The Knight Who Protects the Weak

Chapter 015: Crimson Flame Cult (2)

The moment I could sense the mana of mages was when they finally revealed their killing intent or hostility.

It was as if the mana’s flow, suddenly unsettled as though reflecting their psychological state, reached my senses whether I wanted it to or not.

…Yes, this too must be an ability I gained because of my Curse of the Spectral Body.

‘What the hell is this?’

I dragged the soles of my shoes across the ground, inching forward.

My five senses were on high alert.

It felt as though I were about to face a life-or-death duel with a swordsman stronger than myself.

‘…!’

In the pitch-black void, a sharp blue glint flashed briefly, like the eyes of a beast.

I reflexively drew my sword.

Kiing!

“Wait, just a moment…!”

The voice that came from directly ahead belonged to a young boy.

At the same time, I sensed movement behind me.

It seemed Bill had already woken everyone.

Hwarrrk!

A torch, raised by someone behind me, illuminated the area ahead.

As expected, a boy, startled by the sudden light, was crouching with his body curled up.

From behind, Jayden’s shout rang out.

“Who are you!”

“I-I’m not an enemy! I don’t want to fight you…!”

The boy lowered his arms, which he had raised protectively, revealing his face.

He wasn’t quite a boy. Judging by his build and face, he was at most a couple of years younger than my current age of seventeen.

“My name is Ayan! P-please, help me.”

He looked ready to drop to his knees.

Jayden approached my side.

“Did you lose your way? How did you end up here in the middle of the night…?”

Chk.

I stretched out my hand to block Jayden’s path.

It wasn’t that I was being overly sensitive—Jayden was just excessively meddlesome.

“Bihen?”

“He’s not from Easton. His clothes are suspicious.”

I pointed with my chin, and only then did Jayden lean forward, narrowing his eyes.

Ayan was wearing a long, white garment resembling a soutane.

In all my past lives, I had never seen a Kingdom citizen wear such a thing, even as undergarments.

More importantly, the source of that vast mana was none other than this boy.

“It’s fine, Bihen. He’s just a kid. Put away your sword.”

“…Jayden?”

“I’ll take responsibility.”

Jayden took another step forward and gestured for Ayan to come closer.

Ayan, stumbling awkwardly, staggered as though his legs gave out when he got near Jayden.

“Ugh…”

“Hey, it’s alright now. What happened to you?”

Ayan was trembling so much that even speaking seemed difficult.

In contrast, his previously turbulent mana had calmed down, almost deceptively so.

“I-I…”

He barely managed to open his mouth, but even that didn’t last long.

Multiple presences were approaching.

“Ayan!”

From the direction Ayan had come, a group rushed forward.

Even in the torchlight, I could see at least six or seven figures, with more shadows lurking behind them.

Their attire was all similar to Ayan’s.

The man in the center bellowed.

“Who the hell are you!”

As expected, I began to sense the mana flow growing erratic.

Even so, their combined mana was a mere fraction compared to Ayan’s.

The two men at the ends ignited flames in their hands.

“S-Senior Brothers…!”

“Reveal your identities at once! Are you Zephyros scum?”

In that moment, not only their identities but Ayan’s as well were laid bare.

It was somewhat expected, so I wasn’t particularly surprised.

Jayden, helping Ayan to his feet, spoke.

“We’re the Easton guard. Are you mages of the Crimson Flame Cult?”

“…What? The guard? Hah, yes. That child you’re holding is one of ours. Hand him over nicely and get lost.”

“Hmm, perhaps this is fortunate. I have matters to discuss with your leader. Will you guide us?”

The mage let out a derisive scoff.

“Ridiculous. Do you think our leader has time to waste on mere guards?”

“Why so harsh? Tell him we come on Zephyros’s orders, and he might change his mind.”

The expressions of several of them shifted instantly.

“Z-Zephyros scum! Disguised as guards, were you!”

“No such thing. So, have you changed your mind?”

“…Hand over the kid first. Then we’ll talk.”

Ayan’s eyes widened.

He grabbed Jayden’s arm tightly, his lips trembling.

“Please! S-save me…! Please, please…!”

“….”

“Ayan! What nonsense are you spouting! Do you mean to disgrace our sect?”

Amid this, Jayden hesitated, clearly concerned for Ayan.

I let out a sigh.

If he were my subordinate, I’d have slapped him.

I didn’t want to step in, but this time, I had no choice.

Kiing!

I swiftly drew the sword from Jayden’s waist with my left hand, aiming it at Ayan, while pointing my right-hand sword at the Crimson Flame Cult members.

“H-Huuh…!”

Ayan let out a strange whimper.

Jayden was just as startled.

I spoke to the shocked cultists.

“Lead the way. To your hideout. Or bring your leader here, now.”

“Y-You bastard…! You think you’ll get away with this!”

“I will. I’m the one who slaughtered your comrades who attacked the caravan yesterday.”

The flames in their hands and the torches held by Janson and Bill illuminated their horrified faces.

I pushed my left arm forward, pressing the sword tip closer to Ayan’s neck. It’s fine. It’ll only sting a little.

“Answer before I change my mind. I could just kill you all and interrogate this kid to find the place myself.”

I heard a trickling sound and glanced down—Ayan had wet himself.

I’m bad at human relationships.

I know they start with empathy.

Lacking empathy often makes things inconvenient, but sometimes, it’s refreshing.

Like right now.

* * *

Maserin took the rear, while Janson and Bill, holding torches, split into a wing formation to light the darkness as we walked.

I followed closely behind the Crimson Flame Cult members, keeping my sword trained on their backs.

Whenever some of them glanced back, I gave them a suitable glare.

“Eyes forward.”

“You’re completely insane. Do you even know what you’re doing?”

“I know exactly. So shut up and move.”

“…Don’t lay a finger on Ayan. That’s a warning.”

I deliberately kept Jayden and Ayan at a distance behind us, because, thanks to my heightened hearing honed to perfection, I could eavesdrop on their conversation.

Given Jayden’s nature, it was obvious he’d pry into Ayan’s story.

“Ayan. It’s okay, so tell me. What happened that made you beg us for help?”

“….”

“This mess… I’m sorry it came to this. We had no choice.”

“…It’s fine.”

“I need to know the details to help you. I promise I won’t take it lightly.”

I glanced back.

Ayan was walking like someone who had given up on life.

The shadows on his face were deepened by resignation.

He showed no sign of opening up.

I was about to turn back without thinking when…

My eyes met Bill’s.

A conversation we’d had earlier flashed through my mind.

—…Anyway, it’s true they take living people and use them as sacrifices for their mana. They absorb their vitality. I saw one of the corpses once—it looked like a shriveled branch.

…Let’s piece together what I’ve heard so far.

Jayden and Ness described the Crimson Flame Cult as a stubbornly conservative sect, but they never mentioned anything about them using living people as mana fodder.

If such a perverse practice existed, they would’ve ranted about it.

‘They never doubted there might be something they missed.’

That was clearly my mistake.

If I wanted to stay blameless, I shouldn’t have tagged along with Jayden in the first place.

Admitting my own irresponsibility and arrogance… that’s when I felt a sense of unease.

‘If the Crimson Flame Cult is really doing what Bill described…’

It would explain why Ayan was begging for his life and why they were so fixated on him.

‘The mana Ayan possesses is more immense than any mage I’ve faced.’

Given the diverse natures and types of magical sects, the mages themselves must vary as well.

There could easily be mages capable of gauging or even siphoning another’s mana, like I can.

If the leader of the Crimson Flame Cult is one of them…

I snapped my head up.

Lost in thought, I hadn’t noticed my head drooping.

…Was I thinking too long?

I realized I’d missed Jayden and Ayan’s conversation.

“Bihen—!”

Jayden’s call struck my ears like lightning.

For some reason, I felt I knew what he’d left unsaid.

My body reacted with chilling speed, even to my own surprise.

Thud—!

“Gkk…!”

I stabbed the nape of the mage walking directly in front of me.

Deep enough for him to see the blade’s tip with his own eyes.

Spurt!

I yanked it out and swung wide to the left and right.

The heads of the two beside him flew off.

“They’ve betrayed us!”

“Don’t panic! Form up and focus!”

I had means to counter them, but what strategies did other Imperial swordsmen use against Kingdom mages?

Ambush and speed.

The Imperial army knew not to give them time or distance.

It seemed Jayden understood this too.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Jayden carried two swords, one on each hip.

The one he drew now was a so-called ‘rapier,’ a thin blade ideal for thrusting.

In an instant, he closed the distance and targeted the mages’ vitals with the rapier.

His movements were concise and swift, reminiscent of the Empire’s quicksword techniques.

“You bastards!”

A roar echoed from somewhere in the darkness.

The flames conjured by the mages flickered irregularly, and the torchlight’s range had narrowed, making visibility poor.

Even I couldn’t help but miss some enemies in this situation.

“Jayden!”

By the time I shouted, a fiercely flickering flame was illuminating the side of his head.

It wasn’t a mage hurling fireballs but one who coated their fist in flames for close combat.

Crunch!

“Arghhh…!”

Where the flame had burned, a chunk of ice, wreathed in white mist, was now embedded.

A whooshing sound followed, and this time, the mage’s head flew off.

“It seems we’ve cleaned up here.”

Maserin said, helping Jayden to his feet as he sat, looking like he’d fallen on his rear.

The surroundings had grown quiet again.

Somehow, our coordinated ambush had gone smoothly.

“Haha. It’s been a while, and this isn’t easy.”

The lingering sparks dotting the area soon faded.

Since this was a barren hill with barely any trees, there was little risk of a forest fire, which was fortunate.

Jayden grabbed my shoulder.

“Sorry. I didn’t have time to explain the plan. They’ve set up a trap-like formation ahead. We were in a rush. Of course, that alone didn’t justify the risk.”

Before answering, I glanced back.

Janson and Bill were shielding Ayan protectively.

“You’ve figured out the Crimson Flame Cult’s atrocities, haven’t you?”

Jayden’s eyes widened before he slowly nodded.

He furrowed his brow as though tasting something bitter.

“You’re right. I don’t know how you knew, but…”

“Do you have a plan?”

I cut him off, diving straight to the point.

Maserin was also eyeing Jayden with subtle anxiety.

She wasn’t saying anything, but she was likely rattled.

As a member of Zephyros, she must be struggling to interpret her mentor’s impulsive actions and figure out how to handle this mess.

“They’ve set up hideouts in caves, and it seems there are two such places. One houses the cult leader and his official subordinates, while the other holds children they plan to use as sacrifices.”

“Children?”

“Yes. All around Ayan’s age or younger.”

I nearly stomped on the mages’ corpses in rage.

Jayden let out a sigh.

“My mistake. I didn’t realize they were this depraved.”

“We should return quickly and report this.”

“No. I’d like to entrust that role to you.”

Not only I but Maserin also stared at Jayden with wide eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re an Imperial. I can’t drag you into this mess. I’m grateful you came this far with us.”

“This isn’t the time for thanks. What do you plan to do after sending me back?”

“When dawn breaks, the cult leader will catch wind of this. Tonight is our chance to rescue the children.”

It didn’t take long to infer what he’d omitted.

As soon as I refocused on Jayden, he spoke.

“Maren. Take Janson, Bill, and follow Ayan. Rescue the imprisoned children.”

“What? What about you, Master?”

“I’ll face the cult leader alone. I’ll buy time.”

Maserin’s lips began to tremble as her eyes darted back and forth.

It struck me anew that when she’s with Jayden, Maserin is an entirely different person.

“W-What…! No! Are you saying you’ll go die alone?”

“There’s no other way. Returning to Easton takes half a day. If the cult leader learns of last night’s attack in the meantime, who knows what retaliation he’ll unleash. Not just the captive children but innocent Easton citizens could get caught up.”

The moment we rescued Ayan, the die was cast.

Ayan was likely the cult leader’s most prized ‘prey.’

The choices were clear: either escalate things beyond the cult leader’s grasp or settle it tonight.

“No, Master. We should retreat for now. If you disagree, I’ll use my knightly authority to stop you.”

“…Maren.”

“Stop being stubborn. We can leave the aftermath to Zephyros. Why are you taking this burden on yourself? With your life on the line? This isn’t right.”

From Maserin’s perspective, this must be absurd.

Her mentor, like a father to her, was suddenly volunteering to throw his life away.

I didn’t want to ruin the tearful mood, but it was time for me to step in.

“Because Zephyros can’t be trusted.”

“…What?”

Ignoring Maserin’s cold glare, I turned to Ayan.

“Hey, Ayan. How many children are held there?”

“I haven’t counted exactly… but at least thirty.”

“And the guards?”

“They’re low-ranking disciples called third-generation. They take turns, about twenty of them.”

Low-ranking disciples would be lower-circle mages.

Sorry to Jayden, but this wasn’t a situation requiring sacrifice.

Of course, that’s if I go alone.

“I’ll join you.”

“Bihen…!”

“Rescue the children first, then take out the cult leader. Tonight.”

Maserin cut in, her tone back to its usual icy edge.

“Fighting fire mages in a confined space? With this group? It’s reckless. There’s a risk of getting trapped.”

“I’ll go in alone. You hurry back and bring your friends. Someone’s got to clean up.”

“…What?”

Ignoring her, I turned to Jayden.

“Let’s move.”

“…Bihen. You need to consider your ties to the Gunbel Trading Company. As long as you’re bound to them, I can’t drag you deeper. One misstep, and you could fall out of the Empire’s favor.”

The weight of the word ‘Empire’ pressed down on my shoulders.

My lower abdomen ached faintly.

Perhaps because I’d already died once, my sense of awe had grown heavier without me realizing.

My head drooped.

In my lowered gaze, I saw the six-pointed star brooch pinned to my left chest.

I touched it absently, then covered it with my hand. It was still there. My grandmother’s warmth.

Along with that warmth, I felt…

Thump, thump, thump.

Ah, I see.

—Why did you choose a meaningless death?

My justice.

—You don’t become a star by dying. Right, Bihen?

My star.

—Live for honor and glory.

And the path I must walk,

—Bihen. I told you, didn’t I? Our path is here.

My path.

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“It doesn’t matter.”