NOVEL NEXT Chapter 290: Chapter 10. That's Absurd!
[Arc5] - 10. That's Absurd!
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"No one can lie to you... That's quite a troublesome ability."
Meliodas stroked his chin and seriously said, "Doesn't that mean my intentions to sneak into Elizabeth's room will be exposed?"
"That's a crime and Elizabeth is only one year old!"
Cyd and Meliodas had shared parts of their secrets with each other. Even close friends have things they want to keep hidden, let alone two people who hadn't known each other for long.
Even though Meliodas belonged to a historically brutal race, Cyd trusted him. The way he held Elizabeth and cried didn't match the cold, ruthless image of the Demon Clan recorded in history.
Meliodas, in turn, also trusted Cyd because he had already accidentally revealed his biggest secret.
"Meliodas, do you know anything about the ancient prophecy?"
"The Holy War... Although it has paused, it hasn't ended. I won't let them come back." Meliodas reached for the dragon-shaped handle on his back, and for a moment, his bright green eyes darkened. "This is the only thing I can do... atonement."
"Another serious topic, huh... Lighten up!" Cyd slapped Meliodas on the back. "Think about Princess Elizabeth. You're her Holy Knight now—nurturing a princess, huh."
"Ooooohhh!" The extinguished light in Meliodas's eyes immediately reignited like flames.
"Oh, by the way, because you destroyed the Kingdom of Danafor, you're a criminal. So I'm technically your watchdog now, please don't do anything that'll give me headaches."
After all, Meliodas was the one who directly destroyed the Kingdom of Danafor. The only reason he wasn't in prison, aside from King Bartra's leniency, was that Meliodas was too powerful—so powerful that he could be described as unfathomable. Even for their peace of mind, they needed someone equally unfathomable to keep an eye on him.
No one could guarantee that what happened in Danafor wouldn't happen in Liones. Bartra, as a king, had to take responsibility for the entire kingdom.
"With you watching me, I feel completely at ease." Meliodas smiled with his usual carefree attitude, effectively shifting all the worries onto Cyd.
Apart from the Holy Knights who went on expeditions with Bartra, no one knew who was responsible for destroying Danafor. The surrounding kingdoms naturally suspected Liones, as Liones's forces were in Danafor the day it was attacked. Even if they didn't do it, they must have known who did.
All the neighboring kingdoms applied pressure on Liones. Normally, a king would have caved under the pressure and handed Meliodas over. But this king was Bartra, a man with an eccentric mind and the ability to cheat using his vision-like magic.
If the political struggles between kingdoms were a game of chess, Bartra was the strongest chess player in the world. He had an army of powerful Holy Knights and the ability to foresee the future. Even when every nation pressed down on him, he remained calm and unflustered, still having the time to play with his three daughters.
The destruction of Danafor was brushed under the rug, the truth of the disaster buried deep in the hearts of a few...
"Elizabeth is already three years old, huh," Cyd mused, sitting by a tree, resting his chin on his hand as he watched Meliodas play with the young Elizabeth. At a glance, they looked like two kids of similar age playing together, while Cyd appeared to be their guardian.
Thanks to Meliodas, Cyd couldn't leave the royal city, so dealing with the invasions from other kingdoms fell to Zaratras.
"Sir Great Holy Knight, please stop hiding in the tree. His Majesty is looking for you." A young man with white hair stood beside Cyd, shouting up into the dense canopy.
"Hendrickson, can't you and Dreyfus handle it? I haven't had a break in three years."
The man referred to as the "Central Pillar of the Capital's Defense" and the "God of War" was now squatting in a tree like a cat, refusing to come down. Incidentally, due to Zaratras's constant expeditions over the last three years, the title of "Central Pillar of the Capital's Defense" had long been forgotten.
"I also want to be like Cyd and guard criminals!"
"But… you're no match for Sir Meliodas."
Critical hit—Zaratras collapsed.
Zaratras fell out of the tree, landing on the grass with the appearance of someone who had just died. Neither Hendrickson nor Cyd were surprised by the sight.
"Don't worry, Sir Zaratras. His Majesty summoned not just you this time, but also Sir Cyd and Sir Meliodas."
"Huh, me too?"
Meliodas, who had been lifting Elizabeth high into the air, reluctantly handed her to a nearby maid. Although he wanted to spend more time with her, it was time for him to fulfill his responsibilities after freeloading for so long.
"Hey, Zaratras, you're a father, too, you know. Can't you set a better example as a dad? At least try to learn a thing or two from Dreyfus."
"I've been working overtime for three years! Can't I complain a little?"
"There's no such thing as a Great Holy Knight on vacation. Overtime all day, every day—that's the responsibility that comes with the title."
Cyd grabbed Zaratras by the collar of his armor and dragged him—limp as a boneless fish—toward Bartra.
Bartra, upon seeing Zaratras in this state, didn't say much. He felt somewhat guilty for the fact that Zaratras had spent so much time away from home, constantly out on expeditions without a chance to even see his son.
"Zaratras, I've had a vision, one that might ease your burden a bit."
"A vision?" Zaratras immediately perked up. It wasn't the idea of lightening his workload that interested him—it was the fact that Bartra's visions always brought about significant changes.
For example, the boy recently brought back from the barbarian lands had already shown great promise. Although he was still a ways from becoming a Holy Knight, he would undoubtedly become a pillar of Liones one day.
But first, they needed to decipher Bartra's notoriously vague visions. After hearing "The family's cub will roar among the barbarians," Zaratras had no choice but to believe such bizarre predictions. Surely nothing could be more ridiculous.
"Seven infamous criminals will become the guardians of the Kingdom of Liones."
"That's absurd!"