Chapter Eighteen: Knights and Heroes
I nearly stumbled my way to Allen’s house.
Just like the others, Allen’s home was in ruins, reduced to a pile of stones and logs amid the shaking earth.
In front of the broken house, a small cluster of people stood around, most of them looking stern or sorrowful as they conversed. A few were lying nearby, covered in bl**d and dirt, but their chests were rising and falling slowly—thankfully, they seemed to be alive.
I spotted Aili and Barry among the crowd; despite being completely filthy, they were intact, arms and legs all accounted for. They looked healthy enough.
“… Ha—”
I let out a sigh of relief, my heart finally dropped back down from its sky-high perch, and I wobbled, nearly losing my balance.
I was terrified they might end up like Uncle Dole, crushed beneath the rubble and forever silent.
“Aili! Barry!”
I called out loudly.
Hearing my voice, the two turned around, surprise evident on their faces.
“Little Shay! Are you okay?!”
“Aili! Thank goodness!!!”
Aili rushed over and enveloped me in a tight hug.
“You’re safe! I was so scared… I was about to go look for you…”
She buried her head in my shoulder, taking a deep breath like always.
Ah, the scent of lilacs. And after sweating, it’s as if the mild fragrance transformed into a rich, intoxicating aroma that was downright delightful…
Aili rubbed her face against my neck, and then rubbed some more.
“… Aili, we need to go!”
At that moment, I had no clue about Aili’s little thoughts. My mind was solely focused on the monstrous terror about to burst forth from the abyss—no one knew better than I how horrifying that thing was.
That was the true calamity, and it was not the time for celebration. I had to get as many people away as possible before it arrived.
At the very least, I needed Aili and Barry to get far away—to the neighboring town to meet with Grandma. That place shouldn’t have been too affected, at least not yet.
Only by doing that could I fight back.
“… What’s wrong, Little Shay?”
Aili seemed a bit confused.
“Quickly, go! Leave the village. There’s a monster coming!”
I shouted to the bewildered crowd.
“… Monster?”
Aili, Barry, Allen, and the people gathered around all wore puzzled expressions.
“Little Shay… what happened at home? Why do you have that scythe out?”
Barry looked at the big scythe in my hands, confused.
“Everyone, hurry! Aili, tell everyone to leave!!”
I was frantic, desperately looking at Aili, hoping she would trust me and get everyone out of here.
Aili noticed my urgency but couldn’t grasp my meaning; she hesitated. If everyone left, what would happen to those still buried and alive beneath the rubble? Wouldn’t they just be left to wait for their fate?
“Little Shay, uh…” Allen, not very familiar with me, was suddenly shy in my presence, scratching his slightly blushing cheek as he spoke, “I think we should focus on saving people now; why should we leave?”
“There’s a monster! It’s coming soon!!”
At this moment, I utterly despised my ability to express myself. If only I could articulate what I felt inside!
“A monster? What kind of monster?!”
Upon hearing me speak, the crowd looked increasingly unsure.
“Little Shay, what exactly is going on? Why do we need to run? There are still many people buried under the rubble!!”
Aili looked at me in disbelief, her eyes wide open.
What to do…
I fell silent.
That familiar feeling of dread washed over me. I knew they had emerged from the abyss.
How could I get these people to listen to me?
… Wait! The cloak! Perhaps the cloak would lend me a hand!
I yanked off the cloak and held it in front of them.
“Now, I, Silvya, Rabishixemos, in the name of the Holy Church, command you to evacuate this village immediately! There shall be no mistakes!”
The Holy Church holds a substantial position in this world. I knew this well, and so I declared it earnestly. Even though I was trying hard to look imposing with my serious face, deep inside, I was incredibly anxious.
There was a moment of surprise and hesitation among the crowd.
“Little Shay, you…?” Aili looked at me with a complex expression.
“I, Silvya, Rabishixemos, am the highest executor of the Holy Church. Do you wish to defy the Church’s orders?” This was of course a completely fabricated title; I doubted whether such a position even existed. But at that moment, there was no other option.
This was the Bearded Swordsman’s cloak. Someone as fearsome as him should have considerable standing in the Holy Church, and the intricate patterns on the cloak surely held some significance.
“Th-this… this is the emblem of the Pope Knight!!! I recognize it! This is the Pope Knight, my lady!!”
After a brief silence, someone in the crowd seemed to recognize the design on the cloak, and that one statement exploded in everyone’s ears.
“The Pope Knight, my lady?!”
“Little Shay, is that the Pope Knight?!”
“The Pope Knight is a hero of humanity!!!”
Aili and Barry were utterly bewildered.
They recognized the cloak I wore when I came, and they’d noticed the emblem on it long ago.
But they had never thought much about it—this old, tattered cloak they saw every day at home, with its floral patterns that resembled strange engravings, had such deep significance.
They might not have recognized the patterns, but they knew about the Pope Knight.
Was there anyone in this world who didn’t know about the Pope Knight? No, there was not.
That’s completely different from the Church Knight. The title of Pope Knight could only be granted to those humans who reached the peak—a legendary hero who answered solely to the Pope and was the most mysterious and powerful warrior, slaying all evil.
An existence they could never hope to touch.
Little Shay, the seemingly delicate girl, the one who couldn’t even do farm work right and needed their help.
The Pope Knight of the Holy Church?!!
The hero of humanity!!???
How could that be?
Both Barry and Aili were finding it hard to believe this nonsensical tale.
They simply could not trust it.
That girl they had been living alongside every day was the Pope Knight, my lady?!!
What a joke.
“Little Shay… what are you joking about…”
Aili’s lips quivered slightly, her expression one of disbelief.
“Little Shay…”
Compared to Aili, Barry, after an initial moment of shock, began to accept it upon a little thought.
Though it was truly unbelievable.
But that cloak really was the one Little Shay had worn! He had known from the beginning that her identity must be special, at the very least a noble relative.
He even imagined that Little Shay was a fallen princess from a destroyed kingdom who, through a bizarre turn of events, ended up in this small village and gradually fell for his sincere heart, ultimately marrying this poor boy.
But he never thought Little Shay’s identity was this profound.
She was actually the Pope Knight of the Holy Church!!!
That’s a hero for all humanity, someone he idolized even in his dreams.
…………
The Pope Knight?? What on earth is that???
My mind was full of question marks; I had no idea what a Pope Knight was or whether it was impressive.
… Well, judging by their reactions, it must be remarkably significant.
So, I quickly hopped onto their bandwagon.
“Exactly, in the name of the Pope Knight, I command you to evacuate the area immediately.”
There was no time to waste.
Not far off, that ominous presence was drawing closer and growing stronger.
“Little Shay… um, is something serious happening? Should we really not save anyone?”
“Monsters are attacking. Evacuate now.”
I spoke in an undeniable tone.
“Little Shay…”
Aili wanted to say something more.
“Run now!!”
I glared wide-eyed, trying to overpower them with my intensity.
But alas, I looked too delicate. Even if I put on the fiercest expression, in their eyes, it just came off as… cute?
Curse that Bearded Swordsman! Always so close to me yet vanishing at such a crucial moment!
“Aili, Barry. Take as many people as you can. Get out of here.”
“What about you…”
Aili asked with concern.
“I… will go rescue others.”
The scythe in my hand danced in the air, shining as it sliced through.
“Zheng—”
The scythe pointed downwards, the cloak billowing, lifting my long hair.
Turning, I stepped forward.
Bring it on, let’s fight!
