The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 39

“What do you think of me?”

I asked.

Eliza answered.

“Mine.”

“……”

I froze on the spot.

It was as if time had stopped; my body wouldn’t move.

‘Mine, hers, uh….’

Regardless.

Eliza calmly petted and brushed the Moon deer.

…Thunk!

“Oh my!”

Bradley dropped the broom from his hands.

The sound of the broom hitting the ground snapped me back to reality.

“Oh, s-sorry…. Heh, I was s-s-startled….”

“Startled? All of a sudden, why?”

“Well, it’s just, I forgot to buy what my wife asked for earlier today! I just remembered! Yes….”

“I see.”

Eliza remained composed.

A child who didn’t yet understand love.

A personality unskilled in feeling emotions.

‘…Oh, you idiot.’

I wanted to strangle my neck for reading too much into it.

Mine.

So, she was speaking as an owner of property.

Eliza is my master.

A commoner is nothing more than the property of their master.

So, in the strictest sense, I am indeed Eliza’s.

‘Die. Just strangle myself and die…!’

So embarrassing.

It’s so embarrassing I want to kill myself for assigning meaning to what a kid said…!

I felt a burning gaze from somewhere.

I turned my head, sweating coldly.

Lia was waiting behind Eliza.

Her black eyes burned fiercely, like her hair.

I hurriedly shook my head.

I tried to convey my intentions with my eyes.

‘No, no. You know she doesn’t mean that…!’

It was understandable for a servant to get upset if their master called a commoner “mine.”

Still, it’s not something to get that angry about…!

You know it doesn’t mean that!

“Judas?”

“Yes, miss?”

My voice came out like an idiot.

Should I die? Will you just kill me, Eliza?

“Your face is red.”

“Ah…. This is….”

“Why are you sweating so much?”

“It’s, uh, a bit hot here….”

“It’s still winter.”

“Well…. I was just playing with the Moon deer, so I must have gotten heated up.”

“You didn’t look that hot when I arrived.”

“……”

You’re amazing….

I’m envious of your good memory and all your knowledge, really.

Eliza observed me as if I were a strange creature.

Then suddenly asked.

“Are you sick?”

“…No. No, I’m fine. I’m perfectly fine. Healthy, yes.”

“Hum. Okay….”

It was a nonchalant reaction, as if it didn’t matter much.

Eliza gently petted the moon deer again.

I tried my best to calm my mind.

I wanted to splash the cold water the moon deer was drinking all over myself.

Eliza spoke suddenly as she shifted her position.

“I’ve heard roughly. Starting with Shylock, and the other knights.”

Her tone was as calm as if she were talking about everyday life.

“They are under orders from Grand Duke Barak. They are targeting you.”

“…Yes, that’s what I heard.”

“But in my opinion.”

Eliza picked up the comb again.

She gently combed the moon deer’s back.

“I don’t think that’s all there is to it.”

“Yes…?”

“It’s just a guess, but I think there might be another purpose.”

I listened silently.

“Of course, they won’t leave you alone. You’re the pretext. They’ll make some move to provoke you. But, I think there’s another purpose behind it.”

Why was she telling me this?

Eliza glanced at me.

I quietly met her gaze.

“So, I won’t immediately question them or take any action to drive them out. We don’t have enough information yet to reveal anything. In that process, you might be put in danger.”

Eliza speculated that Barak had a hidden agenda.

To uncover it, she would have to use me.

I didn’t understand why she was telling me this.

“Oh, um…. I understand what you’re saying. But you didn’t have to tell me….”

Eliza is my master.

Whatever my plans to escape might be, that’s the current reality.

Therefore, she has the right to use me.

The Eliza I knew was originally that kind of person, so it wasn’t particularly surprising.

Surviving through this process would be up to me to manage somehow.

Anyway, it’s not like Eliza was saying she would kill me.

“…True.”

Eliza muttered suddenly.

A small soliloquy.

As if she was genuinely puzzled.

“Why did I….”

Eliza stared at me silently.

Blinking her large eyes.

She stopped combing.

Tilting her head a few times, she resumed combing.

“Anyway…. Just keep it in mind. I’ll try to make sure nothing happens to you.”

“Yes…. Thank you.”

Eliza stepped off the footstool.

She stood in front of the moon deer.

Naturally, she came beside me, and I took a step back.

“And the story of persuading Shylock was impressive.”

“…….”

Could it be.

Did Hermes tell her everything?

She said she wouldn’t let it cause any trouble…!

“You were in a village near the front lines, right?”

That was just a lie I made up because it was necessary.

I still don’t know what the original owner of this body, Judas, was doing or where he was.

“You didn’t tell me….”

“Yes?”

“Never mind. It’s nothing.”

Eliza was expressionless as if nothing had happened.

She just quietly looked up at the moon deer.

Eliza’s cat-like red eyes.

The clear and innocent black eyes of the moon deer look at me.

“Are you ready to accept me now?”

I think they’ve gotten quite close for a while now…

But it seems Eliza doesn’t think so.

Carefully, she extends her small hand towards the moon deer.

A slender wrist is momentarily exposed.

White and clean.

The bruises I saw before are now gone.

Why do I take note of that?

Why do I feel relieved when I recall that fact?

Eliza’s small hand touched the moon deer’s face.

This has happened before.

Not long after we first brought the moon deer.

At that time, the moon deer stepped back.

But.

“…….”

Today, the moon deer stayed calm.

It didn’t reject Eliza’s touch.

Instead, it softly rubbed its face against her palm, just like it does to me.

“…Ah.”

Eliza flinched and withdrew her hand.

She stepped back as if startled.

Then the moon deer looked at her.

As if asking why she wasn’t touching it more.

Finally, the moon deer approached Eliza first.

It placed its head against her awkwardly hovering hand.

The moon deer rubbed against Eliza’s hand on its own.

Eliza stared blankly at this sight.

As if it were a distant scene.

Then, cautiously, she moved her hand.

She gently stroked the moon deer’s face.

Her face, which had been stiff with surprise, gradually melted into a smile.

Like a flower blooming slowly.

Eliza carefully rested her forehead against the moon deer.

The moon deer didn’t pull away.

It moved its head softly.

Eliza slowly shook her head as if rubbing against it.

As if feeling the warmth and texture of its fur.

A bright smile that revealed her small teeth.

Round cheeks. Gently folded eyes.

Eliza turned her head while stroking the moon deer.

She looked at me.

Under her narrowed eyes, red pupils.

She didn’t say anything to me.

She just smiled more brightly.

That unfamiliar smile, so dazzling.

I just stood there quietly, watching Eliza.

Why would this child end up strangling me?

***

Lia is Eliza’s personal maid.

There are many maids in the mansion, but Lia is the only one dedicated solely to Eliza.

From the day Eliza started her education at the main house until now.

The first task of the day is to wake up Eliza.

And it’s also the time Lia enjoys the most.

Though she doesn’t show it outwardly.

She wakes up early in the morning and washes herself first.

She lets the water flow over the burn scars that cover her body.

Melted and twisted scars, so grotesque.

She didn’t dislike those scars.

She couldn’t dislike them.

Thinking of the person who caused them.

Having such scars on her body was a secret only she knew.

After finishing various preparations, Lia carefully opened the door to Eliza’s bedroom.

Since Eliza had been found in Judas’s room in the morning, Lia’s heart raced every time she opened the door.

Fortunately, Eliza was quietly sleeping in bed.

Covered snugly with a blanket up to her neck, hugging a cat doll.

Lia watched Eliza with a satisfied smile.

She came earlier than the scheduled wake-up time for this moment.

Watching Eliza sleep like an angel before waking her up.

It was the only pleasure in her life.

It wasn’t a purely happy smile.

There was guilt she couldn’t quite hide.

Disgust towards her weak self.

A face showing various complex emotions.

It was truly fortunate Eliza couldn’t see this time.

It was almost time to wake her up.

Mornings flew by so quickly it felt unfair.

Putting aside her regret, Lia pulled back the curtains.

Blinding sunlight poured into the room.

“Eliza, miss. It’s time to wake up.”

“Ugh…”

Even while mumbling, Eliza dutifully got up.

She never missed her wake-up time.

Sometimes, it wouldn’t hurt to dawdle a bit, like a child.

After getting up, Eliza immediately checked the flower pot.

A small pot placed on the window sill.

Moist soil.

No sprouts yet.

But surely, it was growing.

The anemone seed.

Eliza smiled drowsily.

Since buying the pot, Eliza started each day with a smile.

Checking the pot every morning.

Lia felt both sorry and grateful for this sight.

She thought she’d never see Eliza’s bare face again.

Especially to Judas, she was truly grateful.

…Though she couldn’t forget the shock of the day he called her “mine.”

***

The weekend came.

If I summarize what I need right now extremely, it’s just two things.

Money, power.

Things necessary to live alone after leaving this place.

Money can be steadily saved through the information guild.

I’m also diligently building power.

Since Gawain’s personal guidance was added, the pace has picked up.

But this ‘power’ covers a wide range.

The ability to win a fight against someone is power.

Protecting myself from someone’s threats is also power.

This weekend.

The purpose of going out to solve a request from the training center falls under the latter.

The power to protect myself.

I need the power to protect myself from Eliza’s magic.

‘In the tragedy, Eliza was strangling my neck while I slept.’

Eliza is an excellent Mage.

But she isn’t as strong as I am.

Therefore, for that tragedy to occur, some magical measures must be taken against me.

‘The fate shown is an inevitable necessity.’

The fortunate part of it not being a choice-based game is that I can freely move to find means to respond to that necessity.

Simply running away doesn’t guarantee safety.

I need a trait that can protect me when such a situation arises.

‘A trait commonly known as a magic barrier. It can block any magic once.’

The official name is Graceful Blessing.

There are several types of traits ending in ‘~Blessing.’

The effects are varied.

From blocking melee attacks to ranged attacks, and so on.

Among them, what I chose was a blessing that blocks magic.

In the blessing category, you can only obtain one characteristic.

“Even Barak is targeting me, so it will be useful in many ways. That guy is also Mage.”

To obtain this characteristic, the location is key.

You have to repeat a certain action at that place to acquire the characteristic.

“I have a good excuse as well.”

The place I’m visiting today is the Church of the Moon Goddess.

The excuse is a request.

A minor request came to the training center, and I decided to undertake it.

The task is simple.

To protect an apprentice priest while they gather herbs.

It’s a place where wild animals like stray dogs might appear.

“It’ll be convenient since I have the senses of a hunter.”

First, I’ll complete the request, and then I’ll acquire the characteristic.

However, there’s one thing that’s bothering me.

To acquire this characteristic, I need to take specific ‘actions,’ but I’m not sure if it will work in this reality.

“If I can prevent the situation from happening in the first place rather than overcoming it with the characteristic… If possible, that would be best.”

The gap before the tragedy occurs.

What happens in between?

If I can find out the reason, I can think of other countermeasures.

The question I asked Eliza to find out.

The answer ‘Mine’ quickly scattered in my mind.

“Stupid and pathetic guy…! Trash!”

The only possibility that comes to mind.

The most likely reason at present is Eliza’s power.

The Mad fire.

A power that constantly stimulates the user’s violence.

It’s also stimulated by the user’s violence.

The Mad fire and violence circulate each other.

“The power of the Mad fire is often compared to the sun. In fact, its color resembles the sun.”

Mad fire and the sun.

It would help to dig up some information about it.

Of course, it’s not easy.

If it were easy, I wouldn’t have wasted thousands of hours on Eliza.

“…Though it’s partly my fault for charging in recklessly.”

I didn’t delve into it like a scholar, but I have some rough knowledge about the Sun Church and its myths.

I don’t recall anything particularly helpful.

So, I have to look elsewhere.

For example, history from the era before the sun and the moon were separated.

“There was a priest who specialized in that study…”

I remember his name and appearance.

The problem is, I don’t know where he is at this point in time.

Should I ask the information guild to find him?

“I don’t know how long it will take. I only have his name and appearance. Finding people quests can take players years of in-game time…”

Thinking about all these things after a long time gives me a headache.

It’s not an issue that can be resolved immediately.

I’ll have to think about it later.

Then, a sudden question arises.

“Why is Eliza so calm?”

After the incident on her birthday, Eliza fully awakened the power of the Mad fire.

In other words, she would be constantly stimulated by violence.

However, Eliza has been calm since then.

So calm that I almost forgot the nature of that power for a while.

“Is she holding back? Or… has something changed?”

This is a problem that I can’t solve even if I think about it.

Just as I was organizing my thoughts, someone approached me.

“Oh. Judas. You came out early.”

It was Argon.

He had also applied for this mission.

We met at the entrance of the training camp.

“I just arrived as well.”

“And, uh… Sir Hermes, was it?”

Argon looked at Hermes, who was waiting with me.

“Yes. How do you do?”

She had to follow me wherever I went, so I brought her along today as well.

We moved by carriage.

Our destination was a city called ‘Selene.’

We needed to go to a church there.

‘I felt this when I first received the request… It feels strange.’

Even the name itself feels that way.

It’s not just because it’s the name of a city I know from a game.

Every time I hear or pronounce it, a corner of my heart feels a sting.

‘As if I’ve heard it somewhere before…’

It’s an emotion that seems to respond to this body of Judas, not me.

It’s a difficult-to-explain feeling of longing.

I don’t understand it well.

That’s precisely why I chose this church.

I thought I might be able to find out more about Judas as well.

After entering the city, we walked to the church.

The cityscape feels familiar for some reason.

Even though it’s not the city I know from my time.

Is it a place remaining in Judas’s memories?

“People seem to be staring at us.”

Hermes whispered in my ear as she looked around.

I nodded slightly.

“It’s not just similar, it’s exactly that. They’re blatantly showing their discomfort. It seems to be a city that dislikes outsiders.”

The Selene I remember wasn’t a city with this kind of atmosphere.

Every passerby glanced at us with displeased eyes.

Especially at Hermes.

As if looking at a despised criminal.

“Sir Hermes, have you ever been to this place before?”

“It’s my first time today.”

We just walked quietly.

Trying not to stand out as much as possible.

I suddenly thought of something and spoke to Argon.

“By the way, Senior Argon. Where does Senior Richard go every weekend? He seems busy.”

“Ah, that is…”

As Argon was about to answer, a young man walked out from the church entrance.

The church, surrounded by stone walls, was quite large.

“Greetings, brothers.”

He was a man wearing the white priestly robes of the Moon God Church.

“Are you the ones here to assist with your escort today?”

We nodded simultaneously.

I quietly observed him.

‘Green eyes. Light brown hair. …Wait, could it be?’

The name of the priest and theologian who studied the time when the sun and moon were one was…

Aquine…

“Nice to meet you. I am Aquines, an apprentice priest.”

…Found him!

Hiding my joy, I introduced myself.

“I am Judas.”

“I am Argon.”

Then Aquines looked at Hermes.

“And you, sister?”

“I am Hermes. I am here to escort Sir Judas.”

An Escort’s Escort.

The situation seemed a bit amusing.

Aquines just nodded, saying,

“I see.”

Around that time, another person appeared at the church entrance beyond the stone wall.

An older middle-aged man.

He was wearing a white priest’s robe like Aquines.

On his shoulder was a crescent moon symbol.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw me.

“This is Bishop Harold,”

Aquines kindly explained.

When Argon and I bowed our heads in greeting, the middle-aged man named Harold belatedly showed a gentle smile.

‘…What is this?’

From a distance, Harold stared at me persistently.

The clinging gaze made me uncomfortable for some reason.

Aquines drew my attention.

“Then, shall we depart immediately? I’ll explain the details on the way.”

“Oh, yes, sure… Let’s do that.”

I quickly stopped paying attention to him.

There was something more important in front of me.

Aquines.

An apprentice priest who might tell me stories related to the sun that I didn’t know.

And in this church, I might acquire the traits I desired.

Argon, Hermes, and I followed Aquines into the path.

***

Harold watched the backs of the group as they moved away.

His gaze was fixed on one boy.

Confident golden eyes.

Black hair.

It was undoubtedly ‘that child.’

The one who was thought to have died after failing the task.

‘What happened…?’

Why is he still alive?

And in such a fine state, too.

Harold struggled to calm his confused mind.

It was hard to figure out alone.

It was also awkward to subtly approach the boy and ask.

First, he needed to contact the person who had initiated and carried out the task.

A figure known outside as being on a pilgrimage.

The person who had found Judas.

‘I must inform Anggra of this…’