The Bastard Swordsman Of The Imperial Guard [EN]: Chapter 131

Lael received greetings from the priests on the street again today.

He was so used to it now that his body reacted naturally.

“Hero. We will always support you.”

The priests on the street made the sign of the cross whenever they encountered Lael.

“Thank you, Priest. Gaia-men.”

Lael bowed politely to the lower-ranking priest who greeted him.

Carlson’s eyes widened at the sight.

“Wow, Lael. I’ve never seen you greet anyone so politely. Didn’t you not even do that to the Cardinal?”

“Carlson, this is called ‘strong to the strong, gentle to the weak.’ A truly strong person treats the weak with respect.”

They say position makes the person.

Of course, that’s true.

When the reactions of those around him changed so dramatically, he couldn’t help but change, even if he didn’t want to.

“I have gained another enlightenment from Sir Lael’s words. You are truly amazing.”

Lukas nodded, seemingly moved by Lael’s words.

‘Strong to the strong, gentle to the weak,’ huh.

That is the mindset of a hero.

Thanks to Lael, Lukas had matured another level.

“…But Sir Lael, who are those people behind you?”

“Ah, these guys…? Haa.”

However, Lael’s mindset didn’t even last a day.

It was the morning of the third day since Lael became a hero.

He frowned as he looked at the paladins following behind him.

“We have been ordered by His Holiness the Pope to protect the Hero’s safety.”

“The Silver Cross Knights will be with you from now on.”

The Silver Cross Knights, their eyes full of spirit, were sparkling as they looked at Lael.

They seemed very proud to have been assigned to guard the Hero.

“Carlson.”

“Yes, Lael.”

“Send those paladins back to the Order before I beat them up myself.”

Lael felt that he had grown a lot as a hero.

He didn’t beat up the stalkers who followed him without permission, and he didn’t swear at them.

Where else could you find such a saint?

“That’s impossible! If the Hero of the Gaia Order gets hurt, we will have no face to show His Holiness!”

“His Holiness specifically requested that we protect Sir Lael from a distance so as not to disturb him.”

“You bastards. Isn’t that how you got caught by me? From the start, you weaker guys are talking about guarding me…”

“Uwaaaa! Aaaa! Ebebe! Elios! Keiran! Follow me! Let’s go to Commander Marco!”

Carlson screamed at the same time as Lael’s curse, grabbing the hands of the two paladins.

As a paladin himself, he couldn’t bear to see the Silver Cross Knights get beaten up by Lael.

“Tsk. What a nuisance.”

Lael shook his head as he watched the paladins being dragged away by Carlson.

If they were going to provide security, they should have assigned someone stronger than him. Why were they sending these weirdos?

“Sir Lael. Is it okay to treat the paladins like that?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? I’m the Hero.”

“…”

Shouldn’t a hero not do that?

Lukas had questions, but he didn’t bother asking.

Buzz buzz.

[To think they consider this guy a hero. They’re completely insane.]

The Holy Sword Saint added a word, but no one listened to the Holy Sword.

“Lael! You were here. Hmm? Where did the paladins and Carlson go?”

“Sword Dragon. Good morning. They said they had business at the Order, so they went back.”

“I see. There will be a meeting soon, so the Order must be quite busy. People from the Vanessa Kingdom will also be arriving soon to attend the meeting. Kyle will probably show his face soon too.”

“No wonder I saw a lot of people from other countries.”

“It’s a meeting about the war with the demons, so they have no choice but to attend.”

The birth of a hero means war with the demons is coming.

As the Hero of the Gaia Order, the most powerful force on the continent, was born, there was a strange sense of tension in the continent.

‘The war with the demons won’t start right away, but… I have a lot of work to do.’

Lael sighed.

He had to undo the Saintess’s brainwashing and investigate the Pope.

Besides, he had to check the movements of the Kamen Knights, who were hostile to him, so Baggers would be extremely busy right now.

‘I should deal with the things in front of me first.’

The most important thing was the upcoming meeting.

Lael had to participate in the meeting as a hero.

*

“Hmm, I hope Kyle won’t be shocked to see the growth of the Three Musketeers.”

Sword Dragon was looking forward to meeting his grandson, Kyle.

As a Soma Association executive, he rushed to the Empire first to check on Lael’s condition, but he also wanted his blood relative, Kyle, to become stronger.

In the upcoming war, the weak will only be swept away.

Thump- Thump-.

A moment later.

Footsteps were heard from over there.

Sword Dragon smiled as he looked in that direction.

“You guys. You’ve finally arrived.”

The warriors of the Vanessa Kingdom were all huge.

This is because there is a legend that all the prominent noble families, including the Belmos family, are descendants of giants.

“Kyle! My grandson! It’s your grandpa!”

“Grandfather-!”

Sword Dragon smiled as he hugged Kyle who was running towards him.

“My grandson, have you been training well?”

“Yes! I think I’ll be able to knock on the door of Sword Master soon!”

“…Already? No, that’s amazing.”

Sword Dragon tilted his head as he looked at Kyle.

His grandson, Kyle, was talented, but not to that extent.

Besides, perhaps because he had traveled a long way, his complexion looked bad.

“Kyle, you don’t look well. Are you tired from the long journey? Or didn’t you eat? Come with me. I’ll take you to a delicious place.”

“Sword Dragon. The delegation from the Vanessa Kingdom has all arrived.”

At that time, a man in the center of the Vanessa Kingdom delegation approached Sword Dragon.

“Hmm, good work. Edmund. Everyone must be tired, so let’s eat and then meet again.”

Sword Dragon took Kyle and left leisurely.

Edmund, who was watching the scene, bowed lightly and took care of the delegation.

“Edmund. To Sword Dragon…”

“Be quiet.”

Edmund silenced his adjutant and looked at Sword Dragon’s back as he left.

Sword Dragon has not yet accepted the teachings of the New Church, so it is necessary to take time slowly.

But it’s okay.

Kyle Belmos,

The grandson that Sword Dragon loves so much has reached them.

“The Divine Teachings are invincible. The Demonic Path reigns supreme.”

Edmund, the Second Sword of the Vanessa Kingdom, quietly whispered the teachings of the Demonic Cult.

*

The reception room in Duke Eric’s mansion.

Lael sat in the reception room and focused on Uriel’s words.

“Now that Lael has been selected as a hero, we can pressure the Kamen Knights if we join forces with the Order.”

Lael was no longer a ‘talented commoner knight.’

Now that he has become the Hero of the Order, if he raises an official complaint, they cannot simply get away with an apology.

“But isn’t that just a formal apology? No real accident happened.”

“…That’s right.”

Unless one of them is prepared to die… it is not easy to politically pressure Gideon for a mistake in sparring.

“After hearing that Gideon tried to kill Lael, I thought about it in many ways… The Kamen Knights are definitely hiding something. Maybe they are connected to the demons.”

“…Surely not.”

At the Duke’s story, Lael recalled the Kamen Knights in the original story.

They were a group that did their best to protect the Empire.

They may be incompetent, but it is impossible to understand that they have joined hands with the demons.

“They won’t join hands with the demons. However, they may turn a blind eye for a while. Gideon Garcia. He may be using demons for the integration of the Empire.”

Eric is well aware of Gideon Garcia’s fanatical patriotism.

Eric found a connection between the demons’ invasion and Gideon’s misguided thoughts.

Looking at his impulsiveness in trying to accidentally kill Lael, the winner of the Yongbong Tournament, it may not be difficult to join hands with the demons.

“Kamen Knights….”

Lael’s thoughts continued.

The black magician and demons in District 4, and the terrorist acts of the desert kingdom Nagor.

He recalled the Kamen Knights who blocked the way at that time.

‘If even that was Gideon’s idea….’

Clench.

Lael gritted his teeth.

He recalled Nia and Harry trembling in the dark.

If Eric’s uncle’s guess is true, he will never leave the Kamen Knights alone.

“Lael. Calm down.”

“…. Yes. Duke.”

“Now that you’re a hero, you can call me Eric, uncle.”

“Ahem. Duke? What are you talking about? I’m listening.”

“Just kidding. Reina.”

Eric smiled.

He knew Lael’s personality well.

Lael is hostile to those he once thought of as enemies until the end.

And he knew very well that he never let go of the prey he once set.

“There will be a demon war meeting soon. Lael, you will participate there too, right?”

“Yes. I’m a hero. But what exactly do you do at a meeting?”

“It’s a meeting about the demons’ attack. Now that the hero has been decided, war with the demons is inevitable.”

Eric said firmly.

From the beginning, the truce with the demons could not last for decades or hundreds of years.

Even though they have intelligence like humans, they are monsters stained with greed and instinct.

“But the demons are still now. Isn’t holding a meeting rather stimulating the demons?”

Reina, who had been watching the conversation quietly, asked curiously.

From her point of view, demons are like Basolord, who relentlessly chase after their clan.

In comparison, the demons beyond the Forbidden Alheim only kept their place in Alheim and did not attack at all.

“No. The demons are still eyeing the continent. Other countries are participating in the meeting because they know that fact too.”

Uriel, who is a member of the imperial family, knows the fear of demons well.

The demons will be waiting for the vigilance against them to dissipate.

Knock knock-

At that time, there was a knock from outside.

“It’s Kirue. Sword Dragon has brought the delegation from the Vanessa Kingdom.”

“Ah, Sword Dragon has come. Your Highness Uriel. I will escort you.”

“Thank you.”

The Duke and Uriel went out, and Reina followed behind them.

“Hey. Ghent. Why are you so quiet? I became a hero, but you don’t even pretend to know me.”

Lael, who was left in the reception room, spoke to Ghent.

If it were Ghent’s usual personality, he would have congratulated him on becoming a hero and given him an expensive car, but he had been sitting quietly, staring at the sky all day.

“…I’m sorry. Lael. I couldn’t celebrate my colleague’s success. I’ve been having a complicated head lately. Congratulations on becoming a hero.”

Ghent nodded at Lael’s words.

Then he slowly followed Uriel out.

“Lael. That giant has been acting a little strange lately. Bear with it.”

Reina came to Lael and whispered, covering her mouth with her hand.

She was worried that Lael might get angry and hit Ghent.

“…Well, he didn’t do anything weird, so there’s nothing to bear with.”

Lael hoped that Ghent would not do anything strange.

Please, no tearing or dirtying his golden lifeline.

‘I should give him a consultation later.’

If he, an expert in personality assessment, directly catches the problem, Ghent will surely be happy too.

When he went outside, all the people who were training in the training ground were waiting at the main gate.

“Lael! The delegation from the Vanessa Kingdom has arrived!”

“I heard. Carlson. More than that, what did you do with the paladins?”

“I told them, in no uncertain terms, that honing their skills while guarding the hero is the best way to serve the Order. Don’t worry.”

“…Well, you did a good job.”

“More than that, it’s a meeting about the war with the demons… If you’re a hero, do you get a feeling when you see suspicious guys?”

Carlson asked seriously.

“What do you think a hero is? Am I some kind of hunting dog? Until a few days ago, I was just a knight.”

Lael scoffed with a hollow laugh.

Just because he became a hero doesn’t mean he can do such a thing.

[A real hero should have that sense too!]

Lael, who ignored the Holy Sword’s nonsense, looked at the delegation from the Vanessa Kingdom entering the main gate.

Kyle was seen behind Sword Dragon, who was at the head, and faces he had never seen before were seen behind him.

‘…?’

And Lael frowned as he looked at the delegation from the Vanessa Kingdom.

‘What are those bastards?’

He felt an unpleasant sensation from them.