WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Order

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◈ I Became the Dark Knight in the Game World ◈

Chapter 21: This Order Needs a Great Warrior (3)

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Huff, huff. Morgina rushed in, gasping for breath.

"You’re done with your secret talk, right? Tell me how to resign as Champion!"

"We were just discussing that. I gave Sir Kriel a choice."

Sir.

It was an oddly unfamiliar title.

In the Western Army, I had usually been regarded not as a knight serving as a field commander, but simply as an individual with formidable strength. Like when I had been sent to take down Orisin.

Waving a sword around on my own suited me better than taking orders from someone or commanding others. I was a knight, but as a Dark Knight, I had never been formally knighted anywhere.

"A choice? For Kriel? Grandmother, don’t tell me...!"

"You interrupted just as I was about to explain. It’s only a choice of whether to carry the Champion’s Mark. You weren’t planning to give it to anyone but Sir Kriel anyway, were you?"

"..."

Besides, people close enough to call me by name usually did just that rather than use a formal title like "Sir." Even when Morgina had still been pretending to be weak, I had never heard her call me Sir.

"Did you say I could use it only when necessary, without any obligations?"

The Head of the Order nodded calmly.

"I gratefully accept. I’ll do my utmost not to damage the honor or prestige of the Church of Eve Kaha."

Yes.

For the first time since becoming a Dark Knight, I had finally obtained proper identification.

* * *

Morgina grumbled at Kriel.

"If you were going to accept it so easily, why were you so determined to refuse me?"

"Being a Champion is an important position. It should be given to someone more suitable, someone qualified for it."

Hah. Morgina clicked her tongue. There could be no knight more qualified to be Champion than that blockhead.

"But the Head of the Order told me that even if I resigned, you wouldn’t appoint anyone else. I’m just a wanderer without so much as an identification token. I’ll borrow it until you find someone suitable."

Hearing Kriel say in his usual tone that he would return it immediately if necessary and that she should tell him when she found a suitable candidate, Morgina felt something churning inside her.

"...Hey, wait a second."

Morgina tilted her head.

She remembered the uproar Kriel had caused with the Trial by Combat. To settle it, the commander of the Western Army had appeared and negotiated something with Kriel.

"Didn’t you have some position like chief knight of an independent ranger unit directly under the Western Army commander?"

"It’s a status that’ll disappear when I leave the army."

"You said you couldn’t leave the army."

Kriel turned away from Morgina. Anything Kriel said about that subject would only hurt.

He treated the position of chief knight as if it were nothing. Thinking he really did have a strange personality, Morgina spoke.

"You’re planning to leave just like this, aren’t you?"

"I’ve finished everything I needed to do at the Church of Eve Kaha’s headquarters."

He had originally come here to give up the position of Champion. Getting entangled with Tuon had added another matter to handle, but that had also been judged to have no problems for now.

"Tsk... Wait one day. There are plenty of rooms for pilgrims. Stay the night."

Kriel snorted. She worried about the strangest things.

"Is it because it’s dark outside? You know better than anyone that I can see well at night."

[I’ll show you something good...]

Orisin suddenly cut in. Flying into the exact middle between Kriel and Morgina, Orisin shouted, "Hup!"

[Behold, a glowing unicorn.]

Then Orisin began to shine brightly. It was a sight even Kriel had never seen before.

[If it’s just the horn, its color changes too?]

Without a word, Morgina grabbed Orisin by the horn and hurled Orisin far away.

[Physically attacking a ghost is cheatingggg──!]

Since Orisin’s physical form was bound to the Horn Dagger, Orisin could return immediately whenever they wished, no matter how far away they had been thrown. Having made that cool-headed judgment, Morgina looked at Kriel.

"I’m not worried about that. You ruined your armor this time, didn’t you? I’ll make you new armor, so wait."

"Oh."

"Even if it’s only for a limited time, you’re my Champion. I can’t stand seeing you go around looking shabby."

Kriel accepted Morgina’s kindness. Having new armor made would cost quite a bit. If he returned to the Western Army, he might receive a set for free, but he had no intention of going back to the barracks so soon.

The next day.

"Cough!"

Water splashed across Kriel’s face. The cold moisture, like a winter morning breeze, forcibly woke him.

‘What’s going on? Is this how the Church of Eve Kaha starts its day? Do they throw water on you if you don’t wake up by the appointed time?’

No wonder Morgina’s personality had turned out crooked. Lamenting the order’s merciless rules, Kriel turned his head.

Tuon stood there, holding a bowl of water with a strangely triumphant expression.

"...What are you doing?"

The gray-haired girl cried out, her blue eyes sparkling.

"Until now, I said nothing in consideration of your camping circumstances, but a knight’s dignity begins with proper conduct. One must rise with the dawn, wash away the filth of the previous night, and greet the new morning with an orderly mind!"

[Damn it, Kriel. A maid-sword that manages your daily routine. Is it really okay for a Demon Sword to be like this?]

"Shut up, punk."

Letting out a heavy sigh, Kriel accepted the towel Tuon handed him. He needed to wipe his soaked face and think.

"...You shouldn’t wake people up like this."

"Why not?"

"What do you mean, why not? Isn’t it rude to throw water on someone who’s sleeping soundly?"

"No."

What did that mean, no? For a moment, Kriel wondered whether this sword had any concept of common sense at all.

"Since when was a Dark Knight human?"

Kriel squeezed his eyes shut.

"I could be human."

"Impossible. Just as Demonkin are not regarded as human, Dark Knights are not human either."

Kriel knew Tuon’s words were correct according to the game system of Tirnanog RPG. The moment NPCs discovered someone was a Dark Knight, they would usually reject them while shouting, "Die, spawn of the Abyss!"

A Dark Knight qualified for the Abyss was naturally disqualified as human.

[Wow... I used to be the mad one around here. As someone with acquired Abyssal corruption, can I really surpass the pure madness of someone born as spawn of the Abyss?]

Ignoring Orisin’s nonsense, Kriel spoke firmly.

"I am not the Abyss. I haven’t accumulated Demonic Nature so far, and I will never accept it."

"I see... If that is what my master says, then so it is."

Annoyed by the tone for some reason, Kriel returned Tuon to the form of the Cross Sword. Ever since confirming the skill called Phantom Sword, which had manifested in his inner constellation, Kriel had instinctively known how to handle Tuon.

Until now, he had avoided associating with Tuon as much as possible because he was wary of Abyssal corruption. But now that the Head of the Order had assured him there was no direct connection between using Tuon and the Abyss, he could return the materialized Sword Spirit to sword form without hesitation.

The blade hummed with fierce protest, but Kriel’s resolve did not waver.

Knock, knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door in a cheerful rhythm.

Kriel opened it. Morgina stood outside, looking clearly exhausted, as though she had stayed up all night.

"Hey. Come with me."

"Are you all right? You don’t look well."

Normally, Morgina had enough stamina to easily endure a day or two without sleep. That came from both her trained body and the fatigue-recovery effects of Divine Power.

The last time Morgina had looked this tired was after crafting the Horn Dagger that contained Orisin’s soul. In other words, she only looked like this when she had exhausted both her Divine Power and physical strength.

Considering that crafting the Horn Dagger had taken three days, the exhaustion from pouring out a comparable amount of Divine Power in a single night must have been even worse.

Hearing Kriel’s concern, Morgina gave a deliberately relaxed smile.

"Armor for a Champion is normally forged by the Saintess who appointed him. It’s my job. Don’t worry about it."

Even through her exhaustion, Morgina’s smile was clear and fresh. Her usual hot temper had been softened by weariness, leaving only gentleness behind. It felt unfamiliar in a good way.

Led by Morgina’s hand, Kriel headed deep into the fortress. It seemed to be the center where the red blood drawn in from outside gathered.

The blood flowed into a round, well-like opening. Blood that fell into the well circulated back out to the moat.

Thud, thud. Morgina began pulling pieces of plate armor out of the well.

"Try it on. I think the measurements should all be right... but just in case."

Kriel ran his hand over the plate dyed an antique ink-black. It was not completely pitch-black, as the edges bore small gold decorations, either for style or because they had some structural purpose in carrying a blessing.

After some time, Kriel finally finished trying it on with the horned helmet.

He moved every joint from his fingertips to his toes. It fit perfectly, without catching anywhere on his body.

"It’s fine armor."

It was rare for him to offer Morgina such a straightforward compliment. Yet Morgina’s expression after receiving it was strange.

"Uh..."

"What’s wrong?"

Kriel did not understand her uneasy expression. It was the finest armor he had ever worn. Orisin popped out and whispered.

[Excuse me, sir, do you have any interest in joining the Demon King’s army?]

Kriel moved toward the mirror.

Footnotes:

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