Owari no Seraph – Kyuuketsuki Mikaela no Monogatari v1c3 part1

The Crusader Who Lost God

It was in 1217, before they departed for the Crusade.

“Hey, guys, you get this, don’t you? This war is our chance to demonstrate our overwhelming power as the Knights Templar! So show both the other knights and the enemies what you’ve got! Teach them just who are the chosen by Our Lord here!” one of the knights shouted.

The other knights raised their glasses and let out a war cry of their own.

On that day, in the big dining hall, the knights who were going to participate in the Crusade were allowed to have much more extravagant food than usual, before they went to war. There was meat, wine and even women - the knights feasted the night away tonight.

They were about to go to the Crusade, the holy war under the banner of the Lord’s name, to slay pagans and recapture the Holy Land.

It was a just war. And all of them believed, without a shadow of doubt, that what was waiting for them in it was the glorious path to victory.

In the corner of the hall, Crowley drank wine in silence.

But he wasn’t left alone for long as someone called out to him, “Hey, Crowley, what are you doing hiding in a corner like that? Come to us and let’s raise hell together tonight!”

Looking in the direction of the voice, Crowley found Victor, a knight of the same high rank as himself, standing there. Victor was a blond with green eyes; he joined the Knights Templar at about the same time as Crowley, and they practiced together a lot.

Victor emptied his glass in one gulp and, throwing it to the floor, took another.

“Look at how many cute girls are here tonight.”

“Aw, don’t be a party-pooper. We can think about that starting tomorrow. There won’t be any women on the battlefield anyway. If you don’t have your share of fun now, you’ll sure as hell regret it later, I’m telling ya.”

“How come you know that?!”

“Which one?”

“Well, anyway. This is a rare opportunity when you don’t need to hide to have a little fun with girls, so why not take it and make the best of it? Hey guys! Crowley’s joining us!”

When he shouted that, the other knights met the announcement with cheers and excitement. The girls, dressed up gaudily for the occasion, also squealed loudly, making a racket.

Victor shot Crowley a narrowed-eyed look. “You bastard, popular as ever, I see. So, with how many among these girls did you sleep?”

“Yeah, right, as if I’d believe that. All the girls can’t take their eyes off you.”

“Four.”

“Hahaha,” Victor laughed innocently.

Victor was someone who enjoyed popularity among both men and women. He always dressed with a touch of style, and the Roleine family he was from was a fairly high class noble house.

But the reason for his popularity wasn’t his parentage. It was because he was sunny and cheerful and could get along with anybody.

Perhaps it was precisely because Victor joined the Knights Templar at the same time as Crowley that a thought of his training as a knight being hard never crossed Crowley’s mind. Victor was always coming up with something amusing to do and never failed to get his comrades join him in on the fun, so Crowley was able to spend those days laughing and smiling.

That day was no exception. Even though he was about to set out to the frontlines where he could die, he couldn’t help partying and having a good time.

Victor shouted, “Hey guys, listen up! Our dear comrade and the son of the Eusford house Crowley devoted his virginity to Our Lord, but tonight he’s gonna part with iiiiiiiit!”

“Hey, that’s gotta be a joke, right, Crowley?!”

One after another, the women responded,

“I’ll make sure to be tender with Crowley-sama!”

Among them, one turned red in the face. “W-W-Wait a second! What do you mean, he is a virgin? O-Once before, me and Crowley-sama––” she started, but Victor closed her mouth with a kiss. “Ah,” the girl shut up.

The girl nodded.

“Hm~”

“I don’t wanna die on the battlefield because of a broken chastity oath. After all…”

Crowley chuckled. "You are going to be alright though, Gustavo-senpai. You are strong. I have yet to win even once in a practice fight against you.”

“Eh?”

“Behind your back, he’s always praising you, though. And well, if he finds out that I told you this, he’ll kill me for sure. But that aside, in our future practice fights, I want you to—”

“Nope, always go easy on me and me alone, and beat up the other senior knights within the inch of their lives. It will feel so satisfying!”

“Eh? Eh?” the girl squealed in confusion.

“Good. Then I’ll make an exception. Party hard tonight till you drop!” Alfred said, granting his permission.

At that, the knights bellowed their approval and resumed their drinking bout. Watching them with amusement, Alfred took the nearest bottle of wine and headed to where Crowley was.

Seeing him approach, Gustavo, who stood next to Crowley, said, “Oops, no good. Hey, Crowley.”

“Forget I said anything about the Commander praising you, okay?”

“Alright then. Maybe I’ll go hook up with some girl after all.”

“Yes, sir, with your approval.”

“I know, sir.”

“Yes, sir?”

“Brace yourself. I don’t want to let even one of my comrades die in this war.”

“That’s why you need to slay more enemies than anyone else and protect our comrades.”

“Sir, you are skimping on the details a little too much, I feel.”

“Who knows.”

“Is it, now?”

“Right.”

“I see. Well, if you believe in our victory so strongly, don’t ask me such questions,” Crowley said and threw a sidelong glance at Gilbert, only to find him wearing a hesitant frown. “What, are you scared?”

“What was it, sir?”

“I see. In that case, Gustavo-senpai and Victor-senpai are going to die.”

“I’ve had a bit too much to drink. I need some fresh air,” he answered and exited the dining hall.

Outside, non-noble knights were partying as well. They were allowed to have meat and wine tonight. But it looked like only the high ranking noble knights were allowed the company of women.

“Crowley-sama!” several squires serving under him got up, ready to come to his side, but he raised a hand to stop them.

“Thank you very much, Crowley-sama!”

There were so many very young boys among them, boys of only 15 or 16. They all dreamed of distinguishing themselves in this Crusade and gaining fame. Regardless of where they were born, they all were good kids.

“Protect our comrades. Protect our comrades, huh,” in a whisper, Crowley repeated to himself the Commander’s order a few times, gazing at the boys.

Just then the bang of the dining hall’s doors being thrown open reached his ears.

“Buurp~ I feel sick.” Victor came out, holding his chest and spitting out a breath reeking of alcohol. Apparently, he, too, felt the need to get some fresh air.

When he appeared, his squires rushed over to him.

“Are you alright, Victor-sama?”

He raised his hand and said, “Ah, no good. No, I’m not alright. Fetch me some water.”

“Urgh… Uh-huh.”

“That’s what you get for forgetting your limits when you really can’t hold your liquor.”

“That doesn’t mean that you absolutely have to go along with the flow though.”

“Mm~?”

“Here.” Crowley handed the water over to Victor.

Panting heavily, Victor drained it. It seemed to help him calm down. “Haah, ‘kay, I think I’m better now.”

Sidestepping the vomit, Crowley dragged Victor to a place a little further away and sat him down, taking a seat beside him.

“Good grief.”

“I would think.”

“Way to exaggerate. You’re always puking, no? And I seem to recall getting stuck looking after you more often than not.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

The drinking bout was still continuing both inside and outside the dining hall. Laughing voices could be heard from every direction. The merrymaking was in full swing, and it was hard to believe that only a few days later the partying knights and squires would be off to the frontlines.

Crowley was watching a group of squires absentmindedly, when Victor suddenly raised his head. Like Crowley, he gazed at the partying squires.

“They sure are having a blast.”

“Can’t.”

Victor grimaced and replied, “Aah~ Yeah, that’s right, but, uh, probably not for me anymore. I drank too much, so I doubt I can get it up now.”

“Hm?”

“Meaning?”

“Mn-hmm.”

To that, Crowley answered with honesty, “Yes, I am. What about you, Victor? Are you scared?”

“Whether or not I can get it up has nothing to do with it~”

“Yeah, that’s right, of course, but, uh… Can I survive?”

Victor looked up at the sky before responding, “Well~ I hope there are cute girls up there in Kingdom of Heaven then.”

“Mm?”

“Yeah, sure. I got the same order from the Commander earlier, anyway.”

“Slay the enemies. Protect the comrades.”

“If it’s alright with you, sir.”

“Uh, sir.” Victor raised his pallid face to look up at him.

The Commander was probably done talking with all the high ranking knights in the dining hall. So Victor was likely the only one who had yet to receive his order from him.

“What is it, sir?” Victor asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“My apologies.”

“I-I apologize, sir. But I will make sure to try my very best starting tomorrow.”

“Commander, if you don’t mind my asking…”

“Are you not going to bring a woman with you tonight?”

To that, the Commander only shrugged his shoulders. “I was married before joining the Order, so I’m spending the night with my wife tonight.”

“Off with you!” the Commander laughed. With that, he turned around and walked away.

Watching his retreating back, Victor suddenly said, “Crowley.”

“I think I’ll try my best, after all.”

“Yeah. If the Commander went home alone, that means that cutie is now free and all by herself! So I’m going back to the hall!”

“That’s what you’re interested in?” Crowley countered.

Tipping his goblet a little, Ferid took a sip of the red wine. “If memory serves, I heard that we were winning at the beginning of this Crusade. After the enemy’s stronghold, Damietta, was sieged, the opponents approached the crusaders with peace offers multiple times.”

“The crusaders had numerous chances to come back with victory. And in fact, a few countries’ kings did just that. But you people still remained on the battlefield?”

“…” Crowley didn’t answer.

That didn’t deter Ferid any, and he continued, “The fellow named Gilbert, he survived, I take it? He was the one to come to the murder scene today, right? And he wants you to return to them.”

“What about your other comrades? How many of them are still alive?”

That question made Crowley remember again what happened in the last campaign.

They seized the enemy’s stronghold, and the kings and the papal legate began to struggle for control of that land; after that, a new campaign to gain even more victories and lands started.

Not enough. It still was not enough.

The Holy Land. Take back the Holy Land!

Maybe it was that insatiable hunger for conquest that brought the wrath of the Lord on them. Pestilence was rampant among the advance guard, and many of Crowley’s comrades died of it. Even Guillaume de Chartres, the Grand Master of all the Templars, fell victim to it and died.

Nevertheless, the war didn’t stop.

Forth. Charge forth. Only forth.

We can take back the Holy Land precisely because you are spilling your blood for it!

Those were their orders, and Crowley and his comrades continued to fight desperately.

Chapter end