One of the royal knights stepped forward.
His sword pointed directly at Shawn.
"You," he said firmly. "Raise your hands above your head."
Shawn blinked, confused.
"Huh?" he said, staring at the knight.
"Hands up," the knight repeated impatiently. "Now."
Shawn slowly raised his hands.
"Good," the knight said. "Now walk toward us and follow quietly."
Shawn swallowed hard.
'Well,' he thought, taking a step forward. 'Guess I don't have a choice.'
But before he could take another step, he heard a sound.
The unmistakable ring of a sword being drawn.
Shawn turned.
It was Elena.
The captain had risen to her feet.
Her sword was in her hand.
Her stance was solid.
Her eyes burned with determination.
"If you want to take her," Elena said coldly, "you'll have to do it over my dead body."
The royal knights frowned.
"Captain," one warned. "Don't make this any harder than it already is."
But Elena didn't budge.
"You heard what I said," she replied, raising her sword higher.
Seeing their captain's resolve, Elena's knights felt their morale surge back.
One stepped forward.
"We're backing you up, Captain!" he shouted, drawing his sword.
"Yes!" another yelled, doing the same.
"We won't let them take her!" a third exclaimed.
In seconds, every one of Elena's knights was in combat stance.
Their swords gleamed under the light.
Their faces showed pure determination.
They were ready to fight.
The royal knights prepared as well.
Swords drawn.
Stances firm.
The tension in the air was thick enough to cut.
Shawn stared at the scene, mouth hanging open.
'What the hell is wrong with the people in this world?!' he thought, panic rising.
The royal knights began advancing toward Elena.
Elena's knights braced to intercept.
Swords were about to clash.
And then Shawn screamed.
"STOP!!!"
His voice echoed through the entire building.
It was so loud even he startled himself.
Everyone froze.
Swords halted mid-air.
Movements stopped.
Every eye turned to Shawn.
Shawn was breathing hard.
Shouting that loud had winded him.
"Hah… hah…" he panted, trying to catch his breath.
After a few seconds, he lifted his gaze.
"Why… are you fighting?" he asked between breaths.
Silence.
No one answered.
Shawn looked at the royal knights.
Then at Elena's knights.
Then at Elena.
"Why are you fighting?" he repeated, stronger this time.
The royal knight who had tortured Elena stepped forward.
"All this trouble," he said coldly, "is because of your captain."
Shawn looked at him, confused.
"Because of her?" he asked.
"Yes," the knight replied. "She tried to hide you. She lied about your existence. She wasted our valuable time."
Shawn turned to Elena.
The captain looked ashamed.
Her eyes were fixed on the floor.
She didn't know what to say.
Shawn studied her for a few seconds.
Then he looked back at the royal knight.
"So," he said slowly, "all this fighting can be avoided if I decide to go with you willingly?"
The royal knight looked surprised.
"What did you say?" he asked.
"I asked if all this fighting can be avoided if I go with you voluntarily," Shawn repeated.
The royal knight was silent for a moment.
Then he sighed.
"It's not that simple," he said, shaking his head.
"Why not?" Shawn asked.
"Because they've already shown rebellious behavior," the knight replied, gesturing toward Elena and her men. "That kind of attitude could cause problems for the kingdom in the future."
Shawn frowned.
Those words reminded him of someone.
A manager he'd worked under years ago.
The kind of guy who always wanted to look good in front of the boss.
Didn't matter what he had to do.
Didn't matter who he had to step on.
All that mattered was impressing his superiors.
Shawn smiled.
"I understand…" he said calmly.
The royal knight looked at him curiously.
"You understand?" he asked.
"Yes," Shawn replied, keeping the smile. "I understand perfectly."
Shawn took a step forward.
"But let me tell you something," he said, looking the knight straight in the eyes.
The knight frowned.
"What?" he asked.
"If your men attack the knights here again," Shawn said firmly, "I'm going to tell the queen exactly how bad you are at your job."
Silence.
Everyone was stunned.
Elena's knights' eyes went wide.
"What did she just say?" one muttered.
"Is she threatening the commander?" another whispered.
"She's got guts…" a third said in disbelief.
The royal knights were equally shocked.
They stared at Shawn like he'd lost his mind.
The royal knight clenched his fist.
His face turned red with rage.
But then he did something unexpected.
He sheathed his sword.
And let out a small laugh.
"Haha…" he laughed, shaking his head.
He started walking toward Shawn.
Elena immediately went into a defensive stance.
"Don't come near her!" she warned, raising her sword.
But the royal knight ignored her completely.
He walked straight up to Shawn.
Stopped in front of her.
And looked at her with a smile.
"You're quite the bold girl," he said. "But smart."
Shawn kept his expression serious.
"I take back nothing," he replied.
The royal knight studied her for a few seconds.
Then he took a long breath.
And turned to his men.
"Fall in!" he ordered firmly.
The royal knights looked at him in confusion.
"Sir?" one asked.
"We're withdrawing," the commander said. "All of us. We're escorting this girl to the princess's castle."
The royal knights nodded.
"Yes, sir!"
They began grouping near the door.
Elena, who had been mentally frozen, finally snapped out of it.
"Wait!" she shouted, stepping forward.
The commander looked at her coldly.
"What now?" he asked impatiently.
"I want to accompany Sheila," Elena said firmly.
The commander frowned.
"Don't push your luck," he warned threateningly.
Elena gritted her teeth.
"But—" she began.
"Elena!" Shawn interrupted.
Elena turned to him.
Shawn looked at her calmly.
"Everything's going to be fine," he said softly. "Let me handle this."
Elena looked at him with worry.
"But…" she said, unsure what to say.
"Trust me," Shawn said, giving a small smile.
Elena fell silent.
She stared at Shawn for several seconds.
Then she swallowed hard.
And bowed her head.
"Take care of yourself," she said quietly.
Shawn nodded.
"I will," he replied.
Shawn turned and started walking toward the royal knights.
As he passed the knights he had healed earlier, one called out.
"Miss!"
Shawn stopped and looked at him.
"Have a safe journey!" the knight said with a smile.
"Yes, take care of yourself!" another added.
"Thank you for everything!" a third exclaimed.
Shawn looked at them in surprise.
Then he smiled.
"Thank you," he replied, nodding.
Shawn continued walking.
He reached the royal knights.
They immediately surrounded him.
Two in front.
Two behind.
And the commander at his side.
"Move out," the commander ordered.
They started walking toward the exit.
Shawn followed in silence.
His face no longer wore a smile.
Now it was serious.
'What a damn mess that woman caused,' he thought, frowning inwardly.
The fight.
The blood.
The screams.
All because Elena had decided to hide him.
'Why the hell did she make such a stupid decision?' Shawn thought, frustration building.
If Elena had just told the truth from the beginning, none of this would have happened.
No fight.
No injuries.
No chaos.
'This is no way to get believers for God!' Shawn thought, clenching his fists.
His mission was to spread faith.
Help people.
Perform miracles.
But how was he supposed to do that when everyone around him made such idiotic choices?
'Women just complicate everything,' he thought, letting out an internal sigh.
He glanced back over his shoulder.
Elena was still standing in the same spot, watching him with worry.
Shawn looked forward again.
'Of course it had to be a woman!' he thought in frustration.