Arte packed up to Laskarus.

'Oh, I'm a traitor?　It can't be!

　Laskarus answered the question coldly.

'Alte-sama has harmed innocent comrades and disobeyed the will of our great Commander Sophia-sama. Furthermore, he has forced us to participate in a reckless campaign to capture the Necropolis and send us to our deaths. If you don't call this a betrayal, then what is a betrayal?

　While Arte was stunned, Laschalos was only indifferent.
　Then, Lascaros got down on one knee and vexingly bowed to Saint Sophia.

''Our leader, Saintess. Even if you are retired, for us there is only one leader of the Order of Saint Sophia, you and only you. If an enemy appears against you, we will be quick to come to you.

　Laskarus originally belonged to another adventurer party in the Imperial City.
　However, he and some of his friends left and joined the Knights of St. Sophia not too long after it was formed.

　The reason for this is that when we attacked a difficult ruin near the imperial capital with a group of adventurers, Lascaros and the others who were on a joint mission were mortally wounded.
　It was Saint Sophia who saved Laschalos' life.
　Then, Laschalos and the others joined the Order of Saint Sophia and established the Imperial City Chapter.

　Therefore, the members of the imperial capital branch have a strong loyalty to Sophia.
　Before, when Princess Filia was kidnapped by the Union of Righteous People, I thought about asking the Knight's Imperial City Branch for help.
　But at that time, I was the only one who was exiled, so I gave up on the idea of commanding the imperial capital branch because I was the only one who was exiled.

　It's different now.
　Saint Sophia is with me.
　So it was easy to use Sophia's prestige to subdue the people of the Imperial City Branch.

　The suburb where this mansion was located was actually quite close to the Imperial City Branch.
　And even though it was impossible for the members of the Imperial City Branch to guard Sophia for twenty-four hours, they had asked them in advance to rush to this mansion if anything happened.
　The more time we stalled, the more allies we would have.

　This was my other recourse, along with the wards.
　There is no law that says you can only use your own power to win a battle.
　It is the spirit of using whatever is available.

　Although the defeat of Arte and the others was obvious to begin with, there was no longer any real chance of an upset.

　Arte contorted his face and shuddered as he shouted.

''I'm not wrong!　The right use of power by the powerful is the right thing to do, so why do I lose?　Why do I have to lose to such an ordinary magic swordsman?

'That's because you don't understand anything important, Mr. Arte,'

　I heard a beautiful voice.
　Before he knew it, Sophia was in front of Arte, looking down at the wise man.
　Then she looked at Sophia as Arte squirmed.

'I always thought that gaining power and becoming strong was the right way to go. That's why I've always admired the saint, Lady Sophia. I knew that someday I would be just as wise as her and we would become the greatest adventurers of all time. So how could Sophia-sama quit the knights so easily?　You didn't give a shit about us?　I don't understand. Why would someone as powerful as Sophia-sama want to be with a magician like this?

Because I know there is more to it than power. That's all I know, Arte.

　Arte said nothing, but shook his head as he fell to his knees.
　Tears were flowing from those beautiful black eyes.
　This was the moment when Arte completely lost his will to fight and his defeat was decided.
　Saint Sophia bent down and wiped the tears that spilled from Arte's eyes.