Chapter 2: The White Knight’s Unwanted Matchmaking

What was called a ‘social gathering’ was, in truth, a massive matchmaking event.

Its purpose was to introduce young women to potential boyfriends and young men to potential girlfriends.

The high-ranking elders, with time on their hands, particularly reveled in orchestrating such affairs. They found little joy in other matters, but watching young people fall in love brought them immense amusement.

It also offered a chance to reminisce about their own youthful days, often leading them to launch into endless ‘back in my day’ stories over drinks at the rotating tables.

Among the knights, a faction existed that was disinclined towards marriage and starting families. They prioritized their careers and futures above all else.

They felt no urgency, believing that even a decade later, they would still be in their prime. With power and wealth accumulated, taking a wife and raising children would pose no difficulty.

Wade Nairt was one such knight. He was now twenty-seven years old.

In a society where marriage was common before one’s twenties, he was already considered an ‘old bachelor’.

However, setting aside his age, in the eyes of others, he remained a youthful and handsome man.

With his light golden short hair and sapphire-blue eyes, Wade’s entire demeanor could be described as ‘immaculate,’ save for a small scar beside his lips.

Purely based on his appearance, he was undeniably a man of striking allure.

Standing beside the other Holy Knights, Wade’s attire was noticeably distinct. His uniform was more ornate than theirs.

Adorning his chest were several blue patterns, matching the exact hue of his eyes.

This was because he was no ordinary Holy Knight. He served as the current Holy Knight Commander’s sole aide, a position that, in some regards, even outranked the Vice Commander.

Within the order, his reputation was quite good; he possessed a gentle nature and a witty conversational style.

If the Commander was the ‘black face’ who enforced military discipline, then Wade was the ‘red face’ who advocated for the welfare of the knights. With the Vice Commander’s excellent cooperation, the trio managed the entire Holy Knight Order with remarkable efficiency.

Yet, the one detail that drew universal attention was his unmarried status.

The Commander was already in his thirties, with children old enough to run errands, while the Vice Commander had recently married and was still in his honeymoon phase.

One was a doting father who constantly shared stories of his adorable daughter, and the other a newlywed who brought his wife’s lovingly prepared lunchbox to work every day.

As the sole unattached man, Wade inevitably became the focal point of office discussions.

“Wade, are you truly not planning to marry? Look, you’re almost thirty. While you’re still young, you should quickly find a wife. Just look at the Vice Commander’s life—how wonderfully fulfilling it is.”

The Commander would often sit beside Wade, cup of tea in hand, and earnestly impart to him the profound importance of a family for a man.

“That’s right, Brother Wade, don’t you see how good I have it? You should quickly start a family too, otherwise, how lonely it must be to be alone.”

Seeing his superior approach Wade, the Vice Commander would quickly bring over his wife’s heart-shaped bento box, urging Wade to behold the symbol of newlywed bliss.

“…Ahaha… There’s really no need… I’m perfectly fine on my own…”

At such moments, Wade would typically offer an awkward smile, waving his hand in refusal at one married man after another.

Ultimately, however, he was coerced into attending this social gathering.

His name had been directly added to the guest list, without any prior notification.

“You know, our leadership team only has your best interests at heart. Everyone at the gathering is young, what could possibly be wrong with that? It’s already decided, and there’s no way to rescind it; these are the organization’s rules!”

The Commander spoke these words as he forcibly pressed the invitation into Wade’s hand. Today, Wade could only attend this social gathering, burdened by what felt like a rather awkward mission.

It was billed as a ball-like event, yet it consisted merely of a central dance floor surrounded by numerous tables.

Wade had no interest in dancing with young women. He chose a secluded corner, nudged a table aside, and then concealed himself behind a red velvet curtain, closing his eyes to rest.

He pretended he had never even arrived.

Matchmaking? Marriage? Children?

No, no, no—how could that be?

He simply lacked the inclination, the energy, and the time for such things.

Wade Nairt had far more important matters to attend to.

While ostensibly the Holy Knight Commander’s aide, he secretly held another identity: the ‘White Knight’.

He was directly managed by the Church’s Pope and solely responsible for eradicating demons.

Much like a superhero who never removes their mask, Wade, as the White Knight, never divested himself of his armor and helmet.

No one knew his appearance beneath the helmet, nor had he ever revealed his name. He rarely even spoke to others, lest his voice betray his identity.

Even though the White Knight’s white armor possessed a special cognitive distortion field, rendering the wearer virtually unrecognizable, for absolute certainty, the White Knight always maintained an aura of mystery, preventing any unnecessary complications.

During the day, he had his regular job, and at night, he frequently patrolled the streets, clearing any monsters that might appear in human towns.

Every few days, he would also have to journey to the Demon King’s Castle to deplete its stored magical energy. How could such a man possibly take a wife and have children?

He was far too busy to attend to a family; even if he married, it would surely end in divorce within a couple of years.

Moreover, his work as the White Knight was incredibly perilous. Though he was the strongest among humans, his adversary was no mere enemy, but the Black Demon King himself.

He had no way of knowing if the Demon King would evolve further or if his abilities would increase. During the last assault alone, Wade had nearly been wounded by the Black Demon King.

The Black Demon King had, astonishingly, expended a vast amount of magic to forcibly slow down time in the vicinity by a hundredfold.

Had Wade not employed a clever trick before the battle, using mind-reading to uncover the Demon King’s scheme, and, at the very instant time slowed, unleashed his strongest attack to prevent the Demon King from approaching him, he would surely have returned with injuries this time.

Mind-reading, once used on a target, lasted for several days. Sitting amidst the pretty women at the social gathering, concealed behind the curtain, Wade wondered if he should seize the opportunity, before the mind-reading expired, to confront the Black Demon King again.

Having recently expended so much magical energy, the Demon King must still be in a weakened state—

[Hehehehe… I’ve finally infiltrated this place.]

“…?”

‘What was that strange noise?’

As Wade contemplated simply escaping through a window, a peculiar laugh suddenly echoed in his ear.

He peeked out from behind the curtain, instinctively scanning the banquet hall. However, he found no one out of the ordinary.

‘…Did I mishear?’

‘Am I so exhausted lately that I’m experiencing auditory hallucinations?’

‘Why does that strange laugh sound exactly like the Black Demon King’s when he’s gloating? It must be my imagination…’

[Human knights are all so mediocre, just as Lilith said, completely engrossed in trivial romance. Hehehehe… In that case, my scheme is bound to succeed—humans, you are doomed!]

‘—No! I didn’t mishear! That’s his laugh!’

Although the voice sounded somewhat strange, like a woman’s, that laugh and speaking style were unmistakably his!

Realizing something was amiss, Wade shot up from his chair, sitting bolt upright and staring intently in the direction of the voice.

As he abruptly looked up, he saw a young woman with long purple hair. In that instant, she seemed to sense his gaze, and their eyes met.

[This man… Oh? There’s a familiar feeling about him… I heard Lilith mention that the White Knight might attend this social gathering. Could it be—]

“…!”

Hearing the woman’s thoughts, Wade froze in surprise for a moment. Then he immediately realized—this was the effect of his previous mind-reading!

His mind-reading on the Black Demon King had not yet expired, which meant—

‘—This person… is the Black Demon King?!’

[—This person… is the White Knight?]