I’m a Holy Knight, but I Contracted with an Evil God - Chapter 8

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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 8.
‘Theoaren. I knew you’d make your move.’
Theoaren Armair.
Leon’s age and the fastest rising among his peers, currently strutting about like the leader of the Apprentice Holy Knights.
Though he’d hit a plateau after turning twenty, but that was a matter for later.
Theoaren flashed a good-natured smile and extended his hand to Leon.
“You just got here yesterday, right? So you don’t know things, but the thing is, you don’t fit with that guy. There are plenty of better people to get along with than him.”
As he spoke, Theoaren gestured toward the table where his group was sitting.
A gesture that both informed Leon about Eprisio and offered him a place at his side.
“Thanks, but I’m good. I choose where I sit myself.”
“……Is that so?”
Theoaren’s smile remained, but his eyes meeting Leon’s were clouded with displeasure.
His twisted sense of pride was plainly visible.
‘He won’t like this.’
【All for this?】
‘That bastard is the ringleader of Eprisio’s bullying. And besides, he needs everyone around him to obey his every word to feel satisfied.’
He was presumptuous and brimming with inferiority complex—unbearable toward anyone he deemed his superior.
For Theoaren, a fallen noble, Eprisio—despite his distinguished family background—was nearly an outcast, making him the perfect target for venting.
‘What happened yesterday would’ve spread like wildfire by now. Why would a promising talent want to associate with an outcast? Of course he’s not pleased.’
The Cathedral Order housed several hundred people at any given time.
Though barely a night had passed, tales of Leon would have circulated.
Moreover, unlike his past life, Leon’s display of hidden potential in the Stigma Proving Ceremony this time was of the “bright future assured” caliber.
Such a talent choosing to associate not with him but with the complete outcast among all Apprentice Holy Knights?
Theoaren would find this situation deeply displeasing—though for different reasons than in his previous life.
‘Theoaren has a nasty habit. Once he thinks someone is easy prey, he fixates and torments them mercilessly. It’s been Eprisio so far, and in my past life, it switched to me around this point.’
【Do the Holy Knights of Arseliel not care about character?】
‘Who knows. On the surface they claim it matters, but I doubt the busy God of this place has time to worry about every underling’s personal affairs.’
Theoaren’s criteria for selecting a target were simple.
Either someone he thought he could push around, someone who touched his inferiority, or both.
In the previous life, that had been Eprisio; after Leon entered the Cathedral Order and became a new member of the community, it became Leon.
Of course, this time Leon had no intention of letting himself be trampled so easily.
And he had no intention of letting Eprisio be targeted again either.
“Wouldn’t you rather reconsider?”
“I’m fine.”
“……Well, once you spend some time here, your mind might change. I’m Theoaren Armair.”
When Leon curtly refused his second invitation, Theoaren shrugged as if to say there was nothing he could do, his expression resigned.
Then he extended his hand as if to shake.
Leon stared at the hand Theoaren offered for a moment before taking it.
Then an almost bone-breaking force gripped Leon’s hand in return.
‘Just as I thought, this bastard, this time too…….’
Thanks to his rapid advancement among his peers, Theoaren possessed double the strength of other children his age.
Moreover, he specialized in Strength Specialization.
By the time he matured, he became a brute with the raw power to wield a Two-Handed Sword in one hand.
‘So he must have deliberately broken my hand under the guise of an accident.’
Feeling a grip strength far too intense for a handshake, Leon recalled his first meeting with Theoaren in his past life.
In his previous existence, unwitting Leon had taken Theoaren’s offered hand, and it snapped clean.
Theoaren had immediately apologized for his immature power control, but Leon realized only much later.
There had been no accident in Theoaren breaking Leon’s hand that day.
It was nonsensical for someone who grasped his strength so readily and advanced so quickly to be unable to control his grip strength enough to avoid breaking a peer’s hand—a transparent excuse.
Not this time. Leon had no intention of allowing such a thing.
Thinking as much, Leon poured strength into the joined hands.
At the same moment, bewilderment flashed across Theoaren’s face.
“I’m glad to meet you too.”
“……Uh, uh-uh…….”
An unyielding grip strength.
No—Leon’s grip actually exceeded Theoaren’s strength.
Eventually a scream tore from Theoaren’s mouth.
“Aaagh!”
With the ugly shriek came the collapse of Theoaren’s legs.
Still gripping his own hand as though in agony, Theoaren crumpled to the floor, gasping for breath.
‘He’s twice the size of other kids, but he’s still just a brat.’
【And you’re genuinely picking a fight with that brat?】
‘It’s legitimate payback.’
There was only so much provocation one could tolerate.
Leon watched Theoaren with an apologetic expression and offered his regret.
“Ah, sorry. I guess I hit harder than I thought?”
Theoaren’s clenched fist was visibly flushed red.
Still, it was clearly nothing serious.
Compared to what Leon had endured in his past life, this hardly counted as an injury.
If he pushed through, he could have drawn a sword and engaged immediately.
And that was precisely what Leon intended.
An injury just substantial enough that it could be dismissed as a momentary lapse in guard—yet serious enough to compel someone to draw a blade and fight through it.
Given Theoaren’s temperament, he’d definitely accept that level of injury and reach for his sword anyway.
In fact, he had to.
“……You, you bastard…….”
Fury flickered in Theoaren’s glare as he stared him down.
He made a visible effort to compose himself, but Leon’s next words shattered that fragile restraint.
“Sorry. I didn’t realize it would hurt that much.”
“You son of a—!”
Goaded by the transparent provocation, Theoaren surged to his feet and hurled his fist toward Leon’s face.
Bang!
A forceful, precise punch.
Standing a full head taller than his peers and built for raw strength, Theoaren’s fist—belonging to a mere fourteen-year-old boy—struck with an intensity that defied belief.
Yet that did not mean it was impossible for Leon to evade.
He could have sidestepped easily enough.
But Leon offered his face instead.
【Why are you taking the hit?】
‘Watch.’
Leon’s head snapped rightward as Theoaren’s knuckles connected cleanly with his left cheek.
Blood spilled from his torn lip, yet Leon smiled—genuinely satisfied.
He had detected the arrival of exactly the person he’d been waiting for.
“What in the world are you two doing?”
At the sound of Barcel’s voice cutting through the commotion, Theoaren realized Leon had deliberately taken the punch.
A bruise was already blooming purple across the struck cheek, and yet Leon wore a smile.
Barcel, however, had witnessed the entire exchange between the two boys.
A typical pacifist who never intervened in children’s scuffles unless bones were actually breaking, Theoaren had assumed he could slip through this unscathed.
But Barcel’s reaction was uncharacteristically sharp.
The moment he realized Leon was the one who’d taken the blow, he lashed out immediately.
“……Leon? Theoaren, you stubborn bastard—”
His voice rose, sharper than usual, and reproach flashed across his gaze.
Barcel waved a scolding hand and crossed the Dining Hall to where Leon and Theoaren stood.
He grasped Leon’s chin and examined the wound.
“Hmmm.”
For someone who’d weathered countless hardships, it was a negligible injury.
But Leon contorted his face and feigned pain to the fullest.
Better to make Theoaren’s guilt shine all the brighter.
“How hard did you have to swing to inflict this? I’ve told you a hundred times that you’re far stronger than the other children and need to practice restraint. How many times do I have to say it?”
“……Captain, this is—”
“Enough. You went too far against a recruit who’s barely finished the Induction Test.”
Theoaren’s face twisted with indignation, but he found no counter to Barcel’s lecture.
He knew as well as anyone.
Barcel had already made up his mind, and protest would fall on deaf ears.
As Leon watched with a satisfied grin, Ekrije’s voice thrust into his mind.
【Humans usually call this sort of thing self-harm or fraud.】
‘Results are all that matter. And the target is Theoaren.’
【Sometimes I can’t believe you were ever a Holy Knight.】
‘That’s a compliment?’
【It’s an insult.】
Even as Ekrije’s barb cut deep, it failed to dampen Leon’s satisfaction.
Leon watched with quiet contentment as Barcel seized Theoaren by the scruff and dragged him bodily out of the Dining Hall.
‘That’s surprising, actually.’
【Surprising how?】
‘Barcel. I didn’t think he’d defend me.’
The impression he’d made at yesterday’s Stigma Proving Ceremony must have been quite striking.
Or perhaps someone other than Barcel had spoken in Leon’s favor.
‘At minimum, he’ll be more favorable to me than before the return.’
【Do you have further plans?】
‘I’ve proven my Stigma Mark. There’s a next stage.’
【Next?】
‘Yes. Next.’
Even in his previous life, where Leon had barely managed to prove that his Stigma Mark was genuine, he’d still been able to become a Formal Holy Knight.
This time, having demonstrated accomplishments far exceeding those of his past self, it was obvious they wouldn’t treat Leon as an ordinary apprentice.
Though Holy Power and Swordsmanship were separate matters, the talent to draw a response from a Sacred Object for the first time in a hundred years could never be placed on the same level as the other children.
‘There’ll probably be an Induction Test, but odds are high it’ll be that fool Theoaren.’
【Is that a prediction based on experience?】
‘That, plus conclusions drawn from facts. And it happens to be the picture I want.’
To publicly demolish Theoaren, the strongest of the current apprentices.
That would be an excellent opportunity to stamp Leon’s true value into everyone’s minds.
‘If I rile him up like this, he’ll come at me of his own accord.’
【So you’re setting the board.】
‘Right. Let’s prove the Miracle was no accident.’
* * *
After finishing their meal, the children filed out in a group.
The destination was obvious.
The daily routine of Apprentice Holy Knights was monotonous enough.
Following the children to the Training Ground, Leon spotted an unexpected face.
‘……Commander of the 2nd Holy Knight Order?’
The same uniform as Barcel, with hair the color of flames.
No doubt about it.
Aila Harben, Commander of the 2nd Holy Knight Order—what was she doing here?
‘Barcel usually handles all the apprentice training alone.’
Leon wasn’t the only one puzzled.
A murmur rippled through the children.
“Today’s training will proceed under the observation of Commander Aila Harben.”
The mystery was quickly solved.
Barcel raised his hand to quiet all the apprentices, then spoke.
‘The 2nd and 3rd Holy Knight Orders together. It was just Barcel alone before—what changed?’
【Has something become difficult?】
‘No. In fact, this might be better.’
Aila Harben was someone Leon had never encountered in his previous life, but one thing he remembered clearly.
She was a ruthless pragmatist.
Moreover, Aila was the Commander of the 2nd Holy Knight Order—Leon’s target.
‘Standing out now could actually be a good move.’
Leon recalled that while apprentice development was primarily Barcel’s responsibility, Aila occasionally handpicked individuals for herself.
In other words, her presence here today meant this was one of those exceptional occasions.
Barcel scanned the surroundings, then gestured toward Leon.
As Leon stepped forward, Barcel addressed the children.
“Leon here has proven his Stigma Mark and earned the qualification of Apprentice Holy Knight. You’ll be training with him from now on.”
The children’s eyes fixed on Leon.
None of them looked surprised.
Everyone had anticipated it, and their faces showed calm acceptance.
Some, in fact, showed a glimmer of anticipation.
Likely because they were already imagining what came next.
“We’ll need a sparring match to gauge Leon’s level. Any volunteers?”
There was subtle meaning in Barcel’s words.
It was clearly a statement made with awareness of Aila standing beside him.
It signified that whether Leon would walk the path of an ordinary Holy Knight or follow Commander Aila would be determined by what he showed today.
Leon suppressed the rising corner of his mouth and examined Aila’s face.
Sure enough, Aila was regarding him with eyes alight with intensity.
‘She must have heard about what happened at yesterday’s Stigma Proving Ceremony.’
【So you’re talking about that woman?】
‘Yeah. Aila Harben, the captain—she’s famous for talent hunting.’
But that’s not really the point.
Leon grinned darkly and shot a look at Theoaren standing not far off.
His intention was unmistakable.
‘You’ll do it, won’t you? Apply already, you bastard.’
Theoaren met Leon’s blunt gaze head-on.
And sure enough, he raised his hand.
“I’ll participate.”
Theoaren was the only volunteer.
In the silence that followed, Barcel paused for a moment, then nodded.
The moment approval came, Theoaren surged forward as if he’d been waiting for nothing else.
【So it turned out as you said.】
‘Yeah, that’s right. He never disappoints, does he?’
Ignoring Theoaren’s urgency, Leon’s gaze fixed on Theoaren’s right hand.
The hand was noticeably swollen.
It didn’t look broken, but the muscle damage was clear.
“You’ll be okay with that hand?”
The concern thick in his tone was utterly infuriating.
Theoaren’s expression hardened in an instant, though he feigned composure as he replied.
“No problem.”
“That so? I’m relieved. I was worried you might use that as an excuse.”
“An excuse?”
“Yeah. An excuse.”
Theoaren endured the blatant provocation quite well.
But after this last jab, he finally lost his restraint and rushed forward.
“If I lose to you and blame the injury—”
“—you damn bastard!”
Continued in the next episode ▶
Holy Knight Who Made a Contract with a Demon God
Author
Ram Dat
Publisher
Kim Seok-hwan, Choi Se-ra
Publishing House
Grae Publishing
Inquiry Email
[email protected]
Publication Date
March 27, 2026
UCI
G720:N+A327-20260227066
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※ Pentagram welcomes precious manuscripts from authors.

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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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