[Legend of Sun Knight] fic: A Slice of Wedding Cake Slice 18
Happy New Year!!
Title: A Slice of Wedding Cake - Slice 18
Fandom: The Legend of Sun Knight
Words: 5,028
Summary: Sun and Judgment are getting married. The "why" and "how" really aren't that important right now. For this is not a story about their romance; this is the story of us observers. Yes, we, the underappreciated observers of this whole spectacle who did 99% of the work, and only received a slice of wedding cake in return. Grisia/Lesus, Ceo/Roland
Notes: Co-written with kiyutsuna. Odd chapters are hers. Even chapters are mine! All illustrations are done by kiyutsuna.
Slice 18: Too Much at Stake
Hell
My missions often took me out of the kingdom all year long. I had only returned momentarily to choose the 38th Hell Knight trainee, knowing full well that I would have to leave again and would not be able to personally oversee the kid's training. It was unfair to the kid, but there was no way around it. My undercover work was important, and it definitely wasn't going to get done by playing house. Any kid who wished to be the Hell Knight had to be tough enough to accept that his teacher wasn't going to be around holding his hand all day long.
When I saw the kid converse amiably with a bunch of other candidates who had just mocked him for his appearance, clearly out of jealousy, I thought he could be the one taking up the mantle after me. He was still just a brat barely out of infancy, but even then he was already showing promising signs at being socially adept.
His fine features were easy on the eyes as well, a boon for weaseling his way into the good graces of any kingdom's nobility. The advantages would be worth any trouble his appearance being too memorable might bring. His was a face that could mature into one that would make others want to reveal information to him. A perfect tool for the Hell Knight, one that would make his job a lot easier.
I didn't stay long after the selections, agreeing to the Pope's mission of sending the brat to the palace to become our eyes and ears there. He was the perfect age to pretend to be a royal knight hopeful, and this was a suitable first mission for him to understand what it meant to be the Hell Knight. It certainly wasn't going to be all fun and games. If he could not carry out this mission, then perhaps the Hell Knight position was not meant for him. Becoming the Hell Knight meant leaving a part of yourself behind to take up countless other identities instead.
He performed beautifully over the years, successfully becoming a rising star among the royal knights, so much that he rose to the position of captain. Even while away, I made sure to keep tabs on him. Chasel, however, often warned me that this was no mission for someone so young and still impressionable, but I didn't agree. Our students would eventually become the next Twelve Holy Knights. We could not coddle them so much.
Chasel's worries never came to fruition, or so I had thought, until I heard something strange while I was all the way in the Kingdom of Kissinger after my retirement, researching old legends about the demon king as a favor for Neo. There was little news of my homeland so far away, but even such a great distance could not put a stop to the rumors of the Hell Knight making an appearance for the first time in years to fight the Sun Knight for the princess's hand. Some claimed it was the ultimate romantic gesture of the year, while others claimed that the Hell Knight merely wished to usurp the Sun Knight's position, so it had little to do with romance. Such rumors were gleefully shared among the shadowpriests, with many wishing they had had a front-row seat to such a much see marvel.
I knew to take the rumors with a grain of salt. Who knew how it must have distorted after traveling across the lands to reach even my ears all the way over here? But whatever the case was, for rumors of the Hell Knight to even arise meant that something was terribly wrong. The Hell Knight was meant to be invisible, to work behind the scenes.
What in the world is that brat doing?
I wrapped up my business in Kissinger, having found worrying information about how the dark element could overpower a person's senses, which was evident in the many insane demon kings who had risen to power over the course of history, but any further information was beyond my grasp. I would have to return with a different identity if I wished to be able to discover more information. However, even what I had found out so far should prove a helpful stopgap for now.
With that thought in mind, I returned to Leaf Bud to inform Neo of my findings and confront my student. Or more accurately, I returned to keep Chasel in the loop, who would be much more capable of reaching Neo than I could. Even though I did not quite want to chance hearing from Chasel "I told you so" with regards to my student, I was banking on Chasel being too kind to rub it in my face.
"Please also relay to Neo that the most effective way to subdue the dark element is with objects of strong water element," I said after rattling off all I had discovered about the dark element's harmful nature. "Here are some locations I found with rumors of powerful artifacts that he may want to look into."
Chasel gave me a nod, already penning a letter as we conversed. He was as efficient as always, even though he always tried to waylay me with tea after talking shop.
With my favor for Neo addressed, I turned my attention to the worrying matter of my student. The whole city was still buzzing with chatter over some sort of deathmatch, and now I was even hearing that the Son of the God of War had also been involved. Just what in the name of the God of Light happened here?
"One of Grisia's schemes. You'll have to hear the details from Grisia," Chasel told me. "Though I have heard from Lesus about what happened, you'll want to see for yourself."
With that said, he even slid a letter over to me.
I opened the letter. It was written in an overly fancy script.
Dear Teacher Hell,
When you are in town, please drop by the Holy Temple. Grisia has happy news to share with you.
Sincerely,
Grisia
Well, that was ominous and a complete waste of parchment.
Grisia, Neo's brat, had always been someone I had thought would make a fine Hell Knight, if not for how flashy he was. He could talk his way through anything and had the world wrapped around his finger, as evident in how he had his group of holy knights doing favors for him left and right. What was even more impressive was that he had even gotten Neo ensnared. Neo may seem like he was just off adventuring for the hell of it, but Chasel and I both knew that he was searching for ways to keep Grisia safe. Grisia didn't even know how much he meant to his teacher.
He stood before me now, with a pleased grin on his face, a grin I really didn't like. It was far from a benevolent smile, if that was what he thought it was. By his side stood some masked stranger who remained silent while Grisia greeted me with God of Light this, God of Light that, and on and on and on...
"Just get to the point," I said, already tired of his contrived pleasantries.
Still with that grin on his face, Grisia gestured beside him and said, "It has been a long time since my dear brother Supreme Dragon Hell has seen his teacher, so I wished to provide this time for you to catch up. Dear brother Hell has helped Grisia tremendously, taking Grisia's place in the deathmatch against the Son of the God of War and the royal knight Elijah for the princess's hand. While Elijah is the one who ultimately won, I cannot thank Brother Hell enough for what he has done for Grisia. Grisia has no regrets ceding the match to a pair of true lovers."
For a moment, I thought the strange man beside him might be Elijah, the brat I had chosen all those years ago, and I wondered how I could possibly not recognize him despite how long it had been since I had last checked in on him, but then the rest of Grisia's words dispelled that notion.
Even though it was a convoluted explanation, I knew exactly what he meant. My student, with a face that could help him weasel his way into the good graces of any royal family, had instead been won over by the royal family. He was no longer my student, if he had ever been. I could count on my fingers the number of times I had truly interacted with him. I could not really call myself his teacher.
Instead, this masked person that Grisia had chosen himself was now the Hell Knight. I didn't know if I should be impressed or not that Grisia had been able to install his own Hell Knight, one who was clearly loyal to Grisia. Even Neo had not been this ridiculous.
I waved Grisia's letter in the air. "How is this happy news?"
The royal family now had something to hold over us. That would not do.
"Brother Hell has returned! Is that not happy news?" Grisia said. "He is staying this time, too, and no longer has missions that will take him away from the Holy Temple for so long. This time, he will be able to perform his duties here, just like the rest of his holy knight brethren."
That was as clear of a warning as any I had ever heard. This "Hell" Knight was not to be sent on lengthy undercover missions, or any undercover missions really.
"Good for you," I commented dryly. "Tell that to the Pope."
While my own investigations had never stopped even after retirement, I was no longer the Hell Knight. Whatever ridiculousness Grisia wished to stir up had nothing to do with me anymore.
"The Pope is well aware. Teacher Hell, please take this time to catch up with your student. You have many years to catch up on with each other."
Another warning, this time of my negligence as a teacher, and for me not to repeat the same mistake. While Grisia could be the perfect Hell Knight, manipulating the field with ease, he was also, at the same time, too caring, too protective.
The Hell Knight is meant to be used, not coddled!
With that, Grisia gave a nod to the guy who was apparently my student now, despite that I hadn't chosen him. Who is he, to be capable of being chosen by someone like Grisia to fill the shoes of one of his brothers?
After exchanging a glance with Grisia, the new Hell stepped forward and took off his mask, revealing a face that surprisingly held some familiarity, when I had thought he would be a complete stranger. However, I could not place where I might have seen him before.
I frowned. "We've met before."
Grisia cut in to say, "You are his teacher. Of course you have met before."
Finally, Grisia was being less long-winded, but his words were of no help at all.
My "student" was either playing along, or he was being surprisingly honest, as he responded with, "I was at the selections."
Since he was now the Hell Knight, of course he had to supposedly have been at the selections. But he really did sound like he meant it. I studied his appearance again, thinking back to the candidates who had shown up for the Hell Knight selections. If he had been among those brats, I should have some recollection of him. After all, there had only been a handful of them.
He twisted some sort of ring he was wearing, his black hair turning lighter, into some shade of brown. "Does this help?"
"Do you always wear a ring of disguise?" I asked, startled, but also impressed. Perhaps this kid can make a fine Hell Knight after all.
He gave a nod, his eyes that were now a bright blue making me wonder if he had tried for the Sun Knight's position instead. Wait, hold up...
I snapped my head in Grisia's direction. He had the nerve to keep smiling at me.
Who in the world would do that, placing someone who used to be a rival in such a close position? How did he even get the kid to agree? Is this not the kid Neo admired for his swordsmanship? Neo had said that swordsmanship like that was unforgettable, especially in one so young.
"My identity requires it," Sword Boy said in a serious voice. "I do not belong here."
It made sense that he needed to disguise himself, now that he was taking on the identity of the Hell Knight out of nowhere. He would need to distance himself from his previous identity.
Grisia shook his head. "Nonsense, Roland, you are Hell. You belong here, and Teacher Hell will tell you just as much."
I had the feeling that he had repeated these same words many times before, that this was a disagreement they often revisited.
The true reason Grisia wanted me here was to reassure this kid-Roland-that I approved of him. Just how strait-laced a kid is Roland, that he has to do this by the books?
Well, far be it for me to put up a fuss, when I was given another student after losing the first. I was a poor teacher, but if the brats wanted me to play this role, I could damn well do so, and this time, I was going to nail it. If even Neo could be a teacher, then I definitely could too.
"You'll do fine," I told Roland. "Grisia said you helped him out. You're already doing what a Hell Knight should do-support his Sun Knight."
At first, Roland did not say anything in response. He fiddled with the ring on his finger, although his appearance did not change this time. Then, as if he had made up his mind about something, he looked at me straight in the eye and said, "Teacher Hell, I hope to live up to your expectations."
Well, this kid was taking seriousness to the extreme.
"Call me Teacher," I told him.
With a nod, Roland continued on. "Teacher, if I ever do not meet expectations, if I ever bring harm to Grisia instead of aid, please burn me at the stake."
What the hell? Who asks stuff like this?
Grisia was holding his head, his hands covering his face, preventing me from giving him an incredulous look.
"It's easier to just show you," Grisia finally said and let his hands drop. He gave Roland a nod.
I watched as Roland took off the ring. Dark element burst forth, followed by a pair of leathery wings extending from his back. Those blue eyes had turned into flames, and tear-like markings flowed from his eyes, set against ashen skin.
I could only stare. Then, I gave a bark of laughter.
He's a death lord.
A death lord was my new student, the 38th Hell Knight, a holy knight of the God of Light. How fitting, for one such as Grisia to have a death lord by his side. Does Grisia really not know his own identity, like what Neo claims?
"You'll do just fine," I told Roland again. Then, I bared my teeth and said, "If not, I will burn you like you've asked."
"Teacher Hell!" Grisia protested. "That's not what I had you come here for!"
"Thank you," Roland said at the same time.
I gave another bark of laughter. This serious death lord wishing to protect the Sun Knight as the Hell Knight? Now, that's as fitting an identity as any for the Hell Knight to take.
I could get behind that.
Lesus, Chasel's kid, was not someone suited for a position like the Hell Knight. No, he was too dedicated, too kind for that. I'd heard from Chasel that the most common place to find Lesus nowadays was right by Grisia's side. Or well, bedside.
It was not happy news that brought all of the 37th generation back to the kingdom.
Just like Chasel said, I found Lesus by Grisia's bedside. The dedication of these judgment knights never failed to astound me. He was murmuring softly to Grisia as I walked in.
"You asked for me?" I said in lieu of a greeting.
Lesus gave a nod, his gaze never leaving Grisia, whose skin was deathly pale. The furrow between Lesus' brows was deep and only grew deeper as Grisia suddenly began thrashing on the bed, muffled groans accompanying the wild motions. The shackles clanked against the wooden frame and pulled taut, allowing Grisia little room to maneuver.
Instead of backing away, Lesus leaned forward to hold Grisia down.
I lifted an eyebrow and said, "That's what the shackles are for."
"Yes, but if Grisia pulls against them too much, they will chafe, and he may bleed again."
Yet, even such pain wasn't enough to snap Grisia out of his insanity, while his Judgment Knight may very well be the next to go insane if Grisia's situation never improved. I doubted that Lesus left this room much.
When Grisia finally calmed, Lesus slowly let go, sighing in relief when Grisia did not begin thrashing again.
Lesus smoothed Grisia's hair back and began to talk. "Teacher Hell, I conducted an investigation of Grisia's death. He was revived, but that does not mean he did not die in the first place. I wish for your help in this investigation."
"Roland killed him," I simply said. "I've already started pulling together an identity as a servant to a Kissinger noble. Roland may be protected by the Cathedral of the Shadow God, but I can sneak in at any time."
After all, I did promise to burn him.
The death lord protecting the future demon king... Turned out to be a demon king himself.
"No, I have no need of that set of skills of yours. Teacher Hell, I only wish for a second opinion. As Roland's teacher, you know him better than many others."
Can I really be considered his teacher? I did not really mentor him. I could not really say I knew him. I thought I did.
But, I humored Lesus, and listened to all that he had found out. About the magic circle in Pink's private room. About how the Pope ascertained that the magic circle was one used to strengthen control over death knights.
Lesus lay down fact after fact, all tightly woven together by logic.
I found my lips twitching up. Did Lesus have any need of my presence to confirm his conjectures? No, not at all. He was just too kind, too kind to let this failure of a teacher continue to think of his student as a murderer.
As I had thought, Lesus was not at all suited to be someone like the Hell Knight.
Good thing he isn't.
Ceo, Lanbi's little rascal, wasn't someone I thought could ever carry out the duties of a Hell Knight. He had been a shy little thing, blushing so frequently that I'd be rich if I received a ducat each time his face flushed red. It was too obvious a tell. No matter what identity he tried to take, that reaction would give him away.
But look at him now, mingling among the crowd with ease, commanding everyone's attention with his words. Never had I ever thought that Ceo would be confident enough in himself that he could even take on the identity of a bridesmaid for his Sun and Judgment. This time, what brought me back home was happy news indeed.
Lanbi had better foresight than I thought, to choose Ceo out of all the other brats before this was evident. Perhaps I was giving Lanbi too little credit.
I slid my eyes to where Lanbi had slumped over, hand clutching his glass of wine, as he bemoaned to Eller that his daughter had been stolen from him.
By the God of Light, he's still going on about that?
He had even accosted me with Fahr in tow, when I'd only just gotten back to the city, to complain about the same thing.
"Your student has a lot of nerve to go after mine!" Lanbi had shouted the moment I opened the door after his incessant knocking.
"Did Roland kill someone again?" I asked. Lanbi had even conveniently brought Fahr with him, so if there was any burning to be done, it would be a cinch.
Fahr snorted and shook his head. "No, nothing that dire. He means that Ceo and Roland are together."
Well, that was anticlimactic. Nothing surprising there. I made to close the door, but Lanbi quickly stuck a foot in. I had half the mind to close the door on his foot anyway, but Fahr's apologetic expression made me decide differently. When I let go of the door, Lanbi sauntered right in.
Sure, make yourself at home.
Lanbi poked me right in the chest. "What do you have to say about this, huh?"
"What does this even have to do with me?" I swatted his hand away.
"He's your student!"
First Grisia, then Lesus, and now Lanbi, all claiming that Roland was my student. I had not chosen him back then, and I had not really taught him much, but he was indeed the only one I had simply calling me "Teacher."
"Okay fine," I admitted. "So what?"
"So what do you have to say about this?!" Lanbi demanded.
I didn't have to think about it at all. "He's serious about this. You don't have to worry. I'm sure he told you that if he ever hurt Ceo in any way that you should burn him at the stake. He values Ceo even more than his own life."
Lanbi groaned.
Fahr laughed and said, "And you were still thinking of denying being his teacher. That's exactly what he said."
"Who even says things like that?" Lanbi complained. "How could I not give him my permission? So unfair. You better watch out, Hell, because Roland even asked me..."
Lanbi had complained plenty, and he was still complaining now, unable to reconcile with the idea that his kid had grown up. Lanbi would have made a terrible Hell Knight. So no, I'd attributed just the right amount of credit to him. Despite Lanbi's mentorship, Ceo had grown up into a fine young man who could have been a perfect Hell Knight, but had instead fallen in love with the Hell Knight.
For someone like Roland who had always considered himself expendable, this was happy news. Having more connections would do him good.
Roland, my student, wasn't someone I had chosen. He had not been chosen by Neo either, a fact that was briefly brought up over the campfire in a rare lull before we dealt with more lands of darkness. Briefly, because Neo was never someone to dwell on anything for long.
No, neither of us had chosen him, but Grisia had. And Ceo had as well.
Which led to Roland being here with us. Truly here with us. He had even gotten it into his head the idea that all students had to dance with their teachers. So, here we were, slowly swaying to the music.
By no means was Roland a poor dancer, just one who only knew one way to dance. Slowly and earnestly, putting on quite the romantic mood, that was, if his dance partner was anyone but me. I was quite certain that Ceo must have been the one to teach Roland how to dance. I myself had been remiss in instructing Roland in this essential skill all Hell Knights should know.
In another life, perhaps it would have been Elijah leading me on the dance floor, regaling me with tales of all the sights he'd seen with each identity he took. He had, like I thought he would, grown up into someone who played to the crowd with ease. After dancing with his wife Jasmine, he'd gone off to dance with the queen, the king, and many others, including the princesses from the other kingdoms. He absolutely would have made a fine Hell Knight, but this role suited him even more, one that was not hidden out of the spotlight. A smile was never far from his face. He'd found his place. His happiness. That wasn't something everyone could claim.
In this life, it was Roland who led me across the dance floor, Roland who had been chosen to be best man, Roland who was here with us among the Twelve Holy Knights. When we brushed past Elijah, he gave me a small smile over his latest dancing partner's shoulder. I nodded at him, and that was all, our paths splitting once more.
To our right, Chasel must have saved Lesus from Neo at some point, as our former Judgment Knight and Sun Knight were now sharing a dance, a sight that would not have been possible if not for their students breaking tradition.
Even during the time Grisia had to be chained to the bed, and we of the 37th generation had all come back together to lend Neo our aid, Neo had not let himself show such vulnerability. Instead, he had chosen to keep Chasel at arm's length, always ready with an excuse. But now, Neo was smiling widely without holding himself back, with Chasel's arms around him. I had no doubt that Chasel must also be smiling in return, perhaps fondly.
While I did not know where their paths would lead them after this wedding ended, as Neo was definitely not going to stop adventuring, they had at least allowed themselves this moment of happiness. Wen would be pleased. I'd heard enough of his complaints over the years about how Neo needed to get over himself.
Perhaps, now that Neo's self-appointed mission of finding ways to save his student had come to a happy conclusion, he could stop by Leaf Bud more frequently than before.
I repositioned Roland's arm and nudged his foot. "Like this," I instructed, to which I received a serious nod. My lips lifted in a smile. "I saw you dancing with Lanbi's student earlier. You can show him your new moves later."
"He would like that," Roland agreed, our conversation halting momentarily as Roland focused on his footwork. I let my attention drift, enjoying the charming music, my ears catching wisps of conversation. My favorite was from this one couple who was dying to know if there was any enmity between the Judgment Knight and Princess Jasmine, given that Princess Jasmine used to command the Sun Knight's love, to the point that he had fought for her hand.
That very battle was also the one that had brought me my student. Grisia had made a fine choice, even though it might not have always seemed that way.
"Teacher," Roland began but did not continue right away. I made a noncommittal noise after which he said, "I just wanted to let you know that Ceo is very important to me. I find that I wish to be with him forever."
Forever, huh?
Like Elijah, Roland too had found what was important to him.
"Lanbi has been worried out of his mind," I brought up with a chuckle.
"Are you worried, Teacher?" Roland asked.
The smile on my face had never left. Roland was still so proper. "Not at all, kiddo. You have my blessing."
As our dance came to an end, I clasped him on the shoulder and said, "Roland, I also have something I want you to know." I paused and looked him in the eye. "You've done well. There's no need to burn you at the stake after all. You have so much to live for. Go, enjoy life to the fullest."
With that, I gave him a push to where Lanbi's brat had been mingling among their companions. When Ceo noticed Roland, he waved him over. Roland approached with eager strides, their hands soon finding each other.
Lanbi had been heartbroken over seeing his brat grow up and fall in love. Well, I'd already experienced that with the first brat, and now the second was subjecting me to the same.
I sat back down and poured myself more wine. Fahr's brat Chikus had somehow dragged both Ecilan and Demos into the weirdest dance I'd ever seen, one that didn't even fit the music. Now, that was a kid I'd never have chosen to be the Hell Knight.
"What is he doing now?" Fahr said, aghast.
Lanbi burst out laughing. "Is he leading them in some sort of line dance?"
"This music doesn't even work for that!" Eller protested.
But as more people got roped into the dance, with even the married couple joining in with bright smiles on their faces, the music changed to fit. There was laughter all around. By now, all of the 38th generation had joined the strange dance, and even many of the 37th, including Neo and Chasel. As Roland passed by us, he called out, "Teacher, I hear that it is a must for everyone to join this dance."
I gave a bark of laughter. He was too serious for his own good. But I got up to much teasing from the rest.
I was often out of the kingdom all year long, perhaps even giving Neo a run for his money, but this time, I might stay just a bit longer. My student may have crossed paths with me at an age where he no longer needed a teacher, but getting to see him find a place for himself, among people who adored him, was a delight.
I may not have chosen him myself, and he was truly not the best fit for the Hell Knight as tradition dictated, but it mattered little. What were traditions, after all, if not for breaking? This entire wedding was proof of that.
He, Ceo, and all the others were going to be fine.
to be continued
Kiyutsuna: Sign up today to get your free, personalized Hell Knight eligibility assessment, courtesy of Teacher Hell!
Lucathia: Hell, why are you even analyzing your own peers? You can't get Lanbi to be the Hell Knight even if you wanted to! And so concludes my final chapter of Cake with some random backstory~ o/ Please look forward to the next and final chapter!
This entry was originally posted at https://lucathia.dreamwidth.org/370317.html. You can comment here or there.
Title: A Slice of Wedding Cake - Slice 18
Fandom: The Legend of Sun Knight
Words: 5,028
Summary: Sun and Judgment are getting married. The "why" and "how" really aren't that important right now. For this is not a story about their romance; this is the story of us observers. Yes, we, the underappreciated observers of this whole spectacle who did 99% of the work, and only received a slice of wedding cake in return. Grisia/Lesus, Ceo/Roland
Notes: Co-written with kiyutsuna. Odd chapters are hers. Even chapters are mine! All illustrations are done by kiyutsuna.
Slice 18: Too Much at Stake
Hell
My missions often took me out of the kingdom all year long. I had only returned momentarily to choose the 38th Hell Knight trainee, knowing full well that I would have to leave again and would not be able to personally oversee the kid's training. It was unfair to the kid, but there was no way around it. My undercover work was important, and it definitely wasn't going to get done by playing house. Any kid who wished to be the Hell Knight had to be tough enough to accept that his teacher wasn't going to be around holding his hand all day long.
When I saw the kid converse amiably with a bunch of other candidates who had just mocked him for his appearance, clearly out of jealousy, I thought he could be the one taking up the mantle after me. He was still just a brat barely out of infancy, but even then he was already showing promising signs at being socially adept.
His fine features were easy on the eyes as well, a boon for weaseling his way into the good graces of any kingdom's nobility. The advantages would be worth any trouble his appearance being too memorable might bring. His was a face that could mature into one that would make others want to reveal information to him. A perfect tool for the Hell Knight, one that would make his job a lot easier.
I didn't stay long after the selections, agreeing to the Pope's mission of sending the brat to the palace to become our eyes and ears there. He was the perfect age to pretend to be a royal knight hopeful, and this was a suitable first mission for him to understand what it meant to be the Hell Knight. It certainly wasn't going to be all fun and games. If he could not carry out this mission, then perhaps the Hell Knight position was not meant for him. Becoming the Hell Knight meant leaving a part of yourself behind to take up countless other identities instead.
He performed beautifully over the years, successfully becoming a rising star among the royal knights, so much that he rose to the position of captain. Even while away, I made sure to keep tabs on him. Chasel, however, often warned me that this was no mission for someone so young and still impressionable, but I didn't agree. Our students would eventually become the next Twelve Holy Knights. We could not coddle them so much.
Chasel's worries never came to fruition, or so I had thought, until I heard something strange while I was all the way in the Kingdom of Kissinger after my retirement, researching old legends about the demon king as a favor for Neo. There was little news of my homeland so far away, but even such a great distance could not put a stop to the rumors of the Hell Knight making an appearance for the first time in years to fight the Sun Knight for the princess's hand. Some claimed it was the ultimate romantic gesture of the year, while others claimed that the Hell Knight merely wished to usurp the Sun Knight's position, so it had little to do with romance. Such rumors were gleefully shared among the shadowpriests, with many wishing they had had a front-row seat to such a much see marvel.
I knew to take the rumors with a grain of salt. Who knew how it must have distorted after traveling across the lands to reach even my ears all the way over here? But whatever the case was, for rumors of the Hell Knight to even arise meant that something was terribly wrong. The Hell Knight was meant to be invisible, to work behind the scenes.
What in the world is that brat doing?
I wrapped up my business in Kissinger, having found worrying information about how the dark element could overpower a person's senses, which was evident in the many insane demon kings who had risen to power over the course of history, but any further information was beyond my grasp. I would have to return with a different identity if I wished to be able to discover more information. However, even what I had found out so far should prove a helpful stopgap for now.
With that thought in mind, I returned to Leaf Bud to inform Neo of my findings and confront my student. Or more accurately, I returned to keep Chasel in the loop, who would be much more capable of reaching Neo than I could. Even though I did not quite want to chance hearing from Chasel "I told you so" with regards to my student, I was banking on Chasel being too kind to rub it in my face.
"Please also relay to Neo that the most effective way to subdue the dark element is with objects of strong water element," I said after rattling off all I had discovered about the dark element's harmful nature. "Here are some locations I found with rumors of powerful artifacts that he may want to look into."
Chasel gave me a nod, already penning a letter as we conversed. He was as efficient as always, even though he always tried to waylay me with tea after talking shop.
With my favor for Neo addressed, I turned my attention to the worrying matter of my student. The whole city was still buzzing with chatter over some sort of deathmatch, and now I was even hearing that the Son of the God of War had also been involved. Just what in the name of the God of Light happened here?
"One of Grisia's schemes. You'll have to hear the details from Grisia," Chasel told me. "Though I have heard from Lesus about what happened, you'll want to see for yourself."
With that said, he even slid a letter over to me.
I opened the letter. It was written in an overly fancy script.
Dear Teacher Hell,
When you are in town, please drop by the Holy Temple. Grisia has happy news to share with you.
Sincerely,
Grisia
Well, that was ominous and a complete waste of parchment.
Grisia, Neo's brat, had always been someone I had thought would make a fine Hell Knight, if not for how flashy he was. He could talk his way through anything and had the world wrapped around his finger, as evident in how he had his group of holy knights doing favors for him left and right. What was even more impressive was that he had even gotten Neo ensnared. Neo may seem like he was just off adventuring for the hell of it, but Chasel and I both knew that he was searching for ways to keep Grisia safe. Grisia didn't even know how much he meant to his teacher.
He stood before me now, with a pleased grin on his face, a grin I really didn't like. It was far from a benevolent smile, if that was what he thought it was. By his side stood some masked stranger who remained silent while Grisia greeted me with God of Light this, God of Light that, and on and on and on...
"Just get to the point," I said, already tired of his contrived pleasantries.
Still with that grin on his face, Grisia gestured beside him and said, "It has been a long time since my dear brother Supreme Dragon Hell has seen his teacher, so I wished to provide this time for you to catch up. Dear brother Hell has helped Grisia tremendously, taking Grisia's place in the deathmatch against the Son of the God of War and the royal knight Elijah for the princess's hand. While Elijah is the one who ultimately won, I cannot thank Brother Hell enough for what he has done for Grisia. Grisia has no regrets ceding the match to a pair of true lovers."
For a moment, I thought the strange man beside him might be Elijah, the brat I had chosen all those years ago, and I wondered how I could possibly not recognize him despite how long it had been since I had last checked in on him, but then the rest of Grisia's words dispelled that notion.
Even though it was a convoluted explanation, I knew exactly what he meant. My student, with a face that could help him weasel his way into the good graces of any royal family, had instead been won over by the royal family. He was no longer my student, if he had ever been. I could count on my fingers the number of times I had truly interacted with him. I could not really call myself his teacher.
Instead, this masked person that Grisia had chosen himself was now the Hell Knight. I didn't know if I should be impressed or not that Grisia had been able to install his own Hell Knight, one who was clearly loyal to Grisia. Even Neo had not been this ridiculous.
I waved Grisia's letter in the air. "How is this happy news?"
The royal family now had something to hold over us. That would not do.
"Brother Hell has returned! Is that not happy news?" Grisia said. "He is staying this time, too, and no longer has missions that will take him away from the Holy Temple for so long. This time, he will be able to perform his duties here, just like the rest of his holy knight brethren."
That was as clear of a warning as any I had ever heard. This "Hell" Knight was not to be sent on lengthy undercover missions, or any undercover missions really.
"Good for you," I commented dryly. "Tell that to the Pope."
While my own investigations had never stopped even after retirement, I was no longer the Hell Knight. Whatever ridiculousness Grisia wished to stir up had nothing to do with me anymore.
"The Pope is well aware. Teacher Hell, please take this time to catch up with your student. You have many years to catch up on with each other."
Another warning, this time of my negligence as a teacher, and for me not to repeat the same mistake. While Grisia could be the perfect Hell Knight, manipulating the field with ease, he was also, at the same time, too caring, too protective.
The Hell Knight is meant to be used, not coddled!
With that, Grisia gave a nod to the guy who was apparently my student now, despite that I hadn't chosen him. Who is he, to be capable of being chosen by someone like Grisia to fill the shoes of one of his brothers?
After exchanging a glance with Grisia, the new Hell stepped forward and took off his mask, revealing a face that surprisingly held some familiarity, when I had thought he would be a complete stranger. However, I could not place where I might have seen him before.
I frowned. "We've met before."
Grisia cut in to say, "You are his teacher. Of course you have met before."
Finally, Grisia was being less long-winded, but his words were of no help at all.
My "student" was either playing along, or he was being surprisingly honest, as he responded with, "I was at the selections."
Since he was now the Hell Knight, of course he had to supposedly have been at the selections. But he really did sound like he meant it. I studied his appearance again, thinking back to the candidates who had shown up for the Hell Knight selections. If he had been among those brats, I should have some recollection of him. After all, there had only been a handful of them.
He twisted some sort of ring he was wearing, his black hair turning lighter, into some shade of brown. "Does this help?"
"Do you always wear a ring of disguise?" I asked, startled, but also impressed. Perhaps this kid can make a fine Hell Knight after all.
He gave a nod, his eyes that were now a bright blue making me wonder if he had tried for the Sun Knight's position instead. Wait, hold up...
I snapped my head in Grisia's direction. He had the nerve to keep smiling at me.
Who in the world would do that, placing someone who used to be a rival in such a close position? How did he even get the kid to agree? Is this not the kid Neo admired for his swordsmanship? Neo had said that swordsmanship like that was unforgettable, especially in one so young.
"My identity requires it," Sword Boy said in a serious voice. "I do not belong here."
It made sense that he needed to disguise himself, now that he was taking on the identity of the Hell Knight out of nowhere. He would need to distance himself from his previous identity.
Grisia shook his head. "Nonsense, Roland, you are Hell. You belong here, and Teacher Hell will tell you just as much."
I had the feeling that he had repeated these same words many times before, that this was a disagreement they often revisited.
The true reason Grisia wanted me here was to reassure this kid-Roland-that I approved of him. Just how strait-laced a kid is Roland, that he has to do this by the books?
Well, far be it for me to put up a fuss, when I was given another student after losing the first. I was a poor teacher, but if the brats wanted me to play this role, I could damn well do so, and this time, I was going to nail it. If even Neo could be a teacher, then I definitely could too.
"You'll do fine," I told Roland. "Grisia said you helped him out. You're already doing what a Hell Knight should do-support his Sun Knight."
At first, Roland did not say anything in response. He fiddled with the ring on his finger, although his appearance did not change this time. Then, as if he had made up his mind about something, he looked at me straight in the eye and said, "Teacher Hell, I hope to live up to your expectations."
Well, this kid was taking seriousness to the extreme.
"Call me Teacher," I told him.
With a nod, Roland continued on. "Teacher, if I ever do not meet expectations, if I ever bring harm to Grisia instead of aid, please burn me at the stake."
What the hell? Who asks stuff like this?
Grisia was holding his head, his hands covering his face, preventing me from giving him an incredulous look.
"It's easier to just show you," Grisia finally said and let his hands drop. He gave Roland a nod.
I watched as Roland took off the ring. Dark element burst forth, followed by a pair of leathery wings extending from his back. Those blue eyes had turned into flames, and tear-like markings flowed from his eyes, set against ashen skin.
I could only stare. Then, I gave a bark of laughter.
He's a death lord.
A death lord was my new student, the 38th Hell Knight, a holy knight of the God of Light. How fitting, for one such as Grisia to have a death lord by his side. Does Grisia really not know his own identity, like what Neo claims?
"You'll do just fine," I told Roland again. Then, I bared my teeth and said, "If not, I will burn you like you've asked."
"Teacher Hell!" Grisia protested. "That's not what I had you come here for!"
"Thank you," Roland said at the same time.
I gave another bark of laughter. This serious death lord wishing to protect the Sun Knight as the Hell Knight? Now, that's as fitting an identity as any for the Hell Knight to take.
I could get behind that.
Lesus, Chasel's kid, was not someone suited for a position like the Hell Knight. No, he was too dedicated, too kind for that. I'd heard from Chasel that the most common place to find Lesus nowadays was right by Grisia's side. Or well, bedside.
It was not happy news that brought all of the 37th generation back to the kingdom.
Just like Chasel said, I found Lesus by Grisia's bedside. The dedication of these judgment knights never failed to astound me. He was murmuring softly to Grisia as I walked in.
"You asked for me?" I said in lieu of a greeting.
Lesus gave a nod, his gaze never leaving Grisia, whose skin was deathly pale. The furrow between Lesus' brows was deep and only grew deeper as Grisia suddenly began thrashing on the bed, muffled groans accompanying the wild motions. The shackles clanked against the wooden frame and pulled taut, allowing Grisia little room to maneuver.
Instead of backing away, Lesus leaned forward to hold Grisia down.
I lifted an eyebrow and said, "That's what the shackles are for."
"Yes, but if Grisia pulls against them too much, they will chafe, and he may bleed again."
Yet, even such pain wasn't enough to snap Grisia out of his insanity, while his Judgment Knight may very well be the next to go insane if Grisia's situation never improved. I doubted that Lesus left this room much.
When Grisia finally calmed, Lesus slowly let go, sighing in relief when Grisia did not begin thrashing again.
Lesus smoothed Grisia's hair back and began to talk. "Teacher Hell, I conducted an investigation of Grisia's death. He was revived, but that does not mean he did not die in the first place. I wish for your help in this investigation."
"Roland killed him," I simply said. "I've already started pulling together an identity as a servant to a Kissinger noble. Roland may be protected by the Cathedral of the Shadow God, but I can sneak in at any time."
After all, I did promise to burn him.
The death lord protecting the future demon king... Turned out to be a demon king himself.
"No, I have no need of that set of skills of yours. Teacher Hell, I only wish for a second opinion. As Roland's teacher, you know him better than many others."
Can I really be considered his teacher? I did not really mentor him. I could not really say I knew him. I thought I did.
But, I humored Lesus, and listened to all that he had found out. About the magic circle in Pink's private room. About how the Pope ascertained that the magic circle was one used to strengthen control over death knights.
Lesus lay down fact after fact, all tightly woven together by logic.
I found my lips twitching up. Did Lesus have any need of my presence to confirm his conjectures? No, not at all. He was just too kind, too kind to let this failure of a teacher continue to think of his student as a murderer.
As I had thought, Lesus was not at all suited to be someone like the Hell Knight.
Good thing he isn't.
Ceo, Lanbi's little rascal, wasn't someone I thought could ever carry out the duties of a Hell Knight. He had been a shy little thing, blushing so frequently that I'd be rich if I received a ducat each time his face flushed red. It was too obvious a tell. No matter what identity he tried to take, that reaction would give him away.
But look at him now, mingling among the crowd with ease, commanding everyone's attention with his words. Never had I ever thought that Ceo would be confident enough in himself that he could even take on the identity of a bridesmaid for his Sun and Judgment. This time, what brought me back home was happy news indeed.
Lanbi had better foresight than I thought, to choose Ceo out of all the other brats before this was evident. Perhaps I was giving Lanbi too little credit.
I slid my eyes to where Lanbi had slumped over, hand clutching his glass of wine, as he bemoaned to Eller that his daughter had been stolen from him.
By the God of Light, he's still going on about that?
He had even accosted me with Fahr in tow, when I'd only just gotten back to the city, to complain about the same thing.
"Your student has a lot of nerve to go after mine!" Lanbi had shouted the moment I opened the door after his incessant knocking.
"Did Roland kill someone again?" I asked. Lanbi had even conveniently brought Fahr with him, so if there was any burning to be done, it would be a cinch.
Fahr snorted and shook his head. "No, nothing that dire. He means that Ceo and Roland are together."
Well, that was anticlimactic. Nothing surprising there. I made to close the door, but Lanbi quickly stuck a foot in. I had half the mind to close the door on his foot anyway, but Fahr's apologetic expression made me decide differently. When I let go of the door, Lanbi sauntered right in.
Sure, make yourself at home.
Lanbi poked me right in the chest. "What do you have to say about this, huh?"
"What does this even have to do with me?" I swatted his hand away.
"He's your student!"
First Grisia, then Lesus, and now Lanbi, all claiming that Roland was my student. I had not chosen him back then, and I had not really taught him much, but he was indeed the only one I had simply calling me "Teacher."
"Okay fine," I admitted. "So what?"
"So what do you have to say about this?!" Lanbi demanded.
I didn't have to think about it at all. "He's serious about this. You don't have to worry. I'm sure he told you that if he ever hurt Ceo in any way that you should burn him at the stake. He values Ceo even more than his own life."
Lanbi groaned.
Fahr laughed and said, "And you were still thinking of denying being his teacher. That's exactly what he said."
"Who even says things like that?" Lanbi complained. "How could I not give him my permission? So unfair. You better watch out, Hell, because Roland even asked me..."
Lanbi had complained plenty, and he was still complaining now, unable to reconcile with the idea that his kid had grown up. Lanbi would have made a terrible Hell Knight. So no, I'd attributed just the right amount of credit to him. Despite Lanbi's mentorship, Ceo had grown up into a fine young man who could have been a perfect Hell Knight, but had instead fallen in love with the Hell Knight.
For someone like Roland who had always considered himself expendable, this was happy news. Having more connections would do him good.
Roland, my student, wasn't someone I had chosen. He had not been chosen by Neo either, a fact that was briefly brought up over the campfire in a rare lull before we dealt with more lands of darkness. Briefly, because Neo was never someone to dwell on anything for long.
No, neither of us had chosen him, but Grisia had. And Ceo had as well.
Which led to Roland being here with us. Truly here with us. He had even gotten it into his head the idea that all students had to dance with their teachers. So, here we were, slowly swaying to the music.
By no means was Roland a poor dancer, just one who only knew one way to dance. Slowly and earnestly, putting on quite the romantic mood, that was, if his dance partner was anyone but me. I was quite certain that Ceo must have been the one to teach Roland how to dance. I myself had been remiss in instructing Roland in this essential skill all Hell Knights should know.
In another life, perhaps it would have been Elijah leading me on the dance floor, regaling me with tales of all the sights he'd seen with each identity he took. He had, like I thought he would, grown up into someone who played to the crowd with ease. After dancing with his wife Jasmine, he'd gone off to dance with the queen, the king, and many others, including the princesses from the other kingdoms. He absolutely would have made a fine Hell Knight, but this role suited him even more, one that was not hidden out of the spotlight. A smile was never far from his face. He'd found his place. His happiness. That wasn't something everyone could claim.
In this life, it was Roland who led me across the dance floor, Roland who had been chosen to be best man, Roland who was here with us among the Twelve Holy Knights. When we brushed past Elijah, he gave me a small smile over his latest dancing partner's shoulder. I nodded at him, and that was all, our paths splitting once more.
To our right, Chasel must have saved Lesus from Neo at some point, as our former Judgment Knight and Sun Knight were now sharing a dance, a sight that would not have been possible if not for their students breaking tradition.
Even during the time Grisia had to be chained to the bed, and we of the 37th generation had all come back together to lend Neo our aid, Neo had not let himself show such vulnerability. Instead, he had chosen to keep Chasel at arm's length, always ready with an excuse. But now, Neo was smiling widely without holding himself back, with Chasel's arms around him. I had no doubt that Chasel must also be smiling in return, perhaps fondly.
While I did not know where their paths would lead them after this wedding ended, as Neo was definitely not going to stop adventuring, they had at least allowed themselves this moment of happiness. Wen would be pleased. I'd heard enough of his complaints over the years about how Neo needed to get over himself.
Perhaps, now that Neo's self-appointed mission of finding ways to save his student had come to a happy conclusion, he could stop by Leaf Bud more frequently than before.
I repositioned Roland's arm and nudged his foot. "Like this," I instructed, to which I received a serious nod. My lips lifted in a smile. "I saw you dancing with Lanbi's student earlier. You can show him your new moves later."
"He would like that," Roland agreed, our conversation halting momentarily as Roland focused on his footwork. I let my attention drift, enjoying the charming music, my ears catching wisps of conversation. My favorite was from this one couple who was dying to know if there was any enmity between the Judgment Knight and Princess Jasmine, given that Princess Jasmine used to command the Sun Knight's love, to the point that he had fought for her hand.
That very battle was also the one that had brought me my student. Grisia had made a fine choice, even though it might not have always seemed that way.
"Teacher," Roland began but did not continue right away. I made a noncommittal noise after which he said, "I just wanted to let you know that Ceo is very important to me. I find that I wish to be with him forever."
Forever, huh?
Like Elijah, Roland too had found what was important to him.
"Lanbi has been worried out of his mind," I brought up with a chuckle.
"Are you worried, Teacher?" Roland asked.
The smile on my face had never left. Roland was still so proper. "Not at all, kiddo. You have my blessing."
As our dance came to an end, I clasped him on the shoulder and said, "Roland, I also have something I want you to know." I paused and looked him in the eye. "You've done well. There's no need to burn you at the stake after all. You have so much to live for. Go, enjoy life to the fullest."
With that, I gave him a push to where Lanbi's brat had been mingling among their companions. When Ceo noticed Roland, he waved him over. Roland approached with eager strides, their hands soon finding each other.
Lanbi had been heartbroken over seeing his brat grow up and fall in love. Well, I'd already experienced that with the first brat, and now the second was subjecting me to the same.
I sat back down and poured myself more wine. Fahr's brat Chikus had somehow dragged both Ecilan and Demos into the weirdest dance I'd ever seen, one that didn't even fit the music. Now, that was a kid I'd never have chosen to be the Hell Knight.
"What is he doing now?" Fahr said, aghast.
Lanbi burst out laughing. "Is he leading them in some sort of line dance?"
"This music doesn't even work for that!" Eller protested.
But as more people got roped into the dance, with even the married couple joining in with bright smiles on their faces, the music changed to fit. There was laughter all around. By now, all of the 38th generation had joined the strange dance, and even many of the 37th, including Neo and Chasel. As Roland passed by us, he called out, "Teacher, I hear that it is a must for everyone to join this dance."
I gave a bark of laughter. He was too serious for his own good. But I got up to much teasing from the rest.
I was often out of the kingdom all year long, perhaps even giving Neo a run for his money, but this time, I might stay just a bit longer. My student may have crossed paths with me at an age where he no longer needed a teacher, but getting to see him find a place for himself, among people who adored him, was a delight.
I may not have chosen him myself, and he was truly not the best fit for the Hell Knight as tradition dictated, but it mattered little. What were traditions, after all, if not for breaking? This entire wedding was proof of that.
He, Ceo, and all the others were going to be fine.
to be continued
Kiyutsuna: Sign up today to get your free, personalized Hell Knight eligibility assessment, courtesy of Teacher Hell!
Lucathia: Hell, why are you even analyzing your own peers? You can't get Lanbi to be the Hell Knight even if you wanted to! And so concludes my final chapter of Cake with some random backstory~ o/ Please look forward to the next and final chapter!
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