Chapter 16: Attempted Assassination of the Saintess (2)
POV Abel Montain:
Currently, I was about to depart for the Imperial capital. After getting ready, I stepped out of the church. I saw ten holy knights in golden armor. As soon as I emerged, they stood at attention and lined up neatly.
"We welcome the Saintess!" the captain shouted.
I simply walked in silence toward the carriage that had been prepared, accompanied by my personal maid—Luna. I entered the carriage. Luna and I sat facing each other. Not long after, the carriage departed, escorted by the knights.
I looked out the window and muttered, "In the end, I couldn't meet him..."
Luna remained silent, her hands placed on her thighs. I sighed lightly, "You... Luna, if you want to talk, then talk. Don't just stay silent and try not to be awkward."
Hearing this, she paused for a moment, "... Alright, Miss Abel," she said softly.
I smiled warmly, "So, if you have anything you want to ask, just say it."
"Umm... alright, Miss. If I may ask, may I ask a question?" she said. Luna's voice was a bit stiff and awkward.
"Yes, please ask, Luna. I will answer it if I can."
She nodded and opened her mouth to ask, "If that's the case, Miss, whose picture is on the table in your room?"
Hearing her question, I flinched, not expecting her to ask about that. Her question was completely outside my prediction. I blinked once.
I looked at Luna, then offered a nervous smile. "When did you see it?" I answered the question with another question.
Luna seemed slightly hesitant before answering, "Yesterday morning, when I was cleaning your room, Miss. I accidentally saw it on the table..."
'Hah... Thank goodness she didn't see the photo last night!' I muttered inwardly, feeling relieved. Because that night I kissed the photo, leaving a red mark on the image.
Just thinking about it made my face flush. I cleared my throat awkwardly, composing myself.
"Ahem! I see." I leaned gently against the seat, looking at the blue sky outside the window, diverting my gaze from Luna. "He... is someone who means a lot to me."
Luna fell silent, then asked cautiously, "Is... Miss.... oh, never mind, I won't ask further..."
I looked at her briefly, then gave a small smile. "Yes, it's probably best not to. And don't speak so formally. We are the same age, you know."
Luna smiled softly, genuinely this time, "Yes, Miss Abel."
From then on, we continued talking about anything and everything interesting. The carriage rattled softly as the horses sped up a bit.
1 hour later....
The carriage began to slow down as we entered the Maroon Forest area. Sunlight was blocked by the tall trees, making the dirt road beneath look damp and dark.
I slightly opened the window curtain, looking out. "This forest... feels strange."
Luna, who was sitting across from me, looked at me. "Abel, are you feeling uncomfortable?"
I shook my head slowly. "No, just... it feels too quiet." Luna and I had become good friends, so she no longer spoke formally to me.
A knight outside walked beside the carriage. "The Maroon Forest is always quiet, Miss. No animals live here because it is cleared every year."
"I see..." I looked straight ahead, but I had a bad feeling. And I sensed that this place—was Familiar. But I had never been here before.
As if responding to my uneasy feeling.
Suddenly—
Swoosh!
The sound of an arrow rapidly cutting through the air, hitting one of the knights. Blood spurted.
"Ahh!!"
The horses immediately panicked, making the carriage shake. The commander yelled loudly, drawing his sword.
"An attack! Everyone prepare and protect the Saintess!"
The carriage continued to shake violently because the horses wouldn't stop. Luna and I felt panicked.
"What? An attack!?" I shouted.
I held myself steady to avoid falling, wanting to pull the curtain wider, but Luna held me back. The knights surrounded the carriage and shielded it.
From behind the trees, ten dark figures appeared one by one. They didn't speak, just stood silently. Their movements were stealthy.
One of them stepped forward, revealing a black mask with a carved symbol of a red star and a glowing red carving beneath it. The dark aura around him felt like it was choking the air.
The holy knights in front drew swords imbued with white light.
"Get out of our way, in the name of the Great Light!"
The masked figure chuckled.
"Great Light? Heh... keep praying to him," he said, "until you finally realize he cannot save you from death."
The ground around them turned black, as if coated in a living mist. The smell of sulfur stung the nose. The odor was revolting, deeply disgusting to the knights of light and Abel.
"A demonic... aura," one of the knights whispered softly. The commander immediately raised his sword and said.
"In the name of the holy knight, I shall purify you and put you to a sound sleep, oh you who strayed from the path of light!"
Then the leader of the demonic aura wearers sneered, then said, "Hehe! Try to do that!"
"Attack!!" the knight commander and the leader of the demonic aura wearers said in unison.
They moved simultaneously, fast as shadows. The battle erupted instantly—holy swords clashed with weapons enveloped in dark energy. White and black light collided, causing small explosions among the trees.
I took cover inside the carriage, listening to their clashes as they fought. "No... why did it have to turn out like this!?"
I clasped my hands together and closed my eyes. A golden light began to shine around me, forming a protective circle around the forces from within the carriage. Although I had just awakened this power, I could already control it, even if not to its maximum potential.
"Divine Blessing, protect them!"
[Armor of Light!]
Protective light appeared like a second suit of armor on all the knights, but it didn't last long as dark shadows crept onto the ground like living roots.
One of the attackers knelt, plunging a dagger into the ground, and the shadows transformed into a giant hand of darkness that gripped one of the knights.
[Demon's Hand!]
Boomm!!
The holy armor shattered, the hand tragically crushing one of the knights.
I bit my lip. "This power... I can't hold it back any longer!"
Luna held onto me, ready to flee if something undesirable happened.
One of the attackers fell prostrate. A knight slashed from the side, cutting his neck and finishing him off.
Booomm!!
A massive explosion occurred behind them. The knight commander and the attacker leader were fighting brutally.