The Tale of Gerald Vader, the Heretic Knight’s Rampage Through Another World
“Long time no see, Gerald.”
Under the sun shining brightly.
A girl like a sunflower smiled at me.
Her long, fluffy golden hair sparkled in the sunlight, and her sapphire eyes were like deep lakes.
Though still retaining a childlike innocence due to being my age, her features were sculpted as if a sculptor had carved out the ‘ideal’.
On top of that, she was brilliant, excelling in both academics and martial arts.
Her innate magical power was exceptionally high, and the ‘Blessing’ she received was cheat-level.
A perfect beauty.
If one were to find a word more fitting than that, many would likely think of terms like ‘goddess’ or ‘saint’.
Nora El Rebron.
My former fiancée and one of the main heroines of Blaze of Glory.
In fact, she would enter the Royal Knight Academy alongside me a year later, and due to the power of her ‘Divine Protection’, she would come to be called the ‘Saint’…
In her death end route, the demonic tribes, fearing that power, abducted her and subjected her to unspeakable atrocities (self-censored). She ended her short life in the deepest depths of the ‘Demon Realm’.
After that, her remains were transformed by the demonic tribes into a powerful monster. Unbeknownst to the protagonists, they would end up fighting that very monster.
After defeating the monster, the protagonist learns the truth.
That it is the final form of the ‘Holy Maiden’ who once adored him like a puppy.
It’s a refreshingly satisfying heroine death ending, practically screaming, ‘This is how you do a depressing outcome when you pick the wrong choice, you know? (heh…)’.
How did I feel when I got hit with that scenario back then?
Well, that’s obvious.
‘The bastard who wrote this should die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’
That’s it.
Think there’s any other reaction? No, there isn’t (rhetorical).
But… this was purely my reaction when playing the game with the protagonist as my avatar.
But what about me, Gerald Vader, in this situation?
She was the young lady who promptly broke off our engagement the moment she saw my future was uncertain.
Of course, she was only seven or eight at the time, so it was probably more her family’s decision than her own…
But honestly, it didn’t leave me with a good impression.
And when she reunited with Gerald in the main story… her attitude was the epitome of coldness.
Of course, back then, he was the worst kind of noble and knight imaginable—annoying the protagonist, inciting his entourage to cause trouble. There’s no denying he was the type of person she despised most.
Even so, that image stuck with me, and I ended up developing a sort of aversion towards her.
With that in mind.
“…It’s been a while.”
What are you doing here? The words nearly slipped out, but I swallowed them and said that instead.
I probably looked like a sourpuss.
But she responded with a smile as bright as a blooming flower.
“Yes… yes! I’ve been waiting with bated breath for the day I could meet Lord Gerald again. I’m so delighted to see you again today!”
“Oh… I see. That’s good.”
I felt myself being overwhelmed by her radiant aura, but managed to steady myself.
Not that it was much of a reunion—you’re the one who barged in, after all.
Still, as the son of a knightly house, I couldn’t very well leave a baroness standing out in the sun like this.
“…Follow me. I’ll show you to the parlor.”
“Yes!”
Nora answered with a radiant smile.
Damn it, that sun aura is blinding…
As a soul-deep introvert, I feel like I’ll be scorched to ashes by her light.
…Seriously, what is this woman’s purpose for coming to my place?
◇
“Sorry, I can’t offer much in the way of hospitality. But I can at least get you some tea. Well, have a seat.”
“It’s an unexpected visit, after all. I don’t mind.”
Nora sat down lightly on the sofa opposite me, her face lit up with the broadest smile imaginable.
What… She’s light as a feather even when she sits down.
Does she have angel wings or something?
“Well… to start over, it’s been quite a while. How long exactly?”
“Of course, I remember that time very well. …Exactly 6 years and 153 days ago, on the 24th day of the Frost Month in the 504th year of the Holy King Era. That night, a cold rain was falling steadily… Even as a child, I had a feeling something was going to happen.”
“R-really? …You remember that well?”
This girl remembers the day we last met?
I can’t even recall the day my engagement got canceled, it’s buried deep in my memory.
But… come to think of it, she was good at math and calculations. She played the role of gently teaching the protagonist, who had an average intellect, things like studying.
So even if she calculated the exact date we met and then worked backward to figure out the number of days until today, it wouldn’t be strange. Probably. Definitely.
Still, to remember the trigger for the broken engagement this precisely… How much does this woman hold a grudge against me?
Just as I was trembling with dread, a presence appeared behind me.
It was none other than Twina.
‘Gerald. Who is this woman?’
‘My former fiancée.’
I responded silently to the voice echoing in my mind.
Telepathy… I suppose that’s what you’d call it.
Apparently, those with ‘Divine Protection’ inherently possess this kind of skill.
I only realized it very recently… but it’s quite convenient for this sort of private conversation.
“…Hmm.”
After acknowledging with a distinctly skeptical tone, she continued.
“In that case, it seems you were right to break off your engagement with this woman. She’s far too different from you.”
“That may be true… but there’s something off about the way you put that.”
“Gerald, you know it too. This little girl is light, so to speak. You, on the other hand, are darkness. Water and oil might convey it better? Or dogs and monkeys. In short, you’re utterly incompatible. The only one worthy of you is this companion of yours—me.”
“Ohh-oh.”
“…Ohh-oh?”
Nora tilted her head slightly and looked at me.
Damn it.
Overwhelmed by Twina’s intense pressure, I’d accidentally responded out loud.
“Ah, no, it’s just a hiccup.”
I tried to cover it up with a flimsy excuse…
“That’s terrible!”
“Huh?”
Her expression suddenly changed, and Nora stood up from the sofa.
“Even hiccups, if prolonged, can deplete one’s stamina and lead to death, I hear. I shall arrange for our household’s healer immediately!”
Eh…?
Huh…!?
“No, I’m fine! It stopped after just that one time! And seriously, you can’t die from hiccups!”
I hurriedly stopped her as she tried to leave the living room, her face pale.
“are you really okay…?”
“I’m really fine, so sit down. Calm down.”
I answered her tearful face in a deliberately calm tone and sat her back down on the sofa.
Is this woman okay?
Honestly, I don’t even get why she’s freaking out this much?
Anyway, changing the subject is always best in situations like this.
“So, anyway…! What brought you here today? You didn’t just come to pay your respects, did you?!”
“Eh… No… Could it be… that visiting for just that reason wasn’t allowed…?”
This time, her expression turned apocalyptic.
Seriously?
“…Is that truly all?”
“O-of course I have a reason! Nora El Reblon hasn’t sunk so low as to visit her future husband empty-handed!”
Right…!
Even Nora wouldn’t just drop by for no reason.
…Huh?
Did she just say something weird?
But before I could pinpoint the source of my unease, she prefaced, “Now, onto the main point,” and leaned forward with a serious expression.
“Gerald-sama. I heard through the grapevine that you have already undergone the ‘Rite of Passage’. Is that true?”
Ah…
I see.
It finally clicked.
This woman came to probe me because I received my ‘blessing’ early.
Indeed, knowing the nature of my ‘blessing’ is crucial information for her.
After all, if I advance to the Knight Academy, I’ll undoubtedly become her enemy.
But to come barging into the mansion herself to get that information… What a bold woman, despite appearances.
Seems she wasn’t just emotionally unstable after all.
“…It’s true.”
And so, I answered her.
There’s no reason to hide the fact I received the ‘Blessing’ itself.
It’ll come out anyway once I enroll.
Answering now poses no problem.
“Is that all you wanted to say? Then you should leave immediately. Nora, it wouldn’t look good for you to linger long at the home of someone who broke off your engagement, would it?”
“Broke… off…?”
Nora froze.
She remained silent for a while… but eventually, she fixed her gaze firmly on mine and once again flashed that flower-like smile.
For some reason, I imagined carnivorous plants behind her.
“Ufufu… You’re joking. I haven’t broken off any engagement, have I?”
…Huh?
This time, it was my turn to freeze.
What did this woman just say?
Whether she noticed my state or not, she continued with a dreamy expression.
“It was… yes, on that cold, rainy winter night, at the social gathering held at my Rebron residence. That evening, after dinner, Lord Gerald slipped out of the hall without anyone noticing, didn’t he? …Hehehe… I saw it clearly, you know…? That shadowed back of his as he opened the door leading to the balcony. The graceful way he leapt from the second-floor balcony into the garden like a cat. And that sharp yet sensual gaze he cast back this way… Yes… That was when I truly fell in love. Broken engagement? That was nothing but nonsense my father sent over on his own whim.”
“………………….Huh?”
[……………………Ahh!?]
My foolish voice and Twina’s deep, resonant mental cry overlapped perfectly.