Chapter 87: The Holy Sword and the Oath (3)

Chapter 87: The Holy Sword and the Oath (3)

Chapter 87: The Holy Sword and the Oath (3)

Here’s one thing I’ve come to learn recently:

Lucy was far more obedient than I initially thought.

I barely mentioned that we had somewhere to go together.

Before I could even explain the details, she began preparing to leave.

When I asked her if she wasn’t curious about where we were going or if she had time to spare, she simply replied that none of that mattered. Only my will did.

“If it is your desire, I will simply act upon it.”

Such a textbook answer.

It was the very image of a stereotypical knight.

This definitely wasn’t how she used to be.

When we first met, she was timid and somewhat naïve. But now, there was no trace of that earlier impression.

She was still technically just a trainee knight.

Yet her demeanor and strength had nothing of the rookie about them.

As I mulled over these changes, one particular thought struck me.

“Come to think of it, how did you handle your status as a knight?”

This could get complicated.

Since she hadn’t been officially knighted, she wouldn’t have the Empire’s self-destruct sigil engraved on her.

Still, the fact that she belonged to the Empire’s knighthood hadn’t changed.

If she had been AWOL this whole time, things could get ugly if she was caught.

Worried, I decided to ask her.

“If that’s what you’re concerned about, it’s fine. I was dismissed just yesterday.”

Lucy answered calmly.

I blinked in confusion.

She’d left for somewhere alone as soon as she regained her strength, and now she claimed to have gotten herself dismissed during that time?

Is that even possible?

I stared at Lucy with doubt, and as if noticing my gaze, she began to explain further.

“I figured if I simply quit, it would look suspicious. So, I cut off my arm.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

Certain I must have misunderstood, I focused on her explanation.

“I reported that I’d been injured during duty and couldn’t recover, even with the temple’s help. The knight order promptly expelled me.”

No matter how much I listened, the story didn’t change.

My face naturally twisted in shock.

Setting aside the Empire’s cruelty of dismissing someone without compensation the moment they became one-armed,

She did that to herself?

To leave the Empire’s army as quickly as possible?

Who in their right mind would cut off their own arm for something like that? Without anesthesia, it must’ve hurt like hell!

“Please don’t worry. I can regenerate my arm anytime.”

Lucy reassured me nonchalantly, even adding a polite thank-you for my concern.

“I’m ready to leave. Let’s go, my lord.”

Strapping her sword to her side, Lucy stood up.

After spouting one insane remark after another, she remained utterly composed.

I found myself at a loss for words.

Sure, with the Geass in place, I knew she was bound to obey my commands.

And judging by her current demeanor, it was clear she was fiercely loyal, more likely to defend me with her life than harm me.

But still... this was a bit much.

...Should I just wake up Miss Rubia and drag her along instead?

I let out a long sigh, pushing the thought aside, and got to my feet.

Something about the journey ahead started to feel deeply unsettling.

*****

The train’s body gleamed in a sophisticated black.

Intricate golden gears and a transparent tube filled with blue mana stones coursing within gave it an elegant, almost magical appearance.

A deafening explosion roared.

And what had been people turned into chunks of flesh.

Countless lives snuffed out in an instant. The train overturned in a catastrophic explosion.

...Except none of that actually happened.

The terrified faces of the passengers were now painted with confusion. No one had died.

The train continued peacefully on its route to the destination.

Far from being derailed, it ran smoothly and steadily, a proud testament to the Empire’s exceptional engineering.

The terrorist remained frozen in place, arms outstretched, mid-laugh in that bizarre pose.

Faced with this peculiar scene, I knew there was only one thing I could do. I stood up and walked toward him.

“...This can’t be happening. This just can’t be. How could it fail not once, but three times?”

The man muttered to himself, his unsettling grin replaced with frustrated mumbling.

Then his gaze fell on me.

The madness returned to his eyes.

“Was it you...? Were you the one sabotaging the noble plans of the Harbingers of the Apocalypse?”

Grinding his teeth, the terrorist pulled a dagger from his cloak and charged at me.

But I didn’t move.

The blade struck directly into my abdomen.

He started laughing, triumphant—only for his expression to twist into bewilderment moments later.

He must have realized something was wrong.

The blade hadn’t pierced me.

With a dumbfounded look, he inspected the dagger in his hand.

Not a drop of blood stained it. The blade was bent, as though it were made of rubber rather than steel.

“...What?”

A confused, almost pathetic whimper escaped his lips.

Beads of sweat formed on his brow as he began to sense that the situation was not in his favor.

But it was too late to realize that now.

I drove my fist into his head.

-CLANG!

The sound echoed, absurdly loud, like metal clashing against metal rather than a fist meeting a skull.

Foaming at the mouth, the terrorist collapsed.

And thus ended the career of that amateur terrorist.

****

“I don’t even know how to thank you enough,” the conductor said with a bow after the crew had dragged the man off in restraints.

As we spoke, the conductor filled me in on the details.

Apparently, those “Harbingers of the Apocalypse” weren’t even a proper terrorist organization.

“They’ve never actually carried out a single attack despite all their threats?”

“Exactly! I just can’t wrap my head around those lunatics.”

The conductor went on a rant, pouring out his frustrations about this bizarre group.

They were a strange lot, issuing threats of terror without ever following through. Even during interrogations, their explanations were nonsensical lies that only added to the headaches of the authorities.

“Like last time, they claimed they planted a bomb, but a ‘black wolf’ carried it off before it could explode. Do they think we’re complete idiots?”

He assured me they’d come up with another ridiculous excuse for this incident as well.

I couldn’t hold back a laugh as I responded.

“...That’s not a terrorist. That’s just someone crying for attention.”

“Exactly! And I’m the one left dealing with the aftermath every time.”

We chatted for a while longer until the train finally arrived at its destination.

As we said our goodbyes, the conductor made it a point to remember my face, telling me to reach out if I ever needed anything.

“Well, the world is full of idiots, I suppose,” I muttered to myself, shaking my head.

The world is vast, and fools abound.

With that thought, I rejoined Lucy, and together we made our way toward the blacksmith’s district.

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