Wrought King of Iron

Chapter 39: Black Knight Strout (III)

It was a magnificent country. An idyllic land, with beautiful architecture and a prosperous economy. There was no poverty, or starvation. In fact, every citizen had abundant wealth, plenty of food, and good healthcare. This place was the pinnacle of humanity of the ancient world, though long forgotten now. 

Advanced technology, large wealth and affluence. One could not tell that it had still been at war only the day prior. But this city, despite being seen as the height of humanity and what unity can achieve, it collapsed. For in truth, it was a prosperous country that ran rampant with greed. The king was guilty of greed. The nobility were guilty of greed. The religious leaders were guilty of greed. The civilians were guilty of greed. They were all greedy. And it was this greed that caused the kingdom to collapse. Destroyed at the hands of someone who was robbed by another's disgusting greed.

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I watched from an outsider's perspective, the older variation of the foe I had engaged with not a moment earlier. Trapped in this strange phenomenon, I witnessed his past. More precisely, the part where everything that could go wrong in his life, went so horribly wrong. Whether it was some unintended side effect of being bitten, or if that Eldritch Horror abomination was showing it to me on purpose, I did not know yet.

Everything started on that day. Or rather, everything that befell the tragic knight transpired in the course of a mere day.

Firstly, the parade started at the beginning of the day. The army had returned; valorous knights who fought for the country to deliver it from any evil that may befall it. After an arduous journey away from their homes, spouses, children, family in its entirety, no knight could be happier to return victorious then Rizo himself.

Rizo-Waal Strout was an esteemed Knight, clad in clean, white armour, to reflect his currently pure nature. In contrast, walking beside him was his seemingly best friend, the king himself, despite also originally wearing white, his apparel was soaked in blood.

Moreover, the city loved the two, especially Rizo, for they were heroes keeping vile scum from plundering what was rightfully theirs. Except this city was the one that plundered it all in the first place to get those riches.

The procession of knights most beloved by the king, all went to the palace first before anything else. The king thanked his comrades, and rewarded them with valuable gifts beyond belief; weapons, riches, spoils of war, including captured civilians to use as slaves.

His first show of morality and chivalry on that day was the rejection of all these rewards. He refused riches and weaponry, for he was an accomplished knight and had no need for money or a new blade. Furthermore, he most adamantly refused slaves, for he thought it was inhumane to do such a thing. Lest it not be for such things as to satisfy lust, for he clearly loved his wife more than anything. She was his spur that made him fight so gallantly just to return to a safe home with her and his family.

The rest of the knights followed, despite once being fearful to reject the king and having seen their friend's courage, refused the rewards, all saying it was better to use those rewards and riches in service of the people. Even going so far as to ask for the slaves to be released and administered back into their own society. 

But I could tell, that none of them really wanted to. They only cared about looking like morally righteous knights to the people and to their king. Only Rizo did so with purely good intentions.

The king acted as if rejection was what he had intended for to happen, but was in reality rather disgruntled by it. As a matter of fact, he took it as a rejection of his authority and kingship, and grew bitter. And he was certainly hateful towards the man who undermined that authority. Behind that false smile, a shadow loomed over him. A misty aura that I could see with the eyes that linked me to death itself. Those lines and points were very... familiar.