CH 273.

At the Sword Star’s excessively rude attitude, the people’s faces hardened. But, the one to be questioned, the archbishop, didn’t seem to mind the aggressive attitude.

“Of course the person comes first.”

The archbishop’s face was full of concern as he replied. He was the very image of a perfect priest who could do no wrong. But the Sword Star seemed to be annoyed by something because he continued to act contrary and combative. 

“What a reasonable answer.”

The other people were bewildered when the Sword Star continued to be hostile for no apparent reason.

“Your words are too harsh.”

“Recently, it’s said that Adenburg’s prestige has increased, but this is not the East. If you’re going to talk, then show some proper manners first.”

Amongst the people, some of them even expressed their dissatisfaction with the Sword Star. They were those who were closely connected to the Holy Kingdom of Astoria. 

“But before that, it seems like there’s something going on. Shouldn’t we hear about that first?”

But not everyone gathered here was affiliated with the central kingdoms. The people who came from the East to support the central region subtly covered for the Sword Star’s flaws and soon, the topic changed.

Although they had fought and risked death with the central region’s soldiers, as soon as the war front quieted down, they would be returning back to their home countries. And unexpectedly, the Adenburg Empire’s authority had become too great for them to show comradeship to the central region right now.

“Hmph. Well, let’s hear it first.”

The commanders expressed their dissatisfaction as they took a step back, pretending they were giving in.

They had spoken up to put on a show for the archbishop, but they also seemed to be inwardly curious why the Sword Star was unreasonably being hostile.

“It seems like Duke Roachim is under the mistaken impression that the Holy Kingdom has given up on rescuing the Warrior. Since the Adenburg knights have always been proud and chivalrous for generations, it is not surprising that they are completely dissatisfied with our behavior when it looks like we have abandoned our brothers in the field of death.”

At that moment, the archbishop came forward as he explained the Sword Star’s behavior.

“But you are mistaken. Countless knights and crusaders were sent from the Holy Kingdom to cross the frontline and carry out rescue missions. We would never forsake our brothers.”

With just those words, the atmosphere instantly gentled. The archbishop’s words were quite plausible.

“I hope this clears up the misunderstanding.”

The Sword Star didn’t respond and the people assumed his silence meant that the misunderstanding had been resolved. 

“Now then, will you answer my question now? What happened to him?”

Having roused public opinion, the archbishop once again asked about the whereabouts of the Warrior.

The Sword Star didn’t answer, yet the archbishop nodded as if he got one.

“So you failed. Well, that’s only expected. It’s not easy to find traces of him in the vast West. Truly, it’s depressing and terrifying. Once again, the people who are called the heroes of the continent haven’t been able to defeat the leader of evil. I can only be afraid of what the continent would become in the future.”

The people accepted his words as the truth. It didn’t help that the Indomitable Grand Duke had returned with fatal wounds, typical of the defeated, not the victorious.

“Still the friendship and devotion of the two of you, no, the Adenburg Empire has shown my country will not be taken lightly…”

“Friendship…”

The Sword Star hadn’t opened his mouth after the first question, but now, he cut the archbishop off. 

“The friendship that you’re talking about, is that one where you sell a friend to the enemy? What an incredible friendship.”

Until now, the Sword Star’s rudeness could be passed off as the misunderstanding of an arrogant old knight, but this time, his words held a different weight.

The Sword Star spoke as if the Holy Kingdom had done something disgusting, and the consequences of his words wouldn’t be light.

“What do you mean…”

“You go too far! The Duke of Adenburg should speak more courteously!”

“However you meant it, this is clearly an insult to the Holy Kingdom and the Central region!”

A ruckus instantly erupted. Enraged, the people of the central kingdoms shouted as if they had been personally insulted and the Eastern commanders watched the unusual situation with stony expressions.

“I don’t know what you misunderstood, but I can’t ignore it this time.”

The archbishop harshly reproached the Sword Sar, but the swordsman didn’t budge.

“Once I return, I will be informing the Temple of and will make this matter public.”

“I’m so scared I won’t be able to sleep at night.”

The Sword Star responded sarcastically when the archbishop threatened him. It was such a blatant provocation that even the archbishop’s expression changed.

“You…”

Indignant, the archbishop opened his mouth before stiffening.

Grrrrr.

Belatedly, he felt a warm breath on his back.

“The Indomitable Grand Duke’s drake!”

The drake, who had been knocked out by the Sword Star, had silently approached the archbishop and stood with his jaw wide open behind the archbishop. 

“Protect the archbishop!”

Instantaneously, the elite Templar Knights drew their swords covered in holy light and rushed at the dragon. But the Sword Star didn’t stand by watching that happen.

Swish.

Invisible to the eye, a Slash cut through the air, landing right by the Templar Knights’ feet.

“I’m sure I told you in the beginning. I will not allow even a single sword to be drawn against the Indomitable Grand Duke.”

The fighting spirit the Sword Star raised in an instant overwhelmed the Templar Knights. At the moment the Templar Knights were surprised by the silent Slash, the archbishop disappeared into the drake’s mouth.

“Enough.”

If it weren’t for the soft voice that suddenly sounded, the archbishop would have been torn apart by the drake’s teeth. 

“Indomitable Grand Duke!”

The people belatedly realized whose voice had stopped the vicious drake with just one word and forgetting the situation, they called out his name.

“Are you awake now?”

“How do you feel?! I’m very glad that you’re awake now!”

The people had completely forgotten about the archbishop and quickly gathered around to ask Kim Seon-Hyeok about his condition.

“I’m okay. It’s all thanks to the priests.”

Contrary to his firm answer, his complexion was still very pale. He even coughed up a mouthful of blood at the end of his speech. The cheering crowd quickly turned pale.

“Let’s clear up the situation first.”

Kim Seon-Hyeok waved the people away and quietly called for Goldrake.

“Goldie.”

Having run nonstop from the far West with his master on his back, the drake was in a terrible physical condition. Though with his strong vitality, he could endure the injuries plastered all over his body, the corruption caused by the demonic energy was visible to the naked eye and very serious. 

“Rest for now.”

Instead of answering, Goldrake took a low breath as he looked around with ominously gleaming eyes. He seemed worried about leaving his owner in the middle of enemies and didn’t seem willing to take a break.

“Don’t worry. There is no one here who can do anything to me.”

Goldrake desperately needed a break. After meeting up recently, Goldrake had regained his intellect but the reason he was looking more like a golden beast right now was that the demonic energy’s corruption had progressed too far.

If he forcibly tried to endure it, Goldrake would also turn into the demonic dragon they had seen in the West.

“If I need you, I’ll call you. So, go on.”

Only after Kim Seon-Hyeok repeated the same thing multiple times did Goldrake slowly burrow into the ground.

“Hyeek!”

Because Goldrake released the archbishop at such a ‘perfect’ timing, he let out a terrible scream. He had almost been buried alive and had barely gotten his head above the ground.

“Protect the archbishop!”

At some point in time, the Sword Star released the pressure from his fighting spirit, and the Templar Knights, who belatedly realized that they were able to move again, ran towards the archbishop.

“Stop.”

But once again, they couldn’t get to the archbishop.

“Indomitable Grand Duke?”

Kim Seon-Hyeok was blocking their path.

“Would you mind waiting for a moment? Really, just a moment.”

At his earnest request, the Templar Knights looked at the archbishop, then at him, with troubled faces.

“Sa, save me!”

Half out of his mind, the archbishop continued to wail without any decorum.

“Just a momen… guh.”

When the Templar Knights saw him vomiting out another mouthful of blood without being able to finish his words, they could only helplessly look at their commander. 

“Step back. I’ll take all the responsibility for this.”

“Thank you.”

Kim Seon-Hyeok expressed his gratitude when the Templar Knights simultaneously retreated at the paladin’s words.

“Seeing how you’re requesting this even with your condition like that, it’s clear that it’s urgent.”

Kim Seon-Hyeok bowed his head once more before walking towards the archbishop. Considering how his body’s condition was terrible enough to continuously cough up blood, his pace was infinitely slow.

“What are you doing! Quickly! Get me out of here!”

In the meantime, the archbishop had recovered his senses and was shouting at them. However, the Templar Knights didn’t move. And when they didn’t move, the crusaders and soldiers also didn’t move. 

“What are you doing right now?!”

“As of this moment, we will prioritize our vigilance against the monsters that may invade us from the West!”

When the archbishop yelled at them again, the paladin completely turned his men’s gaze elsewhere.

“Do you not hear me…”

The archbishop had been shouting for a while before he stopped. Staggering, Kim Seon-Hyeok approached him, then sat down in front of him.

“Indomitable Grand Duke! I’m glad you’re safe! Quickly, get me out of here. It was your dragon that made me like this.”

Watching the archbishop subtly threatening him that things would get worse if he didn’t immediately get him out of the ground, Kim Seon-Hyeok started speaking coldly.

“What is your rank in the Temple?”

“What does that matter now?! Come on, quickly, get me out of here…”

Seon-Hyeok completely ignored the archbishop’s words and picked up a handful of dirt from the ground.

Trickle.

“What on earth are you…”

The archbishop started sputtering and making a fuss. The dirt that was falling on his head must’ve gotten into his mouth.

“Right now, it’s only a handful of dirt. But next time, it’ll be more than that.”

But he could only make a ruckus for a moment. The archbishop quickly calmed down at Kim Seon-Hyeok’s sharp words. He finally saw Seon-Hyeok’s eyes.

“I won’t ask you twice.”

Kim Seon-Hyeok’s eyes were sapphire blue with black pupils vertically slit like those of a reptile. It was so bizarre and frightening that the archbishop desperately nodded his head without realizing it.

“Ah, understood.”

There was no way that even someone like the commander of the Templar Knights, who would never involve himself in political machinations, wouldn’t realize that the archbishop's shameful conduct in such a public place would never be beneficial to the Holy Kingdom. 

When he realized that the archbishop wasn’t showing any backbone, the paladin stepped forward. 

“Indomitable Grand Duke. I only agreed to your request because I thought you would have a good reason for pushing for it even with your body’s condition. I never meant for you to insult the archbishop of my country.”

The paladin had been in a dilemma, but now, he tried to fix the situation. However, he couldn't restore the face of the archbishop who had been buried into the ground. 

At this point, all he could do was hope that the Indomitable Grand Duke’s actions were justified. 

His wish came true. But it wasn’t in the way the paladin wanted.

“Joon-Min, no, the Warrior. Where is he?”

What on earth was he talking about now? The people’s eyes widened. 

“What do you… He stayed on the battlefield alone to save his allies and went missing while fighting the Demon King. Grand Duke, didn’t you already know this? Isn’t that why you headed into the West?”

“That’s what I also thought. But it wasn’t true.”

Having responded like that, Kim Seon-Hyeok gestured to Marek, who had withdrawn a bit.

Swish.

As if waiting, Marek pulled out an iron sword from a scabbard on the griffin’s back and brought it to him.

“Do you know what this is?”

Holding the iron sword in his hand, he waved the blade in front of the archbishop’s eyes. The archbishop had turned pale when he saw the sharp edge of the blade, but now, he pulled his head back as his eyes grew wide.

“Th, that’s?!”

“You’re right.”

Kim Seon-Hyeok answered with a cold expression.

“This is the Holy Sword you were looking for. Balmung.”