I’m a Holy Knight, but I Contracted with an Evil God - Chapter 7

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 7.
“What shall we do about the child’s quarters?”
“We’ve made preparations in the East Dormitory, but…”
“The results exceed our expectations…”
Discussion seemed to continue about future arrangements, though it appeared some decision had already been made.
Elmuer and the other priests exchanged meaningful glances.
“Follow Knight Commander Barcel. He’ll show you to your room.”
As Elmuer finished speaking, Barcel stepped forward to lead the way.
Leon bowed respectfully, collected Ecrisie, and followed Barcel out.
‘Why this direction?’
Leon had spent twenty years here before the Return.
Aside from a few restricted areas requiring special clearance, every section of the building was intimately familiar to him.
Yet the path Barcel was taking led away from the East Dormitory, where the apprentice Holy Knights lived.
The mystery resolved when Barcel stopped walking.
“You’ll stay here from now on. The schedule begins tomorrow morning, so get as much rest as you can.”
With that, Barcel departed.
His stride suggested a man with much to do, but Leon could not have cared less.
The room assigned to him far exceeded his expectations.
【Not bad at all.】
“Not just ‘not bad’—it’s excellent. Before formal appointment, everyone shares a room with a partner, remember?”
A satisfied smile played at the corners of Leon’s mouth as he replied to Ecrisie.
The room given to Leon was small and modest, yet remarkably, it was a private chamber.
Given that private rooms were only granted after receiving formal Holy Knight appointment, Leon’s assignment to a single room despite having just entered the Order was an exceptional privilege, and he found the present circumstances deeply gratifying.
【The fuss we made was worth it.】
“Seems so.”
Before the Return, he’d been assigned to shared quarters like the other apprentices.
Even after receiving formal knighthood despite mediocre performance, he hadn’t managed to escape shared rooms—so this fresh start was deeply satisfying.
‘This time, I’ll climb higher still.’
Ranks varied slightly between Orders, but even Holy Knights had a hierarchy.
Holy Knights were generally organized into trainee, apprentice Holy Knight, Formal Holy Knight, High Holy Knight, and Knight Commander.
Though founded under the name of God, the structure of a knight order remained fundamentally no different from a standard military command.
‘I absolutely must join the 2nd Holy Knight Order.’
【Why?】
‘Because the 2nd Holy Knight Order has Elite Knights.’
【Elite Knights?】
‘A kind of elite corps. Those with combat-specialized Holy Stigma manifestation, or the most exceptional Holy Knights of each generation are selected. They’re permitted independent action and granted authority for post-mission reporting.’
Within the 2nd Holy Knight Order, which handled external missions, the Elite Knights could operate autonomously.
To efficiently locate Chaos Fragments, independent action outside the Order’s direct oversight was essential, making Elite Knight status in the 2nd Holy Knight Order Leon’s primary objective.
【An ideal position for finding Contamination Sources.】
‘Exactly.’
Leon possessed Holy Stigma, so in his previous life he’d skipped trainee rank and begun as an apprentice Holy Knight.
Yet the highest he’d reached was Formal Holy Knight.
It had only been possible through relentless effort and Raftio’s backing, but for someone with Holy Stigma manifestation, the results were appallingly poor.
Leon’s Holy Power had been devastatingly weak.
‘Even escaping apprentice rank felt like a miracle.’
He’d worked ceaselessly to compensate for his insufficient Holy Power with other means.
The struggle had been brutal.
This time would be different.
Ecrisie would make up for Leon’s deficient Holy Power.
Everything was beginning now.
* * *
When Leon awoke after sleeping soundly, his guide was the apprentice priest he’d seen yesterday.
His name was Ruben.
Ruben, who appeared to be Leon’s age, was surprisingly talkative despite his first impression.
“This is the dining hall.”
“Thank you.”
“Once you’ve finished eating, you can move with the other children. Most of them are apprentice Holy Knights.”
Ruben seemed to have more to say, but Leon ignored the hint and entered the dining hall.
The dining hall Ruben had shown him was the Second Dining Hall, where apprentice Holy Knights and apprentice priests—mostly children—gathered.
Consequently, more than half of those filling the dining hall were children Leon’s and Ruben’s age.
The moment Leon appeared in the doorway, the commotion died at once.
Nearly a hundred gazes pinned themselves on him in unison.
Leon felt those eyes settle upon him as he selected his meal.
At the same time, he gauged the general atmosphere of the hall.
‘……Hmm…….’
Three of them watched him with quiet intensity.
All three made no effort to conceal their hostility, and their faces were familiar enough that he suspected the Return would yield much the same result as before.
Beyond those three, most bore expressions brimming with curiosity and interest.
Among them were several who clearly hoped he would join their tables, their eagerness plain on their faces.
Leon moved carefully through the hall, studying each table one by one, taking care not to let his gaze linger too obviously.
He needed to set the first button right from the start.
【What are you looking for?】
‘I know how things end. I need to avoid the rotten ones.’
【Rotten ones?】
‘The ones whose futures are already written.’
The Church of Light had begun its long decline some time ago.
Though Arseriel, whom the Church of Light served, still held a seat among the Three Divine Guardians, the Church had been the weakest of the three great temples since the False Oracle Incident seventy years prior.
The sons and daughters inducted into such a diminished institution could hardly be expected to come from truly exceptional families.
The vast majority of the faithful, even if occasionally born to distinguished houses, were neither the eldest sons who would inherit the family name nor the second sons who might serve as their support—they were the third sons, the ones left cold by their own families.
In other words, those gathered in that distant corner, carrying themselves with such arrogance, were beneath consideration in noble society—utterly unremarkable.
‘I cannot afford to be entangled with such people.’
【So you’ll become a solitary wolf?】
‘Not quite. At minimum, I should avoid binding myself to rotten rope.’
Though the Church was thick with noble-born initiates, paradoxically, to wield any real influence within the institution, exceptional talent was the greatest asset one could possess.
And Leon knew who among these children possessed the most outstanding talent.
As he carefully scanned the crowds, Leon’s eyes found a boy eating quietly in one corner.
He was notably small-framed and timid in bearing.
Because of this, he drew no attention among the other children and stood out as conspicuously out of place.
‘Found him.’
【That one? He’s far too small.】
‘It doesn’t matter. Eprisio’s talent doesn’t lie in direct combat.’
【How so?】
‘You understand that Holy Knights are gathered based on those whose Holy Power manifests through physical ability, yes?’
【Of course. That’s true for you as well.】
‘True for me, yes. But with Eprisio, his Holy Power never manifested through the body.’
【Yet these people are Holy Knight aspirants?】
‘Exactly. That’s why Eprisio remains unremarkable until he passes twenty.’
Eprisio Dorban.
A scion of Dorban, a renowned martial house of the central provinces, but born of a concubine of low rank, and frail besides—he might as well have been cast out by his own family.
Because of this, Eprisio habitually shrank into a corner, quiet and withdrawn, making him the perfect target for the other children.
A boy who drew no notice and suffered for it.
Twenty years hence, Eprisio would hold the rank of Battalion Commander of the Holy Song Corps in the 2nd Holy Knight Order.
The Holy Song Corps was a specialized unit composed of Holy Knights and priests capable of providing combat support through their abilities.
Eprisio was the man who had taken up the challenge in his twenties and risen to Battalion Commander in a remarkably short time.
‘Had the prejudice that any member of the Dorban house must take up the sword not existed, he might have reached Captain rank before his twentieth year.’
Indeed, Eprisio did not join the Holy Song Corps until after he turned twenty.
Before that, he had scarcely even attended the hymn classes, one of the mandatory courses for apprentice Holy Knights.
Likely the family’s pressure upon him had been severe until he came of age…….
It was understandable enough.
A scion of a renowned martial house entering the Holy Song Corps? Without considerable achievement, such a choice would be dismissed as a step down.
The problem was that Eprisio’s talent transcended merely considerable achievement.
‘That one is a genius of rear support.’
【To what degree?】
‘Among those without Holy Stigma, he ranks at the very apex.’
【Impressive.】
Since the Holy Song Corps’ abilities were founded on hymns sung to Arseriel, the range of those abilities was limited by the distance at which the hymns could be heard.
Eprisio’s standard range was five hundred meters.
Leon had seen records indicating that Eprisio’s range had been extended as far as seven hundred meters.
‘Considering that a typical Holy Song Corps member has a range of one hundred meters, and a squad leader reaches two hundred, Eprisio’s range is frankly absurd.’
To begin with, the talent required to belong to the Holy Song Corps was exceedingly rare.
To belong to the Holy Song Corps, manifesting Holy Power with range capability is the basic requirement. The problem is that extending the scope of Holy Power beyond oneself to others—alongside healing—is remarkably difficult.
Broad-reaching ability channeled through sound.
Trying to develop someone with that kind of talent into a front-line strike fighter was bound to be a poor fit.
Leon approached Eprisio with a gentle smile.
And he spoke.
“Mind if I sit here?”
At Leon’s words, Eprisio’s surprise became plainly visible.
No verbal permission came, but Leon only smiled more broadly and set his plate down on the table.
Frightened eyes peered out from beneath shaggy hair, meeting Leon’s gaze.
“I’m Leon. And you?”
“…Eprisio.”
The reply tumbled out in a timid voice, but at least it was not a refusal.
Still, he seemed burdened by the situation, constantly glancing at those around him.
Leon felt Eprisio stealing glances at him repeatedly, but he paid no mind and began eating.
He had no intention of being overly warm.
Simply being present nearby would be enough.
Finally, unable to bear the discomfort, Eprisio spoke first.
“…Sitting next to me…doesn’t seem…like a good idea…”
Timid and halting words directed toward Leon.
Leon did not respond, but lifted his head and fixed his gaze on Eprisio.
Eprisio’s face flushed as he continued.
“…You, coming here for the first time…”
“It’s fine.”
“…What?”
“It’s fine.”
Leon replied firmly and resumed eating.
A smile still lingered at the corners of his mouth.
As Leon resumed his meal, he felt Eprisio’s eyes on him.
【His expression is complicated.】
‘Doesn’t seem moved, does he?’
【That’s not it.】
‘A pity. But it’s fine. Something will happen soon enough.’
Leon’s purpose in speaking to Eprisio in front of nearly a hundred watching eyes was twofold.
The first was to establish a public connection with Eprisio going forward.
The second was…
“Sitting there doesn’t seem like such a good idea, does it?”
There he was.
Pointed protruding teeth and freckles.
A slight sneer twisting his mouth, giving the boy a somewhat delinquent air.
Theoren.
Continued in the next chapter ▶
A Holy Knight who made a contract with an evil god
Author
Ram Dat
Publisher
Kim Seok-hwan, Choi Se-ra
Published by
Grae Publishing
Inquiries
[email protected]
Publication Date
March 27, 2026
UCI
G720:N+A327-20260227066
※ This e-book is protected under copyright law. Unauthorized reproduction and duplication are prohibited. Violations may result in criminal and civil legal liability.
※ Pentagram eagerly awaits your precious manuscript.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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