Betrayal Knight's Joyful Faith

Chapter 311

!The hand that had been struck fiercely froze stiffly in the air.

Marquis Cliff, who was about to pat the shoulder of the great apprentice knight who saved the hero, froze in place.

“Who gave you permission to lay your hands on me? How filthy.”

Although he could not have been unaware of his embarrassment, Arendt spoke coldly and wiped the place where Marquis Cliff’s hand had touched as if he had been covered in dirt.

The Marquis, who had been frozen in embarrassment for a while, forced a smile.

“I… I’m sorry. I was rude. It’s bound to be unpleasant to be touched without permission.”

“I’m glad you know that.”

However, the Marquis’ eyebrows eventually twitched at the apprentice knight’s response that followed.

The same was true for the others who were watching from the side.

“He really is sensitive…” someone muttered.

As expected, his personality was just as amazing as his appearance.

“Cheer up, Sir Arendt. I just wanted to have a quick chat with you after doing such a great job.”

This time Count Graham approached, speaking in a tone as if he was soothing a child.

It was a much more cautious attitude than the Marquis who approached without hesitation.

“What are you talking about? Huh?”

But he couldn’t get a nice answer either.

“Do you know me? I think this is our first meeting.”

“….”

“If you wanted to chat, wouldn’t it be polite to introduce yourself first instead of just coming up to me and talking to me?”

As he spoke, his golden eyes looked up and down intently, and anyone who saw him would find his attitude shameless.

Count Graham’s smile naturally stiffened at the impudent behavior of a child who was not even half his age.

But he showed the patience of an adult.

“…I see. I’m sorry. It’s only natural that you’d be sensitive after going through something so big at such a young age.”

Only then did understanding appear in the eyes of others.

They assumed he was wary of others because of the continuous battles he fought in.

Count Graham greeted him in a softened tone.

“My name is Lantern von Graham. I run a business and have an estate not far from the palace. It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir Arendt.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

Arendt tilted his head with a displeased expression.

The Count waited with some patience, but no further words came in return.

Finally, he asked in a trembling voice.

“…That’s all?”

“Yes, what else do you want me to say?”

Now even Count Graham could not control his facial expressions.

The same was true of the other nobles surrounding Arendt.

Those who were a little further away from the unexpected scuffle also began to turn their gazes toward them one by one.

“That kind of behavior is not polite, Sir Arendt. If you are a sharp-witted person, you will easily understand what I am saying.”

Marquis Cliff, conscious of the people’s eyes, showed patience and politely pointed it out.

But Arendt was not so easy.

“So then, what, am I supposed to say ‘Nice to meet you too’ or something? Unfortunately, I’m not very good at saying things I don’t mean, so I’m not particularly sorry.”

People were once again left speechless by the apprentice knight who kept saying such things without changing his expression.

“I hear you speak as if you know me well. Have you not heard such a rumor?”

Taking it a step further, Arendt added indifferently:

“I’ve been through a lot, so this is my natural temper.”

“…”

Arendt felt a little satisfied.

The reactions he found quite satisfying were those where they were frozen with their mouths wide open.

It seemed like the perfect dose of reality for those who approached him without thinking, imagining him to be just a little rough and arrogant.

‘Looks like I’ve drawn enough attention.’

It was now time to slowly drive in the first nail in place.

Arendt’s lips slightly curled when seeing the expressions of those who were shocked when they encountered the true nature of the one who received the favour of their god.

“It looks like you’re quite disappointed…”

And with a look of arrogance in his eyes, his posture a little more askew, and his voice pitched a little higher…

“What did you expect?”

Finally, it was perfect when he burst into blatant laughter for everyone to hear.

“…”

The noisy banquet hall became quiet as if ice water had been poured over it.

Everyone was pretending not to notice and were just listening to the conversation.

Arendt faced those around him with shameless eyes as if to ask what was wrong, while receiving stares of astonishment all around.

Marquis Cliff and Count Graham, who had spoken first, froze stiffly as if they had been touched by the Frosty Touch.

“Hehehe… I just wish he would be more mindful of where he is.”

Duke Lancelot, who had been quietly watching from the sidelines, quietly intervened.

Not far off, Arthur added a grumbling remark of his own.

“Honestly, he’s always so predictable.”

At first glance, it seemed like he was blaming Arendt, but the reality was a little different.

This gave strength to Arendt’s claim that he was originally this kind of person.

Only then did Marquis Cliff, who had been standing there in a daze, come to his senses.

“No… yes, Sir Arendt. I’ve often heard rumors about your personality. You’re quite wild, you know… an eccentric person.”

In his confusion, Marquis Cliff did not even notice that he was rambling.

As Arendt kindly pointed out:

“You don’t have to sugarcoat it, you can just say that I have a terrible personality. I hear that a lot.”

“Yeah, your personality is terrible… No! No, that’s not it!”

Marquis Cliff, who had been mindlessly following his words, changed his words in shock.

“That’s not what I was trying to say, so…”

“I don’t think that’s true, Marquis. You don’t seem to be very good at controlling your facial expressions. Oh, right.”

Arendt cut him off as he was unable to continue speaking, and continued speaking naturally.

“Come to think of it, I heard that the Marquis suggested to the Great Temple that he build a prayer room for me.”

Arendt shrugged his shoulders, his expression blank.

“So, what do you think after seeing it for yourself? When I first heard it, I was a bit shocked, but I understand now. After all, I’m just that great, what can I say.”

“…”

Marquis Cliff’s face turned grave.

His brain stopped because the reality was so different from what he imagined.

Despite having an angelic appearance, like one who serves Luce, the words he spoke sounded as if he was possessed by a demon.

Count Graham stepped forward to replace Marquis Cliff, who had completely lost his mind.

“Sir Arendt, I have heard that you are great, but you are too rude.”

Even in the midst of all this, the Count was somehow trying to maintain his composure.

He continued speaking sternly, as if he were reprimanding him.

“Your achievements are well known to all. However, this kind of speech and behavior is nothing but shameful to Lord Luce.”

But the topic chosen by Count Graham was not a very desirable one either.

“Hah.”

Someone let out a short sigh.

It was Henry who was with Duke Lancelot.

“Lord Luce?”

As expected, a strange light appeared in Arendt’s eyes.

Whatever he took from that, the devout Marquis Cliff suddenly came to his senses and continued speaking hastily.

“That, that’s right. Didn’t you also experience Lord Luce’s protection this time? I heard that it was only thanks to Lord Luce’s grace that you and Captain Laius survived safely. You should know that too.”

As he continued to speak, Henry and Arcus’ faces became more and more dismayed.

Arthur, who had been waiting nearby to intervene if things got too heated, also quietly turned away.

“Hmm.”

Arendt tilted his head.

“So, you’re saying that I should live humbly and with gratitude to Lord Luce?”

“That, that’s right. As expected, you’re so smart. I thought you’d understand easily, Sir Arendt. You must have felt Lord Luce’s love, too.”

Marquis Cliff nodded vigorously, hoping that Arendt might change his mind.

Arendt, who had been staring blankly at him for a while, spoke:

“What for? I’m just good at what I do, so why should I thank God?”

“…”

Marquis Cliff and Count Graham gaped.

Arendt put his hands in his pockets and continued speaking shamelessly.

“Yes, I have achieved a lot, but it’s all because I am so great. I don’t think any god or anything helped me. If anything, they might have hindered me. So why should I be thankful?”

Arendt’s tone began to reveal increasingly blatant annoyance.

“If Lord Luce is so great, then he should wipe out the damn enemies first. He shouldn’t make people suffer for no reason.”

It was a blasphemy beyond imagination.

Marquis Cliff, who had been frozen in a daze for a while, barely managed to stammer out a sentence.

“But… but you’ve been granted grace…”

“You’re really fond of calling it grace, huh? I just told you. If there was something like that, he shouldn’t have let it happen in the first place.

But Arendt cut his words off like a knife.

“He takes care of everyone with love and affection? Is making the people he loves suffer like crazy his way of loving? If that’s what you like, then you can have as much grace as you want. I don’t have that kind of hobby.”

At some point, everyone in the hall was watching with dumbfounded eyes the ridiculous farce being performed by Arendt and the Marquis and his party.

“I almost died because of someone, so it’s only natural that he should give me something like a lifeline. Don’t you know what compensation is, Marquis and Count?”

The musicians, who had been observing the situation from time to time, stopped playing their music.

They realized that it was no longer time to leisurely play.

In the hall where even the music had stopped and silence had settled, only the apprentice knight’s beautiful voice, which was unusually audible to the ears, rang out clearly.

“Please take this opportunity to understand this. I don’t believe in God. I only trust in two things…”

Arrogant golden eyes captured the figures of Marquis Cliff and Count Graham.

“Myself.”

As if they were caught up in that gaze, the two of them couldn’t even breathe.

It was the same for the others.

The audience held their breath and waited with bated breath for the next line.

While fully enjoying the heightened tension, Arendt finally said the last line he had prepared.

“And Captain Laius.”

“Phuhu!”

Laius, who was about to quench his thirst, spit out the wine he had just put in his mouth.

“Ouch, gulp. !”

Laius coughed like crazy.

The captain of the Third Knights, who was dressed nicely, had alcohol dribbling down his chin in a showy manner, but Diana and Kendrick didn’t even think to do anything to help him.

“…”

Even the Crown Prince, the knights, and elves who had been watching the situation with bated breath were silently shocked.

“This is driving me crazy.”

Llewellyn, who was looking at the scene with great tension, muttered without realizing it.

It was a remark that represented the feelings of everyone who knew Arendt.