I Became a Righteous Knight in a Game

Chapter 61

The air of the slums was heavy and sticky.

A subtle stench covered the entire street, but those who had adapted to this place wouldn't even notice it.

Reinhardt felt as if he had grown accustomed to the streets filled with filth.

The stench, which had been unbearable at first, was no longer so agonizing. He knew that the sharp gazes he felt from all directions were merely born from the wariness of people worn down by a harsh life.

“I’m here to see the doctor. I am Reinhardt, a knight of Taton.”

The place where Reinhardt stopped was in front of a building that was, for the slums, relatively pleasant.

The hideout of the doctor, Ganesha Edropin.

The fierce-looking man guarding the entrance subtly stepped aside to let Reinhardt pass.

Click.

The inside of the building was still filled with musty air, but the atmosphere was certainly more lively than before.

“That knight…”

“Shh. He’s here.”

“What did the doctor say…”

Faint whispers could be heard.

Reinhardt felt the goodwill contained within them.

These were people who had dedicated themselves to the doctor for a long time, and they showed an unconcealable anticipation for the opportunity that had finally come.

Creak- Thud.

Someone opened the entrance to the secret passage. Reinhardt naturally descended the stairs.

The sturdy iron door was, for some reason, slightly ajar. The light of a candle illuminating the inside seeped through the crack in the door.

“You’ve come.”

Ganesha Edropin was there.

Her expression was not much different from those outside.

“Has Ellie returned?”

“She came back first. I’ve heard everything. She emphasized that you, Sir Knight, have the will and skill to help us.”

“What is your judgment?”

“I trust Ellie. I could also see that you, Sir Knight, are confident.”

Reinhardt nodded.

He pulled a chair opposite Ganesha and sat down.

Ganesha continued.

“Redfoot is strong. Unreasonably so. People like Otis are nothing more than tools that can be replaced at any time.”

“I know. The mayor of Romain is behind them.”

“He’s not behind them. Betty Pollard and the mayor are on equal footing.”

This was something Reinhardt already knew.

In the story, the city of Romain was in a state where the mayor had already crossed a river of no return.

‘They were practically in the same boat.’

The moment Betty Pollard sent an anonymous tip to Count Alstian, the mayor would fall into ruin.

Of course, the group known as Redfoot would also be cleanly erased.

“I know what you are concerned about. But I also know exactly what situation Romain is in.”

“And you are still confident?”

“Yes. The mission will be completed without fail. However, the prerequisite for that is that you, Ganesha, must help me.”

“Sir Knight.”

Ganesha looked at Reinhardt with a pitiful gaze.

“You know as well, Sir Knight. I have no other choice.”

She had endured pain for a long time.

Reinhardt’s proposal was, literally, an offer she couldn't refuse.

However, what was also revealed was an anxiety she couldn't quite shake off.

“I suppose I have no choice but to cooperate with you, Sir Knight. To be precise, it would be me accepting the help you will give me.”

“Let’s call it a cooperative relationship.”

“So, the question I am about to ask is a heartfelt request, hoping for an answer.”

“What is the question?”

“Why are you helping me?”

It was a more fundamental question.

Of course, it didn't matter if he didn't answer.

As Ganesha said, she was in a situation where she had no choice but to gladly accept Reinhardt's help.

But.

‘If we’re going to cooperate, it’s better to make her actively involved.’

Reinhardt chose his words in his head before speaking.

“There is an item that must be retrieved.”

“...An item?”

“I cannot say what it is. Betty Pollard received that item as payment and sold out the citizens of Romain.”

“The other party in the transaction was a warlock, I presume?”

“That is my assessment.”

“So you’re not entirely certain either, Sir Knight.”

“I can say that the possibility is very high.”

Ganesha's anxiety lightened considerably.

“Then you need my help in the process of retrieving that item.”

“My mission is not just to retrieve the item. I must find and eliminate the warlock who spread the plague, and I must correct the distorted structure of Romain.”

Reinhardt looked straight at Ganesha.

“I cannot give up on any of the missions I have been given, nor is it possible for me to complete only a specific mission and leave the city.”

He said there were several missions, but they were essentially one and the same.

Bring down the mayor, dismantle Redfoot, capture and kill the warlock who had extended their evil influence to Romain, and then retrieve the ‘Magic Stone.’

All the goals Reinhardt faced were organically connected.

“Then what about the method? Do you have a plan?”

“I do. Once I have your promise, the preparations will be complete, and I will begin to move immediately after.”

“I understand.”

After a brief pause, Ganesha continued.

“But you haven’t answered my question.”

It was as Ganesha said.

Reinhardt had not yet given a reason.

The reason why he had to contact her and request her cooperation.

“There must be scrolls.”

Ganesha flinched.

“I don’t know where you keep them. But you must have a massive number of magic scrolls in your possession. A means to surely draw the enemy's attention, even if only for a moment.”

“...You knew?”

“Yes, I knew.”

Ganesha Edropin.

The fact that he sought help from the doctor of Romain meant that he had lit a fuse to a powder keg.

Her specialty was, of course, healing magic.

But if she used the scrolls she had painstakingly collected, she could unleash explosive firepower, at least for a moment.

“I’ll help.”

After a long thought, Ganesha finally said so.

At the expected answer, Reinhardt nodded.

“It will take some time to prepare. When your role is decided, I will let you know through Ellie.”

***

It was hard to believe.

Ganesha recalled the conversation she had with the young knight.

He was polite, and also honest.

Not only did he openly share what he knew, but he also explained in detail how he would move forward.

‘He said he would set Romain straight…’

Unexpected luck often comes with poison.

Her parents, too, had met their deaths due to overconfidence in their luck.

So, how should she, Ganesha Edropin, respond to this opportunity?

‘My first impression wasn’t that of a great knight.’

His appearance was more knightly than anyone else, but he was still young.

She had also never heard the name Reinhardt before.

However, as if he knew this himself, the knight proved himself.

He personally subdued a Redfoot executive to extract information and willingly revealed the secrets he knew.

It was enough to prove his qualifications.

Enough to move the heart of Ganesha, who had held her breath for so long.

‘And he knew about this, too.’

Rattle.

Ganesha opened a drawer. She focused mana on her slender fingertips.

Blue letters tangled chaotically inside the once-empty drawer. It was a complex magic formula to hide the contents.

And once the formula was lifted.

A pile of scrolls was revealed.

“I don’t know how he knew.”

Basically, a scroll was something any mage could use.

A structure where it activated the moment you injected mana and tore it left and right.

Naturally, the price was incredibly high.

Selling all the scrolls in the drawer would be enough to buy about three large mansions with money to spare.

This, too, was proof of the lingering attachment she held in her heart.

If hers had been a life lived solely for others, she would have sold them immediately to improve the lives of those in the slums.

Gulp.

Ganesha bit her lip hard.

Complex emotions filled her chest.

-I will drive out the plague, dismantle Redfoot, bring Betty Pollard, the leader of Redfoot, to justice, and Mayor Albert of Romain, who joined hands with them, will also receive a fitting punishment.

The knight's voice seemed to ring in her ears.

Of course, the probability of success was low.

When thinking rationally, that was certainly the case.

He was just a single knight.

Wasn't it the same as saying that a single knight would stand against a giant city?

But for some reason, Ganesha's heart was pounding.

The sudden opportunity had stirred up emotions that had been suppressed for a long time.

Rattle. Thud.

Closing the drawer, Ganesha opened the shabby door and stepped out. Her colleague, who was waiting outside, sent her a curious look.

“Doctor?”

“Martin. We might have to move soon. Can you get ready?”

“Get ready, you say? What should I prepare?”

“Everything. Everything we’ve built up until now.”

The man called Martin froze for a moment, then answered in a heavy voice.

“I understand, doctor. I will prepare immediately.”

***

The city of Romain.

The city, groaning under the plague, had an atmosphere no different from usual.

At least, that was how it appeared on the surface.

Citizens walked the streets, tightly wrapped in robes.

Bakers may have reduced their production, but they steadily baked bread.

Tailors clutched pieces of cloth, struggling to create garments that seemed even a little bit safer.

Those infected by the plague cried out as they were dragged away by soldiers.

Those not infected clutched their collars with fearful expressions.

The daily life of Romain was, indeed, being precariously maintained.

“The work in the slums is almost complete. There are some empty areas, but those are within the capacity of each temple.”

“We have placed holy artifacts centered around Citra Street. Once the work of the other brothers is finished, most of the northern area of Romain will be safe from the plague…”

“We must be careful not to be noticed. The moment someone accidentally moves their position, many will be in danger.”

Truma, Lubra, Famia.

In addition, a considerable number of small and medium-sized orders that had been asked to cooperate.

The priests, having even abandoned their clerical robes, were placing holy artifacts throughout Romain in inconspicuous attire.

Fearing that the secret might leak, only high-ranking members from each order were mobilized, and everyone was sweating with joy.

“I am worried it might be taking too long. The work seems much slower than initially expected.”

“It’s alright. The plan has leeway, so there is no need to worry.”

And at the forefront was Bishop Dalton.

He was virtually commanding the priests, despite his low rank.

“As I said, this plan is… Oh, it’s Redfoot. Turn your heads.”

At Bishop Dalton's warning, the priest of Truma naturally turned his head elsewhere.

Men with menacing faces brushed past them.

Their steps were fast, and their expressions looked urgent.

“Those bastards, they seem to be looking for someone.”

To the priest's words, uttered only after the men had passed, Dalton nodded.

“That must be it.”

“Is it alright?”

“Yes. For Truma will guide us.”

Nod.

There was nothing that inspired as much trust as the expression that God would guide.

At least for those who served God, that was certainly the case.

The work of placing holy artifacts in various places proceeded smoothly.

In the meantime, they encountered members of Redfoot several more times, but no one noticed the priests' movements.

And so, for about two days.

After hundreds of priests had tirelessly roamed all over Romain.

“Sir Reinhardt.”

Bishop Dalton faced Knight Reinhardt with a flushed face.

“The preparations are complete. All citizens of Romain are perfectly protected from the plague. In fact, the number of sick people visiting the temple has significantly decreased since we started the work.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Not at all. It was a calling that I, as a staff of God, was meant to fulfill.”

This land was being protected by the power of God.

Feeling a strong sense of elation at that fact, Dalton continued.

“It is just so regrettable that we only realized this method now. Therefore, Sir Reinhardt.

When does the plan begin?”

“This evening. At the time when the guard in charge of Romain's security changes shifts.”

Reinhardt.

The knight of Taton, declared.

“We will set Romain straight.”