"Allow me to introduce us properly. We are members of the White Rose Knight Order, in service to Her Highness Frizion, the First Princess of the Empire. I am Videre, Captain of the White Rose Knight Order Third Unit."
Once Rei had finished binding the surrendered men with rope retrieved from his Misty Ring, the introductions began.
The sunset that had dyed the horizon a deep crimson only moments ago was now more than halfway submerged.
It was that fleeting twilight gap where evening gives way to night. In the midst of it, Rei stood facing the woman named Videre.
True to the name of her order, her armor was primarily white.
There was a certain elegance to her gear, perhaps a reflection of the fact that the unit was composed entirely of female knights.
Rei judged that the relationship between this order and Frizion was likely similar to that of Theoreme's unit and Mercurio. He gave a small nod and spoke.
"Videre, then. It seems you already know who I am, but I'll introduce myself anyway. I'm Rei. This is my tamed monster, Seto. ...Now, as for those guys. Are they part of your White Rose Knight Order as well? Their armor looks black to me."
The reaction to his remark was sharp.
Videre’s gaze pierced Rei with sudden intensity.
"Enough with the jokes. The White Rose Knight Order was formed specifically to serve the First Princess, Her Highness Frizion. There is no place for men within our ranks."
"...I see."
Rei nodded at the explanation.
It made sense for a knight order serving the First Princess to exclude men; even the slightest hint of impropriety would be a problem.
Having accepted that, Rei briefly recalled that Theoreme had many female subordinates despite serving Mercurio, but he figured that was simply the difference between a prince and a princess.
As a princess likely destined for a political marriage, a higher degree of purity was expected of her.
"I understand they aren't your comrades and they didn't betray you. In that case... who exactly is their master?"
Rei muttered this while casting a glance at the men tied together.
The men stiffened instinctively. They knew what they were being asked, yet they remained silent. However, the members of the White Rose Knight Order saw no reason to hide the truth.
Videre spoke without hesitation.
"These men belong to His Highness Cabajid... or more accurately, they are operatives of a man called Sobul, who serves His Highness Cabajid."
"...Hoh."
Rei showed a hint of surprise at the mention of Cabajid.
He was likely thinking of Rhodos, who was currently acting as a double agent on that side.
"Well, since they're clearly hostile to us, I'll be taking them into custody. However..."
As he spoke, Rei leveled the blade of the Death Scythe toward Videre.
Videre's expression hardened slightly, while her four companions stiffened even more visibly.
They were well aware of the destructive power Rei’s weapon possessed.
Having witnessed its might just a moment ago, they knew they stood no chance in a fight. It was all they could do to stop their legs from trembling and keep the fear from showing on their faces with that blade pointed at them.
"What is the meaning of this? I thought you were our rescuer."
Videre asked the question without letting her internal agitation or fear show. Rei maintained his sharp gaze as he answered.
"I understand those guys are Cabajid's men. Since they're clear enemies, capturing them was the right move. But... Cabajid and Schuls aren't the only ones opposing the Rebel Army, are they? Your own master, Frizion, is no different."
"——!?"
The shock of hearing her lord addressed so casually without a title was more than she could bear.
Since no one had ever dared such a thing before, her indignation flared.
It was only natural that she reflexively leveled her longsword at Rei.
"How dare you address Her Highness Frizion so casually!"
"Have you forgotten? I'm not a citizen of the Bestia Empire. If anything, I'm from the Kingdom of Mireana, the nation your empire is at war with. To me, Frizion is just royalty of an enemy state. She's simply one more target whose head I might have to take."
"...Then why do you serve His Highness Mercurio?"
"You've got it wrong. I don't serve Mercurio. ...Let's see. The most accurate way to put it is that our interests happen to align for now."
His primary goal was mastering the Overlord's Armor, though he also felt a need to look out for Vihera, who was cooperating with Mercurio.
Rei stated his position firmly, his face betraying nothing.
He understood from their earlier exchange that these knights had business with the Rebel Army—specifically with Mercurio.
However, as a member of that army, Rei couldn't simply say "I see" and lead them to their figurehead without a clear understanding of their intent.
At the very least, he had to determine if the people before him were truly friends or foes.
"Those guys are your enemies! They're here to assassinate His Highness Mercurio!"
As Rei and Videre exchanged silent stares, a voice suddenly rang out.
There was no doubt as to who it belonged to.
It was the leader of the men tied in a line by their waists.
From the men's perspective, this was a final, desperate act of resistance. They wanted to trick Rei into viewing the White Rose Knight Order as enemies of the Rebel Army.
...However, that was the final nail in their coffin.
Considering the motive behind the shout, it was obvious that their words were diametrically opposed to the knights' true goal.
Furthermore, Rei had heard the raw, honest desperation in the knights' voices when he first found them.
He hadn't seriously doubted them even then; his current interrogation was mostly a formality.
Thus, upon hearing the man's shout, Rei lowered the Death Scythe.
"Well, even if your plan was to harm Mercurio, you wouldn't get very far with Vihera, Theoreme, and Gurgast around. Besides, even if you did manage to harm him and get away, you couldn't outrun me and Seto."
As he stored the Death Scythe back into his Misty Ring, he shot one last sharp glance toward Videre.
The knight felt a chill as if ice had been dropped down her spine, but she gave a firm nod in return.
"In the name of Her Highness Frizion, I swear that we harbor no ill intent toward His Highness Mercurio. I cannot speak of the details in front of those men, but this proposal should be beneficial to your side as well."
"...Fine. I'll take your word for it. Now, what's the plan? The Rebel Army's Position is quite a distance from here."
It was only about five minutes away by Seto's wings, but for those on foot, it was a considerable trek.
Rei looked back at Videre and asked.
"Are you really on foot? If you were in a hurry to see Mercurio, wouldn't you have brought horses?"
"Our horses are dead, further back. Slaughtered by those men in the ambush."
Videre turned a gaze of pure hatred toward the captives.
The other members of the order did the same, their eyes burning with loathing.
It was only natural; a knight and their horse share a profound bond.
While perhaps not as intense as that of a Dragon Knight, a knight lives and trains with their horse, nurturing a deep connection.
On the battlefield, they entrust their lives to one another, moving as a single entity.
Man-Horse Unity, an unspoken understanding, a perfect synchronicity. Reaching such a level is the key to surviving combat and achieving glory.
Having lost the partners they had shared so many hardships with, Videre and her knights could not remain indifferent.
"I see. What about the bodies? If we leave them, they'll be eaten by monsters or wild animals. Or worse, they might become Undead."
Videre looked pained at those words, but she clearly couldn't bear to leave her companions' remains behind.
Moreover, she couldn't ignore the risk of them rising as Undead.
"Forgive me, but could you come with us? I want to ensure those girls can rest in peace."
"Understood. Fortunately, Flame Magic is a specialty of mine. I'll handle that part."
After making his promise, Rei stripped the dead attackers of any usable equipment and burned their remains to prevent them from rising again. Then, leading the five knights and the twenty or so surviving captives, Rei and Seto began to move.
The captives realized their attempt to turn Rei against Videre had failed utterly. Looking bitter and frustrated, they were dragged along by the rope.
After about twenty minutes of travel, they arrived at the site where the horses lay.
Arrows were scattered across the ground, along with several more corpses of the attackers.
Rei was impressed to see that there wasn't a single female body among the dead.
It meant that despite being ambushed, Videre and the others had survived without a single casualty.
Given how lopsided the advantage usually is for the side launching a Surprise Attack, the skill of these knights was undeniable.
Of course, they weren't entirely unscathed; many were carrying minor wounds, and they had only survived by using their beloved horses as shields.
The knights stroked the corpses of their horses, whispering softly into their ears.
Rei could have listened in if he wanted to, but he had no desire for such morbid voyeurism. He simply spent the time stroking Seto.
The captive men also watched in silence.
It wasn't that they felt sympathy for Videre; they were simply terrified of what Rei would do to them if they caused a scene or mocked the knights.
Though they hadn't fought a prolonged battle, being steamrolled from the sky had left them deeply traumatized.
(Well, considering nearly half their unit was wiped out in an instant, I guess it’s only natural. Especially since I wasn't even going all out.)
While thinking this, Rei continued to pet Seto's head, neck, and back as the Gryphon leaned into him.
"Guruuu."
Seto let out a spoiled trill and rubbed against Rei, asking for more affection.
The captives stared in shock at the behavior of the A-Rank Monster.
They couldn't believe this was truly a Gryphon.
Yet, they didn't dare show any derision, having seen its power firsthand.
If they soured Rei's mood now, there was no telling what would happen to them. That fear was etched into their very souls, leaving them with no choice but to watch Rei and Seto in silence.
After about ten minutes, the knights finished their farewells and approached Rei.
"Lord Rei, thank you for waiting. I ask for the magic you promised."
"Sure. But before that, help me strip off any useful weapons or armor from the dead."
Videre frowned slightly at the request.
As a knight, the idea of looting corpses was distasteful, but that was merely her professional pride speaking.
As an adventurer, it was common practice. Moreover, Rei had just rescued them and was now offering to ensure their horses didn't become Undead; she had no right to complain.
Fortunately, since the knights had been focused entirely on fleeing, there weren't many enemy corpses to process.
The collection was finished quickly, and Rei pulled the Death Scythe from his Misty Ring.
"O Flame, take my magic power as nourishment and burn away those who have died. Let their regrets be purified by my fire. Grudges, bitterness, envy, and hate—all are void before my power. Flame consumes even malice. Therefore, return to the heavens on the strength of my magic."
As he recited the incantation, a Blue Flame manifested at the Butt end part of the Death Scythe, which he then thrust into the earth.
"Funeral Flame."
As the spell took hold, the blue fire surged from the point of impact, spreading across the ground and enveloping the corpses.
In less than a minute, the remains were purified, vanishing completely from the site.