Only Obedient to Me! Sir Knight Chapter 13

‘They are even controlling a sacrifice.’

Van’s face turned grave.

“W-what do we do? Sir?”

“…I will clear a path, so please escape with the master.”

“What? No way!”

“Master.”

Van shook his head firmly while looking at Rowy. Rowy, who had been about to retort, shut his mouth when he saw Van’s serious expression.

“Just escape first. Then I will….”

“Haha, that’s funny. Who said we’d let you go?”

The man interrupted with a laugh. Meanwhile, the sacrifice was almost within reach.

“That guy knows the location of The Holy Sword. Grab him first!”

“Eek!”

The targeted attendant shrieked and fled. Van was startled and tried to grab the attendant, but the attendant was faster. …No, the sacrifice was faster. In an instant, an intangible force stretched out and dragged the attendant along.

“Aaargh! Help me!”

The attendant reached out his hand desperately. Rowy reached out toward the attendant, but…

“It is too late.”

Van shook his head. The attendant, who had been scratching at the floor in futile resistance, had already reached the front of the sacrifice. The sacrifice reached out a hand toward the attendant.

“No, no! Ugh.”

The attendant, who had been struggling to escape, lost consciousness and collapsed the moment the sacrifice’s hand touched him.

“…”

Silence fell over the room after the sudden event.

“…Is he dead?”

“Not at all! There is work to be done.”

The man interjected to answer Rowy’s question.

“Now, pull him up and make him find The Holy Sword.”

The sacrifice moved once more. It blew a breath toward the fallen man, and black smoke flowed out and seeped into the attendant. At that moment, the attendant’s fallen body was forcibly lifted by an unknown force. Then, he began to move forward with a creaking gait. It was grotesque, the way he moved forward with his limbs bending and returning in strange directions, as if he were moving them for the first time. It looked as though he were being dragged by invisible strings.

“What is that? What happened? Why is he like that? What did you do?”

Rowy shouted in excitement. Please, just stay still… Van muttered, now nearly resigned.

“Oh, that’s just a simple trick of our big guy!”

“What did you do?”

“If you’re curious, would you like to experience it yourself?”

“Do not engage with him. It is dangerous.”

Van hid Rowy behind him and glared at the man.

“Ooh, the knight is scary. Well, we just need to take The Holy Sword and go. Come now.”

At the man’s signal once more, the attendant’s speed became unnaturally fast. However, perhaps as a side effect, blood began to flow in streams from the attendant’s eyes, nose, and mouth. Seeing that, Van’s expression stiffened. …The situation was not good.

‘I’m not sure if I can handle this barehanded.’

The sacrifice’s power was stronger than expected. Van furrowed his brow. Demon hunting required more preparation than one might think. Protective prayers from a priest, holy relics for purification and sealing, and The Holy Sword along with those who were baptized. Facing a demon without such preparations was the situation he wanted to avoid most. Especially when there was someone he had to protect… Van’s worries deepened.

“…Take The Holy Sword, but let us go now.”

Van made a decision. Giving The Holy Sword to a demon went against his grain, but it was the only way to protect Rowy.

‘I can just find The Holy Sword again later, but….’

He didn’t think he could bear it if Rowy got hurt. Van gritted his teeth. And,

“I don’t want to.”

The objection came from Rowy again. Van grabbed his head, feeling dizzy.

“No, master! There is blood streaming out! He’s collapsing! Didn’t you see? It’s dangerous!”

Van gestured wildly at the bloodstains left behind by the attendant. But Rowy just turned his head away sharply.

“Ha….”

It was so maddening he could just bite him. Van heaved a sigh of frustration. The man took interest in their absurd conversation again.

“The master has many questions, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah? How did you do it? Why is that person acting like that?”

“Please, I will explain it to you later. Let’s just go first. Yes?”

Van pleaded. Of course, Rowy didn’t even pretend to listen.

“It’s not magic…. What is this? I feel like I’ve seen this somewhere before….”

Rowy’s eyes, looking at the sacrifice, were hazy. Rowy was already completely mesmerized by the sacrifice. If Van hadn’t been holding onto him, he surely would have rushed over to touch it with his own hands.

‘What gives him the confidence to be this fearless?’

Van gripped Rowy even tighter with a horrified expression.

“He’s back already!”

Just then, the attendant returned with The Holy Sword. The man received the sword from the dripping, bloodied attendant. The cloth was pulled back, and the black blade was revealed.

“It’s definitely The Holy Sword!”

Van’s eyes flashed for a moment.

The Holy Sword. It had been a long time since he’d seen The Holy Sword. If he rushed in right now to take the sword back… it was fully possible if Van were alone. However,

“But that sword is mine. I bought it.”

“Master!”

Because of this incorrigible troublemaker who doesn’t listen to reason! Van called out to Rowy, horrified.

“Oh, master. Sorry about that. But we really need this. You can just buy a different sword, right? A person with as much money as you.”

“I’m telling you, I want that one.”

“Geez, what a shame. I’m not giving it to you.”

At those words, Rowy’s expression contorted wildly.

“You’re making me annoyed.”

“Please, just stay still….”

“Let go of me!”

Ha, why is this so hard, seriously. Van, looking ten years older in an instant, pulled Rowy back again. Meanwhile, the man who had passed The Holy Sword to another looked back at Rowy and Van. Since they had The Holy Sword, Van had assumed they would be let go, but cold sweat streamed down his back.

“Now then… it’s your turn.”

“We gave you The Holy Sword, isn’t that enough?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t kill you. I’m just going to erase a few memories. After you wake up from a deep sleep, it will all be over.”

Though your brains might get a bit scrambled. The man laughed with a giggle and snapped his fingers once more. At the same time, black smoke began to flow from the sacrifice. As if what had happened to the attendant was just child’s play, dense and ominous smoke rushed toward Rowy in an instant.

“Master!”

Van frantically blocked the smoke with his body and swung his sword. It was an instinctive movement. However… the sword that wasn’t The Holy Sword merely cut through empty air. The surroundings grew thick with haze in an instant.

‘Darn it. I should have taken The Holy Sword first….’

Van fell into a panic at a power against which his own martial strength was useless. With the person he had to protect behind him, what, how was he supposed to do this? How was he supposed to… He knew well that demonic power preyed upon weakened hearts, yet Van could not maintain his composure. His mind went blank at the thought that Rowy might be in danger. And the demon did not miss this. For a moment, his vision blurred.

“…Van?”

Rowy called out to him with concern. Van bit down hard on his tongue.

“Phew, finally! You didn’t collapse, so I was getting scared, knight!”

The man giggled again. Van staggered heavily once more. His focus was wavering.

“Are you okay?”

“Master, are you, are you….”

“Sit down for a second!”

A startled Rowy grabbed Van’s arm to support him.

“It is dangerous….”

“Be careful.”

Rowy fussed, settling Van into a seat as he couldn’t keep his body steady. He was so heavy that Rowy’s arms trembled.

“Are you okay? What did you do? You!”

Rowy snapped at the man in annoyance. Even while staggering to support a body twice his size, his voice was sharp. The man who had been watching them tilted his head.

“Why is the master still fine?”

Although the knight had blocked it at first, the demonic power had already filled the space to the point where that no longer mattered. The man expressed doubt at Rowy, who was not only still moving fine but even acting annoyed. Rowy, who had been tending to Van, looked back at the man.

“Well, that’s because I….”

Rowy opened his mouth. Van lifted his eyes, which were struggling to move, to look at Rowy.

“…! …!”

Rowy continued to say something, but to Van, whose ears had already been encroached upon by the demonic power, those words could not be heard. …However, it was clearly a sound that would provoke them. The man gestured excitedly, and the sacrifice approached slowly. Van moved his drained body and hugged Rowy to cover him once more.

“Rowy, master….”

Van called out to Rowy, engulfed in fear. He had never known it was such a terrifying thing for someone’s safety to be threatened. He had dedicated his entire life to fighting demons and endured countless sacrifices, living with the belief that those sacrifices were also the will of God.

‘But, if I were to lose even this person to them….’

There would be nothing left for him. Van, unable to control his strength properly, gripped Rowy’s hand as if to break it. Rowy, holding tightly onto the hand that reached out to him desperately, whispered in Van’s ear.

“It’s okay.”

Miraculously, Rowy’s voice sounded clearly to Van, even though his ears had gone deaf. …Even the sound of something clinking inside Rowy’s hand.

“I told you I’d buy it for you. That sword.”

Magic stones tumbled from Rowy’s hand as he clenched his fist tightly. As soon as the stones, which had lost their magic power, touched the floor, they all shattered.

“It’s okay.”

Rowy brushed Van’s hand away. It was a touch as light as a feather, as always. But for some reason, Van could not stop him. And then, the world turned upside down.