The Strongest in the World Doesn’t Want To Do Anything

10 – There is no paradise for the betrayed knight’s return.

“If what the lady says is true, then the rumors about the ghost horse are correct.”

Allen focused on the story, stroking his chin as if intrigued.

“It actually looks more like a zombie or ghoul, though.”

As if asking for opinions, Yulia shrugged her shoulders.

Allen smiled slightly at her gesture and leaned back in the worn-out wooden chair.

“Anyway, I’ve adapted to this house, so it’s bearable.”

“Really? I liked it from the moment I came… I’d like to live here permanently.”

“Haha. Miss, you might not remember your old home well.”

“I vaguely remember playing with Dad…”

Yulia tightly shut her eyes, attempting to pull out memories of her old house, but it didn’t happen as she wished, much to her dismay.

“I can’t remember anything about the old house.”

“Well, you were so young back then. Come to think of it, it’s already been ten years.”

“Wow… has it really been that long?”

“That’s right. Just thinking about those times…”

As Allen was about to casually speak, painful old memories surged within him. Instead, he sighed deeply and lowered his head.

As if to comfort Allen, Yulia pulled him closer, embracing his head.

“Thank you, Allen.”

Allen slowly released himself from her arms, lifting his head and offering a warm smile.

“If the priest could see how wonderfully you’ve grown, he would have been truly delighted…”

“Heheh. I did grow up quite nicely, didn’t I?”

Observing Yulia, who wore a cheerful expression while lightly adjusting the hem of her skirt, Allen felt a sense of pride.

While gazing at Yulia’s radiant appearance akin to warm sunlight, memories of that day he didn’t want to recall began to creep back into his mind.

Ten years ago.

The day Haganess returned from the corps to the pulpit.

***

Haganess received minimal baggage and a single gold coin from the chief of the guards, borrowing the fastest horse to escape from Terosa.

Running frantically, Haganess struggled to shake off the unpleasant and uncomfortable feelings.

The pitiful last sight of Wolfgang through the tent kept flashing before her eyes.

Each time, a tearing pain struck her heart.

‘If only I had known…’

Haganess knew all too well that regretting was futile.

She had to admit the failure of her efforts, even if it meant creating a loophole to save Wolfgang’s life.

Now, all that remained for her was the pulpit.

Trying to steady her crumbling heart, she tightened the reins.

The land of the pulpit, ‘Rom.’

It had been twelve long years since she departed from there.

Although not far from Terosa, during the prolonged war, she never once visited Rom.

Her absence from Rom during the war, except for when it was initially attacked, served as evidence of the city’s safety since she, someone who relentlessly sought out battles wherever there were demons, hadn’t set foot there.

Except for the initial attack on Rom, the city remained unscathed throughout the twelve years of war.

Of course, with the first attack, the church lost almost everything.

Each time Haganes won a battle and received a reward, he donated it all to the church.

He knew that it wouldn’t be enough to restore everything overnight, but he hoped to contribute even a little to the church’s reconstruction.

Every time this happened, Haganes would receive a letter from the archbishop, expressing gratitude and informing him of the city’s progress in rebuilding.

In total, more than 2,000 letters were collected.

Haganes couldn’t help but wonder how much the city had changed since the time he left, when it was nothing but ruins.

Overwhelmed by these thoughts, Haganes raced non-stop towards Rom.

How much time had passed?

With a mix of regret and anticipation, Haganes stood before the sturdy walls and majestic iron gate that had been rebuilt.

Seeing Rom’s dignified appearance for the first time in a long while, Haganes shed tears of joy.

“It’s so… perfect…”

Although she had only seen the entrance, it exceeded her expectations.

Haganes composed herself and shouted loudly towards the walls.

“Open the gate!!!”

It was her first time entering a gate so well-equipped that she couldn’t think of a suitable phrase.

Soon, a soldier wearing an iron helmet peeked out from the wall.

“Who goes there?”

“I am Haganes, a knight of the church!!!”

“H… Haganes? Is that you?”

The soldier’s eyes widened in astonishment upon recognizing her.

“Hey!!! It’s Haganes!!!”

“What did you say? Open the gate quickly!!!”

“Report to the archbishop!!!”

Amidst the chaotic voices of the soldiers, the massive iron gate slowly opened, emitting a loud noise befitting its size.

With a heart full of excitement, Haganes entered the city at a slow pace.

“Haganes!!”

“Hurrah!!! Haganes has returned!!!”

Amidst the lively voices of the soldiers, she smiled and took in their sights.

She noticed that there was still no support for the guards, as only six soldiers were clad in shabby armor and meager equipment, all of whom saluted her name.

Surprised by the small number of personnel guarding the entrance, Haganes asked one of them about the reason.

“Thank you. Are the other security guards currently on patrol?”

“The night patrol team consists of all of us! It’s truly an honor to actually meet Lady Haganess.”

“Is it usual to have minimal security personnel during the night?”

“Well… There’s no difference in personnel between day and night!”

Something seemed off.

Among the letters she had received, there was a mention of ‘having replenished insufficient security personnel to a sufficient level.’

While the term ‘sufficient level’ could be subjectively interpreted, no matter how one looked at it, the current personnel seemed significantly inadequate for performing security duties.

“Is there any problem?”

“No, none. Thank you for the welcome.”

She forced a smile and slowly moved away from their welcome, heading towards the city center.

An inexplicable sense of foreboding enveloped her.

It didn’t take long for that foreboding to become a reality.

Contrary to its dazzling exterior, the reality of Lom was incredibly bleak.

Shabby houses patched together with broken wooden planks lined up, and the unpaved roads were covered in mud with no maintenance.

Burnt houses remained abandoned, and the streets were littered with the carcasses of starved animals.

Due to the nauseating stench emanating from everywhere, it was almost impossible to breathe properly.

There were also sly-looking people hauling filth along the roadside.

They glanced at Haganess as if she were a curiosity.

In shock at the hellish scene, Haganess turned her head towards the towering cathedral in the center of the city.

Was it her mood?

The much larger cathedral, contrasting with the chaotic appearance of the city, seemed more dilapidated than before.

Full of doubt, Haganess pulled on the reins and quickly headed towards the cathedral.

As soon as she saw the ornate cathedral made of the same silver she was wearing, she got off the horse and walked towards the door.

Two knights in faded armor guarded the door. Startled by her approach, they quickly composed themselves and greeted her.

She roughly acknowledged their greetings and opened the door of the cathedral.

“What on earth is all this?”

The interior of the cathedral unfolded before her eyes, significantly different from what she remembered.

A small overgrown garden had been replaced with luxurious and extravagant flowers, along with an artificially created pond. Golden sculptures were placed everywhere.

“What is all this?”

She walked along a path made of marble that hadn’t existed before, heading towards the main building in an orderly fashion.

Once again, she swiftly traversed the corridor covered in various luxurious materials.

As she approached the center of the pulpit, doubts began to pile up in her mind.

The main hall she arrived at was adorned with a long red carpet. Priests in neat attire lined up on either side, and in front of a grand altar made of silver, a bishop in elaborate robes turned around, arms outstretched towards a glittering cross, conducting worship.

The questions accumulating in Haganess’s mind quickly turned into anger.

“What is all this?!”

The abrupt exclamation caused the priests and the bishop engaged in worship to turn their heads towards the entrance.

Hundreds of eyes stared at her.

Haganess?

How could she be here?

Appearing suddenly like this…

Did Wolfgang bring her along?

Is that really Haganess?

A short silence was shattered, and priests from various places began to murmur.

She walked towards the altar with furious steps, crushing the carpet beneath her.

“H-Haganess?”

As if seeing a ghost, the bishop’s face turned pale blue.

“N-no… Why are you here so suddenly without a word?”

“Where is the archbishop, and why are you standing in front of the altar like this?”

Haganess, with the tip of her drawn sword, pointed at the bishop’s throat.