"I'm only a messenger. My contributions to the Gospel Knights don't even come close to the other leaders', so of course I don't deserve a badge."
Derrick laughed cheerfully and added, "But I'm certain that this last Special Honor Badge is destined to be mine, Derrick's!"
The Gospel Knights was the official name of the rebel army, with one hand upon Kaelar's gospel and the other wielding sword and shield to oppose the tyrant Vortigern and his oppressive noble lords.
Gospel Knights—an order to deliver the good news—founded in their faith in Kaelar.
Kaelar's absence at the Sword in the Stone selection had been due to his work with the Gospel Knights, supplying them with strategic counsel to bolster their cause.
Derrick held up a flag, declaring, "This is the banner given to us by our revered mentor, with a formal charter bestowed by His Majesty King Arthur. From now on, we're no longer rebels but soldiers under King Arthur!"
The flag bore the emblem of a book entwined with a blunt sword, framed by the red maple leaves of Maple Ridge—symbolizing an official army.
"All our years of struggle haven't been in vain. Saint Kaelar has been watching us. Let's continue our mission and spread his gospel to the world!"
As the leader, Gospel Knights Commander Upton knelt reverently beneath the flag, intoning, "The Teacher of the World, the Savior of Humanity has descended among us, and the gospel of a harmonious world awaits our efforts to bring it to the lost."
"Prepare for battle. The usurping, false White Dragon shall soon face the consequences!"
The Gospel Knights mobilized, emerging from the forests where they had hidden for years. Sustained by Maple Ridge's aid and their own hard work, they had secretly grown powerful without drawing Vortigern's attention.
Now, with a sudden surge, they took action. The Anglo-Saxon lords were shocked to see that the defeated "stray dogs" driven into the wilderness had gathered such overwhelming strength.
The military garrisons built to defend against rebel assaults fell within a day, unable to withstand the onslaught.
Meanwhile, King Arthur's army had completed preparations to march. Vortigern was well-informed and had gathered his forces, prepared to crush this assault from the Gospel Knights.
"Commander, doing this will surely bring Kaelar's wrath upon you."
An Anglo-Saxon man ground his teeth. "You're twisting the Saint's teachings. How are you any different from those cruel nobles?"
After seizing the Anglo-Saxon lord's territory, Commander Upton ordered all resources to be collected and mobilized. This strategy was acceptable under wartime conditions, but Upton went further, conscripting able-bodied men and executing any noble, steward, tax collector, or minor landlord who couldn't escape, leaving only destitute commoners to join the knights.
There's a term for it—revolutionary puritanism. By enlisting anyone without screening, he risked corrupting the order, inviting problems into the ranks and undermining the force's integrity.
Upton also commanded that any unwilling to join the Gospel Knights be hanged, declaring, "The Savior has arrived, spreading the gospel across the land, and those who reject it don't deserve its blessings."
"Blasphemy!" Upton sneered, glaring with contempt. "Hisc, you've not even earned an Honor Badge, yet you dare compare me to those ungrateful Anglo-Saxon beasts who've never heard the gospel?"
"Know your place, Hisc. I am the one implementing Saint Kaelar's teachings, giving these barbarians a chance to receive the gospel."
Upton raised his voice. "Both Saint Kaelar and King Arthur recognize my work! I am advancing Kaelar's teachings!"
"Maybe a bit too far," thought Derrick wryly, watching the unfolding scene.
"...Upton, have you forgotten that you yourself are Anglo-Saxon?" Hisc sneered, undeterred. "You rant about badges as if they set us apart. Is that how you see people now—ranked by badges, with everyone beneath you because they don't measure up to your badge?"
"Silence! Do you dare to question Saint Kaelar himself?" Upton's eyes gleamed with barely concealed malice. "The Saint's gospel refers to Anglo-Saxons as barbarians. These are Kaelar's own words, recorded in his teachings. How dare you defy our teacher?"
"Pathetic," Hisc countered with a sneer. "Your pathetic mimicry of Saint Kaelar makes me sick. You focus only on the words 'Anglo-Saxon barbarians,' but forget 'Celtic savages.' Saint Kaelar sees us all as equals in need of guidance."
"When he spoke of barbarians, it was a simple observation, not a call to divide people or degrade them, unlike what you're doing here, Upton!"
"What do you know about Kaelar's gospel?" Upton replied coldly. "I'm the commander, Hisc. I know his teachings!"
"You'll regret this, Upton!" Hisc's voice rang out, steady as stone. "The Saint's anger will make you tremble. His pacifying blade will shatter your weapon!"
"Silence, Hisc! You've grown arrogant!" Upton was incensed. Everyone knew Kaelar's refusal to kill was sacred. For Kaelar to break someone's weapon meant he saw them as a sworn enemy—an insult that cut deeply for any member of the Gospel Knights.
"Guards! Take Hisc to the prison. He'll remain there until the Saint arrives to judge him."
This was a standard protocol. Short of a charge of treason, political prisoners were always to await Kaelar's direct judgment. Kaelar had explicitly forbidden using force to silence internal disputes.
But incarceration was fair, and Upton held authority over the order's internal affairs.
Derrick pushed Hisc down, murmuring, "Hisc, you're only making things worse. If you believe the commander is wrong, present your case to the Saint directly. Challenge him there, not here."
"Understand this: Upton is the commander of the Gospel Knights, and that's not about to change."
"Hmph."
Hisc fell silent, but as Derrick led him to his cell, Hisc whispered, "Derrick, if I die in this prison, remember—it wasn't suicide."
"If that happens, be wary of Upton. He's no longer the leader who once fought at the front lines, willing to risk his life for the smallest of us."
"Derrick, don't act hastily. Just survive until the Saint arrives to set things right."
As Hisc feared, on the third day he was found dead in his cell, leaving behind a confession letter full of regret for doubting his "beloved brother Upton."
An investigation followed, concluding that Hisc had died by suicide.
No one doubted the finding—no one, that is, except Derrick, who remained silently skeptical.
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