Chapter 319

Chapter 319
## Chapter 319

“O Knights of the Round Table…!”

A heavy thud echoed.

The woman who had successfully accessed the fourth tier of resonance collapsed without warning.

This was Serengeti.

Known as the Pure White Knight and recognized as the most trusted confidant of Wilhelm, she had lost consciousness, her complexion turning a ghostly, porcelain white.

Who exactly were the Knights of the Round Table?

They were the elite powerhouse unit commanded by the Knight King Wilhelm. Drawn by his immense power and unwavering integrity, they had congregated from every corner of the continent. The group consisted entirely of fiercely loyal souls who would throw themselves into a blazing abyss with a grin if it served Wilhelm’s path.

They were men and women, elderly and youth. Their species did not matter; even non-humans were welcomed. The sole prerequisite for joining the Round Table was absolute devotion to Wilhelm. In total, thirteen such individuals had formed this legendary circle.

They were the architects of countless legends, though the specifics of their deeds remained largely obscured. This was by design, as they credited every victory and miracle solely to Wilhelm’s reputation. To them, this was the natural order, as their entire purpose was to ensure the Knight King’s legacy reached its zenith.

They harbored no resentment for their anonymity. They had achieved the impossible, turning the tides of hopeless conflicts time and again. They performed feats that others were too terrified to even contemplate. Those who had actually encountered the “Knights of the Round Table” in combat could only shudder in collective memory.

“The enemies I dread most? Without a doubt, it is Wilhelm’s inner sanctum.”

“The Knights of the Round Table were a collection of truly terrifying individuals. Despite spending my entire life on the front lines, I have never encountered such a monstrous assembly.”

“They are undying. I am telling you, they will drive a blade into you even after their own hearts have stopped beating. I can still see their gaze—those crimson, blood-shot eyes haunt my sleep to this day.”

“They would execute any task perfectly based on a single command from Wilhelm. It’s common knowledge that most were outcasts, discarded by society or their own kin. They were geniuses who had been abandoned, masters who were met with scorn. Perhaps that shared pain is why their internal bond was so unbreakable.”

“Not a single person in that group was sane. Even their second-in-command wasn’t human. Oh, you think the Pure White Knight Serengeti was the normal one? Hehe, you’re clueless. Only those who stood against her in battle understand her horror. She toys with the very essence of her opponent’s spirit.”

“I’m not sure what you’re looking for, but honestly, the fiends of the Abyss seem pleasant compared to the Knights of the Round Table. Just don’t tell them I said that. I feel like their ghosts would track me down in the afterlife.”

Following the events at the Tower of the War God and the subsequent rise of “Wilhelm Mania,” the data gathered from interviewing those who had crossed paths with the King and his knights was startling. Most survivors expressed a desperate wish to never see them again. One couldn’t exactly publish a headline claiming that literal demons were more polite, could they?

What remained undeniable was the overwhelming strength of every member. Even Serengeti, the Pure White Knight, was considered the youngest and least powerful among them. Furthermore, while they were merciless to their foes, they showed infinite kindness to those they did not deem enemies. Naturally, an “enemy” was defined simply as anyone who stood against Wilhelm.

However, these legendary warriors all met their end during the “Great Expedition.” They perished for the sake of slaying the Demon King, offering up their lives with joy on their faces.

“……This is just beyond belief.”

The journalist Kim Hana sat stunned, staring at her interview notes. Following the emergence of the Island of the Gods and the dawn of the “Great Awakened Era,” public obsession with Wilhelm had surged. To satisfy this, Kim Hana had conducted a massive investigation in Pangenia, aided by the veteran first-generation awakened.

The veterans had been surprisingly cooperative, and Kim Hana had planned to structure her piece as a standard Q&A. However, the raw data she collected was too dark and intense for a standard news cycle.

“They truly smiled as they died?”

The accounts regarding the “Great Expedition” were the most jarring. In the depths of the Demon Realm, every knight had perished save for Serengeti. Yet, every witness to their final moments told the exact same story: they died with smiles, declaring that their sacrifices brought the end of the Demon Realm one step closer.

Fear of death is a fundamental instinct for any living creature. It seemed impossible for an entire group to die in such a state of bliss. Yet, the witnesses insisted those were the most genuine expressions of happiness they had ever seen.

“Everything for Knight King Wilhelm…… they didn’t care if history erased their names, as long as the King’s glory remained untarnished……”

It was easy to spin this as a tale of noble sacrifice—knights giving everything for their lord. But what of their identities? Kim Hana found herself wondering about them as people.

“Not a single knight’s name is recorded, except for Serengeti. How is that possible?”

She couldn’t wrap her head around it. This was the most illogical part of the mystery. Beyond Wilhelm and Serengeti, the identities of the other knights were unknown, lost to a sea of rumors and guesses. No one knew who they truly were. Despite their massive impact on the world, they had intentionally vanished.

It felt like more than just loyalty to the King; it was as if they collectively desired to be erased. They didn’t want to be remembered as individuals—only as the collective “Knights of the Round Table.”

This secrecy only fueled Kim Hana’s obsession. She wanted to look past the King and find the truth about the “disciples” who followed him.

Click. Tap-tap-tap. Her fingers flew across the keys as she began her draft.

<>

—

In the moments following Serengeti’s collapse:

Watching Hudson lift her onto his back, Saintess Sea gave a warm, knowing smile. “Their bond is as strong as ever.”

The nearby Saintesses, hearing this, immediately began whispering.

“You mean Hudson and Serengeti? I heard their betrothal was called off.”

“Oh, really? Was it the family pressure? I heard his family are just common merchants with no pedigree.”

“He does seem quite plain compared to the Pure White Knight.”

“The pairing is a bit… off, isn’t it?”

The two Saintesses watched Serengeti and Hudson with judging eyes. Serengeti was a legendary figure, the sole survivor of the Great Expedition’s inner circle. Hudson, by contrast, was a virtual unknown, rumored to be of humble merchant stock.

“I heard he used to run a gambling den in Arcana.”

“……How disgraceful. That makes the match even worse.”

“And there are whispers he’s working with monsters in the Labyrinth City.”

“Oh, how tragic……”

It was the height of petty gossip. Moreover, they had misunderstood Saintess Sea’s comment. She wasn’t talking about a romance between the two.

‘The Knights of the Round Table still stand together.’

She could see it. The collective pride of the knights resided with Serengeti. Their connection was so profound it was enviable. Even from beyond the grave, they were guarding her. Meanwhile, she looked at her fellow Saintesses.

“Perhaps Saintess Sea should show us the way?”

“Indeed. You are the most exalted among us, are you not?”

They were subtly goading her, driven by rivalry. They were jealous of her status rather than grateful for her survival. In that moment, Saintess Sea remembered exactly why she had joined the “Great Expedition” in the first place.

‘I was sick of it. The corruption of the Goddess Church.’

She had been envious of the Knights of the Round Table—their freedom, their loyalty. She had wanted to belong to something that pure. That was why she had walked away from the Church without a second thought to join the expedition. She had marched toward the danger that everyone else feared.

……And yet, she was back.

‘The Church is decaying from within.’

Regardless of her feelings, she was a Saintess with a duty to the Goddess. She couldn’t sit by and watch the institution fall apart, especially now that her memories were intact and she was breathing. Returning to the Church was her responsibility.

“Very well. I shall go first.”

Saintess Sea ignored the petty jealousy and the spiteful stares of those who wished she had returned in disgrace. She didn’t need their approval; she only needed to provide proof. That was her sole mission here. She began to walk.

—

“High Druid. We have identified fifteen individuals who possess ‘Honor’ at the third stage or higher.”

Once the World Tree had concluded its assessment, Great Elder Albino delivered the findings to me.

“That’s a higher number than I anticipated.” I gave a slow nod.

It was a genuine surprise. I had expected maybe four people at most to hold honor scores exceeding 20,000.

“The arrival of the World Tree has drawn out many powerful figures who were living in seclusion. Among this group, three have actually reached the fourth stage.”

Three people with honor over 30,000. I needed to pick a team from this pool to enter the “Dungeon of Forgotten Honor.” I had asked Reaper Hell to bring Serengeti and the others, but I hadn’t been certain they would meet the strict honor requirements.

“May I see the registry?”

“Of course.”

Albino handed me the scrolls. It was a comprehensive list of everyone the World Tree had vetted. The fifteen names with scores over 20,000 were highlighted, along with their backgrounds.

‘…The White King?’

The first name on the list was a shock. The White King? That haughty ruler had actually been validated by the World Tree? He rarely showed his face, yet here he was, making a scene. He must have regained his confidence after I returned the molar to him.

‘Saintess Sea is here as well.’

Stage 3. That tracked. I was sure she would have the 20,000 honor required, or at least a spiritual standing that matched it. The surprise was the other Saintesses. You’d think the elite of the Church would be on par, but they were nowhere to be found on the list.

‘So the rumors about the Church’s lost honor were true?’

I’d seen the Holy City myself, but this confirmed the rot was even deeper than I thought. Since a Saintess’s honor is tied to the standing of her Church, this was proof the institution’s name was in the dirt. It made Saintess Sea’s personal achievement even more impressive.

‘……Serengeti is at stage 4?’

That was the biggest shock. Even for a veteran like her, exceeding 30,000 honor was a massive feat.

‘Serengeti, the Elf Queen, and the Giant of Evil Destruction. Those are our three stage 4 candidates. But why did Dramut show up?’

Dramut, the Star Guardian from the Ancient King’s site, had also arrived. In fact, a large contingent of Star Guardians had appeared. They never moved in groups without a reason—like when the “King of the Dead” appeared in Kramdel. They only intervened for matters concerning the Goddess’s Star.

‘The Guardians are here in force… but I don’t see another star.’

The mystery was eating at me.

‘I need a full party of seven. Who should I pick?’

The composition of the team was critical for the trials ahead. As I was weighing my options, Great Elder Albino broke the silence.

“Ahem……”

“Great Elder. Is something wrong?”

“Please, feel free to speak casually with me. I don’t mind.”

“You are my Master’s senior. I couldn’t possibly do that.”

“……”

Albino went quiet. I’d been meaning to address this; the hierarchy was getting messy with him treating Lyca as an inferior while treating me like royalty. However, Albino moved on to a more pressing topic.

“……It’s about the World Tree’s dungeon.”

“Do you wish to participate, Great Elder?”

“I do. I believe it is my right and duty.”

He had spent his life guarding the World Tree, so his claim made sense on the surface. But I shook my head. “I’m afraid you can’t.”

“……And why not?”

Albino’s face clouded over. I had a very simple reason, though. “You haven’t been vetted yet, have you?”

“……Excuse me?”

“Go to the World Tree and get your qualifications confirmed first.”

“……”

I gave him a wide, innocent grin. “I had to do it, so it’s only fair you do it too, Great Elder.”

—

Hidden Trait: Druid of the Golden Rule.

After being acknowledged as the Head of the Eight Houses, Lyca left Hyun in the Sanctuary and set out for the Empire. He left Hyun in charge as his temporary proxy.

When Lyca finally returned, he was accompanied by the Knights of the Eight Houses. They were hauling a massive, ornate coffin, their bodies drenched in sweat from a non-stop journey.

‘…Master.’

The sky was a bruised charcoal color. Even though it was morning, the sun was swallowed by heavy clouds. A relentless rain fell through a thick mist. In this somber atmosphere, Lyca carefully moved the coffin to the base of the World Tree.

The knights of the Eight Houses lined up in a formal guard on either side, while Great Elder Albino and the ten elders watched the proceedings in silence.

This was Dantalion, the former Head of the Eight Houses. Lyca’s mentor had passed away before he could receive the World Tree’s final blessing.