Treatise Of A Failed Knight

'Where am I…?'

My scrambled thoughts are slowly pieced together as I rise from the seabed of consciousness.

'What am I?'

I feel reality unraveling as I am raised within the waters.

'Who… am I?'

Everything slowly becomes clearer.

Until—

'I am Javier Aditi. 25 years old. A traveler from the far future. An Orphan. A Knight. A Scholar. An Alchemist… and a Leviathan.'

My body jerks to life, and my eyes flash open as I find myself traveling alongside what appears to be a crowd of people. After observing for a moment, I quickly realize that these are the people of the Royal Academy.

Professors and students, with Seth and Dustin also walking among them.

They seem unaware that I have regained consciousness thanks to my mask, and the Professors continue to support me with their arms as we travel down the snowy path.

The dark orange ray of the setting sun paints the landscape with a certain golden brown lustre.

The brilliant trees of the mountain shine with their resplendent colors, but the heavy atmosphere in the air dulls their radiance. No one even pays attention to the multifarious colors shimmering in the Mountain Grove, as everyone pays attention to the road ahead.

It appears we are descending the mountain.

Ah…

'We're heading to Lumian Town, aren't we?' My thoughts light up immediately. 'Wise choice. It's at the base of the mountain, and judging by our distance, we aren't that far. Just how long have I been unconscious for?'

To get a better understanding of the situation, I glance around in a hurry while also trying to remain inconspicuous.

'Nearly a thousand people, huh? Dustin and the people he was with are here, too. Looks like everyone made it out of the cave…'

The thought instantly freezes the moment I stop to consider things for a little longer.

'But how did I make it out alive?'

The last thing I remember before blacking out was my descent towards the ground and the impossible situation I was in at that moment.

How did these people find me?

How come I don't feel any injuries, and other than my brief lightheadedness, I feel perfectly fine?

This is so strange.

'It looks like I'll have to start by asking these people some questions…' I sigh, finally groaning aloud to gather everyone's attention.

The moment my voice travels out, the crowd pauses.

They all stare at me.

Shock.

Joy.

Expectation.

Relief.

All kinds of emotions fill the air as nearly a thousand people concentrate all their focus on me.

It would have been overwhelming had I not just experienced the horror of three Cadre 5 Magivores not too long ago.

"S-sir—"

"A-are you fine, Sir Evernight?" Although I hear Dustin's voice first, Seraphina loudly addresses me, her eyes showing concern. She tries reaching out to me, but only stops halfway.

I nod gently.

"I am. What happened? How did you find me?"

'And why is she calling me Evernight? Oh, Dustin must have told them, since I only shared the name with him…' My thoughts trail as I sigh deeply.

Evernight was only a name I made up on the spur of the moment because it fit my current theme and I thought it sounded cool. Having people address me as that is a little unsettling, but now isn't the time to bring that up.

It appears I'll have to bear with it for now.

"Y-you… just appeared in front of us. We thought you would know…"

'Appearing in front of them? That sounds like Tracing…' My eyes furrow mildly as my brows curl up in both surprise and confusion. 'But from what I remember, I wouldn't have had the time to use Tracing due to the Magivores attacking me.'

It would have taken an hour to switch, and I certainly didn't have that time.

So did something else happen?

It also doesn't make sense that I feel perfectly fine, even though I pushed myself to the limit when facing those Cadre 5 Magivores. I should be having a splitting headache right now, with every facet of my body being sore.

But I feel perfectly fine—as though I never used a single Fragmented Conception.

Why is that?

"You also had these in your hand when you appeared. We put it away while carrying you… for your own safety." Seraphina motions at two of the Professors, and they bring forth a sleek golden blade as well as a miniature winged horse statue.

I recognize the latter, as that is the sealed form of my Obsidian Steed.

But what is this sword?

'Is it… Really mine?' I grow puzzled as I stare at the object. 'It has no trace element, but I feel a strong resonance with it.'

After turning on my Aego Sight, I recognize its value.

This is an Armament!

Its existence is even higher than that of Obsidian Steed!

'Just how did I get my hands on this kind of weapon?' Beads of sweat form on my face as I hold the golden Armament. I feel pulsating energy emanating from it, and just staring at it gives me a certain confidence that I can do anything.

Undoubtedly… this is most definitely higher than S Grade!

Even though Obsidian Steed has no Trace Elements, it has a lot of similarities to an S Grade Armament. But this blade is completely different.

It has reached a level much higher than the standard measurements of mankind.

This is a Divine Relic!

I thought such things only existed in myths and legends!

How am I holding such a powerful artifact? Where did it come from? When did it enter my possession? So many questions threaten to drive me insane just from thinking about them.

All these things must have happened in the gap of my memories.

I have no way of truly knowing the truth.

'I can only hope the memories return with time. For now, I should be grateful that I survived.'

After sighing like this, I return Obsidian Steed to my coat.

That's when I realize something.

'What's this? All my leftover Potions and Armaments, including the Voice Transfer Disk, are missing. I also can't find the Flute of Salvation.'

Left with no other choice, I turn to the people around me, specifically the Professors.

Did they take them while I was unconscious?

"Is something the matter, Sir Evernight?"

Seraphina asks anxiously, staring at me with deep concern. It appears she has something she wishes to say, but hasn't yet mustered the courage to blurt it out.

Could it be about my missing items?

"I have a few items missing. A flute, a flat disk, among other things. Did you happen to find them on my person as well?" I ask calmly, hoping to encourage them to return the Armaments if they were the ones who stole them.

I can probably ignore everything else, especially given the situation, but taking the Flute of Salvation is where I draw the line.

'Who took it?!'

"S-Sir Evernight, those two were the only things we found. I swear it!"

I narrow my gaze on Seraphina.

Although she's panicking, it doesn't appear that she's lying.

She and Klein are terrible liars, and it's easy to read them just by looking at their faces.

After being friends with them for so long, I've gotten very used to reading their thoughts. I can tell when they're lying, and right now… she's sincere.

"Maybe someone took them while you weren't looking." I calmly state.

She hurriedly shakes her head.

"You appeared right in front of me, Sir Evernight. I personally attended with you alongside a few other Professors. If anyone had taken anything, I would have known. Besides, we would never try to offend someone of your caliber… Please believe us."

Seraphina bows her head desperately, and before I realize it, everyone does the same.

Even the prideful students follow suit.

Some of them are children of Counts, and a few are even related to the Dukes. Yet, they don't show an ounce of haughtiness.

Instead, pure reverence and deep fear dot their features.

I can't say I blame them.

After witnessing the terror of not one, but three Cadre 5 Magivores, and then seeing me come out of that ordeal alive, they all recognize me as a peak human. Offending someone like me, who killed so many Cadre 4 Magivores before them, is akin to suicide.

They wouldn't dare.

'I also can't find any traces of my possession on them, even with Aego Sight.'

It appears Seraphina is telling the truth.

That leaves only one explanation: they are still in the cavernous expanse.

'Should I use Tracing to go back?' The moment that thought enters my mind, I quickly dismiss it.

'Are you crazy, Javier? You don't know if those things are still in there! No, they're likely still there, considering I don't have nearly enough power to take them down!'

It's certainly not worth the risk to go back.

Even if I try to hurry, it would take a considerable amount of Interference Power.

Judging by where we are on the mountain, several hours must have passed since the journey to the base began. Even if I assume that I appeared right in the middle of the journey, which is highly doubtful, since that wouldn't correlate with my time in the cavern, that's still accounting for five to six hours.

I can certainly use Tracing to return to the cave, but it would take me some time before I can use it again. I won't be able to use any Conception in that period, which means I'll be vulnerable to attacks. If those Direwolf Kings are still there, which they likely are, I'll be dead before I realize it.

Even Obsidian Steed can't match these monsters in speed.

I could only outpace them using Frontflow.

But I won't be able to use Frontflow if I use Tracing, which also means I won't have access to Obsidian Steed. Without those on my side, I'd be as good as dead.

'The only advantage I have is this…' I stare at the golden blade in my grasp, and for a moment, a glimmer of hope flashes in my eye.

But that hope is quickly snuffed out once I try to be realistic.

'No matter how powerful an Armament is, its effectiveness is only as good as its user.'

Armaments are weapons.

Their full abilities are brought out by the user's strength.

With the exception of the rare auxiliary-type Armaments that have very little or nothing to do with the capabilities of the user, all Armaments follow this rule.

It doesn't matter how sharp a sword is; if an infant is wielding it, such a weapon would be even more useless than a dagger. In fact, the infant may end up damaging themselves if they aren't careful. Such is the nature of Armaments.

'Although this is a precious Divine Relic, one whose abilities likely transcend my understanding, I likely won't be able to do anything against those Direwolf Kings in my current state. My normal speed would do me no good at all, and now that I have no more Potions on me, I'd be dead before I make a single swing.'

Once I accept this fact, I let the idea go.

Although those items are precious, especially the Flute of Salvation, they aren't worth my life.

Besides…

'Using up Interference Power right now is unwise. I still have to protect everyone here, and once I've insured their safety… I also have to face Ciel.' I clench my fist with soaring resolve.

"Alright. Let's proceed."

The group resumes its advance after I dismiss the topic, although I notice Seraphina's constant look of concern. She has something on her mind, but she is finding it difficult to say anything for obvious reasons.

I ignore it at first, but after over an hour journeying in silence… I confront her.

"Something is on your mind. Spit it out."

Realizing that she's been had, Seraphina bows her head and finally speaks up. "I-I wanted to know about the well-being of the guards with you. What became of them?"

'Oh? So that's it?'

I sigh and shake my head almost immediately.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, seeing as this is the kind of person this woman is.

"What else? They're all dead."

"A-all of them…?" She stares in horror.

"Yes… all of them. I barely escaped with my life intact. I understand that it's a difficult thing to accept, but we should focus less on the deceased and more on those still with us. Surely, you understand…"

After a brief moment of silence, Seraphina finally nods.

"Yes."

"Good." I smile at her as we take a turn in the mountain's path. "Now we should be able to—"

Before I complete my statement, I instantly freeze.

Not because there's anything wrong with me, but because of the sight that greets us as we make the turn. From our current vantage point, we can see Lumian Town below—or, at the very least, what used to be Lumian Town.

Right now, it's nothing but ashes—a ruin of smoke and death.

"Oh no…!"

My eyes widen as I quickly realize the horrid truth.

Ciel!

This has to be her.

In order to make her attacks appear more natural, she decided to destroy Lumian Town while also attacking our group. If my suspicions are correct, there will be no survivors.

'But what about our transportation?'

Is there even any need to ask? Ciel intends to kill everyone on this mountain. She must have already cut off all possible escape routes to prevent us from leaving.

How brutal!

How absolutely horrendous!

I'm not a resident of Lumian Town, but I was a Mercenary there for a while.

It's where I met Brad.

I knew many people in the town… many families.

Now they're all dead.

No survivors—all because of Ciel's schemes!

'That woman!!!' Rage burns bright within me as my gaze turns eerily dark.

Now, more than ever, I am determined to kill her.

No matter what—

'Ciel must die!'

************

"Things have strayed too far from my machinations…" Ciel mutters as she stands in an open field, her long hair swaying with the wind.

The skies turn dark purple, almost indigo in complexion, clouding her beautiful face.

Her slender body is upright, and her hand tightly grips a long staff.

She sighs while staring before her absentmindedly.

"He wasn't a Leaper. He possessed weapons I didn't account for. And, despite the impossible odds, he managed to defeat the three Direwolf Kings." At this point, it has become abundantly clear to her that this Javier Aditi is too dangerous.

Even if everyone else survives, and even if she has to sacrifice herself, it no longer matters.

No matter what—

'Javier… you must die!'