Shilo followed Emil to his office, where the two sat facing each other. Unlike Emil’s enthusiastic attitude, Shilo was like a block of ice—indifferent and cold.
“Lord Emil, we have arrived. Please explain the situation.”
Emil smiled and poured black tea for both of them, setting out some pastries as well.
“Don’t be so impatient, Knight Shilo. There is plenty of time. But since you are in a hurry, I will keep it brief.”
Emil’s gaze sharpened as he looked at Shilo and continued, “Simply put, the Holy Knight wants us to handle the large monsters in the Foggy Forest ourselves. However, as you know… our knights are getting older. This kind of operation is somewhat taxing for them…”
At this point, Shilo, who had just taken a bite of a biscuit, understood. He interrupted, “So, you want me to lead the team to handle the monsters? But before this, didn’t you completely forbid me from taking on such tasks?”
Emil let out a helpless sigh. “That was then, and this is now.”
“Leading a team through the Foggy Forest was too dangerous for you at the time. I did it for your own good.”
“Heh.” Shilo gave a cold laugh. Looking at the man’s self-righteous expression was almost amusing.
He couldn’t figure it out before, but now he understood perfectly. This guy was likely afraid that if Shilo went out and saw the world, he would become a threat to them. That was why Emil had blocked him at every turn.
‘Safety? Pure bullshit.’ If Emil really cared about his safety, why did he make him deal with the filth every single day?
Shilo didn’t believe a single word that came out of the man’s mouth, but he didn’t refuse the mission.
“Fine. I’ll go.”
Emil nodded with satisfaction.
“Then let us discuss another matter. In the intelligence Master Marcus brought back, he mentioned that the strength of that Golem was exceptionally high. I truly didn’t expect you to be capable of slaying such a powerful enemy.”
“You are truly young and promising… I imagine if Knight Thor were still alive, he would be very comforted to see how capable you have become.”
In an instant, Shilo’s expression darkened again, though he didn’t take any action. Seeing Shilo suppress his anger, a streak of pleasure flashed across Emil’s face.
He stood up, walked over to Shilo, and pressed a hand firmly on his shoulder, locking eyes with him while smiling.
“Knight Shilo… the power of Reinforcement Arts is wonderful, isn’t it?”
Shilo’s pupils contracted imperceptibly. Remembering Marcus’s warning, he immediately knitted his brows, looking confused.
“Lord Emil, what are you talking about?”
“What is a Reinforcement Art? Also… if you enjoy physical contact that much, how about we go to the training grounds for a match?” Shilo glanced coldly at Emil, the threat in his words unmistakable.
Emil stared at him with a smile for a long time. It wasn’t until he saw Shilo preparing to stand up and strike that he raised his hands and took a few steps back, chuckling bitterly.
“Spare me. I am merely a priest. How could my physical strength compare to yours?”
“As for the Reinforcement Art… it’s actually nothing special. It is just a type of Sacred Art that knights master. You only don’t know it because your uncle, Master Marcus, specifically asked us not to teach you for the time being. If you are interested, you can go and ask him. I’m sure he would be more than happy to help.”
“Regarding the mission, the date is set for one month from now. Master Marcus will accompany you, and many adventurers have been recruited as well. With the Holy Knight overseeing everything, it should be relatively easy.”
Just as Emil returned to his seat, he seemed to remember something and paused. “Right, I heard you found another priest recently. Remember to have a better attitude this time. You know, the complaints from priests about you in my drawer are already piled as high as a mountain.”
“That is all. If you have no further questions, you may leave.”
His speech was calm and his tone gentle, making it seem as though he truly cared about Shilo throughout the entire process.
Shilo didn’t bother acknowledging his “kindness.” His mind was entirely focused on the information he had just heard.
‘Marcus was the one who stopped me from learning Reinforcement Arts?’
‘Why?’
Massive questions circled in his heart, causing him to turn and leave without saying goodbye. Halfway to the door, his footsteps halted, and he suddenly whirled around.
A silver light flashed as the knight’s sword at his waist was drawn, its edge resting against Emil’s neck.
Faced with this, Emil did not panic. Ignoring the longsword pressed against his throat, he crossed his hands on the desk and rested his chin on them, wearing a mocking smile.
“Knight Shilo? What is the meaning of this?”
Shilo looked at him coldly and spoke slowly. “Lord Emil, I have agreed to what you asked. As for Sery’s matter, I hope you handle it properly. Otherwise… I don’t mind making my words a reality. Trading a life like mine for yours seems like a good deal to me.”
Finished, his sword arm flicked slightly. The tip of the blade grazed Emil’s cheek, leaving a thin trail of blood. He then returned the sword to its sheath and left the room without looking back.
Emil sat in his chair, looking thoughtfully in the direction Shilo had disappeared. He muttered to himself:
‘His sacred power hasn’t completed its sublimation yet. Could it be… he really hasn’t mastered Reinforcement Arts? Being able to defeat that Golem without it… is this brat’s talent really that exaggerated?’
His brows furrowed slightly as golden sacred power gathered at the injury. The wound vanished almost instantly.
“Well, it doesn’t matter. Sending someone with this kind of strength to lead the team will at least keep the Holy Knight from becoming suspicious. As for later… we’ll see if they even come back alive…” Emil chuckled, the mirth not reaching his eyes, which instead flashed with coldness.
*Knock, knock.*
The door was suddenly struck. Emil pulled back his expression and resumed his usual smile.
‘Did I call for anyone else to come at this time?’
Though curious, he called out, “Come in.”
The door was pushed open. When he saw who it was, Emil froze.
Standing at the doorway was Knight Shilo, who had just left. Emil quirked an eyebrow. Had the boy overheard his monologue?
As he was thinking this, Shilo walked in and looked straight at Emil.
“Lord Emil, do you have any more of those biscuits?”
“…Yes.”
Shilo’s eyes lit up. “Then can I have some more to take back? I think they taste quite good.”
Emil fell silent.
Even if he scratched his head until it bled, he never could have imagined the boy would return for such a reason. Fortunately, it wasn’t because he had heard something he shouldn’t have. Emil let out a sigh of relief and smiled again.
“Of course! Knight Shilo, we are colleagues, after all. You’ve just done me a great favor, so I certainly don’t mind giving you a small reward. They are in that cabinet over there. Help yourself to as many as you want.”
The words had barely left his mouth when he saw Shilo pull out a large sack. Shilo opened the cabinet containing the high-end pastries and unceremoniously began grabbing box after box, stuffing them into his bag.
The quantity was so large that Emil wanted to shout for him to stop several times, but he was trapped by his own words. He could only watch as the other man plundered his snacks like a common thief.
Then, hoisting the sack filled with pastries over his shoulder, Shilo swaggered out. He didn’t even bother closing the door behind him.
Emil’s mouth twitched uncontrollably. His clenched fists made a cracking sound, and the veins on his arms bulged.
He couldn’t believe his eyes. This was the same knight who had just held a sword to his throat.
“A robber… this brute is a goddamn robber!”