Chapter 39: The glorious knight is a big star!

The very first thing Merlot did upon opening her eyes was to offer an apology to her mistress, Melina.

Yet, no sooner had the words left her lips than the young girl, tears streaming down her face like pear blossoms after a spring rain, flung herself into Merlot’s embrace.

“Merlot! Merlot, do you have any idea how much you scared me? I was so incredibly worried about you! Why did you have to bear it all alone? I truly thought… I truly thought…”

Merlot felt a slight tremor pass through her.

As she gently stroked the girl’s back, she distinctly caught the subtle hint of grievance woven into Melina’s tearful words.

In an instant, Merlot’s gaze sharpened, turning incisive.

Her eyes swept across the surrounding figures before finally settling on Lien.

A brief moment of contemplation was all it took for her to surmise the reason for Lien’s presence.

“Master Referee, I trust my mistress received proper care under your supervision? Should she, by any chance, have caused you any inconvenience, I, as her humble maid, would be most pleased to offer you ample compensation.”

In that very moment, every hair on Lien’s back stood on end!

This was a sensation of danger infinitely more potent than anything he had ever felt from Qilin!

‘This person!’

‘This woman!’

‘It’s him!’

‘It must be him!’

‘Even with a changed appearance!’

‘Even with a changed race!’

‘Even though their gender has now become female!’

‘But there’s no doubt!’

‘This impeccably elegant maid before me is none other than the one once hailed as the strongest, the Radiant Knight!’

Yet, what could possibly have led to the Radiant Knight’s transformation into this distinguished maid?

Clearly, there was no time to ponder or delve into that question now.

For at this very moment, he had discerned an unmistakable, profound threat lurking within Merlot’s eyes!

“This is entirely a misunderstanding, beautiful and powerful lady.”

He placed his right hand over his chest, his posture rigid, and bowed ever so slightly.

Roswaal Lien (TL Note: The name is given as Lien in the source, but the full name Roswaal Lien is used here, implying a more formal address for a noble), a nobleman with a mysterious and formidable background, now offered Merlot a noble’s salute, adopting the most reverent demeanor possible.

“Come, Shimmer, pay your respects to the Radiant Lord.”

Following Lien’s command, the short-barreled flintlock transformed into an adorable young girl.

With wide, dewy eyes, she curiously observed Merlot.

“Radiant Lord?”

Shimmer tilted her head, her gaze filled with inquisitive wonder.

Lien gently pressed her head down, bowing alongside her to Merlot.

Witnessing this scene, Merlot herself was utterly bewildered.

‘She knew her identity couldn’t remain hidden indefinitely.’

‘As soon as Melina used her in combat, those with discerning eyes would undoubtedly deduce her true identity from their battles.’

‘This was a point she had discussed with Aida long ago.’

‘The conclusion they reached was—it didn’t matter.’

‘As long as they continued to win their way into the Peak Group, Melina and she would garner an immense amount of attention.’

‘In other words… they would become famous!’

‘At that point, even if someone knew she was the Radiant Knight, as long as she refused to admit it, they would have no recourse.’

‘While the Alliance was indeed humanity’s highest administrative body, ordinary citizens weren’t prone to blindly believing everything it proclaimed.’

‘Especially regarding the matter of the Radiant Knight betraying humanity and becoming a human traitor.’

‘The Alliance had revealed no details whatsoever, merely issuing a single, dismissive announcement.’

‘Consequently, both online and in reality, many harbored deep suspicions about the Alliance’s pronouncement.’

‘Moreover, as the strongest Title Knight, the Radiant Knight had not only achieved numerous military feats, but his entire legacy of glory had been forged through genuine combat on the battlefield!’

‘It was fair to say that in the current world, the Radiant Knight was the one who had slain the most Void Demons!’

‘Precisely for this reason, the Radiant Knight had previously been the Alliance’s most vigorously promoted figure!’

‘The Alliance had once gone to great lengths to elevate the Radiant Knight to god-like status, and the result was that, thanks to his undeniable combat achievements and the Alliance’s deliberate promotion, he had garnered an unimaginable number of supporters, even believers, among the populace!’

‘Indeed, the Radiant Knight was revered by a significant portion of the population as a figure of faith!’

‘His prestige had even, at one point, surpassed that of the Alliance itself!’

‘Thus, not only did Merlot fail to comprehend why the Alliance had targeted him, but Aida and Melina were equally baffled by the situation!’

‘One could argue that Aida’s husband, the Esbel Title Knight, dying in a power struggle was somewhat understandable; at least Aida could grasp how such an event might transpire.’

‘But on what grounds did those individuals move against the Radiant Knight?’

‘It was well known that the Radiant Knight had never explicitly aligned himself with any faction!’

‘He never supported any of the Alliance’s factions; he was simply himself, a solitary figure, spending most of his time fighting on the front lines, rarely departing the battlefield.’

‘Such a man—a figure elevated to godhood, repeatedly achieving military glories for humanity, and currently its strongest combatant.’

‘It could be said that with the Radiant Knight present, the Abyss’s invasion could not advance any further!’

‘He could even push back the front lines!’

‘Furthermore, according to Merlot’s own account, had those five Title Knights not betrayed him at a critical juncture, they would have even had the chance to slay a Void God!’

‘A Void God, the strongest known entity within the Abyss!’

‘Only Merlot’s squad of six had ever witnessed the true form of a Void God.’

‘And thus far, only that single Void God had breached this world through the Abyss’s invasion.’

‘Slaying it would render the Abyss vulnerable, giving humanity the opportunity to completely expel it from this world!’

‘But the Alliance still did it!’

‘Perhaps no one, save for the Alliance’s seven core members, truly understood why they had targeted the Radiant Knight.’

Returning to the matter at hand.

As previously mentioned, Merlot’s popular acclaim was nothing short of extraordinary!

She simply hadn’t anticipated that her identity would be unveiled so prematurely, right after participating in her very first match.

Fortunately, her interlocutor appeared to be one of her former devotees, seemingly harboring no ill intentions towards either her or Melina.

Seeing a hint of bewilderment on Merlot’s face, Lien offered a faint smile. “It seems, Radiant Lord, that you are quite unaware of the extent of your public adoration. And it’s not just among the common folk; your admirers among the nobility are equally countless.”

“In truth, when the Alliance’s proclamation was first issued, we immediately began to question its veracity. Many of us simply refused to believe that you, of all people, would betray humanity. Of course… your supposed demise still plunged us into prolonged sorrow.”

A profound sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, spread across his face. “Now, I never imagined I would have the unparalleled honor of encountering your esteemed self in such a humble preliminary match! This is truly an immeasurable privilege for me, Lien!”

As he spoke, an expression of fervent zeal emerged on his face.

Meanwhile, Melina and the others’ gazes darted back and forth between the two, ultimately converging on Merlot.

Merlot shifted uncomfortably under their scrutiny. “That… you are exaggerating my importance. Regardless of what identity this body might have held in the past, at this very moment, I am merely a humble maid serving the Esbel family.”

A faint smile touched her lips as she glanced at Melina. “During my most trying times, it was the Madam who saved me, and the Young Mistress has also been exceptionally kind. I have now fully embraced my current identity.”

Lien’s expression gradually darkened, and a distinct chill entered his gaze as he looked at Melina.