Extra's Perfect Ending

Chapter 103: Knights

The demon’s true form was revealed to be the eastern man they had served, Gully. The knights stared in disbelief, their eyes widening in shock.

"My lord?"

They didn’t know what to think. The demon had killed two of their comrades, but now it turned out to be the very person they had pledged to protect. They had known that things were unstable, but they never imagined it would come to this.

As they processed the situation, they also noticed the people on the other side of the conflict. Upon closer inspection, they recognized them as the guests who had visited their lord earlier that afternoon—a boy named Penu, dressed in a suit, and a maid.

Reeva’s body tensed as the knights looked at him. His hand instinctively readied itself for another confrontation. His previous interaction with them had been far from pleasant, and he didn’t expect this time to be any different.

But then, to his surprise, the knights stepped forward and knelt before him.

"Thank you," the older knight said, bowing deeply. The other knights quickly followed suit, kneeling as well. Reeva let out a sigh of relief, realizing that the fight was truly over and he could now focus on keeping his emotions in check.

"You don’t need to thank me; we did it together," Reeva replied, feeling a bit awkward with the sentiment.

"No, we owe you our lives. You saved us when we treated you poorly. I know that monster would have killed us all if you hadn’t drawn it away."

The old knight had seen enough to understand that a creature like that wouldn’t have stopped at just two victims. Its hunger was insatiable, and it would have devoured them all. When the monster had suddenly left the mansion, following Reeva and ignoring everything else, the knight knew it wasn’t just a coincidence.

Even if it had been, he still felt the need to express his gratitude.

"I guess I’ll accept your thanks?" Reeva responded, unsure of how else to reply.

"Good enough," the knight said as he stood up. He then turned to look at Gully, his expression unreadable. "Is Yoma dead? The man who was always by my lord’s side?"

"Killed trying to stop your lord’s transformation," Reeva said solemnly.

"Hah," the knight sighed in sadness. "That kid had a bright future. I would have entrusted this knight order to him when he gained more experience. Now, I’ll never see that future."

"..." Reeva listened, unsure of where the conversation was headed.

"Now there’s no future for either of us," the old knight continued a mix of anger and sadness in his eyes. "The knight’s order is in disarray, and our lord has turned into a monster. But what I want to know is, what the hell was that creature? And why did it happen to my lord?"

Reeva could sense the old man’s frustration and pain.

"They’re called demons," Reeva explained. "Your lord hadn’t achieved nobility yet, so he was likely unaware of such things. But in our world, there are superpowers—ghosts, demons, and other mystical forces. When someone can’t control their power, they can turn into a demon. It’s kind of an open secret among the high society, but completely out of reach if you’re not actively looking for it."

"Superpowers?" The old man raised an eyebrow. "Like the ones you and the maid were using?"

"Yeah, though ours are a bit different from the kind your lord turned into. Our powers don’t turn us into demons."

At least, not all of us, Reeva thought to himself.

"Hahaha," the old man laughed bitterly, finding it hard to believe. He had never heard of such things in his life, but now he had no choice but to accept that they existed—superpowers and demons.

"And you were here to kill my lord, is that it? Is that why Holen brought you?" the knight asked, though there was no malice in his voice. He was saddened by his lord’s fate, but he couldn’t fault the people who had come to kill a demon. Without Reeva and his maid, the entire mansion would likely have been lost.

"Originally, we were trying to track down the heretic group responsible for this," Reeva explained. "But Gully turned into a monster before we could figure things out."

"A cult? They have superpowers too?" the knight asked.

"Some do, some don’t," Reeva replied. "But most of them have the potential for it. That’s why the church labels them as heretics."

"And the church? They have superpowers too?"

"Yes," Reeva nodded. "Almost everyone in power does. It’s crucial for maintaining their position."

Almost every noble in Lmemore has access to mystics. They’re hard to obtain, but they serve as a mark of true nobility and a safeguard against other mystic users. It’s a secret kept from the common folk.

Reeva understood why, both from the book and from reality. If the existence of mystics were made public, more and more people would seek these powers, leading to chaos as commoners tried to overthrow the nobility. It was a way for the higher-ups to maintain control and order.

"Could I have superpowers too?" Arthur asked.

"It depends," Reeva said thoughtfully. "I’m not sure, but I can check. I’ll need to place my hand on your body."

"You sure you have to touch me?" Arthur asked, a hint of humor returning to his voice.

"Just a little," Reeva replied. He wasn’t opposed to the idea of the old knight discovering he had mystic potential. Despite their rough start, the old man seemed like a decent person.

But as Reeva reached out to touch Arthur, he hesitated. He realized that he couldn’t use his coldness right now—he was using it to build a wall in his mind to keep his happiness in check.

"On second thought, Hilda, could you check.....?" Reeva said, pulling back his hand. He then realized he didn’t even know the knight’s name.

"Arthur Steelheart," the old man introduced himself, catching the oversight.

"Could you check Sir Arthur, Hilda?" Reeva asked.

Hilda nodded and stepped forward. She bowed slightly before placing her hand on Arthur’s shoulder, ready to assess his potential.