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SINCE his escape from Viscount Telestraza’s castle, Keunt had been traveling on foot and via carriage for a month now. He arrived at the hospital dedicated to treating wounded knights located in Stoma Redd on the northern coastline. It was referred to as the final abode for knights who were abandoned after becoming disabled from injuries sustained in monster battles.
This was Keunt’s first visit as well, and he found it resembling an abandoned building that hadn’t been properly cared for. Holding up the Strelizzi family crest, he entered and walked through the dark hospital with its stagnant air. He headed to the room he was looking for after receiving instructions from one of the nuns acting as a nurse.
It was a large room deep inside the building with the view through the window blocked by a rock wall. Inside a man lay face-up on the bed, looking like a corpse.
Keunt approached the man who seemed to be waiting for death. “Thanks for your efforts on the frontlines, Commander Lockfay of the order of the holy knights.”
The man in his forties stared at Keunt with his dull eyes for a moment before they widened in amazement. “You little… N-No, why are you here…?”
“We can talk about that later. Right now, the crown prince is in jeopardy, and we’re the only ones who can save him.”
“His Royal Highness is in what?! How did that even happen…?”
Anguish twisted Lockfay’s face as he tried to sit up. Though his limbs barely remained, his flesh had gouges, his bones were destroyed, and his damaged nerves screamed in extreme pain whenever he tried to move. Without the help of potions and saints, his only option would be to sleep and pray for recovery. That was the sad reality of medical care in Kophe.
“Here, you can have this.”
Keunt took out a vial of potion from his tattered bag. He had acquired it in the confusion of the night raid. Just a sip was enough to bring the light back to Lockfay’s eyes. Now that his arm was functioning again, he snatched the bottle from Keunt’s grip and downed its contents like a parched beast.
“Haaa… Haaa…what is this potion…?!”
“I’ll tell you those details later too. Former knight commander, how much do you know?”
It turned out that Lockfay didn’t know about Prince Richard’s act of aggression or the Arousing Priestess Monica’s return. He had been sent to the hospital shortly before the imperial invasion. So Keunt told him in his own words about the Empire’s actions and Saint Monica’s savagery thus far as well as the terrifying efficiency of the redheaded bastard’s plan to take control of Kophe.
“And then Prince Richard captured our crown prince. That bloody redhead… Ergo, I need your help to rescue His Royal Highness.” Then Keunt dramatically withdrew another bottle of potion. When he saw it, Lockfay loudly swallowed the saliva pooling in his mouth. “Do you hate Saint Monica? If you do, let us retake the crown prince.”
“If only that damn priestess had been obedient…I could have remained the commander of the holy knights at Mayga Cieux… I could have led the troops from the rear… You have no idea how much I’ve suffered…since being sent to this hospital…”
Lockfay grabbed the potion from Keunt’s hand. Then he twisted off the stopper and drank it all. When he finished, he glared up at him, eyes setting with resentment.
“I thought I would die here. But if I can exact vengeance and have the crown prince in my debt, then of course I’ll follow you.”
Keunt smirked and shook Lockfay’s hand firmly. His epic novel was nowhere near finished. “I have an idea… It’s a strategy only we can execute since we know the redhead and the imperial prince are one and the same.”
It was settled. Drunk off his own words, Keunt trembled in excitement at the thought of revenge.
“Just you wait, Arousing Priestess Monica…”