'…Thank you, for allowing them to see me one last time.'
'So, are you willing to [become] me now?'
'You, who have already deeply eroded me… shouldn't know the answer better than anyone?'
'For a being like you… to not stand aloof above all things, yet still hold goodwill toward this land, and treat lives as fragile as ours with a degree of empathy… that is a blessing for this world.'
'Are you evaluating me? Do you think that with that tiny fragment of memory you're linked to, insignificant compared to my vast experience, you can pretend to understand me? Kirill Nearl, I admit that the decaying spirit within your failing body enduring this long is remarkable… but that is all.'
'Do not assume you can understand me. The only one who can truly understand a person… is themselves.'
'You're right… but even so, you are already more kind and compassionate than most on this land. And that is enough.'
'That tone is rather unpleasant. But I've always been generous toward the dead. Your shattered will won't last much longer, and I have no taste for scraps… Honestly, I hate how every time I perform a deep possession, I end up speaking my true thoughts. I really must fix that habit.'
'But if you never speak of it, how do you ease your loneliness?"'
'Oh, please. I came here to pick up the scraps, not to listen to a little thing prattle on. Don't you understand something as simple as 'hell is other people'? Your soul will vanish from this land forever, like countless insects that die unnoticed. Someone like you isn't even worthy of being devoured by me.'
'…Thank you for your mercy.'
The pale phantom stared at the faint wisp of white smoke dissipating from his hand.
Kirill Nearl was dead.
He had resisted the Black Snake's erosion, rejected its temptation, and clung to his convictions until the very end—meeting his death not in battle, but to illness.
The once-renowned knight, the finest of the Silverlance Pegasi, vanished from this world just like that.
"…That's why you little creatures are so interesting."
"Far more interesting than the Seaborn, the fiends, the demons… or even the things in the sky."
___
Zofia had always carried a secret. A secret buried deep in her heart.
Only Maria, who was as close to her as a sister, knew of it.
Strictly speaking, Maria should have called her "aunt."
But if she did, wouldn't that make Zofia sound old?
She was still young. She hadn't even married yet.
Time returned to when Zofia had just begun participating in knight tournaments.
Even as a collateral member of the Nearl family, her strength was not to be underestimated.
Though she was left-handed, her relentless training and natural talent in combat gave the Kuranta girl great confidence in her abilities.
In the end, she entered the knight competitions under the identity of a Nearl family retainer.
She did not reject the competitions themselves. Or rather, she could at least accept their existence.
Thanks to the Nearl family's reputation and her own considerable strength, she quickly caught the attention of numerous corporations.
They extended their offers to her with practiced ease. After all, with the main members of the Nearl family refusing to participate out of pride, even a retainer bearing the Nearl name was enough to attract audiences who held a certain admiration for the family.
After all, as a family of war heroes, no matter how much the upper echelons resented or feared them, their past achievements still stood as a symbol of glory in the eyes of the public.
Moreover, the connections of the still-living Kirill Nearl, along with the people's admiration for him, were not something the Chamber of Commerce could easily suppress.
Zofia accepted the olive branch from the Chamber of Commerce.
Or rather, from the moment she stepped into the knight competitions, she had already been prepared for it.
And yet, she never bowed her head to sponsors or corporations.
For Zofia, competing for prize money was acceptable. Lending her name to sponsors for advertisements was something she could tolerate as well.
But she insisted on fighting openly and honorably.
No matter how the sponsors and corporations tried to pressure or entice her, she never wavered.
Her own strength, to some extent, made up for the gap in equipment, allowing her to fight her way into the top sixteen.
But soon, she encountered the greatest opponent in the tournament.
An independent knight. Famous for his infectious smile. Someone who took delight in accepting sponsorship deals… the[Laughing Knight].
Arthur Pendragon.
This was Arthur's first appearance in the knight tournaments.
It was also Zofia's first time competing.
___
"…Miss, are you sure you want to fight me wearing that kind of equipment?"
The blond Phidia man smiled brightly, though there was clear puzzlement in his eyes.
This was the Black Snake's first time participating in a knight tournament as a competitive knight.
Feels quite different from traditional knights.
The Black Snake had once played the role of a traditional knight.
Back when knight tournaments were rising in popularity and the old order of knights was fading, a black-haired Kuranta knight once roamed the plains of Kazimierz.
Divine blood coursed through his strong body, granting him speed in the charge. Refined combat skills lay hidden within his indescribable soul, allowing him to face danger with ease. And his powerful Originium Arts ensured he could leave gracefully, doing good deeds without leaving a name behind.
Just like the knights described in the novels the Black Snake had taken from Kirill Nearl's library.
Punishing evil, helping the weak, scorning wealth… seeking no fame.
But eventually, Grim grew tired of it.
Or rather… the Black Snake grew bored.
Across the plains, the wilderness, and the villages of Kazimierz, Grim had seen enough. He had fully understood what a "traditional knight" meant.
As for those knights who oppressed the common people and ruled over territories…
Their exploitation was less efficient than that of a "boss," their rule less stable than that of a "duke." What was there to experience?
And under the grand spotlight of the knight tournaments, such a "traditional knight" had no place.
It did not fit the image of one who sought neither fame nor fortune.
So the shadow that loved the spotlight, adored applause, and chased after a sense of presence… the [Laughing Knight], was born.
As for the black-haired Kuranta who once wandered Kazimierz, he faded like an illusion, erased completely from memory.
After all, Grim had always been just a traveler, hadn't he?