I Became the Dark Knight in the Game

Chapter 26: The Brotherhood (1)

Dale waited for Natalia on the ground floor of the inn. But she did not return throughout the night.

It was only in the morning that she returned.

Early in the morning.

Dale opened the inns door as the smell of blood tickled his nose. Natalia was lying there. As if she were asleep.

Not a breath was drawn. Her body was cold to the touch.

When he looked back at her face, he noticed that her expression was distorted with pain.

Kayla who came out of the inn with him covered her mouth at the sight.

Oh my god

This was a blatant and cruel warning aimed at Dale.

A warning that he should stop involving himself in this if he didnt like to see blood.

Dale gazed silently down at Natalia.

Just a short time ago, she was wearing a lively smile.

A woman who was timid but bravely searched for her loved one. A gnome who was mature in the inside but looked like a child from the outside.

A child.

Yes, to Dale, Leon and Natalia were always children.

The child had returned cold and lifeless, just like Dale, with a heart that no longer beat.

There are lines that should never be crossed by anyone. But these people had crossed that line.

Dale suddenly noticed that Natalia was clutching something tightly in her fist. He carefully opened her hand.

Inside it was a quill pen.

It seemed that Natalia had overheard Dale saying that he couldnt study because he broke his quill pen.

So, in her own way, she wanted to make it up to him by doing this

Sensing the gravity of Dales mood, Kayla cautiously called his name.

Sir Dale?

Kayla. Can you take Natalia to the church? Ill pay you, and if you need it, call someone to help.

Kayla forced a cheerful response.

Of course! Ill take good care of her.

I appreciate it.

Sir. Wouldnt you like to come along?

I have something else I must do. Im sorry.

Kayla stiffened.

Did he just apologize?

Hearing an apology from this knight was not a common occurrence.

Kayla, who sensed that Dale was different from usual, tried to say something. But in the end, she couldnt hold him back.

. Take care.

All she could offer was a wish for his safety. Dale nodded and strode away.

Dale awakened all his senses, which were heightened due to the enhancement of his abilities.

He detected the faint scent of blood left on the ground.

The culprits actually had the audacity to drag the corpse here from outside the walls.

How did they pass through the city gates? Did they bribe the guards?

It didnt matter to Dale. He was just thankful that the trail hadnt gone cold.

Following these traces would eventually lead him to them.

Dale exited through the west gate and stepped into the winding alleys.

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This area reeked of blood, sewage, and garbage from all directions. The word shithole couldnt be more fitting for this place.

Fortunately, he didnt need to wander long in such surroundings.

Hey, knight. We gave you a warning. You shouldve taken better care of yourself.

Rough-looking thugs emerged from every corner and surrounded Dale in a wide circle.

Actually, Dale had intentionally allowed himself to be surrounded.

He observed a man meticulously dressed in chainmail armor and a helmet. For a back-alley thug, his armor was impressive.

Dale asked,

Did you kill Natalia?

Natalia? Ah. Are you talking about that gnome?

The man smirked then spat out on the ground and said.

You should have known better. Why did you interfere with our business and beat up my innocent kids?

Your kids?

Dont you remember? I heard you had a big fight with them at the drunken mule inn.

Dale searched through his memories and only then he guessed who the other man was.

Jimmy Jimmys gang?

Yes. I am Jimmy of Jimmys gang.

A lackey of the thieves guild.

Heh, lackey is a bit much. How about business associate?

Jimmy laughed obnoxiously, and the rest of the gang laughed along. There were some who did not laugh; they seemed to be members of the Black Serpent Brotherhood.

Dale quietly closed his eyes.

What is this feeling that has been stirring in my cold heart?

Guilt over the deaths of Natalia and Leon? No. Their deaths are not Dales fault.

He might have blamed himself when he was fully human. But not now.

Then

anger.

Yes, anger. Dale was feeling anger. And before him were those who could bear the brunt of this anger.

Dale asked himself one last time,

What should I do?

For the first time in a while, there was consensus in his mind.

Kill them all. Kill them all.

They must be repaid in kind for their actions.

Otherwise, his rage would not subside.

Dale drew his sword.

It was time for him to stop imitating humans.

***

Irene was a hastily built city.

While its defenses were exceptional since it was built to stand against demons, its administrative structure and systems were far from perfect.

Moreover, the size of Irene was immense. It rivaled the capital of the empire in its heyday.

And a large population meant it was that much harder to govern.

To make matters worse, the eastern front was in the midst of a war with demons.

The emperor had to ensure a steady supply of resources and manpower to keep the war effort going.

At the same time, he had to keep a watchful eye on the generals at the front.

So much power was concentrated in the current war. It was a battle for the fate of humanity so this was to be expected.

The problem lay in what would happen after the war ended.

It was half-jokingly said that each general at the front commanded more soldiers than the emperor himself.

Would these generals willingly disband their armies after the war?

What about the veterans, honed by decades of warfare?

The emperor did not think so.

Therefore, he always kept a keen eye on the atmosphere at the front.

Managing the city and supplying the front, along with keeping the commanders in check.

These were tasks that even the most extraordinary of emperors could not handle alone.

So, the emperor divided the city into districts and delegated the management of each district to others.

Districts 2 and 3 were entrusted to trustworthy nobles. The outer districts were governed by a council that was established.

The council consisted of seven influential individuals from the outer districts.

It was responsible for everything from judicature and commerce to tax collection and maintaining order. The councils authority was extremely high, at least in the outer districts.

Those esteemed members of the council were now gathered in one place.

Garland who had organized the meeting wiped the sweat from his forehead and said,

You might have already read the report I prepared, but let me summarize it once again. Near Irene, a demon servant has appeared. A name you might have heard. Arghuls servant, Hasina.

No one responded. It was an unspoken demand for further explanation.

After looking around, Garland continued,

Fortunately, a mercenary from our guild successfully killed Hasina and prevented further damage.

Right then, someone who had been listening quietly interrupted Garlands words.

Please correct your statement. He is clearly one of our people. He is only temporarily with the mercenary guild. Dont you think it would be very rude to introduce him as a mercenary?

The High Priestess of the Temple of Night, Erielle, spoke with a smile on her lips.

However, there was not the slightest warmth in her voice. Garland managed an awkward smile.

Haha. I had no intention of causing offense. Its just that, officially, Sir Dale is registered with the mercenary guild Anyway, this isnt immediately important, so Ill return to the main topic.

Although Garland glossed over the issue, Erielle did not press further.

Just like he said, that wasnt what mattered at the moment.

The appearance of a demons servant near Irene is unusual. We can consider two possibilities. Either the situation at the front has worsened, creating a gap in our defenses through which the servant slipped, or

Someone at the front deliberately let the demons servant through!

The person who intercepted the conversation was the captain of the guards in charge of security of the outer districts.

He was a gruff-faced dwarf and he slammed his hand on the table before shouting.

One of the generals at the front must be conspiring with the demons and betraying His Majesty the Emperor! No, its not certain that its just one! Perhaps all the generals have turned to the demons!

Thats too much of a leap of logic.

A woman with beautifully waved green hair intervened.

She was the head of the Merchants Guild of the outer districts.

The demons servants are cunning. If they set their minds to infiltrate, who could stop them?

The captain of the guards snorted derisively.

Ha! Did the generals ask you to say that?

What are you talking about?

The head of the Merchants Guild furrowed her brow and retorted. Once again, the captain of the guards slammed his hand on the desk.

Dont play dumb! Even those back alley dogs know that when you supply goods to the front, you receive favors from the generals!

Such baseless accusations and vulgar language. This is why dwarves are

What?! What did you say! Say it again!

Soon, the two began to argue heatedly.

Garland pressed his forehead and sighed deeply.

Ive never seen this damned meeting go smoothly.

It was common for discussions to veer far off-topic in a gathering of such distinctive personalities.

The problem was that everyone here was on an equal footing.

No one could forcibly silence the others. Doing so would only lead to another fight.

As a result, others also started to engage in idle chatter.

Speaking of which, wasnt the mercenary who took down the demons servant that infamous dark knight? Im more interested in that.

The head of the Jophis family who was responsible for administrative tasks in the outer districts broached the subject.

Erielle responded with a bright smile.

Yes, Sir Dale is our temples pride, a true exemplar of the Night Goddesss majesty.

The head of the family spoke with a playful smile.

There are so many unbelievable rumors about that knight. I heard he also travels with a promising successor to the lost saintess. Is that true?

The head of the family quietly turned his gaze to the bishop of the temple of light who had been listening silently.

However, the bishop didnt seem like he wanted to respond and firmly closed his eyes.

Erielle also seemed displeased with the question and frowned, while the head of the family gave an awkward chuckle.

The one who picked up the conversation was the representative of the Blacksmiths Guild. He asked with a puzzled tone,

A dark knight? A dark knight is in the city and not at the frontlines?

Garland was astonished.

Good heavens. Have you been living under a rock?

Well, a blacksmith stays locked up in his forge. Do I need to keep track of everything at my age?

Garand shook his head and explained.

Its about Sir Dale. Theres this dark knight whos been making a name for himself recently. Hes quite unique and special.

Special? Isnt he just another slaughter machine?

Slaughter machine.

It was a word that clearly revealed the worlds perception of dark knights.

A monster who, in a frenzy, even used allies as fuel, repeating nothing but slaughter.

They were beings too alien to be considered allies.

Thats why Dale was exceptional.

He possessed immense strength but couldnt be regarded as having lost his sanity.

Garland elaborated,

Sir Dale doesnt kill without reason. There was an incident in a tavern recently, but there were no casualties.

Even the quarreling captain of the guards and the head of the Merchants Guild found themselves attentively listening to Garlands words.

Garland smiled as he spoke.

You know, for the half-undead, killing is almost like us eating food. When someone is starving and sees delicious food, its hard to resist the temptation. But Dale resisted. Such is his remarkable self-control.

The listeners eyes sparkled with interest. A powerful force that could be controlled.

Wasnt he a talent worth coveting?

At the same time, they wondered. Why was Garland revealing this so nonchalantly?

Anyway, Sir Dale is special. Unlike other dark knights who have recklessly committed murders

Just then, one of Garlands subordinates quietly approached and whispered in his ear.

The subordinates of other council members also came to relay sudden news.

When he heard the story, the representative of the Blacksmiths Guild opened his mouth.

Hmm. The dark knight is killing several people as we speak, you say?

**********

TN: they deserve worse!