TMKWPL CH 28

Chapter 28

• ────── ✦ ────── •

The Return of the Black Monster

Knock. Knock.

As if to snap Emily out of tearing at her hair, someone knocked on the door. It was the priests who had come for the baptism ceremony. Emily quickly smoothed her dishevelled hair, and adjusted her posture.

“Come in!”

Two men entered, wearing tall hats and clerical robes, their faces hidden behind white masks. One appeared to be an assistant, wearing a plain robe and carrying the holy water. After a polite greeting, the children were called forward one by one to receive a splash of holy water and a brief blessing.

Finally, it was Nia’s turn. The assistant noticed the child’s hair and whispered urgently to the lead priest:

“Priest Mordo. Black hair.”

Priest Mordo was visibly startled. While not a crime across the entire continent, black-haired children born within the Empire were strictly monitored. It was rare for one to slip through the net, especially in the capital where the Temple's influence was densest. Since many nations had united to form the Empire, unexpected cases could occur. He consulted the child’s records Emily had provided.

The parent’s name is... Lucia? Impossible. Does he mean the Black Monster? Is the black hair hereditary, then?

Mordo’s mind flashed back five years to the final war. He remembered the Temple, turned into a bloodbath, floors slick with the remains of enemies. In the centre of that carnage stood Lucia, soaked in blood, looking less like a human and more like a heartless killing machine.

The monster’s child was now standing right in front of him.

And yet, looking at the child’s clear golden eyes, Mordo felt a strange, nostalgic warmth rather than the cold chill of a killer’s bloodline. Entranced by this inexplicable feeling, he instinctively channelled his divine power and reached out toward her.

Just as the golden light began to resonate with the child—

Bang!

“Oh! You shouldn't come in now—gasp! The Black Knight’s uniform?!”

Startled, Emily stared at the doorway. Standing in the doorway was a boy, small for his age, wearing the dark uniform of the knights.

“……Heath!”

Nia was not particularly close to Heath, but she ran to him happily anyway.

“Nia, is this someone you know? What’s going on?”

Heath ignored Emily’s question, pulled Nia close and stared down the priests in silence.

Mordo broke the tension with a polite bow.

“This is the last class. We must return now.”

“Ah, I see. I apologize. We are in the middle of a ceremony, so if it isn't urgent, could you please step outside?” Emily asked, her nerves frayed.

But Heath didn't budge. In his usual slow, deliberate manner, he took off a necklace and draped it around Nia’s neck.

“My goodness! Did you barge in here just to deliver a necklace? I don't care if you're an Imperial Knight, this is a kindergarten! If you have no other business, please leave at once!

Emily snapped. Heath rolled his eyes lazily at her and muttered gloomily.

“It’s my father's keepsake.”

Emily’s attitude flipped instantly.

“Oh, you should have said so! Nia, say thank you to your older brother. You've troubled him enough. What a lovely necklace.”

The priests coughed awkwardly, and the now-gentle Emily tucked the necklace inside Nia’s uniform. His mission accomplished, the fox-like Heath strolled out of the classroom, and the baptism concluded without further incident.

• ───────── ☽༓☾ ───────── •

Lucia arrived at the Sparrow Class just as the priests were leaving. She moved to check on Nia, when someone grabbed her wrist.

“……Heath?”

“It’s over.”

“What?”

Suddenly, small figure darted out of the room and buried herself in Lucia’s skirts.

“……Mommy!”

Nia looked up, her bangs still damp from the holy water. Lucia noticed the silver chain around her neck.

“……This is.”

It was the necklace Heath had shown her that morning.

While organizing his bag earlier, Heath had seen the notice about the baptism. He had been too tired to process it then, but upon waking up, he had scrambled to set the Control Stone into his own necklace and reached the school just in time.

“……Sorry, Commander. I didn't tell you,” Heath said, looking a bit downcast.

“Thank you, Heath.”

Lucia pulled the boy into a hug, letting out a long sigh of relief. She blamed herself for not being more prepared. Moreover, she knew this silver necklace was the only thing Heath had left from his parents. More precisely, it had belonged to his mother, but it was the final keepsake left behind by the father who had suddenly disappeared. Even if Heath claimed to have little attachment to his parents, the necklace clearly held meaning. Yet he had used it for something without fully explaining the circumstances.

Lucia felt grateful once again for the trust he placed in her. Heath, feeling the warmth of Lucia’s embrace, knew that this was what family truly meant, and it meant much more than any cold silver necklace. But as a boy with his own pride, he muttered:

“……Still, I won’t be the big brother though.”

At his sulky voice, Lucia understood what he meant and gave a small laugh.

Meanwhile, inside the room.

“Teacher, why are you hiding there? Is it fun?”

“Shhh! Ivonne, go tell everyone it's time dismissal time!”

Emily whispered from under the podium where she had dived the moment she saw Lucia. Ivonne, finding this hilarious, ignored the command and crawled under the podium with her. She proudly handed Emily a drawing.

“This is you, Teacher.”

Touched for a split second, Emily opened the drawing. It depicted a figure with hollow, vacant grey eyes lying against a pitch-black background. It looked less like a person and more like a fresh corpse.

“……”

Is this me on my funeral, Ivonne? Emily felt a tear roll down her cheek. She had hoped to survive at least one semester, but looking at the drawing, her future in this country was looking very grey.

• ───────── ☽༓☾ ───────── •

At the Great Temple of Assir near the capital, Priest Mordo handed a file to the man sitting across from him.

“High Priest Ahilun. This is the child's information.”

“Hmm. The child of the Black Knight Commander, with the Emperor himself as a witness. Quite unique, indeed……”

High Priest Ahilun removed his mask. He was a man of ethereal beauty, with long, flowing blonde hair and a delicate appearance that made his age impossible to guess.

“I would like to investigate further.”

 Though the child had shown no reaction to divine power, Mordo could not forget the strange aura from her golden eyes. Despite being the daughter of the Empire's most infamous black monster, the child had suddenly appeared without any warning. That's why he had deliberately used his connections within the imperial family to gather information about the child.

But, the documents contained no significant information, only the Emperor's presence as a witness attesting to the birth of a fully grown child. The explanation was that Lucia had spent five years training in isolation. Since she had emerged as a Sword Master, no one dared question how she suddenly had a child.

“I see. Even though there was no reaction to divine power, something still bothers you?”

Ahilun asked in his usual soft, melodic voice. He was a prodigy who had ascended to his rank as a High Priest at a young age through his immense power and service.

Mordo’s face flushed, feeling he might’ve overstepped.

“Oh, I apologize. It’s just……”

Knock. Knock.

“Since we have a visitor, shall we discuss this another time? And it would be best to destroy the document bearing His Majesty’s name. You’ve worked hard today, Priest Mordo.”

Ahilun ended the meeting abruptly. As Mordo left the office, he ran into the guest supposedly waiting, Duke Anton Atiam Kilgis. As a descendant of the first priest who had served Goddess Assir, the Duke treated the Temple like his own home. Yet as Mordo passed him, he stiffened.

The duke’s presence carried a cold, dark chill, the complete opposite of the warmth he had felt from the child earlier.

• ───────── ☽༓☾ ───────── •

 Inside the Commander's Office.

Lucia returned to the Black Knight headquarters for the first time in months. She had dropped Nia off early at the kindergarten and changed into her uniform.

Stretching leisurely, she opened the window. Despite her six-month absence, her office was spotless. She sat in her chair and naturally picked up a book on parenting. She had not had much time to read lately, so she intended to finish it here.

“……Children's quarrels. Nia is shy, so I doubt she’ll get into fights. But is this really such a big issue?”

She skimmed through the many pages devoted to the topic.

Thump!

“Oh? Commander? You're here? Sorry, I thought you were out and came in to clean……”

Vernon scratched the back of his head. Lucia silently pointed to the two-piece outfit hanging behind her.

“Wow! You’re doing well. Even if they find out later, it’s better if they’ve adjusted to you first before learning you’re the commander.”

“I agree.”

He was right. Even that morning at drop-off, no one seemed afraid of her. No one avoided her or picked fights. If she could keep this up until Nia graduated, that would be ideal.

“So you’re officially back on duty starting today? Many have already gathered at the training grounds. Let’s go!”

Vernon looked more excited than when he was at the dormitory. Lucia followed Vernon to the Black Knight’s exclusive training ground. It was a crisp autumn day, but the knights were already drenched in sweat.

“The Commander has returned!”

Vernon waved and shouted.

The knights, like a pack of meerkats, snapped their heads toward her. They quickly scrambled into formation.

“The Black Knights greet Commander Lucia! Welcome back!!”

The rows of men in black saluted in unison. Their faces were stern and disciplined, and the corners of their mouths betrayed their excitement. However, Lucia noticed something was off.

“Where is the Vice Commander?”

Berl was nowhere to be found. The excitement cooled instantly and their eyes began to shift. Even Gilliana, who was usually bold looked hesitant.

“Vernon?”

“Oh... sorry. The Vice Commander went to get permission to use the Great Training Hall.”

Because this was a formal gathering and not in the barracks, Vernon’s demeanour was more formal than usual. But, his posture was more rigid, almost overly so.

“Why is he getting permission for the fourth quarter now? Those slots should have been filled in September.”

“……”

The knights, usually so talkative when nagging her, were dead silent. Something was wrong.

“Vernon. Bring me the schedule for the Great Training Hall for this year.”

Lucia dismissed the group and called her lead knights to her office. Soon, Vernon returned with the documents. A few moments later, she scanned the documents.

“……”

Her suspicion was confirmed. There were barely any records of the Black Knights using the Grand Training Hall since April. The hall contained essential equipment: mana-powered training dummies, archery ranges, and advanced training tools.

Many Knight’s wanted to gain access, due to overlapping schedules, time slots were carefully allocated. Yet for some reason, the name of the Black Knights was nowhere to be found.

No matter how she checked, their usage had stopped from the exact time she went on parental leave. 

Chapter 27

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Chapter 29