Hello everyone.
Rudeus Greyrat here.
Presently, I'm surrounded by those guys.
You know, those guys in polished blue armor. Eight knights were closing in around me.
Today I think I'll take a moment to introduce them one by one.
Knight #1, Therese, directly in front of me.
Therese Latreia.
Yep.
My aunt, one of Latreia's lot.
Out of all the Temple Knights in the expulsion faction, she has a slightly different nature.
She was sympathetic to me despite my ties to the demon race...
Rather, demons and humans, we're really not all that different, are we?
You'd normally show me a kindhearted face, but what kind of expression are you wearing now?
Your face is hidden by a helmet, so I can't tell.
Let's proceed clockwise, to the right.
And, on Therese's right...
A man wearing a skull-like helmet.
The side of his breastplate is cracked.
That injury looks familiar.
I don't know his name, but he looks like a knight with a name like [Skull Ash].
He's a skull-head, no doubt.
Next to him...
A man wearing a garbage can-like helmet you'd see on the street corners of Milis.
Out of the 7 other people here, only you chose to wear a red cloak.
The Miko really likes that cloak, she would always wipe her dirty hands on it.
I think his name was [Dust Box].
And to his right...
A man wearing a smooth helmet with the words [Sleep Peacefully] engraved in it.
He's probably over two meters tall.
Once I'd seen the Miko ride on top of his shoulders to pick fruits off the trees in the garden.
His name was something like [Grave Keeper].
Number four...
He's wearing a helmet like a bamboo broom on his head.[2]
His armor is featureless.
Well...
Broom... cleaning...
Ah, perhaps this guy was called [Trash Sweeper].
Three remaining.
Honestly I can barely tell them apart, I won't be able to remember them.
If I'm not mistaken, they should have names like [Death] or [Grave].
Whenever the Miko would call out to them, they would proudly puff out their chests.
They were code names that made my back itch.
Oh, that's right.
[Black Coffin].
[Burial Garment].
[Cortege Head].[3]
It was something like that.
The team name... what was it... eto...
"It is time to commence the inquisition! Inquisition Chief of the [Defense of the Holy Sepulcher (Anastasia Keep)], Therese Latreia initiating!"
"Hah!"
The seven knights surrounding me stabbed their swords into the ground.
That's right, they were called the [Defense of the Holy Sepulcher (Anastasia Keep)].
I think Therese told me that once.
"Then I shall begin questioning the accused. Are there any objections!?"
"No objection!"
"No objection!"
"Objection! Movement for immediate execution!"
"No objection!"
"No objection!"
"No objection!"
"No objection!"
"Objections dismissed!"
Aw, Dust-san looks depressed.
That's right, his objection was rejected.[4]
... Ah, it's my turn.
"Rudeus Greyrat stands as the accused!"
Eto... Please wait a moment.
I can't swallow this situation.
Somebody, give me a hint.
Here's what happened...
In order to rescue Zenith I met with Therese, the captain of the Miko's guard, at the religious headquarters, to lay the groundwork for negotiations, and was captured in a king-class barrier.
According to their story, I'm apparently suspected of being a heretic plotting to kidnap the Miko.
Ah, that's right, thank you inner monologue.
Okay.
Yeah, I might have considered kidnapping the Miko once or twice.
However I gave up on that, I came here to ask Therese to help negotiate for Zenith's release.