I Will Eventually Embark On The Path Of No Return Called A Hero

[Arc5] - 8. The Commander of Holy Knights Gets Beaten Again

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Whenever the King went on an expedition, he'd always bring people back with him—like a child picking up stray dogs or cats. So, it wasn't surprising when this time he brought back a young blond boy and a silver-haired infant. However, almost everyone suspected that the King might have brought back his own illegitimate children.

Of course, nobody objected. Kings always have a few privileges, and they were merely mourning for the King. If he didn't offer a proper explanation, the Queen would probably break his back.

"Ah, ah, ah, it hurts so much! Please forgive me!"

The King of Liones was currently being restrained in a painful hold by a silver-haired woman—one that caused his bones to emit strange cracking sounds with the slightest pressure.

"Ah, dear, do you know what you've done wrong?" The one with a sweet smile who was crushing King Bartra was none other than the only person in the entire kingdom with the right to do so: Caroline Liones, the Queen.

This woman, who could be described as the epitome of a queen, possessed all the qualities of an elegant wife. From cleaning to cooking, she excelled at everything, and her gentle smile could rejuvenate her weary husband, healing him from the inside out.

Of course, right now she was using that smile to inflict pain on her husband, who had brought back what looked like an illegitimate child from outside. Perhaps this was an essential skill of an ideal wife… or so it seemed.

"D-dear, it was a vision! I didn't do it on purpose!"

"Oh, really? So your magic was the one that couldn't turn a blind eye? Or are you saying you've been using your 'vision' to do this sort of thing all along?"

"Every family has its own struggles." Sitting off to the side, Zaratras and Cyd watched as Bartra, after trying to blame his magic, was only digging himself into a deeper hole and getting further punished by the Queen.

"Aren't you… going to stop her?" The blond boy standing beside them tilted his head, slightly taller than the squatting knights. "Bartra might actually die."

"It's better to let His Majesty remember the pain of not speaking clearly. Otherwise, it's us who will be running around in circles over his vague orders," Zaratras replied, crossing his arms and shaking his head. It seemed he was used to being the one suffering from Bartra's confusing visions.

"Oh, I almost forgot about you!"

As soon as the boy spoke, Caroline seemed to snap out of it and immediately released Bartra, who slumped to the ground like a limp noodle. Then, as if flipping a switch, she transformed back into the gentle Queen.

"You must have had a hard time out there. What's your name?"

"I'm Meliodas. And no, I'm not your husband's illegitimate child."

Meliodas tapped his chest with one hand and lowered his voice. "Don't be fooled by how I look—I'm actually much older. And she's not his either. We are… the only survivors of Danafor."

"Indeed, the blonde hair doesn't seem to match," Caroline murmured, reaching out to play with the silver-haired infant in Meliodas's arms. When the baby grasped her finger and gave a delighted smile, Caroline smiled warmly in return. "So, what's this child's name then?"

"She hasn't…"

"Elizabeth! Elizabeth Liones!" The previously limp Bartra suddenly sprang up and loudly announced, "I want to adopt this child. She will be the third princess of Liones!"

"Eli…"

Before Meliodas could finish, his eyes momentarily lost their light, as if he'd heard something unbelievable.

Another… person with a story to tell, huh.

"Bartra, you're being too presumptuous." Cyd raised his hand and patted Meliodas's shoulder. "You haven't even asked for his opinion yet."

With a light tap from Cyd, Meliodas snapped back to his senses and gave a cheerful smile.

"It's fine. That name is really nice."

"Then, will you entrust this child—no, Elizabeth—to us? We promise to treat her as our own daughter." Caroline extended her hand to Meliodas, indicating that she wanted him to personally hand over the baby.

"You don't need to promise anything like that. You seem like trustworthy people. Ah, but you'll have to employ me."

"A babysitter? That's a bit…" Caroline glanced at Meliodas's small frame, a little hesitant.

"No, as a Holy Knight."

"Pfft—hahaha!"

Zaratras burst into laughter, clutching his stomach. It was a perfectly natural reaction. A child wanting to become a Holy Knight, one of the pillars of the kingdom? That was beyond ridiculous.

Meliodas shrugged, clearly accustomed to this reaction. This kind of situation only required proving himself.

He gently placed Elizabeth into Caroline's arms, his face softening as he gazed at the sleeping baby. With a gentle smile, he reached out and lightly touched her cheek.

"This time, I will…"

"Alright!" Meliodas's voice suddenly shot up an octave as he turned to Zaratras with a casual wave. "So, how about a little spar?"

"…Even if you're a kid, challenging a Holy Knight means you should be prepared to get hurt."

Zaratras's expression grew serious. Though he was usually quite easygoing, some principles couldn't be broken. Letting a child become a Holy Knight was an insult to those who had struggled and failed to surpass even the rank of knight.

"Your Majesty, please… pay attention over here."

Like a deflated balloon, Zaratras lost his intensity as he saw Bartra playing with Elizabeth, his expression completely distracted.

"I approve, but just a small skirmish, alright?"

During the journey back, Meliodas had admitted that it was his own rage that led to the destruction of Danafor. Bartra hadn't pried into the details, only instructing the sole witness, Cyd, to keep this secret.

It wasn't fair to the people of Danafor, but Bartra felt it was the best course of action. After all, the notion that a single person could destroy a kingdom as powerful as Liones was simply too terrifying.

But Zaratras was in for a tough time. Last time, his armor was stripped off. Who knew what kind of beating awaited him this time?

Bartra looked at Zaratras with a mix of pity and helplessness, then patted his shoulder firmly and said earnestly, "No matter what happens, you're still the Commander of Liones's Holy Knights, the man revered as a god of war."

"Your Majesty, what are you saying? Until now, I've only ever lost to Cyd."

That's exactly why… You're about to lose again, and right after mocking him too.

Bartra was genuinely worried that the Commander of the Holy Knights, Zaratras, might never recover from this.