The Knight Commander of the Second Male Lead [Novel] Chapter 119

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 119

Chapter Title: A Stunning Beauty with Black Hair and Purple Eyes

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“A stunning beauty with black hair and purple eyes.”

“Black hair and violet eyes?”

Paradiv panicked and blurted out, “No, of course Lady Nina is my type. She’s the most beautiful.” Nina had to ask again if that really matched the Saintess’s appearance.

‘I never expected to see the real thing so soon.’

Compared to the Fiona that Nina knew, it wasn’t just a difference in hair and eye color.

She was an entirely different person.

‘How could this be?’

It was ridiculous to claim she “remembered” the face of a novel character, but still.

She knew.

‘What’s going on?’

Every time she purified, Belak crumbled into black ash.

And the timing.

Knowing Belak would appear, they had come fully prepared. Otherwise, the Saintess wouldn’t be dressed like she’d stepped straight out of a holy painting.

She must have waited in the palace, sent Belak ahead first, then arrived with Princess Viarentil after a suitable delay to clean up.

A debut stage of sorts.

It showed the bond between the princess and the temple, and also with the heretics.

‘I’m the uninvited guest here.’

With that thought, Nina sheathed her sword and lightly leaped up to the balcony.

“Lady Nina!”

“Captain.”

The hall had emptied out, falling quiet. Only the prince’s group remained.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Are you alright, Lady Nina?”

“Aside from punching Belak at the start, yeah.”

Her knuckles were scraped and bleeding a bit.

Nina said,

“I met the Saintess.”

“How was she?”

“It doesn’t look good for you, Your Highness.”

Paradiv let out a dry laugh at Nina’s words.

“My sister always makes her entrances at just the right moments. She’s impressive like that.”

He added,

“Though today, it seems Lady Nina stole more than half the credit she’d planned.”

Viarentil’s plan had likely been to boost her own fame and the Saintess’s. But tales of Nina displaying divine prowess in the battle were spreading faster among the people.

“Shooting a crossbow at people... you must have been pretty angry.”

Paradiv frowned at Nina’s remark.

“A crossbow?”

“Yes, the anti-Belak crossbow.”

Nina shrugged.

“Just like big sister.”

She looked cold, but her temper was fiery. Her snap judgments weren’t half bad either.

Nina grinned.

“Luckily, I’m not some civilian—I’m Sword Saint Nina.”

“Then I’m a lucky guy. Tonight was dinner with the Sword Saint, after all.”

Paradiv flashed a bright smile, then his face clouded over.

“That timing was too perfect, though. How did my sister know Belak would show up here?”

He muttered, then gave an awkward laugh.

“Of course, she’s always prepared to respond wherever and whenever they appear.”

Nina felt a strange twinge.

‘Because the heretics and the temple are in cahoots. But she can’t say it.’

Feeling guilty, Nina offered,

“Let me escort you back to your quarters. Shall we go?”

On the way to see Paradiv off, Nina ran into Saintess Lucretia again. She greeted with arms spread wide, so Nina nodded back.

The whole way back after dropping off Paradiv, Nina’s mind was a mess. Even if the future had changed, the Saintess changing was too much.

‘No, did I do anything that could’ve changed the Saintess?’

No matter how she thought about it, nothing came to mind.

Back at the townhouse, Adrian and Jin had already arrived, having heard the news.

A Belak appearing inside the palace—it was total chaos.

Rumors spread terrifyingly fast. It was the first time since the rat Belaks incident.

“Back then it was all low-grade ones, but this time it was B-ranks? And multiples?”

Jin crossed his arms and grilled her roughly. Nina nodded.

“Yeah, a lot of them.”

Jin looked at her oddly.

“What’s up with you?”

“Huh?”

“Why do you look so out of it? What happened? Did that prince do something? What?”

“No, not that. Hmm.”

Nina tugged at her braided hair. She felt frustrated herself.

“I met the Saintess. But she was completely different from what I imagined.”

“You’re weirded out because reality doesn’t match your imagination?”

What nonsense is that?

Jin gave her that look, and Nina sighed.

Yeah, exactly that.

Was this what happened when delusions went too far?

“Argh, whatever. She chanted some holy song, and the Belaks just dropped dead one by one. Even the ones I’d killed—she purified them into black ash that scattered...”

That wasn’t right either.

When the Saintess purified, it should’ve turned into golden light particles.

Nina covered her face with both hands and rushed on.

“The temple and the princess are openly declaring they’re on the same side now. They seemed to know Belak would show up today. Definitely connected to the heretics.”

So, had Fiona vanished?

Had she done something wrong?

Or were her memories wrong?

There’d been differences from the book before, but a major character disappearing entirely...

Then was Lucretia the Fiona?

Lost in repeated thoughts, she noticed the silence around her and looked up. Jin and Adrian were staring quietly at her.

Jin said worriedly,

“You okay? You’re acting weird.”

Adrian approached, placed a hand on her forehead, and frowned.

“Nina, you have a fever.”

“What? Me? No way— Whoa!”

Adrian scooped her up suddenly, making Nina yelp.

“We’ll talk about the rest later. Rest today.”

“Okay...”

Nina answered meekly. Jin came over, felt her forehead, and clicked his tongue.

“You really do. Thought you were over getting sick after winter, but now in midsummer? Where’s that medicine Kiril gave you?”

“Eek—.”

“No ‘eek-ing.’”

Acting like a spoiled kid at her age, refusing medicine.

Jin glared.

In the end, Nina swallowed Kiril’s bitter medicine and lay in bed.

Was there a sleeping aid in it? Sleep crashed over her irresistibly. The moment her head hit the pillow, Nina fell asleep.

Ah, another dream.

But the awareness that it was a dream faded quickly.

“Lady Nina!”

The tent flap opened, and a petite woman rushed in.

“Are you alright? Randell-sha attacked you...”

“I’m fine.”

I smiled and answered. Then the next person in spoke sharply.

“If I hadn’t blocked it, you’d have died right there. You call that fine?”

I gave the duke an awkward smile. To him, staring with his sharp pink eyes, I replied leisurely,

“It looks worse than it is. I’m okay.”

“Never knew the Sage was mad.”

Adrian muttered, and Fiona whipped around.

“Randell isn’t mad. He’s just upset.”

“Upset enough to spam magic everywhere? My tent’s gone, and Lady Nina’s burned—out of commission for fights for a while.”

Pfft. Fiona covered her mouth with both hands and laughed.

I had no idea what part of that was funny and felt baffled. Duke Rubaenu looked equally puzzled.

Fiona teased,

“You’re worried Lady Nina’s hurt. But you phrase it like her missing fights is the issue.”

“...”

Why was that funny...?

Unlike my confusion, Duke Rubaenu replied irritably,

“Stop assuming things. We can’t afford to lose even one spiritist right now.”

“Loss?! In front of her! That’s too much. Out, please leave.”

Fiona suddenly flapped like a mother hen, shooing the duke out, then scurried to my bedside and gripped my hand tight.

“Sorry, Lady Nina. Forgive Randell-sha.”

“He’s not someone I can forgive or not.”

The great archsage.

Fiona smiled bitterly and pressed her forehead to my held hand.