Chapter 301: Why Did You Have to Provoke Him?
The girl who had suddenly descended like a goddess from the heavens was someone no resident of the Kazimierz Grand Knight Territory could possibly fail to recognize.
That name—famous in every household—and her unforgettable appearance made the black-clad men, who had barely managed to open their eyes through the blinding light, simultaneously furrow their brows in dread.
"The Radiant Knight…"
The middle-aged man leading them whispered the title under his breath, eyes narrowing with deep wariness as he gazed at the girl standing before him—clad in resplendent white armor, a golden lance in hand, her presence overwhelming.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
According to his intel, she should've still been dozens of miles away from the Grand Knight Territory.
Even if she flew at top speed, she shouldn't have made it back this fast.
And yet, here she stood.
The divine pressure she exuded was unmistakable.
There was no doubt—this was her, the real Radiant Knight.
Damn it, to think they would run into her of all people?
He had no desire to clash with the Radiant Knight head-on. But with the situation spiraling out of control, it was far too late for explanations.
His eyes flicked toward the two women they held hostage—Zofia and Maria. That was when a sliver of confidence returned to his demeanor.
He knew the Radiant Knight. She would never let harm come to those she held dear. As long as they had the hostages, it didn't matter how dramatic her entrance was.
She'd have no choice but to comply.
"Release them," the Radiant Knight said, stepping out of the crater she'd created upon landing. A golden glow flickered faintly across her armor, the air around her humming with restrained power. Her gaze swept coldly across the black-clad men.
"I have no desire for needless bloodshed, nor do I wish to harm my fellow countrymen."
In truth, she should have still been far from here. But she had received a message—one from Steven.
For someone like her, distances of several dozen kilometers meant little.
That's why she was here.
And anyone who dared hurt the ones she cherished—would pay the price.
"Well, I'm really sorry about this, Lady Radiant Knight," the middle-aged man said with a rueful shake of his head. "But I've got my orders. I'm just a hired hand. I don't get to say no to those above me."
He gave a subtle signal to his subordinates. They responded immediately, gripping Zofia and Maria's arms tighter and pressing their weapons against the girls' necks.
"I know full well how powerful you are, Lady Radiant Knight. That's why I don't want this to turn into something worse. My orders were just to bring these two in. No one said anything about how they had to be brought in—injured, unconscious… or dead."
There was no mistaking the veiled threat in his words.
As he spoke, his eyes never left her, watching every twitch of her body in case she struck. He knew full well his words would enrage her.
But that was inevitable the moment they took this job from the K.G.C.C.
Cowering would get him nowhere. Better to be blunt about it.
At least, for now, he had leverage. As powerful as the Radiant Knight was, she couldn't possibly rescue both of them instantly, could she?
And if she tried, well—maybe that would be his chance.
"Are you threatening me?"
As expected, Margaret—the Radiant Knight—halted her forward steps. Her brows furrowed tightly as she gazed at the black-clad men who had their weapons trained on Zofia and Maria.
Just as the man had said, she could probably save one of them in an instant. But both? Even she couldn't split herself in two.
"You could think of it that way," the middle-aged man said, feigning politeness. "I'm merely offering you a bit of advice. After all, I don't want these two young ladies to get hurt either."
He offered a hollow smile, then gestured with one hand.
"So how about stepping aside? You could even accompany us to the K.G.C.C. I'm sure negotiations would go much smoother with your presence, don't you think?"
Margaret's silence was telling. Seeing the hesitation in her eyes, the man finally let out a breath of relief.
He'd gambled—and won.
As long as the Radiant Knight had something she feared losing, the odds tipped in his favor. He had no desire to go head-to-head with her, even with nearly a hundred mercenaries at his back.
"This isn't happening," Margaret said suddenly, her eyes sharpening once more. "Release them, and I'll let you walk away."
It was only a moment's pause, but her resolve had solidified. If she let them go now, it would only become harder to rescue Zofia and Maria later. She understood that well.
Give in once, and they'd push further. The only language people like this understood—was force.
"Then I suppose… you really don't care about your loved ones," the man said with a slow shake of his head, though his tone betrayed unease.
He hated this. If it came to a fight, even with superior numbers, there was no guarantee they'd be able to take her down. Not when she was that Radiant Knight.
Which meant he needed to deliver a warning. A message that resistance would come at a price.
His eyes flicked toward the two hostages… but then paused.
Just off to the side, watching the scene with an expression of complete detachment—almost like he was enjoying a show—stood Steven.
The man's lips curled.
Perfect.
They'd use him as the example.
He'd had a bad feeling about that brat from the start. Now he had the perfect excuse to act.
If they harmed Zofia or Maria, the Radiant Knight might retaliate out of pure rage. But Steven? He was clearly not of the Nearl family. The black hair alone gave it away.
Most likely just a friend… or some hopeful suitor tagging along.
She might know him, but if the higher-ups didn't even mention him in the mission brief, then their relationship clearly wasn't that deep.
Which meant… he's the perfect target.
Having made his decision, the middle-aged man raised an eyebrow at one of the subordinates gripping Steven's arms. His eyes gleamed with murderous intent—an unspoken order passed in silence.
"I'm not playing games with you, Lady Radiant Knight. If you continue to pressure us… I'll have to demonstrate just how serious we are."
He gestured with a wave of his hand, and instantly, every gaze shifted to the person who had—until now—been enjoying the standoff like some kind of drama: Steven.
"Wait, why are you all looking at me?" Steven blinked, puzzled, shrugging his shoulders. "Don't stop now—keep going. I'm not even part of the Nearl family. What do you want from me?"
He sounded genuinely confused.
This was their confrontation, wasn't it? Why drag an unrelated bystander like him into this mess?
It was only then that Margaret finally noticed him.
Her eyes narrowed, and a faintly complicated expression surfaced on her otherwise impassive face.
Ah. So that's why his message got to me so fast.
It turned out he was one of the people involved in this situation too.
Though judging from his posture—arms crossed, an amused smile on his face—he didn't look like a hostage.
He looked more like someone playing a very immersive round of theater.
"Do it," the middle-aged man ordered sharply, ignoring Steven's words.
A split second later, Steven felt it—the sound of air tearing behind him, a blade slicing toward his legs with terrifying speed.
He didn't need to turn around to know what was happening.
So even the "audience" couldn't escape the stage, huh?
The middle-aged man watched on, a smug smile playing across his face.
In his mind, the scene was already playing out—Steven collapsing in a pool of blood, and the Radiant Knight crumbling in despair, finally yielding to their demands.
But he hadn't noticed something.
Among the Nearl family's members, only Maria looked genuinely panicked.
The other two?
Their expressions were… oddly subtle.
More specifically, they wore the kind of expression that said:
"Why… why did you go and provoke him, of all people?"
And then—
The expected shower of blood never came.
Instead, the heavy battle axe meant to sever Steven's legs struck something hard—with a sharp, metallic clang—and bounced back violently.
The blade was bent.
Bent so badly it looked like it had been slammed against solid steel.
No, even steel wouldn't do that much damage to a weapon.
The entire crowd stared in stunned silence. Jaws hung open.
Only Zofia and Margaret remained calm.
Because they knew—this was exactly what Steven was capable of.
"Sigh~ can't even enjoy a good show without getting dragged in, huh?" Steven muttered, glancing down at his unscathed legs. Not even a scratch on his clothes.
He looked up and locked eyes with Margaret, who was now smiling faintly.
"Do me a favor," she said, "Keep an eye on my aunt, would you? It'll be easier for me to move around if I don't have to worry about her."
Margaret didn't even glance at the black-clad mercenaries surrounding them. She waved casually at Steven, her voice light and familiar.
"Of course. Just add a little hazard pay, that's all."
Steven nodded.
Then—
A radiant burst of golden light erupted from Margaret's body, flooding the entire battlefield in a blinding brilliance.
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
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