I was a knight in the Middle Ages

Chapter 521 Pawn? Sacrifice? (Page 12)

At Murat's command, the knights behind him surged out like a black tide, their movements swift and precise, instantly sealing off all the exits of the council hall.

They were clad in dark light armor, their faces covered with iron helmets, and their longswords were drawn, their cold light reflecting the moonlight, like a ghostly guard crawling out of the ground.

Before the guards Beth could react, they were subdued and their vital organs were restrained, with the sounds of weapons falling to the ground echoing around them.

"Murat... how dare you interfere in the Tulip family's internal affairs?" Beth roared, but took a step back, her voice trembling.

Murat sneered, slowly stepping forward and lightly tapping the ground with his longsword: "The internal affairs of the Tulip family? If it's just brothers fighting over inheritance, I naturally won't interfere. But if someone colludes with foreign enemies, secretly communicates with imperial nobles, and intends to hand over the family's secret treasury and the Holy City's defense map to others—then that's not a family matter, but a crime of treason."

As Murat finished speaking, a knight behind him suddenly threw a bloodstained parchment onto the stone steps.

Unfolding the parchment revealed a defensive map of the eastern wall of Jerusalem, clearly marked with the locations of sentries and traps.

Even more shockingly, the corner of the tulip was stamped with the secret seal of the Tulip Family, and the signatory was none other than Belin.

"This...this wasn't drawn by me! It's a frame-up!" Belin screamed, her face ashen.

“Framed?” Murat glanced at her coldly. “Three days ago, you sneaked into the family’s secret chamber in the dead of night and used a fake seal to make a copy of this image, which was recorded by a sentry. The ink you used was glow-in-the-dark ink used by imperial spies, which requires a special solution to develop—and your Tulip family does not have this kind of ink.”

The entire room fell silent.

Bedo staggered forward, staring at the map, his eyes bloodshot: "Belin...you really...colluded with foreign enemies? Have you forgotten your father's dying words? 'The Tulip family can be beheaded, but not bowed down!' We would rather die in battle than be lackeys of the Empire!"

Belin collapsed to the ground, her lips trembling, but she offered no further explanation. She simply murmured, "I just... I don't want to live this life of constant fear anymore... I want to be a true noblewoman... I want to be respected..."

“Respect?” Bedor laughed bitterly. “You don’t even recognize your own family anymore, so what respect are you talking about? Do you know why the Rose family was destroyed? It wasn’t because they were weak, but because they knelt down too quickly! Why was the Camellia family swallowed up? It wasn’t because they had too few soldiers, but because they believed in the ‘promises’ of the nobles! You…you’ve repeated the same mistakes!”

Just then, a figure came stepping on the moon from the direction of the East Wing Guest House.

Alpha walked slowly, his cloak fluttering, his sword still sheathed, yet he exuded an aura of oppression.

“Murat, you’ve arrived just in time,” Alpha said calmly, his gaze sweeping across the room. “But this matter is far from over.”

"This matter is best left to you, Lord Bedor. We are merely passing through, only responsible for the outer perimeter security of the Tulip family during this period." Alpha leaned back in his chair, his tone indifferent, clearly drawing a line between them.

Alpha stayed simply because he needed a foothold and refuge in the holy city, and the Tulip family happened to provide that.

That's all; Alpha has no intention of getting involved in this dirty power struggle among the nobility.

"Lock them in the dungeon. No one is allowed to visit them without my order!" Bedor's face was ashen as he watched Alpha and his group turn and leave, then he coldly gave the order.

He wanted to thoroughly purge the traitors and spies within the family.

Fortunately, Bedor held immense prestige within the family, and most of the core members and loyal servants remained devoted to him.

Beth and Belin's conspiracy succeeded entirely because Bedo's capture created a power vacuum.

Now that the patriarch has returned, this rebellious force has been nipped in the bud before it could spread beyond the castle.

Alpha returned to his room, closed the door, and completely shut himself out from the outside world.

In the candlelight, the maid Fanxing's slightly tired body looked particularly alluring.

A complex look flashed across Alpha's eyes, and then he pounced again.

Perhaps it's to release stress, or perhaps it's to numb oneself.

That night, Alpha once again succumbed to endless indulgence, and the room was filled with blush-inducing, decadent music.

No sleep for one night.

The next day, Alpha, along with Athena and six other core knights, went to the council hall of the holy city for registration and handover.

Surprisingly, even though their team had gathered more than two thousand people and demonstrated considerable fighting power, they still managed to win.

To the officials of the Holy City, it was as if it were air, causing no ripples whatsoever.

The officials casually jotted down the information, simply telling them to wait in a designated area for further instructions before abruptly ending the meeting.

This attitude of being ignored only made Alpha more vigilant.

He keenly sensed that there seemed to be an inexplicable chilling atmosphere permeating the air of the holy city.

There was a noticeable increase in the number of guards patrolling the streets, and every passerby looked both tense and enthusiastic.

Alpha and the others left the council hall without saying much and returned to Tulip Castle.

At this moment, this is the only place that is still considered safe.

They decided to remain unchanged and observe the situation calmly.

“Sir Beethoven,” Alpha asked casually, leaning back on the sofa in the castle’s living room, “I have a feeling something’s off about the atmosphere in the Holy City. It seems like a storm is brewing.”

Bedor raised his head and gave Alpha a deep look, his eyes filled with understanding and pity: "That's natural. The Pope is about to emerge from seclusion and will announce the selection of the third Holy Knight in public! This news is enough to attract the strongest people on the entire continent to gather here."

Bedor paused, looking at Alpha's confused eyes, and felt relieved: "You just came back from that isolated island, so it's understandable that you don't know."

"The Pope?" Alpha was startled.

“Yes, it’s our own Pope from our Holy City, not that distant Pope of the Holy See.” Bedor lowered his voice, revealing a shocking secret.

"He has unlocked the ultimate secret of the 'Ring of the Holy See's Commandments.' His purpose in emerging from seclusion this time is to use this secret to personally appoint the third Holy Knight!"

Alpha listened quietly, but a storm raged within him. He finally understood the gravity of the situation.

It turns out that the Empire and the Holy See had already broken ties, and the Empire had secretly established its own "Holy See".

And the highest fighting force of this Holy See is the Paladin.

Besides the two former Holy Knights of Light who had already pledged allegiance to the Empire, they are now trying to create a third one out of thin air!

The political implications and potential dangers involved are far more complex than they appear on the surface.

This is not only a display of power, but also a declaration of war against the old order.

However, Athena never revealed a single word about the many secrets of that "Commandment of the Commandments" to him.

Based on the available information, Alpha quickly concluded that he would likely have no choice but to step forward and compete for the Ring of Discipline.

Because once a new paladin is born, the old balance will be broken, and he will become the center of the vortex.

All of Alpha's secrets will be exposed, and everything he has built may vanish in an instant.

Thinking of this, Alpha lost all interest in conversation, stood up with a gloomy expression, and returned to his room with Fanxing.

Alpha's unusual behavior led Bedo and others to mistakenly believe that he was depressed due to fear and addicted to women due to pressure.

After all, the persistent, listless sounds emanating from his room that night had already spread to every corner of the castle.

Out of "good intentions," and also to prevent the little maid Fanxing from being "tortured" any further.

Bedor specially selected two mature and beautiful maids from his family and arranged them in the side room next to Alpha's room, so that he could order them around at any time.

Bedor thought that this would keep his powerful but lecherous ally in check.

"Lord Alpha, how embarrassing... Today, when I walked in the courtyard, the servants looked at me strangely, as if I were a porcelain doll, afraid of breaking me." Fanxing, like a frightened kitten, lay on Alpha's broad chest, her little face flushed red, as if it could drip water.

Alpha listened, a playful smile curving his lips.

His slender fingers gently lifted Fanxing's chin, his eyes no longer clouded by any trace of decadent indulgence, but only clear-headedness and calculation.

"Oh? Their eyes are not right? Then tell the master, who was begging for mercy in his ear last night, and who finally succumbed?" Alpha's voice was slightly hoarse and magnetic.

Alpha did not "torture" the innocent little girl again, but simply held her tightly in his arms, enjoying this moment of tenderness.

"Hmm... Fanxing likes being with Lord Alpha. As long as she can be with him, Fanxing is not afraid of anything." Although Fanxing didn't understand, she still subconsciously hugged Alpha tightly, as if he were her only lifeline.

Alpha listened to the whispers of the person in his arms, but his gaze drifted to the deep night outside the window.

At this moment, Alpha's thoughts surged like a tide, already flying out of the ancient castle.

Alpha originally thought that this mission was just a cover-up, and that he only needed to play the role of a guard and escort Athena and the others safely to the Holy City.

He was willing to be an inconspicuous pawn, hiding behind the scenes.

But unexpectedly, after all the twists and turns, he still became the most dazzling target in their eyes.

Alpha had almost seen through the paladins' plan—they wanted him to become the third paladin, and then, at the most crucial moment, to "reclaim" or control him through some means.

In the end, you might not only be a pawn, but also a discarded piece.

Alpha didn't care whether he was being used or not; he was already used to a life of constant danger.

But what chilled Alpha was that he began to wonder what role Athena was playing in this conspiracy.

How much does Athena know?

It is likely that this "sacrificial pawn" is not only himself, but also the six knights, including Athena.

Perhaps they were all sacrificed as a price to be paid in that grand game of chess.

The Pope is too ruthless.

In order to set up this trap and ensnare himself, he was even willing to throw out his own daughter, Athena, as bait and a pawn.

Such cunning and ruthlessness are chilling.

After figuring all this out, Alpha no longer had any complaints or grievances.

People have to bow their heads under the roof.

Since they want to be pawns, Alpha will make you high and mighty "paladins" taste what it's like to be a pawn's backlash.

Seeing the cold and dangerous smirk on Alpha's lips, Fanxing was so frightened that she quickly shrank back and snuggled into his arms.

"Just once, little girl, don't be afraid." Alpha came to his senses, the cold light in his eyes disappeared, and he once again transformed into the seemingly lecherous warrior.

He held Fanxing's soft body and started "mischief" again.

"Hmm..." Starry's voice was barely audible; she would never refuse any of Alpha's requests.

……

The next day, Alpha walked out of the room in high spirits, as if he had left all his troubles behind.

Alpha found Bedo.