CHAPTER 133……………………………………………………..
The Fourth Paladin Order
Papal Seat of Solaris
A smile played on the lips of Pope Lucarion as he looked down at the city from his office.
“Look, Drayvan.”
From the shadows in the corner, the Knight Commander Drayvan cautiously emerged at the Pope’s call.
“See our faithful burning like fire… Doesn’t it look as if the sun itself is blazing on Earth?”
“Indeed, Your Holiness.”
It wasn’t flattery—Drayvan truly saw it that way.
The faithful spilling into the streets, flailing their arms to receive the weapons distributed by the Papal Seat, looked like flames dancing and crackling.
It was closer to madness than sorrow or anger.
“This is just the beginning.”
Without taking his eyes off the faithful, Pope Lucarion spoke to Drayvan.
“Commander of the Dawn Paladins… Have you located Valen?”
The Dawn Paladins.
Paladins who followed Solius’ teachings and swore to protect his followers.
They answered to no one.
Even among themselves, there was no command structure.
Only masters and disciples existed to teach combat.
Most traveled in pairs or trios. Rarely did a group exceed ten.
The only person who could gather the Dawn Paladins in one place was their Commander.
Without a formal chain of command, the leadership fell to the longest-living paladin.
Among all Dawn Paladins, the one who had lived the longest was Valen.
“He is investigating pirates capturing pilgrims at the Norgil harbor.”
“Norgil… That’s not too far.”
Pope Lucarion clicked his tongue.
“Do not take your eyes off him. If there is any variable capable of stopping the Crusade, it is him. Understood?”
“Of course, Your Holiness. We will maintain vigilance.”
“Good, very good.”
Lucarion nodded as he watched the faithful roar in response to receiving weapons.
“The sun has already risen… no dawn is needed.”
Near the southern harbor of Norgil
A small rowboat floated alongside a massive pirate ship.
Bang—!
Two lights shot up from the rowboat into the sky, then slammed onto the deck of the pirate ship.
“Wh-what?!”
“What…? What just fell?”
“It’s not cannon fire… what is it?”
The pirates on deck focused their eyes on the source.
Armor adorned with the cross and circle—the symbol of the Solius Order.
“A-A paladin…!”
“Why is a paladin here?!”
Before the pirates could react, two paladins raised their weapons and shouted.
“Dawn rises!”
“Prepare yourselves, scum!”
“Dawn Paladins…!”
“Damn it! I told you not to touch the pilgrims…!”
“What are you scared for? It’s just two of them!”
The captain at the helm screamed.
“And one’s an old man! Don’t chicken out, kill him!”
Pilgrims traveling toward Solaris and others toward the Eastern Church—such pilgrims were prime prey for pirates.
Even after several times of capturing and selling pilgrims, they had never been caught… until now.
“You’ve used up all your luck, foolish pirates!”
The elderly paladin laughed heartily and smashed his hammer into the deck, leaving a hole.
“C-Caught by Valen!”
His hammer glowed with intense holiness.
“V-Valen?!”
“Valen, Commander of the Dawn Paladins?!”
“Oh, damn it!”
The pirates’ faces turned white at the mention of Valen’s name.
“So you know me already!”
Beneath his white beard, Valen grinned broadly.
With each swing of his hammer, the deck splintered, and every time holiness flared, pirates were sent flying into the sea.
In moments, dozens of pirates vanished.
The captain left at the helm stared at Valen, trembling in fear.
“Damn… how is he over seventy?!”
“Pray to God! Then you too… can grow old in health like me!”
Valen laughed heartily and threw his hammer with gusto.
Whirr, whirr! The hammer spun through the air, breaking the mast and striking the captain.
“Ugh… aaah!”
The captain couldn’t escape and fell, the mast collapsing with him.
“All the captives are safe, Commander.”
“Oh, it’s all over here too. Well done, Reval.”
Through the broken mast, the young paladin Reval, who had boarded the pirate ship with Valen, helped the captives to the deck.
“However…”
Reval eyed the ruined deck and the fallen captain with narrowed eyes.
“Who’s steering the ship?”
“Huh?”
“With all the pirates gone and the captain like that… how are we supposed to make it back to port?”
“If we return on our own ship…”
“And what about these people?”
Valen looked at the line of people behind Reval and pressed his lips together.
“Ugh…”
This seemed not to be the first time; Reval groaned, trembling.
“Why… always… ugh…”
“I- I’m sorry, Reval. I’ll try my best…”
“Do you realize we’re in the middle of the sea?”
“….”
“Navigation… steering… reading the wind… I know nothing!”
“….”
“Ah! Even if we did know, it wouldn’t help! The mast is broken!”
“….”
“Do you expect these people to row the boat?!”
“I- I’m truly sorry… everyone.”
Valen repeatedly bowed to calm the frenzied Reval.
The once proud, fierce warrior now just an apologetic old man.
“P-Paladin, p-please calm down…”
“We’re… fine.”
“Of course! You saved our lives…”
The rescued captives actually managed to soothe the two paladins.
On the wrecked pirate ship.
“…Hey!”
“…?!”
“Uh, who…?!”
A blonde man floating in the air shouted at Valen.
“You’re the Commander of the Dawn Paladins?”
“Th-That’s right…?”
Valen blinked at the floating man.
He descended slowly, landing on the deck and approaching Valen.
“Sir Valen?”
“Who…? Didn’t you just fly here?”
“Yes, I flew here. And this.”
“This…?”
The blonde man handed Valen a thick ring.
Valen examined the inscription and frowned.
“…From the imperial family?”
“Prince Leonis sent it.”
The second prince, Leonis Raymond.
Valen’s frown softened slightly.
“Not Prince Calix?”
“Shall we go check together? Waiting at the harbor.”
Valen surveyed the man before him.
Even as a paladin, he had not formed a Circle, so he could not sense mana beyond holiness.
But surviving so long is proof of strength.
Valen’s perception for gauging others was exceptional.
And by that measure… this kid is no ordinary one.
The man before him was not weak.
Not a trained body, no aura of intimidation.
Yet… something far greater seemed to radiate from him.
“Moving the ship won’t be difficult…”
Valen pointed to the wrecked deck to test him and address the immediate problem.
“The ship cannot move.”
“The ship?”
The blonde man glanced at the chaos and shrugged nonchalantly.
“We just need to move it, right?”
“…What?”
Valen tilted his head, but the man raised his hand silently.
“…?!”
Suddenly, the air shifted.
His golden hair fluttered, and his sea-blue eyes glimmered.
“.”
In his low voice.
Shhhhh—!
The stationary ship rode the waves toward the harbor.
No wind, no oars, no helm.
“What…?!”
“The waves are moving the ship!”
“Wow! We’re saved! Saved!”
People clinging to the railing marveled at the oddly moving waves.
Reval glanced, then nodded at Valen.
“Impressive…”
Valen addressed the man before him.
“Magic? But you flew here earlier… this is completely different magic, how…?”
“I didn’t inscribe a sigil. Nothing special.”
“…?”
No sigil?
Then how is he casting magic?
An artifact?
Valen quickly scanned Esric’s body, but saw no artifact.
Unable to suppress his growing curiosity, Valen muttered.
“Who… exactly are you?”
The man studied Valen, smirked, and spoke playfully.
“A real mage.”
His blue eyes sparkled like sunlight on waves.
“Esric Spelder.”
Finding the Dawn Paladin Commander was not difficult.
“Sorry, Bardo.”
Leonis contacted Bardo, leader of the crows remaining in Icecrown, through his shadow.
The crow’s shadow magic allowed Leonis to communicate.
Bardo initially snapped but fell silent upon hearing of Emilion’s death.
His shadowed face was full of worry.
[“…Are you all right?”]
“I’m fine.”
[“…Please wait. I’ll confirm information about the Dawn Paladin Commander and contact you immediately.”]
“Thanks, Bardo.”
Skeptical at first, Leonis quickly saw the incredible intelligence of the crows, called the Lions’ Shadows.
Within an hour, Bardo contacted him again.
[“We found Sir Valen. By fate… he is in Norgil, searching for the missing pilgrims.”]
Norgil—a port city connected to the coast they were on.
Tracking the Dawn Paladin Commander there was straightforward.
“…The sea?!”
“He took a small boat to catch the pirate ship. They must have captured the missing pilgrims to sell as slaves.”
Leonis chuckled at the news from the harbor worker.
“He’s still the same.”
“But… can all the pilgrims fit in that rowboat?”
“Uh…”
“…No, right?”
“How does he plan to get back?”
Ronan asked pointedly.
“…Esric?”
Leonis looked at me with desperate eyes.
“How… can we not?”
“Hey, you…!”
Following that request, I flew to the open sea and found Valen on the pirate ship.
Using the magic to bring the wrecked ship to harbor,
“It’s been a while.”
Leonis, waiting at the harbor, nodded at Valen.
“Sir Valen.”
