Compared to a noble of the same rank, a knight's compensation was significantly higher. George, having kept his noble title and salary while being relieved of his duty, was the object of envy among many. As an orphan, George grew up without a family. Combined with the fact that the Royal Covert Division faced a chronic shortage of members, largely due to the difficulty in ensuring their loyalty, George had spent over two decades working nonstop, taking one mission after another. Consequently, he remained a bachelor and had no children.
As he walked to the Silver Castle's military dormitory after the debriefing session, a puzzled George wondered, "Was it a punishment, or a reward?" After dedicating himself fully to work for so long, a stark contrast of having no work to tackle left him feeling lost.
"First things first, I'll just shower, eat, and then sleep on it," George mentally noted.
The comforting familiarity of the shower room, the customary cafeteria dinner, and the bed that had been his for years; it was difficult for him to imagine having to part with them. Yet, despite feeling at home, George couldn't sleep well that night, as usual. During missions, unfamiliar ceilings allowed him to focus on mission details, which would help him fall asleep. However, without a task at hand, his mind wandered off; and he started reminiscing about the missions, about Melody, Rudy, Travis, many of his former colleagues, and, of course, the weight of innocent blood on his hands with the haunting screams of their souls.
"This is a Holy War," George repeatedly whispered a mantra to calm his conscience, "I am a righteous knight, fighting for the Kingdom and the Goddess." This was what he told himself whenever he was haunted by the memories of his victims. The childhood oath to become a righteous knight remained his emotional lifeline, preserving his sanity over the years.
The next morning, following breakfast in the cafeteria, a young Knight Initiate appeared to publicly read out the king's orders, outlining George's compensation package and temporary leave.
"Getting full pay without having to work. Man, good to be you!" a knight next to him exclaimed while still munching on his breakfast.
With a somber expression, George accepted a small box from the young knight, which contained official documents, nobility certifications, and other relevant paperwork. Notably, despite their two-decade partnership and the king's habit of writing personal letters after particularly difficult missions, no letter was enclosed this time.
A crushing sense of disappointment and desolation swept over George, his eyes prickling with unshed tears as the weight of the king's silence settled in.
Far from being naive, the former Knight Commander was very astute. Indeed, his exceptional quick thinking, resourcefulness, martial prowess, and a bit of luck had enabled him to become one of the few who survived the Royal Covert Division's perilous missions over two decades. Intuitively, George sensed that the king's decision was a direct result of the Goddess's and the First Angel's displeasure with his debriefing performance.
In summary, if this were truly a punishment, then he was just fired.
However, George reassured himself that this was just a temporary leave. "Soon, His Majesty will need me again. I need to be ready." With renewed determination, he returned to the dormitory to gather his belongings. Even though His Majesty's order mentioned that he could choose to stay until the confirmation of his new abode, George decided to move out immediately. Due to his missions, George had not trained for a long time, which delayed his rank up. He was eager to restart his training regime so that he could earn a promotion and become a greater asset for His Majesty.
George first headed off to a real estate office to purchase a new home. Since the formerly busy knight did not have time to spend his money, almost all of his salary in the past two decades went into his savings. Moreover, as a member of the Royal Covert Division, he knew the inner workings and future trajectory of the country. By leveraging his insider knowledge, George invested in the ventures of nobles and their affiliated companies, which were poised for success. As a result, George's wealth was substantial. Nevertheless, given the perilous nature of his profession, he never knew if he could survive to see another day. In anticipation of the worst, George had prudently drawn up a will at the Merchant's Guild, bequeathing his entire fortune to the Adventurer's Guild's orphanage, where he grew up.
As George browsed through a real estate listing in search of a new home, a wry, bitter smile spread across his face as he mused, "I never thought I'd have a chance to use this money."
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
George opted for a luxurious apartment conveniently located near the East Gate, within walking distance of the guilds and a state-of-the-art gym. In his training regime, on top of exercising in the gym, he planned to meditate in the wild, and being closer to the gate was convenient. Conventionally, knights would meditate in the serenity of a church to amplify their Divine Power capacity. George, however, felt differently, thinking, "I'm sure Goddess Liliana would send me to hell for all that I've done. I'm too tainted by blood to set foot in a holy church."
Once settled in his new home, George paid his respects at the joint funeral service for Rudy and Melody, where he met up with Travis. Travis, like many of his fellow knights, extended warm congratulations to George on his full-pay leave, prompting a melancholic, wistful smile to flicker across George's face. Nevertheless, he thanked Travis for handling Rudy and Melody's funeral service for him. Typically, as team leader, George would have overseen the funeral arrangements, but with his knighthood clearances revoked, that duty fell to Travis. Before parting with this former subordinate, George imparted a solemn warning to his former subordinate: "Remain under Saint Levi's guidance and avoid the Royal Covert Division at all costs – it's no place for someone with a family to call their own."
"That's my plan," Travis smiled and replied, "there's a girl that I like."
Witnessing Travis' carefree smile, George couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia for his own lost youth, and, for a fleeting moment, he felt a sense of genuine happiness for Travis.
Unable to stay still and rest due to his habit, in the next two months, George dedicated himself into his training regime, and the results were remarkably successful. As soon as he became well-rested and began meditating, his Divine Power capacity increased tremendously. At the end of the second month, George had successfully passed the rank-up examination at the Adventurer's Guild not once, but twice, thereby earning him certification as a one-star Gold-ranked Rogue, a distinction comparable to that of an esteemed Knight Exemplar.
Despite each rank up required a typical person years of training, George's rapid growth spurt was not unheard of. Indeed, many individuals who had pushed themselves to extremes for extended periods often experienced similar rapid growth spurts once they allowed their bodies to recuperate and replenish their Mana reserves. The reason behind this was that their Magic circuits were able to accommodate a larger amount of Mana after exhaustion, but the Mana capacity were never increased due to their abandonment of medication.
A few days after his rank-up exam, George received an evening summons to report to the Knight's Order office within the Silver Castle. "It's about time," George thought, his mind ablaze with anticipation as he envisioned utilizing his newfound prowess in an imminent mission.
Upon arriving at the office, a clerk extended a warm welcome, then conveyed the unexpected news: "Viscount George, please accept our sincerest congratulations. In recognition of your meritorious service to our nation, you have been formally discharged from the Knight's Order with full honors. Here is your retirement package."
"Huh?" George's eyes widened in stunned silence as he pondered in disbelief. "His Majesty would never cast me aside without so much as a word or a personal letter. This has to be a mistake. This must be the retirement package of some other knight who shares my name."
Regaining his composure, George politely asked the clerk, "Excuse me, could you please verify my identity to confirm there's no mistake?" As he spoke, he handed over his Knight's ID.
After meticulously verifying George's ID against her documents, the clerk replied with a formal tone, "I've confirmed the details, Viscount George. To confirm, you are the former Knight Commander George from the Royal Covert Division?"
Silent and composed, George accepted the package, offered a courteous "thank you" to the clerk, and then departed from the office.
In contrast to his composure, George's thoughts swirled with a mix of emotions. "I'm his trusted friend – he wouldn't betray me like this."
"Or, perhaps I wasn't so special after all," the former knight also pondered on the harsh truth, "If that's the case, I need to be prepared."
As George exited the office and mounted his horse, he whispered a series of incantations, "Divine Spells: Stoneskin, Enhanced Strength, Elemental Shield."
Upon departing from the Silver Castle, George made a deliberate detour westward, heading towards the seedy, impoverished slum area.
"Divine Spell: Mana Scan," George repeatedly chanted, scanning his surroundings, and soon detected a pursuer. George had survived so many life or death situations that he had lost count. It did not matter whether the pursuer was a spy or an assassin; either way, he would not feel threatened. The true source of the gut-wrenching sensation was not the pursuer, but the sting of betrayal – a potent mix of depression and disappointment that threatened to overwhelm him. The king's abrupt 180-degree shift in demeanor over a single debriefing session served as a stark, sobering reminder that in the treacherous landscape of politics, even the most devoted and loyal servants could be callously discarded the instant they became a liability.
"Yes, this is reality," George acknowledged to himself, struggling to hold back the tears welling up in his eyes. People, especially those in politics, needed to be realistic and prioritized self-preservation above all. As a seasoned knight, George had often witnessed, and understood, this harsh reality. Yet, despite his rational understanding, George's chest ached with heartbreak stemming from the king's betrayal.