After The Heroine Vanished

11: PRICK OF CONSCIENCE

"COMMANDER, please give us another chance!"

"We swear we'll never make the same mistake again!"

"Please don't remove our knighthood from us!"

Diether heard the pleas of the four young men that he had just removed from knighthood, and yet he didn't budge even though the 'kids' were kneeling and crying in front of him.

Degradation was usually done in public places.

But he didn't want to make a big deal out of it when people were busy preparing for the upcoming banquet honoring the kingdom's war heroes.

Hence, the awful ceremony took place in the Avari Temple.

The four young men stood in the middle of the courtyard while surrounded by the Holy Knights and some of the high-ranking Temple Knights who served as witnesses.

Diether informed the king about the Degradation for the sake of formalities.

The king gave him permission, but of course, it wasn't like the king could stop him since the matters concerning the Holy and Temple Knights fell directly under his authority.

"Just kill us if you're going to take our honor away from us, Commander!"

Diether let out a frustrated sigh. "Don't talk about honor when you hired an infamous mercenary guild to kidnap and sell off Madam Margo and the young ladies from the Red-light District."

He didn't want to admit this, but what Sonata Florin said to him during their last argument rang in his head loudly.

That was probably how impactful her words were.

["I guess you don't see the people of the Red-light District as humans since they never received help from the temple or the kingdom."]

He got offended by what Sonata Florin said, but it was probably because she hit a nerve.

"Or did you think it wouldn't be a big deal because of the work Madam Margo and the ladies in the Red-light District do?" Diether asked coldly, his sky-blue eyes glowing menacingly. "Do you think you're morally superior to them– hence giving you the right to "punish" them by committing an act of violence? Have you forgotten about the code of chivalry about respecting women?"

He could see the answer in the grim expressions of the young men that he had just kicked out of knighthood, despite the silence.

All the guilt he felt for removing these punks' honor disappeared instantly.

"Ah, you don't see Madam Margo and the other girls from the Red-light District as women you need to respect," Diether said, disappointed. "Thank you for letting me know you deserve to have your honor as a knight taken away from you."

After saying his piece, he turned his back on the ex-knights.

"Commander!"

Diether didn't turn back.

He just raised his hand to let Ethan Tanner, his vice-commander, wrap it up.

[I'm getting a headache...]

"Oppa?"

Diether stopped walking when he reached the entrance to Avari Wings– the annex building of the temple dedicated to the Holy Knights. "Why are you here, Francine? And why are you alone?"

"I sneaked out of my residence when I heard about the Degradation," Francine said worriedly. "Is it really necessary to remove them from knighthood, oppa?"