Chapter 264: Appearance of Gish, the Knight Among Knights. And Also the Appearance of a Mob Bully Knight Who Looks Exactly Like He’s About to Get What’s Coming to Him

[A/N: I added Milestones Chapter. There you can see the milestones for bonus Chapters!]

The floor of the cathedral had such a splendid carpet laid that one hesitated to enter with shoes on.

Rainbow-colored light poured in from the stained glass decorated high on the left side.

Angels or saints were carved on the rows of pillars on both sides. Some were erotic, with thinly clothed goddesses exposing their chests. They all had breasts of just the right size. There seemed to be no small breasts or large breasts.

While looking around restlessly I followed Iria.

In order to pass a group that seemed to be previous visitors, we gave way and walked. Even though we moved to the side the other party continued walking down the middle.

As we advanced deeper into the cathedral, a man who did not seem like someone who would pray was standing at the prayer platform where a bishop would normally stand.

When the man noticed us he came out in front of the platform.

He was probably past sixty. In a fantasy other world with short average lifespans that was quite elderly. He was bald and wore an eyepatch, and the remaining living eye was as sharp as a bird of prey’s. His crushed ear perhaps told of the length of time he had worn a helmet and galloped across battlefields.

He was wearing splendid clothes with a white rose drawn on a purple field. The design of the clothes matched the scarf I had received from Princess Charlotte...

It wasn’t enough to erase the spiritual plus value of having received it from a young girl, but the fact that it was the same design as an old man’s slightly lowered the spiritual value of the scarf.

"Ohh. Blue field with a white hourglass drawn on the shield. And armor as smooth as flowing water. Possessing a skill that manipulates time, the trajectory of the sword she swings is truly a silver flash. Silver Flash Princess, you have done well to come. Unfortunate knight who was demoted to B-rank. Your arrival was late so I was worried."

Gish’s sharpened gaze disappeared and his tone of voice became soft.

"It is an honor to meet you. Knight among knights, Gish Perfectman. Head of one of the Four Great Ducal Houses of Arasgard, and the great knight who has obtained all the military achievements and fame a knight could obtain in a lifetime. However, to call the demotion decision of the king unfortunate is disrespectful."

Iria removed her helmet, held it under her right arm, and bowed her head.

"Hahahaha. The all-knowing and all-powerful great king will forgive even a little disrespect. Come, formal greetings are unnecessary. Feeling as if one has become someone through a single mannerism is what immature people like those who came earlier do. But Silver Flash Princess Iria, removing the helmet is a good thing. Because I can see your beautiful face. However, there is no need to lower your head. Please do not lower the face of such a beauty."

The bald man called Gish came down from the platform and approached Iria. He had apparently responded to previous visitors from the platform, but for Iria he specially came down to respond.

If they were close that couldn’t be helped, but if he was a lecherous old man I wouldn’t be able to forgive it a little.

Gish put his hand around Iria’s back and brought his face close, so if he tried to kiss her I thought of punching him or blocking with my hand, but there was no need. Without touching her cheek Gish made a chuu sound with his lips. He repeated it left and right.

Apparently that was the custom for greetings.

"Even my remaining right eye is losing its eyesight day by day. If the last thing I see is your beautiful figure, I will have no regrets."

"As always Duke Gish is skilled at flattery. You must be saying the same thing to Ana and Ril."

"Hahahaha. The other day Ril said the same thing. Come to think of it, Ana’s condition was strange—did something happen?"

"...I have an idea. It is a problem she must overcome herself."

"I see. Hmm. The knights you are teaming with this time are unfamiliar."

Gish removed his gaze from Iria and observed us in order from top to bottom.

"Well now. A crest I do not remember is also unusual. What in the world is this design? Clad in golden armor, but the crest is not a lion so he is not someone connected to the Golden Prince of Lumaniera. It is not unlike a wild boar, but hmm."

"It is only natural that Your Grace does not know the crest of the capybara."

"Capybara?"

"Yes. I cannot speak of the details, but it is a sacred beast favored by the gods."

"Hoh. I have never heard of it. And those who hold that capybara as their crest?"

"Yes. From the right in order, Mazorov, Esteisan, Duran. And—"

Mazorov is Fullru. The name I proposed.

The fact that I turned "maso elf" into Mazorov by saying it quickly is a secret from everyone.

"The one clad in golden armor is—"

"Cosmic Golden Knight Sahar Galactic!"

I took one step forward with my left foot into a slightly forward-leaning posture, bent my left arm at an angle as if looking at a wristwatch, and extended my right arm diagonally backward.

My voice echoed toward the high ceiling.

Sahar Galactic!

Galactic!

Tic!

Iku!

Iku!

Ikuuu!

What kind of echo is that.

What’s going on with the structure of this cathedral.

"Sahar Galactic? The one who produced a value rivaling an A-rank knight at the status test held in Monvan the other day was apparently called O-Oma-Sahar—is there a connection?"

"Yes. He is Sahar. Hey. Sahar. Won’t you remove your helmet?"

"Understood. Helmet limited release!"

Bashu.

I released only the helmet portion of the golden armor.

"Ohh. The helmet disappeared. A skill for creating armor? A young and beautiful face."

"This is the first time since I was born that a man has called me beautiful. Please don’t fall for me?"

"Hey. Sahar. Don’t say rude things. He meant that you have not received wounds in combat. He did not say you were beautiful."

"I see."

Was I thought of as a greenhorn with little combat experience...

"Hahahaha. An amusing young man. I shall remember the brown capybara crest on a white field and that golden armor. Is the skill armor generation?"

"Ah, yes. Not ordinary armor, but armor that can produce wind and water. It can also fly in the sky."

"What! A splendid skill! I swear by Lyute, I have never heard of a skill so suited to a knight. If a golden knight descends from the sky, how much would it inspire allies? I say again, truly a splendid skill!"

"Ah, thank you very much."

A man waiting behind the prayer platform was running a feather pen across something that looked like a ledger. With this, has the participation registration been completed?

"I swear by my sword that it is regrettable that Sahar is on the northern army."

Before Gish could tell the others to also show their faces, Iria directed the other party’s interest in a different direction.

"Hoh. Regrettable—why is that?"

"Because I cannot show you the figure of the strongest A-rank number one Dragnov being defeated. If Sahar were on the southern army there would have been an opportunity to fight."

"Is he of such ability? I had thought that if someone to defeat Dragnov were to appear it would be none other than you, Iria. I see. Cosmic Golden Knight Sahar Galactic. I shall look forward to it."

While Iria and Gish continued chatting amicably like this, a man in everyday clothes came from the direction of the entrance and announced "Earl Kamp has arrived."

"Let him wait. I am enjoying a conversation with a friend of many years after a year."

"However, we are already making several people wait..."

The man truly seemed troubled and his voice trembled.

"This is my fault. Duke Gish, it seems we have talked for a long time."

"Sorry. I think it is fine to make any number of mere earls wait."

Duke Gish, who would be next in rank after royalty, said that, but there was no way the low-ranking noble Iria and her companions could be rude to an earl.

"I shall briefly explain their skills. Mazorov is wind manipulation. The mount she rides is also made of wind. Steisan is floating. She floats her own body or objects she touches. Duran is imitation. He perfectly reproduces movements he has seen once."

Although they are not official skills, we had decided in advance to explain them this way, so Iria’s explanation was smooth.

"And since you came with five people, you will participate in the team elimination battle on the third day. The team name?"

"...!"

Iria was at a loss for words.

We hadn’t thought of a team name at all.

Iria turned around and stared at me. Dumping it on me?

Um. Um.

"The Order of the Capybara."

I uttered the team name that came to me on the spur of the moment.

And so our participation registration ended.

Inwardly I had been thinking about how to cover it up if Mazorov, Esteisan, and Duran were also told to remove their helmets and show their faces, but it was not particularly said.

Perhaps because individuals can be identified by the crest and the design of the armor it was fine.

In case of emergency I had planned to get through with Duran’s space-talk technique. Probably every problem in the world excluding material things can be solved with space-talk technique.

I would hear during dinner that night that Duke Gish had withdrawn from the front lines due to eye injury and old age, but in the past he had been the A-rank number one knight, and now he was praised as "the knight among knights" and held the position of managing the military as the king’s right hand.

The position of highest-ranking heraldry official that he holds is not merely a person who memorizes crests.

When war breaks out he also takes on the role of a strategist who grasps the battle situation by looking at banners and formulates plans.

The purple field with white rose crest drawn on his clothes is precisely the crest of this Kingdom of Arasgard, and Gish is in a position permitted to wear it.

When envoys come from other countries he clarifies their identities, and even during hostage exchanges or ransom demands the knowledge held by the heraldry official becomes important.

It is no exaggeration to say he is the next most important and high-ranking person after the king, and taking achievements and fame into account he is an existence that should be respected next after the king; his name is known even in enemy countries and he is feared. I, who treated such a person lightly, would be scolded by Iria at dinner...

Now then, when we exited the cathedral gate we passed a young blond rich boy. Was he the so-called Earl Kamp? He glared at us.

Because we made him wait. I did a bad thing. I lightly bowed my head.

When we exited the gate about fifty people had gathered in the front garden. Probably around ten knights and the rest attendants.

Ah, this is no good. No wonder the staff came to stop the chatting. Everyone is staring. Extremely awkward. Gazes of "Don’t make us wait" are piercing us...

While I was walking at a slightly faster pace, from the surroundings—

"If I wondered who it was, isn’t it Iria who was expelled from the capital for opposing the slave system?"

"That one? Doesn’t look like much. Kukuku. Even the title of former A-rank knight was probably an evaluation obtained by selling her body."

"In the end it’s just a rumor walking on its own. A thin body that may not even be able to properly swing a sword. Not an opponent for my sword."

They’re saying various things in whispers—no, in voices intentionally loud enough to be heard.

Iria showed no sign of caring, but it was a little irritating.

Just as I thought of complaining, Iria said in a small voice "Let them talk."

...Well, if the person herself says so, I can’t start a fight either, so I’ll stay silent.