The Escort Knight Who Is Obsessed by the Villainess Wants to Escape - Chapter 80

“Choose.”

“…Pardon?”

“Pick one for yourself.”

Eliza led me to the relics storage room and said that.

The floor, gleaming with polished marble, and the brilliant golden lights.

It felt less like a storage room and more like a holy sanctuary.

And like its luxurious ambiance, each relic here was anything but ordinary.

‘You want me… to just pick one of those?’

The relics kept at the Temple of the Sun.

Only those with the authority can take and use them.

Most notably, Barak, the head of the Bevel family.

And Johan, both the Emperor of the Helios Empire and the Pope of the Sun Cult.

Others could as well.

Cardinals or district leaders.

The emperor’s children, or Barak’s children.

That’s right.

Eliza is one of Barak’s children.

An illegitimate one, but with the authority nonetheless.

The relic s here can be used for various purposes.

As a means of prayer to heal the seriously wounded.

As a weapon to defeat demonic beings.

Or as a defense to protect oneself, and so on.

While I can’t take everything, I’m allowed to take a few items.

If it’s Eliza, she can certainly do that.

But.

“Are you saying, my lady, that these are not for your use, but for me?”

“Yes. To commemorate your knighthood as my bodyguard.”

“This is truly an honor, but I’m not sure if I should….”

I have no right to take any items from here.

I’m not sure if this is appropriate.

In response to my concern, Eliza answered.

“Judas.”

She looked straight at me and said.

“That’s not something you need to worry about.”

It wasn’t a harsh line.

Her tone was more like a gentle admonition.

“As your master, this is a responsibility and duty I must bear. You don’t need to worry about it or hesitate. Understood?”

I slowly nodded.

I had no choice but to agree.

“Good. Now, take your time looking around.”

Since it’s come to this, I decided to go along with it wholeheartedly.

‘If my master is making an effort to offer something valuable, it would be rude to refuse.’

I carefully examined the displayed relics.

A few items came to mind.

‘The best ones… aren’t here. Of course.’

I remember every item registered in this storage.

Among them, there are two items that could be considered truly exceptional.

However, they’re not here right now.

I expected as much.

Those items wouldn’t just be left here to gather dust.

‘One should be with the Emperor… and the other with Barak, I guess? In the future, that item’s whereabouts were unknown.’

I surveyed the remaining items.

‘Each one is useful and impressive, but… what I need right now is something practical and easy to use. Anything with complex conditions for use is out.’

Several items were ruled out from the list.

Only a handful of equipment remained.

I picked up a sword.

Suitable for both two-handed and one-handed use, with an ideal length and weight.

The straight, black blade.

Dark and deep, like a night sky without a single star.

It glinted in an otherworldly way when light touched it.

A sword used by an unnamed hero to slay the monster that killed his family.

An artifact from the Mythic Age.

‘A sword known as the Pupil of the Moon.’

It was passed down through the Moon Cult for generations, but when their influence waned, the Sun Cult seized it.

An aspect of the moon’s power, wielded only by the divine.

A rare force that can only be manifested through a special item.

And this ‘Pupil of the Moon’ is a weapon that inherently possesses Moon attributes.

“When mana flows into it, it becomes reinforced with Moon attribute magic.”

I was curious.

If I, already possessing Moon attribute magic, were to wield this…

What would happen?

Slowly, I infused it with mana from my fingertips.

Enhancing tools was something I was skilled at.

The black blade began to shift from the bottom, taking on an ivory hue.

It soon reached the tip of the blade and started to glow.

The soft illumination resembled the moon.

“It’s different from what I knew.”

This wasn’t how it usually looked.

Normally, a thin line of light would be inscribed straight down the center of the blade.

Like the pupil of a cat or a reptile.

But now, the entire blade of the Pupil of the Moon glowed.

A notification popped up in my mind.

[The Pupil of the Moon has regained part of its original power.]

[The Pupil of the Moon has regained part of its original power.]

“…Broken Moon? There was an attribute like this?”

This was my first time hearing about it.

…Is it a good thing?

“The name doesn’t sound all that impressive, though.”

Moon Attribute.

Broken Moon.

Just by the name alone, it feels as if the original attribute has been weakened.

“I can’t tell just by the feeling… I guess I’ll have to use it to understand its true effect.”

Click, click.

Eliza approached me.

“Do you like it? You’ve been staring at it intensely.”

I answered honestly.

“I like it very much.”

Even though it suddenly acquired the ‘Broken Moon’ attribute, I couldn’t help but be pleased with it.

The Pupil of the Moon is an exceptional weapon, even without its attributes.

It’s not something I could easily acquire at my current level.

“…….”

Eliza gazed at me intently.

Almost to the point of making me feel a bit uneasy.

“Um, is there something wrong? Should I pick something else?”

“No. It’s not that. Just….”

She trailed off, studying my face intently.

“Seeing you smile like that—it surprises me every time.”

“R-really?”

I scratched my cheek, feeling slightly embarrassed.

“You don’t smile often in front of me.”

Looking back, that’s true.

It’s not that I avoid it on purpose.

I always feel a bit tense around Eliza, to a certain degree.

It’s not easy to smile naturally in front of someone who ranks above you.

Moreover, it’s not just any high-ranking person; she’s my master whom I serve, which makes it even more difficult.

“Why don’t you smile in front of me?”

Eliza muttered quietly to herself.

‘Could she be bothered that I don’t smile?’

Though it’s unlikely this would lead to a tragedy, it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.

I awkwardly raised the corners of my lips as I looked at her.

Eliza, who was staring at me, suddenly covered her mouth.

“Pfft!”

She giggled, shoulders shaking.

I stood there for a moment, watching her.

Eliza, smiling.

It wasn’t the first time I’d seen her smile.

She often smiled warmly at me.

But this was different.

This time, she was laughing simply because something amused her, a light-hearted, carefree laugh.

Eliza, laughing with a purity so clear.

Using her authority to bestow a holy relic upon me.

Though they say tragedy and comedy are inevitable, I still don’t think this Eliza will ever strangle me.

Therefore, the second tragedy will be the same.

Like the first, it can be avoided.

That’s what I believe.

“You look like an idiot.”

I scratched my cheek, feeling bashful.

“You don’t have to force yourself to smile. That’s enough. Choose more.”

“…More holy relics?”

“Yes.”

Although I wondered if this was really okay, she gave me permission.

So I decided to act confidently.

Opportunities are meant to be seized when they arise.

‘There are even a few suits of armor here…’

A problem arose.

They didn’t fit my build.

‘In games, you don’t have to worry about physique and can wear anything… this is different.’

Fortunately, none of the remaining armors here really caught my eye.

Thus, I chose a shield.

A round metal shield about the size of my upper body.

‘It’s an item with an unusual name—the Undying Shield. The religion that once inherited this holy relic was said to have disappeared in the war against the demons.’

It had a function where, if imbued with magic, it would automatically repair itself.

Even if it was broken or dented, as long as the core at the center of the shield remained intact, it could be restored endlessly.

It was easy to maintain and came with its own magic resistance—a splendid piece of equipment.

“Have you chosen everything?”

“Yes. This will be more than enough. Thank you, Miss.”

“It’s my duty as your master. Now, let’s move on to the next place.”

“The next place?”

“Yes. There’s still more to give.”

For a moment, I was confused.

I began to seriously consider it.

Is today my birthday rather than Eliza’s?

***

“Achan, oppa—!”

Sarah whined as she ran somewhere.

A large sofa placed outside the temple.

The man who was called slowly got up with a grunt.

“Mmm…”

A ponytail that didn’t quite match his neat, noble attire.

A rough beard.

Achan scratched his head vigorously.

Grabbing the sword beside him as soon as he stood up was a long-standing habit.

“What’s the matter now?”

With a loud thud, Sarah plopped down next to him.

Jezebel, who came along, sat more quietly and drank the wine she brought.

Achan also took a swig of the wine he’d been drinking.

It seemed like the youngest’s complaints were about to start again.

In truth, Eliza was the youngest, but they didn’t acknowledge her as kin.

“You heard it earlier too, didn’t you, oppa! That girl Eliza openly disrespected Jezebel unnie!”

“Hmm… definitely. It was pretty bad, especially in front of so many people.”

“So, I went looking for her to give her a good scolding, but…”

Sarah poured out her grievances about the injustices she’d endured.

Achan listened silently.

He found it strange.

Normally, Jezebel would join in, throwing in a few words to curse Eliza together, but today she was unusually quiet.

“On top of that, even the knight who was by that guy Judas’s side defeated my two escort knights!”

Judas Deficit.

Eliza’s first guard knight.

Achan had been keeping an eye on him for a few years now as well.

He was bothersome.

The man who stayed close to Eliza.

He wasn’t just famous; his skill seemed to match his reputation.

“Oppa, go teach them a lesson! You can beat him, right?”

Five siblings, children of Barak and Narcissa.

Their relationships were complicated.

When they bullied Eliza as children, they were united in purpose and were quite close.

But at some point, their bonds began to fray.

They hadn’t fallen out completely.

Just an unspoken wall had formed between them.

Especially between the eldest, Cain, and the second, Levi.

The large age gap with the third, Jezebel, made it difficult for the younger siblings to interact with them.

Instead, the younger ones grew closer to each other.

Jezebel, Achan, and Sarah were only one year apart from one another.

Among them, Achan, while always reluctant, would lend Sarah a hand whenever she asked for help.

He admired Cain and was a swordsman of considerable skill.

Though he’d never reach Cain’s level.

“Of course.”

Though Judas may be skilled, he’s ultimately a man with no foundation.

In contrast, he himself had been trained from a young age, both as a knight and a swordsman, recognized as a prodigy.

“And besides, wasn’t it always you who took the most pleasure in tormenting Eliza?”

At those words, Achan chuckled quietly.

Memories from the past resurfaced.

The days when he’d delighted in tormenting that filthy, lowborn illegitimate child.

At some point, however, Eliza had grown hardened and began showing no reaction, no matter how much he was harassed.

In fact, she sometimes retaliated even more fiercely out of sheer spite.

Whenever that happened, Achan would become infuriated and escalate his torment, yet Eliza never backed down.

Eventually, it was Achan who grew tired and withdrew, leading them to where they were today.

That guy, Judas.

From what he’d heard, their relationship didn’t seem ordinary.

If he could shatter him in front of everyone, he might once again see a crack in Eliza’s expression.

“That’s true.”

“Will you do it?”

With a sparkle in her eyes, Sarah asked.

Achan caressed his beloved sword with a wicked grin.

It was the holy relic of the Church of the Sun, a blade of granite he’d chosen during his coming-of-age ceremony a few years back.

A fine weapon that had proven a reliable companion whenever he needed it.

He nodded.

“So, I just need to handle that guy named Judas, right?”