The face of the servant who usually served silently was a bit strange today. It was a slightly strange expression, half intense longing and half slightly misaligned respect.
"Loyalty!! I respect you, boss!"
A freckled boy in his teens saluted me vigorously. If he had been a little closer to me, he would have given me a thumbs up in no time.
"Yeah. You're full of energy today. Is something good happening?"
"Oh, no!"
I said that with a small smile at his suspiciously lively appearance, and the boy was startled, placed a stack of documents on my desk, and disappeared.
And then, I immediately realized why he had acted like that.
[The biggest love triangle in 372 years? The devilish man appears!]
A truly impudent expression. Just reading the headlines made my temples tingle.
What was that unnecessary and meaningful illustration?
Beneath the Milky Way, the sparkling golden morning star and the cool silver crescent moon were shining down on the giant black lion towering over the ground, as if competing with each other.
[Last Friday night. Something unbelievable happened. Two of the most precious and beautiful flowers in the empire were brutally cut down by a single man…]
"These guys never seem to get tired of it."
I sighed and finished reading the article. I had been prepared for this to some extent.
It was a brawl in a large restaurant, a public place.
There were more than one or two witnesses, and most of them were nobles, so it was no wonder that rumors had already spread throughout society.
In addition, did he realize something from the last article? He described the situation exquisitely, without even mentioning the direct words like saint and princess, and his skill in walking a tightrope was extraordinary.
In a word, it was an extremely interesting article. It was a short piece of writing that was excellent in conveying the content while also being interesting enough for the general public to read through.
—Ta-ak
"Okay, I've decided."
As I threw the weekly magazine I had finished reading on the desk, an honest impression pierced my mind. I couldn't deny that it was well-written.
Perhaps I could have just found it purely amusing.
… If only I and Alicia weren't the only ones who were being teased and latched on to by those guys.
Who dares treat me as a clown who does whatever they want?
Did I look that ridiculous? I guess I can take it as a call to arms at this point.
—Ddddddddd!
The barracks where my office was located shook violently due to the intense anger that had come after a long time. The mana particles in the air resonated with my will and began to generate physical force.
"What is this, an earthquake?"
"No. It feels a little different. Could this be…?"
As my subordinates began to become agitated, I took a deep breath to somehow calm my boiling emotions.
"Hoo, hoo…"
Just because I'm angry doesn't mean I can't cause unnecessary trouble to those around me.
The moment I opened the window wide to breathe in some fresh air.
—Whisper~
A paper airplane carried by the wind hit my forehead like a scene from a story.
[My dear disciple, please stop flirting with women. Is this not enough?]
I wondered who the hell was playing a prank on me, so I opened it up, and a short letter written in a very familiar handwriting caught my eye.
'Damn, what the hell is this.'
The teacher, who usually prefers to take action himself, expressed his intentions through a letter. That means he is quite uncomfortable.
In many ways, I can no longer stand by and watch. There is no need to worry any longer.
I immediately get up from my seat.
According to the appendix of this damned weekly magazine, their base is located near the system, so it shouldn't be too hard to find.
"Dangjangnim... Where are you going...?"
As I was walking down the hallway with a very serious expression, I ran into Agnes, who was walking around listlessly with a sullen expression.
I could guess why she was acting like that. She was also one of the main victims of this article.
The fact that Agnes and I were dating had been known for a long time. There were hints since the Knights' War, and we often spent holidays together openly.
Even though we didn't make an official announcement, the fact that we were lovers was very clear.
[In the ecology of beasts, the alpha male rarely pays attention to a female he's already engaged with. It's better to find new prey than to put in the effort to catch the prey he's already caught.]
However, the article described me as if I was sick of her.
"Ahhh… caught prey… abandoned lioness…"
—Tsk!
It seems like she's having trouble controlling her emotions, and a chilling cold air is wafting around her. I patted Agnes' shoulder a few times, who was noticeably depressed, and said through gritted teeth.
"I'm going to reclaim your honor and mine."
"Huh? What is that…"
"Please take care of the troops for me for a moment. I'll take care of it and come back soon."
These days, there's a strange rumor going around among the nobles of the empire that the pen is mightier than the sword.
I think I have a little idea what that means.
How many people were hurt by a few lines of an article scribbled with a pen? This was an outrage that I, as a knight who protects the sword, could never stand by and watch.
With great power comes great responsibility. So today, those guys will have to pay the price for their irresponsibility.
—Puhhihihing!
"Let's go to the headquarters of the media company that publishes the weekly magazine Iris. Right now."
"Yes, sir!"
He got on the carriage fully armed. The weight of his beloved sword, which was usually too heavy, had been resolved through a lightening magic.
It would not be much different from a normal sword during non-combat, but if he just poured mana into it, it would return to its original inhumane weight.
Inside the carriage, I folded my arms and quietly lost myself in thought.
I had already sent a letter of protest, but if it was like this, shouldn't I force them to come to their senses?
If words don't work, you have to beat them to understand. It's no different for humans and beasts alike.
—Swoop
I took out a piece of gold paper with the royal seal from my bosom. It was something I always carried around with me, even though I thought I would never use it.
It was one of the three indulgences I received in return for my service during the war.
I could be prepared to use it if the time came.
Their base was a really nice stone building located in the center of the city.
I heard that it had recently been renovated, and its scale was quite grand. It almost resembled a small castle.
"Is this it?"
"Yes!"
It's so disgusting to think that I've become their gossip and helped lay the cornerstone of that huge building.
The symbol of the iris in the eyes of a living creature, located in the front yard, caught my eye. Should I destroy that first?
While I was thinking that, a very welcome face spoke to me.
"Sir Wolfgang! It's been a long time."
"You… are Bishop Roberto. I never thought I'd see you here."
It was Bishop Roberto, my comrade who had been on duty with me during the Fersen County Incident.
Why was he here, a high-ranking priest in charge of a parish in a territory under the establishment? I asked, not hiding my puzzlement.
"What business have you brought me here?"
"Keum! That's... As you know, they recently published an unpleasant article about the saint. I came to request a correction."
I had hoped, and it was true.
Bishop Roberto also came to protest. Since they were already acquainted, I felt a strong sense of camaraderie toward him.
But why hasn't he come in yet?
It seems like he's been here for a while. He's just stamping his feet with the priests.
"I'm the same. I sent a letter once, but they didn't listen, so I came to protest in person. Since it's come to this, would you like to come with me?"
"Yes, of course. I'll gladly accept your offer... but things aren't going to be easy." "Not easy. What do you mean by that?"
"It's been almost an hour since I asked you to wait a moment. Even when I called the person again, they kept telling me to wait a little longer, like parrots…"
Oh my. Look at these people?
How dare they treat the bishop of the Church of Heavenly God coldly. Although I'm not a devout believer, as a member of Estella who attends Sunday service every ten days, I couldn't just ignore it.
"Is that so? This won't do. If you won't listen, I'll have no choice but to use force."
"Wait, Lord Wolfgang? What are you…"
I don't know what kind of nerve they have, but they had enough justification.
If they can openly insult a bishop-level priest, I'm sure they'll do the same if I say so. There's no need to engage in pointless conversation.
—Gooooo…
I raised my mana and raised my fist toward the firmly locked iron door.
"My comrade, my faithful priest, is being insulted. I can't stand this."
"Uh, uh…!"
—Kwaang!
They were clearly possessed by demons.
I'll destroy them all.
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