The Tale of Gerald Vader, the Heretic Knight’s Rampage Through Another World
“Gaston Brezno…!”
I muttered under my breath, then summoned the “Sword of the Third” and assumed a fighting stance.
It was a dull-colored, tangible straight sword.
“Oh, so that’s your ‘blessing.’ That’s quite handy, isn’t it?”
Gaston looked at the sword in my hand and flashed a savage grin.
The Knights of the Cathedral. Second Seat.
True to his nickname, “Rock-Splitter,” he wields a mighty sword capable of cleaving through mountains, and the number of demons he has slain exceeds thirty.
Though he usually appears carefree, once battle begins, he possesses a ruthlessness that would even exploit the death of his own superior to kill demons.
In the “Main Story,” he was portrayed around the midpoint as an obstacle standing in the way of the protagonist, Klaus, alongside Eliza…
It seems that in this world, he’s the one standing in my way.
The Executioner’s Greatsword, the symbol of the Knights of the Cathedral, is no mere ceremonial blade.
It is broad and thick, and the blade is nearly as tall as I am.
The blade itself has a rounded tip, so it’s not suited for thrusting attacks, but it makes up for that with the weight of a blunt weapon.
It’s like a giant hatchet.
Gaston swings it effortlessly with one hand, rampaging across the battlefield like a storm and slaughtering monsters and demons.
If I were to get my torso sliced open by that, no matter how much I’ve strengthened my body with magic, my upper and lower halves would definitely be parted forever.
That grim end flashes through my mind.
I shake my head to banish the thought.
“Just to be clear, it’s not because you threw something weird at me. That was a good attack.”
“……Thanks a lot.”
Wait, the fact that he felt the need to clarify that means he’s angry, right?
I mean, his eyes aren’t smiling.
Well, there’s no point in provoking him, so I won’t say anything else.
“Then why are you bothering with me? Weren’t you supposed to be working?”
“Don’t worry, I’m off duty.”
“Then why the hell are you hanging around here? Are you stalking me?”
“…Tch. You’re a foul-mouthed brat.”
For some reason, Gaston’s face twisted into a sour expression.
“The Commander takes quite a liking to you, you know. Apparently, he’s planning to have you join the Knights of the Holy Temple in the future.”
“…That’s quite an honor.”
Come to think of it, I hadn’t understood why Eliza had approached me pretending to be a student.
It seems the answer is that she was scouting me.
If that’s the case, then Gaston must be her bodyguard.
After all, the building right next to ours is the girls’ dormitory.
The fact that he seemed irritated at being called a stalker probably means exactly that.
I see, I see.
…Wait, why??
“Hold on a second. Why am I being scouted by the Knights of the Cathedral?”
To begin with, it’s strange enough that the leader and second-in-command of the Knights of the Cathedral are infiltrating the Knight Academy, but is that the reason they’re recruiting me?
That’s ridiculous.
It’s true that the Order of the Knights isn’t exactly off the table as a possible assignment for graduates of the Academy.
But the Order of the Knights is also a subsidiary of the “Church.”
Only the sons and daughters of Church officials are allowed to join.
It’s way over the top for the Grand Master himself to go so far as to infiltrate the Academy just to recruit me, someone who has absolutely no connection to them.
That said, Eliza aside, Gaston seems to be against me joining the Order.
“You really don’t get it?”
Gaston looks puzzled.
But if I don’t get it, I don’t get it.
Apparently, I was looking just as puzzled.
He let out a sigh and thrust his sword at me.
“Gerald Vader. You defeated a demon in the dungeon near the capital of the Horace Domain, didn’t you? The Commander took a liking to the power of that ‘blessing’.”
“…Did you look into it?”
“Yeah, I went all the way there myself.”
Gaston continued, staring at me as if I were a demon.
“The dungeon’s structure was cut out as cleanly as cookie dough through a cookie cutter. I hear it will take several weeks to fully repair.”
“That’s news to me.”
He was probably referring to the huge hole in the wall created when I defeated the blasphemous Raum with the ‘Piercing Sword.’
I don’t know when they visited the dungeon, but I didn’t think it would take weeks to repair.
But I have a hunch as to why.
A dungeon is, in essence, a structure created by the Dungeon Core—what this world calls a “God.”
In other words, it can be said to be the body of a “God” itself.
If it’s the body of a God, then my “God-Slaying Sword” will unleash its full power.
“Your power clearly surpasses ordinary ‘divine protection.’ While useful for exterminating demons, it’s a double-edged sword, so to speak.”
With that, Gaston raised the ‘Executioner’s Greatsword.’
“Your divine protection, capable of even slaying a god, is unfit for the Knights of the Cathedral. I’m sorry to say this to the Grand Master, but as Vice-Grand Master, I must stop you.”
“Isn’t that something you could just resolve by advising your superior?”
“Unfortunately, my superior isn’t the type to listen to advice.”
Well, I know that, but still.
Eliza, in the end, shook off her subordinates’ attempts to stop her, charged right into the heart of the enemy, and died to let them escape.
But that aside.
“So you’re going to cripple me?”
“I told you, didn’t I? Your ‘blessing’ is useful for exterminating demons.”
Gaston shook his head, still holding his sword in a defensive stance.
“I am a Knight of the Cathedral. I do not kill people. However, I have mastered not only barrier magic but also advanced sacred magic. Therefore, you will leave this barrier in one piece, completely unharmed.”
“……Come on, you’ve got to be kidding me.”
The moment I realized what he was up to, even I couldn’t help but grimace.
Sacred magic is a form of support magic that governs healing, antidotes, and the purification of spirits.
Among those, advanced magic includes powerful healing spells capable of instantly regenerating limbs—even if they’re severed—or restoring a body even if its insides have spilled out.
Gaston can use that… no, he’s implying he will use it.
I’m not so dense that I don’t understand what that means.
—If zi come to fear the Knights of the Holy Temple from the bottom of my heart, even Eliza would be disillusioned and give up on recruiting me.
This is madness.
“Haha… are you really a Knight of the Holy Temple?”
I never even imagined such a way to threaten someone until he actually said it.
“I hear that a lot.”
Gaston said this with a hint of self-mockery, then glared at me.
A terrifying killing intent washed over me.
“The Grand Master has no need for a blessing that blasphemes against God.”
Those words served as the signal for battle to begin.