Only Obedient to Me! Sir Knight Chapter 28

Van looked at the source of this mana, Rowy. Rowy was still floating a few feet in the air, spreading his mana throughout the sea. Van, who couldn’t even dream of daring to touch Rowy, was left dumbfounded.

‘I knew he was amazing, but… this is truly incredible.’

It was the first time he had felt so much mana. Van genuinely marveled at that raw strength. How much time had passed? Rowy, whose eyes had turned completely sapphire blue, finally opened his mouth.

“26, 19, 160, 191.”

“…Coordinates!”

The captain, who had been holding his breath since the moment Rowy cast the spell, shouted. Seeing him rush to the captain’s quarters to spread out a map, Van quickly approached him.

“It seems to be here.”

“What’s there?”

“Well, islands are common enough, aren’t they?”

On the map the captain pointed to, as he had said, a small island was marked.

. ꕤ ｡ ˚⋆

On the way to the island Rowy had found, the group discovered a wrecked ship. The captain confirmed that it was the butler’s ship. And behind the wreckage, the destination—the island—revealed itself.

“Something is strange here.”

The captain whispered quietly.

“I agree.”

Van nodded. An island thick with dense trees, yet not a single bird’s chirping could be heard.

…Isn’t it similar to the cursed island? Places where demons lingered for a long time inevitably became lands of death. If this place was like that for the same reason… deep tension flowed among the group.

“We will go the rest of the way on our own.”

“I’ll be waiting nearby, so signal me if you need anything.”

At Van’s words, the captain nodded readily and lowered a small boat. Van boarded first, then held out his hand to escort Rowy. If he had his way, he would have left Rowy behind, but….

‘There’s no way this person would listen to that.’

Still, Van checked with Rowy once more.

“It looks dangerous. Are you certain you must come along?”

“Of course.”

‘You promised to protect me,’ he said. Even with a pale, stiff face, he spoke such reassuring words. It was quite adorable even in this tense situation, and Van laughed to himself.

‘He is an amazing wizard, after all.’

Rowy had already shown incredible magical prowess. Of course, he didn’t know how that would translate to combat, but….

‘That’s not quite right. I’ve already seen him deal with a sacrifice….’

At the auction house, despite it surely being his first combat experience, Rowy had neutralized the enemies quickly without hesitation.

‘Even so… I think it’s dangerous.’

He had been sensing a familiar energy from deep within the island for a while now. It was certain that a demon was there. The way it scattered its aura as if to show off its presence clearly meant it wasn’t a low-level demon. It was a middle-level, or perhaps an even higher-level demon.

‘I thought all the high-level demons were dead….’

Van gripped The Holy Sword tighter and looked at Rowy, who was sticking close to his side. Seeing his soft, youthful face, which didn’t suit the situation, he couldn’t help but nag.

“It’s okay, so if anything dangerous happens, look after yourself first.”

Even if he was a great wizard, Van was much more accustomed to fighting demons. He never wanted Rowy to be in danger.

“Even if you’re in danger?”

“Even if I am in danger.”

At the resolute voice, Rowy looked up at Van. His tense face was full of worry for Rowy. After a brief hesitation, Rowy opened his mouth.

“…I think there’s a demon here.”

Rowy glanced at Van again and spoke. This time, his voice was a little smaller.

“And… I think it’s a demon I know.”

. ꕤ ｡ ˚⋆

“You say you have no memory of your first day on the island?”

“Mm-hmm. I didn’t know either, but I realized it while we were talking today.”

Van’s face turned serious. Having a blank space in the memory of someone who lived in a castle with a demon was a bad omen. Digging into a person’s mind, delving into their heart, and controlling them was a demon’s most terrifying power. Van stopped walking and examined Rowy’s face.

“How much can you remember?”

“…I’m not sure.”

There were more gaps than he had thought. Why he came to this island, what happened that night. And even after that… Rowy bit his lip as he searched his memory.

“I think I tried to seal the demon in the castle… but it seems I forgot.”

“…It seems I have another reason to kill the demon.”

He didn’t know how powerful the curse was, but most curses were designed to break if the caster—the demon—was killed. Van comforted the anxious Rowy.

“Don’t worry. Nothing will happen. Hunting demons is my specialty.”

“…”

“I’ll say it again: if a dangerous situation arises, look after yourself first.”

“…Then what about you?”

“I’ll be fine.”

Because God is always with me. Van’s face as he smiled broadly while saying that… was truly filled with faith in God. And in that moment, realization suddenly dawned on Rowy. The encounter between Rowy and Van… he began to think it might not be a coincidence.

A slave he met while suffering from memory loss due to a demon’s curse turns out to be a holy knight who hunts demons? Isn’t it too convenient to be a mere coincidence? It was as if God had sent Van for Rowy’s sake….

‘Does God really exist?’

It was an unknowable matter. Even if God truly existed, there was no reason to send someone like Van for Rowy. He had no faith, and above all, he himself was….

“Shh, come this way.”

Van guided Rowy, who had been digging deeper into a swamp of thoughts, in a low voice. Looking up, he saw they were already at the edge of the forest. There, Van discovered traces of people.

“It seems there isn’t just a demon here.”

Where Van pointed, there were footprints of several people and marks as if something had been dragged. Could the dragged things be the castle servants? They had to be alive…. The two, having shared a quiet conversation, moved forward, fully on edge.

How far had they gone into the island? They found the demon faster than expected. Being a small island was part of it, but Rowy had been clearly reading the demon’s energy, which made finding the path easier.

‘…I think it’s a demon I know.’

It seemed the statement was true. The demon they encountered was not alone, as expected. The two hid their bodies with Rowy’s magic and observed the situation.

In a small clearing inside the forest, four or five people in black robes were drawing something on the floor in red. Van frowned at the heavy scent of blood that wafted over. A strange circle drawn in blood. They were familiar people to Van. Of course, Rowy had seen them before, too.

“Are they demon summoners, like the people we saw at the auction house?”

“It seems so.”

“Then did they kidnap people as sacrifices to summon a demon?”

Where Rowy pointed, the castle servants they had been searching for were there. Unconscious, they were tied to trees in a cross shape, a common sight in rituals where demon summoners offered sacrifices. It was clear they were about to perform a ritual. And that was likely not just for a summoning….

“I think they are trying to offer them to that demon.”

Van pointed to the demon standing near the sacrifices with its eyes closed.

Its bizarre, dark-red, leather-like skin clearly indicated that the being was not human, but aside from that, its appearance was no different from a human’s. The stronger their power, the more demons enjoyed hiding their true form, acting like humans and delving into human hearts to manipulate them. It was definitely a middle-level demon or higher. However, whether because something was wrong with it, its energy was fluctuating visibly to Van’s eyes.

“You said you sealed its power with magic, right? It seems it’s not back to normal yet. It would be better to strike first now.”

“Right now?”

“I will handle it, can you save the people?”

“You’re going to face the demon alone?”

A faint flicker of distrust crossed Rowy’s face. However, Van just smiled broadly.

“I’m more used to dealing with demons. Plus, I have The Holy Sword.”

“Will you be okay?”

Actions answered for him. Van, who had infiltrated the center of the enemy lines in an instant, swung his sword widely.

“What is this! Block it!”

“Argh!”

The demon summoners scrambled to draw their swords at the sudden attack. But among sinners who had forsaken God, Van’s sword had no mercy. The demon summoners were struck down one by one in a single stroke.

Rowy also moved after seeing Van dispose of the demon summoners in an instant. It was to save the people who had been taken as sacrifices. As Rowy raised his hand, the ropes binding the people began to loosen on their own. And at that moment, the demon opened its eyes.