SOTBW - 109

All the knights stood up in shock. The swirling sword energy, which had been spinning in the air, slowly dissipated as it spun in the middle of the training ground. When the gust of wind scattered and the sword energy completely disappeared, two figures were seen falling to the opposite side.

Najane was in Maximón’s arms. Fortunately, both of them were unharmed. Maximón gently let Najane go and stared at the dirt floor where the swirling pattern remained.

“It’s a good thing it wasn’t powerful.”

Breathing heavily, Najane sank down onto the ground without answering. Her small hand, red and swollen, trembled. Maximón sighed and firmly grasped her hand.

“Did you know?”

“That the sword energy would be weak? Of course.”

Najane, lying flat on the ground, answered while taking deep breaths.

“That kind of sword energy loses its power as it rages on its own. So, its strength is no more than a sharp gust of wind.”

“Then why did you use it?”

“I thought if you got scared and shrank back, I could surprise you...”

Najane, struggling to lift her body, smiled faintly at Maximón.

“In the end, I lost.”

Maximón looked at the knights rushing over and then extended his hand to Najane. Her palm was burning hot, as if it had been scorched. Though he felt uneasy, there were too many eyes watching, so he reluctantly let go. He had regretted agreeing to the duel in the first place. He knew that every time she used sword energy, her lifespan would shorten...

Maximón couldn’t keep this secret for long. He had been hiding the truth about sword energy with the intention of using Najane, but if he wanted to spend more time with her, revealing the truth would be the best course of action.

Maximón, who was looking at Najane with complicated feelings, suddenly turned his gaze toward Belshua. The only knight who had called out to Najane when the rogue sword energy flew. Were the two of them this close?

Squinting, Maximón approached Najane from behind. Najane, who had repeatedly assured Daniel that she was fine, was startled by the force that suddenly gripped her hand and raised her chin. As Najane, flustered, tried to pull her hand away, Maximón tightened his grip. The knights who had surrounded them noticed the scene and cleared their throats, stepping back.

As the sweaty knights distanced themselves, Maximón finally released Najane’s hand. She looked up at him with a bewildered expression, scratching her cheek when she felt the eyes on her. As all the attention was on her, she initially wanted to run away from the uncomfortable situation, but at the same time, she felt that it was for the best.

“I actually have something I want to say to everyone.”

When Najane spoke, all eyes turned toward her. Hesitating about how to begin, Najane decided that, since rumors had already spread, she would confront the suspicions surrounding her head-on.

“You all must have heard the rumor that I’m a former sex slave and have a curse on my body. But that’s not true. Well, I was cursed, that’s true. Archbishop Gwyneth and the Captain both know about it. But I was never a sex slave. I want to make that clear.”

Najane spoke calmly, trying not to tremble. The knights remained silent for a moment, eyeing Maximón for his reaction. Maximón glared at them as if to warn them not to let her say anything foolish. As always, Jacob had no choice but to ask the question on behalf of the others.

“Rumor has it that the curse on your body is that of a billy goat... is that true?”

“Yes, it is.”

Najane answered honestly. The knights murmured in surprise.

“But that’s not a curse that is typically marked on a person...”

One knight muttered, seemingly reluctant. Maximón kicked the ground, and the murmuring knights quickly quieted down. Maximón, arms crossed, eyed each knight who looked at Najane with suspicion. Even those who had doubted her quickly managed to control their expressions under Maximón’s pressure.

“The curse of a billy goat placed on a sex slave lasts at most a couple of weeks, but Najane’s curse hasn’t faded even after months.”

Najane lowered her gaze and nodded in agreement with Maximón’s words.

“It’s not a curse that can be easily marked. If I had truly been a slave, my master would have already made a fuss to reclaim me.”

Jacob found her explanation credible. Once someone is born a slave, they remain a slave for life. Being a sex slave is no different. If someone went from being a commoner to a slave, they could try to gather money to return to their former status, but most slaves, once fallen, never returned to their previous lives.

Above all, carving a curse is a very delicate task. There are quite a few people who handle rituals illegally, but since they are not formally trained like priests, their skills are often disastrous. As a result, the curses they inscribe, regardless of their type, rarely last long. As Maximón said, the curse usually lasts at most about two weeks, but in reality, the ritual often fails to activate properly, turning into just a tattoo.

However, if a curse lasts for months like Najane’s, it means it’s not a superficial ritual but a real one. If Jacob were Najane’s master, he would have gone to any lengths to prove she was a slave and take her back.

The main source of income in the black market was the slave trade and prostitution. In particular, the billy goat curse causes people to become aroused like animals, so regardless of gender, the price for sexual services was much higher. Also, if Najane were truly a slave, would the authorities have just stood by? They would have strongly opposed her being made a knight.

“How did this happen to you? Did you have debts or something?”

A knight cautiously asked.

“Well… I’m not sure myself.”

Najane hesitated about where to begin but briefly explained what had happened to her.

“At that time, I was traveling with my family to the Astien Empire. There were rumors that the Empire would take in refugees, and it was also the closest country to our homeland. But on the way there, I was betrayed by someone I trusted and sold somewhere. I don’t have any memories of that time. I think I was probably drugged and knocked out. When I regained consciousness, the curse was carved into my body… I barely managed to escape.”

As Najane recalled the past, a bitter smile crossed her face. When she had desperately hidden the fact that she was cursed, she was plagued by nightmares every night. On the days when she dreamt of being dragged away and raped while being pointed at by others, she couldn’t sleep at all and spent the nights wide awake.

Even though she endured with tranquilizers and drugs, she was always anxious about the curse’s unpredictable onset. The bright morning sun and the moonlit night both filled her with fear. She was afraid of encountering the one who had marked her with the curse, and terrified that if her secret were discovered, she would be treated like a prostitute, so she kept her distance from people. If someone stared at her persistently, she instinctively covered her chest.

The curse completely changed Najane’s life. Yet paradoxically, it was because of this curse that she met Maximón. When she revealed to others that she was cursed, it wasn’t as terrifying as she had expected. In fact, she felt fortunate that this had helped her save Maximón. That moment, Najane became just a little bit free from the curse inscribed on her body—only when she stopped hiding everything.

For now, the malicious whispers and judgment were unavoidable, but she didn’t regret her decision. From now on, she decided not to avoid what stood in her way. She was sick of running and hiding.

“I had to save the Captain, who was falsely accused of killing Lord Armunzen. At the time the murder was supposed to have occurred, the Captain and I were at the black market together. Chief Cheong and Deputy Colonel Colnux questioned us about why we were there… and I had no choice but to tell the truth. I went there to find a way to deal with my curse.”

Najane shared the story from the Noctis office. Maximón lowered his head for a moment, looking solemn. After all, it was because of him that Najane had to confess all of this. He had wanted her to live for Maximón Elgort, to sacrifice for him, but now that reality confronted him, he wasn’t pleased at all. A great sense of guilt and the thought that he had ruined Najane’s life made his chest ache.

Other knights also seemed to understand what Najane had given up for Maximón. Daniel, sweating and messing with his hair, said with frustration.

“You guys should be grateful to Najane. If it weren’t for her, the Romsoa Order would be finished. Do you think the Armunzen family would have stayed quiet about this incident?”

After Daniel’s sharp words, the knights awkwardly rubbed their heads and then thanked Najane. Jacob, in particular, bowed so low his head nearly touched the ground.

However, one knight arrogantly just nodded and ended the greeting. It was clear from his expression that he wasn’t willing to stay as a knight alongside Najane. Belshua and Daniel took note of the knight’s face, and Maximón also mentally recorded the faces of the knights who were displeased.

Of course, if they didn’t want to thank Najane, there was nothing he could do. But Maximón had other plans. Starting tomorrow, he intended to make them work hard. He would train them until they vomited up everything they had eaten for breakfast and lunch and then legally beat them. After running around the training ground until their legs were weak, their rebellious thoughts would surely be corrected.

“And there’s one more thing I’d like to say.”

Once the knights had finished expressing their thanks, Najane wiggled her fingers and spoke up.

“... Is it okay if I start speaking casually to those of a similar age?”

At her words, the knights made strange noises, “Eh?”

“What? We thought you were being polite and using formal speech!”

“I don’t mind if you speak casually. After all, except for Daniel, we’re all just commoners here.”

“Wasn’t Belshua also some kind of noble, like Daniel?”

“That guy’s from a merchant family, just like you!”

The knights began chattering loudly. It seemed they didn’t care whether Najane spoke casually or not.

At that moment, one knight raised his hand and looked at Maximón.

“Captain, now that everyone is gathered, could you please answer us? Are we participating this time, or not?”

At Maximón’s command, the guards locked the Romsoa Order’s gates. Closing the main gate of the Order meant they wouldn’t be participating in the field battle. Furthermore, a young errand boy had been seen leaving the residence with a letter and heading to the authorities. Despite being falsely accused, Maximón would not let this matter pass quietly.

“Until further orders, it’s indefinite rest. The regular soldiers will rest but are prohibited from going out. Only the knights will participate in the training with the mercenaries and young soldiers.”

“Is that alright? Even though the number of Serith has decreased over the past two days, if something suddenly happens...”

“It’s still a long way off for anything to happen.”

Maximón said meaningfully. At those words, the knights, who had endured many battles with Maximón, immediately tensed up. Maximón’s words meant that something was about to happen soon.