Knights—a profession that appeared glamorous to the world.
But Shilo hated knights.
Not just knights, but also priests, the Church, and nobles. These people considered themselves noble and acted under the guise of justice, yet their deeds were worse than those of pigs or dogs. Beneath that glamorous exterior flowed their greedy, disgusting hearts.
So, he hated knights.
Despite this, he was adopted by a knight—a short-statured one at that. If there was anything that set this knight apart from those disgusting ones, it was probably that he was stupid, clumsy, and cowardly. Every day, he spent his time playing games and making funny faces at a group of brats.
Whenever he saw someone in need, he would rush forward regardless of whether he could actually help. In the end, he never received any thanks and only ended up covered in dust. He could barely afford to eat, and despite taking in a child who also needed to be fed, he would still give all his money away to some little beggar who was clearly a scammer.
If Shilo hadn’t hidden a few potatoes when he was young, he probably would have starved to death in the winter along with that idiot.
Yet, even in such a pathetic state, he never colluded with the clergy. Every time he met a priest, he would try to persuade them to consider the people more, which usually ended in a brawl due to their differing opinions. As a result, he was ostracized by everyone in the Church and couldn’t get a single coin, forced to live off farming.
Despite being treated this way, during moments of crisis, he was always the first to draw his sword for the residents of Isol City, resolving one crisis after another.
But when people thanked him, he would only say he wasn’t a knight, but merely a clown.
Heh.
…
And then, he died.
The injuries accumulated over the years overwhelmed him in his old age. He didn’t die on the battlefield; he simply passed away after being pushed by some kids playing a game.
A simple burial followed, with no inheritance left behind—only a sword, the knight’s uniform he had been reluctant to wear, and a deserted farm.
How stupid…
How could there be such a stupid person in this world? Why not live a good life? Wouldn’t it have been enough to just be a knight lord and spend his days in peace?
So stupid…
Afterward, Shilo picked up the sword, put on the knight’s uniform, and joined the Church. Under the Church’s banner, he did the things that the bastard who left him behind used to do.
Oh… but playing with brats was out of the question.
He spent the rest of his time making life difficult for the other clergy members—whether it was mocking them, swiping a few coin pouches, taking away their toilet paper while they were in the restroom, or revealing their infidelities to their partners just to enjoy the show…
These actions didn’t fit the identity of a knight, but it didn’t matter. He wasn’t a knight. Before being adopted by that stupid knight, he was a “rat” who survived through dirty little tricks. He was just returning to his old trade. After all… it takes a villain to deal with a villain.
About one week ago, he felt a strange atmosphere settle over the Church. Upon inquiry, he learned that a Saintess was coming to the city.
A Saintess…
Having long since seen through reality, Shilo felt no reverence for such a title. To him, it was nothing more than the upper layer of a rotten noble system. After all, without the indulgence of these so-called high-ranking figures, how could the nobles in his city be so unscrupulous?
But he still had to go through the motions.
He was forced by the Church to participate in the ceremony, where he saw the Saintess, the knights accompanying her, and the Paladin. This exaggerated display only confirmed the thoughts in Shilo’s heart.
However, dragging such high-level individuals into the mud was exactly what he enjoyed.
‘So… you better not let me find any dirt on you. Lady Saintess~’
Holding that thought, he left the Church early. After all, he wasn’t as idle as those church folks. Yet, that very afternoon, he ran into the Saintess.
She wasn’t wearing the elaborate, exquisite Saintess attire he had seen before, but an ordinary priest’s robe, lurking in the shadows of the street like she was up to no good.
‘Did this person just do something shady?’
Seeing her like that, a sudden urge to mess with her surged within him. He intentionally bumped into her and swiped a ring she had inexplicably kept in her pocket.
The amount of money inside and the abundance of fancy clothes once again convinced him that his actions were right. The Saintess, on the other hand, was startled like a fool, completely unaware of what he had done.
It seemed she wasn’t just stupid; she was a complete incompetent. But that was fine; it fit his impression of the Church and those noble types.
The slight nervousness he had felt about being caught vanished instantly. Still, caution was necessary. He decided not to return to the city for a while.
But… should he call it a small world?
On the evening he made that decision, he ran into the Lady Saintess in the forest outside his farm. This happened simply because he was craving wild game, as his farm’s livestock farming wasn’t fully established yet.
To be honest, he was actually startled the moment the Lady Saintess poked her head out, but he forced himself to stay calm and focused on the roast chicken in front of him.
Then, he heard the Lady Saintess’s shocking statement.
…As expected, she really is an idiot, isn’t she?
To defenselessly reveal her identity to a stranger in the middle of nowhere and make a promise that was impossible to fulfill.
He had heard the stupid knight who raised him mention that Paladins were said to be the highest combat power of human forces. There were thirteen in total, each an existence capable of changing the course of a battle. And the only one who could grant a knight such honor was the Archbishop at the peak of the Church’s power.
Yet this foolish Lady Saintess offered such words right off the bat—how could anyone believe her?
So, he refused without looking back, mocking her by using gold coins as an excuse. He thought this noble Lady Saintess wouldn’t be able to stand that tone and would give up quickly.
Instead… the Lady Saintess actually suggested he take her in, even saying she would work to pay for rent…
Needless to say, the Lady Saintess was quite thick-skinned. However… it wasn’t unacceptable.
“Then follow me,” he had said.
A few minutes later, he regretted his decision.
How could this person be so annoying? Annoying, violent, thick-skinned, and an idiot.
Why was someone like this a Saintess?
He didn’t understand, just as he didn’t understand why he hadn’t just handed her over when talking to that Paladin earlier.
…
“Yoo-hoo!”
Lintis blinked and waved her hand in front of the dazed Shilo.
As his eyes gradually cleared, Lintis quickly breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest.
“Whew… you scared me, Mr. Shilo. I thought you died of anger because of me!”
Shilo gave her an annoyed glare.
‘So you do have some self-awareness?’
He remembered now; it seemed he really had fainted from anger just now, to the point of seeing his life flash before his eyes.
“If you could be a bit quieter, Lady Saintess, I think I wouldn’t be so angry…”
“Huh? Am I annoying!?” Lintis was greatly shocked.
Shilo: “…”
He finally understood. This Lady Saintess might just be a natural drama queen; if she wasn’t acting up, she seemed to feel uncomfortable all over.
He had a way of dealing with people like this. Cold shouldering would work; he just had to ignore her until she got bored.
Yes… he would simply ignore her from now on. Shilo made a silent vow in his heart.
“Hehe.”
The girl’s face happened to be exposed outside the shadows. The gentle sunlight spilled onto her smiling face, making her very eye-catching. Almost subconsciously, Shilo shifted his gaze toward her.
Then he realized something.
“…”
‘Didn’t I break my resolve a bit too quickly?’
“By the way~ Mr. Shilo, are you still going to call me Lady Saintess?” Lintis blinked and stared straight at him.
For a moment, Shilo didn’t understand what she meant.
Seeing this, Lintis puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction. “We’re already in the city~ It’s about time you called me by my name, right? If you keep going ‘Lady Saintess this’ and ‘Lady Saintess that,’ won’t I be exposed immediately!”
“…”
Although he hated to admit it, the Lady Saintess was right. After a slight hesitation, Shilo spoke slowly.
“Miss Lintis.”
“I’m right here~”