Overgeared

12 years ago, Asmophel condemned Piaro and his loyalists as traitors. The fallen hero. Yes, after Piaro’s betrayal, Asmophel was no longer a hero. After destroying his most precious friend Piaro, his fellow men, and their families with his own hands, he isolated himself in a mansion for many years, sinking into drugs and alcohol. It seemed like a ritual. A ritual to call death.

"...One day, you suddenly disappeared.”

He might be ruined, but a splendid swordsman was still abducted. Did he do this? Mercedes was aware of Asmophel’s ability despite his inaction and wasn’t convinced. Therefore, she had only one guess.

“I thought it was a self-fabricated act.”

“...”

The old hero Asmophel appeared in a pillar of light. Like the old days, he smiled at Mercedes with a noble and beautiful appearance.

"I thought that you wanted to turn away from a hellish life and left the empire to escape from the protection of the Red Knights.”

She was sad. The knight who died for himself, not for his master, was no longer a knight. Mercedes felt sorrow that the hero who had been an idol like Piaro had transformed into a symbol of shame and corruption.

"Yes. I thought you were already dead.”

However.

“You’re alive. And you’re by the traitor Piaro’s side.” Mercedes gripped her two swords with great strength. Blood was flowing down her hands as she started to tremble. "You were once a hero, yet you betrayed your country and your emperor to be with your friend?”

“...”

The key to resolving the misunderstanding just made things worse. But Grid wasn’t worried. He knew that Asmophel would release the misconceptions as soon as he spoke.

“Mercedes, there are a few things to keep in mind.”

After responding to Grid’s call, the silent Asmophel finally opened his mouth.

“The first one. The Red Knights didn’t protect me, they watched me. You know the Fourth Knight, right?”

The Fourth Knight was different from the other Red Knights. It wasn’t a position appointed by the emperor but one handed down.

"The Fourth Knight, a position designed to protect the Red Knights, became corrupted. It’s my guess that the Fourth Knight is closely related to the Yatan Church. Dive, the one closest to Marie, was a black magician... In fact, he was Yatan’s Seventh Servant and the subordinate of the Fourth Knight. The Red Knights who watched under the pretext of protection were the Fourth Knight’s men.”

“...?”

problem was that he claimed the person closest to the empress was a Yatan Servant. Didn’t this mean that Empress Marie was related to the evil Yatan Church? Mercedes and the Red Knights

origins and only welcome the cleanest

a clean girl. But the empress could no longer be clean the moment she was filled with the ambition to place her son on the throne. She held hands with the evil forces that serve

“...?”

fell for Marie’s beauty. I had

“W-What...?”

his feelings of inferiority toward Piaro

right. I had lost the qualification to be a knight from the

filled with shame every time he reminded himself of his sin. His guilt towards

one who betrayed the emperor, not Piaro

didn’t even deserve tears. Asmophel’s eyes were

to cover up my sin... For my own sake, I

name of punishment. Asmophel’s body trembled with pain, sorrow, and anger towards himself. But Asmophel didn’t stop speaking. It was in order

“Stop it.”

to stop him. However, it was useless. Asmophel didn’t stop. His trembling voice filled the ears of

loved is still alive. Please

“...”

was this person saying right now? The Red Knights couldn’t follow the truth. However, Mercedes realized it instantly. Asmophel was telling the truth. In the end, tears flowed down Mercedes’ white cheeks. She was aware that Asmophel was still hiding the truth from her. If Asmophel was

“You...”

from a false accusation while another hero was ruled by guilt. In the end, the source was Empress Marie and the Yatan

am the hero

saw Mercedes’ eyes. Now that she found out the truth, she had an obligation. It was to make the other Red Knights believe Asmophel’s words. In order to do

convinced. We will go back to the empire and review the events from 12 years ago to determine if your words are true or false. Once I can be sure that your

and turned her gaze towards the Red Knights. The confused Red Knights nodded with determined eyes. All of

your pursue charges against Empress Marie

of the empire

I need to investigate Captain

Or had he been affected by the Fourth Knight? There was a lot to do. Mercedes was in a rush and said to

Later when we are

at them for making her feel resentment towards them over the years. But it wasn’t possible. She couldn’t change her attitude until the other Red

want to apologize for our rudeness and to ask for understanding.