Only Obedient to Me! Sir Knight Chapter 27

It was that the residents of Sota Island had served demons for generations. They had even performed human sacrifices. That the people they had shared stories, laughed, and eaten meals with were demon worshippers! Van’s eyes widened at the unbelievable fact. It was because he hadn’t noticed the slightest hint of such a thing.

“Did you know about this?”

Van swung around to face Rowy. Stung by the sudden question, Rowy shook his head frantically.

“I told you, they don’t even talk to me.”

Van then glared back at the captain.

“…Did you really offer humans as sacrifices?”

At Van’s sharp, chilling aura, the captain hurriedly denied it.

“It’s not what you’re thinking. We just offered sacrifices to calm the storms and tidal waves! Even if we call it human sacrifice, it’s been a custom for over a thousand years to offer criminals to the demons. The original role of the island keeper was that of an executioner.”

The captain let out a sigh.

“Of course, that’s just an old story. For a few decades, the demons had been quiet, so just bringing them an animal now and then was enough.”

It was a period so peaceful that people even forgot the existence of demons. However… one day, massive tidal waves began to batter the cursed island. The demons had started to become active again. The waves, which they assumed would subside, continued for over a month, and as a result, the residents of Sota Island could no longer fish properly. Eventually, when people started taking boats out recklessly and capsizing, the talk of human sacrifice came up again.

“Surely you didn’t really sacrifice a human?”

“…As it happens, someone appeared back then who said they would go to the island.”

The captain’s gaze slid over to Rowy.

“…Does that mean you used someone who knew nothing as a sacrifice?”

Van’s face hardened instantly. At Van’s atmosphere, which had turned as cold as frost, the captain panicked and waved his arms.

“That’s not what I meant…!”

“Master! You didn’t encounter anything strange, did you?”

“…”

Van asked in an urgent voice. However, Rowy didn’t react at all, as if he hadn’t even heard the shocking words that they had tried to use him as a sacrifice. Seeing him look as if he were deep in thought, Van called to him.

“Master?”

“…Hm? No. The first day I came here… they said it was dangerous, but I said I would stay.”

But why did I say that? My memory… it’s not very clear. Without realizing it, Rowy grabbed the arm of Van, who was sitting next to him. Seeing that, Van took Rowy’s hand. Observing the two, the captain interjected.

“The tidal waves suddenly stopped after you came to the castle, young sir. Rumors spread that you were a terrifying wizard whom even the demons feared.”

So that’s why everyone acted so suspiciously. Now the reactions of the people—telling him to stay close to Rowy at night—made sense. Van massaged the hand of the terrifying wizard. The hand was cold.

“For this to happen suddenly in a place that’s been fine for two years! I have no idea what’s going on. Are you truly certain that none of them came?”

“They are definitely not at the castle.”

Of course, there are no demons left now, either. Van, who had personally disposed of the demon, shook his head firmly. And Rowy… while his hand was being kneaded by Van, he kept thinking deeply about something. Specifically, his first day on this island. He had definitely met a demon that night. And… and what did he do?

“Regardless, they truly did not come to the island. I think it would be better to search the sea instead.”

“If they really had an accident at sea, that’s a big problem in itself.”

The captain and Van spoke with serious faces. Then, Rowy, who had been lost in thought for a long time, opened his mouth.

“…Alright, let’s go find them.”

And so, the search party for the missing persons was formed. There were three of them: Rowy, Van, and the captain. Of course, the search party Rowy had initially imagined consisted only of himself and Van. However… there was a bit of an argument here.

“If you’re going to use my boat! I have to go!”

“I told you the boat isn’t necessary? We can go by magic.”

“Absolutely not. I have no intention of flying. Let’s take the boat.”

…Due to this issue, the three of them ended up setting out on the journey together.

“For now, let’s slowly head back toward Sota Island. We might see something on the way.”

After deciding the route with the captain, Van approached Rowy, who was at the bow. Rowy, overflowing with mana, cast magic whenever he pleased, and right now, he was floating in mid-air to avoid seasickness. Van looked at Rowy’s floating feet with a sour expression before speaking to him. Rowy had been deep in thought for a while now.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Hm?”

“Why are you like this? Aren’t you cold?”

“Hm, I think I might be a little cold….”

At those words, Van immediately took off his outer garment and wrapped it around Rowy. Because Rowy was floating, their heights were nearly level, and their eyes met. Rowy blinked at the tender gaze fixed upon him.

“Come over here. The wind is cold.”

His voice was filled with worry. Rowy, whose nerves were frayed by the headache that had been bothering him for a while, was pulled helplessly by Van’s hand. Even as Van sat him inside and tucked the coat around him, Rowy’s mind was still elsewhere.

‘Something is wrong.’

…His memories were strangely blank. But Rowy had only just realized that a moment ago. It was a memory he had been missing for two whole years. It wasn’t even clear when or where things had gone wrong.

‘Why did I even want to come to this island in the first place?’

The order given to Rowy was simply to go to Serafilla and reflect on his actions. Isn’t the mansion prepared by the family also in Seto? Yet, the moment Rowy arrived here, he boarded a boat to the island as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Well, he had to come here, after all.

‘This island… who told me about it?’

The process of learning about this island, located far away from any resort area, and deciding to go there… was blank. That wasn’t all. Even his recent memories were constantly disappearing.

‘Why did I leave my magic tools in the castle?’

Rowy was a powerful wizard, and the amount of mana contained in each magic tool was considerable. Thinking about it now, using all the magic tools simply to restore the castle made no sense.

Besides, leaving all his magic tools behind to leave the island—a wizard leaving behind all his tools and departing empty-handed? How could that have happened?

‘If so, there must have been another reason for me at that time… for example….’

Like trying to seal a demon in the castle….

“Master?”

Noticing that Rowy’s condition was strange, Van called to him cautiously. However, Rowy remained lost in thought.

‘…Should I tell him that my memories are blank?’

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Van. He would certainly worry and try to resolve it. That wasn’t it….

‘It’s myself that I don’t trust.’

Rowy gave a small, mocking laugh. The existence of demons had always been that way for Rowy. Ever since he was born, the existence of demons had doggedly followed him.

Seeing Rowy looking dejected, Van tilted his head. Ignoring Van, Rowy looked out at the distant sea and continued to search his memory. But not much came to mind. …One thing was certain: that night, there had definitely been a demon in the castle. Not the low-level one that met its death at Van’s hands, but another demon.

. ꕤ ｡ ˚⋆

“There isn’t a single trace on the calm sea, so I don’t know if there’s any point in searching it like this.”

The captain, who was steering the boat, clicked his tongue and shook his head. Indeed, just as the captain said, the sea was incredibly calm. After a moment of hesitation, Rowy opened his mouth.

“Um… I’ll try using a detection spell.”

“Pardon? Is that possible?”

“Mm-hmm… probably.”

Rowy nodded slowly. It was because even Rowy himself wasn’t sure.

‘If I use a detection spell… how far would my mana reach?’

He had no idea what range he should set in the vast open sea. He felt even more uncertain because there was no guarantee he would find anything just by spreading his magic blindly. It would be fortunate if he found something, but if not, it was a method that wasted far too much mana.

‘If a demon is truly the culprit, it would be better to save my mana….’

Still, there wasn’t really any other way. Rowy raised both hands. When he usually used magic, just waving his hands was enough, but since this was a large-scale spell, he needed more preparation. Rowy formed a hand seal.

“…”

Soon after, an unintelligible incantation flowed from Rowy’s lips, and the mana stone of his magic tool began to shine blue. And in an instant, a massive storm of mana was unleashed across the entire sea. Feeling the incredible presence despite it being an intangible energy, Van instinctively raised his arm to shield his face. It was an astonishing, colossal amount of mana.