As silence fell, Curtis repeated Desmond's question as if it were a stupid question.
"Are you saying Lady Fi is the strongest? Of course you're right!!" (Curtis)
And he affirmed.
For Curtis, Fia was supreme.
Therefore, he believed that Fia should be praised in every sense of the word.
In front of such Curtis, Desmond, who was highly suspicious and examined everything from the side and only said negative things, finally recognized Fia's abilities.
Curtis should do his best to affirm Desmond.
Normally, all the knight captains would have objected to Curtis's overly favored remarks, saying things like "exaggerated" and "haven't it become weird," but this time, everyone was silent and listened.
Because that's exactly what they thought.
If one person could provide an exceptionally high level of attack and recovery, then that person was definitely the "strongest."
"Fia is amazing!" (Clarissa)
Clarissa muttered involuntarily, but Desmond raised a loud voice that drowned out her voice.
"Ah! Ah! Now that I think about it, it's always been like that! When Fia joined the team, she saw Commander's injury and thought it wasn't normal. That's why I myself wondered who she was. I told Cyril that I would check her, but in the end we still didn't really understand. Because her actions are always haphazard and bizarre, and there is no way to analyze them! As a result, there are many unbelievable coincidences around Fia. I just found out that it happens often. The rate of occurrence of that abnormal situation is not normal!" (Desmond)
"...That's right." (Savis)
Savis interjects.
"Fia's red hair is special. That color is the same color as that of the Great Saint 300 years ago. Also, it is said that the higher the spirits, the more they preferred red hair, so the spirits that no longer exist have some kind of magical effect. Maybe it's because of the color of her hair. I felt that way before in the forest...If Fia brings in luck like a coincidence, maybe it's because of that hair color." (Savis)
Cyril nodded in agreement.
Then Desmond twirled his hair.
"...I see! In the end, Fia was recognized as a Great Saint in Sutherland, and thanks to that, she received the holy stone from that land. That was because of Fia's hair color and strange behavior. So, even though it has no basis in fact, she is treated as the Great Saint! Can you believe it? When she answered that the jellyfish dance was a dolphin dance, she was recognized as the Great Saint!! How can I analyze such a strange incident?!!" (Desmond)
Because of that person, his pride as a military police commander is in shreds! Then Curtis said as he looked at Desmond, who was whining.
"Then, everyone agrees that Lady Fi has the highest value, right?" (Curtis)
All the knight captains each had different expressions on their faces, and after a pause, they all spoke in unison.
"……no" (Everyone)
As Desmond has made a lot of noise about, they didn't know why Fia subjugated the Black Dragon or why she had the people of Sutherland on her side, but they understand that she has complete control over both.
Therefore, Desmond and the other knight captains nodded obediently.
Once a sense of unity was born in the place, Desmond, who seemed to be feeling weak, returned the chair he had fallen over and slowly sat down.
"So... defeating the demon means killing him, right? If that's the case, it might not mean much." (Desmon)
The other knight captains who heard Desmond's statement tilted their heads.
"What do you mean?"
"Since you killed them, the number of demons with crests has decreased, right? The Great Saint must have reduced the number of demons that way."
Desmond replies, "Ah" to Captain and the others who asked the obvious questions.
"I told you that I looked through all the materials related to demons. The conclusion of our predecessors, which can be gleaned from the literature, was, 'If you want to destroy the demon crest, don't kill the demons.' Apparently, demons have to be locked up in a special box. Because the demon's crest and the demon are different things."
"I don't understand what you mean." (Zachary)
Zachary frowned and complained, and Desmond grimaced as well.
"I guess so. I don't understand the details either, but...According to the literature, the crest itself is independent. Therefore, when you kill a demon with a crest, a new one is born, and I read that the crest can be transferred to a demon. For example, if you kill a demon with two crests, two demons will be born at about the same time, each with one crest." (Desmond)
"What's that? If that's the case, then all demons in the world with only one crest, right?"
"That's right. I don't know what else is going on because it wasn't written anywhere, but in any case, if you lock a demon in a special box, the demon will never be able to come out, so I think that's the best solution." (Desmond)
Zachary, who understood Desmond's explanation, nodded in agreement.
"I see. But even if that's the case, there's no point in Curtis defeating the demon. A demon who has survived for over 300 years and has become cunning is a demon with no experience. If he turned into a person, wouldn't it be a completely different thing?" (Zachary)
Desmond agrees with Zachary's assessment of Curtis' fight.
"I'm sure. If it's a newly born demon, it's like being demoted from a castle (rook) to a soldier (pawn)." (Desmond)
Desmond likened it to a chess piece, but unfortunately it seemed that few people understood it, and no one agreed.
Cyril silently watched as the knight captains talked freely, but then he stood up quietly and held out his hands in front of him, folding them together as if they were wrapping something up.
"...What's the matter, Cyril?" (Desmond)
As if in response to Desmond's question, Cyril opened his hand.
Then, in his other hand was a box with intricate patterns engraved on it.
"What!?" (Desmond)
In contrast to Desmond, who stopped moving and looked at him in amazement, the other knight captains stared at the small box with strange expressions.
"What? I wonder if Desmond is so surprised because it's a box containing some embarrassing diary from his youth?" (Clarissa)
Clarissa stared at the box with interest, and Desmond fell silent with a strange sense of tension.
Then there were the knight captains whose eyes wander here and there because they didn't understand the situation.
Meanwhile, Cyril casually opened his mouth.
"This is the one that Curtis submitted. It's probably the same box that Desmond was talking about." (Cyril)
"…Why is there a box that looks exactly like the literature? Hey hey, I bet Fia picked it up from somewhere again!?" (Desmond)
Desmond asked as he pressed his back against the back of the chair, trying to move as far away from the box as possible.
"No, to be kind to your heart, this time it was Curtis that prepared the box." (Cyril)
"No, as long as that box exists, it won’t be kind to my heart!" (Desmond)
Desmond shouted as he looked at Curtis.
"Curtis, did she transfer her bad luck to you because you were around Fia too much? How did you get it? …It’s empty, isn’t it!?" (Desmond)
Curtis looked at Desmond in silence, then spoke.
"...Sutherland was the territory of the Blue Knight, who was the escort knight of the Great Saint. He was also from the same clan as the people of that land, so many materials about the Blue Knight remain in Sutherland. Among them, the most common information is about demons. The Blue Knights believed that demons were to be destroyed, and it seems that they left detailed information for that purpose." (Curtis)
Cyril showed understanding.
"The people of that land are loyal and honest. And many things have been passed down for a long time that would be unthinkable in other places." (Curtis)
Clarissa recalled the details of the previous meeting and reinforced Cyril's words.
"That’s right. That’s what Cyril said, 'Not all history is transmitted correctly in literature.' 300 years ago, the Great Saint visited the land of Sutherland, and many people suffered from incurable diseases. Although she saved the residents of the area, there was no official record of it at all." (Clarissa)
Cyril nodded in agreement.
"That's true. However, the people of Sutherland have been conveying this fact and their feelings of gratitude for 300 years, so I am impressed by that family's ability to communicate." (Cyril)
Curtis continued to explain while everyone was reminiscing about the contents of the previous meeting.
"The Blue Knight left multiple small boxes in that land with the words, "The demons must be sealed in a 'Sealing Box'. Then, when I left Sutherland, the chief entrusted me with one of them, so I used that box to trap the demon in the 'Sealing Box.'"
"Heh!! Oh, I guess it's in here!!!" (Desmond)
At the same time as Desmond let out a pitiful voice, the other knight captains also seemed shocked and uttered short words.
"Huh!?"
"You... are you serious!!" (Desmond)
Desmond complained to Curtis as everyone began to distance themselves from the box, leaning against the backs of their chairs.
"Curtis, what the hell are you!? It's incredible to just defeat a demon, but how is it possible to lock it up in a box using the right methods? Even if you have the Blue Knight's will, you still have too much information!!" (Desmond)
Desmond slammed the round table with his open hand.
"I feel bad for someone like me who read books so seriously that you were able to acquire the same knowledge that I gained from reading dozens of banned books while crying your eyes out at Sutherland's seaside meeting!!" (Desmond)
But then Quentin spoke up in a calm voice.
"No, they're probably not the same. Curtis is better because he's got a box that can seal away demons, which Desmond doesn't have." (Quentin)
Desmond glared at Quentin.
Just when it seemed like an argument was about to begin, Cyril spoke up.
"The rule is that the box containing the demon must be kept in a cathedral. However, by storing it in the cathedral, important people around the world will be notified that a demon who had not appeared for 300 years, had appeared. Curtis took this box home to ask for instructions. Prior to today's meeting, I confirmed His Majesty's will, but...it was decided that this information should not be kept secret only within our country." (Cyril)
With the King's name mentioned, all the knight captains corrected their residence.
Cyril continued to explain.
"Therefore, we are planning to send an official messenger to the cathedral soon to explain the appearance of the demon and bring this box. At that time, we hope that the cathedral will be able to entrust us with some new boxes. It would be best if we could deal with it, but...I will consult with Commander Savis regarding the selection of personnel, and then I will contact the person who will respond directly tomorrow." (Cyril)
It appeared that the selection of those heading to the cathedral would be made between Commander Savis and Cyril.
The cathedral was located in the Kingdom of Dithal, a small country located between the Näv Kingdom and the Arteaga Empire.
It would be quite an outing, and some of the knight captains prayed in their hearts that it wouldn't be them.
After everyone took a breather, Clarissa whispered to herself.
"Somehow things have turned out to be a big deal. But when I think about it again, I think they did a good job of sealing the demon. The two people I met in the capital were also amazing because they defeated the demon together. That's right...I'm just talking about this place, but those two gave off the characteristic scent of a high-ranking person." (Clarissa)
After saying that, Clarissa looked at Curtis inquiringly.
"It seems like they had a lot of bodyguards with her, so I thought they weren't just adventurers...but if they risked his life to fight the demon, maybe I'm wrong. Those bodyguards were sneaking around. Didn't they follow you to Blackpeak and help you in an emergency?" (Clarissa)
"Oh, that wasn't it." (Curtis)
Clarissa heard Curtis's words and sighed.
"Yes, if those two are important people, there is no way they wouldn’t have escorts to Blackpeak, which is a dangerous area. It was my mistake to think that many guards were following those two. I wonder if another important person happened to be in the royal capital at the same time. I've never missed something like this before. Hmm, but it's also a high-ranking person who tries to fight demons without hesitation. It's impossible for someone to act like that. Unless they're exceptions like our country's Commander Savis." (Clarissa)
Savis shifted uncomfortably as his name was mentioned as an analogy.
Considering his status as the king's younger brother, he was aware that he had a tendency to act too recklessly.
Curtis shrugged his shoulders.
"I haven't talked to them about their backgrounds, so I don't know the exact details. However, their words and actions were rough, and I didn't get the impression that they were born or raised in an aristocracy." (Curtis)
"That's what I thought too. So, I guess the good thing is that they're the illegitimate son of a great aristocrat. Well, that's right. If they're from the main family of a great aristocrat in the empire, they wouldn't come to a foreign country without any attendant. Unless they're an exception like Cyril." (Clarissa)
When Cyril was brought up with a story from the past that he wanted to keep a secret, he silently smiled.
Because he fully understood the value of silence, he remained silent without uttering unnecessary words.
Quentin, who saw Cyril like that, opened his mouth in a strange way.
"Haha, this is a hangout for exceptions!" (Quentin)
In response, Desmond replied to Quentin, "You're an exception in many ways!"
There was only one item left on the agenda of the Knight Captain meeting.
Author's Note
Thank you for always reading!
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