Lords: From Civilization to the Stars.

Chapter 51 Human Heart
Cathedral of the Lady of the Lake in Bretonnia.

This source of Bretonnia's faith has always maintained a considerable number of Ladies of the Lake. Even in the current period of fighting the Green Tide, there are still several Ladies of the Lake in this cathedral responsible for maintenance.

The green magic wind full of vitality swirled around the church, representing the holiness of the goddess. The candlelight that never went out in the church represented the light of the goddess. The tens of meters high inner hall and the magic painting representing the founding of Bretonnia floating on the ceiling all represented the holiness of this area.

The most important thing is the sculpture of the Lady of the Lake inside the church, with her arms open and looking at her people with a loving face.

This beautiful, gentle, compassionate and chaste lady could not bear to see Bretonnia forever plunged into civil war and strife, so she walked out of the lake and crowned the first Knight King.

Her sculpture looked eternally holy and beautiful, as if it could not be stained by any filth or words. Under the statue that was tens of meters high, any knight could sincerely feel that the goddess's equal gaze was not seeing him, but the millions of people of Bretonnia.

Even many knights who once escaped from honor and beliefs would choose to use their lives to fulfill their beliefs under the gentle gaze of the sculpture.

This is the root of Bretonnia and the source of the knights' faith.

Now, all the great knights have responded to the call of the goddess and chosen to go to the badlands with the fairy of the lake to fight against the terrifying green tide.

It must have been a great battlefield. The roar and cries of blood and blood shook the land, and the winds of magic could not even cause any interference. The brilliance of the human spirit and pure malice were dueling in a distant land.

The iron knights charged at the giant on the vast plain. The roar and light that shook the earth were something that everyone who participated in the Green Tide would never forget and would always remember in their hearts. Anyone who turned his back on this scene would have lost his heart.

In the headquarters fleet of the Bretonnian Chivalrous Expedition Fleet, Knight Commander Goethe was kneeling under the statue of the goddess, praying in a low voice for his future.

"Goddess, please forgive my sins."

"Goddess, please forgive my infidelity."

"I was once taken away from that great battlefield because of my poor control of my horse. At the height of the Green Tide, my horse got frightened and took me away from that blazing land. I feel deeply guilty."

"My faith in the goddess was unable to restrain the mad horse, so I could only kill it and return to the battlefield. But by then, the war was over. I participated in the great war against the green tide, but I was the only one who did not receive honor, only broken scars."

"I swear that as the commander of a chivalrous expedition, I will never surrender to the enemy."

"I swear I will take back the glory of the goddess, no matter what form the Holy Grail takes."

"Only the Goddess and Bretonnia have the right to control the Holy Grail. No fanatic or anyone else can possess that supreme honor."

"I will atone for my sins. I will lead the knights of Bretonnia to give the goddess a chance to redress her injustice. We will sacrifice our lives to take back the goddess' holy relic."

"Please don't protect our existence, Goddess, because we have already lost our faith."

“This is our battle to take back our faith.”

The tall knight half-knelt in front of the sculpture and uttered his oath in a deep voice.

As the heavy oath was constantly uttered, the magical aura emanating from the knight gradually weakened.

This brave knight, who was once watched by the goddess and blessed by the fairy in the lake, now voluntarily chooses to seal his power, intending to use his life and blood to atone for his sins.

However, no one thought he was guilty.

When the light on his body had completely faded, the tall knight slowly exhaled.

Under the admiring gazes of many fairies of the lake, the knight who had taken the oath gracefully bowed to all the fairies of the lake who had witnessed the oath, and then walked out of the Goddess Church in full armor.

In front of the church, on the streets of Bretonnia, a man who also looked very chivalrously dressed, but for some reason looked exceptionally gorgeous and radiant, was smiling and greeting the citizens who had gathered around him.

When the Goethe Knight came nearby, this handsome-looking man waved to the people around him.

"Well, enthusiastic citizens! We are on a chivalrous expedition to atone for our sins, not cowards who boast on the streets. We are about to conquer the most terrible evil in the world, please forgive us!"

"Lord Joshua! You must kill those beasts who blasphemed the goddess!" "Lord Joshua will definitely become the next great knight of the green tide!"

"We believe in Master Joshua!"

Many citizens shouted in support and left the scene in ecstasy. Only the handsome man, yes, now he could only be described as handsome, spread his hands helplessly and looked at Goethe.

"Look, Knight Goethe. I have advised you not to bring me to the goddess' temple to pray. If I go in, regardless of what others think, some citizens will disturb the peace of the fairies in the lake. That's why I have to wait for you here. Are you satisfied now?"

"……snort."

This flamboyant man has an extraordinary charm.

Knight Goethe looked coldly at the man in front of him. Looking at this man who claimed to have escaped from the Broken Land and vowed to occupy the entire Broken Land with a chivalrous expedition, distrust and disgust welled up in his heart.

Goethe himself was a forced deserter, a real knight, a tortured knight, it was impossible for him to smile like this after escaping from his responsibilities. It would be more appropriate to say that the knight who was like a frightened bird when he just came back half a month ago was more in line with the situation.

But now, as the leader of the Bretonnian expeditionary fleet, Goethe could not blame the commander-in-chief of the entire chivalrous expeditionary force.

He could only stubbornly reject Joshua's suggestion and form an expeditionary force with pure redemption knights.

It was their inevitable responsibility to welcome the Holy Grail, and it was their sin not to catch up with it in the first place. Now they even needed mercenaries and mages as assistants, which was a shame among shames.

"Hey, Goethe Knight."

Looking at the Goethe Knight who ignored him and walked towards the port in silence, Joshua called out behind him.

"I sincerely advise you not to believe what you see when you arrive at the Broken Land. Although our plan is perfect, please note that we are a team. Not just a revenge fleet."

"……I know."

Goethe stopped and turned to look at the purple-eyed knight and spoke stiffly.

At the same time, at the border of the Chaos Ice Field, at the edge of Stonehenge, a knight wearing a ribbon sneezed.

"Ah!"

"How can you catch a cold when you are protected by the Holy Grail?"

"Ah, no, I just suddenly thought of a question and my nose is a little itchy."

The young knight twisted his nose and looked at the huge construction site in front of him in confusion.

This is where they once rode their horses and defeated the demon army. It is rich in war elements and concepts of death, making it a very suitable location for the Heavenly Fortress.

However, with the knowledge about the fairies running through their minds, the younger knights who were not disturbed too much by the Lady of the Lake could not help but fantasize while working, satisfying the wild fantasies they had at this age.

"No, what's the difference between fairies and demons?"

"I don't know. Maybe looks are more deceptive?"

"Can I fuck it?"

"...?"

Something is wrong with you, brother.

The people around looked at the thoughtful young man strangely, with expressions of awe on their faces.

(End of this chapter)