I Became a Dark Knight in the Game

42 – A Rigged…? Duel (1)

Morgina, who had left the main base of Eve Kaha, was indeed moving busily.

‘Engaged, but asking me to lie about officiating the ceremony?’

Is this guy out of his mind!?

The first letter she received right after finishing her closed-door training was such a mess that she couldn’t help but be furious. She utilized her superhuman physical abilities to dash from the Holy Kingdom to the Empire’s border in an instant.

In the gateway city, Morgina encountered unexpected news. It happened during the inspection procedure upon entering the city.

“This is my holy emblem to prove my identity. I’ve already opened my bag.”

As the guards scrutinized Eve Kaha’s necklace and stalled for time, Morgina almost instinctively slashed her palm to summon her mace. The blatant delay was obvious.

‘Has the leadership changed to the aristocratic faction? Are they forcing their subordinates to enforce clerical discipline?’

If that were truly the case, she would need to swing her mace for a bit of exercise despite her busy schedule. While observing the guards’ facial expressions, wondering if they were being forced into uncomfortable duties.

“Is this really Eve Kaha’s holy emblem?”

“Yes, it is.”

Ah, Morgina clicked her tongue. Was there a priest who had caused a ruckus because they couldn’t control their temper? Even the grand priestess had issued a public notice to handle such matters discreetly.

“You are a priest of Eve Kaha! The grand warrior of the order has done a great deed for our city!”

“What?”

Upon hearing the story, it was another typical act of Kriel. Encountering a problem on the way, he solved it in an instant with a single sword and left like a knight from a fairy tale.

Strictly speaking, it was three swords, but that wasn’t the point.

Morgina subtly probed the commander of the border guards and the advisory mage. Was there anyone accompanying Kriel?

“Are you asking about a companion? The spirit of the sword?”

She doubted if the spirit deserved such respect to be called ‘sir,’ but an answer was an answer. Morgina confirmed that there was no one else beside Kriel other than Orisin. After exchanging appropriate greetings, she hurried on her way again.

‘Let’s think.’

She unfolded the letter once more.

Kriel’s letter was extremely concise. He was to be engaged in the Argatlam Duchy. However, due to circumstances, the engagement was to be testified in court as if it had already happened in the past.

Could she testify in court as the priest who officiated the engagement ceremony? Following this was the typical apology for asking a priest to lie.

‘No, it’s not about being sorry for asking me to lie.’

Shouldn’t he be sorry for getting engaged to someone else while I’m still here?

The more she read the letter, the more her anger boiled. No, simply saying ‘boiled’ couldn’t fully express her feelings. Her fingertips were cold as she read the letter, but her heart felt hot and torn.

An empty void seemed to engulf her insides, a sense of loss. On top of that, the weight of bewilderment, close to fear.

Rationally, she knew. She hadn’t said a word to Kriel about the other meaning of the Grand Warrior, and though she had tried to take care of him in various ways, her attitude was harsh…

Morgina lowered her head.

If the engagement was already done, what could she do now? With that stubborn personality, once he made a vow, unless the other party betrayed him first, he would try to keep his loyalty even if they did.

‘Then what can I do…’

There was nothing she could do. Even if she ran to him right now, wouldn’t she just hear, ‘You weren’t there when I needed you, and now you come’? She thought about going back. Maybe she should just go hunt the Abyss as usual.

But after taking a deep breath, Morgina lifted her head again.

“Who cares. Even if the engagement is over, that guy didn’t invite me to the ceremony, so I can throw a fit.”

Wasn’t he a comrade? In a way, they worked at the same place. To get engaged without saying a word to such a close friend, it would be legal to go and give him a couple of slaps.

“Goddess, you agree, right?”

A crow suddenly flew in and cawed. Morgina took it as a sign and felt invigorated.

“Good. Good. At least until I pass through the Gateway City, there was no one who looked like a fiancée.”

She had also heard from Llewellyn, the court magician of the Gateway City, about Kriel’s whereabouts. She knew Kriel was currently in the Duchy of Argetlam, but the question of why he suddenly went there was still ongoing.

Thanks to Llewellyn’s explanation that the Abyssal Control Society was held there and that he had given his own invitation to Kriel, some of the questions were resolved. And she could somewhat fill in the timeline related to Kriel’s engagement.

There would be no room for others to intervene in the journey from the Gateway City to the Duchy of Argetlam. The story that something happened in the Duchy of Argetlam.

Surely it wasn’t some ridiculous romance where Morgina herself had a lover she was separated from before she joined the Western Army and reunited in the Duchy of Argetlam.

Morgina’s hopeful imagination flared up. Maybe, just by chance, he was trying to fake an engagement to save someone who was about to be sold off to some noble scoundrel?

The added condition was also strangely odd.

If Kriel had once again exercised his ‘fake chivalry’ and jumped into some incident, there would have been rumors within the Duchy of Argetlam.

*

And Morgina could see the posters plastered all over the Duchy of Argetlam.

“Grand Warrior Recruitment for Duel Trial, exact details to be disclosed after consultation?”

It smelled fishy. Who in this day and age would bring up such an outdated custom as a duel trial?

It was almost certainly related to Kriel.

‘It’s exactly the kind of thing he would love.’

A knight who takes on a duel for someone else’s honor. Pretending not to, but with his whole body claiming to be a chivalry maniac, Kriel would be thrilled.

Perhaps the engagement was strictly speaking a religious matter, so he applied for a duel trial. It was a result that further supported her guess of a ‘fake engagement.’

With a more relaxed mind, Morgina headed to the interview room of Mazar Gabi. The reason for heading to Mazar Gabi, who was surely on the opposite side of Kriel, was simple.

She didn’t doubt Kriel’s skills, but if they were going to have a duel trial, wouldn’t it be advantageous to set the stage so he could definitely win?

Morgina was confident that with her skills, she could sweep away the mediocre Grand Warrior candidates. And that confidence was well-founded.

When Morgina demonstrated her skills – crushing rocks with her bare hands and smashing plate armor with a mace – Mazar Gabi was impressed and prepared the documents.

“But, which order do you belong to?”

Mazhar Gabi’s question. Morgina was dressed in priestly robes but had hidden the insignia of the Eve Kaha order. If she failed the interview, her plan to engage in a mock duel with Kriel and deliberately lose would fall apart.

“…Is the person I have to face someone high up in the order?”

Morgina asked back, feigning the politeness she used when dealing with outsiders. It was an act mixed with the difficulty a common priest would have when addressing a bishop.

Mazhar hastily shook his head.

“It’s ambiguous to say high up… But it’s true that they are a key figure in the order.”

“I heard they are a grand warrior of the Eve Kaha order.”

Morgina frowned. She had expected it due to the conditions of the trial by combat, but was Kriel really going to use his status as a grand warrior?

Conversely, it meant that he was confident that the prestige of the Eve Kaha order would not be tarnished. It was likely an act based on chivalry. Or perhaps the opponent was someone he truly loved.

…She hated to think of the latter possibility, but either way, the man in front of her was not the type to intimidate others.

“If a grand warrior stands against you, wouldn’t justice also be on the opposite side?”

“Don’t misunderstand. The man who claims to be the fiancée of the young lady of the Kett family has not shown his face to the Kett family even once in the past few years.”

“…The count’s young lady?”

“Surely, he must be someone she hired to nullify our marriage. I will be honest since I cannot lie before a priest. My marriage with the young lady of the Kett family is indeed a political one. But she will not be unhappy.”

Mazhar Gabi emphasized what he could do for the Kett family, and further for Armed Kett. He also spoke about the absurd meeting and developments with Kriel.

Morgina, who had been listening silently, raised her hand.

“Wait, what?”

“Hmm?”

“Oh, I didn’t hear it properly. What did that wandering knight Kriel say?”

It seemed she had slipped into informal speech. Mazhar Gabi, tilting his head, explained again.

“In front of me, he said, ‘Armed is already engaged to me,’ and held her in his arms. Then he said he would love her even if she were just Armed, not Armed Kett…”

Honestly, even Mazhar, who was listening, was confused whether that knight was someone brought in for a fake engagement or a real hidden fiancé, as the lines were so embarrassing.

Morgina’s smile deepened as she listened to the explanation.

“Why… why are you smiling like that?”

Mazhar felt an inexplicable fear from that smile.

“It’s nothing, Lord Mazhar Gabi. I accept the grand warrior’s contract.”

“What?”

“Bring the documents.”