. It wasn’t a flower from the dazzling shrubs where butterflies fluttered, but a tiny bloom from beneath the porch. Kirhas hadn’t even noticed it was there.
“Happiness is always beneath your feet, behind the shadows, somewhere between hardship and indifference. Even when we don’t know it, or see it, it’s always there. So.”
She stroked Kirhas’s head.
“Don’t be consumed by sorrow. And even if your interests and goals are as dazzling as those shrubs, always remember to look at the wildflowers beneath your feet as you move forward.”
“…Yes…”
Kirhas blushed and bowed her head. Abel’s blue eyes sparkled as she smiled beautifully. Her soft golden hair fluttered in the warm spring breeze.
Kirhas nodded inwardly. Yes, someone like her… it’s inevitable, isn’t it…? But even as she thought this, a sharp pain stabbed at her chest.
‘This is… possessiveness. Not the kind of feeling one should have toward Your Excellency.’
At that moment, Kirhas’s ears and tail shot up. Your Excellency?! Her ears reacted to the sound of footsteps before her body did. Heavy, balanced, and trustworthy footsteps. It was him!
“Huh?”
Abel, flustered, removed her hand from Kirhas’s head, but Kirhas didn’t care, slapping the porch with her tail. Soon, the door opened, and Fernandez appeared. His usual tired, gloomy eyes were visible. Kirhas struggled to suppress the urge to run to him and instead stared at him.
“Ah, Kirhas…”
“Sr. Sorry, but could you help me up a bit…?”
“Yes, Your Excellency!”
Before Fernandez could even finish his sentence, Kirhas rushed over like the wind and supported his left shoulder. Fernandez was still not fully recovered from his wounds. To put it bluntly, he should have abandoned the mission and rested.
In a situation where proper treatment was impossible, a sword wound piercing the abdomen in this harsh foreign land would have been fatal for an ordinary person. It was only thanks to Diemonica’s blessed body that he was holding on, but Fernandez sighed and sat down on the porch.
“How did the mission go?”
“It seems we’ll be able to head to the capital soon. Sorry for making you wait so long.”
“Don’t say that. If there’s anything you should apologize to me for, it’s not for making me wait.”
Abel glanced at Fernandez and spoke.
“Take better care of yourself. I always knew you were reckless, but to get such serious injuries every time…?”
While Kirhas was folding Fernandez’s coat, Abel took out a fresh bandage and removed the blood-soaked one stuck to Fernandez’s stomach. The dried blood and scabbed wound tore slightly, and blood began to flow again.
“Ah… We need a healer.”
“It’s fine.”
Fernandez forced a stiff expression, sweating coldly. It was doubtful whether the Church would allow them to increase their numbers and move around more. Besides, a healer wasn’t a necessary resource for their group.
Kirhas’s role was merely combat support, and Abel was tough enough to not consider wounds that a healer could treat as injuries. And as for himself…
‘If things go south, I’ll just die.’
– Didn’t you just lecture me the other day about not getting used to death?
‘With things like this, I’d rather have died back then.’
– That’s hilarious, really.
Faijashi chuckled. Diemonica’s body could heal from serious injuries naturally, and even if he suffered a fatal wound and died, the Stigma of immortality would protect him.
“It hurts me to hear you say that. Don’t talk like that.”
Abel’s blue eyes slightly narrowed and widened. With those big eyes making that expression, it felt like she was treating him like a foolish child. Fernandez coughed awkwardly and changed the subject.
“Ah, it seems we might get involved with the Church of the Underground Burial. Is that okay?”
“Hoho, are you worried about me?”
Abel’s eyes softened. Just as the underground waterway and human sacrifices were traumatic for Kirhas, Abel had been the guardian dragon protecting the kingdom from the Church of the Underground Burial her whole life, and her end had also been at their hands.
But Abel smiled as she looked at the wildflower Kirhas had tucked into her hair.
“I mourn my dead children not because their lives were fleeting, but because they were brilliant.”
She spoke as if singing, wrapping a clean bandage around the wound. Her arm encircled Fernandez’s waist, and a sweet scent wafted from her hair. Through the wide collar of her clothes, her pale skin peeked out, and Fernandez quickly averted his gaze.
“But if you were to meet such a fate, I would mourn you too. So, please, live long.”
“May I ask why you say that?”
“Aren’t you a child?”
She blushed slightly and gently touched Fernandez’s bare torso. Kirhas quickly draped his coat over him, looking annoyed.
Under the warm spring sun, the inn’s porch was peaceful.
*
Baimeer was a knight entering the twilight of his life. But everyone who dealt with him preferred to describe him as “mature” rather than “old.” Helrga chuckled as he looked at Baimeer’s arm in a light tunic.
“Old man, aren’t you at the age where catching a cold could kill you? It’s still early spring, and the night breeze is chilly.”
“Haha, Your Highness. If this old man catches a cold, it would truly mean it’s time to die.”
Helrga smiled sadly as he watched Baimeer pack. He deserved better treatment.
“It’s my fault you’re suffering in your old age. Didn’t you say your grandchild is my age?”
“Please don’t say that, Your Highness. I volunteered for this, so why do you keep bringing it up? And Pan… that kid is still just a reckless brat compared to you.”
Baimeer smiled warmly as he finished packing. It was unusual for a knight of the Round Table and a prince of the kingdom to prepare for a journey with his own hands. Baimeer liked this young prince who didn’t lose his smile even in such times.
“Ah, I heard a story about a knight who single-handedly defeated a troll, Priest Vailtein. I was thinking of meeting him before heading to the capital. Would that be alright?”
“Of course. But single-handedly defeating a troll? That’s not something just anyone can do.”
“Haha, true. But they say he’s a very young man. Wouldn’t you want to meet him?”
In these turbulent times, Baimeer was the type who believed in securing every capable knight they could. If he was still on a wandering journey, it meant he hadn’t pledged allegiance to anyone yet, so it wouldn’t be bad to assess his character and have him accompany them to the capital.
“…He won’t be a hindrance to our journey, will he?”
“Don’t worry, Your Highness. I’ll take responsibility.”
“If you say so, I can trust you. But why? Aren’t there plenty of young, promising knights in the royal palace? Why go out of your way to vouch for him and take such a risk?”
At any other time, it might not matter, but now Helrga couldn’t afford to draw attention. He was officially traveling the kingdom on a wandering journey. It wouldn’t be good if the royal palace or the Church found out about their journey.
“The knight’s name is Albert.”
“A common name, isn’t it?”
“They say he has an identity certificate guaranteed by the Vaitas Church.”
“Well, he should if he’s a wandering knight.”
“He’s from the Sernerd Barony.”
“…Sernerd?”
Baimeer nodded. His rugged, stone-like face cast a deep shadow in the candlelight.
“They say he’s Lucas’s son.”
“Is that possible…? No, the Vaitas Church… Right. I’ve heard rumors. So, that knight is…?”
“Yes. If the Church’s certificate is genuine, then it must be him. I want to confirm it.”
Lucas of Sernerd. His only child was Fernandez. If the Vaitas Church’s certificate was genuine, then the knight named Albert must be Fernandez. If so, they needed to find out what he was doing while hiding his identity.
But if that certificate was forged…
‘He’ll pay the price.’
If he dared to impersonate the child of a Round Table knight’s friend.
![[TS] Obsessed Gamer: The Ultimate Return](https://i3.wp.com/novelhitam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/TS-Obsessed-Gamer-The-Ultimate-Return2.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] Obsessed Gamer: The Ultimate Return")
