I Became the Dark Knight in the Game
Chapter 52: Dark Knight Dale

The power of magic was enveloped in mystery yet it followed its own set of rules.

To cast a spell, one had to chant the incantations aloud.

The speed and accuracy with which this chanting, known as spellcasting, was performed served as one measure of a mage’s skill.

However, the young mage before them had bypassed this step entirely.

Can this even be possible?

What was even more astonishing was the type of magic Elena wielded.

Typically, mages specialize in just one field of magic.

Be it lightning or fire, delving deeply into one aspect alone could consume a lifetime. That’s how profound the study of magic is.

Dale once raised a mage character himself, so he was well aware of this.

He knew all too well the extensive time investment required to master even a single spell in the game.

Yet Elena had already mastered two branches of magic to an advanced level at a young age.

She surpassed what could simply be dismissed as an outstanding talent.

Could this be a power inherited through her lineage?

Among all the beings Dale had encountered so far, only one possessed the capability to achieve such a feat.

A demon.

No wonder the magic tower was so desperate to capture her.

A talent comparable to that of a demon.

It made sense why the usually calm magic tower would go to the lengths of sweeping through the slums themselves.

The magic did not last long however.

The water dragon, which had been soaring through the air, suddenly lost its form and splashed down into a puddle on the ground.

Elena was still young, and so she seemed to lack the magical power to match her talents.

Elena asked Dale with a slightly expectant look on her face.

“Ho-How was it?”

Dale nodded his head in approval.

“Did you combine the ‘Floating Water’ with the ‘Electric Charge’ spell? Impressive work.”

Elena’s eyes widened in surprise.

“To recognize the spells immediately… Do you have a deep understanding of magic?”

“Somewhat.”

“That’s amazing. I thought knights weren’t much interested in magic… Sir Fraud, for instance, shows little interest even when magic is demonstrated before him. He even tells me to refrain from using magic, saying it draws too much attention.”

At that moment, Fraud wore an indifferent expression on his face.

Elves admire strength but their respect is reserved for physical power alone.

To them, magic is nothing more than a cowardly shortcut.

Fraud stated firmly,

“Your Highness, my stance remains the same. Magic only serves to attract unwanted attention; please refrain from using it.”

Elena’s face fell and a look of disappointment spread across her face.

It seemed that Fraud usually strictly forbade her from using magic.

Dale remembered the joy on Elena’s face as she wielded her magic.

He thought that the fear of drawing attention might have prevented her from fully honing her talents.

Seeing Elena like that, the feelings Dale felt earlier came back to him.

Mages.

He felt a pang of envy.

He found her potential far more enticing than that of a bumbling mage like Hans.

If Elena continued to refine her magic and fully unleashed her talent,

She might well become capable of confronting even demons.

But Dale quickly dismissed the thought.

No.

Elena was still too young.

She didn’t seem to have undergone training as a battle mage.

Not every talented mage becomes a skilled battle mage.

While she might be of great help in the future, she was unlikely to be of immediate help.

However, her potential is limitless. If the opportunity arises, I won’t lose anything if I make her owe me.

After a brief conversation, Dale and Fraud left the room.

Fraud addressed the mercenaries standing guard at the door.

“I will take over the protection here from now on. You may stand down.”

The mercenaries exchanged wary glances.

“But…”

“We are under orders from Mr. Garland.”

“That’s why I’m telling you I’ll take over. Unless you want trouble, don’t make me repeat myself.”

The two mercenaries scowled at the elf’s words.

Just then, Eirek ascended the stairs.

He must have heard the conversation as he climbed the stairs and scolded Fraud.

“The princess is currently under Garland’s protection. It’s only natural for the mercenaries to guard her.”

“But…”

“And look at the state you’re in. What could you possibly do with your injuries? Can you even wield a sword properly?”

Fraud was at a loss for words.

He was heavily bandaged all over, and his arm was broken, rendering him barely able to move.

Fraud grew disheartened and didn’t argue any further.

“Understood…”

Dale then asked Eirek.

“How are the preparations for the trial going?”

“Smoothly. We’re spreading the word as much as possible to increase the trial’s visibility. There are even bets being placed on the outcome already.” sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ ɴ0velFɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Eirek shared that he was actively engaging in a public relations campaign.

There was only one reason for this. To suppress the influence of the magic tower.

Under normal circumstances, the magic tower could have easily coerced the council members into a guilty verdict through its power.

Such manipulation was entirely feasible within the somewhat barbaric legal system of this world.

However, Elena’s noble status, coupled with the high profile of the case, complicated matters.

it was impossible for them to act brazenly in the spotlight of public attention.

Convicting a royal member without credible evidence would plummet the council members’ reputation to the ground.

A verdict that the public could accept was necessary at the very least.

The situation was decidedly in their favor.

Perhaps that’s why Eirek appeared quite at ease.

“Victory is all but assured. Just you watch. I’ll humble those mages.”

Could this mean the case would be concluded with this?

Dale nodded his head to the confident Eirek.

“Good luck.”

***

Having finished his business, Dale returned to the inn.

The inn was tranquil.

Kayla had disappeared somewhere and she was probably busy, and Harkin had already fallen asleep.

Dale sat alone in the spacious hall on the ground floor. A familiar loneliness surrounded him.

He was lost in thought as he watched the flames burning in the hearth.

Elena.

Elena’s talent clearly went beyond common sense.

Her magic was so exceptional that it felt surreal.

Should I say that it feels like I am encountering something I only see in games? From the moment I fell into this world and this body, this was the thought I always had…

Yet this fresh shock revived a dormant question within Dale.

What exactly was this world…? This question haunted him.

When Dale first arrived in this world, he thought he was dreaming.

And for good reason as he couldn’t feel anything with this body.

The chill of touching fresh snow, the warmth from the distant sun, pain, and ticklish sensations.

He couldn’t feel any of that.

It felt as if his body was not his own.

Merely a vessel for seeing and hearing.

Owning such a body felt similar to playing a game.

One watches characters move and hears the sounds of battle from beyond the screen.

But the sensory experiences of those characters remain unknown.

Moreover, the setting of this world was indistinguishable from that of the game.

Therefore, the first thing Dale had to face in this world was a terrible sense of unreality.

Everything seemed like an illusion and he suspected he was merely trapped in a terrible nightmare.

There was even a time when he considered ending his own life.

He once harbored the naive belief that such an act might awaken him from this dream.

Ironically, an unpleasant encounter with the high elves shortly thereafter granted him a sense of reality in this world.

Yet the fragile sense of reality he had managed to grasp was once again shaken today upon witnessing Elena’s magic.

“……”

Do people typically slap their own cheeks to check if they are dreaming?

Dale gazed blankly at his hand.

The solid and sharp gauntlet. Dale placed it in the hearth.

The fire hissed as it licked the gauntlet.

Still, there was no pain.

Dale knew that this only intensified the feeling of unreality.

The conclusion to this issue…

“Sir Dale, are your hands cold? Perhaps I should gift you a pair of gloves.”

Startled by the sudden voice, he turned around to find Garland standing at the inn’s door.

Garland gestured towards the gauntlet in the fire with a funny face.

Only then did Dale withdraw his hand from the hearth.

How did I not notice the door opening?

Dale must have been deeply engrossed.

He asked Garland,

“To come in person. It must be something of importance.”

“It’s about the trial that’s set for tomorrow.”

Dale paused for a moment before saying,

“Let’s hear it.”

“In truth, I feel sorry for Eirek, but the outcome of tomorrow’s trial has already been decided.”

Dale asked what he meant by that.

Garland took his time to explain.

After hearing everything, Dale quietly looked at the hearth.

Garland too remained silent and allowed Dale enough time to think.

Then Dale suddenly asked,

“Garland, why are you telling me this? You advised me that it would be best if I didn’t get involved in this matter.”

“My opinion hasn’t changed.’

“Then why?”

“Well, how should I put this…”

Garland chose his words carefully before continuing,

“It seems that my superiors want to test Sir Dale. I am merely a middleman, after all. I have to do as I’m told.”

“…..”

“How Sir Dale chooses to act is entirely up to you. I hope you make a choice you won’t regret.”

After leaving those words behind, Garland made his way out of the inn.

Dale called out to Garland’s retreating back,

“Who is this superior of yours?”

Garland glanced back briefly, then smiled and disappeared without answering.

***

The trial to judge the fallen kingdom’s princess started.

Due to its sensational nature, the courtroom was packed with spectators.

Among them was Dale who silently waited for the trial to begin.

Soon, all seven members of the jury entered, followed by the mages from the magic tower, Elena, and Eirek, who was in charge of the defense, taking their respective places.

As soon as the trial started, a tedious exchange of arguments ensued.

The mages listed various threats that had occurred in the city: the necromancer in the slums, and the madwoman who unleashed the crocodiles, among other acts of terror.

They were alleging Elena’s involvement in these matters.

Eirek defended her by dismissing these accusations as absurd and arguing that Elena had no connection to the previous incidents.

This back-and-forth exchange repeated itself several times.

The proceedings themselves unfolded smoothly.

The mages continued to present unconfirmed facts against Elena but Eirek skillfully defended her.

Above all, the biggest problem was that there was no conclusive evidence.

The audience murmured among themselves.

“If things continue this way, the princess might win.”

“Even for the magic tower, winning this trial unfairly would lead to a backlash.”

People speculated that Elena would prevail.

However, Dale was already aware of the trial’s predetermined outcome and quietly surveyed the surroundings.

Among the spectators, there was a notably sturdy man with handsome features.

Perhaps feeling Dale’s gaze,

The man turned around and their eyes met.

“…….”

At that moment, their gazes locked.

Just from a glance much could be discerned.

Dale immediately recognized that the man was no ordinary individual.

Could it be him?

Feeling something in return, the man flashed a sly smile at Dale before turning his head back to the front.

Dale shifted his gaze away as well.

After several exchanges, the council members deliberated for an extended period while contemplating the verdict.

Finally, the time had come.

It was time for the results.

The first to speak was the head of the blacksmiths’ guild.

“Hmm. Well, in the absence of convincing evidence, shouldn’t we declare her innocence?”

The audience murmured amongst themselves.

As expected, voices of agreement echoed here and there, saying, “Just as I thought” and such.

Next was the turn of the head of the Jophis family.

After glancing around at his surroundings, he spoke.

“I find the situation sufficiently suspicious. Particularly, the relic staff used by the woman who attacked the city recently seems questionable. I wonder if there might be some connection to the Vyman Kingdom which is known for its magic.”

The head of the Jophis family tentatively declared guilt while citing a flimsy reason.

It was inevitable.

He was a baronet and had ties to nobles in the upper districts; he was a council member deeply loyal to the Emperor, alongside Kadal.

And she was royalty from another country.

Also, forming one’s own faction in the slums (to be exact, it was Eirek’s faction) was not viewed favorably.

The council members continued to issue their verdicts.

Not guilty. Guilty. Not guilty. Guilty.

With each verdict, the spectators buzzed with reaction.

Eirek’s expression also darkened.

He had been confident of victory but the unfolding events suggested otherwise.

Eirek gritted his teeth in frustration.

Shit. Those bastards from the magic tower….

Then, the final turn came.

It was Garland’s turn. His single statement would determine the trial’s direction.

All eyes were focused on Garand’s mouth.

Garland deliberately paused before speaking as if he was savoring the attention

“I…”

He then shook his head.

“This issue is too complex for me. I abstain.”

His response caused an uproar greater than any before.

“What?”

“What did he say?”

“Wait. What happens now?”

Three guilty, three not guilty, and one abstention.

The council was evenly split.

This was exactly the scenario Garland had hinted at the day before to Dale.

At that moment, as if he had been waiting for it, a mage from the tower spoke up.

“Oh dear. It seems we haven’t reached a verdict through the trial. What a pity.”

His expression betrayed no regret.

“However, we have encountered such situations several times in the past. Each time, our ancestors dealt with them wisely.”

Eirek scowled.

Though unsure of the mage’s intentions, he felt an urgent need to counter his words.

But the mage was quicker.

He announced loudly,

“In matters beyond human judgment, we turn to the divine for a decision. We hereby request a trial by duel! Champion, step forward!”

At his call, a handsome blond man seated in the audience rose and stepped forward.

Clad in full plate armor, the man simply standing there radiated an intense presence.

And some members of the audience muttered under their breath.

“It’s Sir Kristen!”

“Kristen?”

“A knight about to be inducted into the Imperial Knight Order!”

The Imperial Knight Order, the most formidable group of knights serving the Emperor.

To be scheduled to join them meant this man was a formidable figure indeed.

This sudden turn of events stirred excitement among the audience.

A duel, and not just any duel, but one involving a renowned knight, was precisely the kind of spectacle the citizens relished.

Eirek was taken aback. He finally realized the magic tower’s intention.

Was this their plan all along…?

The reason they had been able to stand against the magic tower in this trial was precisely because of the trial’s fame.

With so many people watching, the magic tower couldn’t act carelessly.

Thus, the magic tower employed a strategy to overshadow one spectacle with another.

The moment the duel was declared, all attention shifted from the trial to the duel.

If the matter were to be decided through an honorable duel, the dirty tactics of the magic tower would be greatly diluted.

This is not good.

The situation was dire.

If they refused to duel here, they would be met with scorn from the citizens.

Rumors would spread that a royal member had turned down an honorable duel.

That would be the end of it. Even if a trial were held again, they would lose.

They had no choice but to accept it.

But how?

The opponent prepared was none other than a knight soon to be admitted into the Imperial Knight Order. Who could possibly stand against such a monster?

“I will! I will take the challenge!”

“Sir, please, calm yourself.”

Fraud struggled as he was restrained by Eirek’s men. He was seriously injured and was no match for Kristen right now.

No. Even in peak condition, he would have stood no chance.

It’s a death sentence.

Whoever stepped forward would die like a dog. The mages’ trap was lethal.

The moment they got caught in it, there was no chance of winning.

As Eirek remained silent, the head of the Jophis family asked,

“Does the defense accept the trial by duel? If so, you may present a champion. Do you have someone capable?”

Eirek kept his mouth shut while anticipation swelled among the onlookers.

The atmosphere was akin to a festival unfolding. Dale slowly surveyed the people around him with a sense of disdain.

Pathetic.

The first thing that caught his eye was the terrified figure of Elena.

Although she was holding her expression together, her hands were shaking.

The person standing there was neither a noble royal member nor a mage prodigy,

It was merely a scared child.

On the opposite side, the mages of the magic tower seemed to be basking in their apparent triumph.

Their smiles were as innocent as those of a boy who had just received the toy he longed for.

The audience simply reveled in the spectacle before them. They were happy to find something entertaining to watch.

They showed no concern for Elena’s fate in the duel.

The council members, embarrassed by the current situation of giving in to the pressure of the magic tower, could only offer awkward coughs.

Dale realized once again that his grandfather was right; the world was indeed full of a**holes.

I can’t stand idly by and watch this.

With that, Dale rose from his seat.

The towering figure of the dark knight stood out wherever he went. So in an instant, all eyes focused on Dale.

An eerie silence descended upon the courtroom as if by magic.

“……”

Dale closed his eyes for a moment. He recalled his thoughts from before.

He was plagued by a profound sense of unreality, struggling to distinguish between reality and game, dreams and falsehoods, a shaky self-identity, and blurred boundaries.

Everything felt unstable.

It seemed as if closing his eyes and reopening them might awaken him from this dream. He was uncertain about what was real and what was not.

Yet Dale found something amidst the chaos.

In the midst of all the uncertainty, he discovered one constant, he found the one thing that never changed.

Myself.

Dale was human and yearned to remain so. He was unwilling to forsake his human decency.

Even if everything was unclear, this resolve was crystal clear.

Therefore, Dale was determined to continue proving his humanity.

This wasn’t for anyone else. The gazes and expectations that others gave him were not important to Dale.

Whether it was the citizens harboring hostility or the night’s followers who idolized him, whether it was Eirek wishing for his help or Garland who wanted him to watch from afar

Everyone simply acted according to their own desires.

Those things have absolutely no effect on Dale’s behavior.

Now liberated from the obligation to protect the followers of the night, Dale’s decisions were entirely his own and made for his own sake.

Opening his eyes, Dale surveyed the room. His sudden movements had left everyone around him visibly perplexed.

It didn’t matter to him. Dale rummaged through his leather pouch and pulled out a feather pen.

He gazed intently at the cheap quill in his hand.

Right. Maybe I should be more proactive.

He had already faced the consequences of not doing so.

The dreamy faces of the gnome couple flashed briefly in his mind. He had no intention of repeating the same mistake.

Dale lifted his head.

Then, breaking the prolonged silence, his voice, cold and impassive, echoed through the courtroom, loud enough for all to hear.

“I will take part.”

“What…”

The mages were taken aback by this unexpected declaration. One of them sprang to his feet and shouted at Dale.

“And who are you to do so!”

While resting his hand on the hilt of his sword, Dale responded.

“A dark knight.”

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