Chapter 95 - 27: Guardian of Justice (5) (Second Update)
"At the very beginning, being a soldier was just a job for me."
"I didn’t care who my employer was, nor who my opponent was. Whoever paid me—I listened to them. If I couldn’t win, I’d run. I had plenty of war experience and was very confident in my ability to escape."
"When I learned our opponent was a Holy Knight not protected by the sacred spirits... hmm, what’s the difference? If he were protected, I’d probably feel a little uneasy, as I’d never encountered one before. If he wasn’t, then what sets him apart from a regular lord?"
"The first time I saw Lord Gray—please allow me to call him that—was outside Pearce Church. I had been stationed not far from King Benedict II, and I heard their conversation clearly."
"It seemed the King wanted to kill his own brother, while Lord Gray wanted to protect him. That was how it started. The boy stood less than two hundred meters away from me on the steps—a thin, frail figure hiding behind two other children. He looked as though a single finger could topple him."
"They were debating the matter of justice. Honestly, I didn’t care—justice wouldn’t fill my stomach. As for the boy... well, I did feel a small amount of sympathy for him, but only a little. Thinking about how he’s a prince who enjoyed a life far better than mine, I even felt a hint of schadenfreude. After all, nobles are always hypocritical—how could you trust what they say?"
"Overall, my feelings back then were just like that—no more, no less. You must understand, I was just a destitute soldier. The quarrels of nobles had nothing to do with me. My job was simply to take the money, then kill people, or flee—that’s all."
"To be honest, Lord Gray scared me that night. Really. He was terrifying. One man, facing an army of ten thousand, fighting for what he claimed was justice, without the slightest trace of fear. It was like... like something out of a novel. I never thought such a person could exist in reality. And the key is—he was strong enough. He truly held back that entire army, all alone... just by himself, holding an entire army at bay. Too terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. They said Lord Gray had lost the protection of the sacred spirits, but with power like that, what other explanation could there be besides divine intervention?"
"When dawn broke, the Silver Moon Knight Order arrived. We retreated with the King, set up camp, and prepared for new battles."