Chapter 77
There were many legendary anecdotes about the Shatra Holy Knight Order.
They had once wiped out a criminal organization in the capital, and on another occasion explored underground ruins near the capital and discovered a vast amount of treasure.
The Holy Knight Order was composed of a small elite force. Separate from the public security knights, they possessed independent investigative authority.
‘I’m sure my mother’s side of the family name was Reinhardt. And my talent was said to be inherited from my maternal relatives.’
There had been someone in the Shatra Holy Knight Order who possessed talent like hers. If so, would they also know about the Reinhardt family?
“But I heard that the Shatra Holy Knight Order worked closely with the Imperial Family. If it’s an organization connected to the Imperial Family, that’s a bit……”
“You said the Shatra Holy Knight Order, right? Then in the end, isn’t it a knight order affiliated with the Temple?”
“Yes. They introduced themselves that way in the letter as well.”
“Then it’s not a direct Imperial institution. All holy knights ultimately belong to Kaizeria. However, this place would receive its salary from the Grand Temple’s capital branch, not from Kaizeria itself.”
Cyril had often worked alongside holy knights in his job as a barrier mage, so he also knew how their organizations operated.
Violet nodded.
“Do you want to go take a look?”
“I think it would be good to go. The story about the genius-level talent, too. It’s been on my mind.”
The letter even mentioned that they had not recruited any new members for nearly three years.
In popular novels, it was not uncommon for the male lead to belong to the Shatra Holy Knight Order, which showed just how popular the order was. For anyone who dreamed of becoming a knight, it was an offer hard to resist.
“Not bad. Go and at least listen to what they have to say.”
It was the first time Cyril had ever recommended something like this.
‘But it really is reassuring.’
A trustworthy guardian. Being able to receive career advice from someone who was already socially successful.
“What’s with that creepy look again? I really hate things that make my skin crawl. From now on, don’t ever say confessions like ‘I’ll serve and take care of you well.’”
“Did you dislike it?”
“At your age, you’re legally an adult at best, but inside you’re still a kid. Especially your mental age. A kid should just read books they like and play around without worries.”
It was something said by an uncle who hadn’t been able to enjoy a carefree childhood of playing and lazing about. That made him all the more admirable.
“Anyway, I should head out now. You can visit the Shatra Holy Knight Order on your own, right? If you need to, ask Olive to take you.”
“I’m fine—”
It was at that moment.
Tororong, torong.
A clear sound rang by her ear.
It was another vision of the future.
Future Violet was standing in front of an old door. She hesitated several times.
In the end, she slowly opened the door. Inside was the familiar sight of an ordinary hospital room.
Inside the room was Cyril.
He looked older than he did now, but he was still handsome. His hair was messily disheveled, and he was wearing a patient’s gown.
Violet stared at him expressionlessly for a moment.
<“Violet, am I dreaming?”>
Cyril said.
<“Think whatever you like. I heard you tried to throw your life away several times, so I came to see your face before you died.”>
Cyril was not looking into Violet’s eyes. He stepped closer to her.
Ruffling his hair, he let out a hollow laugh. Then, with clouded eyes, he reached out his hand toward Violet.
<“When you were just born, the sound of your heartbeat was so faint. I held you in my arms and prayed every day that you wouldn’t die. Just being alive was a miracle, and I never once forgot you, not for a single moment.”>
Cyril reflexively searched for a cigarette.
Eventually finding one on the bed, he put it between his lips.
<“Stupidly, because of my pride, I couldn’t bring myself to go look for you. So now I must be seeing things before I die.”>
Cyril’s entire body was trembling faintly, as if he were seized by chills.
He no longer looked at Violet.
<“I’ll take revenge on those bastards in the Shatra Holy Knight Order who did this to you. I hate holy knights anyway, so it won’t be a bad thing.”>
Violet said quietly.
But Cyril seemed to have no awareness of Violet at all, staring only into empty space.
This future vision was something she had never imagined.
A light dizziness washed over her. When she lifted her head, Cyril had already left the room.
‘At least future me did go to see Uncle Cyril before he passed away.’
She had definitely heard that Cyril ended his life by jumping off on his own.
Seeing Cyril in such a vacant state was, of course, heartbreaking. But that wasn’t the most shocking part.
‘The reason Uncle Cyril went insane and died… was because of the Shatra Holy Knight Order?’
Yet the reputation of the Shatra Holy Knight Order was flawless. They were the very symbol of justice.
What on earth had they done?
Violet didn’t know what to do.
‘I must join the Shatra Holy Knight Order. I need to find out about them.’
At that moment, Violet set saving Cyril as her most important goal.
The visit to the Shatra Holy Knight Order took place two days later.
Violet wore the new clothes Marin had given her and put on very light makeup.
“Welcome.”
The one who greeted Violet was, unexpectedly, a man who didn’t look like a knight at all.
With narrow eyes and a plump face, he reminded her of the sculptures from the Eastern Continent she had once seen at Siegfried’s trading company.
Wasn’t it said to be a god who brought wealth? His chubby figure and thick brown hair fit that image perfectly.
“I’m Violet Everdeen.”
“Oh my, please don’t bow your head to someone like me. My name is Rota Hezen. I serve, though with little ability, as the chief administrator of this great Shatra Holy Knight Order. To put it simply, you can think of me as a worker who helps with all the general affairs so that our esteemed knights can focus solely on their missions.”
With a humble attitude, Rota guided Violet inside.
The headquarters of the Shatra Holy Knight Order was a noble mansion on the outskirts of the capital.
The garden was extremely beautiful, and there were as many as three large buildings.
Even this alone made it clear how wealthy the Shatra Holy Knight Order was.
“First, let me show you around the inside of the order. Everyone is currently away on official business, so most people, including the Knight Commander, are out.”
Rota said, wiping sweat from his brow.
“Then why did you ask me to come today?”
“Because I wanted to meet Violet Everdeen as soon as possible, I invited you to take the tour first. Please feel free to ask me anything you’re curious about.”
Violet discreetly observed his face while asking various questions.
“It seems members of the Shatra Holy Knight Order go on business trips quite often.”
“Members of the Shatra Holy Knight Order are truly very popular. Just by appearing at temple events in the provinces, large donations toward the Holy Knight Order often come pouring in.”
“That’s a bit different from what I imagined the work of a Holy Knight Order to be.”
Violet’s brow creased slightly.
It was true that she was already suspicious of the Shatra Holy Knight Order. But even if she weren’t, it was still a strange explanation.
“Ah, please don’t worry about that part. The moment you join, you gain the right to choose your missions. It’s true that touring provincial events is profitable. I’ll be very honest about these things, and if you don’t want that, you can take on more combat-focused missions instead.”
There was nothing to criticize in his words. The training grounds were excellent, and the other facilities were impeccable as well.
Soon, Violet was led to a tea table set up in a gazebo.
“I know very well that you’re receiving offers from many places right now.”
“For someone like me with no real combat experience, it’s more than I deserve,” Violet said softly.
“Having no combat experience means you’re at a very important stage. If you receive poor training, even a fine gem can be ruined. If you truly trust and follow our Holy Knight Order, we can turn anyone into the finest knight.”
Rota said.
But perhaps because she had experienced so many things recently—
Violet had developed the habit of doubting words the sweeter they sounded
