Betrayal Knight's Joyful Faith

Chapter 198

He felt like his head was going to burst.He was in worse condition than the day he had drunk like crazy with that madman of a troupe leader.

‘Why did I drink so much?’

He searched through vague memories.

There have always been plenty of reasons to drink.

Just looking at the collapsing theater made him feel suffocated, and he was on the verge of craving alcohol right then and there.

However, he couldn’t complain to the other members.

He felt bad for adding to the anxiety when the situation was already difficult.

So the two of them swallowed their bitter feelings and chewed on some dried snacks.

“Ugh…”

He grabbed his head, got up, and felt the rustling of a good quality blanket.

It wasn’t a blanket with the musty smell typical of living alone.

Even in the midst of his daze, he felt a strong sense of discomfort.

The hair that tangled in his hands was also longer and finer than he remembered.

He opened his eyes slightly to check and saw shiny silver hair.

When he realized that, his mind suddenly clicked.

“…!”

He tried to sit up, but then fell forward again with a headache that felt like his skull was splitting.

After struggling with a headache for a while, he finally opened his eyes.

Only then did reality gradually return to him.

This was neither his studio nor a run-down waiting room.

This was the residence of the Second Elven Kingdom.

And he himself drank heavily yesterday, drinking with the elders.

Although he mixed some water and drank it, he couldn’t help but gulp down the alcohol that the elder himself poured for him…

He somehow managed to pull himself together and fulfill his role as ‘Arendt’, but the moment he relaxed, he seemed to have fallen asleep in the reception room.

Arendt, who remembered up to that point, grabbed his head and groaned as he got up.

“Fuck… what the hell is this…”

The living room was bright because of the sunlight coming in from outside.

It seemed like the sun was already high in the sky.

He barely managed to sit up and look around.

It was quiet.

There was no sign of life at all, as the others had already gone out.

On the table there was a pitcher full of water, a glass, and a bag of medicine.

Next to it was a note written curtly in Arthur’s handwriting.

It seemed like something that was similar to a hangover cure.

He poured it into his mouth without hesitation and gulped down a lot of water.

“Ugh…”

Only when the bitter taste filled his mouth did his eyes start to open a little.

He wanted to lie down again, but he knew better than anyone that it wasn’t the time for that.

After a brief delay, Arendt got up from the sofa without any hesitation.

He washed his face with cold water, changed his clothes, and went outside.

The air, different from that of the Empire, forced him to wake up.

Elves passing by noticed him and greeted him with a smile.

“You’re awake now. Did you sleep well?”

“Have you seen my group?”

He asked, barely suppressing a yawn.

Then the elf answered kindly.

“They probably went to the assembly hall. If you need food, I can bring it to your room. It’s almost lunchtime, but you probably skipped breakfast, so you can eat first.”

“No, it’s okay. We’ll eat together later.”

At the firm refusal, the elf nodded again and walked away.

Arendt, left alone again, scratched his head in irritation.

“This is ridiculous…”

He couldn’t believe that it was almost lunchtime

At this point, it was like he hadn’t slept, but had passed out and then woke up.

He didn’t even want to smell alcohol for a while.

Arendt briefly considered following the group to the assembly hall, but quickly decided against it.

‘I’m sure they’ll figure it out.’

With his head pounding, he didn’t really want to look at the elder’s face right now.

Instead, Arendt turned around and started walking, thinking he might as well take a walk.

Maybe it was because he was still dazed, or maybe it was because he was confused right before waking up, but reality felt unusually distorted.

This was especially true because of the exotic scenery that was rarely seen even in the Empire.

The clear sky looked like clouds painted on painted plywood.

Even the broad-leaved trees that didn’t change seasons looked fake.

Even the square marble buildings didn’t feel realistic.

But the sea breeze that he felt on his skin right away was real.

The salty smell that could be felt subtly, the Frosty Touch that clung to his hand, and the magic that could not be felt in the original world were definitely real.

‘…It’s not a dream.’

Even Arendt’s sturdy body, which could quickly overcome even a terrible hangover, was his own.

Only after forcing that much into his head was Arendt able to escape his sense of discomfort.

He dropped his shoulders and took a deep breath.

“Ah.”

The fresh air penetrated deep into his lungs.

He tilted his head back and the bright blue sky came into view.

It wasn’t some kind of set made of plywood, it was a real blue sky.

Unlike the Caerleon Empire, which was gradually becoming colder, the sky still had some warmth left.

The leaves were fresh and the air was salty.

Beep beep beep-

A bird he had never seen before let out a long, strange cry.

As he was staring blankly into space for a moment, he suddenly heard a voice from next to him.

“This is not a walking trail. Turn back.”

It was a cold commanding tone.

‘There’s a new character.’

Suddenly, as the play began, his clouded mind became clear.

Arendt slowly turned his head to check on the other person without showing any sign of surprise.

The elf warrior, Zakar, stood with a blank expression, similar to Laius.

After thinking about it for a moment, he blurted out the now familiar Arendt-like line.

“It’s my choice, though.”

“Go back. This is the path leading into the forest. If you get lost there, no one will take responsibility.”

“Hmm.”

At Zakar’s words, Arendt absentmindedly turned his gaze towards the path he was heading on.

As he looked closer, he realized that the road was cut off soon after.

The surrounding forest was quite lush with all kinds of plants, and there were hardly any rectangular buildings in sight.

It felt like he had come quite far while he was absentmindedly walking.

Arendt turned around obediently and faced Zakar.

Zakar furrowed his brow as he saw the golden eyes staring at him intently.

“…It’s a face that looks like it’s saying, ‘I’m so glad to have met you.’”

“Elves can also read minds? That’s exactly what I was thinking, how did you know?”

Arendt shrugged his shoulders, responding shamelessly.

It was a good prey at a time when he was feeling upset and was in a bad mood.

“…”

Zakar slightly arched his eyebrows at the answer that came without a moment’s hesitation.

But that was only for a moment, as Zakar opened his mouth again.

“Apprentice knight, Sir Arendt von Eckhart? Why are you here alone?”

“Yes, are you Instructor Zakar? It’s my choice where I go for a walk.”

This time too, it was an answer that was completely devoid of any manners.

But Zakar remained calm.

“I should have just left you wandering in the forest. How did you know I was an instructor?”

“I heard it at the banquet yesterday.”

It was one of the stories the elders and elders told while drunk.

According to what I heard, even at a young age, Zakar was exceptionally skilled in martial arts.

Thanks to that, he was put in a position to lead young people of similar age and even younger people.

In the original work, it was unknown how he became the captain of the Fog Forest Guard.

Arendt added as the young elf’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Oh, and I also heard that you are Elder Polaris’ son.”

“From whom?”

“From the Elder.”

When the word Elder was mentioned, Zakar shut his mouth tightly.

A hint of displeasure appeared on his blunt face.

After a brief pause, Zakar asked in a more subdued voice than before.

“Did you ask the elder about me on purpose?”

“Yes, I am a bit interested. The instructor was the one who came out to greet me as soon as I arrived here yesterday. And I was curious who on earth you are to treat Lady Sylvian, the captain of the Fog Forest Guard, with contempt.”

Arendt answered nonchalantly.

Then Zakar answered in a sharp voice.

“I did not treat you poorly. Captain Sylvian is not my disciple.”

“But you are the elder’s subordinate. Isn’t it the role of the Fog Forest Guard to protect the elders?”

In other words, he meant that .

Zakar’s face hardened.

It seemed extremely unpleasant for Arendt, a foreigner, to point out this fact.

‘He’s transparent.’

From this brief conversation, Arendt was able to get a rough idea of ​​him.

Zakar was the same type as Laius.

Although he was even worse at controlling his facial expressions than Laius.

“But let’s say I just came here to sober up… Instructor, why are you here?”

“I saw you coming down this road alone and followed you.”

“For protection purposes? Or for surveillance purposes?”

When Arendt asked, tilting his head, Zakar fell silent again.

That was enough of an answer.

“You pretend it is the former, but it seems like it’s the latter. Okay, let’s go back together.”

“…How reckless.”

“I hear that a lot.”

Arendt shrugged his shoulders naturally and walked past him, heading toward the village first.

Zakar, who had been quietly staring at his back for a while, also started walking.

It was a bit of a strange scene, with Arendt leading and Zakar following.

Before Zakar could even realize it, Arendt had struck first.

“Does the instructor also serve as an escort for guests?”

“It doesn’t seem like your group needs an escort. If we really have to be specific, it’s probably for surveillance purposes, as you said.”

A calm response came back.

Arendt made a strange remark.

“I guess this isn’t part of your original job. Is it overtime?”

“I do it as I please.”

“I see. So it’s excessive loyalty or overreach.”

“…”

Finally, a crack appeared in Zakar’s expressionless face.

Arendt glanced at him and asked oddly.

“Are you dissatisfied?”

“That’s off-topic.”

There was a distinct anger in Zakar’s vivid green eyes.

On the contrary, Arendt’s face remained calm throughout.

While they were chatting, Arendt had already done his calculations.

In the novel, Zakar was the one who gained Laius’ trust.

So Arendt also decided to trust the captain’s judgment.

In the elven kingdom where everyone hides their true feelings, there was only one person they could trust: Zakar.

“Can I ask you just one thing?”

Arendt turned and faced Zakar.

He didn’t answer, but just stared at the apprentice knight.

A single sentence was enough to shake up that upright, or rather boring, elf.

“If you act like that, why don’t you step forward and become the leader yourself?”

Of course, believing something didn’t mean he would skip the verification process.

“You seem much more competent than the incompetent and spineless Captain Sylvian.”

A faint smile appeared on the apprentice knight’s face.

Since he had a lot of negative feelings towards the elves because of yesterday’s incident, he thought he’d try to relieve some of the stress.