The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 67

“I guess I’ll be a Escort knight, then.”

It was a quick decision, so fast it made the past five years of conflict feel meaningless.

“As if I’ve ever lived my life overthinking things.”

Just keep it simple. Like always.

Once I made up my mind, I felt much lighter.

“There’s no reason to stay away from Eliza anymore.”

There was only one reason I tried to run away from her.

I was afraid she might kill me.

That Eliza might strangle me like in that tragedy she showed five years ago.

If it was the Eliza I knew, she might still do that.

The infamous villainess, Eliza.

But the Eliza of today is not that kind of villainess.

It’s still hard to understand her true intentions, but she’s no longer a murderer or arsonist who kills for fun.

Moreover, considering my current relationship with Eliza, it seems almost impossible for such a tragedy to happen.

In other words,

The tragedy has been avoided.

Not because of timing, but due to a change in our relationship.

At least that’s how it seems to me.

“Unless I make a huge mistake, she probably won’t strangle me.”

So, just in case, I need to be extra careful to avoid any such mistake.

“…But really, what could I possibly do that would make Eliza strangle me?”

No matter how hard I think about it, I have no idea.

I can’t even imagine it.

Neither any mistake I might make with Eliza nor a future where Eliza would strangle me.

“Whatever it is, I’ll just have to be careful not to upset her. Although that’s how I’ve always lived…”

Suddenly, a question she asked me when we were young comes to mind.

She asked how I thought of her.

I answered that one’s birth does not determine one’s being.

Maybe I have always seen her through the lens of her birth.

“It was my side that was blindfolded.”

Accepting reality quickly brought me a sense of relief.

Since the tragedy has been averted, staying by Eliza’s side is the most advantageous choice for many reasons.

There is this land I bought, Jericho.

A city still in its early stages of development and restoration.

It’s a place with poor security and uncomfortable living conditions.

In contrast, how about the position of being Eliza’s Escort knight?

I get a steady salary, good food.

I even live in Eliza’s luxurious mansion.

I am confident I can do the job well, too.

“The more I think about it, the more running away seems like a loss.”

Not that it’s the only reason.

Personally, I have a lot to be thankful to Eliza for.

At first, I thought she was playing with my life, but before I knew it, she had become my benefactor.

The opportunity to train safely and grow was all thanks to her.

“She’s not a friend… definitely not family, but also not just a simple contractual relationship… Hmm…”

It may just be gratitude felt by me alone, but anyway, it’s important that I feel that way.

Sometimes my heart skips a beat seeing how gracefully she’s grown, but that’s my problem. Really.

It has nothing to do with any feelings of that sort.

“Anyway, that’s not what’s important.”

I give up on my plan to run away.

The land I bought in Jericho can be useful somehow.

“I can always sell it later when the price goes up.”

All that’s left is the final test.

Since I decided to become a Escort knight, I must take it seriously and pass.

“But what kind of test is it, anyway?”

No one has passed it so far.

And they say the contents of the test change every time.

I’m confident I can pass whatever task they give, but I can’t help but be curious.

“I’ll find out on the day, I guess.”

With a light heart, I sat down on the bed.

A flowerpot on the windowsill caught my eye.

Anemone.

For the past five years, its flowers have bloomed and withered repeatedly.

Now I see, it’s sprouted.

It wasn’t there yesterday.

Eliza always noticed the sprout first, but this year, I saw it first.

“If I tell her tomorrow, she’ll be happy again.”

Whenever the sprout grew, blossomed, and turned into a flower, Eliza was as delighted as a child.

The smile, where her teeth showed brightly, remains as pure as it was five years ago.

And when winter comes, and the flowers wilt, she becomes noticeably sullen.

The rare variety of emotions you can see from Eliza.

When I recalled it, I found myself smiling without realizing.

“Whether it’s cute or not.”

***

And the next morning, Eliza’s reaction was more intense than I had expected.

“It grew before mine?”

Our plants always sprouted on the same day.

However, this year, only my plant had grown, while Eliza’s had not yet sprouted.

“This has never happened before!”

I’m not sure if it’s something to be so happy about.

But seeing Eliza smile so brightly, it felt like it didn’t matter at all.

***

On the day of the final exam.

There are only three participants.

Me, Richard.

And Hazel, the eighth generation cadet.

Ranked first in the training camp.

Our record against each other is 21 wins and 19 losses.

In other words, I lost twice more.

It’s always this close.

Including unofficial duels, there are many more.

Losses too… Hmm.

We’ve known each other for quite a while, and since our ranks are what they are, we often meet, but we don’t get along well.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but his personality is a bit…”

He’s not outwardly obnoxious like some of the others I’ve fought before.

He actually speaks very little.

He’s never openly picked a fight with me either.

But, how should I put it…

He’s quiet, yet he somehow gives off this vibe that he looks down on others, like he’s different from the rest of us.

Regardless of personality, Hazel makes me feel uneasy.

“Well, that’s because he’s originally from the Royal Knights, after all.”

I’m sure of that from the future I know.

But right now, he’s firmly holding the first place at Eliza’s Escort training camp.

What on earth is going on…

“Is today finally the day the first Escort knight will be born?”

Richard said, nudging my side.

“Why are you looking at me like that when you say that?”

“Well, it would be natural for the person who monopolizes the lady’s favor to become the first Escort…”

“It will be whoever performs best in the exam. It’s not determined by the lady’s interest.”

Hazel, standing next to us, glanced over, snorted through his nose as if laughing, and shook his head.

Yes, that’s always the vibe.

He has no friends in the training camp.

While I was bantering with Richard, Gawain came in.

We all fell silent at once.

Gawain greeted us with a slight nod.

He looked at me longer than usual.

“This man is so obvious sometimes.”

Five years of continuous personal training.

It should have ended long ago, but Gawain kept training me without much question or objection.

To the point where it was almost mysterious to me.

Now, I know the reason.

This man quite likes me as his student.

He tries to hide it, but I can see how proud he is of me.

Especially whenever I pass an exam on the first try, he beams with pride.

“If I fail this time, will he even shed a tear?”

No way, but still.

“Congratulations.”

Gawain said solemnly.

“You’ve worked hard to get to this point. If you pass this final exam, you will earn the right to become the lady’s Escort knight. It’s a glorious task. Give it your all until the end.”

“Yes!”

“The content of the exam will be explained directly by the lady.”

Soon, the door opened.

She was wearing a red scarf over a black coat.

It was originally a blanket, but now that she’s grown, it looks like a real scarf.

She walked in with the elegance of a cat.

In her arms, she held a black cat doll that somehow, despite its contrast with her appearance, seemed to suit her well.

Following behind her was Lia, the maid with red hair.

Eliza made eye contact with me and smiled gently.

The person I will serve from now on.

Who I will see often…

“No, wait. I haven’t even passed the exam yet; I’m getting ahead of myself.”

I must not confuse confidence with arrogance.

Eliza, who stood before us, spoke.

“The conditions for the final exam are simple.”

No pleasantries, straight to the point.

“You need to go to the location I tell you and find a specific hidden item. Only those who bring back the item will pass.”

As Eliza nodded, Gawain handed out a piece of paper to each person.

“We don’t know the exact location where the target item is hidden. The only clue is that it’s within the area marked on the map on that paper.”

We were given a map that seemed to have a certain area enlarged.

‘This terrain… It feels familiar somehow.’

A memory that was on the verge of coming back.

‘I’m sure this is a place I knew before… before the possession…’

When I struggled to recall, it finally came to me.

Where this place is.

What is hidden here.

With the memory resurfacing, Eliza spoke.

“The location is approximately near the border with the demonic realm. The exact name of the item to bring back is a holy relic from the age of myths, called the ‘Uplifting Sun Statue.'”

A holy relic that can reproduce the power of a god.

If used correctly, it can fulfill any wish or miracle without fail.

I remember the exact location of this relic.

Unless there’s a special reason, that location shouldn’t have changed.

‘If used, it would grant any request without fail, but only once.’

It was such a difficult item to obtain that I only managed to get it in the final stages of the game.

In the future, the Imperial Family identifies the location of the relic and begins an investigation.

And I intervened and took it.

I even used it.

Around the time close to my possession.

‘Anyway, the location of that item is…’

As I retraced my memories, I froze in place.

The more I thought about it, the more I felt lost in a maze.

I definitely used that item.

I remember the status window popping up, allowing the user to freely write the wish they desired.

And at that time, I…

‘I… don’t remember.’

I have no idea what wish I made.

‘That’s strange…’

I clearly remember the Sun Statue.

It looked like a round sun being held up by tree roots.

I also know the conditions to use it.

I’m sure I met all those conditions perfectly and used it.

‘It was Christmas, and… A status window popped up, prompting me to type something…’

I remember such trivial details, yet I have no idea about the actual wish.

‘…Is it just my memory that’s bad?’

It’s a plausible hypothesis.

Besides, it’s already been five years since I came here.

It’s not strange to forget some minor memories from a past life.

In reality, unless it was an important and intense moment, it doesn’t really stick.

‘Since it was supposed to grant any wish, I must have asked for the thing I wanted to know the most… But I don’t know what that was.’

It probably wasn’t an important wish.

To begin with, it wasn’t possible to wish for something significant in the game.

‘Maybe it’s a memory that only makes sense from the moment I entered the game.’

“There is no deadline for this exam.”

Eliza continued explaining.

“You can bring it back whenever you like.”

No deadline.

That means it’s impossible to predict how long it will take.

In truth, the location where the Uplifting Sun Statue is hidden is incredibly dangerous.

Both the ruins housing the relic and the path leading to them.

But I know a safe way to approach.

‘The route to get there, the method to easily navigate the maze. Unless some natural disaster has changed the place, everything should be the same.’

Having finished her explanation, Eliza glanced around at the candidates.

“I’ll be expecting great things from you all.”

She says that, though her expression suggests no expectation at all.

An indifferent, emotionless face.

“Judas.”

She motioned to me.

“Yes, my lady.”

As I approached, she looked up at me intently.

Her eyebrows twitched, and her mouth curled slightly.

Her lips, crooked.

She looked somewhat displeased.

‘What’s going on? Did I do something wrong?’

Or, is it that?

Does she not like the idea of me becoming her escort knight?

I can’t think of any other reason for this reaction.

“Hmm.”

Eliza let out a sigh through her nose.

Then, they hand me something.

“Take it.”

The item pressed into my hand is cold.

Hard metal.

‘…A bracelet?’

A gold chain bracelet.

A red gem is embedded in the center.

I ask, bewildered.

“What… is this?”

“Just take it. Use it for the test.”

Eliza doesn’t seem to have any intention of explaining further.

‘Is this some kind of trick?’

Well, it’s not like they’re handing me a bomb, so I might as well take it.

“Thank you.”

As I move to put it in my pocket, Eliza suddenly grabs my wrist.

“What are you doing?”

“…Huh?”

“Why aren’t you wearing it?”

Wait, you told me to take it, not to wear it!

Besides, I’ve never worn any accessories on my arm in my life.

If it were something like an elastic band, maybe, but this looks a bit complicated to put on.

Not wanting to look clueless, I planned to put it on myself later.

“I’ll wear it later….”

Eliza doesn’t wait for my excuse.

They snatch the bracelet back with a swift motion.

“Give me your hand.”

After hesitating for a moment, I reluctantly offer my wrist.

Eliza fastens the bracelet on me.

Their small, warm hands move skillfully.

‘This… doesn’t suit me.’

It fits comfortably.

But on a thick wrist with prominent veins, a gold bracelet with a red gemstone?

Not exactly my style.

“All done.”

“…Thank you.”

Eliza doesn’t let go of my hand.

Still holding it, they look up and say with a sigh,

“Do your best.”

So, it’s not that they dislike me, but that they don’t trust me?

…But I’m still the second rank in the training camp?

“I won’t disappoint you.”

Finally, Eliza lets go of my hand.

The warmth fades away.

When it’s time to leave, I turn around and freeze.

“……”

Richard is nodding with a benevolent smile.

As if he understands everything.

He slowly shakes his head with that same expression.

As if there’s no need for words.

“What are you standing there for? Get moving.”

“We haven’t received permission to start yet, have we?”

“……”

Gawain’s voice comes like a savior.

“Everyone, let’s get going. Trust in the skills you’ve honed through your training.”

After bowing to Gawain and Eliza, I hurry away as if escaping.

***

“The Statue of the Rising Sun, huh….”

Barak’s third child.

Jezebel mutters to herself.

She looks down at the map.

A map marked with the areas where the Statue of the Rising Sun might be.

“Eliza plans to use the final test of the knight selection to pinpoint the location of the Statue,” she thinks.

The information came from Leah, the maid closest to Eliza.

Lis, who used to leak information to her mother, Narcissa, has now attached herself to someone else.

Jezebel.

And also to Cain, the firstborn, and Levi, the second.

‘Though I dislike the informant, there’s nothing wrong with the information.’

The informant is just trying to survive in their own way.

‘This information must have also been passed on to Cain and Levi.’

Will they act?

Or will they not?

Jezebel doesn’t ponder long.

She is lower in rank compared to those two in the competition for the family head.

Even if it is reckless, she needs to act radically.

To seize the opportunity.

If she doesn’t take risks, she won’t be able to close the gap.

“Lia said this is a good opportunity, so let’s trust her.”

Jezebel immediately summoned her people.

“Send a covert team to this area and have them follow those sent by Eliza from a distance. We should avoid any conflict if possible, but…”

Jezebel smiled wickedly.

Her red eyes gleamed with exhilaration.

She brushed the ends of her blonde hair lightly and continued speaking.

“If necessary, feel free to kill them. Those mere candidates for escort knights.”

***

Meanwhile, Levi, Barak’s second child, was also reviewing the same documents as Jezebel.

After verifying a few facts and comparing them with the information he had, he managed to uncover the hidden details in the content Lia had provided.

“This is a trap, isn’t it?”