The Second Strongest Has Returned

Chapter 69

Holy Sword

The elders aimed to diminish Leonardo’s achievements, digging up his faults to tarnish his self-esteem and honor.

They believed that by doing so, they could comfortably manipulate this talented individual.

Thus, their true intention was to make use of Leonardo, with the punishment for his supposed crimes serving merely as a superficial excuse.

Therefore…

[Oh ho, they used their heads a bit.]

This was the last outcome they would have ever wanted.

“…Wh-What…what is this…!”

“The hearing by the Council of Elders has solidified my decision. It seems this position was too much for me.”

Both Chris and Marquen wore expressions of shock.

Though they had been prepared to defend him against any punishment, they had never expected that he would voluntarily express his intention to resign in such a manner.

“I will submit my resignation through the head of the family at a later time. It has been an honor to share in the Council of Elders’ precious wisdom and time.”

“Wait a moment…! Do you think you can just resign from your knighthood so freely?!”

[That’s rich coming from you lot, who have retired and shut yourselves in.]

It was a blunt truth, but now was the time to package it more tactfully.

“I was never fit to be a knight from the beginning. Perhaps this was something that was bound to happen.”

Leonardo said this as he gazed at the elders.

“The position of upholding the chivalry and conviction of the hero’s family was something I could never hope to reach with my own efforts.”

Looking at them with a slightly self-deprecating and sorrowful expression only amplified the effect.

“Then…! What about your position as a personal knight?! What will you do about that?!”

Was that the best they could come up with? It was a cute, yet pitifully desperate attempt for someone of their age.

“If you require it, I will continue until a successor is appointed. I must also inform the young lady of this matter.”

“Do you…! Do you not think about the repercussions once you leave?! Do you think knighthood is something that can be obtained so easily…!!”

In their agitation, the elders continued to shout with heated voices. The dignity and decorum they had built over the years crumbled in the face of a mere boy’s resignation.

“I have never once thought it was easily obtained.”

Not in this life, nor the previous one.

“I am sorry that I couldn’t achieve better results due to my shortcomings… but I truly tried my best not to be a burden.”

In fact, when comparing the achievements Leonardo had made over the past two years, they did not fall far short of the elders’ own accomplishments.

“But, as you have said, there have indeed been many unexpected faults and mistakes.”

Finally, he turned the blame back to the Council of Elders. They must have realized by now.

[They ruined everything.]

Leonardo had never forgiven the Council of Elders for their foolishness in standing by idly while Ariasphil died alone.

Their crimes were rust, so deeply corroded that even death could not cleanse them.

“…Do you think resigning in this manner will be honorable!? Honor, money…!”

“It’s fine. That too is my burden to bear, and I will accept it.”

These words marked the end.

This was the meaning behind his final words.

He was not a knight of the Council of Elders; he was the only knight of the hero, Ariasphil.

“Then, I shall take my leave.”

With that, Leonardo stepped through the grand doors and left. In his wake, the Council of Elders fell into a frenzied state, holding an emergency meeting in chaos and agitation.

* * *

Chris Reinhardt felt a shock that made the earlier destruction of her youthful idealism seem trivial.

She hadn’t expected the Council of Elders to have a positive influence on Leonardo, but she certainly hadn’t anticipated that they would drive him to abandon his knighthood entirely.

In a rush, she dashed toward the open door. She spotted the boy walking down the corridor, and grabbing his shoulder, Chris cried out.

“Don’t make such a rash decision…! There’s still a chance…!”

“Such a chance is far too generous for someone like me.”

The boy turned around and gave her a faint smile. But that smile seemed more like a forced expression, his lips barely holding back resignation and sadness.

“I’ll do whatever I can to defend you…! If you resign on your own, it will only end as your fault…! No one will understand…!”

“I appreciate it, but it’s alright.”

Leonardo turned to face Chris fully. For some reason, his eyes lacked focus and life.

“In truth, I had been contemplating something as well. Whether I even deserve to stay by Lady Ariasphil’s side.”

At those words, Chris’s grip on his shoulder weakened. Leonardo, who had always spoken with such confidence, with skills to match, had overcome every crisis he faced. Because of that, they may have felt reassured, perhaps even mistaken.

They assumed that Leonardo had no doubts.

“I’ve been wondering if I’m truly fulfilling my role as a guardian knight, or if someone else… perhaps Lord Blackshade or the commander of the Execution Knights, might offer her better protection with their experience.”

But no one is free of doubt. Especially not a boy who hasn’t even lived twenty years yet.

“And after hearing the words of the Council of Elders, I started to agree. I am not worthy to aid Lady Ariasphil.”

But Chris couldn’t agree. In her eyes, Leonardo was the only one who could support Ariasphil and the only one who could stand by her side.

“I’ve just been leaning on the family and on Lady Ariasphil. I’ve become weak and dependent.”

Of course, he would think that way. He was only 13 when he first arrived at the family, and now, even at 15, he was still just a young boy, not even considered a young man.

There was no reason why such a boy should be blamed for seeking support.

“To be honest… I’ve always thought that I lived a very fortunate life. Picking a fight with Lady Aria and battling her was the greatest stroke of luck in my life.”

But luck was not eternal, and happiness had been submerged in pain.

“She was my entire world, my everything.”

And then, on that day, his world shattered once more.

Without any warning, suddenly.

When the light disappeared, there was nothing left to see.

“Then all the more…! You should have tried harder to stay…!!”

“Enough.”

It was Marquen who spoke up from behind.

“Commander…!!”

Whoosh

Something white was tossed towards him. Leonardo opened the container and alternated his gaze between it and Marquen.

“It’s a return scroll. If you’ve quit being a knight, then stop grumbling and get lost.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Leonardo unfurled the scroll, activating the teleportation spell.

“Goodbye.”

With that, Leonardo vanished along with the light.

“Father…!! What do you think you’re doing!?”

“He needed a scroll to return, so I gave him one.”

“That’s not what I meant!”

Chris shouted, more agitated than ever before. It was unusual for her to go against her father, Marquen.

“…Christina, what were you doing at 13, and then at 15?”

“…That…”

She recalled. At 13, she had spent half her days coming up with a cool nickname for herself, and at 15, she found amusement in wearing an eyepatch or bandages as accessories and creating names for techniques.

Now, thinking back, those were rather embarrassing memories.

“I was receiving education and training to become the head of the family. I often complained and sometimes even rebelled against it.”

Eventually, a certain boy came to her mind.

“But what about that boy?”

The question left her speechless. Seeing that boy made her feel ashamed of how she had taken her own life for granted.

“His parents passed away, and since he was 10 years old, he’s been fighting in a world filled with blood and blades.”

The boy’s pain,

“And within the family, he was discriminated against for being a commoner, and despised simply because he was an orphan.”

His suffering was immeasurable.

“Yet that boy never once complained. He didn’t cry, nor did he get angry.”

Despite it all, the boy silently persevered and fought on.

“We took that for granted. And because of that, we failed to be someone he could rely on.”

They had neither seen nor acknowledged him properly.

“Admit it. We betrayed that boy’s world, and we don’t deserve to hold him back.”

Shame rendered her speechless.

* * *

At that moment, Leo was thinking,

[Even though I knew you were acting, your immediate shift is giving me chills.]

He grinned at the peak of his performance, eagerly anticipating the outcome. It would probably be as shocking as the sudden betrayal of a trusted ally in a play.

The Council of Elders, as the Sage said, was just a retirement home for elderly people who wanted to be treated with respect.

The pensions they consumed alone could have increased the salary of every knight in Reinhardt by 2.2 times.

And it didn’t stop there; they continued to meddle with the family under the pretense of securing their position, acting like parasites.

[What else? It’s obviously the so-called wisdom of age masquerading as experience.]

As they said, the only reason they were in the Reinhardt family was to bring glory to it. Officially, they were there under the pretext of sharing wisdom.

[It’s a bit much coming from your mouth, but they would have fallen. Even those who tolerated their old-fashioned ways would have torn them apart, thinking it was only right.]

The Sage predicted the clear answer and the consequences that would follow. As expected, he was a wise man when it came to such cunning actions.

Ariasphil, who had become a hero, was plagued by constant battles and demon hunts.

Certainly, if they had wisely divided the work and allocated tasks appropriately, everything would have been resolved smoothly. However, they pushed everything onto Ariasphil just because she was a hero.

[…Old bastards.]

What Leonardo found most unforgivable was that they even suppressed the media that reported on Ariasphil’s condition. The reason given was a trivial excuse about how it could shake the faith in Reinhardt and make the people tremble in fear.

[…You… surely not…]

It was already too late, and it was all in the past. The opportunity to change things existed only in the present, and the past only left scars.

Though he said it as a joke, it was impossible to dismiss it lightly. The guilt and self-reproach that had been wedged in like a bone twisted his soul.

[…It’s not your fault.]

[Then did you see my life?]

At that sharp question, a chuckle escaped.

[Same here. You brat.]

The insults they exchanged with each other somehow felt endearing, perhaps because they had grown accustomed to it.

[You did your best. You lived earnestly enough to be loved without shame.]

The boy’s shoulders slightly, but noticeably, trembled. The only reason no sound escaped was because that man still had some pride left.

[So, live earnestly for yourself, at least a little. Honestly, if a person doesn’t feel embarrassed, they’re either a god or a corpse. What kind of human is that?]

“Ha…”

A laugh burst out like a sigh—neither a sob nor a cry—following the advice of the Sage.

[Would it be?]

<…Yes, it’s comforting.>

He felt a little better. Living long enough had finally led to a day where he received comfort from the origin of magic.

[Spare me the cringe-worthy talk, but can I ask you one thing?]

[What will you say to Ariasphil?]

A moment of uneasy silence followed.

“…I’ll just bow my head and apologize later.”

In truth, he had no plan.

[Is that what you call an answer? You might as well bow naked. That would give you a higher chance of survival.]

The man showed a miraculous way of exchanging the points he had earned for double the deductions.

Besides, Ariasphil wasn’t such a heartless person, and it wasn’t as if he was truly leaving, so why make such a fuss?

“Just in case, I think I’ll sleep outdoors today.”

[Yeah, after all, life is precious.]

It wasn’t because he was afraid of Ariasphil. It was simply that the weather was cool today, and the mansion’s atmosphere would become unsettling, so he decided to avoid the place.

* * *

At that time, in the Reinhardt mansion.

“Leo!! Leonardo!!”

Ariasphil was searching for her personal knight, who had been missing since the morning.

In fact, only the family head and those involved in the matter knew that Leo had gone to the Council of Elders. It had been kept a secret from Ariasphil.

[No, there’s no sign of him anywhere nearby.]

Even when she asked the spirits, they all responded with the same answer: “He’s not here.”

“Where in the world did he go without saying a word…?”

To be honest, she wasn’t so much angry as she was worried. Leo had a habit of getting involved in strange or dangerous situations during times like this.

“Ariasphil!!!”

At that moment, her idiot of a brother came running toward her, shouting.

“…What? Be quiet. I’m looking for Leo right now…”

“What do you mean Leo’s quitting as a knight?!”

That day, a crack formed in Ariasphil’s world.