I, reincarnate as the leader of the villainous knight order

Chapter 44: Encounter with the Heroine – Second Half

After falling asleep like a log due to exhaustion from traveling, I woke up the next morning feeling an unusually heavy atmosphere.
This atmosphere, which I’ve felt countless times before, is characteristic of when monsters appear.

“Clear and clean! Wind path! Everyone, be on high alert! Prepare your equipment immediately!”

While using wind magic to spread my voice throughout the lodging, I began equipping my armor.
At this time, the early birds would just be starting their meals.

I had planned to take it easy and devise future strategies while patrolling outside today, but it seemed there was no time for that.
After preparing my equipment, I rushed out of my room and headed to the hall near the entrance.

“Chef, it seems that monsters have appeared within the royal capital. Please ensure that everyone stays within the lodging. Also, please prepare a hearty meal for when we return.”

“Y-Yes!”

I showed a reassuring smile to the chef, who looked worried as she peeked out from the dining hall.
By that time, members of the Justin and Orel squads had gathered in the entrance hall.

“Captain, what’s going on?”

“Captain! It seems there are monsters near the merchant district! It looked like they were flying for a moment!”

Almost simultaneously with Orel, Alban from the Rosch squad, who lived in the third-floor room, shouted from the atrium.
He must have seen it because of the high vantage point.

Wait a minute, in novels around this time… aren’t dragons rampaging?
But originally, I, Justin, who has fallen into darkness, was supposed to have been manipulated by the servant of an evil god, embedding a magic stone given to me into both myself and the dragon for control.

However, I haven’t done anything… which means someone else has?
Even Ernest at this point wouldn’t risk destroying the royal capital, and even if he were desperate, his genuine concern for the country would still be real.

In this situation, who would benefit from the appearance of a dragon… a saint who can weaken it!
No, to be precise, it’s the temple that wants to showcase the saint’s prowess, and suspiciously enough, the high priest.
The scene of the false witness, Squire, almost mentioning the high priest during the trial came to mind.

“To minimize damage to the royal capital, the Justin squad will go first! Orel, once the remaining members have gathered, form a formation to surround the wyvern! There’s a possibility of a dragon as the opponent, so brace yourselves!”

“Yes!”

“Justin squad, let’s go!”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

Even my usually lax subordinates had changed their demeanor in times of emergency.
After instructing all of them to mobilize at the stable and informing them that everyone was to be deployed, we swiftly prepared our beloved horses and headed towards the merchant district.

“Damn, it’s snowing…”

The powder snow hit my face, drastically reducing visibility.
But with screams heard from afar, we picked up our pace.

“First, let’s assess the situation! If possible, we’ll guide them to the grand temple!”

“Captain! Isn’t it the trading plaza!?”

Gaspard’s mentioned trading plaza referred to a considerably large area in the merchant district where periodic major markets were held.
In contrast, the grand temple was located at the border between the noble and merchant districts.

“There should be a saint at the grand temple! We’ll have an easier time subduing them if we weaken them!”

“Haha, are you implying that we can defeat a dragon on our own if it’s weakened!? You’re amazing, Captain!”

“We can do it, right? Those who act cowardly will be punished later!”

“That’s scarier than a dragon!”

While Simon cracked a joke, his expression shifted to one suitable for combat.
He must have sensed the presence of a significant threat nearby.

As we headed towards the direction from which people were running, we saw a black dragon about the size of a two-story house wreaking havoc and destroying the magic stone shop.
Nearby, several knights from the Second Cavalry were lying on the ground, apparently lifeless.
They must have sacrificed themselves to let the residents escape.

“There it is! When we attack, I’ll act as bait and lead it away! You guys provide support from a distance!”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

The dragon, engrossed in devouring magic stones, seemed to have grown larger.
I rode past the dragon on my beloved horse and simultaneously slashed at the base of its tail.

“Roooaar!”

The dragon let out a roar akin to a battle cry a moment late, glaring at me as it flaunted the blood splattered from my sword.
Despite being enchanted with magic, the wound wasn’t significant.
Nevertheless, angered by being injured, it began to chase after me.

As my subordinates warned the residents not to leave their homes and pursued the dragon, which was sandwiched between them, fortunately, the dragon seemed to only have eyes for me and paid no attention to my subordinates.

“Hang in there, Eleanor. We’re almost at the grand temple.”

I gently reassured my horse, which seemed to be overwhelmed by the intimidation.
Although the dragon chose narrow passages to limit its rampage, it was clearly frustrated, scraping against the walls as it moved.

While not as large as the trading plaza, there was a square in front of the grand temple where people could gather.
As the dragon escaped from between the buildings, it seemed to take flight, preemptively blocking my path.

However, with the appearance of the dragon in front of the grand temple, I could see the holy knights hastily rushing out.
They probably had some excuse like making sure the grand temple wasn’t left defenseless, but they had no intention of joining the fight until the saint appeared.

Amidst those holy knights, I saw the figure of a young girl surrounded.
That must be the saint.
When whispered to by the high priest, the saint closed her eyes and clasped her hands in prayer.
Then, she was enveloped in a faint light, and simultaneously, the movements of the dragon began to slow down.

However, its strength was unmatched compared to other monsters.
As I kept my distance and observed, I confirmed the presence of a reddish-black magic stone around the dragon’s neck, just as described in the novel.
That must be the item used to synchronize with the one controlling it.

As I deflected the dragon’s arm swinging down with my sword, I mobilized all the knowledge I had read in the novel.