'How did things turn out this way?'

Dustin Aditi shivers to his core as he looks around him to find monstrous creatures approaching.

These beasts resemble giant wolves with purple fur and star symbols all over their enormous bodies. Their furry tails are especially large, raised to resemble tall pillars stretching towards the dreary sky.

Their loud growls cause the very air to vibrate.

At least a few dozen of them are present—all of which are Cadre 3!

Even as a Low-Rank Knight, Dustin recognizes that he stands no chance against them!

Not only does he have only an E Grade Armament in his possession, but he is surrounded by these colossal monstrosities. Each of them is nearly three meters tall—far beyond his capacity.

'When did things start going wrong?!' He gulps, glancing around him to notice the frightened expression of the few people who are currently with him.

One Academy Professor and about nine students. Adding him, there are eleven people in total, all of them about to be devoured by over fifty Cadre 3 Magivores. However, Dustin knows he can't rely on anyone else present.

None of them will be useful in this fight, and, in fact, they all stare at him expectantly.

"Y-you're a Knight! Do something!" The Professor tells him in a panic.

"P-please get us out of this! We'll reward you with anything you desire!" One of the students screeches, tears, and snot falling down his face.

"My father is an Earl! If you get me out of this, you will be greatly rewarded!" Another loudly retorts, trying to emphasize his own worth.

"My Uncle is a Count! He knows Duke Ashfall! I'm the priority here! Save me from these people, and you will never want for anything ever again!" Yet one other says this loudly, his wide-open eyes and flapping lips reeking of desperation.

Dustin was conflicted.

He was still wondering how to get out of this alive, yet these people seemed to believe someone as lowly as him could actually rescue them.

The truth is, he would normally have been happy to be in a situation like this.

After all, this is precisely what he wanted:

High Nobles paying attention to him and trying to bid for his services.

If they weren't in such a life-and-death situation, he would have gladly taken the highest bidder and rescued them, earning him a lot of money and glory. If he played the right cards, this disaster could even bring about the revival of his Knight Household.

But is he insane?!

These are over fifty Cadre 3 Magivores, all of whom have never been seen in the Randalorion Kingdom before this moment.

Even Mid-Rank Knights won't be able to take down so many.

Only High Rank Knights with at least C Grade Armaments stand a chance, and victory can only be guaranteed if they use B Grade Armaments.

As for him, he is cannon fodder.

Nothing he does will make a difference in this fight, so no matter which High Noble he chooses to side with, the end result is the same. Everyone will die, including him.

'I can't even escape on my own, since we're cut off on all sides. This… is this really the end?!'

As Dustin closes his eyes, feeling the threatening advance of the Magivores, he can't help but feel a string of familiar and unfamiliar emotions. Accompanying his indignation and frustration is also, strangely enough… relief.

His eyes remain closed as he falls to his knees, defeated.

There is no escape.

Since there is nothing he can do but uselessly struggle, he might as well cease his pointless resistance and embrace the death that is to come.

'I'm sorry, father… mother…' He sighs, a bitter smile forming on his face. 'It turns out I won't be able to be the son you always wanted. I won't save the Aditi Household or achieve greatness. This is the end of the road for me, so big brother… I leave everything to you.'

It has always been exhausting, anyway.

Constantly trying so hard, with no end in sight, just to fulfill an ambition that isn't even his.

He could never tell his father.

How would he be able to reveal to his parents that, for the first time in his life, he is having fun being a mere guard in the Academy? If not for such an unfortunate scenario, he wouldn't have minded continuing this profession.

It gives him purpose.

A sense of duty.

The salary is also decent, and if not for his constantly sending money to his parents, he would have enough to sustain himself and even start a family.

But, of course, with the plan to revive the Aditi Household heavy on his shoulders, he can't have that. He shouldn't even dream of it. It's a shame he never pondered any of these before now, and with death about to take him, inklings of regret begin to splatter in his heart.

'In another life, perhaps…'

Then, the loud sound of crunched snow echoes aloud, and the Magivores charge forward.

Death is certain!

However—

SWOOOSH!

The sound of a powerful slash echoes in the air, as a blur of darkness suddenly manifests in the snowy mountain.

"H-huh?!" Sensing a new presence, Dustin opens his eyes.

Then, he sees someone.

He has a long-flowing hooded cloak that sharply contrasts the white landscape around him, the darkness endlessly flowing as it flaps with the wind. His attire resembles that of a military uniform, but is shrouded in darkness.

The darkness spills to his boots and gloves, covering this mysterious stranger in complete inky blackness akin to a crow or a raven.

His black mask looks slightly different, however.

It has purple lines of designs, outlining its eyes, as well as the sharp-toothed designs that are evident in the jaw area. The nose region also has the same outlines, seemingly pulsating with a strange energy that Dustin finds unfathomable.

This is likely a C Grade Armament at the very least.

In his hand is a frosty white blade, containing a deep blue glow. The craftsmanship is delicate, pristine, and has an air of nobility about it that constantly leaks out misty energy. However, this purity has been corrupted by the darkness of the wielder.

'T-that Blade… the power is too immense! I've never seen anything like it! And the density of that Trace Element… could it be… a B Grade?!' Dustin shudders as he watches the man in black stand atop the corpse of the first round of Magivores that had attacked.

It was only in the blink of an eye, but he had already eliminated so many of them.

Over a dozen currently lie strewn on the snowy field, their thick blood being rapidly absorbed by the frosty ground beneath their heavy bodies before suddenly freezing.

"What happened here?" The man in black speaks, his voice distorted but calm. "Explain it to me."

Dustin is stunned.

But his speechlessness only lasts a brief moment, and he quickly breaks out of this stupefaction.

"Our entire group was attacked by Magivores! We came here for an Excursion, and—"

"And where is everyone else?"

"They… well… we got separated in the chaos." Dustin nervously replies, sweat covering his face despite the chilly atmosphere.

"You mean… You abandoned the group to save your own skin, right? You found an opening, a shortcut that guaranteed an escape, so you went down that route, not knowing it would lead you here. These ones must have seen you escape and decided to follow you, hoping the other Direwolves would pursue the larger crowd instead."

"Eeek!"

"Am I wrong?" He slowly turns toward Dustin, his eyes flashing with a cruel shade of brilliant purple. The sight itself is chilly, terrifying beyond words.

Dustin knows it is useless to lie to this man.

He can only confess.

"I… It's true, but I didn't cause this! The situation was too chaotic, and I just wanted to—"

"To save your own skin, not caring about anyone else… even though you are a guard of the Royal Academy. It seems you have forgotten what it means to be a Knight. Now, you're nothing but a runaway mutt waiting to die. I'm beginning to consider giving you that fate."

"I… I… I…"

Dustin breaks down and begins to cry.

He can't offer a single word of retort to the man who has just insulted him beyond recovery.

The more he thinks about it, the more he realizes the truth.

'He's not wrong…'

Dustin stares at both of his trembling hands and then toward his blade on the ground.

'Am I not a Knight?' He asks himself. 'A Low-Rank Knight, but a Knight regardless. I took an oath… to follow the Code.'

Yet, he disgraced himself by fleeing from danger.

He thought only of his own survival, leading even other people towards their death.

He is a disgrace!

A disgrace to the Aditi name.

A disgrace to his parents and his older brother.

But, most importantly—

'I'm a disgrace to myself.' Suddenly, it feels like he can see his reflection in the mirror.

The image of himself as a perfect Knight stands right opposite him, shrouded in a layer of light that makes it appear illusory despite being so close to him.

"When did you become this way?" The reflection asks him solemnly. "When did you abandon the path of Chivalry? When did you throw aside your honor? Was it for survival? For your family? For the Aditi Household?"

He cannot respond to those questions clearly.

The question rings in his head.

He asks himself.

Why, actually? Why has he thrown aside everything that embodies the quality of a Knight?

Even if he ends up reviving the Aditi Household in the end, how can he possibly call it a Knight Household when he no longer bears the nature of one?

'In the end, I have no answer.'

As Dustin's head lowers in shame, another person raises theirs as they stare at the Magivores rapidly closing in on the group.

Who else would it be if not the mysterious masked knight of darkness?

Javier Aditi himself!

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

'I wasted too much time talking to Dustin, but I didn't learn anything useful. It appears not even the ones who were attacked know a lot about it. The attack must have also been pretty frequent, and retreating has become the priority.'

As I analyze the situation, I take deep breaths and glare at the Cadre 3 Magivores before me.

'If they just keep running, they'll eventually be cornered or run out of stamina. It could even be the intention of these beasts to chase them into the cavern. After all, the Direwolves are extremely fast, and none of the students should be able to outrun them.' After thinking for a little longer, I notice the movements of the Direwolves.

They're leaning forward.

Ready to pounce.

'The cooldown period isn't over yet, which means I'll have to fight them normally.'

It'll consume a bit of my energy, but I have no other choice.

The white and blue blade in my hands is the B Grade Armament called Frost Bite. I got it after killing a Royal Knight known as Edrin.

My mask is also a B Grade Armament that blocks detection and even Divination.

My attire is made from all kinds of special fabrics, and everything makes a B Grade Armament set. I call it the Midnight Garb.

It's a defensive Armament, and with Frost Bite serving as my offensive Armament, I should be fine. The mask prevents me from being detected, and even beneath it, I have a different face thanks to a Potion.

My current build is also slightly smaller than normal, with a more slender physique.

In essence, no one can recognize me.

I glance at the runaways for a moment, noting that none of them are friends or students I actually favor in the Academy. They even desperately abandoned their comrades so they had a better chance at survival, not recognizing the folly of their choice.

I don't care so much if they live or die.

But—

'I will save their lives if it means foiling your plans, Ciel!' My eyes flicker with all kinds of emotions, and I feel a loud thumping in my heart.

Trap or not, I don't care.

Not anymore.

Once this is all over, I will certainly return to the Sanctuary.

And kill you, Ciel.

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