Paladin of a Fallen Order (Novel) - Chapter 123 - Elbridge, Two Hundred Twenty-Seven Years Old

Chapter 123 – Elbridge, Two Hundred Twenty-Seven Years Old

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Translated by Pratt

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Living in Fort Hebron, one would occasionally have the chance to witness the appearance of a deity.

For instance, when the war situation was unfavorable and morale was severely broken.

The only thing the deity who manifested did was grant their authority as usual. But even that was an unimaginably great help to those whose morale was broken. That was just how it was when the object of one’s reliance showed themselves.

A deity revealing themselves was a grand performance. A performance showing that the god was watching over the battlefield and their paladins.

However, what the Goddess of the Rusty Shield displayed now went far beyond that level.

Did she not personally subdue the demons, going beyond simply granting her authority as usual?

Such a sight was a first for Elbridge, Leto, and the knights on the hill alike.

Boom.

With a strange tremor, a second beam of light shot down, piercing through the clouds.

This beam of light struck the demon holding the bow.

” …! ”

The demon’s screech echoed once more.

The two demons, who had been driving the knights into a corner with high spirits until just now, were twisting their entire bodies while skewered by the beams of light.

After a short time had passed in that manner, the two demons dispersed like dust blowing in the wind.

“Ah…”

Leto sighed softly. The fact that the demons dispersed like that meant they had not been sealed.

He had never imagined he would regret the helpless death of the mage this much.

The two demons would surely show themselves again before long.

But even that much was a stroke of heavenly luck. Had they not saved their endangered lives?

The numerous hounds controlled by the bow-wielding demon also slunk away in retreat.

“We lived…”

The knights at the edge of the cliff, whose numbers had already dwindled to less than half, breathed sighs of relief.

And they fell to their knees toward the Goddess of the Rusty Shield. Leto, who had been fleeing, also knelt.

Whether Leto and the knights served the Goddess of the Rusty Shield was not an important matter.

‘The God of the Third Hand will surely understand this much.’

‘Even I am like this, so how moved must Elbridge be?’

Thinking so, Leto looked at Elbridge. However, Elbridge’s expression was vastly different from what Leto had expected.

Elbridge did not kneel. He did not even wear a grateful expression.

Leto read deep confusion and rising anger in Elbridge’s face.

‘Why on earth?’

The answer was revealed quickly, as Elbridge shouted toward the Goddess of the Rusty Shield.

“O Goddess! If you could subdue the demons so easily, why did you not appear sooner!”

Elbridge’s eyes were not filled with the sight of the surviving knights.

Elbridge looked at those who had died.

He saw the knights who had volunteered to be decoys and fell to their deaths from the cliff while holding back the magic beasts.

He saw the mage who had not even left a corpse behind, becoming a mere bloodstain on the cliff.

He recalled the knights who had become corpses almost as soon as he had grown attached to them.

“Why did the knights of the North have to be separated from their families and die after fighting desperately in a distant land?”

Since Elbridge was a sensible fellow, he would know that under these circumstances he ought to express gratitude to the Goddess of the Rusty Shield.

However, Elbridge was too young to control the raging passion whipping through his chest.

The countless losses he had suffered since leaving his hometown drove Elbridge into a corner.

“O Goddess. You must have also watched the moment Sir Decker died.”

Leto recalled where he had heard the name Decker.

On the day he met Elbridge in the infirmary, Chief Paladin Brennic had said to Leonhardt:

That Decker had died last month. That if even Elbridge was pulled out from here, the paladins of the order would only number four…

“When Sir Decker died, why did you stay quietly in heaven? Was it entertaining to watch the humans on earth struggle and die?”

“Elbridge!”

Leto yelled out.

But Elbridge did not stop.

“There is only one difference between Sir Decker and me: the fact that I decided to leave the order. I also know why you revealed yourself only now. Even if you show me such a sight at this late hour… I will not return. Neither to the North, nor to the order!”

Elbridge poured out all the resentment he had harbored in his chest.

Then, clenching both fists tightly, he glared at the Goddess of the Rusty Shield as if demanding any excuse she could give.

However, the answer put forth by the Goddess of the Rusty Shield was slightly skewed from Elbridge’s expectation.

– I, too, wish for you to do so.

The Goddess wore a bitter smile.

– From now on, set off to find your happiness, young knight.

With that oracle as her last, the Goddess of the Rusty Shield vanished.

Elbridge stood blankly, staring at the spot where the Goddess of the Rusty Shield had descended for a long time.

Before long, the clouds cleared.

*

The expedition was reasonably successful. Though they failed to seal the demons, they had driven them away.

Although some magic beasts would roam the vicinity for the time being… the local people would manage to handle that much.

Elbridge arrived in Middlemarch with Leto and spent three days at the temple of the Order of the Third Hand.

On the morning of the fourth day.

While Elbridge lay blankly on his bed, someone knocked on the door.

Knock, knock.

“I’m coming in.”

The door opened, and Leto appeared.

Elbridge did not rise from his spot and remained lying on the bed. Leto sat at the head of Elbridge’s bed, unconcerned.

“Elbridge. Are you really going to join the Order of the Third Hand?”

“…Yeah.”

He had answered as much, but Elbridge knew all too well that there was no conviction in his voice.

Now, Elbridge knew why the Goddess of the Rusty Shield had acted that way.

The Goddess of the Rusty Shield did not dislike Elbridge. She had simply felt uncomfortable watching the young Elbridge fight with his life on the line.

When Elbridge decided to leave Fort Hebron and seek a new life, perhaps the one who rejoiced the most was the Goddess of the Rusty Shield.

The Goddess of the Rusty Shield revealing herself in the last battle was likely in a similar vein.

Watching Elbridge finally set off to find a new life, she must have found it unbearable to see him die before even reaching his first destination.

What had moved the Goddess of the Rusty Shield was pity toward Elbridge.

“Our Archbishop said so. The Goddess of the Rusty Shield must have paid some price for that descent.”

“What price?”

“How would I know? What’s important is that the Goddess of the Rusty Shield made a daring choice for you. Fortunately, the Goddess of the Rusty Shield is a deity of a massive order, so if she is lucky, she might get past it somehow… but if she had been the deity of a small order, a problem would have definitely arisen.”

Elbridge did not reply and lay still.

A brief silence.

Leto spoke again.

“Elbridge. Are you confident you won’t regret it?”

“Regret or not, the Goddess of the Rusty Shield said so herself. She wishes for me not to return.”

“She did. But this time, it seems your own will is more important than the Goddess’s oracle.”

Raising his body, Elbridge asked Leto.

“Somehow, the flow of the conversation makes it feel like you don’t want to accept me into the order.”

“Sharp as ever.”

Leto laughed awkwardly.

“To be honest, the Archbishop seemed to find it a bit burdensome.”

“Why?”

“Our order is small, and the Order of the Rusty Shield is a massive order. I think he is worried that we might be borrowing trouble.”

Not much time had passed since Elbridge and Leto arrived in Middlemarch.

In the meantime, rumors of the Goddess of the Rusty Shield’s descent had spread far and wide. On top of that, Elbridge had made a name for himself as a young paladin favored by the Goddess.

If Elbridge transferred to the Order of the Third Hand in this situation, people would look at the Order of the Third Hand with slanted gazes. Suspecting that the Order of the Third Hand had enticed away a paladin favored by the Goddess.

And such slanted gazes were sure to have an extremely negative impact on the future of the order. There were not many people who wished to belong to an unfaithful order.

“Besides, bad rumors will spread about you too.”

“What rumors?”

“An ungrateful bastard who turned his back on the Goddess even after receiving her grace… Well, probably something like that.”

Even if he explained that it was not true and that the Goddess had wished to let Elbridge go, it would not mean much. People preferred sensational stories over truthful ones.

“I don’t care.”

“If you truly didn’t care, you would have cast aside your affiliation with the Order of the Rusty Shield the moment you came to our order. But you didn’t do that. You still remain in the Order of the Rusty Shield.”

Elbridge subtly turned his head away.

He still had not forgotten the Goddess’s final words.

From that day until now, his mind had not been at ease for a single moment. The memory of alone misinterpreting the Goddess’s intent and raging was extremely shameful. The sense of indebtedness was heavy.

“But, we’ve come all the way here. If I just go back… it will be awkward for you.”

“It will be a bit awkward. But so what? Living your life, there are times when things get tangled up and awkward. Don’t look at my reactions while living your life.”

Leto stood up. Then, as he was about to step out the door, he looked back and grinned.

“Go back, Elbridge. When a bit more time passes and you can hold your head high, come back then.”

Creak— thud.

The door closed.

Elbridge remained seated, repeatedly pondering for a long time.

The temple of the Order of the Third Hand, and Central Middlemarch, were peaceful and tranquil.

The life Elbridge had dreamed of was in Middlemarch.

However, if he stayed in Middlemarch, Elbridge’s mind would never become tranquil. That was a certainty, not a guess.

Tranquility of the body, tranquility of the mind. Which would be more important? Was it right for him to pursue rest and tranquility?

Having contemplated for a long time, Elbridge rose from his spot and put on his armor. Subsequently, he took up the sword and shield engraved with the emblem of the Order of the Rusty Shield.

Step, step.

Leaving the room, Elbridge walked toward the outside of the temple.

Inside the temple, there were numerous paladins and priests. Their gazes gathered on Elbridge.

However, the priests and paladins of the Order of the Third Hand did not say a word to Elbridge. They merely stepped back one step at a time, clearing the way for him.

That was an etiquette toward a paladin who had dedicated himself in the North, and respect toward Elbridge who would have to overcome a life that would continue to be arduous.

Everyone knew that the place for Elbridge to stay was not here. Even Elbridge himself.

Step, step.

Elbridge left the temple.

Waiting outside the temple, Leto looked at Elbridge.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“Pushing you back onto the battlefield.”

“No. This is my choice. If it becomes too hard to bear, I’ll run away again, so don’t be sorry.”

Leto grinned.

“Yeah. See you again later.”

Elbridge left Middlemarch.

And he never met Leto again.

*

Elbridge opened his eyes.

He felt as if he had been immersed in deep memories, or perhaps had dozed off for a moment.

‘How much time has passed?’

He opened the window. Twilight was falling over Fort Hebron.

Elbridge stretched and offered a quiet prayer.

“Goddess. If I were to say I want to leave the order, what would you do?”

The startled Goddess of the Rusty Shield handed down an oracle.

– Elbridge. If you have any grievances, speak them openly at this opportunity. Your Goddess is prepared to listen to all your worries seriously. If there are any shortcomings, I can modify them slightly. Did I not cure your oversleeping all at once?

“On the day you first handed down an oracle to me, did you not say, ‘From now on, set off to find your happiness’?”

– Elbridge. I said so because you were too young then. But now you are not particularly young either. You are well over two hundred years old…

“Even after I woke up from the seal, did you not tell me to live comfortably and not seek hardships?”

– It was merely a suggestion to live comfortably, not an invitation to leave the order. Elbridge. How about living comfortably within the Order of the Rusty Shield?

From the stubborn reaction of the Goddess, Elbridge felt the passage of time.

Time had changed many things. The Goddess, this world, and Elbridge as well.

Looking at the twilight landscape, Elbridge smiled quietly.