I Became a Righteous Knight in a Game

Chapter 55

Reinhardt returned to the inn.

Just as when he left, he climbed the wall and squeezed his body through the window.

‘The tail must still be there.’

Reinhardt had intentionally left the inn and wandered around here and there.

He visited the market to buy some medicinal herbs, looked around casually, and then came back.

Now was not the time to attract the attention of Redfoot.

The current Reinhardt had to appear not as a knight, but as a simple herbalist with a keen interest in herbs.

Having finished his work, Reinhardt waited calmly at the inn.

There was still plenty of time until the appointed hour.

After waiting for a short while.

Tap tap-

Bitdori, which had appeared at some point, was tapping on the window.

“Good work. What about the tail?”

“Ppit.”

The creature shook its head.

It meant the tail was gone.

“Thanks to that, I can move around comfortably. What about Ellie’s side? The white-haired one from yesterday. You remember, right?”

“Ppit. Ppitppi. Ppiiit.”

By now, interpreting Bitdori’s gestures wasn't so difficult.

“Ellie made contact with someone, and together with that someone, she headed to the temple. It must be the temple of Truma, right?”

“Ppit.”

“And then she went back? To where she was originally.”

“Ppiiit.”

“Then the confirmation must be done.”

He had arranged to meet Ellie again today.

Since the tail was also gone, Reinhardt put on his robe and left the inn.

Today, too, he wore armor underneath the robe.

He didn't walk with an air of arrogance, but because of his considerable size, no one particularly picked a fight with him.

And after a short while.

“Hey, you’re the knight, right?”

“I was waiting.”

Ellie, in a robe, arrived.

She slightly pulled back her hood to show her face and gestured to Reinhardt with her chin.

“You show me too.”

“That’s not difficult.”

Reinhardt also revealed his face.

Ellie nodded and turned around to lead the way.

“Follow me. The teacher is waiting.”

“By teacher, you mean Ganesha Edropin, right?”

“Why ask what you already know. I already know you’re one step ahead of me.”

“I don't know all the facts. I only know the information confirmed by the Paganoa.”

“Then I’ll correct myself and say that the Paganoa are one step ahead of me. Happy now?”

It was the path to the slums.

The road, which had been relatively clean, gradually became dirty.

The path paved with white stones changed to an unpaved dirt road, and instead of buildings made of stacked bricks, shacks that could barely block the rain filled the sides.

‘It’s not much different from where Dirk lived.’

The world of Soul Calibur was not very bright.

The nobles enjoyed overwhelming power, and it was true that the citizens of the slums had a hard time just earning enough to eat for a day.

And in the end, demons would finally descend upon this land.

‘It was the perfect environment for Warlocks to operate. Infiltrating among these people, increasing their power, and by the time someone tried to stop them, it was already too late—that's how the story went.’

It was a natural development, if you think about it.

To these people, today's meal was more important than the future of the world.

There was no reason to refuse even the bread given by a Warlock.

Of course, they wouldn't have known its true identity at the moment they received the bread.

“It’s over there. Wait here a moment. I’ll tell her you’ve arrived. Oh, and I’m just asking, just in case.”

In front of their destination, Ellie casually brought it up.

“If I ask you to entrust your weapon to me, will you do it?”

“Gladly.”

Reinhardt handed his sword to Ellie without a moment's hesitation.

“…You’re really entrusting it to me?”

“There’s no reason to refuse.”

“I thought you’d say no. I heard that knights, what was it? They consider their swords to be like their friends.”

“A sword is just a tool. It follows the will of its user.”

“I see…….”

In the first place, to Reinhardt, a sword was a consumable item.

Even in his [Inventory] alone, there were over a dozen swords stored.

In a state where he could easily take one out just by reaching for it.

“This way, Sir Knight.”

A faint hint of goodwill was in Ellie’s voice.

Reinhardt followed her into the building.

Shaaa-

Several pairs of eyes turned towards Reinhardt.

Reinhardt surveyed their faces.

Haggard, weary expressions.

People who were cornered both physically and mentally were here.

“Everyone’s just tired. And they’re also afraid of you, Sir Knight.”

“I haven't said anything.”

“I’m just saying in case you don’t like their expressions. To a stranger, it might look like they’re being hostile.”

“I don't make such misunderstandings.”

“Then that’s a relief. Thank you.”

Ellie said no more, and Reinhardt didn't bother to say anything else either.

After going in a little further, Ellie stopped.

When Ellie pressed the creaking floor here and there with the tip of her foot, a click was heard and an entrance appeared.

There were stairs beneath the floor.

“Is it magic?”

“Something like that. If you go down here, you’ll find an iron door. The teacher is inside.”

“I thought you were coming with me.”

“Think of it as proof of trust. The teacher trusts you, Sir Knight.”

“I see.”

Then there was no reason to refuse.

Reinhardt went down the stairs.

When he was about halfway down, the entrance he came through closed with the same creaking sound.

And at the end of the stairs.

In front of a thick iron door, Reinhardt spoke in the heavy voice of a knight.

“It is Reinhardt, a knight of Taton. May I enter?”

***

Ganesha Edropin was anxious.

It had already been five years since she had settled in Romain, and the process had certainly not been smooth.

But there had never been a day as anxious as today.

Ganesha felt like she was sitting at a gambling table with herself as the stake.

‘He said he was a knight. Why would someone like that come to Romain?’

The knights of this era were not knights.

Perhaps people from decades before Ganesha was born were different, but the knights she had experienced were mostly not qualified to be called knights.

But this time was different.

A bishop of Truma guaranteed his identity.

He had a close relationship with the Paganoa Knights, and for that reason, he knew almost all the information about Ganesha herself and Romain.

‘I have to find out why he came to see me first.’

The reason was always the most important thing.

The reason why such a great knight was trying to make contact with Ganesha Edropin herself.

It couldn't have been at the behest of Redfoot or the mayor of Romain.

If that were the case, there would have been no need to go through such a cumbersome process.

Glance.

Even as Ganesha thought this, she checked the emergency exit installed under her bed.

She planned to buy time with magic and escape through there if necessary.

‘Perhaps he came to recruit me. Another noble might have heard rumors about me…….’

But she wouldn't know anything until she met him.

Tap tap.

Just as she was nervously tapping the old desk with the tip of her pen.

“It is Reinhardt, a knight of Taton. May I enter?”

A heavy voice was heard from beyond the thick iron door. It was a voice and tone that inspired trust.

She had unlocked the door early on.

After taking a light, deep breath, Ganesha said.

“Come in.”

The iron door opened smoothly.

What appeared was a blond knight.

And at that sight, Ganesha found herself gasping without realizing it.

‘Ah…….’

She had never seen someone so fitting to be a knight.

It was a different feeling from nobles or royalty.

From his handsome appearance to his well-trained body, he was reminiscent of a noble holy knight.

“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Reinhardt.”

“I’m Ganesha… Edropin.”

Ganesha realized that she had unknowingly relaxed.

It was because she felt that a person like this couldn't possibly be a villain.

“This will be a long conversation, won’t it?”

“It probably will be.”

“Please sit. I’d like to offer you some tea, but the situation is not accommodating.”

“It doesn’t matter. I came not to drink tea, but to meet you.”

Ganesha constantly observed him.

He seemed noble, calm, and like a person with a mind so firm that he wouldn't be shaken by any stimulus.

“May I hear the reason you came to see me first?”

“I need your help.”

“Help for what?”

“To set Romain right.”

Ganesha paused to choose her words.

“That’s a vague expression.”

“We will drive out the plague, dismantle Redfoot, bring Betty Pollard, the leader of Redfoot, to justice, and Albert, the mayor of Romain who joined hands with them, will also receive his due punishment.”

“Is that possible?”

“It is possible. If you, Ganesha, help us.”

Ganesha was listening carefully, weighing every single expression that came out of Reinhardt’s mouth.

And the knight had just said, ‘us’.

“It seems this isn’t a plan you’ve devised alone, Sir Knight?”

“Yes.”

“Can you tell me about your colleagues?”

“It is difficult for now.”

It was a reasonable refusal.

After all, Ganesha hadn't accepted the knight's proposal yet.

“In that case…….”

“Ganesha Edropin. I know your purpose. And the reason why you came to pursue that purpose as well.”

“I just couldn’t give up on my hometown. The people suffering here needed help.”

“Was it not for revenge?”

Ganesha closed her mouth.

She found herself looking at him with negative emotions without realizing it.

She felt as if her hidden shame had been exposed.

The packaging of helping others was completely stripped away, revealing the personal desire she had kept inside.

“Revenge against Betty Pollard. That must be your goal.”

“Is that also information you confirmed through the Paganoa?”

“Yes.”

The knight knew everything.

He probably knew what the revenge was for as well.

“…It was like that at first. I settled here with the thought of getting revenge on Betty Pollard someday.”

“And how is it now?”

“I realized that I am powerless. I still think I will achieve my revenge someday, but the reason I remain here now is as I said before.”

“For others.”

“Specifically, to heal. If not for me, the people of this slum would have no way to even shake off minor illnesses.”

That was her honest feeling.

Revenge was like a dream buried deep in her heart.

“The Paganoa Knights must be quite a place. I haven’t even told Ellie about my relationship with Betty Pollard.”

That's what Ellie had told Ganesha.

That the knight knew more secrets than she thought.

But honestly, she hadn't expected it to be this much.

“We will help with your revenge. It will naturally be accomplished in the process of setting Romain right.”

“What do I have to do to help?”

“I will tell you the detailed plan later, but you will be in charge of attracting Redfoot’s attention.”

“Are you telling me to reveal myself to them?”

“Yes.”

“I wouldn’t last even a few minutes.”

“You will. Because you have a way to protect yourself even in front of them.”

“What on earth…….”

The knight’s point was accurate.

She had a means to protect herself, and the problem was that the number of people who knew about it could be counted on one hand.

“Just how much do you know, Sir Knight?”

“If it’s information necessary to carry out this mission, I know all of it. Without a single exception.”